diff --git a/docs/releases/1.17.1.6.md b/docs/releases/1.17.1.6.md
index 67133a285..56a1415c4 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.17.1.6.md
+++ b/docs/releases/1.17.1.6.md
@@ -105,6 +105,10 @@ bash build.sh build-firmwares-logging-matrix \
   --require-ota --skip-kiss --resume --background
 ```
 
-Run only one PlatformIO process in that checkout. Publish only after the full
-matrix completes successfully and `scripts/package_cascade_release.py` accepts
-the completed build status, source commit and `--version 1.17.1.6`.
+Run only one PlatformIO process in that checkout. Let the matrix finish even
+when individual targets fail. The packager normally requires a successful full
+matrix. For an initial release with gaps, `scripts/package_cascade_release.py`
+accepts `--allow-partial` with `--version 1.17.1.6`, the original completed build
+status and source commit. It lists every failed attempt in `BUILD-FAILURES.md`
+and `BUILD-FAILURES.json`; each published file must still pass all qualification
+and memory checks. Repair the failures and add the corrected profiles afterward.
diff --git a/scripts/package_cascade_release.py b/scripts/package_cascade_release.py
index 59fd8c044..5219fbb26 100644
--- a/scripts/package_cascade_release.py
+++ b/scripts/package_cascade_release.py
@@ -99,6 +99,35 @@ def sha256(path):
         return hashlib.file_digest(stream, "sha256").hexdigest()
 
 
+def completed_matrix_failures(status, allow_partial=False):
+    if status.get("state") == "completed" and status.get("exit_code") == "0":
+        return []
+    if not allow_partial:
+        raise ValueError("the Option 3 matrix has not completed successfully")
+    if status.get("state") != "failed" or status.get("exit_code") != "1":
+        raise ValueError("partial publication requires a finished matrix, not a running or interrupted build")
+    log = Path(status.get("log", ""))
+    if not log.is_file():
+        raise ValueError("partial publication requires the matrix failure summary")
+    text = log.read_text(errors="replace")
+    summaries = list(re.finditer(r"^Logging matrix completed with (\d+) failed build\(s\):\s*$", text, re.M))
+    if not summaries:
+        raise ValueError("partial publication requires the matrix failure summary")
+    summary = summaries[-1]
+    count = int(summary[1])
+    lines = text[summary.end():].lstrip("\r\n").splitlines()
+    failures = []
+    for line in lines[:count]:
+        match = re.fullmatch(r"  ([\w.+-]+) \(([^()]+)\) -> (.+)", line)
+        if not match:
+            raise ValueError("matrix failure summary is incomplete")
+        failures.append({"target": match[1], "profile": match[2],
+                         "log_file": Path(match[3]).name})
+    if not count or len(failures) != count:
+        raise ValueError("matrix failure summary is incomplete")
+    return failures
+
+
 def main():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
     parser.add_argument("--input", required=True, type=Path)
@@ -107,10 +136,11 @@ def main():
     parser.add_argument("--version", default="1.17.1.5")
     parser.add_argument("--commit", required=True)
     parser.add_argument("--repo", default="mikecarper/MeshCore")
+    parser.add_argument("--allow-partial", action="store_true",
+                        help="Publish qualified outputs from a finished matrix with failures, listing every failed attempt")
     args = parser.parse_args()
     status = dict(line.split("=", 1) for line in args.build_status.read_text().splitlines() if "=" in line)
-    if status.get("state") != "completed" or status.get("exit_code") != "0":
-        raise ValueError("the Option 3 matrix has not completed successfully")
+    failures = completed_matrix_failures(status, args.allow_partial)
     output_directory = Path(status["working_directory"]) / status["output_directory"]
     if output_directory.resolve() != args.input.resolve():
         raise ValueError("build status belongs to another output directory")
@@ -182,6 +212,21 @@ def main():
         exclusions = args.input / "ota-excluded-targets.txt"
         if exclusions.is_file():
             shutil.copy2(exclusions, destination / exclusions.name)
+        partial_note = ""
+        if failures:
+            report = {"source": args.commit, "version": args.version, "matrix_state": status["state"],
+                      "matrix_exit_code": int(status["exit_code"]), "failures": failures}
+            (destination / "BUILD-FAILURES.json").write_text(json.dumps(report, indent=2) + "\n")
+            (destination / "BUILD-FAILURES.md").write_text(
+                "# Build attempts awaiting repair\n\n"
+                f"Source: `{args.commit}`. The matrix finished with exit code {status['exit_code']}.\n\n"
+                "Published files passed their individual capability, size and memory checks. "
+                "These failed attempts are omitted pending repair; another profile for the same board may be available.\n\n"
+                "| Target | Profile | Build log |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n"
+                + "".join(f"| `{f['target']}` | `{f['profile']}` | `{f['log_file']}` |\n" for f in failures))
+            report_url = f"https://github.com/{args.repo}/releases/download/{group['tag']}/BUILD-FAILURES.md"
+            partial_note = (f"**Partial matrix:** {len(failures)} build attempt(s) failed and await repair. "
+                            f"Only individually qualified firmware is published. [Missing builds]({report_url}).\n\n")
         body = (f"> **Development prerelease.** Firmware identifier: **{base_tag}**.\n\n"
                 f"# MeshCore {args.version} Dev — USA Cascade\n\n"
                 f"Source: `{args.commit}`. USA/Canada: **{radio['frequency']} MHz, BW{radio['bandwidth']}, SF{radio['sf']}, CR{radio['cr']}**; Cascade defaults.\n\n"
@@ -190,7 +235,7 @@ def main():
                 f"[Release details]({source_url}/docs/releases/{args.version}.md)\n\n"
                 "Match the exact board, radio, display, and storage variant. ESP32 WiFi updates use the application `.bin`; the merged image installs boot/partition data over USB. nRF52 `.zip` files are native application DFU packages. LoRa MOTA installation requires an exact destination package; nRF52 also requires its matching OTAFIX bootloader. Full Companions do not LoRa-install onto themselves.\n\n"
                 "Firmware and capability checks passed in the build matrix. Hardware update testing across every board was not performed.\n\n"
-                + links + "\n")
+                + partial_note + links + "\n")
         (args.output / (group["key"] + "-notes.md")).write_text(body)
         (destination / "BUILD-NOTES.txt").write_text(body)
     picker = ("<!doctype html><meta charset=utf-8><meta name=viewport content='width=device-width'>"
@@ -219,7 +264,8 @@ def main():
         (destination / "SHA256SUMS.txt").write_text("".join(f"{sha256(path)}  {path.name}\n" for path in files))
         group["asset_count"] = len(files) + 1
         group["target_count"] = len(group.pop("records"))
-    (args.output / "release-plan.json").write_text(json.dumps({"source": args.commit, "version": args.version, "radio": radio, "groups": groups}, indent=2) + "\n")
+    (args.output / "release-plan.json").write_text(json.dumps({"source": args.commit, "version": args.version, "radio": radio, "groups": groups,
+        "matrix": {"state": status["state"], "exit_code": int(status["exit_code"]), "failures": failures}}, indent=2) + "\n")
     print(json.dumps({"targets": len(records), "groups": groups}, indent=2))
 
 
diff --git a/test/test_cascade_release_package.py b/test/test_cascade_release_package.py
index 39d01d986..f60039f8e 100644
--- a/test/test_cascade_release_package.py
+++ b/test/test_cascade_release_package.py
@@ -15,6 +15,28 @@ spec.loader.exec_module(package)
 
 
 class ReleaseQualificationTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_partial_matrix_requires_completion_and_an_explicit_opt_in(self):
+        self.assertEqual(package.completed_matrix_failures({"state": "completed", "exit_code": "0"}), [])
+        for state, code in (("running", "0"), ("starting", "0"), ("failed", "143")):
+            with self.subTest(state=state, code=code), self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, "finished matrix"):
+                package.completed_matrix_failures({"state": state, "exit_code": code}, True)
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp:
+            log = Path(temp) / "matrix.log"
+            status = {"state": "failed", "exit_code": "1", "log": str(log)}
+            with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, "not completed successfully"):
+                package.completed_matrix_failures(status)
+            for body in ("", "Building a target\n", "Logging matrix completed with 2 failed build(s):\n  one (standard) -> /tmp/one.log\n"):
+                log.write_text(body)
+                with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, "summary"):
+                    package.completed_matrix_failures(status, True)
+            log.write_text("Logging matrix completed with 2 failed build(s):\n"
+                           "  one (standard) -> /tmp/one.log\n"
+                           "  two (full-usb-wifi-ota) -> /tmp/two.log\n")
+            failures = package.completed_matrix_failures(status, True)
+            self.assertEqual([f["target"] for f in failures], ["one", "two"])
+            self.assertEqual(failures[1]["profile"], "full-usb-wifi-ota")
+            self.assertEqual(failures[1]["log_file"], "two.log")
+
     def manifest(self, target="test_repeater", **changes):
         return {"target": target, "platform": "ESP32_PLATFORM",
                 "schema_version": 2, "verified": True,
@@ -99,6 +121,40 @@ class ReleaseQualificationTest(unittest.TestCase):
                 digest, name = line.split("  ", 1)
                 self.assertEqual(hashlib.sha256((assets / name).read_bytes()).hexdigest(), digest)
 
+            # A finished matrix can publish good files while explicitly
+            # retaining the failed attempts and the real nonzero exit code.
+            log = directory / "matrix.log"
+            log.write_text("Logging matrix completed with 1 failed build(s):\n"
+                           "  missing_repeater (standard) -> /tmp/missing.log\n")
+            status.write_text("state=failed\n" + settings.replace("exit_code=0", "exit_code=1")
+                              + f"log={log}\n")
+            partial_command = command.copy()
+            partial_command[partial_command.index("--output") + 1] = str(directory / "partial")
+            result = subprocess.run(partial_command, capture_output=True, text=True)
+            self.assertNotEqual(result.returncode, 0)
+            self.assertFalse((directory / "partial").exists())
+            result = subprocess.run(partial_command + ["--allow-partial"], capture_output=True, text=True)
+            self.assertEqual(result.returncode, 0, result.stderr)
+            plan = json.loads((directory / "partial/release-plan.json").read_text())
+            self.assertEqual(plan["matrix"]["exit_code"], 1)
+            self.assertEqual(plan["matrix"]["failures"][0]["target"], "missing_repeater")
+            assets = directory / "partial/companion"
+            self.assertIn("Partial matrix", (assets / "BUILD-NOTES.txt").read_text())
+            self.assertIn("missing_repeater", (assets / "BUILD-FAILURES.md").read_text())
+            self.assertEqual(len(list(assets.iterdir())), plan["groups"][0]["asset_count"])
+            checksums = (assets / "SHA256SUMS.txt").read_text()
+            self.assertIn("BUILD-FAILURES.json", checksums)
+            for line in checksums.splitlines():
+                digest, name = line.split("  ", 1)
+                self.assertEqual(hashlib.sha256((assets / name).read_bytes()).hexdigest(), digest)
+
+            # Opting in to holes never authorizes publishing bad firmware.
+            (inputs / (stem + ".bin")).write_bytes(b"corrupted")
+            partial_command[partial_command.index("--output") + 1] = str(directory / "bad")
+            result = subprocess.run(partial_command + ["--allow-partial"], capture_output=True, text=True)
+            self.assertNotEqual(result.returncode, 0)
+            self.assertFalse((directory / "bad").exists())
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()