diff --git a/goodwe_controller/test_p1.py b/goodwe_controller/test_p1.py
index b8016e5..96221f0 100644
--- a/goodwe_controller/test_p1.py
+++ b/goodwe_controller/test_p1.py
@@ -57,6 +57,25 @@ def raises(name, fn):
     fails.append(name)
 
 
+def built(src):
+    """`src.build()`, with any escaping exception turned into a visible value.
+
+    ⚠️ Legibility of a RED, not leniency. build() is contracted to return a bool
+    and to funnel every bad telegram through ingest.reject() - a guard that goes
+    missing (say the "is the net entity cached at all" one) makes it raise
+    instead. That still fails the suite, but by aborting it with a traceback at
+    whichever check happened to run first, which costs the next person ten
+    minutes deciding whether the suite is broken or the code is. Returning the
+    exception makes it compare unequal to True/False, so the NAMED check goes red
+    and says which rule died.
+    """
+    try:
+        return src.build()
+    except Exception as err:  # noqa: BLE001 - a raise here is itself the failure
+        print(f"       build() raised {type(err).__name__}: {err}")
+        return err
+
+
 def sample(net_import, net_export=0.0, at=BASE, phases=1, pi=None, pe=None):
     return make_sample(SOURCE_HA, net_import, net_export, phases=phases,
                        phase_import_w=pi, phase_export_w=pe,
@@ -614,20 +633,20 @@ NET = {"net": "sensor.p1_meter_active_power", "phase_net": []}
 ing = P1Ingest(phases=1, max_age_s=30.0)
 sig = HaSignedSource(None, ing, NET, token="x")
 
-check("nothing cached yet builds nothing", sig.build() is False and ing.last is None)
+check("nothing cached yet builds nothing", built(sig) is False and ing.last is None)
 sig._absorb("sensor.p1_meter_active_power", "1000")
 check("one signed entity is a complete telegram on its own",
-      sig.build() is True and ing.net_w == 1000.0)
+      built(sig) is True and ing.net_w == 1000.0)
 check("the sample is tagged with its own transport",
       ing.last.source == SOURCE_HA_SIGNED)
 sig._absorb("sensor.p1_meter_active_power", "-2500")
-sig.build()
+built(sig)
 check("a negative state lands as a negative net", ing.net_w == -2500.0)
 
 before = ing.last
 sig._absorb("sensor.p1_meter_active_power", "unavailable")
 check("an unavailable signed entity is a parse error", ing.parse_errors == 1)
-check("an unavailable entity does not build a sample", sig.build() is False)
+check("an unavailable entity does not build a sample", built(sig) is False)
 # ⚠️ The rule the whole ticket turns on: a missing reading is MISSING. Resolving
 # it to 0 W would read as a perfectly balanced house and defeat the staleness
 # trigger that FW-01's watchdog is built on.
@@ -640,7 +659,7 @@ check("a non-numeric signed state is a parse error, not 0 W",
       ing.parse_errors == 3 and ing.net_w == -2500.0)
 sig._absorb("sensor.p1_meter_active_power", "64954")
 check("64954 is refused at the signed transport too",
-      sig.build() is False and ing.parse_errors == 4)
+      built(sig) is False and ing.parse_errors == 4)
 sig._absorb("sensor.not_ours", "123")
 check("an unsubscribed entity is never cached by the signed transport",
       "sensor.not_ours" not in sig.cache)
@@ -652,7 +671,7 @@ sig = HaSignedSource(None, ing, dict(NET), token="x")
 ing.submit(make_sample(SOURCE_HA_SIGNED, 1200, 0, phases=1,
                        ingest_mono=time.monotonic() - 20.0))
 sig._absorb("sensor.p1_meter_active_power", "unavailable")
-sig.build()
+built(sig)
 check("a rejected reading does not reset the published age",
       ing.published_age_s > 19 and ing.net_w == 1200.0)
 ing.submit(make_sample(SOURCE_HA_SIGNED, 1200, 0, phases=1,
@@ -669,10 +688,10 @@ NET3 = {"net": "sensor.p1_meter_active_power",
 sig3 = HaSignedSource(None, ing3, NET3, token="x")
 for eid, val in (("sensor.p1_meter_active_power", "187"), ("sensor.p1_l1", "2301")):
     sig3._absorb(eid, val)
-check("an incomplete signed phase set waits instead of guessing", sig3.build() is False)
+check("an incomplete signed phase set waits instead of guessing", built(sig3) is False)
 sig3._absorb("sensor.p1_l2", "468")
 sig3._absorb("sensor.p1_l3", "-2582")
-check("a complete signed three-phase set builds", sig3.build() is True)
+check("a complete signed three-phase set builds", built(sig3) is True)
 check("signed per-phase entities keep the exporting phase negative",
       ing3.last.per_phase_w == (2301.0, 468.0, -2582.0))
 check("per-phase IMPORT clamps the exporting phase to zero",
@@ -688,7 +707,7 @@ sig_bad = HaSignedSource(None, P1Ingest(phases=3, max_age_s=30.0),
 for eid in ("sensor.net", "sensor.a", "sensor.b"):
     sig_bad._absorb(eid, "100")
 check("two phases delivered against meter_phases 3 is rejected, not padded",
-      sig_bad.build() is False and sig_bad.ingest.last is None
+      built(sig_bad) is False and sig_bad.ingest.last is None
       and sig_bad.ingest.parse_errors == 1)
 
 # --------------------------------------------------------------------------- #