diff --git a/crates/xrpl-host-functions-macros/src/lib.rs b/crates/xrpl-host-functions-macros/src/lib.rs
index 597eb6c84e..694b4a81c2 100644
--- a/crates/xrpl-host-functions-macros/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/xrpl-host-functions-macros/src/lib.rs
@@ -25,25 +25,26 @@ use parsed_host_function::ParsedHostFunction;
 /// `xrpl-host-functions` as a dependency but no imports from it.
 ///
 /// ```
+/// use xrpl_host_functions::HostResult;
 /// use xrpl_host_functions_macros::host_functions;
 ///
 /// host_functions! {
 ///     /// The sequence number of the ledger being built.
 ///     #[gas = 60]
 ///     #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-///     fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+///     fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
 ///
 ///     /// Writes `msg` to the trace log.
 ///     #[gas = 500]
 ///     #[wasm_name = "trace_num"]
-///     fn trace_num(&self, msg: &str, number: i64);
+///     fn trace_num(&self, msg: &str, number: i64) -> HostResult<()>;
 /// }
 ///
 /// // A `HostFunctions` trait, holding the declarations verbatim:
 /// struct Host;
 /// impl HostFunctions for Host {
-///     fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4] { 7u32.to_le_bytes() }
-///     fn trace_num(&self, _msg: &str, _number: i64) {}
+///     fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]> { Ok(7u32.to_le_bytes()) }
+///     fn trace_num(&self, _msg: &str, _number: i64) -> HostResult<()> { Ok(()) }
 /// }
 ///
 /// // A `HostFunctionSpec` enum carrying the ABI metadata as a `const` table:
@@ -52,9 +53,10 @@ use parsed_host_function::ParsedHostFunction;
 /// assert_eq!(HostFunctionSpec::ALL.len(), 2);
 /// ```
 ///
-/// A declaration must be a plain `fn` taking `&self`, with no body and no
-/// generics: it maps to exactly one wasm import signature. Two declarations may
-/// not share a `wasm_name`, nor collapse to the same PascalCase variant.
+/// A declaration must be a plain `fn` taking `&self` and returning
+/// `HostResult<T>`, with no body and no generics: it maps to exactly one wasm
+/// import signature. Two declarations may not share a `wasm_name`, nor collapse to
+/// the same PascalCase variant.
 #[proc_macro]
 pub fn host_functions(input: proc_macro::TokenStream) -> proc_macro::TokenStream {
     expand(input.into())
@@ -114,16 +116,6 @@ fn collisions(functions: &[ParsedHostFunction]) -> Vec<syn::Error> {
     errors
 }
 
-/// Path to the hand-written `HostFnSpec` the expansion refers to.
-///
-/// Absolute, so the generated code resolves whatever the caller has imported and
-/// whatever else is named `HostFnSpec` in scope. `xrpl-host-functions` declares
-/// `extern crate self as xrpl_host_functions;`, which is what lets this path
-/// resolve inside the crate the ABI is declared in.
-pub(crate) fn host_fn_spec_path() -> TokenStream {
-    quote! { ::xrpl_host_functions::HostFnSpec }
-}
-
 fn generate(functions: &[ParsedHostFunction]) -> TokenStream {
     let trait_methods = functions.iter().map(ParsedHostFunction::trait_method);
     let variants = functions
@@ -131,7 +123,6 @@ fn generate(functions: &[ParsedHostFunction]) -> TokenStream {
         .map(ParsedHostFunction::variant_declaration);
     let spec_arms = functions.iter().map(ParsedHostFunction::spec_arm);
     let all = functions.iter().map(|function| &function.variant);
-    let spec_type = host_fn_spec_path();
 
     quote! {
         /// The host side of the wasm ABI: one method per function a guest may
@@ -146,6 +137,16 @@ fn generate(functions: &[ParsedHostFunction]) -> TokenStream {
             #(#trait_methods)*
         }
 
+        /// One row of the ABI table: what [`HostFunctionSpec::wasm_name`] and
+        /// [`HostFunctionSpec::gas`] read from.
+        ///
+        /// Private, and the only reason it exists is to keep both of them fed
+        /// from a single `match` over the declarations.
+        struct HostFnSpec {
+            name: &'static str,
+            gas: u64,
+        }
+
         /// Identifies one host function, and is the compile-time source of its
         /// ABI metadata.
         ///
@@ -165,11 +166,8 @@ fn generate(functions: &[ParsedHostFunction]) -> TokenStream {
             /// be registered for a module that imports it to instantiate.
             pub const ALL: &'static [Self] = &[#(Self::#all,)*];
 
-            /// This function's import name and base gas cost.
-            ///
-            /// Usable in `const` context, so gas tables and import lists can be
-            /// built at compile time.
-            pub const fn spec(self) -> #spec_type {
+            /// This function's row of the ABI table.
+            const fn spec(self) -> HostFnSpec {
                 match self {
                     #(#spec_arms,)*
                 }
@@ -178,7 +176,8 @@ fn generate(functions: &[ParsedHostFunction]) -> TokenStream {
             /// The name a guest imports this function under.
             ///
             /// A guest's import name must match this exactly, or the module
-            /// fails to instantiate.
+            /// fails to instantiate. Usable in `const` context, so import lists
+            /// can be built at compile time.
             pub const fn wasm_name(self) -> &'static str {
                 self.spec().name
             }
@@ -186,7 +185,8 @@ fn generate(functions: &[ParsedHostFunction]) -> TokenStream {
             /// Gas charged before the call runs, independent of its arguments.
             ///
             /// Consensus-relevant: two nodes that disagree on this value
-            /// disagree on transaction outcomes.
+            /// disagree on transaction outcomes. Usable in `const` context, so
+            /// gas tables can be built at compile time.
             pub const fn gas(self) -> u64 {
                 self.spec().gas
             }
@@ -221,10 +221,10 @@ mod tests {
     fn reports_mistakes_from_every_function() {
         let error = expand(quote! {
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
 
             #[gas = 2000]
-            fn sha512_half(&self, data: &[u8]) -> [u8; 32];
+            fn sha512_half(&self, data: &[u8]) -> HostResult<[u8; 32]>;
         })
         .expect_err("expected parsing to fail");
 
@@ -253,49 +253,71 @@ mod tests {
         let generated = expand(quote! {
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
 
             #[gas = 500]
             #[wasm_name = "trace_num"]
-            fn trace_num(&self, msg: &str, number: i64);
+            fn trace_num(&self, msg: &str, number: i64) -> HostResult<()>;
         })
         .unwrap()
         .to_string();
 
         for expected in [
             "pub trait HostFunctions",
-            "fn get_ledger_sqn (& self) -> [u8 ; 4] ;",
-            "fn trace_num (& self , msg : & str , number : i64) ;",
+            "fn get_ledger_sqn (& self) -> HostResult < [u8 ; 4] > ;",
+            "fn trace_num (& self , msg : & str , number : i64) -> HostResult < () > ;",
             "pub enum HostFunctionSpec { GetLedgerSqn , TraceNum , }",
             "pub const ALL : & 'static [Self] = & [Self :: GetLedgerSqn , Self :: TraceNum ,]",
-            "pub const fn spec (self) -> :: xrpl_host_functions :: HostFnSpec",
-            "Self :: GetLedgerSqn => :: xrpl_host_functions :: HostFnSpec \
-             { name : \"ldgr_index\" , gas : 60u64 }",
+            // The table's row type is generated too, and stays private.
+            "struct HostFnSpec { name : & 'static str , gas : u64 , }",
+            "const fn spec (self) -> HostFnSpec",
+            "Self :: GetLedgerSqn => HostFnSpec { name : \"ldgr_index\" , gas : 60u64 }",
+            "pub const fn wasm_name (self) -> & 'static str",
+            "pub const fn gas (self) -> u64",
         ] {
             assert!(generated.contains(expected), "missing {expected:?}");
         }
     }
 
-    /// The expansion names the types it needs by absolute path, so it cannot pick
-    /// up a different `HostFnSpec` that happens to be in scope where it lands.
+    /// The expansion stands alone: every name in it is either generated here or
+    /// written in the declarations, so it cannot depend on the crate it lands in.
     #[test]
-    fn refers_to_the_declaring_crate_by_absolute_path() {
+    fn names_no_crate_of_its_own() {
         let generated = expand(quote! {
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         })
         .unwrap()
         .to_string();
 
-        assert_eq!(generated.matches("HostFnSpec").count(), 2, "{generated}");
-        assert_eq!(
-            generated
-                .matches(":: xrpl_host_functions :: HostFnSpec")
-                .count(),
-            2,
-            "{generated}"
-        );
+        assert!(!generated.contains("xrpl_host_functions"), "{generated}");
+
+        // `Self::Variant` is the only path the expansion may build: anything else
+        // would reach out of the generated code. Doc comments spell paths without
+        // spaces (`Self::ALL`), so they do not match.
+        for (index, _) in generated.match_indices(" :: ") {
+            assert!(
+                generated[..index].ends_with("Self"),
+                "path out of the expansion at {index}: {generated}"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// `spec` is an implementation detail of the two accessors, so it must not
+    /// become part of the ABI crate's public surface.
+    #[test]
+    fn keeps_the_table_row_private() {
+        let generated = expand(quote! {
+            #[gas = 60]
+            #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
+        })
+        .unwrap()
+        .to_string();
+
+        assert!(!generated.contains("pub struct HostFnSpec"), "{generated}");
+        assert!(!generated.contains("pub const fn spec"), "{generated}");
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -303,11 +325,11 @@ mod tests {
         let messages = messages(quote! {
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wasm_name = "trace"]
-            fn trace(&self, msg: &str);
+            fn trace(&self, msg: &str) -> HostResult<()>;
 
             #[gas = 70]
             #[wasm_name = "trace"]
-            fn trace_num(&self, msg: &str, number: i64);
+            fn trace_num(&self, msg: &str, number: i64) -> HostResult<()>;
         });
 
         assert_eq!(messages.len(), 1, "{messages:?}");
@@ -323,11 +345,11 @@ mod tests {
         let messages = messages(quote! {
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wasm_name = "a"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
 
             #[gas = 70]
             #[wasm_name = "b"]
-            fn get_ledger__sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger__sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         });
 
         assert_eq!(messages.len(), 1, "{messages:?}");
diff --git a/crates/xrpl-host-functions-macros/src/parsed_host_function.rs b/crates/xrpl-host-functions-macros/src/parsed_host_function.rs
index 44f93cb38f..813dbc5efc 100644
--- a/crates/xrpl-host-functions-macros/src/parsed_host_function.rs
+++ b/crates/xrpl-host-functions-macros/src/parsed_host_function.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 use proc_macro2::TokenStream;
 use quote::{format_ident, quote};
 use syn::{
-    Attribute, Expr, ExprLit, Ident, Lit, LitStr, ReceiverKind, Safety, Signature, TraitItemFn,
+    Attribute, Expr, ExprLit, Ident, Lit, LitStr, PathArguments, ReceiverKind, ReturnType, Safety,
+    Signature, TraitItemFn, Type, TypePath,
 };
 
 use crate::errors;
@@ -12,6 +13,8 @@ const GAS: &str = "gas";
 const WASM_NAME: &str = "wasm_name";
 /// `///` desugars to `#[doc = "..."]` before macro expansion.
 const DOC: &str = "doc";
+/// The alias every declaration returns its success type through.
+const HOST_RESULT: &str = "HostResult";
 
 /// One entry of a `host_functions!` block: its ABI metadata and its signature.
 pub(crate) struct ParsedHostFunction {
@@ -27,7 +30,7 @@ pub(crate) struct ParsedHostFunction {
 }
 
 impl ParsedHostFunction {
-    /// `#[doc …] fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];`
+    /// `#[doc …] fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;`
     pub(crate) fn trait_method(&self) -> TokenStream {
         let docs = &self.docs;
         // The declaration is already a trait method: emitted verbatim, so what
@@ -50,7 +53,7 @@ impl ParsedHostFunction {
         }
     }
 
-    /// `Self::GetLedgerSqn => ::xrpl_host_functions::HostFnSpec { name: "ldgr_index", gas: 60u64 }`
+    /// `Self::GetLedgerSqn => HostFnSpec { name: "ldgr_index", gas: 60u64 }`
     pub(crate) fn spec_arm(&self) -> TokenStream {
         let Self {
             gas,
@@ -58,9 +61,8 @@ impl ParsedHostFunction {
             variant,
             ..
         } = self;
-        let spec = crate::host_fn_spec_path();
         quote! {
-            Self::#variant => #spec { name: #wasm_name, gas: #gas }
+            Self::#variant => HostFnSpec { name: #wasm_name, gas: #gas }
         }
     }
 
@@ -124,6 +126,7 @@ impl ParsedHostFunction {
             ));
         }
         errors.extend(check_receiver(&function.sig).err());
+        errors.extend(check_return_type(&function.sig).err());
         if let Some(name) = &wasm_name {
             errors.extend(check_wasm_name(name).err());
         }
@@ -186,6 +189,52 @@ fn check_receiver(signature: &Signature) -> syn::Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// Every declaration returns `HostResult<T>`, including the ones that yield
+/// nothing (`HostResult<()>`).
+///
+/// One shape for every function is what lets a single dispatch adapter lower them
+/// all: lift the arguments out of guest memory, call the host, then turn `Ok(T)`
+/// into the wire's non-negative `i32` and `Err(e)` into a negative code or a trap.
+/// A function returning a bare `T` would need its own arm.
+fn check_return_type(signature: &Signature) -> syn::Result<()> {
+    const SHAPE: &str = "a host function must return `HostResult<T>` — \
+                         `HostResult<()>` if it yields nothing";
+
+    let ReturnType::Type(_, returned) = &signature.output else {
+        return Err(syn::Error::new_spanned(&signature.ident, SHAPE));
+    };
+
+    let Type::Path(TypePath {
+        qself: None, path, ..
+    }) = &**returned
+    else {
+        return Err(syn::Error::new_spanned(returned, SHAPE));
+    };
+    // The last segment only, so `HostResult<T>` may be written qualified.
+    let Some(last) = path.segments.last() else {
+        return Err(syn::Error::new_spanned(returned, SHAPE));
+    };
+    if last.ident != HOST_RESULT {
+        return Err(syn::Error::new_spanned(returned, SHAPE));
+    }
+
+    // `HostResult` without its success type is `HostResult` the alias, which names
+    // no type; rustc's own message for that is unhelpfully far from the cause.
+    let PathArguments::AngleBracketed(arguments) = &last.arguments else {
+        return Err(syn::Error::new_spanned(
+            returned,
+            format!("`{HOST_RESULT}` needs its success type: `{HOST_RESULT}<T>`"),
+        ));
+    };
+    if arguments.args.len() != 1 {
+        return Err(syn::Error::new_spanned(
+            arguments,
+            format!("`{HOST_RESULT}` takes exactly one type: `{HOST_RESULT}<T>`"),
+        ));
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 /// `const`, `async`, `unsafe`/`safe` and `extern "…"` have no meaning in the
 /// wasm ABI, and would otherwise pass silently into the generated trait.
 fn reject_modifiers(signature: &Signature, errors: &mut Vec<syn::Error>) {
@@ -334,6 +383,7 @@ fn path_name(attr: &Attribute) -> String {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
+    use quote::ToTokens;
     use syn::parse_quote;
 
     /// The message of every diagnostic recorded by one failed `parse`.
@@ -362,7 +412,7 @@ mod tests {
         let parsed = ParsedHostFunction::parse(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         })
         .unwrap();
 
@@ -401,7 +451,7 @@ mod tests {
         let messages = messages(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wasm_name = "two_factor"]
-            fn _2fa(&self);
+            fn _2fa(&self) -> HostResult<()>;
         });
 
         assert_eq!(messages.len(), 1, "{messages:?}");
@@ -433,7 +483,7 @@ mod tests {
         let messages = messages(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = -5]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         });
 
         assert_eq!(messages.len(), 1, "{messages:?}");
@@ -445,7 +495,7 @@ mod tests {
         let empty = messages(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wasm_name = ""]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         });
         assert_eq!(empty.len(), 1, "{empty:?}");
         assert_eq!(empty[0], "the wasm name must not be empty");
@@ -453,7 +503,7 @@ mod tests {
         let spaced = messages(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         });
         assert_eq!(spaced.len(), 1, "{spaced:?}");
         assert!(spaced[0].contains("may only contain"), "{spaced:?}");
@@ -462,10 +512,10 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn rejects_signature_modifiers() {
         for declaration in [
-            quote! { unsafe fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4]; },
-            quote! { async fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4]; },
-            quote! { const fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4]; },
-            quote! { extern "C" fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4]; },
+            quote! { unsafe fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>; },
+            quote! { async fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>; },
+            quote! { const fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>; },
+            quote! { extern "C" fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>; },
         ] {
             let function: TraitItemFn = syn::parse2(quote! {
                 #[gas = 60]
@@ -486,7 +536,7 @@ mod tests {
             /// Hashes `data`.
             #[gas = 2000]
             #[wasm_name = "sha512_half"]
-            fn sha512_half(&self, data: &[u8]) -> [u8; 32];
+            fn sha512_half(&self, data: &[u8]) -> HostResult<[u8; 32]>;
         })
         .unwrap();
 
@@ -498,7 +548,8 @@ mod tests {
             "{method}"
         );
         assert!(
-            method.contains("fn sha512_half (& self , data : & [u8]) -> [u8 ; 32] ;"),
+            method
+                .contains("fn sha512_half (& self , data : & [u8]) -> HostResult < [u8 ; 32] > ;"),
             "{method}"
         );
     }
@@ -508,14 +559,13 @@ mod tests {
         let parsed = ParsedHostFunction::parse(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         })
         .unwrap();
 
         assert_eq!(
             parsed.spec_arm().to_string(),
-            "Self :: GetLedgerSqn => :: xrpl_host_functions :: HostFnSpec \
-             { name : \"ldgr_index\" , gas : 60u64 }"
+            "Self :: GetLedgerSqn => HostFnSpec { name : \"ldgr_index\" , gas : 60u64 }"
         );
     }
 
@@ -527,7 +577,7 @@ mod tests {
             /// Third line.
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         })
         .unwrap();
 
@@ -540,26 +590,32 @@ mod tests {
         let traced = ParsedHostFunction::parse(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = 500]
             #[wasm_name = "trace"]
-            fn trace(&self, msg: &str, data: &[u8], as_hex: bool);
+            fn trace(&self, msg: &str, data: &[u8], as_hex: bool) -> HostResult<()>;
         })
         .unwrap();
         // The receiver is `inputs[0]`; the three wasm parameters follow it.
         assert_eq!(traced.signature.inputs.len(), 4);
-        assert!(matches!(traced.signature.output, syn::ReturnType::Default));
+        assert_eq!(
+            traced.signature.output.to_token_stream().to_string(),
+            "-> HostResult < () >"
+        );
 
         let hashed = ParsedHostFunction::parse(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = 2000]
             #[wasm_name = "sha512_half"]
-            fn sha512_half(&self, data: &[u8]) -> [u8; 32];
+            fn sha512_half(&self, data: &[u8]) -> HostResult<[u8; HASH_LEN]>;
         })
         .unwrap();
-        assert!(matches!(hashed.signature.output, syn::ReturnType::Type(..)));
+        assert_eq!(
+            hashed.signature.output.to_token_stream().to_string(),
+            "-> HostResult < [u8 ; HASH_LEN] >"
+        );
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn reports_both_missing_attributes_at_once() {
         let messages = messages(parse_quote! {
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         });
 
         assert_eq!(messages.len(), 2);
@@ -572,7 +628,7 @@ mod tests {
         let messages = messages(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wsam_name = "typo"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         });
 
         // The typo'd attribute, plus the `wasm_name` it failed to be.
@@ -588,7 +644,7 @@ mod tests {
         let gas = messages(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = "60"]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         });
         assert_eq!(gas.len(), 1, "{gas:?}");
         assert!(
@@ -599,7 +655,7 @@ mod tests {
         let name = messages(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wasm_name = 7]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         });
         assert_eq!(name.len(), 1, "{name:?}");
         assert!(
@@ -613,7 +669,7 @@ mod tests {
         let messages = messages(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = 99999999999999999999999]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         });
 
         assert_eq!(messages.len(), 1, "{messages:?}");
@@ -625,7 +681,7 @@ mod tests {
         let bare = messages(parse_quote! {
             #[gas]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         });
         assert_eq!(bare.len(), 1, "{bare:?}");
         assert!(bare[0].contains("gas = ..."), "{bare:?}");
@@ -633,7 +689,7 @@ mod tests {
         let list = messages(parse_quote! {
             #[gas(60)]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         });
         assert_eq!(list.len(), 1, "{list:?}");
     }
@@ -645,7 +701,7 @@ mod tests {
             #[gas = 70]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         });
 
         assert_eq!(messages.len(), 2, "{messages:?}");
@@ -662,7 +718,7 @@ mod tests {
         let messages = messages(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = "60"]
             #[wasm_name = 7]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         });
 
         assert_eq!(messages.len(), 2, "{messages:?}");
@@ -677,7 +733,7 @@ mod tests {
         let messages = messages(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4] { [0; 4] }
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]> { Ok([0; 4]) }
         });
 
         assert_eq!(messages.len(), 1, "{messages:?}");
@@ -689,7 +745,7 @@ mod tests {
         let parameter = messages(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn<T>(&self) -> T;
+            fn get_ledger_sqn<T>(&self) -> HostResult<T>;
         });
         assert_eq!(parameter.len(), 1, "{parameter:?}");
         assert!(
@@ -700,7 +756,7 @@ mod tests {
         let clause = messages(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4] where Self: Sized;
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]> where Self: Sized;
         });
         assert_eq!(clause.len(), 1, "{clause:?}");
     }
@@ -710,7 +766,7 @@ mod tests {
         let messages = messages(parse_quote! {
             #[gas = 60]
             #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-            fn get_ledger_sqn() -> [u8; 4];
+            fn get_ledger_sqn() -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
         });
 
         assert_eq!(messages.len(), 1, "{messages:?}");
@@ -734,7 +790,7 @@ mod tests {
             let function: TraitItemFn = syn::parse2(quote! {
                 #[gas = 60]
                 #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-                fn get_ledger_sqn(#receiver) -> [u8; 4];
+                fn get_ledger_sqn(#receiver) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
             })
             .unwrap_or_else(|_| panic!("`{receiver}` should parse"));
 
@@ -746,4 +802,70 @@ mod tests {
             );
         }
     }
+
+    /// A bare `T` return would need its own lowering arm, so the uniform shape is
+    /// required rather than inferred.
+    #[test]
+    fn rejects_returns_that_are_not_host_result() {
+        for output in [
+            quote! {},
+            quote! { -> () },
+            quote! { -> [u8; 4] },
+            quote! { -> i32 },
+            quote! { -> Result<[u8; 4], HostError> },
+            quote! { -> impl Iterator<Item = u8> },
+        ] {
+            let function: TraitItemFn = syn::parse2(quote! {
+                #[gas = 60]
+                #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
+                fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) #output;
+            })
+            .unwrap_or_else(|_| panic!("`{output}` should parse"));
+
+            let messages = messages(function);
+            assert_eq!(messages.len(), 1, "`{output}`: {messages:?}");
+            assert!(
+                messages[0].contains("must return `HostResult<T>`"),
+                "`{output}`: {messages:?}"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// `HostResult` may be written qualified, since the trait method keeps whatever
+    /// path resolves where the block is written.
+    #[test]
+    fn accepts_a_qualified_host_result() {
+        let parsed = ParsedHostFunction::parse(parse_quote! {
+            #[gas = 60]
+            #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> xrpl_host_functions::HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
+        })
+        .unwrap();
+
+        assert!(
+            parsed
+                .trait_method()
+                .to_string()
+                .contains("xrpl_host_functions :: HostResult < [u8 ; 4] >"),
+            "{}",
+            parsed.trait_method()
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// `HostResult` with no success type names no type at all; rustc's own error
+    /// for that lands on the generated trait, far from the declaration.
+    #[test]
+    fn rejects_host_result_without_a_success_type() {
+        let messages = messages(parse_quote! {
+            #[gas = 60]
+            #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
+            fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult;
+        });
+
+        assert_eq!(messages.len(), 1, "{messages:?}");
+        assert!(
+            messages[0].contains("needs its success type"),
+            "{messages:?}"
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/xrpl-host-functions/src/lib.rs b/crates/xrpl-host-functions/src/lib.rs
index c83e8b9c71..597b8d339e 100644
--- a/crates/xrpl-host-functions/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/xrpl-host-functions/src/lib.rs
@@ -2,9 +2,12 @@
 //!
 //! `host_functions!` turns the declaration block at the bottom of this file into the
 //! [`HostFunctions`] trait a host implements and the [`HostFunctionSpec`] table a
-//! wasm engine registers from. Everything the expansion refers to — [`HostFnSpec`],
-//! [`HostError`] — is written by hand here, and referred to by absolute path, so the
-//! generated code never depends on what a caller happens to have imported.
+//! wasm engine registers from.
+//!
+//! The split: hand-written here is the vocabulary the declarations are written in —
+//! [`HostError`], [`HostResult`], [`HASH_LEN`] — and everything derived from the
+//! declarations is generated. The expansion names nothing this file does not, so the
+//! two sides meet only in the block below.
 
 #![no_std]
 extern crate alloc;
@@ -93,40 +96,24 @@ pub type HostResult<T> = Result<T, HostError>;
 /// A `sha512Half` digest: the first 32 bytes of a SHA-512, as XRPL uses it.
 pub const HASH_LEN: usize = 32;
 
-/// The wasm import name and base gas cost of one host function.
-///
-/// The same for every host function, so it is declared here rather than generated;
-/// [`HostFunctionSpec::spec`] returns one of these per declaration.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
-pub struct HostFnSpec {
-    /// The name a guest imports the function under.
-    pub name: &'static str,
-    /// Gas charged before the call runs, independent of its arguments.
-    pub gas: u64,
-}
-
-// Lets the generated code name this crate (`::xrpl_host_functions::HostFnSpec`)
-// even though it is expanded here, inside the crate itself.
-extern crate self as xrpl_host_functions;
-
 host_functions! {
     #[gas = 60]
     #[wasm_name = "ldgr_index"]
-    fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4];
+    fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]>;
 
     #[gas = 70]
     #[wasm_name = "home_le_field"]
-    fn get_current_ledger_obj_field(&self, field: i32) -> Vec<u8>;
+    fn get_current_ledger_obj_field(&self, field: i32) -> HostResult<Vec<u8>>;
 
     #[gas = 2000]
     #[wasm_name = "sha512_half"]
-    fn sha512_half(&self, data: &[u8]) -> [u8; 32];
+    fn sha512_half(&self, data: &[u8]) -> HostResult<[u8; HASH_LEN]>;
 
     #[gas = 500]
     #[wasm_name = "trace"]
-    fn trace(&self, msg: &str, data: &[u8], as_hex: bool);
+    fn trace(&self, msg: &str, data: &[u8], as_hex: bool) -> HostResult<()>;
 
     #[gas = 500]
     #[wasm_name = "trace_num"]
-    fn trace_num(&self, msg: &str, number: i64);
+    fn trace_num(&self, msg: &str, number: i64) -> HostResult<()>;
 }
diff --git a/crates/xrpl-host-functions/tests/expansion_hygiene.rs b/crates/xrpl-host-functions/tests/expansion_hygiene.rs
index ca665260a4..32854bfd72 100644
--- a/crates/xrpl-host-functions/tests/expansion_hygiene.rs
+++ b/crates/xrpl-host-functions/tests/expansion_hygiene.rs
@@ -1,32 +1,26 @@
-//! `host_functions!` must work outside the crate that declares the ABI, and must
-//! not care what is in scope where it lands.
+//! `host_functions!` must work outside the crate that declares the ABI: the only
+//! names its expansion needs are the ones the declarations themselves spell.
 
+use xrpl_host_functions::HostResult;
 use xrpl_host_functions_macros::host_functions;
 
-/// Shadows the name the expansion refers to, while the real one is never imported
-/// here. Both are inert: the generated code names the type by absolute path, and a
-/// bare `HostFnSpec` in the expansion would fail to compile against this one.
-struct HostFnSpec;
-
 host_functions! {
     /// Answers with the number it was given.
     #[gas = 7]
     #[wasm_name = "ping"]
-    fn ping(&self, number: i32) -> i32;
+    fn ping(&self, number: i32) -> HostResult<i32>;
 }
 
 struct Host;
 
 impl HostFunctions for Host {
-    fn ping(&self, number: i32) -> i32 {
-        number
+    fn ping(&self, number: i32) -> HostResult<i32> {
+        Ok(number)
     }
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn the_expansion_ignores_a_conflicting_local_type() {
-    let _decoy = HostFnSpec;
-
+fn the_generated_table_stands_on_its_own() {
     assert_eq!(HostFunctionSpec::ALL.len(), 1);
     assert_eq!(HostFunctionSpec::Ping.wasm_name(), "ping");
     assert_eq!(HostFunctionSpec::Ping.gas(), 7);
@@ -36,5 +30,5 @@ fn the_expansion_ignores_a_conflicting_local_type() {
 /// declaring the ABI in a library at all.
 #[test]
 fn the_generated_trait_is_implementable_here() {
-    assert_eq!(Host.ping(3), 3);
+    assert_eq!(Host.ping(3), Ok(3));
 }
diff --git a/crates/xrpl-host-functions/tests/generated_abi.rs b/crates/xrpl-host-functions/tests/generated_abi.rs
index 5e0bf564ca..18bff71626 100644
--- a/crates/xrpl-host-functions/tests/generated_abi.rs
+++ b/crates/xrpl-host-functions/tests/generated_abi.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 use std::cell::RefCell;
 
-use xrpl_host_functions::{HASH_LEN, HostFnSpec, HostFunctionSpec, HostFunctions};
+use xrpl_host_functions::{HASH_LEN, HostError, HostFunctionSpec, HostFunctions, HostResult};
 
 /// Records what it was asked to do; enough to prove the trait is usable.
 ///
@@ -15,28 +15,34 @@ struct FakeHost {
 }
 
 impl HostFunctions for FakeHost {
-    fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> [u8; 4] {
-        7u32.to_le_bytes()
+    fn get_ledger_sqn(&self) -> HostResult<[u8; 4]> {
+        Ok(7u32.to_le_bytes())
     }
 
-    fn get_current_ledger_obj_field(&self, field: i32) -> Vec<u8> {
-        vec![field as u8]
+    /// Fails on a field it doesn't know, so the error channel is exercised too.
+    fn get_current_ledger_obj_field(&self, field: i32) -> HostResult<Vec<u8>> {
+        if field < 0 {
+            return Err(HostError::FieldNotFound);
+        }
+        Ok(vec![field as u8])
     }
 
-    fn sha512_half(&self, data: &[u8]) -> [u8; HASH_LEN] {
+    fn sha512_half(&self, data: &[u8]) -> HostResult<[u8; HASH_LEN]> {
         let mut digest = [0; HASH_LEN];
         digest[0] = data.len() as u8;
-        digest
+        Ok(digest)
     }
 
-    fn trace(&self, msg: &str, data: &[u8], as_hex: bool) {
+    fn trace(&self, msg: &str, data: &[u8], as_hex: bool) -> HostResult<()> {
         self.traced
             .borrow_mut()
             .push(format!("{msg}/{}/{as_hex}", data.len()));
+        Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn trace_num(&self, msg: &str, number: i64) {
+    fn trace_num(&self, msg: &str, number: i64) -> HostResult<()> {
         self.traced.borrow_mut().push(format!("{msg}={number}"));
+        Ok(())
     }
 }
 
@@ -44,15 +50,28 @@ impl HostFunctions for FakeHost {
 fn the_trait_is_implementable() {
     let host = FakeHost::default();
 
-    assert_eq!(host.get_ledger_sqn(), [7, 0, 0, 0]);
-    assert_eq!(host.get_current_ledger_obj_field(3), vec![3]);
-    assert_eq!(host.sha512_half(b"abc")[0], 3);
-    host.trace("hello", b"xy", true);
-    host.trace_num("count", -1);
+    assert_eq!(host.get_ledger_sqn(), Ok([7, 0, 0, 0]));
+    assert_eq!(host.get_current_ledger_obj_field(3), Ok(vec![3]));
+    assert_eq!(host.sha512_half(b"abc").unwrap()[0], 3);
+    assert_eq!(host.trace("hello", b"xy", true), Ok(()));
+    assert_eq!(host.trace_num("count", -1), Ok(()));
 
     assert_eq!(*host.traced.borrow(), ["hello/2/true", "count=-1"]);
 }
 
+/// The error channel every declaration carries: an `Err` the VM turns into the
+/// wire's negative return code.
+#[test]
+fn a_failing_call_reports_its_error_code() {
+    let host = FakeHost::default();
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        host.get_current_ledger_obj_field(-1),
+        Err(HostError::FieldNotFound)
+    );
+    assert_eq!(HostError::FieldNotFound.code(), -2);
+}
+
 /// The VM reaches the host as one shared trait object held in the wasmi `Store`,
 /// which is what the `&self` receivers are for.
 #[test]
@@ -60,8 +79,8 @@ fn the_trait_is_callable_through_a_shared_trait_object() {
     let fake = FakeHost::default();
     let host: &dyn HostFunctions = &fake;
 
-    assert_eq!(host.get_ledger_sqn(), [7, 0, 0, 0]);
-    host.trace_num("count", 1);
+    assert_eq!(host.get_ledger_sqn(), Ok([7, 0, 0, 0]));
+    assert_eq!(host.trace_num("count", 1), Ok(()));
 
     assert_eq!(*fake.traced.borrow(), ["count=1"]);
 }
@@ -69,13 +88,8 @@ fn the_trait_is_callable_through_a_shared_trait_object() {
 #[test]
 fn the_spec_table_matches_the_declarations() {
     assert_eq!(HostFunctionSpec::ALL.len(), 5);
-    assert_eq!(
-        HostFunctionSpec::GetLedgerSqn.spec(),
-        HostFnSpec {
-            name: "ldgr_index",
-            gas: 60
-        }
-    );
+    assert_eq!(HostFunctionSpec::GetLedgerSqn.wasm_name(), "ldgr_index");
+    assert_eq!(HostFunctionSpec::GetLedgerSqn.gas(), 60);
     assert_eq!(HostFunctionSpec::Sha512Half.gas(), 2000);
     assert_eq!(
         HostFunctionSpec::GetCurrentLedgerObjField.wasm_name(),
diff --git a/crates/xrpl-wasm-vm/src/abi.rs b/crates/xrpl-wasm-vm/src/abi.rs
index e8e627e875..b49ee89138 100644
--- a/crates/xrpl-wasm-vm/src/abi.rs
+++ b/crates/xrpl-wasm-vm/src/abi.rs
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ pub(crate) fn charged(
     op: HostFunctionSpec,
     body: impl FnOnce(&mut Caller<'_, VmState<'_>>) -> HostResult<i64>,
 ) -> HostResult<i64> {
-    charge(caller, op.spec().gas)?;
+    charge(caller, op.gas())?;
     body(caller)
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/xrpl-wasm-vm/src/register.rs b/crates/xrpl-wasm-vm/src/register.rs
index 7d5737ab15..f1d9040031 100644
--- a/crates/xrpl-wasm-vm/src/register.rs
+++ b/crates/xrpl-wasm-vm/src/register.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ pub(crate) fn register_host_functions(linker: &mut Linker<VmState<'_>>) -> Resul
         match op {
             HostFunctionSpec::GetLedgerSqn => linker.func_wrap(
                 HOST_MODULE,
-                op.spec().name,
+                op.wasm_name(),
                 |mut caller: Caller<'_, VmState<'_>>, out_ptr: i32, out_len: i32| -> i32 {
                     to_wasm_i32(charged(&mut caller, HostFunctionSpec::GetLedgerSqn, |c| {
                         // The host writes the serialized sequence number
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ pub(crate) fn register_host_functions(linker: &mut Linker<VmState<'_>>) -> Resul
             ),
             HostFunctionSpec::GetCurrentLedgerObjField => linker.func_wrap(
                 HOST_MODULE,
-                op.spec().name,
+                op.wasm_name(),
                 |mut caller: Caller<'_, VmState<'_>>,
                  field: i32,
                  out_ptr: i32,
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ pub(crate) fn register_host_functions(linker: &mut Linker<VmState<'_>>) -> Resul
             ),
             HostFunctionSpec::Sha512Half => linker.func_wrap(
                 HOST_MODULE,
-                op.spec().name,
+                op.wasm_name(),
                 |mut caller: Caller<'_, VmState<'_>>,
                  data_ptr: i32,
                  data_len: i32,
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ pub(crate) fn register_host_functions(linker: &mut Linker<VmState<'_>>) -> Resul
             ),
             HostFunctionSpec::Trace => linker.func_wrap(
                 HOST_MODULE,
-                op.spec().name,
+                op.wasm_name(),
                 |mut caller: Caller<'_, VmState<'_>>,
                  msg_ptr: i32,
                  msg_len: i32,
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ pub(crate) fn register_host_functions(linker: &mut Linker<VmState<'_>>) -> Resul
             ),
             HostFunctionSpec::TraceNum => linker.func_wrap(
                 HOST_MODULE,
-                op.spec().name,
+                op.wasm_name(),
                 |mut caller: Caller<'_, VmState<'_>>,
                  msg_ptr: i32,
                  msg_len: i32,
diff --git a/docs/claude/redesign_impl.md b/docs/claude/redesign_impl.md
index 22dcef3702..5dc0f6be33 100644
--- a/docs/claude/redesign_impl.md
+++ b/docs/claude/redesign_impl.md
@@ -35,18 +35,23 @@ only for reference. Anything we need about the old semantics is recoverable with
     re-exported — the ABI has one declaration site, so nothing outside
     `xrpl-host-functions` should be invoking it.
 
-    **Convention: the macro emits what varies per declaration; the facade
-    hand-writes the invariants and the macro refers to them by absolute path.**
-    So `HostFunctions`, `HostFunctionSpec` and its spec table are generated, while
-    `HostError`, `HostResult` and `HostFnSpec` are hand-written (greppable,
-    documented, testable, one rustdoc page). `host_fn_spec_path()` in the macro is
-    the single place that path is spelled; `extern crate self as
-    xrpl_host_functions;` in the facade is what makes it resolve inside the crate
-    the ABI is declared in. Never emit a bare type name — an absolute path is what
-    keeps the expansion independent of what the call site imported.
+    **Convention: the expansion is closed.** Every name in it is either generated
+    or written in the declarations — `Self::Variant` is the only path it builds, and
+    a test (`names_no_crate_of_its_own`) enforces that. So the macro owns
+    `HostFunctions`, `HostFunctionSpec`, `ALL`, `wasm_name()`, `gas()`, and the
+    private `HostFnSpec` row type that keeps both accessors fed from one `match`.
+    The facade hand-writes only the *vocabulary the declarations are written in* —
+    `HostError` (23 codes plus `from_code`, which wants to stay greppable and
+    testable), `HostResult`, `HASH_LEN`. Those resolve at the call site because the
+    declarations name them, exactly like `Vec<u8>` and `&[u8]`; the macro never
+    emits them.
 
-    The macro crate dev-depends on the facade so its doctest compiles; cargo allows
-    that cycle because dev-dependencies sit outside the library build graph.
+    Corollary: `HostFnSpec` and `spec()` are **private** to the ABI crate. Read the
+    table through `HostFunctionSpec::wasm_name()` / `::gas()`.
+
+    The macro crate dev-depends on the facade so its doctest — whose declarations
+    name `HostResult` — compiles; cargo allows that cycle because dev-dependencies
+    sit outside the library build graph.
   - `crates/xrpl-wasm-vm/` — the wasmi wrapper: `vm.rs` (engine/store/run),
     `abi.rs` (gas + transfer-limit + guest-memory marshaling), `register.rs`
     (hand-written `Linker::func_wrap` per host function).
@@ -155,18 +160,22 @@ params:
   i64                -> i64
   &[u8], &str        -> i32 ptr, i32 len          const uint8_t*, int32_t
 
-returns:
-  [u8; N], Vec<u8>   -> appends i32 out_ptr, i32 out_len; result i32 = bytes written
-  i32, bool          -> no out params; result i32 = the value
-  ()                 -> no out params; result i32 = 0
+returns, always `HostResult<T>`; `Err(e)` -> negative code, or a trap when host-fatal:
+  HostResult<[u8; N]>     -> appends i32 out_ptr, i32 out_len; result i32 = bytes written
+  HostResult<Vec<u8>>     -> same
+  HostResult<i32>, <bool> -> no out params; result i32 = the value
+  HostResult<()>          -> no out params; result i32 = 0
 ```
 
 Total and unambiguous. **The macro must reject any type not in this table** — that is
 `WasmImpArgs`' `static_assert`, restored, and it is what guarantees the C API is
 always surfaceable.
 
-**Validation** — all five current declarations (`xrpl-host-functions/src/lib.rs:87-107`)
-lower to exactly the deleted C++ `_proto` aliases:
+**Validation** — all five current declarations (the `host_functions!` block at the
+bottom of `xrpl-host-functions/src/lib.rs`) lower to exactly the deleted C++ `_proto`
+aliases. Abbreviated below: each real declaration reads
+`fn f(&self, …) -> HostResult<T>`, and neither the receiver nor the `HostResult`
+wrapper contributes a C parameter.
 
 | Declaration | Derived C | C++ `_proto` |
 |---|---|---|
@@ -359,17 +368,20 @@ useful for comparison and for the gas assertions in `Wasm_test.cpp` — not gosp
 
 ## Current state (2026-07-29)
 
-`crates/` does **not** compile: the macro-generated trait (value-returning,
-infallible) and the VM code (fill-caller's-buffer, `HostResult<usize>`) are two
-different ABI shapes. The 8 errors are all in `xrpl-wasm-vm` — every byte-returning
-call site in `register.rs`, plus `?` on the infallible `trace`/`trace_num`.
+The trait is settled and declared: `&self`, one method per declaration, uniform
+`HostResult<T>` returns, all three checked by the macro. `xrpl-host-functions` and
+`xrpl-host-functions-macros` are green (`cargo test` + `clippy` + `fmt`): 32 macro
+tests, 8 facade tests, 1 doctest.
 
-`xrpl-host-functions` and `xrpl-host-functions-macros` are green (`cargo test` +
-`clippy`): 28 macro tests, 5 ABI tests, 1 doctest.
+`crates/` as a whole still does **not** compile: the VM's marshaling is the other
+ABI shape (fill the caller's buffer, `HostResult<usize>`). All 6 errors are in
+`xrpl-wasm-vm/src/register.rs`, at the three byte-returning call sites — `write_into`
+and `read_write` pass an `&mut [u8]` the trait no longer takes and expect a
+`HostResult<usize>` the trait no longer returns.
 
-Resolving that shape is the immediate work. Per the mechanism note above, the
-value-returning direction (plus `HostResult<T>`) is the one that composes with
-typed/generated registration; the fill-the-guest-buffer shape is what fights it.
+Rewriting `abi.rs` to lift → call → lower against the value-returning trait (host
+writes into a host-side scratch buffer, one copy into guest memory afterwards, gas
+and transfer limit counted there) is the immediate work.
 
 Deferred to a later refactor, once there is working code: macro-emitted `link_*`
 shims, the generated C header, and the probe-module conformance test.