diff --git a/internal/inventory/walkphases.go b/internal/inventory/walkphases.go
index d49c93c5..23f1eeb7 100644
--- a/internal/inventory/walkphases.go
+++ b/internal/inventory/walkphases.go
@@ -142,6 +142,28 @@ func (p Plan) WalkPhases(now time.Time, applied AppliedLookup) *WalkPhases {
 		}
 		at := pt.at.Truncate(time.Millisecond)
 		ph.End = &at
+		if last != nil && at.Before(*last) {
+			// **Out of order** (issue 382): this moment was recorded before the one before it — a module's first
+			// send kept before its build was, two clocks, a late record. Neither phase can be measured honestly:
+			// the one before it is said unknown and its time joins the unknown time, and this one is said unknown
+			// with no time. The walk goes on from the later moment, so nothing is negative and the sum holds.
+			for i := len(w.Phases) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
+				prev := &w.Phases[i]
+				if prev.End == nil {
+					continue // a phase that did not happen, or is unknown with no moment: the one before carries last
+				}
+				if prev.State == PhaseMeasured {
+					w.UnknownMS += prev.TookMS
+				}
+				prev.State, prev.Start, prev.TookMS, prev.Took = PhaseUnknown, nil, 0, ""
+				prev.Said = "out of order: the phase after it ended first"
+				break
+			}
+			ph.State, ph.Said = PhaseUnknown, "out of order: it ended before the phase before it"
+			w.Phases = append(w.Phases, ph)
+			pending = nil
+			continue
+		}
 		if last != nil && len(pending) == 0 {
 			start := *last
 			ph.State, ph.Start = PhaseMeasured, &start
diff --git a/internal/inventory/walkphases_test.go b/internal/inventory/walkphases_test.go
index e350e0bc..ca045749 100644
--- a/internal/inventory/walkphases_test.go
+++ b/internal/inventory/walkphases_test.go
@@ -300,3 +300,31 @@ func TestALateReportIsSilentNotTheEnd(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("a send past the bound read as the walk's: %v %v", ok, err)
 	}
 }
+
+// Moments out of order — #206's own walk on 2026-10-10 kept its first send 783 ms before its build — are said
+// unknown, never a negative phase: the phase before is unknown and its time joins the unknown time, the phase
+// out of order has no time, and the phases still add up to the total.
+func TestMomentsOutOfOrderAreUnknownNeverNegative(t *testing.T) {
+	p := walkOf(t, recordedWalk)
+	built := time.Date(2026, 10, 10, 17, 53, 8, 70000000, time.UTC) // 783 ms after its first send
+	p.Modules["mesh-delivery"].BuiltAt = &built
+	w := p.WalkPhases(time.Date(2026, 10, 10, 18, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC), nil)
+	sumsUp(t, w)
+	for _, ph := range w.Phases {
+		if ph.TookMS < 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("a negative phase: %+v", ph)
+		}
+	}
+	build, send := phase(w, PhaseBuild, 0), phase(w, PhaseSend, 0)
+	if build.State != PhaseUnknown || send.State != PhaseUnknown || send.TookMS != 0 ||
+		!strings.Contains(send.Said, "out of order") || !strings.Contains(build.Said, "out of order") {
+		t.Fatalf("build %+v, send-first %+v", build, send)
+	}
+	// The build's span (cut to its later moment) is unknown time; the judgement is measured from the later moment.
+	if w.UnknownMS != built.Sub(time.Date(2026, 10, 10, 17, 52, 34, 37000000, time.UTC)).Milliseconds() {
+		t.Fatalf("unknown %dms", w.UnknownMS)
+	}
+	if j := phase(w, PhaseJudge, 0); j.State != PhaseMeasured || j.Start == nil || !j.Start.Equal(built) {
+		t.Fatalf("the judgement is measured from the later moment: %+v", j)
+	}
+}