diff --git a/writer/StreamWriter.cpp b/writer/StreamWriter.cpp
index 806a8662..8a079e0f 100644
--- a/writer/StreamWriter.cpp
+++ b/writer/StreamWriter.cpp
@@ -78,7 +78,13 @@ void StreamWriter::ProcessStartMessage() {
                     image_puller_output.cbor->start_message->number_of_images);
         state = StreamWriterState::Started;
         NotifyTcpAck(TCPFrameType::START, true, false, TCPAckCode::None);
-    } catch (const JFJochException &e) {
+    } catch (const std::exception &e) {
+        // std::exception, not JFJochException: everything below this point - the error state, err,
+        // and above all the fatal ACK - is skipped if the exception escapes, and the broker is
+        // blocked on that ACK with the detector about to be armed. It would read the silence as a
+        // dead writer and report a timeout in place of the reason. Not every thrower here is ours:
+        // std::filesystem::exists throws filesystem_error when the output path cannot be walked,
+        // and SetupFinalizedFileSocket throws ZeroMQ's own type.
         logger.ErrorException(e);
         logger.Error("Error writing start message - switching to error state");
         state = StreamWriterState::Error;