diff --git a/instances/tests/test_destroy.py b/instances/tests/test_destroy.py
index 0115cad8..80f4f3df 100644
--- a/instances/tests/test_destroy.py
+++ b/instances/tests/test_destroy.py
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ from django.urls import reverse
 from instances.models import Instance
 from instances.utils import paths_used_on_other_computes
 from libvirt import VIR_DOMAIN_UNDEFINE_KEEP_NVRAM, VIR_DOMAIN_UNDEFINE_NVRAM, libvirtError
-from vrtManager.util import OperationError
+from operations.utils import public_error_text
+from vrtManager.util import ConnectionFailed, OperationError
 
 
 class DestroyOrderTestCase(TestCase):
@@ -243,5 +244,8 @@ class OtherComputesTestCase(TestCase):
         hosts = self.hosts({"192.0.2.61": set(), "192.0.2.62": set()})
         hosts["192.0.2.61"].paths_in_use.side_effect = libvirtError("connection refused")
         with patch("instances.utils.wvmConnect", side_effect=lambda host, *args: hosts[host]):
-            with self.assertRaisesMessage(OperationError, "The disk files cannot be checked on host-b"):
+            with self.assertRaises(ConnectionFailed) as caught:
                 paths_used_on_other_computes(self.source, ["/nfs/a.qcow2"])
+        self.assertEqual(caught.exception.args[0], "The disk files cannot be checked on host-b: connection refused")
+        # users who do not see hosts get neither the host nor libvirt's text
+        self.assertEqual(public_error_text(caught.exception), "The host of this virtual machine cannot be reached right now.")
diff --git a/instances/utils.py b/instances/utils.py
index 0cbc4567..6ba709ac 100644
--- a/instances/utils.py
+++ b/instances/utils.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ from logs.audit import reason, write
 from operations.models import Operation
 from vrtManager.connection import other_hosts, wvmConnect
 from vrtManager.instance import wvmInstance, wvmInstances
-from vrtManager.util import OperationError, message
+from vrtManager.util import ConnectionFailed, message
 
 from .models import Instance
 
@@ -52,8 +52,9 @@ def get_clone_free_names(size=10):
 def paths_used_on_other_computes(compute, own):
     """The paths in own that the VMs and volumes of the panel's other computes
     use (paths_in_use): shared storage holds a file at the same path on every
-    host that mounts it, as migration needs. OperationError naming a compute
-    that cannot be read: it might use them."""
+    host that mounts it, as migration needs. ConnectionFailed naming a compute
+    that cannot be read, which might use them: users who do not see hosts
+    learn only that a host cannot be reached."""
     used = set()
     host = wvmConnect(compute.hostname, compute.login, compute.password, compute.type).host_uuid()
     for other in Compute.objects.exclude(pk=compute.pk):
@@ -63,8 +64,8 @@ def paths_used_on_other_computes(compute, own):
                 continue  # the VM's own host under another record: its VM is the one going
             used |= conn.paths_in_use(own=own)
         except libvirtError as err:
-            raise OperationError(_("The disk files cannot be checked on %(host)s: %(err)s") % {
-                "host": other.name, "err": err.get_error_message()}) from err
+            raise ConnectionFailed(gettext_noop("The disk files cannot be checked on %(host)s: %(err)s"),
+                                   host=other.name, err=err) from err
     return used & set(own)