diff --git a/scripts/tinyhouse/__main__.py b/scripts/tinyhouse/__main__.py
index 0a2c8ed..ec9c8f0 100644
--- a/scripts/tinyhouse/__main__.py
+++ b/scripts/tinyhouse/__main__.py
@@ -383,6 +383,39 @@ def push(api: Api, flows: list[Flow]) -> None:
         print(f"  dashboard '{name}': {len(widgets)} widgets, published")
 
 
+#: Settings these flows depend on that a node type gained for this port. A node
+#: type accepts an unknown setting and ignores it — which is right for a node
+#: someone is editing and wrong here, where it would mean a rollershutter
+#: running for the default minute instead of the twenty-six seconds it takes.
+NEEDED = {
+    "trigger": {
+        "wait_port": "a shutter would run for the default wait, not its own",
+        "passthrough": "a motor would be commanded with 'true' rather than a direction",
+    },
+    "mqtt": {
+        "json_key": "every Victron reading would arrive as an object, not a number",
+    },
+    "http": {
+        "query": "the weather key would have to sit in the flow file in clear",
+    },
+}
+
+
+def _engine_too_old(api: Api) -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
+    """Settings this installation's node types do not know about yet."""
+    types = {t["type"]: t for t in api("GET", "/flows/node-types")}
+    stale = []
+    for type_name, settings in NEEDED.items():
+        schema = types.get(type_name, {}).get("params_schema") or {}
+        known = set(schema.get("properties") or {})
+        if not known:
+            continue
+        for setting, why in settings.items():
+            if setting not in known:
+                stale.append((f"{type_name}.{setting}", why))
+    return stale
+
+
 def main(argv: list[str]) -> int:
     dry = "--dry" in argv
     h = house()
@@ -401,6 +434,24 @@ def main(argv: list[str]) -> int:
         return 0
 
     api = Api()
+    stale = _engine_too_old(api)
+    if stale:
+        print(
+            "\nThis installation's engine does not have what these flows need:",
+            file=sys.stderr,
+        )
+        for setting, why in stale:
+            print(f"  {setting} — {why}", file=sys.stderr)
+        print(
+            "\nAn unknown setting is accepted and ignored rather than refused, so\n"
+            "seeding now would look like it worked and run every shutter for a\n"
+            "minute. Rebuild the image first:\n"
+            '  docker compose -p fluksio-app --env-file "$PWD/.env" \\\n'
+            "    -f docker/compose.yml up --build -d backend",
+            file=sys.stderr,
+        )
+        return 1
+
     have = set(api("GET", "/secrets/")["data"])
     missing = [name for name in SECRETS if name not in have]
     if missing: