diff --git a/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/chroma.py b/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/chroma.py
index e5fa0ef61ada..b5c821b40b25 100644
--- a/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/chroma.py
+++ b/python/semantic_kernel/connectors/chroma.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from chromadb.api.collection_configuration import CreateCollectionConfiguration, CreateHNSWConfiguration
 from chromadb.api.types import EmbeddingFunction, Space
 from chromadb.config import Settings
+from chromadb.errors import NotFoundError
 
 from semantic_kernel.connectors.ai.embedding_generator_base import EmbeddingGeneratorBase
 from semantic_kernel.data.vector import (
@@ -128,12 +129,22 @@ def _get_collection(self) -> Collection:
 
     @override
     async def collection_exists(self, **kwargs: Any) -> bool:
-        """Check if the collection exists."""
+        """Check if the collection exists.
+
+        Returns False only when Chroma says the collection is not there. Anything else -
+        an unreachable server, a rejected request - is raised as a
+        VectorStoreOperationException, because the caller cannot tell it apart from an
+        absent collection otherwise.
+        """
         try:
             self.client.get_collection(name=self.collection_name, embedding_function=self.embedding_func)
             return True
-        except Exception:
+        except NotFoundError:
             return False
+        except Exception as e:
+            raise VectorStoreOperationException(
+                f"Failed to check whether collection {self.collection_name} exists with error: {e}"
+            ) from e
 
     @override
     async def ensure_collection_exists(self, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
@@ -184,7 +195,7 @@ async def ensure_collection_deleted(self, **kwargs: Any) -> None:
         """Delete the collection."""
         try:
             self.client.delete_collection(name=self.collection_name)
-        except ValueError:
+        except NotFoundError:
             logger.info(f"Collection {self.collection_name} could not be deleted because it doesn't exist.")
         except Exception as e:
             raise VectorStoreOperationException(
diff --git a/python/tests/unit/connectors/memory/test_chroma.py b/python/tests/unit/connectors/memory/test_chroma.py
index 67b4e5471c27..1d944b8abb0a 100644
--- a/python/tests/unit/connectors/memory/test_chroma.py
+++ b/python/tests/unit/connectors/memory/test_chroma.py
@@ -5,8 +5,15 @@
 import pytest
 from chromadb.api import ClientAPI
 from chromadb.api.models.Collection import Collection
+from chromadb.errors import NotFoundError
 
 from semantic_kernel.connectors.chroma import ChromaCollection, ChromaStore
+from semantic_kernel.exceptions.vector_store_exceptions import VectorStoreOperationException
+
+
+def _not_found() -> Exception:
+    """The error Chroma raises for a missing collection."""
+    return NotFoundError("Collection test_collection does not exist.")
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
@@ -115,6 +122,60 @@ async def test_chroma_collection_search(chroma_collection, mock_client, include_
         assert res.score == 0.1
 
 
+# -- what a Chroma failure means, and what "not there" means --
+#
+# chromadb 1.x raises errors.NotFoundError for a missing collection, which is not a
+# ValueError (this connector only imports on chromadb 1.x: it needs
+# chromadb.api.collection_configuration). collection_exists caught bare Exception, so every failure
+# read as "absent"; ensure_collection_deleted caught only ValueError, so on a modern
+# chromadb a genuinely absent collection raised instead of being tolerated.
+
+
+async def test_collection_exists_is_false_when_chroma_says_not_found(chroma_collection, mock_client):
+    mock_client.get_collection.side_effect = _not_found()
+
+    assert await chroma_collection.collection_exists() is False
+
+
+async def test_collection_exists_raises_when_the_server_cannot_be_reached(chroma_collection, mock_client):
+    """False means the collection is not there. A refused connection must not say that."""
+    mock_client.get_collection.side_effect = ConnectionError("connection refused")
+
+    with pytest.raises(VectorStoreOperationException) as raised:
+        await chroma_collection.collection_exists()
+    assert isinstance(raised.value.__cause__, ConnectionError)
+
+
+async def test_ensure_collection_deleted_tolerates_an_absent_collection(chroma_collection, mock_client):
+    """Deleting something that is not there is the case this method already meant to allow."""
+    mock_client.delete_collection.side_effect = _not_found()
+
+    await chroma_collection.ensure_collection_deleted()
+
+
+async def test_ensure_collection_deleted_still_raises_on_a_real_failure(chroma_collection, mock_client):
+    mock_client.delete_collection.side_effect = ConnectionError("connection refused")
+
+    with pytest.raises(VectorStoreOperationException):
+        await chroma_collection.ensure_collection_deleted()
+
+
+async def test_collection_exists_raises_on_an_unrelated_value_error(chroma_collection, mock_client):
+    """Where Chroma has a dedicated NotFoundError, a ValueError is not 'absent'."""
+    mock_client.get_collection.side_effect = ValueError("some other problem")
+
+    with pytest.raises(VectorStoreOperationException):
+        await chroma_collection.collection_exists()
+
+
+async def test_ensure_collection_deleted_does_not_swallow_an_unrelated_value_error(chroma_collection, mock_client):
+    """The more dangerous half: a swallowed ValueError here would silently skip a delete."""
+    mock_client.delete_collection.side_effect = ValueError("some other problem")
+
+    with pytest.raises(VectorStoreOperationException):
+        await chroma_collection.ensure_collection_deleted()
+
+
 def test_chroma_collection_build_filter_keeps_apostrophes(chroma_collection):
     """Chroma filters are dicts, not SQL, so the value must reach Chroma unchanged."""
     assert chroma_collection._build_filter('lambda x: x.content == "O\'Brien"') == {"content": "O'Brien"}