diff --git a/src/web/public/session-ui.js b/src/web/public/session-ui.js
index 388fcadc..bfc20f1f 100644
--- a/src/web/public/session-ui.js
+++ b/src/web/public/session-ui.js
@@ -4298,7 +4298,7 @@ Object.assign(CodemanApp.prototype, {
   openCloneCasePathPicker() {
     const input = document.getElementById('cloneCasePath');
     PathPicker.open({
-      title: 'Choose the parent folder for the clone',
+      title: 'Choose the folder to clone inside',
       initialPath: input.value.trim(),
       directoriesOnly: true,
       allowNewFolder: true,
@@ -4408,10 +4408,8 @@ Object.assign(CodemanApp.prototype, {
     // The server's suggestion wins over the local guess (it is the same function
     // the case name is validated against), but never over a name the user typed.
     const nameInput = document.getElementById('cloneCaseName');
-    if (nameInput && !this._cloneNameEdited && parse.suggestedName) {
-      nameInput.value = parse.suggestedName;
-      this.updateCloneCasePathPreview();
-    }
+    if (nameInput && !this._cloneNameEdited && parse.suggestedName) nameInput.value = parse.suggestedName;
+    this.updateCloneCasePathPreview();
 
     const where = parse.owner ? `${parse.provider} ${parse.owner}/${parse.repo}` : `${parse.provider} ${parse.repo}`;
     if (data.gitAvailable === false) {
@@ -4466,7 +4464,7 @@ Object.assign(CodemanApp.prototype, {
 
     const customFolder = !!document.getElementById('cloneCustomPathToggle')?.checked;
     if (customFolder && !(document.getElementById('cloneCasePath')?.value || '').trim()) {
-      this.showToast('Choose the parent folder for the clone', 'error');
+      this.showToast('Choose the folder to clone inside', 'error');
       return;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/web/routes/case-routes.ts b/src/web/routes/case-routes.ts
index db756e11..23bbc62c 100644
--- a/src/web/routes/case-routes.ts
+++ b/src/web/routes/case-routes.ts
@@ -758,7 +758,7 @@ export function registerCaseRoutes(
                   ? ApiErrorCode.ALREADY_EXISTS
                   : ApiErrorCode.INVALID_INPUT,
             prepared.code === 'EXISTS'
-              ? `${customPath} already has files in it. Pick an empty folder, or a folder that does not exist yet.`
+              ? `${customPath} already has files in it. The clone target must be empty or not exist yet.`
               : prepared.reason
           );
         }
diff --git a/test/clone-custom-folder-ui.test.ts b/test/clone-custom-folder-ui.test.ts
index a7bdbd38..b0b4eeba 100644
--- a/test/clone-custom-folder-ui.test.ts
+++ b/test/clone-custom-folder-ui.test.ts
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ describe('Clone Repo custom folder', () => {
       allowNewFolder: boolean;
       onSelect(p: string): void;
     };
-    expect(options.title).toBe('Choose the parent folder for the clone');
+    expect(options.title).toBe('Choose the folder to clone inside');
     expect(options.directoriesOnly).toBe(true);
     // A parent that does not exist yet is refused, so the picker has to be able to make it.
     expect(options.allowNewFolder).toBe(true);
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ describe('Clone Repo custom folder', () => {
     app.showToast = vi.fn();
     (doc.getElementById('cloneCustomPathToggle') as HTMLInputElement).checked = true;
     await app.cloneCase();
-    expect(app.showToast).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Choose the parent folder for the clone', 'error');
+    expect(app.showToast).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Choose the folder to clone inside', 'error');
     expect(fetchMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
@@ -159,4 +159,30 @@ describe('Clone Repo custom folder', () => {
     expect(app.showToast).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Please enter a case name', 'error');
     expect(fetchMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  it('refreshes the preview when the preflight replaces the case name', () => {
+    const { app, doc, set } = bootClone();
+    set('cloneRepoUrl', 'https://github.com/opticon454/bifrost?tab=readme-ov-file');
+    set('cloneCaseName', 'bifrost-tab-readme-ov-file');
+    set('cloneCasePath', '/mnt/projects');
+    app.updateCloneCasePathPreview();
+    expect(doc.getElementById('cloneCasePathPreview')?.textContent).toBe(
+      'Will clone into: /mnt/projects/bifrost-tab-readme-ov-file'
+    );
+    app._applyClonePreflight({ gitAvailable: true, parse: { cloneable: true, suggestedName: 'bifrost' } }, '');
+    expect((doc.getElementById('cloneCaseName') as HTMLInputElement).value).toBe('bifrost');
+    expect(doc.getElementById('cloneCasePathPreview')?.textContent).toBe('Will clone into: /mnt/projects/bifrost');
+  });
+
+  it('previews the name taken from the URL as it is typed', () => {
+    const { app, doc, set, win } = bootClone();
+    app.isCliAvailable = () => true; // lives in settings-ui.js, which this test does not load
+    set('cloneCaseName', '');
+    set('cloneCasePath', '/mnt/projects');
+    set('cloneRepoUrl', 'https://github.com/opticon454/bifrost');
+    app.onCloneUrlInput();
+    win.clearTimeout(app._clonePreflightTimer);
+    expect((doc.getElementById('cloneCaseName') as HTMLInputElement).value).toBe('bifrost');
+    expect(doc.getElementById('cloneCasePathPreview')?.textContent).toBe('Will clone into: /mnt/projects/bifrost');
+  });
 });