diff --git a/contracts/cultnet/cultnet.error.schema.json b/contracts/cultnet/cultnet.error.schema.json
index 8653cbd5..15880fa1 100644
--- a/contracts/cultnet/cultnet.error.schema.json
+++ b/contracts/cultnet/cultnet.error.schema.json
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
     "code": {
       "description": "Machine-readable refusal code (R-N). Additive: a v0 peer that does not know this field ignores it.",
       "type": ["string", "null"],
-      "enum": [null, "selection_invalid", "cursor_stale", "cursor_invalid", "reference_outside_target"]
+      "enum": [null, "selection_invalid", "cursor_stale", "cursor_invalid", "reference_outside_target", "variant_unsupported"]
     },
     "details": {
       "description": "Code-specific structured detail (R-N). Every field is populated only for the code that defines it; the others are null, not omitted.",
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@
       "additionalProperties": false,
       "required": ["field", "value", "asOf", "current"],
       "properties": {
-        "field": { "description": "selection_invalid: the selection field that failed.", "type": ["string", "null"] },
-        "value": { "description": "selection_invalid: the offending value, when there is one string worth naming.", "type": ["string", "null"] },
+        "field": { "description": "selection_invalid: the selection field that failed. variant_unsupported: \"subscriptionId\", when a subscription was ended.", "type": ["string", "null"] },
+        "value": { "description": "selection_invalid: the offending value, when there is one string worth naming. variant_unsupported: the id of the subscription that ended.", "type": ["string", "null"] },
         "asOf": { "description": "cursor_stale: the cursor's own minted asOf.", "type": ["integer", "null"], "minimum": 0 },
         "current": { "description": "cursor_stale: the answering server's current asOf.", "type": ["integer", "null"], "minimum": 0 }
       }
diff --git a/packages/cultnet-rs/contracts/cultnet/cultnet.error.schema.json b/packages/cultnet-rs/contracts/cultnet/cultnet.error.schema.json
index 8653cbd5..15880fa1 100644
--- a/packages/cultnet-rs/contracts/cultnet/cultnet.error.schema.json
+++ b/packages/cultnet-rs/contracts/cultnet/cultnet.error.schema.json
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
     "code": {
       "description": "Machine-readable refusal code (R-N). Additive: a v0 peer that does not know this field ignores it.",
       "type": ["string", "null"],
-      "enum": [null, "selection_invalid", "cursor_stale", "cursor_invalid", "reference_outside_target"]
+      "enum": [null, "selection_invalid", "cursor_stale", "cursor_invalid", "reference_outside_target", "variant_unsupported"]
     },
     "details": {
       "description": "Code-specific structured detail (R-N). Every field is populated only for the code that defines it; the others are null, not omitted.",
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@
       "additionalProperties": false,
       "required": ["field", "value", "asOf", "current"],
       "properties": {
-        "field": { "description": "selection_invalid: the selection field that failed.", "type": ["string", "null"] },
-        "value": { "description": "selection_invalid: the offending value, when there is one string worth naming.", "type": ["string", "null"] },
+        "field": { "description": "selection_invalid: the selection field that failed. variant_unsupported: \"subscriptionId\", when a subscription was ended.", "type": ["string", "null"] },
+        "value": { "description": "selection_invalid: the offending value, when there is one string worth naming. variant_unsupported: the id of the subscription that ended.", "type": ["string", "null"] },
         "asOf": { "description": "cursor_stale: the cursor's own minted asOf.", "type": ["integer", "null"], "minimum": 0 },
         "current": { "description": "cursor_stale: the answering server's current asOf.", "type": ["integer", "null"], "minimum": 0 }
       }
diff --git a/packages/cultnet-rs/src/contracts.rs b/packages/cultnet-rs/src/contracts.rs
index cc50171d..f31ade85 100644
--- a/packages/cultnet-rs/src/contracts.rs
+++ b/packages/cultnet-rs/src/contracts.rs
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ impl CultNetShardDescriptor {
     }
 }
 
-/// Machine-readable `cultnet.error.v0` refusal code (R-N). Mirrors the four strings
+/// Machine-readable `cultnet.error.v0` refusal code (R-N). Mirrors the five strings
 /// `contracts/cultnet/cultnet.error.schema.json` enumerates for `code`; a peer that receives a fifth
 /// string it does not know refuses to decode rather than guess a meaning for it.
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
@@ -260,6 +260,7 @@ pub enum CultNetErrorCode {
     CursorStale,
     CursorInvalid,
     ReferenceOutsideTarget,
+    VariantUnsupported,
 }
 
 impl CultNetErrorCode {
@@ -269,6 +270,7 @@ impl CultNetErrorCode {
             Self::CursorStale => "cursor_stale",
             Self::CursorInvalid => "cursor_invalid",
             Self::ReferenceOutsideTarget => "reference_outside_target",
+            Self::VariantUnsupported => "variant_unsupported",
         }
     }
 
@@ -278,6 +280,7 @@ impl CultNetErrorCode {
             "cursor_stale" => Ok(Self::CursorStale),
             "cursor_invalid" => Ok(Self::CursorInvalid),
             "reference_outside_target" => Ok(Self::ReferenceOutsideTarget),
+            "variant_unsupported" => Ok(Self::VariantUnsupported),
             other => Err(anyhow!("ErrorMessage.Code {other:?} is not a recognized cultnet.error.v0 code")),
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/GameCult.Networking/CultNetDatabaseSubscriptionServer.cs b/src/GameCult.Networking/CultNetDatabaseSubscriptionServer.cs
index 60bb66a5..f3150740 100644
--- a/src/GameCult.Networking/CultNetDatabaseSubscriptionServer.cs
+++ b/src/GameCult.Networking/CultNetDatabaseSubscriptionServer.cs
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ namespace GameCult.Networking
                 {
                     // Q6: a snapshot that selects a variant is refused to this subscriber as a typed error.
                     Withdraw(key, sendRemovals: false, forgetRequest: true);
-                    peer.SendCultNet(new CultNetErrorMessage { Error = refusal.Message });
+                    peer.SendCultNet(CultNetErrorMessage.ForVariantUnsupported(refusal.Message, subscriptionId));
                     return Task.CompletedTask;
                 }
                 catch
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ namespace GameCult.Networking
                     catch (NotSupportedException refusal)
                     {
                         // Q6: a variant is not a record CultNet can carry; the subscriber that would have received it is told, by key.
-                        peer.SendCultNet(new CultNetErrorMessage { Error = refusal.Message });
+                        peer.SendCultNet(CultNetErrorMessage.ForVariantUnsupported(refusal.Message));
                         return;
                     }
 
@@ -358,11 +358,12 @@ namespace GameCult.Networking
             }
             catch (NotSupportedException refusal)
             {
-                // Q6: the selection selects a variant, which CultNet cannot carry. Refused as the subscribe path refuses it: the
-                // subscription is withdrawn, so the peer is told once, not once per store change; a change never throws out of
+                // Q6: the selection selects a variant, which CultNet cannot carry. The subscription is withdrawn, so the peer is
+                // told once, not once per store change; the rows it delivered are withdrawn too (removals first), so the peer
+                // does not keep them as live, and the typed error names the subscription that ended. A change never throws out of
                 // the change handler.
-                Withdraw(key, sendRemovals: false, forgetRequest: true);
-                key.Peer.SendCultNet(new CultNetErrorMessage { Error = refusal.Message });
+                Withdraw(key, sendRemovals: true, forgetRequest: true);
+                key.Peer.SendCultNet(CultNetErrorMessage.ForVariantUnsupported(refusal.Message, key.Id));
                 return;
             }
 
diff --git a/src/GameCult.Networking/CultNetSchemaMessages.cs b/src/GameCult.Networking/CultNetSchemaMessages.cs
index f343fad7..4daa76d5 100644
--- a/src/GameCult.Networking/CultNetSchemaMessages.cs
+++ b/src/GameCult.Networking/CultNetSchemaMessages.cs
@@ -546,6 +546,18 @@ namespace GameCult.Networking
                     : null
             };
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Builds the wire error for a selection that selects a document variant, which CultNet does not carry yet: code
+        /// <c>variant_unsupported</c>, details <c>{ field: "subscriptionId", value }</c> when a subscription was ended by it.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static CultNetErrorMessage ForVariantUnsupported(string message, string? subscriptionId = null) =>
+            new CultNetErrorMessage
+            {
+                Error = message,
+                Code = "variant_unsupported",
+                Details = subscriptionId == null ? null : new CultNetErrorDetails { Field = "subscriptionId", Value = subscriptionId }
+            };
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Builds the wire error for an out-of-target reference refusal (R-N): code
         /// <c>reference_outside_target</c>, no details.
diff --git a/tests/GameCult.Networking.Tests/CultNetDocumentRegistryVariantTests.cs b/tests/GameCult.Networking.Tests/CultNetDocumentRegistryVariantTests.cs
index a4658117..64de1093 100644
--- a/tests/GameCult.Networking.Tests/CultNetDocumentRegistryVariantTests.cs
+++ b/tests/GameCult.Networking.Tests/CultNetDocumentRegistryVariantTests.cs
@@ -272,6 +272,10 @@ namespace GameCult.Networking.Tests
                 await database.PutAsync(new CultRecordKey("citer-four"), Citer("citer-four", VariantKey));
 
                 await WaitUntilAsync(() => errors.Any(error => error.Error.Contains(VariantKey.Value)), Diagnostic);
+                var refusal = errors.First(error => error.Error.Contains(VariantKey.Value));
+                Assert.That(refusal.Code, Is.EqualTo("variant_unsupported"));
+                Assert.That(refusal.Details?.Value, Is.EqualTo("cited"), "the peer can tell which subscription ended");
+                await WaitUntilAsync(() => changes.Any(change => change.SubscriptionId == "cited" && change.ChangeKind == "removed" && change.RecordKey == BaseKey.Value), Diagnostic);
                 Assert.That(changes.Where(change => change.SubscriptionId == "cited").Select(change => change.Document?.RecordKey),
                     Does.Not.Contain(VariantKey.Value), "a variant never reaches a subscriber as a record");