diff --git a/audit/internal/platform/services.go b/audit/internal/platform/services.go
index b21cb09..7c9d090 100644
--- a/audit/internal/platform/services.go
+++ b/audit/internal/platform/services.go
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@ func (s *System) ServiceState(name string) string {
 }
 
 func (s *System) ServiceDo(name string, action ServiceAction) (string, error) {
-	raw, err := exec.Command("systemctl", string(action), name).CombinedOutput()
+	// bee-web runs as the bee user; sudo is required to control system services.
+	// /etc/sudoers.d/bee grants bee NOPASSWD:ALL.
+	raw, err := exec.Command("sudo", "systemctl", string(action), name).CombinedOutput()
 	return string(raw), err
 }
 
diff --git a/audit/internal/webui/api.go b/audit/internal/webui/api.go
index f9cdf8c..4144f70 100644
--- a/audit/internal/webui/api.go
+++ b/audit/internal/webui/api.go
@@ -383,11 +383,13 @@ func (h *handler) handleAPIServicesAction(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request
 		return
 	}
 	result, err := h.opts.App.ServiceActionResult(req.Name, action)
+	status := "ok"
 	if err != nil {
-		writeError(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, err.Error())
-		return
+		status = "error"
 	}
-	writeJSON(w, map[string]string{"status": "ok", "output": result.Body})
+	// Always return 200 with output so the frontend can display the actual
+	// systemctl error message instead of a generic "exit status 1".
+	writeJSON(w, map[string]string{"status": status, "output": result.Body})
 }
 
 // ── Network ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/audit/internal/webui/pages.go b/audit/internal/webui/pages.go
index bc7adae..3080fc6 100644
--- a/audit/internal/webui/pages.go
+++ b/audit/internal/webui/pages.go
@@ -2107,9 +2107,12 @@ func renderServicesInline() string {
 	return `<p style="font-size:13px;color:var(--muted);margin-bottom:10px">` + html.EscapeString(`bee-selfheal.timer is expected to be active; the oneshot bee-selfheal.service itself is not shown as a long-running service.`) + `</p>
 <div style="display:flex;justify-content:flex-end;gap:8px;flex-wrap:wrap;margin-bottom:8px"><button class="btn btn-sm btn-secondary" onclick="restartGPUDrivers()">Restart GPU Drivers</button><button class="btn btn-sm btn-secondary" onclick="loadServices()">&#8635; Refresh</button></div>
 <div id="svc-table"><p style="color:var(--muted);font-size:13px">Loading...</p></div>
-<div id="svc-out" style="display:none;margin-top:8px" class="card">
-  <div class="card-head">Output</div>
-  <div class="card-body" style="padding:10px"><div id="svc-terminal" class="terminal" style="max-height:150px"></div></div>
+<div id="svc-out" style="display:none;margin-top:12px">
+  <div style="display:flex;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;margin-bottom:4px">
+    <span id="svc-out-label" style="font-size:12px;font-weight:600;color:var(--muted)">Output</span>
+    <span id="svc-out-status" style="font-size:12px"></span>
+  </div>
+  <div id="svc-terminal" class="terminal" style="max-height:220px;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box"></div>
 </div>
 <script>
 function loadServices() {
@@ -2125,9 +2128,9 @@ function loadServices() {
         '<div id="'+id+'" style="display:none;margin-top:6px"><pre style="font-size:11px;white-space:pre-wrap;word-break:break-all;max-height:200px;overflow-y:auto;background:#1b1c1d;padding:8px;border-radius:4px;color:#b5cea8">'+body+'</pre></div>' +
         '</td>' +
         '<td style="white-space:nowrap">' +
-        '<button class="btn btn-sm btn-secondary" onclick="svcAction(\''+s.name+'\',\'start\')">Start</button> ' +
-        '<button class="btn btn-sm btn-secondary" onclick="svcAction(\''+s.name+'\',\'stop\')">Stop</button> ' +
-        '<button class="btn btn-sm btn-secondary" onclick="svcAction(\''+s.name+'\',\'restart\')">Restart</button>' +
+        '<button class="btn btn-sm btn-secondary" id="btn-'+s.name+'-start"   onclick="svcAction(this,\''+s.name+'\',\'start\')">Start</button> ' +
+        '<button class="btn btn-sm btn-secondary" id="btn-'+s.name+'-stop"    onclick="svcAction(this,\''+s.name+'\',\'stop\')">Stop</button> ' +
+        '<button class="btn btn-sm btn-secondary" id="btn-'+s.name+'-restart" onclick="svcAction(this,\''+s.name+'\',\'restart\')">Restart</button>' +
         '</td></tr>';
     }).join('');
     document.getElementById('svc-table').innerHTML =
@@ -2138,16 +2141,45 @@ function toggleBody(id) {
   const el = document.getElementById(id);
   if (el) el.style.display = el.style.display==='none' ? 'block' : 'none';
 }
-function svcAction(name, action) {
+function svcAction(btn, name, action) {
+  var label = btn.textContent;
+  btn.disabled = true;
+  btn.textContent = '...';
+  var out = document.getElementById('svc-out');
+  var term = document.getElementById('svc-terminal');
+  var statusEl = document.getElementById('svc-out-status');
+  var labelEl = document.getElementById('svc-out-label');
+  out.style.display = 'block';
+  labelEl.textContent = action + ' ' + name;
+  term.textContent = 'Running...';
+  statusEl.textContent = '';
+  statusEl.style.color = '';
   fetch('/api/services/action',{method:'POST',headers:{'Content-Type':'application/json'},body:JSON.stringify({name,action})})
     .then(r=>r.json()).then(d => {
-      document.getElementById('svc-out').style.display='block';
-      document.getElementById('svc-terminal').textContent = d.output || d.error || action+' '+name;
-      setTimeout(loadServices, 1000);
+      term.textContent = d.output || d.error || '(no output)';
+      term.scrollTop = term.scrollHeight;
+      if (d.status === 'ok') {
+        statusEl.textContent = '✓ done';
+        statusEl.style.color = 'var(--ok-fg, #2c662d)';
+      } else {
+        statusEl.textContent = '✗ failed';
+        statusEl.style.color = 'var(--crit-fg, #9f3a38)';
+      }
+      btn.textContent = label;
+      btn.disabled = false;
+      setTimeout(loadServices, 800);
+    }).catch(e => {
+      term.textContent = 'Request failed: ' + e;
+      statusEl.textContent = '✗ error';
+      statusEl.style.color = 'var(--crit-fg, #9f3a38)';
+      btn.textContent = label;
+      btn.disabled = false;
     });
 }
 function restartGPUDrivers() {
-  svcAction('bee-nvidia', 'restart');
+  var btn = document.querySelector('[onclick*="restartGPUDrivers"]');
+  if (!btn) { svcAction({textContent:'',disabled:false}, 'bee-nvidia', 'restart'); return; }
+  svcAction(btn, 'bee-nvidia', 'restart');
 }
 loadServices();
 </script>`