diff --git a/src/PepperDash.Essentials.Core/Factory/DeviceFactory.cs b/src/PepperDash.Essentials.Core/Factory/DeviceFactory.cs
index 74796da1..e28add37 100644
--- a/src/PepperDash.Essentials.Core/Factory/DeviceFactory.cs
+++ b/src/PepperDash.Essentials.Core/Factory/DeviceFactory.cs
@@ -267,4 +267,17 @@ public class DeviceFactory
             ? FactoryMethods
             : FactoryMethods.Where(k => k.Key.Contains(filter)).ToDictionary(k => k.Key, k => k.Value);
     }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Indicates whether a factory is registered for the specified device type name.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <remarks>Lets callers of <see cref="GetDevice"/> distinguish a genuinely unknown device type from a
+    /// known type whose factory failed to build the device (both currently return <see langword="null"/> from
+    /// <see cref="GetDevice"/>), so the two can be logged with accurate, distinct messages.</remarks>
+    /// <param name="typeName">The device type name to check. Matching is case-insensitive.</param>
+    /// <returns><see langword="true"/> if a factory is registered for <paramref name="typeName"/>; otherwise <see langword="false"/>.</returns>
+    public static bool HasFactoryForType(string typeName)
+    {
+        return !string.IsNullOrEmpty(typeName) && FactoryMethods.ContainsKey(typeName);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/PepperDash.Essentials/ControlSystem.cs b/src/PepperDash.Essentials/ControlSystem.cs
index 701a0ec4..4e853a1d 100644
--- a/src/PepperDash.Essentials/ControlSystem.cs
+++ b/src/PepperDash.Essentials/ControlSystem.cs
@@ -556,8 +556,10 @@ public class ControlSystem : CrestronControlSystem, ILoadConfig, IInitialization
 
                 if (newDev != null)
                     DeviceManager.AddDevice(newDev);
+                else if (Core.DeviceFactory.HasFactoryForType(devConf.Type))
+                    Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Error, "ERROR: Device type '{deviceType:l}' is registered but failed to build device '{deviceKey:l}' (factory returned null; see any exception logged above for the cause).", devConf.Type, devConf.Key);
                 else
-                    Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Information, "ERROR: Cannot load unknown device type '{deviceType:l}', key '{deviceKey:l}'.", devConf.Type, devConf.Key);
+                    Debug.LogMessage(LogEventLevel.Warning, "ERROR: Cannot load unknown device type '{deviceType:l}', key '{deviceKey:l}'.", devConf.Type, devConf.Key);
             }
             catch (Exception e)
             {
@@ -904,7 +906,10 @@ public class ControlSystem : CrestronControlSystem, ILoadConfig, IInitialization
 
                 if (room == null)
                 {
-                    Debug.LogWarning("ERROR: Cannot load unknown room type '{roomType:l}', key '{roomKey:l}'.", roomConfig.Type, roomConfig.Key);
+                    if (Core.DeviceFactory.HasFactoryForType(roomConfig.Type))
+                        Debug.LogError("ERROR: Room type '{roomType:l}' is registered but failed to build room '{roomKey:l}' (factory returned null; see any exception logged above for the cause).", roomConfig.Type, roomConfig.Key);
+                    else
+                        Debug.LogWarning("ERROR: Cannot load unknown room type '{roomType:l}', key '{roomKey:l}'.", roomConfig.Type, roomConfig.Key);
                     continue;
                 }