diff --git a/CodeBlocker.Test/TemplateTests.cs b/CodeBlocker.Test/TemplateTests.cs
index 3fd8237..78c5f4a 100644
--- a/CodeBlocker.Test/TemplateTests.cs
+++ b/CodeBlocker.Test/TemplateTests.cs
@@ -1557,6 +1557,60 @@ public void ASourceFileWithAnInvalidClassWritesNothing()
 		Assert.AreEqual(string.Empty, codeBlocker.ToString());
 	}
 
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void AClassWithAMemberWhoseDocCommentCannotBeWrittenWritesNothing()
+	{
+		// It used to write "public class C { void A() { } }" up to B, then throw.
+		MethodTemplate b = new() { Type = "void", Name = "B", BodyFactory = _ => { }, Documentation = new DocComment() };
+		b.Documentation.Params.Add(new DocTag { Name = "a\nb", Text = "t" });
+		ClassTemplate type = new()
+		{
+			Name = "C",
+			Keywords = { "public" },
+			Members =
+			{
+				new MethodTemplate { Type = "void", Name = "A", BodyFactory = _ => { } },
+				b,
+			},
+		};
+
+		using CodeBlocker codeBlocker = CodeBlocker.Create(CodeBlocker.DefaultIndentString, NewLines.Lf);
+		codeBlocker.WriteLine("int x;");
+
+		Assert.ThrowsExactly<ArgumentException>(() => codeBlocker.AddClass(type));
+		Assert.AreEqual("int x;\n", codeBlocker.ToString());
+	}
+
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void ASourceFileWhoseLaterClassHasADocCommentThatCannotBeWrittenWritesNothing()
+	{
+		ClassTemplate second = new() { Name = "Second", Documentation = new DocComment { Summary = "s" } };
+		second.Documentation.SeeAlso.Add("A\nB");
+		SourceFileTemplate file = new()
+		{
+			Namespace = "Contoso",
+			Usings = { "System" },
+			Classes = { new ClassTemplate { Name = "First" }, second },
+		};
+
+		using CodeBlocker codeBlocker = CodeBlocker.Create(CodeBlocker.DefaultIndentString, NewLines.Lf);
+
+		Assert.ThrowsExactly<ArgumentException>(() => codeBlocker.AddSourceFile(file));
+		Assert.AreEqual(string.Empty, codeBlocker.ToString());
+	}
+
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void ANestedClassWhoseDocCommentCannotBeWrittenLeavesTheOuterClassUnwritten()
+	{
+		ClassTemplate inner = new() { Name = "Inner", Documentation = new DocComment { InheritDoc = true, InheritDocCref = "X\r\nY" } };
+		ClassTemplate outer = new() { Name = "Outer", NestedClasses = { inner } };
+
+		using CodeBlocker codeBlocker = CodeBlocker.Create(CodeBlocker.DefaultIndentString, NewLines.Lf);
+
+		Assert.ThrowsExactly<ArgumentException>(() => codeBlocker.AddClass(outer));
+		Assert.AreEqual(string.Empty, codeBlocker.ToString());
+	}
+
 	[TestMethod]
 	public void AddClassesWithAnInvalidClassWritesNothing()
 	{
diff --git a/CodeBlocker/Templates/ClassTemplate.cs b/CodeBlocker/Templates/ClassTemplate.cs
index 9304811..b39db7f 100644
--- a/CodeBlocker/Templates/ClassTemplate.cs
+++ b/CodeBlocker/Templates/ClassTemplate.cs
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ public override void WriteTo(CodeBlocker codeBlocker)
 	/// <inheritdoc/>
 	internal override void Validate()
 	{
+		base.Validate();
 		_ = TypeKindKeywords.For(Kind);
 
 		foreach (MemberTemplate member in Members)
diff --git a/CodeBlocker/Templates/DocComment.cs b/CodeBlocker/Templates/DocComment.cs
index 93261a9..3a19a4a 100644
--- a/CodeBlocker/Templates/DocComment.cs
+++ b/CodeBlocker/Templates/DocComment.cs
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ public void WriteTo(CodeBlocker codeBlocker)
 
 		// Checked before the first line is written: a cref or name cannot be split across /// lines
 		// the way element text is, and left as it is the rest of it would be compiled as code.
-		EnsureAttributesFitOnOneLine();
+		ValidateAttributes();
 
 		if (InheritDoc)
 		{
@@ -189,7 +189,17 @@ void Check(Collection<DocTag> tags, HashSet<string> declared, string tagName, st
 		}
 	}
 
-	private void EnsureAttributesFitOnOneLine()
+	/// <summary>
+	/// Throws if <see cref="WriteTo"/> would refuse this comment, without writing anything.
+	/// </summary>
+	/// <remarks>
+	/// <see cref="TemplateBase.Validate"/> calls this for a template's <see cref="TemplateBase.Documentation"/>,
+	/// so a container refuses a bad doc comment before writing any of itself, not partway through.
+	/// </remarks>
+	/// <exception cref="ArgumentException">
+	/// <see cref="InheritDocCref"/>, a <see cref="SeeAlso"/> entry, or a tag name contains a line break.
+	/// </exception>
+	internal void ValidateAttributes()
 	{
 		if (InheritDoc)
 		{
diff --git a/CodeBlocker/Templates/OperatorTemplate.cs b/CodeBlocker/Templates/OperatorTemplate.cs
index 4c237b3..a766aff 100644
--- a/CodeBlocker/Templates/OperatorTemplate.cs
+++ b/CodeBlocker/Templates/OperatorTemplate.cs
@@ -80,7 +80,11 @@ public override void WriteTo(CodeBlocker codeBlocker)
 	}
 
 	/// <inheritdoc/>
-	internal override void Validate() => _ = Signature;
+	internal override void Validate()
+	{
+		base.Validate();
+		_ = Signature;
+	}
 
 	private string Signature => Kind switch
 	{
diff --git a/CodeBlocker/Templates/PropertyTemplate.cs b/CodeBlocker/Templates/PropertyTemplate.cs
index 471ec0a..cd48b0e 100644
--- a/CodeBlocker/Templates/PropertyTemplate.cs
+++ b/CodeBlocker/Templates/PropertyTemplate.cs
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ public override void WriteTo(CodeBlocker codeBlocker)
 	/// <inheritdoc/>
 	internal override void Validate()
 	{
+		base.Validate();
+
 		if (ExpressionBodyFactory is null && Getter is null && Setter is null)
 		{
 			// Writing "Type Name;" here would emit a field, not a property — which is what an
diff --git a/CodeBlocker/Templates/TemplateBase.cs b/CodeBlocker/Templates/TemplateBase.cs
index 1abb91b..2dbdd37 100644
--- a/CodeBlocker/Templates/TemplateBase.cs
+++ b/CodeBlocker/Templates/TemplateBase.cs
@@ -90,11 +90,10 @@ public virtual void WriteTo(CodeBlocker codeBlocker)
 	/// </summary>
 	/// <remarks>
 	/// A container calls this on everything it holds before writing any of it, so a template that
-	/// fails its check cannot leave a container written without it, and the ones after it.
+	/// fails its check cannot leave a container written without it, and the ones after it. The base
+	/// check covers <see cref="Documentation"/>; an override must call it.
 	/// </remarks>
-	internal virtual void Validate()
-	{
-	}
+	internal virtual void Validate() => Documentation?.ValidateAttributes();
 
 	/// <summary>
 	/// Writes <c> = value</c> when <see cref="HasDefaultValue"/> is set, as an escaped string literal