diff --git a/modules/pacman/cmd/pacman-tools/view.go b/modules/pacman/cmd/pacman-tools/view.go
index fc8c2e32..6a1fea92 100644
--- a/modules/pacman/cmd/pacman-tools/view.go
+++ b/modules/pacman/cmd/pacman-tools/view.go
@@ -118,12 +118,19 @@ func (m *Machine) installedOn(node string) ([]nodeInstalled, error) {
 }
 
 // declaredOn is what each node's modules declare present, by node and package, with the declaring modules, and the source
-// that answered for each node: its engine's key, else the controller's mirror; a node neither holds is missing.
-func (m *Machine) declaredOn(nodes []string) (map[string]map[string][]string, map[string]string, error) {
+// that answered for each node: its engine's key, else the controller's mirror; a node neither holds is missing. When the
+// engine's state cannot be read at all (its bucket is not on the bus yet, or the read is refused) the mirror answers for
+// every node and the engine's error is returned as a word to say beside the sources; it is an error only when the mirror
+// cannot be read either (ADR 0565 clause 6).
+func (m *Machine) declaredOn(nodes []string) (map[string]map[string][]string, map[string]string, string, error) {
 	out := map[string]map[string][]string{}
 	from := map[string]string{}
+	engineErr := ""
 	for _, source := range []string{SourceEngine, SourceController} {
 		r := m.States(source)
+		read := map[string]map[string][]string{}
+		readFrom := map[string]string{}
+		var failed error
 		for _, n := range nodes {
 			if from[n] != "" {
 				continue
@@ -131,21 +138,32 @@ func (m *Machine) declaredOn(nodes []string) (map[string]map[string][]string, ma
 			var v declaredValue
 			found, err := readValue(r, n, &v)
 			if err != nil {
-				return nil, nil, err
+				failed = err
+				break
 			}
 			if !found {
 				continue
 			}
-			from[n] = source
-			out[n] = map[string][]string{}
+			readFrom[n] = source
+			read[n] = map[string][]string{}
 			for _, p := range v.Packages {
 				if !p.Absent {
-					out[n][p.Package] = p.Modules
+					read[n][p.Package] = p.Modules
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		if failed != nil {
+			if source == SourceEngine {
+				engineErr = SourceEngine + " cannot be read: " + failed.Error()
+				continue
+			}
+			return nil, nil, "", failed
+		}
+		for n, d := range read {
+			out[n], from[n] = d, readFrom[n]
+		}
 	}
-	return out, from, nil
+	return out, from, engineErr, nil
 }
 
 // NodeView is one node in the view.
@@ -198,7 +216,7 @@ func (m *Machine) Packages(name string, limit int) (map[string]any, error) {
 	for _, ni := range all {
 		nodes = append(nodes, ni.Node)
 	}
-	declared, sources, err := m.declaredOn(nodes)
+	declared, sources, engineErr, err := m.declaredOn(nodes)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -220,7 +238,11 @@ func (m *Machine) Packages(name string, limit int) (map[string]any, error) {
 			}
 			on = append(on, p)
 		}
-		return map[string]any{"package": name, "nodes": on}, nil
+		answer := map[string]any{"package": name, "nodes": on}
+		if engineErr != "" {
+			answer["declared_engine_error"] = engineErr
+		}
+		return answer, nil
 	}
 	views := []NodeView{}
 	versions := map[string]map[string]string{}
@@ -269,6 +291,9 @@ func (m *Machine) Packages(name string, limit int) (map[string]any, error) {
 		}
 	}
 	out := map[string]any{"nodes": views}
+	if engineErr != "" {
+		out["declared_engine_error"] = engineErr
+	}
 	for key, list := range map[string][]Spread{"differing": differing, "some_nodes": some} {
 		b := bound(key, list, limit)
 		out[key] = b[key]
diff --git a/modules/pacman/cmd/pacman-tools/view_test.go b/modules/pacman/cmd/pacman-tools/view_test.go
index 1c6873f3..6e9dbd51 100644
--- a/modules/pacman/cmd/pacman-tools/view_test.go
+++ b/modules/pacman/cmd/pacman-tools/view_test.go
@@ -6,10 +6,13 @@ package main
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
+
+	stdio "git.novox.be/novox/mesh-sdk/go"
 )
 
 // viewStates is two nodes' packages on the bus: node-a current and declared, node-b over the cap since a while,
@@ -66,6 +69,31 @@ func TestOnePackageOnEveryNodeWithWhoDeclaresIt(t *testing.T) {
 		on2[1].DeclaredFrom != SourceController || strings.Join(on2[1].DeclaredBy, ",") != "legacy" {
 		t.Errorf("fallback: %+v", on2)
 	}
+	// The engine's state cannot be read (its bucket is not on the bus yet): the mirror answers for every node, and the
+	// answer says why beside declared_from; a mirror that cannot be read either is an error.
+	read := m.States
+	m.States = func(name string) StateReader {
+		if name == SourceEngine {
+			return failingReader{errors.New("is issued and its bucket is not on the bus yet")}
+		}
+		return read(name)
+	}
+	r3, err3 := m.Packages("zsh", 500)
+	on3, _ := r3["nodes"].([]PackageOnNode)
+	if err3 != nil || len(on3) != 2 || on3[0].DeclaredFrom != SourceController || strings.Join(on3[0].DeclaredBy, ",") != "stale" ||
+		on3[1].DeclaredFrom != SourceController || !strings.Contains(fmt.Sprint(r3["declared_engine_error"]), "not on the bus yet") {
+		t.Errorf("engine unreadable: %+v %v", r3, err3)
+	}
+	m.States = func(name string) StateReader {
+		if name == SourceEngine || name == SourceController {
+			return failingReader{errors.New("refused")}
+		}
+		return read(name)
+	}
+	if _, err := m.Packages("zsh", 500); err == nil {
+		t.Error("neither state could be read and no error was said")
+	}
+	m.States = read
 	if a.Node != "node-a" || !a.Installed || a.Version != "5.9-2" || !a.Explicit || a.Repository != "extra" ||
 		strings.Join(a.DeclaredBy, ",") != "login,shell" || !a.Current {
 		t.Errorf("node-a: %+v", a)
@@ -174,3 +202,10 @@ func TestANodeArgumentIsOneKeyToken(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("%q %v", n, err)
 	}
 }
+
+// failingReader is a state that cannot be read.
+type failingReader struct{ err error }
+
+func (f failingReader) Get(string) (*stdio.StateEntry, error)         { return nil, f.err }
+func (f failingReader) Keys() ([]string, error)                       { return nil, f.err }
+func (f failingReader) History(string) ([]stdio.StateRevision, error) { return nil, f.err }