diff --git a/lib/widgets/action_sheet.dart b/lib/widgets/action_sheet.dart
index 3784b65b01..91ea939419 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/action_sheet.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/action_sheet.dart
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ class AddThumbsUpButton extends MessageActionSheetMenuItemButton {
         default:
       }
 
-      await showErrorDialog(context: context,
+      showErrorDialog(context: context,
         title: 'Adding reaction failed', message: errorMessage);
     }
   }
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ class StarButton extends MessageActionSheetMenuItemButton {
         default:
       }
 
-      await showErrorDialog(context: messageListContext,
+      showErrorDialog(context: messageListContext,
         title: switch(op) {
           UpdateMessageFlagsOp.remove => zulipLocalizations.errorUnstarMessageFailedTitle,
           UpdateMessageFlagsOp.add    => zulipLocalizations.errorStarMessageFailedTitle,
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ Future<String?> fetchRawContentWithFeedback({
       // TODO(?) give no feedback on error conditions we expect to
       //   flag centrally in event polling, like invalid auth,
       //   user/realm deactivated. (Support with reusable code.)
-      await showErrorDialog(context: context,
+      showErrorDialog(context: context,
         title: errorDialogTitle, message: errorMessage);
     }
 
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ class ShareButton extends MessageActionSheetMenuItemButton {
       // Until we learn otherwise, assume something wrong happened.
       case ShareResultStatus.unavailable:
         if (!messageListContext.mounted) return;
-        await showErrorDialog(context: messageListContext,
+        showErrorDialog(context: messageListContext,
           title: zulipLocalizations.errorSharingFailed);
       case ShareResultStatus.success:
       case ShareResultStatus.dismissed:
diff --git a/lib/widgets/actions.dart b/lib/widgets/actions.dart
index d65801bc28..934e04934e 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/actions.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/actions.dart
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ Future<void> markNarrowAsRead(BuildContext context, Narrow narrow) async {
       return;
     } catch (e) {
       if (!context.mounted) return;
-      await showErrorDialog(context: context,
+      showErrorDialog(context: context,
         title: zulipLocalizations.errorMarkAsReadFailedTitle,
         message: e.toString()); // TODO(#741): extract user-facing message better
       return;
diff --git a/lib/widgets/content.dart b/lib/widgets/content.dart
index 5a58b929e2..f7918103fc 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/content.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/content.dart
@@ -1195,7 +1195,7 @@ class GlobalTime extends StatelessWidget {
 }
 
 void _launchUrl(BuildContext context, String urlString) async {
-  Future<void> showError(BuildContext context, String? message) {
+  DialogStatus showError(BuildContext context, String? message) {
     return showErrorDialog(context: context,
       title: 'Unable to open link',
       message: [
@@ -1207,7 +1207,7 @@ void _launchUrl(BuildContext context, String urlString) async {
   final store = PerAccountStoreWidget.of(context);
   final url = store.tryResolveUrl(urlString);
   if (url == null) { // TODO(log)
-    await showError(context, null);
+    showError(context, null);
     return;
   }
 
@@ -1236,7 +1236,7 @@ void _launchUrl(BuildContext context, String urlString) async {
   }
   if (!launched) { // TODO(log)
     if (!context.mounted) return;
-    await showError(context, errorMessage);
+    showError(context, errorMessage);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/widgets/dialog.dart b/lib/widgets/dialog.dart
index d4d60128b8..c6bdc4ef65 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/dialog.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/dialog.dart
@@ -15,16 +15,32 @@ Widget _dialogActionText(String text) {
   );
 }
 
+/// Tracks the status of a dialog, in being still open or already closed.
+///
+/// See also:
+///  * [showDialog], whose return value this class is intended to wrap.
+class DialogStatus {
+  const DialogStatus(this.closed);
+
+  /// Resolves when the dialog is closed.
+  final Future<void> closed;
+}
+
 /// Displays an [AlertDialog] with a dismiss button.
 ///
-/// Returns a [Future] that resolves when the dialog is closed.
-Future<void> showErrorDialog({
+/// The [DialogStatus.closed] field of the return value can be used
+/// for waiting for the dialog to be closed.
+// This API is inspired by [ScaffoldManager.showSnackBar].  We wrap
+// [showDialog]'s return value, a [Future], inside [DialogStatus]
+// whose documentation can be accessed.  This helps avoid confusion when
+// intepreting the meaning of the [Future].
+DialogStatus showErrorDialog({
   required BuildContext context,
   required String title,
   String? message,
 }) {
   final zulipLocalizations = ZulipLocalizations.of(context);
-  return showDialog(
+  final future = showDialog<void>(
     context: context,
     builder: (BuildContext context) => AlertDialog(
       title: Text(title),
@@ -34,6 +50,7 @@ Future<void> showErrorDialog({
           onPressed: () => Navigator.pop(context),
           child: _dialogActionText(zulipLocalizations.errorDialogContinue)),
       ]));
+  return DialogStatus(future);
 }
 
 void showSuggestedActionDialog({
diff --git a/lib/widgets/lightbox.dart b/lib/widgets/lightbox.dart
index 15751bbde1..5622ab9200 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/lightbox.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/lightbox.dart
@@ -476,11 +476,11 @@ class _VideoLightboxPageState extends State<VideoLightboxPage> with PerAccountSt
       assert(debugLog("VideoPlayerController.initialize failed: $error"));
       if (!mounted) return;
       final zulipLocalizations = ZulipLocalizations.of(context);
-      // Wait until the dialog is closed
-      await showErrorDialog(
+      final dialog = showErrorDialog(
         context: context,
         title: zulipLocalizations.errorDialogTitle,
         message: zulipLocalizations.errorVideoPlayerFailed);
+      await dialog.closed;
       if (!mounted) return;
       Navigator.pop(context); // Pops the lightbox
     }
diff --git a/lib/widgets/login.dart b/lib/widgets/login.dart
index 4027b93af0..0a05478be8 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/login.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/login.dart
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ class _LoginPageState extends State<LoginPage> {
       if (e is PlatformException && e.message != null) {
         message = e.message!;
       }
-      await showErrorDialog(context: context,
+      showErrorDialog(context: context,
         title: zulipLocalizations.errorWebAuthOperationalErrorTitle,
         message: message);
     } finally {
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ class _LoginPageState extends State<LoginPage> {
       if (e is PlatformException && e.message != null) {
         message = e.message!;
       }
-      await showErrorDialog(context: context,
+      showErrorDialog(context: context,
         title: zulipLocalizations.errorWebAuthOperationalErrorTitle,
         message: message);
     }