diff --git a/bootstrap/src/compiler.rs b/bootstrap/src/compiler.rs
index f87a89367b..ef612cb743 100644
--- a/bootstrap/src/compiler.rs
+++ b/bootstrap/src/compiler.rs
@@ -15420,7 +15420,13 @@ impl VerilogCodegen {
                 }
                 NodeKind::StmtForRange
                 | NodeKind::StmtWhile
-                | NodeKind::StmtFor => {
+                // t27#1948's comment below names `for`/`while`/`if`, and `if`
+                // was never in this arm. `if (es_prestandard(8) != 0) { ok =
+                // false; }` at the top level of a test block became
+                // `// (stmt: StmtIf)`, so `ok` was set true and never set
+                // false: the test could not fail and reported PASSED.
+                | NodeKind::StmtFor
+                | NodeKind::StmtIf => {
                     self.materialize_call_array_tmps_in_expr(node);
                     self.gen_verilog_stmt(node);
                 }
@@ -15540,7 +15546,8 @@ impl VerilogCodegen {
                 }
                 NodeKind::StmtForRange
                 | NodeKind::StmtWhile
-                | NodeKind::StmtFor => {
+                | NodeKind::StmtFor
+                | NodeKind::StmtIf => {
                     // Control flow in a test block: a `for`/`while`/`if` was
                     // dropped as `// (stmt: StmtForRange)`, silently voiding
                     // loop bodies that accumulate assertions (t27#1948).
@@ -15563,7 +15570,11 @@ impl VerilogCodegen {
                 "// invariant {} : ",
                 Self::sanitize_identifier(&node.name)
             ));
-            self.gen_verilog_expr(&node.children[0]);
+            // The predicate arrives wrapped in a statement node, and the
+            // expression printer answers `/* unsupported expr: StmtExpr */`.
+            // All 4702 invariants in the self-checking testbench rendered that
+            // and not one rendered a predicate.
+            self.gen_verilog_expr(unwrap_single(&node.children[0]));
             self.write_line("");
         } else {
             self.write_line(&format!("// invariant: {}", node.name));
diff --git a/bootstrap/stage0/FROZEN_HASH b/bootstrap/stage0/FROZEN_HASH
index 3f6eb71f65..7e33d10417 100644
--- a/bootstrap/stage0/FROZEN_HASH
+++ b/bootstrap/stage0/FROZEN_HASH
@@ -1 +1 @@
-b109d745f01460f08fb2f8547d27a816dfecaff6c3f917da90f2f465c3daa86d
+6e3be54a2bd0d899ec680c429be131b9cbf4a857d7bbb578870dbe16dd01b132
diff --git a/docs/now/2026-08-30-the-comment-named-if-and-the-arm-did-not.md b/docs/now/2026-08-30-the-comment-named-if-and-the-arm-did-not.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3ba1ebc536
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/now/2026-08-30-the-comment-named-if-and-the-arm-did-not.md
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# NOW -- The comment named `if` and the match arm did not (2026-08-30)
+
+## Two ways the self-checking testbench stopped checking (Refs #2869)
+
+- `if (es_prestandard(8) != 0) { ok = false; }` at the TOP LEVEL of a test block became `// (stmt: StmtIf)`, so `ok` was set true and never set false: the test could not fail and reported PASSED
+- the match arm handles StmtForRange / StmtWhile / StmtFor, and the comment directly under it says "a `for`/`while`/`if` was dropped" -- `if` was written down and never added
+- 11 statements in 2 specs; neither simulates today for unrelated reasons, so no verdict changes now and the class is what closes
+- separately: ALL 4702 invariants in the self-checking testbench rendered their predicate as `/* unsupported expr: StmtExpr */`, because the predicate arrives wrapped in a statement node
+- unwrapping it -- the same `unwrap_single` the `while` fix needed -- renders 4697 of the 4702; five are genuinely unsupported
+- corrected against the audit: the 5635 comments in synthesizable RTL are a MANIFEST, and the header above them says so. Those are a declared omission, not a hidden one. The defect is in the SIMULATION path, which is smaller and worse