diff --git a/scripts/pipeline.py b/scripts/pipeline.py
index 0847da15f..02c53735b 100644
--- a/scripts/pipeline.py
+++ b/scripts/pipeline.py
@@ -405,7 +405,8 @@ def check_consistency(
         elif released is not None and not (v_names & released):
             print(f"  {v_label}: {v_ok}/{v_total} (no release pack, served by the installer)")
         else:
-            print(f"  {v_label}: {v_ok}/{v_total} (no separate pack)")
+            print(f"  {v_label}: MISSING pack: verify judged {v_ok}/{v_total} "
+                  "but the build wrote no pack for it")
             all_ok = False
 
     status = "OK" if all_ok else "FAILED"
diff --git a/tests/test_release_packs.py b/tests/test_release_packs.py
index 4e52ed197..4c357393a 100644
--- a/tests/test_release_packs.py
+++ b/tests/test_release_packs.py
@@ -167,9 +167,13 @@ class APlatformWithoutAPackFailsNoCheck(unittest.TestCase):
         import pipeline
 
         verify = self.VERIFY + "Batocera: 3/3 OK [md5]\n"
-        with contextlib.redirect_stdout(io.StringIO()):
+        with contextlib.redirect_stdout(io.StringIO()) as out:
             self.assertFalse(pipeline.check_consistency(
                 verify, self.PACK, pipeline.release_pack_keys(PLATFORMS)))
+        # The failing line says it fails: "(no separate pack)" read like
+        # the installer-only note above it.
+        self.assertIn("Batocera: MISSING pack: verify judged 3/3 but the build wrote no pack for it",
+                      out.getvalue())
 
     def test_the_pipeline_passes_the_release_platforms(self):
         source = (REPO_ROOT / "scripts" / "pipeline.py").read_text(encoding="utf-8")