diff --git a/communication/packet/ethphyregpacket.cpp b/communication/packet/ethphyregpacket.cpp
index 7015ab1..4ca7957 100644
--- a/communication/packet/ethphyregpacket.cpp
+++ b/communication/packet/ethphyregpacket.cpp
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ std::shared_ptr<EthPhyMessage> HardwareEthernetPhyRegisterPacket::DecodeToMessag
 			phyMessage->WriteEnable = (pEntry->WriteEnable != 0u);
 			phyMessage->Clause45Enable = (pEntry->Clause45Enable != 0u);
 			phyMessage->BusIndex = static_cast<uint8_t>(pEntry->BusIndex);
+			phyMessage->Status = static_cast<uint8_t>(pEntry->status);
 			phyMessage->Version = static_cast<uint8_t>(pEntry->version);
 			if(phyMessage->Clause45Enable)
 				phyMessage->Clause45 = pEntry->clause45;
diff --git a/include/icsneo/communication/message/ethphymessage.h b/include/icsneo/communication/message/ethphymessage.h
index 18de5e1..e061e2a 100644
--- a/include/icsneo/communication/message/ethphymessage.h
+++ b/include/icsneo/communication/message/ethphymessage.h
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #include "icsneo/communication/packet.h"
 #include <vector>
 #include <memory>
+#include <optional>
 
 namespace icsneo {
 
@@ -22,6 +23,9 @@ struct PhyMessage {
 	bool Clause45Enable = false;
 	uint8_t BusIndex = 0;
 	uint8_t Version = PhyPacketVersion;
+	// Unset on locally constructed messages; every decoded response sets the raw wire status.
+	// Ignored when sending. A value does not establish firmware error coverage.
+	std::optional<uint8_t> Status;
 	union {
 		Clause22Message Clause22{};
 		Clause45Message Clause45;
diff --git a/test/unit/ethphyregistertest.cpp b/test/unit/ethphyregistertest.cpp
index 92b540a..fc9ba11 100644
--- a/test/unit/ethphyregistertest.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/ethphyregistertest.cpp
@@ -17,13 +17,21 @@ std::vector<uint8_t> encode(const EthPhyMessage& msg) {
 	return bytes;
 }
 }
-TEST(EthPhyRegister, KnownWireBytes) {
+TEST(EthPhyRegister, KnownWireBytesAndStatus) {
 	for(bool clause45 : {false, true}) {
 		auto msg = request(clause45, true);
+		EXPECT_FALSE(msg.messages[0]->Status.has_value());
 		auto bytes = encode(msg);
 		EXPECT_EQ(bytes, (std::vector<uint8_t>{1, 0, 1, 8, static_cast<uint8_t>(clause45 ? 7 : 3), 0x1f,
 			31, static_cast<uint8_t>(clause45 ? 31 : 255), static_cast<uint8_t>(clause45 ? 255 : 31),
 			static_cast<uint8_t>(clause45 ? 255 : 0), 0x34, 0x12}));
+		for(uint8_t status = 0; status < 8; ++status) {
+			bytes[4] = static_cast<uint8_t>((clause45 ? 7 : 3) | (status << 3));
+			auto decoded = HardwareEthernetPhyRegisterPacket::DecodeToMessage(bytes, ignore);
+			ASSERT_NE(decoded, nullptr);
+			EXPECT_EQ(decoded->messages[0]->Status, status);
+			EXPECT_EQ(encode(*decoded)[4], clause45 ? 7 : 3); // never retransmit response status
+		}
 	}
 }
 TEST(EthPhyRegister, InvalidRequestsLeaveOutputUntouched) {