diff --git a/modules/sdk-coin-canton/src/lib/allocationAllocateBuilder.ts b/modules/sdk-coin-canton/src/lib/allocationAllocateBuilder.ts
index efe4691081..045be87ee6 100644
--- a/modules/sdk-coin-canton/src/lib/allocationAllocateBuilder.ts
+++ b/modules/sdk-coin-canton/src/lib/allocationAllocateBuilder.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@ import {
 import utils from './utils';
 import { normalizeCantonAmount } from './amount';
 
+/**
+ * Error for an amount that cannot fund an allocation. Zero only becomes valid for a receive-only
+ * allocation, so the message names the escape hatch that unlocks it.
+ */
+const AMOUNT_ERROR_MESSAGE =
+  "amount must be a positive number; zero is only allowed for a receive-only allocation, so call allocationRole('receive')";
+
 export class AllocationAllocateBuilder extends TransactionBuilder {
   private _commandId: string;
   private _amount: CantonAmount;
@@ -77,7 +84,7 @@ export class AllocationAllocateBuilder extends TransactionBuilder {
 
   /**
    * Sets the role of this allocation. A 'receive' allocation is an unfunded, receive-only V2 allocation
-   * (cross-issuer trades): it locks nothing, so its amount is 0. Call before amount().
+   * (cross-issuer trades): it locks nothing, so its amount is 0. May be called before or after amount().
    * @param role - 'send' (default) or 'receive'
    * @returns The current builder instance for chaining.
    */
@@ -91,17 +98,17 @@ export class AllocationAllocateBuilder extends TransactionBuilder {
 
   /**
    * Sets the allocation amount.
+   *
+   * Zero is accepted here regardless of the role so that amount() and allocationRole() may be called in
+   * either order; a zero amount is only valid for a receive-only allocation, which is enforced when the
+   * request object is built. Negative, empty and non-numeric amounts are rejected immediately.
+   *
    * @param amount - allocation amount. Use a string or bigint above Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER.
-   *   Zero is accepted only for a 'receive' allocation (set allocationRole first).
    * @returns The current builder instance for chaining.
-   * @throws Error if amount is not positive (or negative, for a receive allocation)
+   * @throws Error if amount is negative, empty or not a number.
    */
   amount(amount: CantonAmountInput): this {
-    this._amount = normalizeCantonAmount(
-      amount,
-      'amount must be a positive number',
-      this._allocationRole === 'receive'
-    );
+    this._amount = normalizeCantonAmount(amount, AMOUNT_ERROR_MESSAGE, true);
     return this;
   }
 
@@ -280,7 +287,7 @@ export class AllocationAllocateBuilder extends TransactionBuilder {
   private validate(): void {
     if (!this._commandId) throw new Error('commandId is missing');
     if (this._amount === undefined || this._amount === null) throw new Error('amount is missing');
-    if (this._allocationRole === 'send' && !Number(this._amount)) throw new Error('amount is missing');
+    if (this._allocationRole === 'send' && !Number(this._amount)) throw new Error(AMOUNT_ERROR_MESSAGE);
     if (!this._token) throw new Error('token is missing');
     if (!this._operatorId) throw new Error('operatorId is missing');
     if (this._contractId === undefined) throw new Error('contractId is missing');
diff --git a/modules/sdk-coin-canton/test/unit/builder/allocationAllocate/allocationAllocateBuilder.ts b/modules/sdk-coin-canton/test/unit/builder/allocationAllocate/allocationAllocateBuilder.ts
index 543274d90f..a9d93fe1fc 100644
--- a/modules/sdk-coin-canton/test/unit/builder/allocationAllocate/allocationAllocateBuilder.ts
+++ b/modules/sdk-coin-canton/test/unit/builder/allocationAllocate/allocationAllocateBuilder.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@ function buildWithAllRequired(txBuilder: AllocationAllocateBuilder): AllocationA
     .senderPartyId(senderPartyId);
 }
 
+// Helper to create an initialised builder with no fields set
+function newAllocationBuilder(): AllocationAllocateBuilder {
+  const txBuilder = new AllocationAllocateBuilder(coins.get('tcanton'));
+  txBuilder.initBuilder(new Transaction(coins.get('tcanton')));
+  return txBuilder;
+}
+
 describe('AllocationAllocate Builder', () => {
   it('should build the allocation allocate request object with all fields', function () {
     const txBuilder = new AllocationAllocateBuilder(coins.get('tcanton'));
@@ -82,9 +89,7 @@ describe('AllocationAllocate Builder', () => {
   });
 
   it('should build an unfunded receive-only allocation with amount 0', function () {
-    const txBuilder = new AllocationAllocateBuilder(coins.get('tcanton'));
-    const tx = new Transaction(coins.get('tcanton'));
-    txBuilder.initBuilder(tx);
+    const txBuilder = newAllocationBuilder();
     buildWithAllRequired(txBuilder.allocationRole('receive')).amount(0);
     const requestObj = txBuilder.toRequestObject();
     assert.equal(requestObj.amount, 0);
@@ -92,26 +97,54 @@ describe('AllocationAllocate Builder', () => {
   });
 
   it('should accept a zero string amount for a receive-only allocation', function () {
-    const txBuilder = new AllocationAllocateBuilder(coins.get('tcanton'));
-    const tx = new Transaction(coins.get('tcanton'));
-    txBuilder.initBuilder(tx);
+    const txBuilder = newAllocationBuilder();
     buildWithAllRequired(txBuilder.allocationRole('receive')).amount('0');
     assert.equal(txBuilder.toRequestObject().amount, '0');
   });
 
-  it('should still reject a zero amount for a send allocation', function () {
-    const txBuilder = new AllocationAllocateBuilder(coins.get('tcanton'));
-    const tx = new Transaction(coins.get('tcanton'));
-    txBuilder.initBuilder(tx);
-    assert.throws(() => txBuilder.amount(0), /amount must be a positive number/);
-    assert.throws(() => txBuilder.allocationRole('send').amount('0'), /amount must be a positive number/);
+  it('should build a receive-only allocation when amount() is called before allocationRole()', function () {
+    const txBuilder = newAllocationBuilder();
+    buildWithAllRequired(txBuilder).amount(0).allocationRole('receive');
+    const requestObj = txBuilder.toRequestObject();
+    assert.equal(requestObj.amount, 0);
+    assert.equal(requestObj.allocationRole, 'receive');
+  });
+
+  it('should build a receive-only allocation with a zero string amount set before the role', function () {
+    const txBuilder = newAllocationBuilder();
+    buildWithAllRequired(txBuilder).amount('0').allocationRole('receive');
+    assert.equal(txBuilder.toRequestObject().amount, '0');
+  });
+
+  it('should still reject a zero amount for a send allocation, naming the receive role', function () {
+    const txBuilder = newAllocationBuilder();
+    buildWithAllRequired(txBuilder).amount(0);
+    assert.throws(() => txBuilder.toRequestObject(), /allocationRole\('receive'\)/);
+  });
+
+  it('should still reject an explicit send allocation with a zero string amount, naming the receive role', function () {
+    const txBuilder = newAllocationBuilder();
+    buildWithAllRequired(txBuilder).amount('0').allocationRole('send');
+    assert.throws(() => txBuilder.toRequestObject(), /allocationRole\('receive'\)/);
+  });
+
+  it('should reject a negative or empty amount with no receive role, naming the receive role', function () {
+    for (const badAmount of [-1, '-1', '']) {
+      assert.throws(
+        () => newAllocationBuilder().amount(badAmount),
+        /allocationRole\('receive'\)/,
+        `amount ${JSON.stringify(badAmount)} should name allocationRole('receive')`
+      );
+    }
   });
 
   it('should reject a negative amount even for a receive-only allocation', function () {
-    const txBuilder = new AllocationAllocateBuilder(coins.get('tcanton'));
-    const tx = new Transaction(coins.get('tcanton'));
-    txBuilder.initBuilder(tx);
-    assert.throws(() => txBuilder.allocationRole('receive').amount(-1), /amount must be a positive number/);
+    for (const badAmount of [-1, '-1']) {
+      assert.throws(
+        () => newAllocationBuilder().allocationRole('receive').amount(badAmount),
+        /amount must be a positive number/
+      );
+    }
   });
 
   it('should not set allocationRole on a send allocation request', function () {