diff --git a/scripts/CHANGELOG.md b/scripts/CHANGELOG.md
index 806d4cf9..ab67c4ed 100644
--- a/scripts/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/scripts/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
   error while a layer decodes is a NOTE, never a pass.
 - **`security_watch.py`:** a `RUNTIME read=N (S s) from-cache=M not-checked=K zstd-decoder=…` line and one
   `RUNTIME-READ <image> <s> ok|NOT CHECKED` line per image read tonight.
+  The decoder is named in words (`zstd_decoder_how()`: „zstandard 0.25.0 (pinned wheel)" / „the zstd program" / none);
+  the first CI run printed the module's repr.
 - Tests: `test_image_runtime.py` 22 checks (zstd above gzip with no `zstd` program, a damaged and a cut-off zstd layer,
   no decoder, the wheel loader's hash refusals) — the zstd read seen failing on the 2026-10-27 module first;
   `test_security_watch.py` W10 counts (59 checks).
diff --git a/scripts/image_runtime.py b/scripts/image_runtime.py
index 1b02b37e..ebc58feb 100644
--- a/scripts/image_runtime.py
+++ b/scripts/image_runtime.py
@@ -138,18 +138,24 @@ def zstandard_module(fetch=None, wheels=None, cache=None, try_import=True):
 
 
 def zstd_decoder():
-    """How this process decodes a zstd layer: ('module', mod) | ('program', 'zstd') | (None, why). Decided once."""
+    """How this process decodes a zstd layer: ('module', mod) | ('program', 'zstd') | (None, why). Decided once;
+    zstd_decoder_how() says it in words for the log."""
     if "d" not in _ZSTANDARD:
         mod, how = zstandard_module()
         if mod:
-            _ZSTANDARD["d"] = ("module", mod)
+            _ZSTANDARD["d"], _ZSTANDARD["how"] = ("module", mod), how
         elif shutil.which("zstd"):
-            _ZSTANDARD["d"] = ("program", "zstd")
+            _ZSTANDARD["d"], _ZSTANDARD["how"] = ("program", "zstd"), "the zstd program"
         else:
-            _ZSTANDARD["d"] = (None, how)
+            _ZSTANDARD["d"], _ZSTANDARD["how"] = (None, how), "NONE — " + how
     return _ZSTANDARD["d"]
 
 
+def zstd_decoder_how():
+    zstd_decoder()
+    return _ZSTANDARD["how"]
+
+
 def split_ref(ref):
     """'rommapp/romm:5.4.1' -> (registry, path, tag). lscr.io is Docker Hub's mirror (the watch's rule)."""
     tag = "latest"
diff --git a/scripts/security_watch.py b/scripts/security_watch.py
index 92684a73..f710d3b1 100644
--- a/scripts/security_watch.py
+++ b/scripts/security_watch.py
@@ -884,7 +884,7 @@ def main(argv):
         st = rreader.stats
         print("RUNTIME read=%d (%.0f s) from-cache=%d not-checked=%d zstd-decoder=%s" % (
             st["read"], st["read_s"], st["cached"], st["not_checked"],
-            image_runtime.zstd_decoder()[1] if st["read"] else "not needed"))
+            image_runtime.zstd_decoder_how() if st["read"] else "not needed"))
     print("REQUESTS " + " ".join("%s=%d" % kv for kv in sorted(net.requests.items())))
     state_path = opts.get("state")
     state, missing = {}, True
diff --git a/scripts/test_image_runtime.py b/scripts/test_image_runtime.py
index c667589b..a8b8441c 100644
--- a/scripts/test_image_runtime.py
+++ b/scripts/test_image_runtime.py
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@ def zstd_checks():
               found.get("pydist"))
     found, notes = ir.scan_layers(reg, [{"digest": "sha256:zst", "mediaType": ZSTD_MT, "size": 9}],
                                   decoder=(None, "no zstd decoder: test"))
+    ir._ZSTANDARD.clear()
+    how = ir.zstd_decoder_how()
+    check("zstd: the log names the decoder in words", isinstance(how, str) and ("zstandard" in how or "zstd program" in how
+                                                                             or how.startswith("NONE")), how)
+    ir._ZSTANDARD.clear()
     check("zstd: no decoder is a NOTE (NOT CHECKED), never a silent pass", notes and "no zstd decoder" in notes[0]
           and not found, (found, notes))
     mod, _how = ir.zstandard_module()