diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-indexer/internal/index/modules_test.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-indexer/internal/index/modules_test.go
index 6e150e2..7fd2ac7 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-indexer/internal/index/modules_test.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-indexer/internal/index/modules_test.go
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@ func record(t *testing.T, id, module, repo, path, ref, state, at, inputs string)
 	t.Helper()
 	// an outcome has no state key (mesh-controller internal/chain/records.go:57-59); state asked is a request
 	raw := `{"id":"` + id + `",`
-	if state != "" {
+	switch state {
+	case "":
+	case "failed": // a failure is an outcome with failed set and no state (mesh-controller internal/chain/records.go:109)
+		raw += `"failed":"the build failed",`
+	default:
 		raw += `"state":"` + state + `",`
 	}
 	raw += `"repository":"` + repo + `","ref":"` + ref + `","module":"` + module + `","commit":"7a74cee83f88e6585a5511c3cc53bdf0f5303d20","path":"` + path + `","at":"` + at + `"`
diff --git a/modules/mesh-delivery-view/internal/view/view.go b/modules/mesh-delivery-view/internal/view/view.go
index 4addb11..7ab0ec4 100644
--- a/modules/mesh-delivery-view/internal/view/view.go
+++ b/modules/mesh-delivery-view/internal/view/view.go
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ func (m *Model) groupRows() []GroupRow {
 }
 
 // fingerprintRows compare each module the indexer fingerprinted with the source fingerprint of the module's newest
-// successful trunk build (delivery.BuildRecord.IsTrunkBuild: built, on main or with no ref) that recorded one. The newest key is any state and ref, so it is not
+// successful trunk build (delivery.BuildRecord.IsTrunkBuild: an outcome, not failed, on main or with no ref) that recorded one. The newest key is any state and ref, so it is not
 // used: the records are.
 func (m *Model) fingerprintRows() []FingerprintRow {
 	newest := map[string]buildEntry{}