diff --git a/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater-wrapper.yml b/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater-wrapper.yml
index 3763fe0..ad580ec 100644
--- a/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater-wrapper.yml
+++ b/files/ansible-playbooks/sot-updater-wrapper.yml
@@ -14,17 +14,17 @@
   gather_facts: no
 
   tasks:
-    - name: "Wrapper | Stop host if nb_onedevice_update.py missing"
-      when: not (nb_script.stat.exists | default(false))
-      meta: end_host
-
-    - name: "Wrapper | Stop host if iponly did not return OK"
-      when: not (nb_ok | default(false))
-      meta: end_host
-
-    - name: "Wrapper | Stop host if returned IP is empty/NONE"
-      when: (nb_ip | default('') | trim) in ('', 'NONE', 'null')
-      meta: end_host
+    - name: "Wrapper | Assert iponly succeeded"
+      ansible.builtin.assert:
+        that:
+          - nb_script is defined
+          - nb_script.stat.exists | default(false)
+          - nb_ok | default(false)
+          - (nb_ip | default('') | trim) not in ('', 'NONE', 'null')
+        fail_msg: >-
+          Wrapper stop: iponly did not produce a usable IP.
+          nb_ok={{ nb_ok | default('UNDEF') }},
+          nb_ip='{{ nb_ip | default('UNDEF') }}'
 
     - name: "Wrapper | Override ansible_host to refreshed IP ({{ nb_ip }})"
       set_fact:
@@ -33,5 +33,12 @@
     - name: "Wrapper | Reset SSH connection context (ensure new ansible_host is used)"
       meta: reset_connection
 
+    - name: "Wrapper | Debug effective target"
+      debug:
+        msg:
+          - "Effective ansible_host={{ ansible_host }}"
+          - "nb_ip={{ nb_ip }}"
+
+
 
 - import_playbook: sot-updater.yml