diff --git a/Source/Tune/TuneC.c b/Source/Tune/TuneC.c
index 13a9ec5..bf82390 100644
--- a/Source/Tune/TuneC.c
+++ b/Source/Tune/TuneC.c
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ typedef struct {
     unsigned char bytes[512];
     int length;
     int line;
+    int bad;                    // Named, but its bytes could not be had. See doPatch.
 } Patch;
 
 typedef struct {
@@ -215,26 +216,41 @@ static void doPatch(void) {
         complain(name->line, "that patch is named twice", name->text);
         return;
     }
+    // ---- A PATCH THAT CANNOT BE READ IS STILL A PATCH THAT WAS NAMED ----
+    //
+    // It is registered either way, with its bytes marked missing. Nothing will be written -
+    // one problem is enough to stop that - but everything below can now resolve the name, so
+    // a single missing file says one thing instead of seven.
+    //
+    // It used to return here, and the damage was out of all proportion: the name went
+    // unregistered, so every #Voice naming it failed as well, and then the check that a voice
+    // has an instrument failed for each of those. One wrong path, seven messages, and only
+    // the first of them worth reading. A compiler that says one thing seven ways teaches
+    // people to read the last line, which is the one that matters least.
+    Patch *p = &patches[patchCount];
+    snprintf(p->name, MAX_NAME, "%s", name->text);
+    p->line = name->line;
+    p->length = 0;
+    p->bad = 0;
+    patchCount++;
+
     char where[1024];
     FILE *in = openPatch(file->text, where, sizeof(where));
     if (!in) {
         complain(file->line, "cannot find that patch beside the tune or on the -I path",
                  file->text);
+        p->bad = 1;
         return;
     }
-    Patch *p = &patches[patchCount];
-    snprintf(p->name, MAX_NAME, "%s", name->text);
     p->length = (int)fread(p->bytes, 1, sizeof(p->bytes), in);
-    p->line = name->line;
     fclose(in);
 
     // A patch is a count and that many pairs. Anything else is a file that is not one, and
     // embedding it would make a tune that writes rubbish at the sound device.
     if (p->length < 1 || p->length != 1 + p->bytes[0] * 2) {
         complain(file->line, "that is not a patch: SoundPatch --blob writes one", file->text);
-        return;
+        p->bad = 1;
     }
-    patchCount++;
 }
 
 static void doVoice(void) {
@@ -269,6 +285,8 @@ static void doSequence(void) {
         return;
     }
     if (findSequence(name->text) >= 0) {
+        // The first one keeps the name, so an order list naming it still resolves and the
+        // duplicate is reported once rather than once here and again at every use.
         complain(name->line, "that sequence is named twice", name->text);
         return;
     }
diff --git a/Tests/sound.sh b/Tests/sound.sh
index 6fc75bc..8aac3a7 100755
--- a/Tests/sound.sh
+++ b/Tests/sound.sh
@@ -862,6 +862,22 @@ PY2
     refuses "a duration is from" \
         "#Tick 0d125000" "#Patch A low.patch" "#Voice 0d0 A" "#Sequence S" "0d60 0d0" \
         "#Order 0d0" "S"
+    # ---- AND IT SAYS IT ONCE ----
+    #
+    # One missing patch used to be seven messages: the name went unregistered, so every #Voice
+    # naming it failed too, and then the check that a voice has an instrument failed for each
+    # of those. Only the first was worth reading. A compiler that says one thing seven ways
+    # teaches people to read the last line, which is the one that matters least.
+    printf '%s\n' "#Tick 0d125000" "#Patch A nosuch.patch" \
+        "#Voice 0d0 A" "#Voice 0d1 A" "#Voice 0d2 A" \
+        "#Sequence S" "0d60 0d4" \
+        "#Order 0d0" "S" "#Order 0d1" "S" "#Order 0d2" "S" > "$BUILD/cascade.tune.txt"
+    SAID="$("$ROOT/TuneC" "$BUILD/cascade.tune.txt" "$BUILD/cascade.tune" 2>&1 \
+            | grep -c "cannot find\|no patch of that name\|no instrument")"
+    [ "$SAID" = "1" ] \
+        && result ok "TuneC says a missing patch once" "one message, not one for every use of it" \
+        || result no "TuneC says a missing patch once" "$SAID messages for one missing file"
+
     refuses "no sequence of that name" \
         "#Tick 0d125000" "#Patch A low.patch" "#Voice 0d0 A" "#Sequence S" "0d60 0d4" \
         "#Order 0d0" "Nope"