diff --git a/quaddtype/README.md b/quaddtype/README.md
index 0d6051e9..d6b854e2 100644
--- a/quaddtype/README.md
+++ b/quaddtype/README.md
@@ -42,8 +42,11 @@ Building the `numpy-quaddtype` package:
 python3 -m venv temp
 source temp/bin/activate
 
-# Install the package
-pip install numpy pytest
+# Install NumPy from source
+pip install "numpy @ git+https://github.com/numpy/numpy.git"
+
+# Install build and test dependencies
+pip install pytest meson meson-python
 
 # To build without QBLAS (default for MSVC)
 # export CFLAGS="-DDISABLE_QUADBLAS"
diff --git a/quaddtype/meson.build b/quaddtype/meson.build
index ea826756..78a94867 100644
--- a/quaddtype/meson.build
+++ b/quaddtype/meson.build
@@ -50,23 +50,23 @@ if sleef_dep.found() and sleef_dep.type_name() != 'internal'
       )
       use_system_sleef = true
     else
-      fallback_reason = 'quad-precision support is not working'
+      fallback_reason = 'System-wide SLEEF installation found but a test for quad precision support failed.'
     endif
   else
-    fallback_reason = 'sleefquad library is missing'
+    fallback_reason = 'System-wide SLEEF installation does not have a sleefquad library.'
   endif
 else
-  fallback_reason = 'SLEEF not found system-wide'
+  fallback_reason = 'Cannot find system-wide SLEEF installation.'
 endif
 
 if use_system_sleef
   message('Using system-wide SLEEF installation with quad-precision support')
 else
-  warning('Falling back to SLEEF subproject: ' + fallback_reason)
   sleef_subproj = subproject('sleef')
   sleef_dep = sleef_subproj.get_variable('sleef_dep')
   sleefquad_dep = sleef_subproj.get_variable('sleefquad_dep')
-  message('Using SLEEF subproject')
+  warning(fallback_reason)
+  message('Proceeding with vendored SLEEF subproject instead')
 endif
 
 incdir_numpy = run_command(py,