diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 5c6c58a..4a48306 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -213,6 +213,31 @@ def test_cli_user_error_yaml(monkeypatch) -> None:
     assert payload["error"]["code"] == "not_found"
 
 
+def test_cli_tweet_reports_missing_focal_tweet_as_structured_error(monkeypatch) -> None:
+    from twitter_cli.exceptions import NotFoundError
+
+    class FakeClient:
+        def fetch_tweet_detail(self, tweet_id: str, max_count: int):
+            raise NotFoundError(
+                "Tweet %s was not returned by the TweetDetail response" % tweet_id
+            )
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("twitter_cli.cli._get_client", lambda config=None, quiet=False: FakeClient())
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "twitter_cli.cli.load_config",
+        lambda: {"fetch": {"count": 50}, "filter": {}, "rateLimit": {}},
+    )
+    runner = CliRunner()
+
+    result = runner.invoke(cli, ["tweet", "12345", "--json"])
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    payload = json.loads(result.output)
+    assert payload["ok"] is False
+    assert payload["error"]["code"] == "not_found"
+    assert "TweetDetail response" in payload["error"]["message"]
+
+
 def test_cli_tweet_accepts_shared_url_with_query(monkeypatch) -> None:
     class FakeClient:
         def fetch_tweet_detail(self, tweet_id: str, max_count: int):
diff --git a/tests/test_client.py b/tests/test_client.py
index c1393d3..1aba808 100644
--- a/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_client.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
     _best_chrome_target,
     TwitterClient,
 )
-from twitter_cli.exceptions import TwitterAPIError
+from twitter_cli.exceptions import NotFoundError, TwitterAPIError
 from twitter_cli.graphql import (
     FEATURES,
     FALLBACK_QUERY_IDS,
@@ -332,6 +332,28 @@ def test_cookie_string_used_when_available(
         assert headers["sec-ch-ua-platform-version"] == '""'
 
 
+class TestTweetDetailFetch:
+    def test_raises_when_focal_tweet_is_missing(self):
+        client = TwitterClient.__new__(TwitterClient)
+        client._fetch_timeline = MagicMock(return_value=[MagicMock(id="reply-1")])
+
+        with pytest.raises(
+            NotFoundError,
+            match="Tweet 123 was not returned by the TweetDetail response",
+        ):
+            client.fetch_tweet_detail("123", 20)
+
+    def test_places_focal_tweet_before_replies(self):
+        client = TwitterClient.__new__(TwitterClient)
+        reply = MagicMock(id="reply-1")
+        focal_tweet = MagicMock(id="123")
+        client._fetch_timeline = MagicMock(return_value=[reply, focal_tweet])
+
+        tweets = client.fetch_tweet_detail("123", 20)
+
+        assert tweets == [focal_tweet, reply]
+
+
 class TestPaginationBehavior:
     def test_fetch_timeline_can_include_promoted_content(self):
         client = TwitterClient.__new__(TwitterClient)
diff --git a/twitter_cli/client.py b/twitter_cli/client.py
index 0436c8e..e2dba56 100644
--- a/twitter_cli/client.py
+++ b/twitter_cli/client.py
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ def fetch_search(self, query, count=20, product="Top"):
     def fetch_tweet_detail(self, tweet_id, count=20):
         # type: (str, int) -> List[Tweet]
         """Fetch a tweet and its conversation thread (replies)."""
-        return self._fetch_timeline(
+        tweets = self._fetch_timeline(
             "TweetDetail",
             count,
             lambda data: _deep_get(data, "data", "tweetResult", "result", "timeline", "instructions")
@@ -397,6 +397,12 @@ def fetch_tweet_detail(self, tweet_id, count=20):
                 "withDisallowedReplyControls": False,
             },
         )
+        focal_tweet = next((tweet for tweet in tweets if tweet.id == tweet_id), None)
+        if focal_tweet is None:
+            raise NotFoundError(
+                "Tweet %s was not returned by the TweetDetail response" % tweet_id
+            )
+        return [focal_tweet] + [tweet for tweet in tweets if tweet.id != tweet_id]
 
     def fetch_article(self, tweet_id):
         # type: (str) -> Tweet