diff --git a/cuda_core/cuda/core/_utils/cuda_utils.pyx b/cuda_core/cuda/core/_utils/cuda_utils.pyx
index 867d066ce2c..1bcfa524884 100644
--- a/cuda_core/cuda/core/_utils/cuda_utils.pyx
+++ b/cuda_core/cuda/core/_utils/cuda_utils.pyx
@@ -171,10 +171,9 @@ cpdef inline int _check_driver_error(cydriver.CUresult error) except?-1 nogil:
 cpdef inline int _check_runtime_error(error) except?-1:
     if error == _RUNTIME_SUCCESS:
         return 0
-    name_err, name = runtime.cudaGetErrorName(error)
-    if name_err != _RUNTIME_SUCCESS:
-        raise CUDAError(f"UNEXPECTED ERROR CODE: {error}")
-    name = name.decode()
+    # `_check_error()` reaches this path only for `runtime.cudaError_t` values.
+    # Use the enum name directly because Windows hybrid cudart can lag that table.
+    name = error.name
     expl = RUNTIME_CUDA_ERROR_EXPLANATIONS.get(int(error))
     if expl is not None:
         raise CUDAError(f"{name}: {expl}")
diff --git a/cuda_core/tests/test_cuda_utils.py b/cuda_core/tests/test_cuda_utils.py
index be22e57998b..32ea504248d 100644
--- a/cuda_core/tests/test_cuda_utils.py
+++ b/cuda_core/tests/test_cuda_utils.py
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ def test_check_driver_error():
 
 
 def test_check_runtime_error():
-    num_unexpected = 0
     for error in runtime.cudaError_t:
         if error == runtime.cudaError_t.cudaSuccess:
             assert cuda_utils._check_runtime_error(error) == 0
@@ -56,14 +55,7 @@ def test_check_runtime_error():
             with pytest.raises(cuda_utils.CUDAError) as e:
                 cuda_utils._check_runtime_error(error)
             msg = str(e)
-            if "UNEXPECTED ERROR CODE" in msg:
-                num_unexpected += 1
-            else:
-                # Example repr(error): <cudaError_t.cudaErrorUnknown: 999>
-                enum_name = repr(error).split(".", 1)[1].split(":", 1)[0]
-                assert enum_name in msg
-    # Smoke test: We don't want most to be unexpected.
-    assert num_unexpected < len(driver.CUresult) * 0.5
+            assert error.name in msg
 
 
 def test_driver_error_enum_has_non_empty_docstring():