diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/attestation.rb b/Library/Homebrew/attestation.rb
index eb8c9729d1..e8d641814c 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/attestation.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/attestation.rb
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ module Homebrew
     # @api private
     BACKFILL_CUTOFF = T.let(DateTime.new(2024, 3, 14).freeze, DateTime)
 
+    # Raised when the attestation was not found.
+    #
+    # @api private
+    class MissingAttestationError < RuntimeError; end
+
     # Raised when attestation verification fails.
     #
     # @api private
@@ -150,6 +155,8 @@ module Homebrew
           raise GhAuthInvalid, "invalid credentials"
         end
 
+        raise MissingAttestationError, "attestation not found: #{e}" if e.stderr.include?("HTTP 404: Not Found")
+
         raise InvalidAttestationError, "attestation verification failed: #{e}"
       end
 
@@ -212,7 +219,7 @@ module Homebrew
         # attestations currently do not include reusable workflow state by default.
         attestation = check_attestation bottle, HOMEBREW_CORE_REPO
         return attestation
-      rescue InvalidAttestationError
+      rescue MissingAttestationError
         odebug "falling back on backfilled attestation for #{bottle}"
 
         # Our backfilled attestation is a little unique: the subject is not just the bottle
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/formula_installer.rb b/Library/Homebrew/formula_installer.rb
index ee9d16981e..e73c05b52e 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/formula_installer.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/formula_installer.rb
@@ -1310,7 +1310,7 @@ on_request: installed_on_request?, options:)
 
             gh auth login
         EOS
-      rescue Homebrew::Attestation::InvalidAttestationError => e
+      rescue Homebrew::Attestation::MissingAttestationError, Homebrew::Attestation::InvalidAttestationError => e
         raise CannotInstallFormulaError, <<~EOS
           The bottle for #{formula.name} has an invalid build provenance attestation.
 
diff --git a/Library/Homebrew/test/attestation_spec.rb b/Library/Homebrew/test/attestation_spec.rb
index 312a1ba787..73c7b2d27e 100644
--- a/Library/Homebrew/test/attestation_spec.rb
+++ b/Library/Homebrew/test/attestation_spec.rb
@@ -251,14 +251,14 @@ RSpec.describe Homebrew::Attestation do
       described_class.check_core_attestation fake_bottle
     end
 
-    it "calls gh with args for backfill when homebrew-core fails" do
+    it "calls gh with args for backfill when homebrew-core attestation is missing" do
       expect(described_class).to receive(:system_command!)
         .with(fake_gh, args: ["attestation", "verify", cached_download, "--repo",
                               described_class::HOMEBREW_CORE_REPO, "--format", "json"],
               env: { "GH_TOKEN" => fake_gh_creds, "GH_HOST" => "github.com" }, secrets: [fake_gh_creds],
               print_stderr: false, chdir: HOMEBREW_TEMP)
         .once
-        .and_raise(described_class::InvalidAttestationError)
+        .and_raise(described_class::MissingAttestationError)
 
       expect(described_class).to receive(:system_command!)
         .with(fake_gh, args: ["attestation", "verify", cached_download, "--repo",
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ RSpec.describe Homebrew::Attestation do
               env: { "GH_TOKEN" => fake_gh_creds, "GH_HOST" => "github.com" }, secrets: [fake_gh_creds],
               print_stderr: false, chdir: HOMEBREW_TEMP)
         .once
-        .and_raise(described_class::InvalidAttestationError)
+        .and_raise(described_class::MissingAttestationError)
 
       expect(described_class).to receive(:system_command!)
         .with(fake_gh, args: ["attestation", "verify", cached_download, "--repo",