diff --git a/bin/augment_metadata b/bin/augment_metadata
index d48f6ddf7..1cc4cb3d3 100755
--- a/bin/augment_metadata
+++ b/bin/augment_metadata
@@ -6,17 +6,17 @@
 #
 
 if [[ $# -lt 2 ]]; then
-    echo Usage: $0 SITE_DIR DEVICE_ID [PUBBER_OPTS...]
+    echo Usage: $0 SITE_DIR DEVICE_ID [METADATA_OPTS...]
     false
 fi
 
 site_dir=$(realpath $1)
 device_id=$2
 shift 2
-pubber_opts=$*
+metadata_opts=$*
 
 nostate=false
-if [[ $pubber_opts =~ noState ]]; then
+if [[ $metadata_opts =~ noState ]]; then
     nostate=true
 fi
 
diff --git a/validator/src/main/java/com/google/daq/mqtt/sequencer/SequenceBase.java b/validator/src/main/java/com/google/daq/mqtt/sequencer/SequenceBase.java
index 8b03c7232..b103f012c 100644
--- a/validator/src/main/java/com/google/daq/mqtt/sequencer/SequenceBase.java
+++ b/validator/src/main/java/com/google/daq/mqtt/sequencer/SequenceBase.java
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ public class SequenceBase {
   public static final int SCHEMA_SCORE_TOTAL = 10;
   public static final int CAPABILITY_SCORE = 1;
   public static final String STATUS_LEVEL_VIOLATION = "STATUS_LEVEL";
+  public static final String RECEIVED_STATE_VIOLATION = "RECEIVED_STATE";
   public static final String DEVICE_STATE_SCHEMA = "device_state";
   private static final String ALL_CHANGES = "";
   private static final int SEQUENCER_FUNCTIONS_VERSION = Validator.TOOLS_FUNCTIONS_VERSION;
@@ -1880,7 +1881,12 @@ private synchronized void handleUpdateMessage(String subTypeRaw,
               isoConvert(stateCutoffThreshold), lastStart, txnId));
           return;
         }
-        checkState(deviceSupportsState(), "Received state update with no-state device");
+        if (!deviceSupportsState()) {
+          String violation = "Received state update with no-state device";
+          warning(violation);
+          deviceStateViolations.put(RECEIVED_STATE_VIOLATION, violation);
+          return;
+        }
         boolean deltaState = RECV_STATE_DIFFERNATOR.isInitialized();
         List<DiffEntry> stateChanges = RECV_STATE_DIFFERNATOR.computeChanges(converted);
         Instant start = ofNullable(convertedState.timestamp).orElseGet(Date::new).toInstant();