diff --git a/tools/verify-anchor.mjs b/tools/verify-anchor.mjs
index 898d0f5..949ec5b 100644
--- a/tools/verify-anchor.mjs
+++ b/tools/verify-anchor.mjs
@@ -52,6 +52,18 @@ import { secp256k1 } from '@noble/curves/secp256k1';
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { verifyFalcon512, fromHex } from './falcon512.mjs';
+// Early refusals stop through stop(1), not process.exit(1): on Windows (Node 24), process.exit() right after a fetch aborts node
+// inside libuv while the HTTP sockets close, and the caller sees exit code 127 instead of 1 (measured 2026-09-27: 8 of 8 runs; with
+// stop(), 6 of 6 runs exit 1). stop() prints nothing itself, sets the code, and throws a marker that the handler below swallows, so the
+// module stops where it is and node exits normally once its sockets are closed. Any OTHER uncaught error still ends the run as a
+// failure at once, so that nothing that went wrong in the background can be followed by a VERIFIED line.
+class StopVerify extends Error {}
+process.on('uncaughtException', (e) => {
+  if (e instanceof StopVerify) return;
+  console.error(e);
+  process.exit(1);
+});
+const stop = (code) => { process.exitCode = code; throw new StopVerify(); };
 
 const RPC = process.env.RPC || 'https://rpc.aere.network';
 const MANIFESTS = process.env.MANIFESTS || 'https://aere.network/pq/manifests';
@@ -98,7 +110,7 @@ const SCHEME_SCHEDULE = (process.env.SCHEME_SCHEDULE || SCHEME_DEFAULT).split(',
   .map(p => { const [h, list] = p.split(':'); return [Number(h), list.split('+').map(x => x.trim()).filter(Boolean).map(e => { const [name, iv] = e.split('/'); return { name, interval: iv === undefined ? 0 : Number(iv) }; })]; })
   .sort((a, b) => a[0] - b[0]);
 for (const [h, list] of SCHEME_SCHEDULE) for (const { name, interval } of list) {
-  if (!(interval === 0 || (Number.isInteger(interval) && interval > 0 && interval % 32 === 0))) { console.error('FAIL: SCHEME_SCHEDULE step ' + h + ' gives ' + name + ' the interval ' + interval + ', which is not a positive multiple of 32'); process.exit(1); }
+  if (!(interval === 0 || (Number.isInteger(interval) && interval > 0 && interval % 32 === 0))) { console.error('FAIL: SCHEME_SCHEDULE step ' + h + ' gives ' + name + ' the interval ' + interval + ', which is not a positive multiple of 32'); stop(1); }
 }
 const stepAt = (hh) => { let out = [{ name: 'falcon-512', interval: 0 }]; for (const [from, list] of SCHEME_SCHEDULE) { if (from <= hh) out = list; else break; } return out; };
 const schemesAt = (hh) => stepAt(hh).map(s => s.name);
@@ -176,9 +188,9 @@ const join = (a, b) => isUrl ? a.replace(/\/$/, '') + '/' + b : path.join(a, b);
 
 let index;
 try { index = JSON.parse(await loadText(join(MANIFESTS, 'index.json'))); }
-catch (e) { console.error('FAIL: cannot load manifest index from ' + MANIFESTS + ': ' + e.message); process.exit(1); }
-if (!index || !Array.isArray(index.manifests) || !index.manifests.length) { console.error('FAIL: manifest index has no entries'); process.exit(1); }
-if (Number(index.chainId) !== CHAIN_ID) { console.error('FAIL: manifest index is for chain ' + index.chainId); process.exit(1); }
+catch (e) { console.error('FAIL: cannot load manifest index from ' + MANIFESTS + ': ' + e.message); stop(1); }
+if (!index || !Array.isArray(index.manifests) || !index.manifests.length) { console.error('FAIL: manifest index has no entries'); stop(1); }
+if (Number(index.chainId) !== CHAIN_ID) { console.error('FAIL: manifest index is for chain ' + index.chainId); stop(1); }
 
 console.log('chain ' + CHAIN_ID + '   rpc ' + RPC + '   manifests ' + MANIFESTS);
 console.log('');
@@ -269,7 +281,7 @@ const ANCHOR_FROM = Number(process.env.ANCHOR_FROM || (CHAIN_ID === 28001 ? 64 :
 const INTERVAL_SCHEDULE = (process.env.ANCHOR_INTERVAL_SCHEDULE || '').split(',').filter(Boolean)
   .map(p => p.split(':').map(x => Number(x.trim()))).sort((a, b) => a[0] - b[0]);
 for (const [h, iv] of INTERVAL_SCHEDULE) {
-  if (!(iv > 0 && iv % 32 === 0) || h < ANCHOR_FROM || (h - ANCHOR_FROM) % iv !== 0) { console.error('FAIL: ANCHOR_INTERVAL_SCHEDULE entry ' + h + ':' + iv + ' is not a multiple of 32 on the grid from ' + ANCHOR_FROM); process.exit(1); }
+  if (!(iv > 0 && iv % 32 === 0) || h < ANCHOR_FROM || (h - ANCHOR_FROM) % iv !== 0) { console.error('FAIL: ANCHOR_INTERVAL_SCHEDULE entry ' + h + ':' + iv + ' is not a multiple of 32 on the grid from ' + ANCHOR_FROM); stop(1); }
 }
 
 // carries a certificate element? (RLP item 6 of extraData; enough to space the grid, not to trust it)
@@ -293,13 +305,13 @@ if (!INTERVAL_SCHEDULE.length) {
     console.error('FAIL: only ' + seen.length + ' certificate-carrying header(s) in the ' + LOOKBACK + ' blocks below ' + top + ',');
     console.error('      so the anchor spacing cannot be measured on this chain. Either anchoring has stopped, or this');
     console.error('      endpoint is not serving chain ' + CHAIN_ID + '. Pass ANCHOR_INTERVAL_SCHEDULE=h:interval to state it explicitly.');
-    process.exit(1);
+    stop(1);
   }
   const step = seen[0] - seen[1];
   if (!(step > 0 && step % 32 === 0) || (seen[0] - ANCHOR_FROM) % step !== 0) {
     console.error('FAIL: the two most recent anchors (' + seen[0] + ', ' + seen[1] + ') are ' + step + ' apart, which is not a');
     console.error('      multiple of 32 on the grid from ' + ANCHOR_FROM + '. The chain is not anchoring on a regular grid.');
-    process.exit(1);
+    stop(1);
   }
   DERIVED_INTERVAL = step;
   INTERVAL_SCHEDULE.push([seen[0] - Math.floor((seen[0] - ANCHOR_FROM) / step) * step, step]);
@@ -314,11 +326,11 @@ if (DERIVED_INTERVAL) {
 } else if (INTERVAL_SCHEDULE.length) {
   console.log('interval schedule (given): ' + INTERVAL_SCHEDULE.map(([h, iv]) => h + ':' + iv).join(',') + '   (in force at ' + anchor + ': every ' + intervalAt(anchor) + 'th block)');
 }
-if (anchor < ANCHOR_FROM) { console.error('FAIL: no anchor at or below ' + top + ' (anchors start at ' + ANCHOR_FROM + ')'); process.exit(1); }
+if (anchor < ANCHOR_FROM) { console.error('FAIL: no anchor at or below ' + top + ' (anchors start at ' + ANCHOR_FROM + ')'); stop(1); }
 {
   const b = await rpc('eth_getBlockByNumber', ['0x' + anchor.toString(16), false]);
   const vanity = rlpRead(hex(b.extraData), 0).item[0].item;
-  if (vanity.length !== 32 || Buffer.from(vanity).includes(Buffer.from('besu'))) { console.error('FAIL: block ' + anchor + ' does not look like an anchor (vanity is the client string, not a digest)'); process.exit(1); }
+  if (vanity.length !== 32 || Buffer.from(vanity).includes(Buffer.from('besu'))) { console.error('FAIL: block ' + anchor + ' does not look like an anchor (vanity is the client string, not a digest)'); stop(1); }
 }
 
 // AIP-22 stage 3 (2026-09-23): from the identity height a chain's validator set holds post-quantum ids, not ECDSA addresses.
@@ -343,27 +355,27 @@ if (!IDENTITY_OFF) {
   if (sources.length) {
     let reg;
     try { reg = await import('./registry-v3.mjs'); }
-    catch (e) { console.error('FAIL: this chain publishes v3 registry epochs, and registry-v3.mjs (published beside this tool) cannot be loaded: ' + e.message); process.exit(1); }
+    catch (e) { console.error('FAIL: this chain publishes v3 registry epochs, and registry-v3.mjs (published beside this tool) cannot be loaded: ' + e.message); stop(1); }
     let previous = null, link = new Map();
     for (const s of sources) {
       const text = await loadText(s.loc);
-      if (s.sha && Buffer.from(sha256(Buffer.from(text, 'utf8'))).toString('hex') !== s.sha) { console.error('FAIL: v3 epoch ' + s.file + ': sha256 does not match the index'); process.exit(1); }
+      if (s.sha && Buffer.from(sha256(Buffer.from(text, 'utf8'))).toString('hex') !== s.sha) { console.error('FAIL: v3 epoch ' + s.file + ': sha256 does not match the index'); stop(1); }
       const json = JSON.parse(text);
       let r;
       try { r = reg.load(json, CHAIN_ID, schemesAt(json.bindHeight), previous, previous === null); }
-      catch (e) { console.error('FAIL: v3 epoch ' + s.file + ' does not verify: ' + e.message); process.exit(1); }
+      catch (e) { console.error('FAIL: v3 epoch ' + s.file + ' does not verify: ' + e.message); stop(1); }
       const km = manifestAt(r.bindHeight);
       // from H_k (the first epoch the index marks keysFrom) a later epoch may rotate keys under the old keys' signatures, which
       // registry-v3.mjs has verified; the equality with the key manifest is required up to and including the H_k epoch
       const rotating = V3_EPOCHS.some(x => x.keysFrom) || (process.env.KEYS_FROM && r.bindHeight > Number(process.env.KEYS_FROM));
-      if (!km || km.count !== r.count) { console.error('FAIL: v3 epoch bound at ' + r.bindHeight + ' has ' + r.count + ' rows; the key manifest in force there has ' + (km ? km.count : 'none')); process.exit(1); }
+      if (!km || km.count !== r.count) { console.error('FAIL: v3 epoch bound at ' + r.bindHeight + ' has ' + r.count + ' rows; the key manifest in force there has ' + (km ? km.count : 'none')); stop(1); }
       for (const row of (rotating ? [] : r.rows)) {
         const k = km.rows[row.index];
         const f = row.keys.find(x => x.name === 'falcon-512'), sl = row.keys.find(x => x.name === 'slh-dsa-sha2-128s');
         const falconSame = f && Buffer.concat([Buffer.from([0x09]), Buffer.from(k.pk)]).equals(Buffer.from(f.pk));
         const slhSame = !k.keys['slh-dsa-sha2-128s'] ? !sl : (sl && Buffer.from(k.keys['slh-dsa-sha2-128s']).equals(Buffer.from(sl.pk)));
         const addrSame = !row.ecdsa || ('0x' + row.ecdsa.addr.toString('hex')) === k.addr.toLowerCase();
-        if (!(falconSame && slhSame && addrSame)) { console.error('FAIL: v3 epoch bound at ' + r.bindHeight + ', row ' + row.index + ': ' + (falconSame ? '' : 'falcon key ') + (slhSame ? '' : 'slh-dsa key ') + (addrSame ? '' : 'ecdsa address ') + 'differ from the key manifest that signs there'); process.exit(1); }
+        if (!(falconSame && slhSame && addrSame)) { console.error('FAIL: v3 epoch bound at ' + r.bindHeight + ', row ' + row.index + ': ' + (falconSame ? '' : 'falcon key ') + (slhSame ? '' : 'slh-dsa key ') + (addrSame ? '' : 'ecdsa address ') + 'differ from the key manifest that signs there'); stop(1); }
       }
       // the ecdsa link is inherited by id (a later epoch may omit it), exactly as both clients resolve a message's
       // author: an id that this epoch links again drops its older address, and an id no longer registered drops its link