diff --git a/scripts/common.py b/scripts/common.py
index ad7f944c..48ea95b6 100644
--- a/scripts/common.py
+++ b/scripts/common.py
@@ -2609,6 +2609,10 @@ def build_target_cores_cache(
     """Build target cores cache for a list of platforms.
 
     Returns (cache dict, list of platforms to keep after skipping failures).
+    A platform without a targets file cannot honour the target and is left
+    out with the others, never run unfiltered, and a target no platform knows
+    is refused: `--all --target swtich` checked BizHawk and MiSTer whole and
+    exited 0, a green run that said nothing about the Switch.
     """
     cache: dict[str, set[str] | None] = {}
     skip: list[str] = []
@@ -2616,10 +2620,10 @@ def build_target_cores_cache(
         try:
             cache[p] = load_target_config(p, target, platforms_dir)
         except FileNotFoundError:
-            if is_all:
-                cache[p] = None
-            else:
+            if not is_all:
                 raise
+            print(f"INFO: Skipping {p}: no hardware targets")
+            skip.append(p)
         except ValueError as e:
             if is_all:
                 print(f"INFO: Skipping {p}: {e}")
@@ -2627,6 +2631,8 @@ def build_target_cores_cache(
             else:
                 raise
     kept = [p for p in platforms if p not in skip]
+    if is_all and platforms and not kept:
+        raise ValueError(f"unknown target '{target}': no platform has it")
     return cache, kept
 
 
diff --git a/scripts/generate_pack.py b/scripts/generate_pack.py
index c709700b..7f615122 100644
--- a/scripts/generate_pack.py
+++ b/scripts/generate_pack.py
@@ -4442,10 +4442,10 @@ def _target_cores_for(
     """
     if not target_name:
         return None
-    cache, _kept = build_target_cores_cache(
-        [platform_name], target_name, platforms_dir, is_all=True
-    )
-    return cache.get(platform_name)
+    try:
+        return load_target_config(platform_name, target_name, platforms_dir)
+    except (FileNotFoundError, ValueError):
+        return None
 
 
 def _expected_pack_names(
@@ -4479,9 +4479,13 @@ def _expected_pack_names(
         )
         cache = None
         if target_name:
-            cache, pool = build_target_cores_cache(
-                pool, target_name, platforms_dir, is_all=True
-            )
+            try:
+                cache, pool = build_target_cores_cache(
+                    pool, target_name, platforms_dir, is_all=True
+                )
+            except ValueError:
+                # No platform has the target: no pack was built under it.
+                continue
         for group, representative in group_identical_platforms(
             pool, platforms_dir, cache
         ):
diff --git a/tests/test_audit_regressions.py b/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
index ac385869..f85d1eb5 100644
--- a/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
+++ b/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
@@ -5438,5 +5438,23 @@ class AForcedRehashIsCheckedAgainstTheLastOne(unittest.TestCase):
             )
 
 
+class AnUnknownTargetIsRefusedUnderAll(unittest.TestCase):
+    """--all --target swtich skipped every platform with targets and checked
+    BizHawk and MiSTer unfiltered: a green run about no Switch at all."""
+
+    def test_a_typo_is_refused_and_targetless_platforms_are_left_out(self):
+        from scripts.common import build_target_cores_cache, list_registered_platforms
+
+        platforms = list_registered_platforms(str(ROOT / "platforms"))
+        with contextlib.redirect_stdout(io.StringIO()):
+            with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+                build_target_cores_cache(platforms, "swtich", str(ROOT / "platforms"), is_all=True)
+            _cache, kept = build_target_cores_cache(
+                platforms, "switch", str(ROOT / "platforms"), is_all=True
+            )
+        self.assertNotIn("bizhawk", kept)
+        self.assertIn("retroarch", kept)
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()