diff --git a/scripts/generate_pack.py b/scripts/generate_pack.py
index d94a2975d..3934830a9 100644
--- a/scripts/generate_pack.py
+++ b/scripts/generate_pack.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ from common import (
     require_directory,
     target_listing_line,
     suggest_names,
+    system_index,
     require_platform,
     load_target_config,
     archive_entry,
@@ -2059,7 +2060,10 @@ def generate_system_pack(
                 f"No emulators found for system(s): {', '.join(system_ids)}",
                 file=sys.stderr,
             )
-        print(suggest_names(system_ids, sorted(all_systems), "--list-systems"),
+        # --list-systems merges spellings that differ in case or separator:
+        # the hint counted 579 spellings for the 532 lines it prints.
+        print(suggest_names(system_ids, sorted(all_systems), "--list-systems",
+                            listed=len(system_index(profiles))),
               file=sys.stderr)
         return None
 
diff --git a/scripts/verify.py b/scripts/verify.py
index 27149e23e..d40377424 100644
--- a/scripts/verify.py
+++ b/scripts/verify.py
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ from common import (
     platform_arg,
     target_listing_line,
     suggest_names,
+    system_index,
     require_platform,
     archive_entry,
     archive_is_optional,
@@ -2611,7 +2612,10 @@ def verify_system(
                 f"No emulators found for system(s): {', '.join(system_ids)}",
                 file=sys.stderr,
             )
-        print(suggest_names(system_ids, sorted(all_systems), "--list-systems"),
+        # --list-systems merges spellings that differ in case or separator:
+        # the hint counted 579 spellings for the 532 lines it prints.
+        print(suggest_names(system_ids, sorted(all_systems), "--list-systems",
+                            listed=len(system_index(profiles))),
               file=sys.stderr)
         sys.exit(1)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_tool_messages.py b/tests/test_tool_messages.py
index c2e59f6e9..91439fc91 100644
--- a/tests/test_tool_messages.py
+++ b/tests/test_tool_messages.py
@@ -85,6 +85,30 @@ class AMistypedTargetGetsTheClosestName(unittest.TestCase):
 
 
 
+class TheSystemHintCountsTheListing(unittest.TestCase):
+    """`--system sony-playstaton` said "--list-systems lists all 579" and
+    --list-systems printed 532: the hint counted spellings, the listing
+    merges the ones that differ in case or separator."""
+
+    def test_both_tools_count_the_lines_the_listing_prints(self):
+        listing = subprocess.run(
+            [sys.executable, "scripts/verify.py", "--list-systems"],
+            cwd=REPO_ROOT, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=300, check=True,
+        )
+        printed = sum(1 for line in listing.stdout.splitlines() if "emulator" in line)
+        for script in ("verify.py", "generate_pack.py"):
+            with self.subTest(script=script), tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as out:
+                argv = [sys.executable, f"scripts/{script}", "--system", "sony-playstaton"]
+                if script == "generate_pack.py":
+                    argv += ["--output-dir", out]
+                proc = subprocess.run(
+                    argv, cwd=REPO_ROOT, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=300,
+                    check=False,
+                )
+                self.assertEqual(proc.returncode, 1, proc.stderr)
+                self.assertIn(f"--list-systems lists all {printed}.", proc.stderr)
+
+
 class AMistypedTargetAcrossAllPlatforms(unittest.TestCase):
     """`verify --all --target swich` ended on "no platform has it" after 17
     INFO lines, two of which held the suggestion."""