diff --git a/scripts/generate_readme.py b/scripts/generate_readme.py
index 2d02f93da..c6a3b2143 100644
--- a/scripts/generate_readme.py
+++ b/scripts/generate_readme.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from pathlib import Path
 
 sys.path.insert(0, os.path.dirname(__file__))
 from common import (
+    InputMissing,
     compute_composition,
     count_catalog_matched,
     declared_root,
@@ -211,6 +212,10 @@ def platform_coverages(
                 coverages[name] = compute_coverage(
                     name, platforms_dir, db, data_registry, emulators_dir=emulators_dir,
                 )
+            except InputMissing:
+                # A missing profile or platform directory is no platform
+                # left out: it emptied every one and cached the result.
+                raise
             except FileNotFoundError as exc:
                 print(f"  {name}: skipped ({exc})", file=sys.stderr)
         COVERAGE_CACHE_DIR.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
diff --git a/tests/test_coverage_cache.py b/tests/test_coverage_cache.py
index b9b383980..95f7a99d8 100644
--- a/tests/test_coverage_cache.py
+++ b/tests/test_coverage_cache.py
@@ -95,6 +95,21 @@ class CoverageCache(unittest.TestCase):
         self._run()
         self.assertEqual(len(list((self.work / "cache").glob("*.pickle"))), 1)
 
+    def test_a_missing_input_directory_stops_the_run(self):
+        """A missing --emulators-dir skipped every platform as if it had no
+        YAML, then replaced the cache with the empty result."""
+        self._run()
+        kept = sorted((self.work / "cache").glob("*.pickle"))
+
+        def missing(*_args, **_kwargs):
+            raise generate_readme.InputMissing("no emulator profile directory at nosuch")
+
+        with mock.patch.object(generate_readme, "compute_coverage", missing), \
+                mock.patch.object(generate_readme, "_coverage_inputs", return_value="other"), \
+                self.assertRaises(generate_readme.InputMissing):
+            self._run()
+        self.assertEqual(sorted((self.work / "cache").glob("*.pickle")), kept)
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()