diff --git a/frontend/pages/hosts/ManageHostsPage/ManageHostsPage.tsx b/frontend/pages/hosts/ManageHostsPage/ManageHostsPage.tsx
index 341caa4e7f..7c50898133 100644
--- a/frontend/pages/hosts/ManageHostsPage/ManageHostsPage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/pages/hosts/ManageHostsPage/ManageHostsPage.tsx
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ import {
   MANAGE_HOSTS_PAGE_FILTER_KEYS,
   MANAGE_HOSTS_PAGE_LABEL_INCOMPATIBLE_QUERY_PARAMS,
 } from "./HostsPageConfig";
-import { isAcceptableStatus } from "./helpers";
+import { getDeleteLabelErrorMessages, isAcceptableStatus } from "./helpers";
 
 import DeleteSecretModal from "../../../components/EnrollSecrets/DeleteSecretModal";
 import SecretEditorModal from "../../../components/EnrollSecrets/SecretEditorModal";
@@ -1061,13 +1061,7 @@ const ManageHostsPage = ({
       );
       renderFlash("success", "Successfully deleted label.");
     } catch (error) {
-      console.error(error);
-      renderFlash(
-        "error",
-        getErrorReason(error).includes("built-in")
-          ? "Built-in labels can’t be modified or deleted."
-          : "Could not delete label. Please try again."
-      );
+      renderFlash("error", getDeleteLabelErrorMessages(error));
     } finally {
       setIsUpdatingLabel(false);
     }
diff --git a/frontend/pages/hosts/ManageHostsPage/helpers.ts b/frontend/pages/hosts/ManageHostsPage/helpers.ts
index ca78607641..5a30ea4405 100644
--- a/frontend/pages/hosts/ManageHostsPage/helpers.ts
+++ b/frontend/pages/hosts/ManageHostsPage/helpers.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { getErrorReason } from "interfaces/errors";
+
 export const isAcceptableStatus = (filter: string): boolean => {
   return (
     filter === "new" ||
@@ -21,3 +23,25 @@ export const isValidPemCertificate = (cert: string): boolean => {
 
   return regexPemHeader.test(cert) && regexPemFooter.test(cert);
 };
+
+const hasStatusKey = (value: unknown): value is { status: number } => {
+  return (
+    typeof value === "object" &&
+    value !== null &&
+    "status" in value &&
+    typeof (value as any).status === "number"
+  );
+};
+
+export const getDeleteLabelErrorMessages = (error: unknown): string => {
+  // unprocessable content status. Label is used in a custom profile
+  // or software target. we have to check that status exists on the error object
+  // before we can access it.
+  if (hasStatusKey(error) && error.status === 422) {
+    return getErrorReason(error).includes("built-in")
+      ? "Built-in labels can't be modified or deleted."
+      : "Couldn't delete. Software uses this label as a custom target. Please delete the software and try again.";
+  }
+
+  return "Could not delete label. Please try again.";
+};