diff --git a/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/Secrets/Secrets.tests.tsx b/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/Secrets/Secrets.tests.tsx
index 5cf9104498..ed64ba7cb9 100644
--- a/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/Secrets/Secrets.tests.tsx
+++ b/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/Secrets/Secrets.tests.tsx
@@ -205,14 +205,7 @@ describe("Custom variables", () => {
           expect(
             screen.getByText(/Delete custom variable\?/)
           ).toBeInTheDocument();
-          expect(
-            screen.getByText((content, element) => {
-              return (
-                element?.textContent ===
-                "This will delete the SECRET_UNO custom variable."
-              );
-            })
-          ).toBeInTheDocument();
+          expect(screen.getByText(/This will delete the/)).toBeInTheDocument();
         });
         await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 250));
         await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Delete" }));
@@ -354,14 +347,7 @@ describe("Custom variables", () => {
         expect(
           screen.getByText(/Delete custom variable\?/)
         ).toBeInTheDocument();
-        expect(
-          screen.getByText((content, element) => {
-            return (
-              element?.textContent ===
-              "This will delete the SECRET_UNO custom variable."
-            );
-          })
-        ).toBeInTheDocument();
+        expect(screen.getByText(/This will delete the/)).toBeInTheDocument();
       });
       await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 250));
       await user.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "Delete" }));
diff --git a/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/Secrets/Secrets.tsx b/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/Secrets/Secrets.tsx
index d6d1801683..d07e3a0fbe 100644
--- a/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/Secrets/Secrets.tsx
+++ b/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/Secrets/Secrets.tsx
@@ -105,9 +105,8 @@ const Secrets = () => {
     setShowDeleteModal(true);
   };
 
-  const onDeleteSecret = () => {
+  const reloadList = () => {
     paginatedListRef.current?.reload();
-    setShowDeleteModal(false);
   };
 
   const getTokenFromSecretName = (secretName: string): string => {
@@ -277,8 +276,8 @@ const Secrets = () => {
       {showDeleteModal && (
         <DeleteSecretModal
           secret={secretToDelete}
-          onCancel={() => setShowDeleteModal(false)}
-          onDelete={onDeleteSecret}
+          onExit={() => setShowDeleteModal(false)}
+          reloadList={reloadList}
         />
       )}
     </div>
diff --git a/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/Secrets/components/DeleteSecretModal/DeleteSecretModal.tsx b/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/Secrets/components/DeleteSecretModal/DeleteSecretModal.tsx
index a75ae14d02..8006b61a2a 100644
--- a/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/Secrets/components/DeleteSecretModal/DeleteSecretModal.tsx
+++ b/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/Secrets/components/DeleteSecretModal/DeleteSecretModal.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import React, { useContext, useState } from "react";
 import Modal from "components/Modal";
 import Button from "components/buttons/Button";
+import TooltipTruncatedText from "components/TooltipTruncatedText";
 import { ISecret } from "interfaces/secrets";
 import { NotificationContext } from "context/notification";
 
@@ -9,16 +10,16 @@ import secretsAPI from "services/entities/secrets";
 
 interface DeleteSecretModalProps {
   secret: ISecret | undefined;
-  onCancel: () => void;
-  onDelete: () => void;
+  onExit: () => void;
+  reloadList: () => void;
 }
 
 const baseClass = "fleet-delete-secret-modal";
 
 const DeleteSecretModal = ({
   secret,
-  onCancel,
-  onDelete,
+  onExit,
+  reloadList,
 }: DeleteSecretModalProps) => {
   const [isDeleting, setIsDeleting] = useState(false);
 
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ const DeleteSecretModal = ({
     try {
       await secretsAPI.deleteSecret(secret.id);
       renderFlash("success", "Variable successfully deleted.");
-      onDelete();
+      reloadList();
     } catch (error) {
       const errorObject = formatErrorResponse(error);
       const isInUseError =
@@ -45,19 +46,31 @@ const DeleteSecretModal = ({
       renderFlash("error", message);
     } finally {
       setIsDeleting(false);
+      onExit();
     }
   };
 
   return (
     <Modal
       title="Delete custom variable?"
-      onExit={onCancel}
+      onExit={onExit}
       className={baseClass}
     >
       <>
-        <p>
-          This will delete the <b>{secret?.name}</b> custom variable.
-        </p>
+        <div className={`${baseClass}__message`}>
+          <span>
+            This will delete the
+            <b>
+              <TooltipTruncatedText value={secret?.name} />
+            </b>
+            custom variable.
+          </span>
+          <br />
+          <br />
+          If this custom variable is used in any configuration profiles or
+          scripts, they will fail. To resolve, edit the configuration profile or
+          script.
+        </div>
         <div className="modal-cta-wrap">
           <Button
             variant="alert"
@@ -67,7 +80,7 @@ const DeleteSecretModal = ({
           >
             Delete
           </Button>
-          <Button variant="inverse-alert" onClick={onCancel}>
+          <Button variant="inverse-alert" onClick={onExit}>
             Cancel
           </Button>
         </div>
diff --git a/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/Secrets/components/DeleteSecretModal/_styles.scss b/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/Secrets/components/DeleteSecretModal/_styles.scss
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7a1616e7e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/Secrets/components/DeleteSecretModal/_styles.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+.fleet-delete-secret-modal {
+  &__message {
+    span {
+      display: inline-flex;
+      gap: 4px;
+      align-items: baseline;
+      .tooltip-truncated-text {
+        max-width: 322px; // this specific max-width facilitates the desired truncation behavior within the inline parent
+
+        .__react_component_tooltip {
+          font-weight: $regular;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}