diff --git a/strix/tools/reporting/tool.py b/strix/tools/reporting/tool.py
index 87185fc02..023202ad3 100644
--- a/strix/tools/reporting/tool.py
+++ b/strix/tools/reporting/tool.py
@@ -1952,6 +1952,11 @@ async def _do_create_dependency(  # noqa: PLR0912, PLR0915
     parsed_locations = _normalize_code_locations(code_locations)
     if parsed_locations:
         errors.extend(_validate_code_locations(parsed_locations))
+    elif code_locations:
+        errors.append(
+            "code_locations were dropped as unusable - every location needs a relative "
+            "'file' and an integer 'start_line'"
+        )
     errors.extend(_validate_fix_verification(parsed_locations, fix_verification))
 
     reachability = (reachability or "unknown").strip().lower()
@@ -2232,7 +2237,7 @@ async def create_dependency_report(
             the evidence behind your ``reachability`` claim. List of dicts,
             same shape as ``create_vulnerability_report``::
 
-                {"file": "src/api/client.ts", "start_line": 14,
+                {"file": "src/api/client.ts", "start_line": 14, "end_line": 14,
                  "snippet": "const x = require('pkg')", "label": "imports it"}
 
             Cite the repo-relative ``file`` and the exact 1-based
diff --git a/tests/test_reporting_fields.py b/tests/test_reporting_fields.py
index 3f24014e5..64facaeb1 100644
--- a/tests/test_reporting_fields.py
+++ b/tests/test_reporting_fields.py
@@ -486,6 +486,86 @@ async def test_dependency_report_fix_locations_require_verification(
     assert not report_state.vulnerability_reports
 
 
+async def test_dependency_report_fix_locations_persist_with_verification(
+    report_state: ReportState,
+) -> None:
+    """A fix-pair location files when fix_verification is supplied, and both
+    fields persist on the stored report."""
+    result = await _do_create_dependency(
+        title="CVE-2021-23337 in lodash 4.17.20",
+        description="Command injection via template.",
+        target="repo/package.json",
+        cve="CVE-2021-23337",
+        package_name="lodash",
+        installed_version="4.17.20",
+        impact="Arbitrary command execution.",
+        remediation_steps="Upgrade to 4.17.21.",
+        assumptions="Assumes the template sink is reachable.",
+        package_ecosystem="npm",
+        manifest_path="package-lock.json",
+        fixed_version="4.17.21",
+        cwe="CWE-94",
+        advisory_cvss=7.2,
+        technical_analysis=None,
+        fix_effort="trivial",
+        reachability="imported",
+        reachability_evidence=_DEP_EVIDENCE,
+        code_locations=[
+            {
+                "file": "package-lock.json",
+                "start_line": 10,
+                "end_line": 10,
+                "fix_before": '"lodash": "4.17.20"',
+                "fix_after": '"lodash": "4.17.21"',
+            }
+        ],
+        fix_verification="Bump verified: lockfile parses and the sink is unreachable.",
+        contextual_cvss_breakdown=_DEP_CONTEXT,
+        contextual_cvss_reasoning=_DEP_REASONING,
+    )
+    assert result["success"] is True
+    report = report_state.vulnerability_reports[0]
+    loc = report["code_locations"][0]
+    assert loc["fix_before"] == '"lodash": "4.17.20"'
+    assert loc["fix_after"] == '"lodash": "4.17.21"'
+    assert report["fix_verification"] == (
+        "Bump verified: lockfile parses and the sink is unreachable."
+    )
+
+
+async def test_dependency_report_rejects_unusable_locations(
+    report_state: ReportState,
+) -> None:
+    """A supplied list that normalizes to nothing errors instead of filing
+    silently without the requested usage evidence."""
+    result = await _do_create_dependency(
+        title="CVE-2021-23337 in lodash 4.17.20",
+        description="Command injection via template.",
+        target="repo/package.json",
+        cve="CVE-2021-23337",
+        package_name="lodash",
+        installed_version="4.17.20",
+        impact="Arbitrary command execution.",
+        remediation_steps="Upgrade to 4.17.21.",
+        assumptions="Assumes the template sink is reachable.",
+        package_ecosystem="npm",
+        manifest_path="package-lock.json",
+        fixed_version="4.17.21",
+        cwe="CWE-94",
+        advisory_cvss=7.2,
+        technical_analysis=None,
+        fix_effort="trivial",
+        reachability="imported",
+        reachability_evidence=_DEP_EVIDENCE,
+        code_locations=[{"file": "/abs/path.ts", "snippet": "require('lodash')"}],
+        contextual_cvss_breakdown=_DEP_CONTEXT,
+        contextual_cvss_reasoning=_DEP_REASONING,
+    )
+    assert result["success"] is False
+    assert any("dropped as unusable" in e for e in result["errors"])
+    assert not report_state.vulnerability_reports
+
+
 async def test_dependency_report_omits_blank_chain_fields(report_state: ReportState) -> None:
     result = await _do_create_dependency(
         title="CVE-2024-0001 in sample 1.0.0",