diff --git a/otel-ui/src/dev/device-auth.ts b/otel-ui/src/dev/device-auth.ts
index 40bb89a..b24d03d 100644
--- a/otel-ui/src/dev/device-auth.ts
+++ b/otel-ui/src/dev/device-auth.ts
@@ -21,15 +21,16 @@ interface DeviceStart {
   interval?: number;
 }
 
-const post = (path: string, body: Record<string, string>) =>
+// RFC 8628 endpoints take form bodies; /device/refresh takes JSON.
+const post = (path: string, body: Record<string, string>, json = false) =>
   fetch(`/dev-auth${path}`, {
     method: "POST",
-    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
-    body: JSON.stringify(body),
+    headers: { "Content-Type": json ? "application/json" : "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" },
+    body: json ? JSON.stringify(body) : new URLSearchParams(body),
   });
 
 async function refresh(refreshToken: string): Promise<TokenResponse | null> {
-  const res = await post("/device/refresh", { client_id: CLIENT_ID, refresh_token: refreshToken });
+  const res = await post("/device/refresh", { refresh_token: refreshToken }, true);
   return res.ok ? ((await res.json()) as TokenResponse) : null;
 }
 
diff --git a/scripts/dev-auth.mjs b/scripts/dev-auth.mjs
index 2aacf4a..54978b9 100644
--- a/scripts/dev-auth.mjs
+++ b/scripts/dev-auth.mjs
@@ -21,11 +21,12 @@ const DIR = join(homedir(), ".go-auth", "dev");
 const FILE = join(DIR, `${CLIENT}.json`);
 const GRANT = "urn:ietf:params:oauth:grant-type:device_code";
 
-const post = (path, body) =>
+// RFC 8628 endpoints take form bodies; /device/refresh takes JSON.
+const post = (path, body, json = false) =>
   fetch(`${BASE}/api/auth${path}`, {
     method: "POST",
-    headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
-    body: JSON.stringify(body),
+    headers: { "Content-Type": json ? "application/json" : "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" },
+    body: json ? JSON.stringify(body) : new URLSearchParams(body),
   });
 
 async function save(refresh) {
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ async function login() {
       return;
     }
     if (body.error === "slow_down") interval += 5000;
-    else if (body.error !== "authorization_pending") throw new Error(body.error ?? `HTTP ${t.status}`);
+    else if (body.error !== "authorization_pending") throw new Error([body.error ?? `HTTP ${t.status}`, body.error_description].filter(Boolean).join(": "));
   }
   throw new Error("device code expired");
 }
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ async function token() {
   } catch {
     throw new Error("not signed in: run `node scripts/dev-auth.mjs login`");
   }
-  const res = await post("/device/refresh", { client_id: CLIENT, refresh_token: stored.refresh_token });
+  const res = await post("/device/refresh", { refresh_token: stored.refresh_token }, true);
   if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`refresh failed (HTTP ${res.status}); run login again`);
   const body = await res.json();
   if (body.refresh_token) await save(body.refresh_token);