diff --git a/changes/22965-error-cleanup b/changes/22965-error-cleanup
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..40c23de691
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/22965-error-cleanup
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+* Added a more descriptive error message when install or uninstall details do not exist for an activity
diff --git a/frontend/components/ActivityDetails/InstallDetails/SoftwareInstallDetails/SoftwareInstallDetails.tsx b/frontend/components/ActivityDetails/InstallDetails/SoftwareInstallDetails/SoftwareInstallDetails.tsx
index e3747f952a..91d13ad1ed 100644
--- a/frontend/components/ActivityDetails/InstallDetails/SoftwareInstallDetails/SoftwareInstallDetails.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/ActivityDetails/InstallDetails/SoftwareInstallDetails/SoftwareInstallDetails.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import React from "react";
 import { useQuery } from "react-query";
 import { formatDistanceToNow } from "date-fns";
+import { AxiosError } from "axios";
 
 import { IActivityDetails } from "interfaces/activity";
 import {
@@ -90,9 +91,9 @@ export const SoftwareInstallDetails = ({
   host_display_name = "",
   install_uuid = "",
 }: IPackageInstallDetails) => {
-  const { data: result, isLoading, isError } = useQuery<
+  const { data: result, isLoading, isError, error } = useQuery<
     ISoftwareInstallResults,
-    Error,
+    AxiosError,
     ISoftwareInstallResult
   >(
     ["softwareInstallResults", install_uuid],
@@ -103,11 +104,19 @@ export const SoftwareInstallDetails = ({
       refetchOnWindowFocus: false,
       staleTime: 3000,
       select: (data) => data.results,
+      retry: (failureCount, err) => err?.status !== 404 && failureCount < 3,
     }
   );
 
   if (isLoading) {
     return <Spinner />;
+  } else if (isError && error?.status === 404) {
+    return (
+      <DataError
+        description="Install details are no longer available for this activity."
+        excludeIssueLink
+      />
+    );
   } else if (isError) {
     return <DataError description="Close this modal and try again." />;
   } else if (!result) {
diff --git a/frontend/components/ActivityDetails/InstallDetails/SoftwareUninstallDetailsModal/SoftwareUninstallDetailsModal.tsx b/frontend/components/ActivityDetails/InstallDetails/SoftwareUninstallDetailsModal/SoftwareUninstallDetailsModal.tsx
index dfb4ef13c9..e0838b0717 100644
--- a/frontend/components/ActivityDetails/InstallDetails/SoftwareUninstallDetailsModal/SoftwareUninstallDetailsModal.tsx
+++ b/frontend/components/ActivityDetails/InstallDetails/SoftwareUninstallDetailsModal/SoftwareUninstallDetailsModal.tsx
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { IActivityDetails } from "interfaces/activity";
 import { isPendingStatus, SoftwareInstallStatus } from "interfaces/software";
 import React from "react";
 import { useQuery } from "react-query";
+import { AxiosError } from "axios";
 import scriptsAPI, { IScriptResultResponse } from "services/entities/scripts";
 import { DEFAULT_USE_QUERY_OPTIONS } from "utilities/constants";
 import {
@@ -55,7 +56,10 @@ const StatusMessage = ({
   return (
     <div className={`${baseClass}__status-message`}>
       <Icon
-        name={INSTALL_DETAILS_STATUS_ICONS[status as SoftwareInstallStatus]}
+        name={
+          INSTALL_DETAILS_STATUS_ICONS[status as SoftwareInstallStatus] ??
+          "pending-outline"
+        }
       />
       <span>
         Fleet {getInstallDetailsStatusPredicate(status)} <b>{software_title}</b>{" "}
@@ -80,20 +84,29 @@ const SoftwareUninstallDetailsModal = ({
     software_title = "",
     status = "",
   }: ISoftwareUninstallDetails) => {
-    const {
-      data: scriptResult,
-      isLoading,
-      isError,
-    } = useQuery<IScriptResultResponse>(
+    const { data: scriptResult, isLoading, isError, error } = useQuery<
+      IScriptResultResponse,
+      AxiosError
+    >(
       ["uninstallResult", details.script_execution_id],
       () => {
         return scriptsAPI.getScriptResult(script_execution_id);
       },
-      { ...DEFAULT_USE_QUERY_OPTIONS }
+      {
+        ...DEFAULT_USE_QUERY_OPTIONS,
+        retry: (failureCount, err) => err?.status !== 404 && failureCount < 3,
+      }
     );
 
     if (isLoading) {
       return <Spinner />;
+    } else if (isError && error?.status === 404) {
+      return (
+        <DataError
+          description="Uninstall details are no longer available for this activity."
+          excludeIssueLink
+        />
+      );
     } else if (isError) {
       return <DataError description="Close this modal and try again." />;
     } else if (!scriptResult) {