diff --git a/dokimi/changelog.d/20261026_120000_antonwolfy_cross-judge-verdict-shape.md b/dokimi/changelog.d/20261026_120000_antonwolfy_cross-judge-verdict-shape.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e9af067ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dokimi/changelog.d/20261026_120000_antonwolfy_cross-judge-verdict-shape.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+### Fixed
+
+- **`eval cross-judge` exits 2 on a `--pairwise` or `--checklist` entry of the wrong shape,
+  before any judge call** — a verdict whose `score` is not a finite number (missing, null,
+  a string, a bool, NaN, infinite or past a float's range), an arm that is not an object of
+  verdicts, or a checklist question without a `question_id` (or with a null or bool one),
+  without an `arms` object, or with a `coverage` that is neither a finite number nor null
+  now prints `Error: <file>: <entry> ...` and exits 2 instead of ending in a Python
+  traceback or passing a bad value on. The entries are read with the file, before
+  `--judges` makes its first paid call; until now a wrong shape ended the run after those
+  calls.
diff --git a/dokimi/dokimi/commands/judge_reliability.py b/dokimi/dokimi/commands/judge_reliability.py
index 762da883b..5eb95837e 100644
--- a/dokimi/dokimi/commands/judge_reliability.py
+++ b/dokimi/dokimi/commands/judge_reliability.py
@@ -51,6 +51,19 @@ def _judge_name(doc: dict, path: str) -> str:
     return judge if isinstance(judge, str) and judge else Path(path).stem
 
 
+def _result_measure(path: str, key: str, kind: type, build):
+    """The measure an `eval pairwise` or `eval checklist` file gives, or exit 2 naming the file.
+
+    *build* is ``(doc, name) -> Measure``; it raises ValueError on an entry of the wrong shape.
+    """
+    doc = _load_json_object(path, key, kind)
+    try:
+        return build(doc, _judge_name(doc, path))
+    except ValueError as exc:
+        print(f"Error: {path}: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(2)
+
+
 def _load_answers(path: str):
     """The parsed file and its answers records (dokimi/records.py), or a clean exit."""
     from dokimi.records import RecordError, read
@@ -361,9 +374,10 @@ def score(library, question, answer, ground_truth, context):
             sys.exit(2)
         report.measures.append(m)
 
-    # Read every result file before the first judge call, so a bad path costs no paid calls.
-    pairwise = [(path, _load_json_object(path, "verdicts")) for path in args.pairwise or []]
-    checklists = [(path, _load_json_object(path, "questions", list)) for path in args.checklist or []]
+    # Read every result file, and its entries, before the first judge call, so a bad file costs no paid calls.
+    from_files = [_result_measure(p, "verdicts", dict, lambda doc, name: pairwise_measure(doc, name, baseline))
+                  for p in args.pairwise or []]
+    from_files += [_result_measure(p, "questions", list, coverage_measure) for p in args.checklist or []]
     validity = [_load_json_object(v, "summary")["summary"] for v in args.validity or []]
     specs = [j.strip() for j in (args.judges or "").split(",") if j.strip()]
     if specs:
@@ -385,10 +399,7 @@ def score(library, question, answer, ground_truth, context):
                 concurrency=args.concurrency, progress=_progress(), ground_truth=grounding,
                 store=materials,
             ))
-    for path, pw in pairwise:
-        report.measures.append(pairwise_measure(pw, _judge_name(pw, path), baseline))
-    for path, ck in checklists:
-        report.measures.append(coverage_measure(ck, _judge_name(ck, path)))
+    report.measures += from_files
     answers_model = data.get("model") if isinstance(data, dict) else None
     for v in validity:
         if v.get("answers_model") and answers_model and v["answers_model"] != answers_model:
diff --git a/dokimi/dokimi/eval/cross_judge.py b/dokimi/dokimi/eval/cross_judge.py
index df9c18ae2..967de4a00 100644
--- a/dokimi/dokimi/eval/cross_judge.py
+++ b/dokimi/dokimi/eval/cross_judge.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import math
 import re
 from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
@@ -229,20 +230,55 @@ def stored_measure(data: Dict[str, Any], name: Optional[str] = None) -> Optional
     return m if m.scores else None
 
 
+def _number(x: Any) -> float:
+    """A score or coverage from a result file: a finite JSON number, not a bool or a string.
+
+    Raises TypeError, ValueError, or OverflowError for an integer past a float's range."""
+    if isinstance(x, bool) or not isinstance(x, (int, float)):
+        raise TypeError(x)
+    value = float(x)
+    if not math.isfinite(value):
+        raise ValueError(x)
+    return value
+
+
 def coverage_measure(checklist: Dict[str, Any], name: str) -> Measure:
+    """An `eval checklist` report as a measure: each arm scores its coverage.
+
+    Raises ValueError naming the first question that is not ``{question_id, arms: {arm:
+    {coverage}}}`` with a finite number or null as the coverage.
+    """
     m = Measure(name=name, kind="coverage")
-    for q in checklist.get("questions") or []:
-        for arm, v in (q.get("arms") or {}).items():
-            m.scores[(q["question_id"], arm)] = v.get("coverage")
+    for i, q in enumerate(checklist.get("questions") or []):
+        try:
+            qid, arms = q["question_id"], q["arms"]
+            if qid is None or isinstance(qid, bool):
+                raise TypeError(qid)
+            for arm, v in arms.items():
+                coverage = v.get("coverage")
+                m.scores[(qid, arm)] = None if coverage is None else _number(coverage)
+        except (AttributeError, KeyError, TypeError, ValueError, OverflowError):
+            raise ValueError(f"questions[{i}] is not a checklist question: a question_id and an arms "
+                             "object of {arm: {coverage: a finite number or null}}") from None
     return m
 
 
 def pairwise_measure(pairwise: Dict[str, Any], name: str, baseline_arm: str) -> Measure:
-    """An `eval pairwise` report as a measure: the arm scores its verdict, the baseline 0."""
+    """An `eval pairwise` report as a measure: the arm scores its verdict, the baseline 0.
+
+    Raises ValueError naming the first verdict that is not an object with a finite number as
+    its ``score``.
+    """
     m = Measure(name=name, kind="pairwise")
     for arm, by_q in (pairwise.get("verdicts") or {}).items():
+        if not isinstance(by_q, dict):
+            raise ValueError(f"verdicts.{arm} is not an object of per-question verdicts")
         for qid, v in by_q.items():
-            m.scores[(qid, arm)] = float(v["score"])
+            try:
+                score = _number(v["score"])
+            except (KeyError, TypeError, ValueError, OverflowError):
+                raise ValueError(f"verdicts.{arm}.{qid} has no score that is a finite number") from None
+            m.scores[(qid, arm)] = score
             m.scores[(qid, baseline_arm)] = 0.0
     return m
 
diff --git a/dokimi/scripts/growth_baseline.json b/dokimi/scripts/growth_baseline.json
index d0d35275e..631cc9a53 100644
--- a/dokimi/scripts/growth_baseline.json
+++ b/dokimi/scripts/growth_baseline.json
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
     "dokimi/commands/benchmark.py::cmd_benchmark_preflight": {"complexity": 22},
     "dokimi/commands/catalog.py::cmd_catalog_trigger_set": {"complexity": 16},
     "dokimi/commands/evaluate.py::cmd_eval_judge_validity": {"complexity": 29, "rationale": "grew on main in #73 (judge-validity --context stored) from 25 to 29 before the ratchet landed; split it in its own PR"},
-    "dokimi/commands/judge_reliability.py::cmd_eval_cross_judge": {"complexity": 32, "rationale": "pre-existing when the gate was introduced"},
+    "dokimi/commands/judge_reliability.py::cmd_eval_cross_judge": {"complexity": 30, "rationale": "pre-existing when the gate was introduced"},
     "dokimi/commands/novelty.py::cmd_novelty_routing": {"complexity": 13, "rationale": "W8 adds the --repeats guard after main's no_queries handling raised the file; the command is split with the rest of novelty.py in a separate PR"},
     "dokimi/commands/repo.py::cmd_repo_scan": {"complexity": 13},
     "dokimi/commands/repo.py::cmd_repo_validate": {"complexity": 11, "rationale": "grew on main in #150 (repo validate --fail-on-warning) from 10 to 11 before the ratchet landed; split it in its own PR"},
diff --git a/dokimi/tests/test_record_readers.py b/dokimi/tests/test_record_readers.py
index b67d45160..c6948d8a6 100644
--- a/dokimi/tests/test_record_readers.py
+++ b/dokimi/tests/test_record_readers.py
@@ -659,3 +659,82 @@ def test_cross_judge_names_a_result_file_measure_after_its_summary_judge(tmp_pat
     cli.main()
     md = out.with_suffix(".md").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
     assert " · judge-a |" in md and " · result |" not in md
+
+
+_GOOD_QUESTION = {"question_id": "q0", "arms": {"skill": {"coverage": 1}}}
+
+
+def _pairwise(verdict):
+    return {"verdicts": {"skill": {"q1": verdict}}}
+
+
+def _checklist(question):
+    return {"questions": [question]}
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("flag, content, where", [
+    pytest.param("--pairwise", _pairwise({}), "verdicts.skill.q1", id="no-score"),
+    pytest.param("--pairwise", _pairwise(5), "verdicts.skill.q1", id="verdict-not-an-object"),
+    pytest.param("--pairwise", _pairwise({"score": "x"}), "verdicts.skill.q1", id="score-not-a-number"),
+    pytest.param("--pairwise", _pairwise({"score": "1"}), "verdicts.skill.q1", id="score-a-numeric-string"),
+    pytest.param("--pairwise", _pairwise({"score": None}), "verdicts.skill.q1", id="null-score"),
+    pytest.param("--pairwise", _pairwise({"score": True}), "verdicts.skill.q1", id="bool-score"),
+    pytest.param("--pairwise", _pairwise({"score": float("nan")}), "verdicts.skill.q1", id="nan-score"),
+    pytest.param("--pairwise", _pairwise({"score": float("inf")}), "verdicts.skill.q1", id="infinite-score"),
+    pytest.param("--pairwise", _pairwise({"score": 10 ** 400}), "verdicts.skill.q1", id="score-past-float-range"),
+    pytest.param("--pairwise", {"verdicts": {"skill": 5}}, "verdicts.skill", id="arm-not-an-object"),
+    pytest.param("--checklist", {"questions": [5]}, "questions[0]", id="question-not-an-object"),
+    pytest.param("--checklist", {"questions": [_GOOD_QUESTION, {"arms": {"skill": {"coverage": 1}}}]},
+                 "questions[1]", id="no-question-id"),
+    pytest.param("--checklist", _checklist({"question_id": None, "arms": {"skill": {"coverage": 1}}}),
+                 "questions[0]", id="null-question-id"),
+    pytest.param("--checklist", _checklist({"question_id": True, "arms": {"skill": {"coverage": 1}}}),
+                 "questions[0]", id="bool-question-id"),
+    pytest.param("--checklist", _checklist({"question_id": ["q1"], "arms": {"skill": {"coverage": 1}}}),
+                 "questions[0]", id="unhashable-question-id"),
+    pytest.param("--checklist", _checklist({"question_id": "q1"}), "questions[0]", id="no-arms"),
+    pytest.param("--checklist", _checklist({"question_id": "q1", "arms": None}), "questions[0]", id="null-arms"),
+    pytest.param("--checklist", _checklist({"question_id": "q1", "arms": [1]}), "questions[0]", id="arms-not-an-object"),
+    pytest.param("--checklist", _checklist({"question_id": "q1", "arms": {"skill": 5}}), "questions[0]",
+                 id="arm-entry-not-an-object"),
+    pytest.param("--checklist", _checklist({"question_id": "q1", "arms": {"skill": {"coverage": "x"}}}),
+                 "questions[0]", id="coverage-not-a-number"),
+    pytest.param("--checklist", _checklist({"question_id": "q1", "arms": {"skill": {"coverage": True}}}),
+                 "questions[0]", id="bool-coverage"),
+    pytest.param("--checklist", _checklist({"question_id": "q1", "arms": {"skill": {"coverage": float("nan")}}}),
+                 "questions[0]", id="nan-coverage"),
+    pytest.param("--checklist", _checklist({"question_id": "q1", "arms": {"skill": {"coverage": 10 ** 400}}}),
+                 "questions[0]", id="coverage-past-float-range"),
+])
+def test_cross_judge_names_a_result_entry_of_the_wrong_shape_before_any_judge_call(
+        tmp_path, capsys, monkeypatch, flag, content, where):
+    from tests.test_judge_reliability import _cross_judge_args, _material_arms_run, _recording_judge
+
+    seen: dict = {}
+    _recording_judge(monkeypatch, seen)
+    wrong = tmp_path / "wrong.json"
+    wrong.write_text(json.dumps(content), encoding="utf-8")
+    args = _cross_judge_args(tmp_path, _material_arms_run(), "--no-stored", "--judges", "amazon-bedrock/m",
+                             flag, str(wrong))
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc:
+        args.func(args)
+    assert exc.value.code == 2
+    assert capsys.readouterr().err.startswith(f"Error: {wrong}: {where} ")
+    assert seen == {}  # no paid judge call was made
+
+
+def test_cross_judge_takes_a_checklist_arm_with_a_null_coverage(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """`eval checklist` writes a null coverage for an arm with no scored point."""
+    from dokimi import cli
+
+    arms = tmp_path / "arms.json"
+    arms.write_text(json.dumps({"answers": [{"question_id": "q1", "arms": {"skill": {"answer": "s"}}}]}),
+                    encoding="utf-8")
+    result = tmp_path / "result.json"
+    result.write_text(json.dumps(_checklist({"question_id": "q1", "arms": {"skill": {"coverage": None}}})),
+                      encoding="utf-8")
+    out = tmp_path / "out.json"
+    monkeypatch.setattr("sys.argv", ["dokimi", "eval", "cross-judge", "--answers", str(arms), "--no-stored",
+                                     "--checklist", str(result), "--output", str(out)])
+    cli.main()
+    assert " · result |" in out.with_suffix(".md").read_text(encoding="utf-8")