diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 469505abf..1c4940098 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
         "@microbit/microbit-fs": "^0.10.0",
         "@microbit/micropython-microbit-stubs": "^1.0.0",
         "@microbit/ui": "^0.4.0",
-        "@microbit/ui-patterns": "^0.5.0",
+        "@microbit/ui-patterns": "^0.6.1",
         "@sanity/block-content-to-react": "^3.0.0",
         "@sanity/image-url": "^1.0.1",
         "@sentry/browser": "^10.71.0",
@@ -3396,9 +3396,9 @@
       }
     },
     "node_modules/@microbit/ui-patterns": {
-      "version": "0.5.1",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@microbit/ui-patterns/-/ui-patterns-0.5.1.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-Njw+XJlx04W/xfP+QwR/13SXRYFieVhEeXCVQwxbBZraXxKYLNmnyP6mmf9KLRT88lLEjquD4laBn6bj3HXMqg==",
+      "version": "0.6.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@microbit/ui-patterns/-/ui-patterns-0.6.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-Imnmc9Jpg2M80/3aY3HKaK3sUHjLWLQtoqzuj/IedjT8Ozsige/mCZE5g9efwYqcT4xIxpI80gvFBSWvKvigqw==",
       "license": "MIT",
       "dependencies": {
         "@formatjs/intl-localematcher": "^0.8.0"
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 43eb41652..f89d5f57c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
     "@microbit/microbit-fs": "^0.10.0",
     "@microbit/micropython-microbit-stubs": "^1.0.0",
     "@microbit/ui": "^0.4.0",
-    "@microbit/ui-patterns": "^0.5.0",
+    "@microbit/ui-patterns": "^0.6.1",
     "@sanity/block-content-to-react": "^3.0.0",
     "@sanity/image-url": "^1.0.1",
     "@sentry/browser": "^10.71.0",
diff --git a/src/RootLayout.test.tsx b/src/RootLayout.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c1543832b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/RootLayout.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+/**
+ * (c) 2026, Micro:bit Educational Foundation and contributors
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+ */
+import { SharedUIProvider } from "@microbit/ui";
+import { render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { vi } from "vitest";
+import { IntlProvider } from "react-intl";
+import { createMemoryRouter, RouterProvider } from "react-router";
+import { LoggingProvider } from "./logging/logging-hooks";
+import { MockLogging } from "./logging/mock";
+import RootLayout from "./RootLayout";
+
+const Thrower = () => {
+  throw new Error("boom");
+};
+
+it("shows the error page with the report reference when a route throws", () => {
+  // React reports the caught error to console.error and jsdom raises it as a
+  // window error event; silence both.
+  vi.spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => {});
+  const swallow = (e: ErrorEvent) => e.preventDefault();
+  window.addEventListener("error", swallow);
+  try {
+    const logging = new MockLogging();
+    logging.errorReference = "evt-1";
+    const router = createMemoryRouter([
+      {
+        element: <RootLayout />,
+        children: [{ path: "/", element: <Thrower /> }],
+      },
+    ]);
+    render(
+      <IntlProvider locale="en">
+        <SharedUIProvider>
+          <LoggingProvider value={logging}>
+            <RouterProvider router={router} />
+          </LoggingProvider>
+        </SharedUIProvider>
+      </IntlProvider>
+    );
+    expect(
+      screen.getByRole("heading", { name: "An unexpected error occurred" })
+    ).toBeDefined();
+    expect(screen.getByText(/Error reference/).textContent).toBe(
+      "Error reference: evt-1"
+    );
+    expect(logging.errors).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(logging.errors[0].message).toBe("Uncaught render error");
+    expect((logging.errors[0].e as Error).message).toBe("boom");
+  } finally {
+    window.removeEventListener("error", swallow);
+  }
+});
diff --git a/src/RootLayout.tsx b/src/RootLayout.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..918edb8d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/RootLayout.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/**
+ * (c) 2026, Micro:bit Educational Foundation and contributors
+ *
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+ */
+import { ErrorBoundary, UnexpectedErrorPage } from "@microbit/ui-patterns";
+import { useCallback } from "react";
+import { Outlet } from "react-router";
+import { useDeployment } from "./deployment";
+import { useLogging } from "./logging/logging-hooks";
+
+/**
+ * The root route. An uncaught render error below it shows the error page,
+ * with the Sentry event id as the reference, rather than unmounting the app.
+ */
+const RootLayout = () => {
+  const logging = useLogging();
+  const { supportLink } = useDeployment();
+  const handleError = useCallback(
+    (error: unknown) => logging.error("Uncaught render error", error),
+    [logging]
+  );
+  return (
+    <ErrorBoundary
+      onError={handleError}
+      fallback={(_error, reference) => (
+        <UnexpectedErrorPage supportUrl={supportLink} reference={reference} />
+      )}
+    >
+      <Outlet />
+    </ErrorBoundary>
+  );
+};
+
+export default RootLayout;
diff --git a/src/deployment/default/logging.ts b/src/deployment/default/logging.ts
index 115d78ffe..79d1847e7 100644
--- a/src/deployment/default/logging.ts
+++ b/src/deployment/default/logging.ts
@@ -14,12 +14,17 @@ export class ConsoleLogging implements Logging {
   event(event: Event): void {
     console.log(event);
   }
-  error(message: string, e: unknown, context?: Record<string, unknown>): void {
+  error(
+    message: string,
+    e: unknown,
+    context?: Record<string, unknown>
+  ): string | undefined {
     if (context) {
       console.error(message, e, context);
     } else {
       console.error(message, e);
     }
+    return undefined;
   }
   log(e: any): void {
     console.log(e);
diff --git a/src/logging/logger.ts b/src/logging/logger.ts
index ef12c5f4c..e040fd3d2 100644
--- a/src/logging/logger.ts
+++ b/src/logging/logger.ts
@@ -42,8 +42,12 @@ export class Logger implements Logging {
     this.sink.setUserProperty(name, value);
   }
 
-  error(message: string, e: unknown, context?: Record<string, unknown>): void {
-    reportError(this.sentryDsn, message, e, context);
+  error(
+    message: string,
+    e: unknown,
+    context?: Record<string, unknown>
+  ): string | undefined {
+    return reportError(this.sentryDsn, message, e, context);
   }
 
   log(v: unknown): void {
diff --git a/src/logging/logging.ts b/src/logging/logging.ts
index 3970cab50..83b2ca2d9 100644
--- a/src/logging/logging.ts
+++ b/src/logging/logging.ts
@@ -15,8 +15,15 @@ export interface Logging {
   /**
    * Report an error. `context` is attached to the Sentry event as extra
    * data; keep it to primitives and never include document text.
+   *
+   * Returns a reference for the report (the Sentry event id) when one was
+   * sent, for showing to the user so support can find the report.
    */
-  error(message: string, e: unknown, context?: Record<string, unknown>): void;
+  error(
+    message: string,
+    e: unknown,
+    context?: Record<string, unknown>
+  ): string | undefined;
   log(e: any): void;
   /**
    * Set a GA4 user property — auto-attaches to every subsequent event
diff --git a/src/logging/mock.ts b/src/logging/mock.ts
index 4352b8581..33ace666b 100644
--- a/src/logging/mock.ts
+++ b/src/logging/mock.ts
@@ -14,12 +14,19 @@ export class MockLogging implements Logging {
   }> = [];
   logs: any[] = [];
   userProperties: Record<string, string> = {};
+  /** What error() returns, for tests of code that shows the reference. */
+  errorReference: string | undefined = undefined;
 
   event(event: Event): void {
     this.events.push(event);
   }
-  error(message: string, e: unknown, context?: Record<string, unknown>): void {
+  error(
+    message: string,
+    e: unknown,
+    context?: Record<string, unknown>
+  ): string | undefined {
     this.errors.push({ message, e, context });
+    return this.errorReference;
   }
   log(e: any): void {
     this.logs.push(e);
diff --git a/src/logging/sentry.test.ts b/src/logging/sentry.test.ts
index 50425e1b9..fbbd4bfe2 100644
--- a/src/logging/sentry.test.ts
+++ b/src/logging/sentry.test.ts
@@ -26,8 +26,14 @@ describe("reportError", () => {
   });
 
   it("does nothing beyond console when Sentry is disabled", () => {
-    reportError(undefined, "Oops", new Error("boom"));
+    const reference = reportError(undefined, "Oops", new Error("boom"));
     expect(captureException).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(reference).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("returns the event id as the report reference", () => {
+    vi.mocked(captureException).mockReturnValueOnce("evt-1");
+    expect(reportError(dsn, "Oops", new Error("boom"))).toBe("evt-1");
   });
 
   it("passes Error instances through unchanged", () => {
diff --git a/src/logging/sentry.ts b/src/logging/sentry.ts
index 0f14210b2..af5ecfc2d 100644
--- a/src/logging/sentry.ts
+++ b/src/logging/sentry.ts
@@ -52,14 +52,14 @@ export const reportError = (
   message: string,
   e: unknown,
   context?: Record<string, unknown>
-): void => {
+): string | undefined => {
   if (context) {
     console.error(message, e, context);
   } else {
     console.error(message, e);
   }
   if (!dsn) {
-    return;
+    return undefined;
   }
   try {
     sentryAddBreadcrumb({
@@ -69,9 +69,13 @@ export const reportError = (
     });
     const { error, extra } = toError(e);
     const combined = extra || context ? { ...extra, ...context } : undefined;
-    sentryCaptureException(error, combined ? { extra: combined } : undefined);
+    return sentryCaptureException(
+      error,
+      combined ? { extra: combined } : undefined
+    );
   } catch (err) {
     console.error(err);
+    return undefined;
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/router.tsx b/src/router.tsx
index e564fdc53..03f6f0645 100644
--- a/src/router.tsx
+++ b/src/router.tsx
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
  *
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
  */
-import { createBrowserRouter, Outlet } from "react-router";
-import ErrorBoundary from "./common/ErrorBoundary";
+import { createBrowserRouter } from "react-router";
+import RootLayout from "./RootLayout";
 import { basename, editorRoutePath } from "./urls";
 import Workbench from "./workbench/Workbench";
 
@@ -14,12 +14,7 @@ export const createRouter = () =>
       {
         id: "root",
         path: "",
-        // Without this an uncaught render error unmounts the whole app.
-        element: (
-          <ErrorBoundary>
-            <Outlet />
-          </ErrorBoundary>
-        ),
+        element: <RootLayout />,
         children: [
           { path: editorRoutePath, element: <Workbench /> },
           // Deeper paths are the editor with no tab selected, as before.