diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index ce93fec..165fcc6 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -89,7 +89,10 @@ direction hits it. A claim code names the spelling claimed, never the node that
 a malformed `:::table` is a `malformed-directive`. A cause the carry answers gets no code: a mark no
 spelling writes rides the carry with its node. A directive whose name reads back to no node is
 `unknown-directive-name` rather than a claim code — the spelling is well formed, and telling that
-apart from a typo is what a consumer switches on when a later MINOR gives the name meaning.
+apart from a typo is what a consumer switches on when a later MINOR gives the name meaning. A
+refusal found before its position is known — the block walk's, a directive reader's — is a
+`ConvertFault`, the code and message without the path; the node walk attaches the path as it
+descends, so a document reports its first error in document order.
 
 ## 9. Release automation
 
@@ -122,7 +125,8 @@ live Atlassian APIs; property-generated ADF trees; the CommonMark spec suite aga
 - Failures are values: everything returns
   `Result<T>` — `{ ok: true; value } | { ok: false; error: ConvertError }` — nothing throws.
   `try/catch` only wrapped tightly around a call that genuinely throws, converted to a result on
-  the spot.
+  the spot. A reader with no path to name returns `Read<T>` instead, the same two arms over a
+  `ConvertFault`, and `faulted` attaches the path where the walk knows it.
 - Only the hard break's inline segment holds a raw newline — every other spelling escapes one or
   refuses it — which is how the whitespace carry finds a line edge.
 - Emphasis is spelled against CommonMark's matching, never flanking alone: a delimiter run in text
diff --git a/corpus/errors/nesting-depth-composed.error b/corpus/errors/nesting-depth-composed.error
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f54ac45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/corpus/errors/nesting-depth-composed.error
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+unsupported-nesting-depth
diff --git a/corpus/errors/nesting-depth-composed.md b/corpus/errors/nesting-depth-composed.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec20183
--- /dev/null
+++ b/corpus/errors/nesting-depth-composed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > :a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[:a[x]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]
diff --git a/src/markdown/directive-syntax.test.ts b/src/markdown/directive-syntax.test.ts
index fd4fdb5..d02750e 100644
--- a/src/markdown/directive-syntax.test.ts
+++ b/src/markdown/directive-syntax.test.ts
@@ -9,13 +9,13 @@ function attributes(...pairs: [string, string][]): ReadonlyMap<string, string> {
   return new Map(pairs)
 }
 
-function header(colons: number, name: string, argument?: string, ...pairs: [string, string][]): DirectiveLine {
-  return { argument, attributes: attributes(...pairs), colons, kind: 'header', name }
+function header(colons: number, name: string, argument?: string, ...pairs: [string, string][]): { value: DirectiveLine } {
+  return { value: { argument, attributes: attributes(...pairs), colons, kind: 'header', name } }
 }
 
 function fault(line: string): string {
   const read = readDirectiveLine(line)
-  return read?.kind === 'fault' ? read.fault.message : `read ${JSON.stringify(read)}`
+  return read?.fault === undefined ? `read ${JSON.stringify(read)}` : read.fault.message
 }
 
 function inline(text: string): unknown {
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ test('claims a colon-run line only where a name or nothing follows the colons',
 })
 
 test('reads a bare colon run as the fence that closes a container', () => {
-  assert.deepEqual(readDirectiveLine(':::'), { colons: 3, kind: 'closing' })
-  assert.deepEqual(readDirectiveLine('::'), { colons: 2, kind: 'closing' })
-  assert.deepEqual(readDirectiveLine('::::::  \t'), { colons: 6, kind: 'closing' })
+  assert.deepEqual(readDirectiveLine(':::'), { value: { colons: 3, kind: 'closing' } })
+  assert.deepEqual(readDirectiveLine('::'), { value: { colons: 2, kind: 'closing' } })
+  assert.deepEqual(readDirectiveLine('::::::  \t'), { value: { colons: 6, kind: 'closing' } })
 })
 
 test('reads the leaf and container forms, their argument and their attributes', () => {
diff --git a/src/markdown/directive-syntax.ts b/src/markdown/directive-syntax.ts
index f8010ea..8fd3894 100644
--- a/src/markdown/directive-syntax.ts
+++ b/src/markdown/directive-syntax.ts
@@ -12,11 +12,10 @@ export type DirectiveAttributes = ReadonlyMap<string, string>
 export type DirectiveLine =
   | { argument: string | undefined; attributes: DirectiveAttributes; colons: number; kind: 'header'; name: string }
   | { colons: number; kind: 'closing' }
-  | { fault: ConvertFault; kind: 'fault' }
 
-export type InlineDirective = { attributes: DirectiveAttributes; content: string | undefined; length: number; name: string }
+export type DirectiveSpan = { attributes: DirectiveAttributes; content: string | undefined; length: number; name: string }
 
-type Read<T> = { fault: ConvertFault; value?: undefined } | { fault?: undefined; value: T }
+export type Read<T> = { fault: ConvertFault; value?: undefined } | { fault?: undefined; value: T }
 
 type Attributes = { attributes: DirectiveAttributes; length: number }
 
@@ -50,17 +49,17 @@ export function opensInlineDirective(text: string, index: number): boolean {
   return inlineDirectiveName(text, index) !== undefined
 }
 
-export function readDirectiveLine(line: string): DirectiveLine | undefined {
+export function readDirectiveLine(line: string): Read<DirectiveLine> | undefined {
   if (!claimsDirectiveLine(line)) return undefined
   const colons = runLength(line, 0)
   const rest = line.slice(colons)
-  if (lineEnd.test(rest)) return { colons, kind: 'closing' }
+  if (lineEnd.test(rest)) return { value: { colons, kind: 'closing' } }
   const header = readDirectiveHeader(rest)
-  if (header.fault !== undefined) return { fault: header.fault, kind: 'fault' }
-  return { argument: header.value.argument, attributes: header.value.attributes, colons, kind: 'header', name: header.value.name }
+  if (header.fault !== undefined) return { fault: header.fault }
+  return { value: { argument: header.value.argument, attributes: header.value.attributes, colons, kind: 'header', name: header.value.name } }
 }
 
-export function readInlineDirective(text: string, index: number): Read<InlineDirective> | undefined {
+export function readInlineDirective(text: string, index: number): Read<DirectiveSpan> | undefined {
   return readNestedDirective(text, index, 1)
 }
 
@@ -130,7 +129,7 @@ function readDirectiveHeader(rest: string): Read<{ argument: string | undefined;
   return { value: { argument, attributes, name } }
 }
 
-function readNestedDirective(text: string, index: number, depth: number): Read<InlineDirective> | undefined {
+function readNestedDirective(text: string, index: number, depth: number): Read<DirectiveSpan> | undefined {
   const name = inlineDirectiveName(text, index)
   if (name === undefined) return undefined
   if (depth > largestNesting) {
diff --git a/src/markdown/parse/blocks.test.ts b/src/markdown/parse/blocks.test.ts
index 71fd8bb..60551e1 100644
--- a/src/markdown/parse/blocks.test.ts
+++ b/src/markdown/parse/blocks.test.ts
@@ -87,6 +87,16 @@ test('holds a directive container open until the fence that closes it', () => {
   assert.deepEqual(faults(':::panel info\n> Part.\n> :::\n'), [])
   assert.deepEqual(faults('::::panel info\n- :::expand\n  Part.\n  :::\n::::\n'), [])
   assert.deepEqual(faults(':::panel info\n```\n:::\n```\n:::\n'), [])
+  assert.deepEqual(parseBlocks(':::panel info {panelColor="#ff0000"}\nPart.\n:::\n').blocks, [
+    {
+      argument: 'info',
+      attributes: new Map([['panelColor', '#ff0000']]),
+      blocks: [{ kind: 'paragraph', text: 'Part.' }],
+      kind: 'directive',
+      name: 'panel',
+    },
+  ])
+  assert.deepEqual(parseBlocks('::rule\n').blocks, [{ argument: undefined, attributes: new Map(), blocks: undefined, kind: 'directive', name: 'rule' }])
 })
 
 test('names the directive fence a container does not sit longer than', () => {
diff --git a/src/markdown/parse/blocks.ts b/src/markdown/parse/blocks.ts
index 1586ffb..c5b8689 100644
--- a/src/markdown/parse/blocks.ts
+++ b/src/markdown/parse/blocks.ts
@@ -181,10 +181,15 @@ function openContainer(walk: Walk, start: ContainerStart): void {
 
 function closeContainers(walk: Walk, depth: number): void {
   closeLeaf(walk)
-  for (const container of walk.stack.splice(depth)) {
+  for (const container of walk.stack.slice(depth)) {
     if (container.kind !== 'directive') continue
     container.parent[container.index] = { fault: malformedDirective(`a container fenced with ${container.colons} colons is unclosed`), kind: 'fault' }
   }
+  dropContainers(walk, depth)
+}
+
+function dropContainers(walk: Walk, depth: number): void {
+  walk.stack.length = depth
 }
 
 function openDirective(walk: Walk, directive: Extract<DirectiveLine, { kind: 'header' }>): void {
@@ -200,12 +205,7 @@ function openDirective(walk: Walk, directive: Extract<DirectiveLine, { kind: 'he
   if (block.blocks !== undefined) walk.stack.push({ blocks: block.blocks, colons: directive.colons, index: parent.length - 1, kind: 'directive', parent })
 }
 
-function readDirective(walk: Walk, directive: DirectiveLine): void {
-  closeLeaf(walk)
-  if (directive.kind === 'fault') {
-    pushFault(walk, directive.fault)
-    return
-  }
+function applyDirectiveLine(walk: Walk, directive: DirectiveLine): void {
   const enclosing = innermostDirective(walk)
   if (directive.kind === 'closing') {
     closeDirective(walk, directive.colons, enclosing)
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ function closeDirective(walk: Walk, colons: number, enclosing: { container: Open
     pushFault(walk, malformedDirective(`a closing fence is shorter than the ${enclosing.container.colons} colons it would close`))
     return
   }
-  walk.stack.length = enclosing.depth
+  dropContainers(walk, enclosing.depth)
 }
 
 function innermostDirective(walk: Walk): { container: OpenDirective; depth: number } | undefined {
@@ -292,7 +292,9 @@ function openLeaf(walk: Walk, line: Line): void {
   const opener = removeColumns(line, largestOpenerIndentation).text
   const directive = readDirectiveLine(opener)
   if (directive !== undefined) {
-    readDirective(walk, directive)
+    closeLeaf(walk)
+    if (directive.fault === undefined) applyDirectiveLine(walk, directive.value)
+    else pushFault(walk, directive.fault)
     return
   }
   if (claimsPipeLine(opener)) {
diff --git a/src/markdown/parse/inline-content.ts b/src/markdown/parse/inline-content.ts
index df03fa9..f22bb33 100644
--- a/src/markdown/parse/inline-content.ts
+++ b/src/markdown/parse/inline-content.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import type { LinkDefinition } from '../link-syntax.ts'
 import { backslashEscape, decodeTextEscapes, inlineHtmlConstruct, readBracketedAutolink, readEmailAutolink } from '../commonmark-grammar.ts'
 import { backtickRun, closingBacktickRun } from '../backtick-runs.ts'
 import { delimiterFlags, matchEmphasis, runLength } from '../emphasis-matching.ts'
-import { failure, success, type ConvertErrorPath, type Result } from '../../result.ts'
+import { failure, faulted, success, type ConvertErrorPath, type Result } from '../../result.ts'
 import { mergeAdjacentText } from '../../adf/editor-normal.ts'
 import { normalizeLabel, readInlineTarget, readLabel } from '../link-syntax.ts'
 import { readInlineDirective, unknownDirectiveFault } from '../directive-syntax.ts'
@@ -144,8 +144,7 @@ function readDirective(scan: Scan, index: number): Result<number> {
     scan.pending += ':'
     return success(index + 1)
   }
-  const fault = directive.fault ?? unknownDirectiveFault(directive.value.name)
-  return failure(fault.code, fault.message, scan.path)
+  return faulted(directive.fault ?? unknownDirectiveFault(directive.value.name), scan.path)
 }
 
 function flush(scan: Scan, strip: boolean): void {
diff --git a/src/markdown/parse/markdown-to-adf.ts b/src/markdown/parse/markdown-to-adf.ts
index d072d38..50e28a7 100644
--- a/src/markdown/parse/markdown-to-adf.ts
+++ b/src/markdown/parse/markdown-to-adf.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import type { AdfDocument, AdfNode } from '../../adf/document.ts'
 import type { Block } from './blocks.ts'
 import type { LinkDefinitions } from './inline-content.ts'
-import { failure, success, type ConvertErrorPath, type Result } from '../../result.ts'
+import { failure, faulted, success, type ConvertErrorPath, type Result } from '../../result.ts'
 import { largestNesting } from '../../nesting.ts'
 import { parseBlocks } from './blocks.ts'
 import { parseInlineContent } from './inline-content.ts'
@@ -33,12 +33,10 @@ function blockNode(block: Block, definitions: LinkDefinitions, path: ConvertErro
       return listNode({ type: 'bulletList' }, block.items, definitions, path, depth)
     case 'code':
       return success(codeBlockNode(block.language, block.text))
-    case 'directive': {
-      const fault = unknownDirectiveFault(block.name)
-      return failure(fault.code, fault.message, path)
-    }
+    case 'directive':
+      return faulted(unknownDirectiveFault(block.name), path)
     case 'fault':
-      return failure(block.fault.code, block.fault.message, path)
+      return faulted(block.fault, path)
     case 'heading':
       return contentNode({ attrs: { level: block.level }, type: 'heading' }, block.text, definitions, path)
     case 'html':
diff --git a/src/result.ts b/src/result.ts
index 3098b72..4ad939c 100644
--- a/src/result.ts
+++ b/src/result.ts
@@ -18,12 +18,13 @@ export type ConvertErrorCode =
 
 export type ConvertErrorPath = readonly (number | string)[]
 
-export type ConvertFault = {
+export type ConvertError = {
   code: ConvertErrorCode
   message: string
+  path: ConvertErrorPath
 }
 
-export type ConvertError = ConvertFault & { path: ConvertErrorPath }
+export type ConvertFault = Omit<ConvertError, 'path'>
 
 export type Result<T> = { error: ConvertError; ok: false } | { ok: true; value: T }
 
@@ -31,6 +32,10 @@ export function failure<T>(code: ConvertErrorCode, message: string, path: Conver
   return { error: { code, message, path }, ok: false }
 }
 
+export function faulted<T>(fault: ConvertFault, path: ConvertErrorPath): Result<T> {
+  return failure(fault.code, fault.message, path)
+}
+
 export function success<T>(value: T): Result<T> {
   return { ok: true, value }
 }
diff --git a/todo.md b/todo.md
index 6eaa7d5..c449502 100644
--- a/todo.md
+++ b/todo.md
@@ -286,7 +286,9 @@ detail is settled at its own milestone.
         the braces, trailing whitespace on a directive block line tolerated — §8 makes loosening a
         MINOR, so strict is the reversible direction. `directive-attributes.ts` becomes
         `directive-syntax.ts` with the readers in it: the whole directive grammar, both
-        directions, beside the escaping regexes and the spellings it must not drift from.
+        directions, beside the escaping regexes and the spellings it must not drift from. And the
+        500-level guards compose here for the first time — a recursive reader stacked on the block
+        walk — so `nesting-depth-composed` pins both axes now rather than waiting for 3i's third.
   - [ ] **3g — The node tables read backwards.** `commonmark-subset/` reads back, the first
         directory to. A parsed directive becomes its node: the name to the type and an unknown one
         to a named error, the arg to the attribute it names, each value to the type its section