diff --git a/enterprise/app/controllers/api/v1/accounts/whatsapp_calls_controller.rb b/enterprise/app/controllers/api/v1/accounts/whatsapp_calls_controller.rb
index 14fd5cee3..b83723f84 100644
--- a/enterprise/app/controllers/api/v1/accounts/whatsapp_calls_controller.rb
+++ b/enterprise/app/controllers/api/v1/accounts/whatsapp_calls_controller.rb
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ class Api::V1::Accounts::WhatsappCallsController < Api::V1::Accounts::BaseContro
         next
       end
 
-      sent = provider_service.send_call_permission_request(@conversation.contact.phone_number.delete('+'))
+      sent = send_permission_request_safely
       if sent
         record_permission_request_wamid(sent)
         status = 'permission_requested'
@@ -142,6 +142,15 @@ class Api::V1::Accounts::WhatsappCallsController < Api::V1::Accounts::BaseContro
     last_requested.present? && Time.zone.parse(last_requested) > PERMISSION_REQUEST_THROTTLE.ago
   end
 
+  # Treat transport errors the same as a falsy provider return so the action renders 422
+  # rather than letting Faraday/HTTParty exceptions bubble up as 500s.
+  def send_permission_request_safely
+    provider_service.send_call_permission_request(@conversation.contact.phone_number.delete('+'))
+  rescue StandardError => e
+    Rails.logger.warn "[WHATSAPP CALL] permission_request failed: #{e.class} #{e.message}"
+    nil
+  end
+
   # Record the wamid so the reply webhook can match context.id back to this conversation.
   def record_permission_request_wamid(sent)
     attrs = (@conversation.additional_attributes || {}).merge(
diff --git a/spec/enterprise/controllers/api/v1/accounts/whatsapp_calls_controller_spec.rb b/spec/enterprise/controllers/api/v1/accounts/whatsapp_calls_controller_spec.rb
index f86d5745c..bfae8d64d 100644
--- a/spec/enterprise/controllers/api/v1/accounts/whatsapp_calls_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/enterprise/controllers/api/v1/accounts/whatsapp_calls_controller_spec.rb
@@ -118,6 +118,18 @@ RSpec.describe 'WhatsApp Calls API', type: :request do
       expect(attrs['call_permission_request_message_id']).to eq('wamid.req_xyz')
     end
 
+    it 'returns permission_request_failed when send_call_permission_request raises a transport error' do
+      allow(provider_service).to receive(:initiate_call).and_raise(Voice::CallErrors::NoCallPermission)
+      allow(provider_service).to receive(:send_call_permission_request).and_raise(Faraday::TimeoutError)
+
+      post "/api/v1/accounts/#{account.id}/whatsapp_calls/initiate",
+           params: { conversation_id: initiate_conversation.display_id, sdp_offer: 'sdp_offer' },
+           headers: agent.create_new_auth_token
+
+      expect(response).to have_http_status(:unprocessable_entity)
+      expect(response.parsed_body['error']).to eq(I18n.t('errors.whatsapp.calls.permission_request_failed'))
+    end
+
     it 'returns 422 when sdp_offer is missing' do
       post "/api/v1/accounts/#{account.id}/whatsapp_calls/initiate",
            params: { conversation_id: initiate_conversation.display_id },