diff --git a/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/INI/INI.cpp b/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/INI/INI.cpp
index a016d6e5bc2..5113b0fde68 100644
--- a/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/INI/INI.cpp
+++ b/Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/INI/INI.cpp
@@ -442,6 +442,9 @@ UnsignedInt INI::load( AsciiString filename, INILoadType loadType, Xfer *pXfer )
 					try {
 						(*parse)( this );
 
+					// GeneralsX @bugfix Copilot 20/09/2026 Preserve the innermost INI field diagnostic.
+					} catch (const INIException&) {
+						throw;
 					} catch (...) {
 						DEBUG_CRASH(("Error parsing block '%s' in INI file '%s'", token, m_filename.str()) );
 						char buff[1024];
@@ -1585,6 +1588,9 @@ void INI::initFromINIMulti( void *what, const MultiIniFieldParse& parseTableList
 
 						(*parse)( this, what, (char *)what + offset + parseTableList.getNthExtraOffset(ptIdx), userData );
 
+						// GeneralsX @bugfix Copilot 20/09/2026 Do not replace nested field errors with an enclosing module.
+						} catch (const INIException&) {
+							throw;
 						} catch (...) {
 							DEBUG_CRASH( ("[LINE: %d - FILE: '%s'] Error reading field '%s' of block '%s'",
 																 INI::getLineNum(), INI::getFilename().str(), field, m_curBlockStart) );
@@ -1683,6 +1689,11 @@ Type scanType(std::string_view token)
 
                 if (ec != std::errc{})
                 {
+                        // GeneralsX @bugfix Copilot 20/09/2026 Keep numeric conversion failures visible in release builds.
+                        fprintf(stderr, "[INI] Cannot parse numeric token '%.*s': %s\n",
+                                static_cast<int>(token.size()), token.data(),
+                                ec == std::errc::result_out_of_range ? "out of range" : "invalid number");
+                        fflush(stderr);
                         throw INI_INVALID_DATA;
                 }
 
@@ -1696,6 +1707,11 @@ Type scanType(std::string_view token)
 
 	if (ec != std::errc{})
 	{
+		// GeneralsX @bugfix Copilot 20/09/2026 Identify overflowing mod values without changing their interpretation.
+		fprintf(stderr, "[INI] Cannot parse numeric token '%.*s': %s\n",
+			static_cast<int>(token.size()), token.data(),
+			ec == std::errc::result_out_of_range ? "out of range" : "invalid number");
+		fflush(stderr);
 		throw INI_INVALID_DATA;
 	}
 
diff --git a/docs/WORKLOG/2026-09-DIARY.md b/docs/WORKLOG/2026-09-DIARY.md
index 75102100de9..73312cdbbba 100644
--- a/docs/WORKLOG/2026-09-DIARY.md
+++ b/docs/WORKLOG/2026-09-DIARY.md
@@ -10,6 +10,13 @@
 - This addresses the misleading wording only; it does not explain or suppress the reported frame-zero divergence. The original replay and, if applicable, its custom map are still needed to investigate that.
 - Compiled both affected Recorder.cpp objects with the native macOS configuration and checked the diff for whitespace errors. No installed game or user settings were changed.
 
+### Preserve Nested INI Error Details (#297)
+- Kept an existing `INIException` intact when it passes through nested module and outer-block handlers, rather than replacing the useful field/file/line details with an enclosing `Object` header.
+- Added release-visible numeric conversion diagnostics for `std::from_chars` failures, including the token and whether it is invalid or out of range. Parsing rules and failure behavior are unchanged.
+- The supplied Shockwave INIs contain delay values beyond the signed 64-bit intermediate used by the Linux unsigned-number parser. These are concrete rejection points, not proof of the first failure in the reporter's complete mod installation; this is a diagnostics fix, not a compatibility fix.
+- Exercised parser-function extracts with both game variants' exception headers, both numeric parsing paths, and address/undefined-behavior sanitizers. The baseline lost nested context; the patch retained it without changing valid/sentinel/suffix handling or cleanup.
+- Syntax-checked the actual patched INI.cpp with each game's generated native macOS compiler configuration. No full mod run or installed-game changes were made.
+
 ## 19/09/2026
 ### Fix NGMP Statistics Synchronization & Session Token Expiry Handling
 - **Context**: Welcome screen (`WOLWelcomeMenu`) statistics ("Players online", Daily Stats "Wins/Losses 0% (0/0)", and personal player stats) were not reflecting real-time game activity or active matches. Investigation traced three root causes: