diff --git a/.changelog/14992.txt b/.changelog/14992.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..86c0d8788
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/14992.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:bug
+cli: prevent a panic when the Nomad API returns an error while collecting a debug bundle
+```
diff --git a/command/operator_debug.go b/command/operator_debug.go
index b1ac4f9ee..09fdcc07d 100644
--- a/command/operator_debug.go
+++ b/command/operator_debug.go
@@ -1404,7 +1404,7 @@ func writeResponseStreamOrErrorToFile[T any](obj []T, apiErr error, getWriterFn
 	defer writer.Close()
 
 	if apiErr != nil {
-		wrapped := errorWrapper{Error: err.Error()}
+		wrapped := errorWrapper{Error: apiErr.Error()}
 		return writeJSON(wrapped, writer)
 	}