diff --git a/server/bin/remove-analyst b/server/bin/remove-analyst
index 9ab0275..4faaaa4 100755
--- a/server/bin/remove-analyst
+++ b/server/bin/remove-analyst
@@ -1,11 +1,15 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # Remove user (analyst or admin)
 # Usage: sudo remove-analyst username [--force]
+#
+# Note: This script uses explicit error handling instead of set -e.
+# set -e causes silent exits with command substitutions and pipefail,
+# which is unacceptable for admin scripts that must always report what happened.
 
-set -euo pipefail
+set -u  # Catch unset variables, but no -e (explicit error handling)
 
 if [[ $EUID -ne 0 ]]; then
-    echo "This script must be run as root (use sudo)"
+    echo "Error: This script must be run as root (use sudo)"
     exit 1
 fi
 
@@ -37,17 +41,18 @@ if ! id "$USERNAME" &>/dev/null; then
 fi
 
 # Prevent removing yourself
-CURRENT_USER=$(logname 2>/dev/null || echo "$SUDO_USER")
+CURRENT_USER=$(logname 2>/dev/null || echo "${SUDO_USER:-unknown}")
 if [[ "$USERNAME" == "$CURRENT_USER" ]]; then
     echo "Error: Cannot remove yourself"
     exit 1
 fi
 
-# Get user groups for info
-GROUPS=$(groups "$USERNAME" 2>/dev/null | cut -d: -f2 || echo "")
+# Get user groups for info (safe extraction, no pipefail issues)
+GROUPS=$(id -nG "$USERNAME" 2>/dev/null) || GROUPS="(unknown)"
 
 echo "Removing user: $USERNAME"
-echo "Groups: $GROUPS"
+echo "  Groups: $GROUPS"
+echo "  Home: /home/$USERNAME"
 
 if [[ "$FORCE" != true ]]; then
     read -p "Are you sure? [y/N] " -n 1 -r
@@ -59,15 +64,25 @@ if [[ "$FORCE" != true ]]; then
 fi
 
 # Remove user and home directory
-# userdel -r may fail if home is owned by someone else; fall back to manual cleanup
+echo "  Deleting OS user..."
 if userdel -r "$USERNAME" 2>/dev/null; then
-    : # success
-else
-    userdel "$USERNAME"
+    echo "  User and home directory removed"
+elif userdel "$USERNAME" 2>/dev/null; then
+    echo "  User removed (userdel -r failed, cleaning up home manually)"
     if [[ -d "/home/$USERNAME" ]]; then
         rm -rf "/home/$USERNAME"
-        echo "Home directory removed manually"
+        echo "  Home directory /home/$USERNAME removed"
     fi
+else
+    echo "Error: Failed to remove user '$USERNAME'"
+    echo "  Check if processes are running as this user: ps -u $USERNAME"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# Verify removal
+if id "$USERNAME" &>/dev/null; then
+    echo "Warning: User '$USERNAME' still exists (OS login system may have re-created it)"
+    exit 1
 fi
 
 echo "User '$USERNAME' removed successfully"