diff --git a/scripts/generate_pack.py b/scripts/generate_pack.py
index 1850eb72..755482c6 100644
--- a/scripts/generate_pack.py
+++ b/scripts/generate_pack.py
@@ -3033,9 +3033,11 @@ def _main(held: contextlib.ExitStack) -> None:
             sys.exit(1)
         db = load_database(args.db)
         if not args.platform and not args.emulator:
-            lookup_hashes(
+            # A lookup that found nothing is an answer a script must see.
+            if lookup_hashes(
                 hashes, db, args.bios_dir, args.emulators_dir, args.platforms_dir
-            )
+            ):
+                sys.exit(1)
             return
         zip_contents = build_zip_contents_index(db)
         with _pack_output_lock(args.output_dir):
diff --git a/scripts/packresolve.py b/scripts/packresolve.py
index cf16c4bd..53d4bc97 100644
--- a/scripts/packresolve.py
+++ b/scripts/packresolve.py
@@ -124,8 +124,9 @@ def lookup_hashes(
     bios_dir: str,
     emulators_dir: str,
     platforms_dir: str,
-) -> None:
-    """Print diagnostic info for each hash."""
+) -> int:
+    """Print diagnostic info for each hash; return how many were not found."""
+    missing = 0
     files_db = db.get("files", {})
     by_md5 = db.get("indexes", {}).get("by_md5", {})
     by_crc32 = db.get("indexes", {}).get("by_crc32", {})
@@ -142,6 +143,7 @@ def lookup_hashes(
         if not sha1 or sha1 not in files_db:
             print(f"\n{hash_type.upper()}: {hash_val}")
             print("  NOT FOUND in database")
+            missing += 1
             continue
 
         entry = files_db[sha1]
@@ -174,6 +176,9 @@ def lookup_hashes(
             except (KeyError, OSError):
                 pass
         print(f"  In repo: {'YES' if in_repo else 'NO'}")
+    if missing:
+        print(f"\n{missing} of {len(hashes)} hash(es) not in the database")
+    return missing
 
 def resolve_file(
     file_entry: dict,
diff --git a/tests/test_audit_regressions.py b/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
index 72ee842c..e895d7d7 100644
--- a/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
+++ b/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
@@ -4210,5 +4210,23 @@ class EmuDeckRunsItsEmulatorsStandalone(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertIn('"standalone_cores": list(cores)', source)
 
 
+
+class DocumentedHashLookupsFindTheirFile(unittest.TestCase):
+    """The --from-md5 example was a test fixture hash: copied from the docs,
+    it answered NOT FOUND, which then exited 0."""
+
+    def test_every_documented_lookup_is_in_the_database(self):
+        db = json.loads((ROOT / "database.json").read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+        by_md5 = db["indexes"]["by_md5"]
+        found = 0
+        for page in sorted((ROOT / "wiki").glob("*.md")):
+            text = page.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+            for md5 in re.findall(r"--from-md5 ([0-9a-f]{32})\b", text):
+                found += 1
+                with self.subTest(page=page.name, md5=md5):
+                    self.assertIn(md5, by_md5)
+        self.assertGreater(found, 0)
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/tests/test_e2e.py b/tests/test_e2e.py
index 5d29b65e..228fd170 100644
--- a/tests/test_e2e.py
+++ b/tests/test_e2e.py
@@ -2635,11 +2635,12 @@ class TestE2E(unittest.TestCase):
         }
         buf = io.StringIO()
         with contextlib.redirect_stdout(buf):
-            lookup_hashes([("md5", "md5abc")], db, "bios", "emulators", "platforms")
+            missing = lookup_hashes([("md5", "md5abc")], db, "bios", "emulators", "platforms")
         output = buf.getvalue()
         self.assertIn("test.bin", output)
         self.assertIn("sha1abc", output)
         self.assertIn("alt.bin", output)
+        self.assertEqual(missing, 0)
 
     def test_141_lookup_hashes_not_found(self):
         """lookup_hashes reports unknown hashes."""
@@ -2651,11 +2652,13 @@ class TestE2E(unittest.TestCase):
         db = {"files": {}, "indexes": {"by_md5": {}, "by_crc32": {}}}
         buf = io.StringIO()
         with contextlib.redirect_stdout(buf):
-            lookup_hashes(
+            missing = lookup_hashes(
                 [("md5", "unknown123" + "0" * 22)], db, "bios", "emulators", "platforms"
             )
         output = buf.getvalue()
         self.assertIn("NOT FOUND", output)
+        # The CLI exited 0 on this, so a script read "found".
+        self.assertEqual(missing, 1)
 
     def test_142_from_md5_platform_pack(self):
         """--from-md5 with --platform generates correctly laid out ZIP."""
diff --git a/wiki/advanced-usage.md b/wiki/advanced-usage.md
index bfbeb44f..277e77e3 100644
--- a/wiki/advanced-usage.md
+++ b/wiki/advanced-usage.md
@@ -9,10 +9,15 @@ Fine-grained control over pack generation, hardware filtering, truth analysis, a
 Look up a single MD5 in the database:
 
 ```bash
-python scripts/generate_pack.py --from-md5 d8f1206299c48946e6ec5ef96d014eaa
+python scripts/generate_pack.py --from-md5 490f666e1afb15b7362b406ed1cea246
 ```
 
-Build a pack containing only files matching hashes from a list (one MD5 per line, `#` for comments):
+It prints the file's name, hashes, path and whether the collection holds it,
+and exits 1 when a hash is not in the database, so a script can tell.
+
+Build a pack containing only files matching hashes from a list. Each line
+carries one hash (MD5, SHA-1 or CRC32), alone or beside a file name as
+`md5sum` writes it; `#` starts a comment:
 
 ```bash
 python scripts/generate_pack.py --platform batocera --from-md5-file missing.txt
diff --git a/wiki/tools.md b/wiki/tools.md
index 0a556e69..c13d5e9e 100644
--- a/wiki/tools.md
+++ b/wiki/tools.md
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ python scripts/generate_pack.py --platform retroarch --split
 python scripts/generate_pack.py --platform retroarch --split --group-by manufacturer
 
 # Hash-based lookup and custom packs
-python scripts/generate_pack.py --from-md5 d8f1206299c48946e6ec5ef96d014eaa
+python scripts/generate_pack.py --from-md5 490f666e1afb15b7362b406ed1cea246
 python scripts/generate_pack.py --platform batocera --from-md5-file missing.txt
 python scripts/generate_pack.py --platform retroarch --list-systems
 
@@ -190,7 +190,9 @@ would have loaded.
 - `--split`: generate one ZIP per system instead of one big pack
 - `--split --group-by manufacturer`: group split packs by manufacturer (Sony, Nintendo, Sega...)
 - `--from-md5`: look up a hash in the database, or build a custom pack with `--platform`/`--emulator`
-- `--from-md5-file`: same, reading hashes from a file (one per line, comments with #)
+- `--from-md5-file`: same, reading hashes from a file: one MD5, SHA-1 or CRC32
+  per line, alone or beside a file name as `md5sum` writes it, `#` for comments.
+  A lookup exits 1 when a hash is not in the database
 - `--target`: filter by hardware target (e.g. `switch`, `rpi4`, `x86_64`)
 - `--region`: ordered priority list, best first. Regions nest, a system with no
   regional split keeps everything, and a group with no candidate in any named