diff --git a/grafana-alertcheck/.changeset/v0.1.6.md b/grafana-alertcheck/.changeset/v0.1.6.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5a8772094
--- /dev/null
+++ b/grafana-alertcheck/.changeset/v0.1.6.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+- A no-match now states that datasource-managed alert rules cannot be observed and are not supported, and the rule count names its scope (`N grafana-managed rules available`). The Grafana-managed ruler endpoint this tool queries does not return datasource-managed rules, so a bare `no rule matched` previously read as "no such rule exists".
diff --git a/grafana-alertcheck/docs/reference/cli.md b/grafana-alertcheck/docs/reference/cli.md
index 46574f398..947ec7120 100644
--- a/grafana-alertcheck/docs/reference/cli.md
+++ b/grafana-alertcheck/docs/reference/cli.md
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ Alert names take one of four forms:
 | `Platform/api/HighErrorRate` | Folder + group + title (may still be ambiguous; use `uid:` for guaranteed uniqueness) |
 | `uid:abc123` | Exact uid (present on both endpoints) |
 
-Datasource-managed and recording rules are refused with a specific error. A name matching multiple rules errors listing every candidate with the copyable `Folder/Group/Title` and its `uid:` form. A no-match errors with case-insensitive substring suggestions and points at `list`. Duplicate names that resolve to the same uid collapse to one (a note, not an error).
+Recording rules are refused with a specific error. Datasource-managed rules never reach resolution at all: the Grafana-managed ruler endpoint this tool queries does not return them. A no-match errors with case-insensitive substring suggestions and points at `list`, and states that datasource-managed rules cannot be observed and are not supported. A name matching multiple rules errors listing every candidate with the copyable `Folder/Group/Title` and its `uid:` form. Duplicate names that resolve to the same uid collapse to one (a note, not an error).
 
 ## Selecting alerts by labels
 
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ grafana-alertcheck check --to "$finished_at" --include-labels team=bcm --exclude
 
 `--include-labels` takes comma-separated exact-match `key=value` pairs; a rule must carry **all** of them. `--exclude-labels` is optional and drops any rule carrying **one** of its pairs. A rule that does not carry the label is never dropped, only never included. Values cannot contain commas; `key=` matches only rules that carry the label with an empty value.
 
-The label flags cannot be combined with `--alerts` or `--folder`, and they are refused with `--in` — the recorded log names its own alert set. A selection that matches no rules, whose matches are all excluded, or that matches a datasource-managed or recording rule exits `2`: an empty watch set must never pass.
+The label flags cannot be combined with `--alerts` or `--folder`, and they are refused with `--in` — the recorded log names its own alert set. A selection that matches no rules, whose matches are all excluded, or that matches a recording rule exits `2`: an empty watch set must never pass.
 
 ## Output and exit codes
 
diff --git a/grafana-alertcheck/internal/gate/resolve.go b/grafana-alertcheck/internal/gate/resolve.go
index 329644f95..165f25e3c 100644
--- a/grafana-alertcheck/internal/gate/resolve.go
+++ b/grafana-alertcheck/internal/gate/resolve.go
@@ -173,10 +173,12 @@ func refuseUnsupportedKind(name string, d Definition) (Definition, error) {
 	}
 }
 
-// noMatchError reports a no-match with the count of rules the gate could see
-// and case-insensitive substring matches as suggestions.
+// noMatchError reports a no-match with the count of grafana-managed rules and
+// case-insensitive substring suggestions. The trailing disclaimer covers rules
+// the ruler response omits entirely, namely datasource-managed ones.
 func noMatchError(defs []Definition, name, wantTitle string) error {
-	msg := fmt.Sprintf("no rule matched %q (%d rules available; run 'grafana-alertcheck list' to see titles)", name, len(defs))
+	msg := fmt.Sprintf("no rule matched %q (%d grafana-managed rules available; run 'grafana-alertcheck list' to see titles)",
+		name, len(defs))
 
 	needle := strings.ToLower(wantTitle)
 	var subs []string
@@ -189,6 +191,7 @@ func noMatchError(defs []Definition, name, wantTitle string) error {
 		sort.Strings(subs)
 		msg += fmt.Sprintf("; did you mean: %s", strings.Join(subs, ", "))
 	}
+	msg += "; datasource-managed alert rules cannot be observed and are not supported"
 	return fmt.Errorf("%s", msg)
 }
 
diff --git a/grafana-alertcheck/internal/gate/resolve_test.go b/grafana-alertcheck/internal/gate/resolve_test.go
index 33214516e..bb5088a06 100644
--- a/grafana-alertcheck/internal/gate/resolve_test.go
+++ b/grafana-alertcheck/internal/gate/resolve_test.go
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ func TestResolve_NoMatch(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Error(t, err)
 	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "no rule matched")
 	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "list")
+	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "datasource-managed alert rules cannot be observed")
 }
 
 func TestResolve_NoMatchSubstringSuggestion(t *testing.T) {
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ func TestResolve_UnsupportedKindsExcludedFromNoMatchSurfaces(t *testing.T) {
 	_, _, err = Resolve(combined, []string{"Example"}, "")
 	require.Error(t, err, "want a no-match error for a name matching no title exactly")
 
-	wantCount := fmt.Sprintf("(%d rules available", len(supported))
+	wantCount := fmt.Sprintf("(%d grafana-managed rules available", len(supported))
 	require.Contains(t, err.Error(), wantCount)
 	require.NotContains(t, err.Error(), "ExampleTargetDown")
 	require.NotContains(t, err.Error(), "example:recorded_metric:rate5m")