diff --git a/src/common/sports_card.py b/src/common/sports_card.py
index 5a1f8ebb..6b8bd7ea 100644
--- a/src/common/sports_card.py
+++ b/src/common/sports_card.py
@@ -17,10 +17,13 @@
 the extra guard only stops a None size raising TypeError.
 """
 
+import logging
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, Tuple
 from zoneinfo import ZoneInfo
 
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 __all__ = [
     "ELEMENT_FOR_FONT", "FAVORITE_RESULT_COLOR_DEFAULTS", "FONT_NAME_ALIASES",
     "FONT_PIXEL_GRID", "MONTH_ABBR", "WEEKDAY_ABBR",
@@ -395,7 +398,14 @@ def schema_font_size(schema_path: str, element_key) -> Optional[int]:
                 size = spec.get('properties', {}).get('font_size', {}).get('default')
                 if size is not None:
                     cache[key] = int(size)
-        except Exception:
+        except Exception as exc:
+            # See sports_shared._schema_font_size: an unreadable schema
+            # silently disables the pixel-grid snap for every element.
+            # Built once per schema path, so this cannot repeat per frame.
+            logger.warning(
+                "could not read %s (%s: %s); font sizes will skip their "
+                "pixel grid snap and may render a pixel narrow",
+                schema_path, type(exc).__name__, exc)
             cache = {}
         _SCHEMA_FONT_SIZE_CACHE[schema_path] = cache
     return cache.get(element_key)
diff --git a/src/common/sports_shared.py b/src/common/sports_shared.py
index 1187b846..b120e532 100644
--- a/src/common/sports_shared.py
+++ b/src/common/sports_shared.py
@@ -288,7 +288,23 @@ def _schema_font_size(self, element_key):
                     size = spec.get('properties', {}).get('font_size', {}).get('default')
                     if size is not None:
                         cache[key] = int(size)
-            except Exception:
+            except Exception as exc:
+                # Say so. An unreadable schema is not cosmetic: every element's
+                # configured size then stops matching "the schema default", is
+                # treated as a deliberate user choice, and skips the snap to the
+                # font's pixel grid -- which renders 4x6-font.ttf at 6 instead
+                # of 7, a 3px-wide glyph instead of 4px. That shipped once,
+                # silently, and was found by a user counting pixels on a photo
+                # of the panel.
+                #
+                # Logged, not raised: a missing schema must not stop a plugin
+                # rendering. The cache is built once per class, so this cannot
+                # repeat per frame.
+                logger.warning(
+                    "%s: could not read config_schema.json (%s: %s); every font "
+                    "size will be treated as user-chosen and will skip its pixel "
+                    "grid snap. Font sizes may render a pixel narrow.",
+                    type(self).__name__, type(exc).__name__, exc)
                 cache = {}
             self.__class__._SCHEMA_FONT_SIZES = cache
         return cache.get(element_key)