diff --git a/edge_test.go b/edge_test.go
index c99e518..105c341 100644
--- a/edge_test.go
+++ b/edge_test.go
@@ -89,6 +89,35 @@ func TestDescendIntoLiteralErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestPathThroughChoice pins the rule that makes a dotted path predictable: a
+// choice consumes no segment, so a path may step through one only when every
+// variant carries the rest of it. Otherwise the same path would render or fail
+// depending on which variant the rng picked.
+func TestPathThroughChoice(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := writeData(t, map[string]string{
+		"every":  `[{"format":"{f}","f":["1"]},{"format":"{f}","f":["2"]}]`,
+		"notall": `[{"format":"{f}","f":["1"]},["plain"]]`,
+	})
+	f := newFakes(t, dir, WithSeed(1))
+	for i := 0; i < 200; i++ {
+		if got := fake(t, f, "every.f"); got != "1" && got != "2" {
+			t.Fatalf("every.f = %q, want 1 or 2", got)
+		}
+	}
+	var first string
+	for i := 0; i < 200; i++ {
+		_, err := f.Fake("notall.f")
+		if err == nil {
+			t.Fatal("notall.f = nil error, want the same failure every call")
+		}
+		if i == 0 {
+			first = err.Error()
+		} else if err.Error() != first {
+			t.Fatalf("notall.f error varies between calls:\n  %s\n  %s", first, err.Error())
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // --- category root shapes ---
 
 func TestCategoryRootShapes(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/loading_test.go b/loading_test.go
index 4b2a847..4646935 100644
--- a/loading_test.go
+++ b/loading_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"reflect"
+	"slices"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -14,9 +15,11 @@ func TestList(t *testing.T) {
 		"person":   `{"format":"{first} {last}","first":["A"],"last":["B"]}`,
 		"word":     `["x", "y"]`,
 		"geo/city": `["Z"]`,
+		// Only the fields every variant carries are addressable, so "extra" is not.
+		"coin": `[{"format":"{code}","code":["A"],"name":["Aa"]},{"format":"{code}","code":["B"],"name":["Bb"],"extra":["x"]}]`,
 	})
 	got := newFakes(t, dir, WithSeed(1)).List()
-	want := []string{"geo.city", "person", "person.first", "person.last", "word"}
+	want := []string{"coin", "coin.code", "coin.name", "geo.city", "person", "person.first", "person.last", "word"}
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
 		t.Fatalf("List() = %v, want %v", got, want)
 	}
@@ -131,3 +134,26 @@ func TestMultiPathMergesFolders(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("sv_SE.shared = %q, want b (last loaded wins)", got)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestListedPathsAllRender is the contract between List and Fake over the shipped
+// tree: everything List advertises renders, every time, and the sub-fields the
+// README advertises are discoverable.
+func TestListedPathsAllRender(t *testing.T) {
+	f := newFakes(t, "data", WithSeed(4))
+	paths := f.List()
+	if len(paths) < 50 {
+		t.Fatalf("List() = %d paths, want the whole shipped tree", len(paths))
+	}
+	for _, p := range paths {
+		for i := 0; i < 20; i++ {
+			if _, err := f.Fake(p); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Fake(%q) = %v, but List() advertises it", p, err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	for _, p := range []string{"misc.car.maker", "misc.country.alpha2", "misc.currency.symbol", "misc.httpstatus.code", "misc.mimetype.ext"} {
+		if !slices.Contains(paths, p) {
+			t.Errorf("List() omits %q, which the README advertises and Fake renders", p)
+		}
+	}
+}