diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 133b7a9..77796d9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -64,6 +64,8 @@ mvn verify
 | `SITE_BASE_URL` | absolute base for `og:url` |
 | `VITE_ASSET_BASE` / `site.assets.base-url` | photo bucket |
 
-`platform.contact.to` unset disables the contact starter, and the app won't start with a
-`ContactController` that has nothing to send with — so a missing `CONTACT_TO` fails loudly rather than
-silently dropping enquiries.
+A missing `CONTACT_TO` **stops the app from starting**. That is deliberate: `application.yaml` maps it
+to `platform.contact.to`, and an unset variable leaves the property present-but-empty, which is enough
+to activate the contact starter. Without the `@NotBlank` check in `platform-starter-contact` the site
+would come up, show a working contact form, and mail every enquiry to nobody. Better to fail on deploy
+than to lose a week of orders.
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 2b8ef35..77455e5 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     <parent>
         <groupId>net.thebennett.platform</groupId>
         <artifactId>platform-parent</artifactId>
-        <version>0.1.4</version>
+        <version>0.1.5</version>
         <relativePath/>
     </parent>
 
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
             <dependency>
                 <groupId>net.thebennett.platform</groupId>
                 <artifactId>platform-bom</artifactId>
-                <version>0.1.4</version>
+                <version>0.1.5</version>
                 <type>pom</type>
                 <scope>import</scope>
             </dependency>