diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index b89cdf7828c8..19025e664a8d 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -13846,6 +13846,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "bridge-hub-westend-runtime",
  "clap 4.5.11",
  "collectives-westend-runtime",
+ "color-eyre",
  "color-print",
  "contracts-rococo-runtime",
  "coretime-rococo-runtime",
diff --git a/cumulus/polkadot-parachain/Cargo.toml b/cumulus/polkadot-parachain/Cargo.toml
index b20d2a28fa7f..e1016cebb395 100644
--- a/cumulus/polkadot-parachain/Cargo.toml
+++ b/cumulus/polkadot-parachain/Cargo.toml
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ path = "src/main.rs"
 async-trait = { workspace = true }
 clap = { features = ["derive"], workspace = true }
 codec = { workspace = true, default-features = true }
+color-eyre = { workspace = true }
 color-print = { workspace = true }
 futures = { workspace = true }
 hex-literal = { workspace = true, default-features = true }
diff --git a/cumulus/polkadot-parachain/src/main.rs b/cumulus/polkadot-parachain/src/main.rs
index cbb76fa214cb..84e41fc347d9 100644
--- a/cumulus/polkadot-parachain/src/main.rs
+++ b/cumulus/polkadot-parachain/src/main.rs
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ mod fake_runtime_api;
 mod rpc;
 mod service;
 
-fn main() -> sc_cli::Result<()> {
-	command::run()
+fn main() -> color_eyre::eyre::Result<()> {
+	color_eyre::install()?;
+	Ok(command::run()?)
 }
diff --git a/prdoc/pr_5214.prdoc b/prdoc/pr_5214.prdoc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..4dc8b28c5948
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prdoc/pr_5214.prdoc
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+title: make polkadot-parachain startup errors pretty
+
+doc:
+  - audience: Node Operator
+    description: |
+      Changed the format of how polkadot-parachain prints the startup errors to include
+      the full displayable context.
+
+crates:
+  - name: polkadot-parachain-bin
+    bump: minor