diff --git a/NEXT_CHANGELOG.md b/NEXT_CHANGELOG.md
index 086aff122c7..d25413e32f9 100644
--- a/NEXT_CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/NEXT_CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 
 ### CLI
 * Added the `databricks quickstart` command, a short introduction to the CLI that prints a human-friendly guide interactively and an agent-oriented version when run non-interactively ([#5464](https://github.com/databricks/cli/pull/5464)).
+* `databricks auth describe` now verifies credentials against both the workspace and account endpoints before reporting a failure, fixing false "Unable to authenticate" errors for account console profiles ([#5479](https://github.com/databricks/cli/issues/5479)).
+* `databricks auth login` no longer prompts for workspace selection when logging in to an account console host (`https://accounts.*`). Pass `--workspace-id` explicitly to store a workspace ID on such a profile ([#5504](https://github.com/databricks/cli/pull/5504)).
 * `databricks auth profiles --skip-validate` no longer makes any network calls; the host metadata fetch is skipped along with validation ([#5530](https://github.com/databricks/cli/pull/5530)).
 
 
diff --git a/acceptance/cmd/auth/describe/account-host-with-workspace-id/out.test.toml b/acceptance/cmd/auth/describe/account-host-with-workspace-id/out.test.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f784a183258
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/cmd/auth/describe/account-host-with-workspace-id/out.test.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Local = true
+Cloud = false
+EnvMatrix.DATABRICKS_BUNDLE_ENGINE = ["terraform", "direct"]
diff --git a/acceptance/cmd/auth/describe/account-host-with-workspace-id/output.txt b/acceptance/cmd/auth/describe/account-host-with-workspace-id/output.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0cbc7f6a68c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/cmd/auth/describe/account-host-with-workspace-id/output.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+
+=== Describe falls back to the account endpoint when the workspace check fails
+
+>>> [CLI] auth describe --profile acct-with-ws
+Host: [DATABRICKS_URL]
+Account ID: acct-123
+Authenticated with: pat
+-----
+Current configuration:
+  ✓ host: [DATABRICKS_URL] (from DATABRICKS_HOST environment variable)
+  ✓ account_id: acct-123 (from [TEST_TMP_DIR]/home/.databrickscfg config file)
+  ✓ workspace_id: [NUMID] (from [TEST_TMP_DIR]/home/.databrickscfg config file)
+  ✓ token: ******** (from DATABRICKS_TOKEN environment variable)
+  ✓ profile: acct-with-ws (from --profile flag)
+  ✓ databricks_cli_path: [CLI]
+  ✓ auth_type: pat
+  ✓ rate_limit: [NUMID] (from DATABRICKS_RATE_LIMIT environment variable)
+  ✓ cloud: AWS
+  ✓ discovery_url: [DATABRICKS_URL]/oidc/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server
diff --git a/acceptance/cmd/auth/describe/account-host-with-workspace-id/script b/acceptance/cmd/auth/describe/account-host-with-workspace-id/script
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5dec6460178
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/cmd/auth/describe/account-host-with-workspace-id/script
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+sethome "./home"
+
+# Older logins wrote account console profiles with both account_id and
+# workspace_id, which resolves to a workspace client even though the host only
+# serves account APIs (https://github.com/databricks/cli/issues/5479).
+cat > "./home/.databrickscfg" <<EOF
+[acct-with-ws]
+host         = $DATABRICKS_HOST
+token        = $DATABRICKS_TOKEN
+account_id   = acct-123
+workspace_id = 900800700600
+EOF
+
+title "Describe falls back to the account endpoint when the workspace check fails\n"
+trace $CLI auth describe --profile acct-with-ws
diff --git a/acceptance/cmd/auth/describe/account-host-with-workspace-id/test.toml b/acceptance/cmd/auth/describe/account-host-with-workspace-id/test.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..55541c52a5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/cmd/auth/describe/account-host-with-workspace-id/test.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+Ignore = [
+    "home"
+]
+
+# Simulate an account console host: it cannot serve workspace APIs, so the
+# workspace-side verification call fails even though the credentials are valid.
+[[Server]]
+Pattern = "GET /api/2.0/preview/scim/v2/Me"
+Response.Body = 'Unable to load OAuth Config'
+Response.StatusCode = 400
+
+[[Server]]
+Pattern = "GET /api/2.0/accounts/acct-123/workspaces"
+Response.Body = '[]'
diff --git a/cmd/auth/describe.go b/cmd/auth/describe.go
index 94830221c16..890838d3fcc 100644
--- a/cmd/auth/describe.go
+++ b/cmd/auth/describe.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/databricks/cli/libs/env"
 	"github.com/databricks/cli/libs/flags"
 	"github.com/databricks/cli/libs/log"
+	"github.com/databricks/databricks-sdk-go"
 	"github.com/databricks/databricks-sdk-go/config"
 	"github.com/databricks/databricks-sdk-go/service/iam"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
@@ -122,13 +123,7 @@ func getAuthStatus(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, showSensitive bool, fn try
 	cfg, isAccount, err := fn(cmd, args)
 	ctx := cmd.Context()
 	if err != nil {
-		details := getAuthDetails(cmd, cfg, showSensitive)
-		return &authStatus{ //nolint:nilerr // error is returned in the authStatus struct
-			Status:       "error",
-			Error:        err,
-			Details:      details,
-			TokenStorage: resolveTokenStorageInfo(ctx, details.AuthType),
-		}, nil
+		return errorAuthStatus(ctx, cmd, cfg, showSensitive, err), nil //nolint:nilerr // error is returned in the authStatus struct
 	}
 
 	if isAccount {
@@ -136,49 +131,88 @@ func getAuthStatus(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string, showSensitive bool, fn try
 
 		// Doing a simple API call to check if the auth is valid
 		_, err := a.Workspaces.List(ctx)
-		if err != nil {
-			details := getAuthDetails(cmd, cfg, showSensitive)
-			return &authStatus{ //nolint:nilerr // error is returned in the authStatus struct
-				Status:       "error",
-				Error:        err,
-				Details:      details,
-				TokenStorage: resolveTokenStorageInfo(ctx, details.AuthType),
-			}, nil
+		if err == nil {
+			return successAuthStatus(ctx, cmd, a.Config, showSensitive, a.Config.Username, a.Config.AccountID), nil
 		}
 
-		details := getAuthDetails(cmd, a.Config, showSensitive)
-		status := authStatus{
-			Status:       "success",
-			Details:      details,
-			AccountID:    a.Config.AccountID,
-			Username:     a.Config.Username,
-			TokenStorage: resolveTokenStorageInfo(ctx, details.AuthType),
+		// Workspaces.List can fail for reasons other than bad credentials
+		// (e.g. it requires account admin), so verify against the workspace
+		// endpoint with the same resolved config before reporting failure.
+		me, meErr := verifyWorkspaceAuth(ctx, a.Config)
+		if meErr == nil {
+			return successAuthStatus(ctx, cmd, a.Config, showSensitive, me.UserName, ""), nil
 		}
-
-		return &status, nil
+		return errorAuthStatus(ctx, cmd, cfg, showSensitive, err), nil
 	}
 
 	w := cmdctx.WorkspaceClient(ctx)
 	me, err := w.CurrentUser.Me(ctx, iam.MeRequest{})
+	if err == nil {
+		return successAuthStatus(ctx, cmd, w.Config, showSensitive, me.UserName, ""), nil
+	}
+
+	// Account console profiles that also carry a workspace_id resolve to a
+	// workspace client even though the host only serves account APIs, so the
+	// call above fails despite valid credentials (see
+	// https://github.com/databricks/cli/issues/5479). Verify against the
+	// account endpoint before reporting failure. Account clients require an
+	// account ID, so skip the second check when none is configured.
+	if w.Config.AccountID != "" {
+		if listErr := verifyAccountAuth(ctx, w.Config); listErr == nil {
+			return successAuthStatus(ctx, cmd, w.Config, showSensitive, w.Config.Username, w.Config.AccountID), nil
+		}
+	}
+	return errorAuthStatus(ctx, cmd, cfg, showSensitive, err), nil
+}
+
+// verifyWorkspaceAuth checks whether cfg's credentials are accepted by the
+// workspace endpoint. The client is built over the same resolved config
+// pointer (config.Config must not be copied by value), without any profile
+// prompting.
+func verifyWorkspaceAuth(ctx context.Context, cfg *config.Config) (*iam.User, error) {
+	w, err := databricks.NewWorkspaceClient((*databricks.Config)(cfg))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return w.CurrentUser.Me(ctx, iam.MeRequest{})
+}
+
+// verifyAccountAuth checks whether cfg's credentials are accepted by the
+// account endpoint. cfg.AccountID must be non-empty. The client is built over
+// the same resolved config pointer (config.Config must not be copied by
+// value), without any profile prompting.
+func verifyAccountAuth(ctx context.Context, cfg *config.Config) error {
+	a, err := databricks.NewAccountClient((*databricks.Config)(cfg))
 	if err != nil {
-		details := getAuthDetails(cmd, cfg, showSensitive)
-		return &authStatus{ //nolint:nilerr // error is returned in the authStatus struct
-			Status:       "error",
-			Error:        err,
-			Details:      details,
-			TokenStorage: resolveTokenStorageInfo(ctx, details.AuthType),
-		}, nil
+		return err
 	}
+	_, err = a.Workspaces.List(ctx)
+	return err
+}
 
-	details := getAuthDetails(cmd, w.Config, showSensitive)
-	status := authStatus{
+// successAuthStatus reports verified credentials, with details derived from cfg.
+func successAuthStatus(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, cfg *config.Config, showSensitive bool, username, accountID string) *authStatus {
+	details := getAuthDetails(cmd, cfg, showSensitive)
+	return &authStatus{
 		Status:       "success",
 		Details:      details,
-		Username:     me.UserName,
+		Username:     username,
+		AccountID:    accountID,
 		TokenStorage: resolveTokenStorageInfo(ctx, details.AuthType),
 	}
+}
 
-	return &status, nil
+// errorAuthStatus reports a failed credential check. The error is carried in
+// the status rather than returned so describe still renders the resolved
+// configuration alongside the failure.
+func errorAuthStatus(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, cfg *config.Config, showSensitive bool, err error) *authStatus {
+	details := getAuthDetails(cmd, cfg, showSensitive)
+	return &authStatus{
+		Status:       "error",
+		Error:        err,
+		Details:      details,
+		TokenStorage: resolveTokenStorageInfo(ctx, details.AuthType),
+	}
 }
 
 func render(ctx context.Context, cmd *cobra.Command, status *authStatus, template string) error {
diff --git a/cmd/auth/describe_test.go b/cmd/auth/describe_test.go
index 84a4bdc3df0..3d7bd62a0a1 100644
--- a/cmd/auth/describe_test.go
+++ b/cmd/auth/describe_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 package auth
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
@@ -9,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/databricks/cli/libs/auth/storage"
 	"github.com/databricks/cli/libs/cmdctx"
 	"github.com/databricks/cli/libs/databrickscfg/profile"
+	"github.com/databricks/databricks-sdk-go/apierr"
 	"github.com/databricks/databricks-sdk-go/config"
 	"github.com/databricks/databricks-sdk-go/experimental/mocks"
 	"github.com/databricks/databricks-sdk-go/service/iam"
@@ -397,6 +401,166 @@ func TestGetWorkspaceAuthStatus_U2M_PopulatesTokenStorage(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "DATABRICKS_AUTH_STORAGE environment variable", status.TokenStorage.Source)
 }
 
+// describeVerifyServer simulates the host that describe's secondary
+// verification calls hit: CurrentUser.Me and account Workspaces.List.
+// Statuses other than 200 return an error body with that status code; a zero
+// status marks an endpoint that must not be called at all.
+func describeVerifyServer(t *testing.T, accountID string, meStatus, listStatus int) *httptest.Server {
+	t.Helper()
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		respond := func(status int, okBody any) {
+			if status == 0 {
+				t.Errorf("unexpected request to %s", r.URL.Path)
+				status = http.StatusNotFound
+			}
+			w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+			if status != http.StatusOK {
+				w.WriteHeader(status)
+				okBody = map[string]any{"error_code": "TEST_ERROR", "message": "secondary check failed"}
+			}
+			require.NoError(t, json.NewEncoder(w).Encode(okBody))
+		}
+		switch r.URL.Path {
+		case "/api/2.0/preview/scim/v2/Me":
+			respond(meStatus, map[string]any{"userName": "fallback-user"})
+		case "/api/2.0/accounts/" + accountID + "/workspaces":
+			respond(listStatus, []map[string]any{})
+		default:
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNotFound)
+		}
+	}))
+	t.Cleanup(server.Close)
+	return server
+}
+
+// newDescribeWorkspaceCmd wires a mocked workspace client whose Me call fails
+// with meErr, with cfg as its resolved configuration.
+func newDescribeWorkspaceCmd(t *testing.T, cfg *config.Config, meErr error) *cobra.Command {
+	t.Helper()
+	m := mocks.NewMockWorkspaceClient(t)
+	m.WorkspaceClient.Config = cfg
+	m.GetMockCurrentUserAPI().EXPECT().Me(mock.Anything, mock.Anything).Return(nil, meErr)
+	cmd := newHostProfileCmd(t)
+	cmd.SetContext(cmdctx.SetWorkspaceClient(t.Context(), m.WorkspaceClient))
+	t.Setenv("DATABRICKS_CONFIG_FILE", filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), ".databrickscfg"))
+	return cmd
+}
+
+// newDescribeAccountCmd wires a mocked account client whose Workspaces.List
+// call fails with listErr, with cfg as its resolved configuration.
+func newDescribeAccountCmd(t *testing.T, cfg *config.Config, listErr error) *cobra.Command {
+	t.Helper()
+	m := mocks.NewMockAccountClient(t)
+	m.AccountClient.Config = cfg
+	m.GetMockWorkspacesAPI().EXPECT().List(mock.Anything).Return(nil, listErr)
+	cmd := newHostProfileCmd(t)
+	cmd.SetContext(cmdctx.SetAccountClient(t.Context(), m.AccountClient))
+	t.Setenv("DATABRICKS_CONFIG_FILE", filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), ".databrickscfg"))
+	return cmd
+}
+
+// resolveCfg returns a tryAuth that resolves cfg from attrs and reports the
+// given client type, mirroring what root.MustAnyClient leaves behind.
+func resolveCfg(t *testing.T, cfg *config.Config, attrs map[string]string, isAccount bool) tryAuth {
+	t.Helper()
+	return func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) (*config.Config, bool, error) {
+		require.NoError(t, config.ConfigAttributes.ResolveFromStringMap(cfg, attrs))
+		return cfg, isAccount, nil
+	}
+}
+
+// TestGetAuthStatusVerificationFallback covers the fallback when the primary
+// verification call (mocked client) fails: describe tries the other endpoint
+// over HTTP against describeVerifyServer, and only when both fail does it
+// report the primary error. Error rows leave wantUsername/wantAccountID empty
+// because errorAuthStatus never sets them.
+func TestGetAuthStatusVerificationFallback(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name          string
+		isAccount     bool
+		primaryErr    *apierr.APIError
+		meStatus      int
+		listStatus    int
+		accountID     string
+		wantStatus    string
+		wantUsername  string
+		wantAccountID string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:          "workspace check fails, account check succeeds",
+			primaryErr:    &apierr.APIError{StatusCode: http.StatusBadRequest, Message: "Unable to load OAuth Config"},
+			meStatus:      http.StatusNotFound,
+			listStatus:    http.StatusOK,
+			accountID:     "test-acct",
+			wantStatus:    "success",
+			wantAccountID: "test-acct",
+		},
+		{
+			name:       "no second call without an account id",
+			primaryErr: &apierr.APIError{StatusCode: http.StatusBadRequest, Message: "Unable to load OAuth Config"},
+			wantStatus: "error",
+		},
+		{
+			name:         "account check fails, workspace check succeeds",
+			isAccount:    true,
+			primaryErr:   &apierr.APIError{StatusCode: http.StatusForbidden, Message: "This API is disabled for users without account admin status"},
+			meStatus:     http.StatusOK,
+			listStatus:   http.StatusNotFound,
+			accountID:    "test-acct",
+			wantStatus:   "success",
+			wantUsername: "fallback-user",
+		},
+		{
+			name:       "workspace branch, both checks fail",
+			primaryErr: &apierr.APIError{StatusCode: http.StatusBadRequest, Message: "Unable to load OAuth Config"},
+			meStatus:   http.StatusNotFound,
+			listStatus: http.StatusUnauthorized,
+			accountID:  "test-acct",
+			wantStatus: "error",
+		},
+		{
+			name:       "account branch, both checks fail",
+			isAccount:  true,
+			primaryErr: &apierr.APIError{StatusCode: http.StatusUnauthorized, Message: "credentials expired"},
+			meStatus:   http.StatusUnauthorized,
+			listStatus: http.StatusNotFound,
+			accountID:  "test-acct",
+			wantStatus: "error",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Setenv("DATABRICKS_ACCOUNT_ID", "")
+			server := describeVerifyServer(t, tc.accountID, tc.meStatus, tc.listStatus)
+			cfg := &config.Config{}
+			var cmd *cobra.Command
+			if tc.isAccount {
+				cmd = newDescribeAccountCmd(t, cfg, tc.primaryErr)
+			} else {
+				cmd = newDescribeWorkspaceCmd(t, cfg, tc.primaryErr)
+			}
+			attrs := map[string]string{
+				"host":      server.URL,
+				"token":     "test-token",
+				"auth_type": "pat",
+			}
+			if tc.accountID != "" {
+				attrs["account_id"] = tc.accountID
+			}
+
+			status, err := getAuthStatus(cmd, []string{}, false, resolveCfg(t, cfg, attrs, tc.isAccount))
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.Equal(t, tc.wantStatus, status.Status)
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.wantUsername, status.Username)
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.wantAccountID, status.AccountID)
+			if tc.wantStatus == "error" {
+				assert.ErrorIs(t, status.Error, tc.primaryErr)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestGetWorkspaceAuthStatus_NonU2M_OmitsTokenStorage(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := t.Context()
 	m := mocks.NewMockWorkspaceClient(t)