diff --git a/packages/jsii-pacmak/lib/targets/go.ts b/packages/jsii-pacmak/lib/targets/go.ts
index 01a7422f54..4b69472b52 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-pacmak/lib/targets/go.ts
+++ b/packages/jsii-pacmak/lib/targets/go.ts
@@ -94,10 +94,11 @@ export class Golang extends Target {
     // local build directory for this module. if
     // we do, add a "replace" directive to point to it instead of download from
     // the network.
-    const visit = (pkg: RootPackage) => {
+    const visit = async (pkg: RootPackage) => {
       for (const dep of pkg.packageDependencies) {
         for (const baseDir of dirs) {
-          const moduleDir = tryFindLocalModule(baseDir, dep);
+          // eslint-disable-next-line no-await-in-loop
+          const moduleDir = await tryFindLocalModule(baseDir, dep);
           if (moduleDir) {
             replace[dep.goModuleName] = moduleDir;
 
@@ -107,11 +108,12 @@ export class Golang extends Target {
         }
 
         // recurse to transitive deps ("replace" is only considered at the top level go.mod)
-        visit(dep);
+        // eslint-disable-next-line no-await-in-loop
+        await visit(dep);
       }
     };
 
-    visit(this.goGenerator.rootPackage);
+    await visit(this.goGenerator.rootPackage);
 
     // write `local.go.mod`
 
@@ -198,14 +200,14 @@ class GoGenerator implements IGenerator {
  * @param baseDir the `dist/go` directory
  * @returns `undefined` if not or the module directory otherwise.
  */
-function tryFindLocalModule(baseDir: string, pkg: RootPackage) {
+async function tryFindLocalModule(baseDir: string, pkg: RootPackage) {
   const gomodPath = path.join(baseDir, pkg.packageName, GOMOD_FILENAME);
-  if (!fs.pathExistsSync(gomodPath)) {
+  if (!(await fs.pathExists(gomodPath))) {
     return undefined;
   }
 
   // read `go.mod` and check that it is for the correct module
-  const gomod = fs.readFileSync(gomodPath, 'utf-8').split('\n');
+  const gomod = (await fs.readFile(gomodPath, 'utf-8')).split('\n');
   const isExpectedModule = gomod.find(
     (line) => line.trim() === `module ${pkg.goModuleName}`,
   );
diff --git a/packages/jsii-rosetta/bin/jsii-rosetta.ts b/packages/jsii-rosetta/bin/jsii-rosetta.ts
index da6eba97a5..4e0711074f 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-rosetta/bin/jsii-rosetta.ts
+++ b/packages/jsii-rosetta/bin/jsii-rosetta.ts
@@ -189,9 +189,17 @@ function main() {
           })
           .options('strict', {
             alias: 's',
-            type: 'boolean',
+            conflicts: 'loose',
             describe:
               'Fail if an example that needs live transliteration fails to compile (which could cause incorrect transpilation results)',
+            type: 'boolean',
+          })
+          .options('loose', {
+            alias: 'l',
+            conflicts: 'strict',
+            describe:
+              'Ignore missing fixtures and literate markdown files instead of failing',
+            type: 'boolean',
           })
           .option('tablet', {
             alias: 't',
diff --git a/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/commands/extract.ts b/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/commands/extract.ts
index 3ee8f971d2..f3637f7651 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/commands/extract.ts
+++ b/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/commands/extract.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ export interface ExtractOptions {
 export async function extractSnippets(
   assemblyLocations: string[],
   options: ExtractOptions,
+  loose = false,
 ): Promise<ExtractResult> {
   const only = options.only ?? [];
 
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ export async function extractSnippets(
     options.validateAssemblies,
   );
 
-  let snippets = allTypeScriptSnippets(assemblies);
+  let snippets = allTypeScriptSnippets(assemblies, loose);
   if (only.length > 0) {
     snippets = filterSnippets(snippets, only);
   }
diff --git a/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/commands/transliterate.ts b/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/commands/transliterate.ts
index 6b342609e1..2a50f1007f 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/commands/transliterate.ts
+++ b/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/commands/transliterate.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,15 @@ import { Translation } from '../tablets/tablets';
 
 export interface TransliterateAssemblyOptions {
   /**
-   * Whather transliteration should fail upon failing to compile an example that
+   * Whether to ignore any missing fixture files or literate markdown documents
+   * referenced by the assembly, instead of failing.
+   *
+   * @default false
+   */
+  readonly loose?: boolean;
+
+  /**
+   * Whether transliteration should fail upon failing to compile an example that
    * required live transliteration.
    *
    * @default false
@@ -46,6 +54,7 @@ export async function transliterateAssembly(
   const rosetta = new Rosetta({
     includeCompilerDiagnostics: true,
     liveConversion: true,
+    loose: options.loose,
     targetLanguages,
   });
   if (options.tablet) {
@@ -71,7 +80,7 @@ export async function transliterateAssembly(
         );
       }
       for (const type of Object.values(result.types ?? {})) {
-        transliterateType(type, rosetta, language, location);
+        transliterateType(type, rosetta, language, location, options.loose);
       }
       // eslint-disable-next-line no-await-in-loop
       await writeJson(
@@ -153,6 +162,7 @@ function transliterateType(
   rosetta: Rosetta,
   language: TargetLanguage,
   workingDirectory: string,
+  loose = false,
 ): void {
   transliterateDocs(type.docs);
   switch (type.kind) {
@@ -193,6 +203,7 @@ function transliterateType(
           true /* strict */,
           { [SnippetParameters.$PROJECT_DIRECTORY]: workingDirectory },
         ),
+        loose,
       );
       const translation = rosetta.translateSnippet(snippet, language);
       if (translation != null) {
diff --git a/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/fixtures.ts b/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/fixtures.ts
index 81f3d09979..09fc28ad07 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/fixtures.ts
+++ b/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/fixtures.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,10 @@ import { TypeScriptSnippet, SnippetParameters } from './snippet';
 /**
  * Complete snippets with fixtures, if required
  */
-export function fixturize(snippet: TypeScriptSnippet): TypeScriptSnippet {
+export function fixturize(
+  snippet: TypeScriptSnippet,
+  loose = false,
+): TypeScriptSnippet {
   let source = snippet.visibleSource;
   const parameters = snippet.parameters ?? {};
 
@@ -25,14 +28,14 @@ export function fixturize(snippet: TypeScriptSnippet): TypeScriptSnippet {
   if (literateSource) {
     // Compatibility with the "old school" example inclusion mechanism.
     // Completely load this file and attach a parameter with its directory.
-    source = loadLiterateSource(directory, literateSource);
+    source = loadLiterateSource(directory, literateSource, loose);
     parameters[SnippetParameters.$COMPILATION_DIRECTORY] = path.join(
       directory,
       path.dirname(literateSource),
     );
   } else if (parameters[SnippetParameters.FIXTURE]) {
-    // Explicitly request a fixture
-    source = loadAndSubFixture(directory, parameters.fixture, source, true);
+    // Explicitly requested fixture must exist, unless we are operating in loose mode
+    source = loadAndSubFixture(directory, parameters.fixture, source, !loose);
   } else if (parameters[SnippetParameters.NO_FIXTURE] === undefined) {
     // Don't explicitly request no fixture
     source = loadAndSubFixture(directory, 'default', source, false);
@@ -45,10 +48,22 @@ export function fixturize(snippet: TypeScriptSnippet): TypeScriptSnippet {
   };
 }
 
-function loadLiterateSource(directory: string, literateFileName: string) {
+function loadLiterateSource(
+  directory: string,
+  literateFileName: string,
+  loose = false,
+) {
   const fullPath = path.join(directory, literateFileName);
   const exists = fs.existsSync(fullPath);
   if (!exists) {
+    if (loose) {
+      // In loose mode, we'll fall back to the `.js` file if it exists...
+      const jsFile = fullPath.replace(/\.ts(x?)$/, '.js$1');
+      if (fs.existsSync(jsFile)) {
+        return fs.readFileSync(jsFile, { encoding: 'utf-8' });
+      }
+      return `Missing literate source file ${literateFileName}`;
+    }
     // This couldn't really happen in practice, but do the check anyway
     throw new Error(
       `Sample uses literate source ${literateFileName}, but not found: ${fullPath}`,
diff --git a/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/jsii/assemblies.ts b/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/jsii/assemblies.ts
index 0f3ab7545a..0b87fea897 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/jsii/assemblies.ts
+++ b/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/jsii/assemblies.ts
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ function removeSlashes(x: string) {
 
 export function* allTypeScriptSnippets(
   assemblies: readonly LoadedAssembly[],
+  loose = false,
 ): IterableIterator<TypeScriptSnippet> {
   for (const { assembly, directory } of assemblies) {
     const strict = enforcesStrictMode(assembly);
@@ -146,7 +147,7 @@ export function* allTypeScriptSnippets(
               [SnippetParameters.$PROJECT_DIRECTORY]: directory,
             },
           );
-          yield fixturize(snippet);
+          yield fixturize(snippet, loose);
           break;
         case 'markdown':
           for (const snippet of extractTypescriptSnippetsFromMarkdown(
@@ -157,7 +158,7 @@ export function* allTypeScriptSnippets(
             const withDirectory = updateParameters(snippet, {
               [SnippetParameters.$PROJECT_DIRECTORY]: directory,
             });
-            yield fixturize(withDirectory);
+            yield fixturize(withDirectory, loose);
           }
       }
     }
diff --git a/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/rosetta.ts b/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/rosetta.ts
index 838a331ec7..afb126107d 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/rosetta.ts
+++ b/packages/jsii-rosetta/lib/rosetta.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,14 @@ export interface RosettaOptions {
    * Whether to include compiler diagnostics in the compilation results.
    */
   readonly includeCompilerDiagnostics?: boolean;
+
+  /**
+   * Whether this Rosetta should operate in "loose" mode, where missing literate
+   * source files and missing fixtures are ignored instead of failing.
+   *
+   * @default false
+   */
+  readonly loose?: boolean;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -60,8 +68,10 @@ export class Rosetta {
   private readonly liveTablet = new LanguageTablet();
   private readonly extractedSnippets = new Map<string, TypeScriptSnippet>();
   private readonly translator: Translator;
+  private readonly loose: boolean;
 
   public constructor(private readonly options: RosettaOptions = {}) {
+    this.loose = !!options.loose;
     this.translator = new Translator(
       options.includeCompilerDiagnostics ?? false,
     );
@@ -114,9 +124,10 @@ export class Rosetta {
     }
 
     if (this.options.liveConversion) {
-      for (const tsnip of allTypeScriptSnippets([
-        { assembly, directory: assemblyDir },
-      ])) {
+      for (const tsnip of allTypeScriptSnippets(
+        [{ assembly, directory: assemblyDir }],
+        this.loose,
+      )) {
         this.extractedSnippets.set(tsnip.visibleSource, tsnip);
       }
     }
diff --git a/packages/jsii-rosetta/test/commands/transliterate.test.ts b/packages/jsii-rosetta/test/commands/transliterate.test.ts
index ecb85ef88e..6f11824fbb 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-rosetta/test/commands/transliterate.test.ts
+++ b/packages/jsii-rosetta/test/commands/transliterate.test.ts
@@ -907,6 +907,330 @@ export class ClassName implements IInterface {
     );
   }));
 
+test('single assembly, loose mode', () =>
+  withTemporaryDirectory(async (tmpDir) => {
+    // GIVEN
+    const compilationResult = await jsii.compileJsiiForTest({
+      'README.md': `
+# Missing literate source
+
+[example is not found](missing-example.lit.ts)
+
+# Missing fixture
+
+\`\`\`ts fixture=not-found
+new SampleClass('README.md');
+\`\`\`
+`,
+      'index.ts': `
+/**
+ * @example
+ *   /// fixture=not-found
+ *   new DoesNotCompile(this, 'That', { foo: 1337 });
+ */
+export class SampleClass {
+  public constructor(_source: string){ }
+}
+`,
+      // The `lit.ts` source file will not be there in packaged form...
+      'missing-example.lit.ts': `
+import { SampleClass } from './index';
+
+/// !show
+/// ## This is a heading within the literate file!
+new SampleClass('literate');
+      `,
+    });
+    fs.writeJsonSync(
+      path.join(tmpDir, SPEC_FILE_NAME),
+      compilationResult.assembly,
+      {
+        spaces: 2,
+      },
+    );
+    for (const [file, content] of Object.entries(compilationResult.files)) {
+      fs.writeFileSync(path.resolve(tmpDir, file), content, 'utf-8');
+    }
+
+    // WHEN
+    await expect(
+      transliterateAssembly([tmpDir], Object.values(TargetLanguage), {
+        loose: true,
+      }),
+    ).resolves.not.toThrow();
+
+    // THEN
+    expect(
+      fs.readJsonSync(path.join(tmpDir, `${SPEC_FILE_NAME}.csharp`)),
+    ).toMatchInlineSnapshot(
+      {
+        fingerprint: expect.any(String),
+        jsiiVersion: expect.any(String),
+      },
+      `
+      Object {
+        "author": Object {
+          "name": "John Doe",
+          "roles": Array [
+            "author",
+          ],
+        },
+        "description": "testpkg",
+        "fingerprint": Any<String>,
+        "homepage": "https://github.com/aws/jsii.git",
+        "jsiiVersion": Any<String>,
+        "license": "Apache-2.0",
+        "metadata": Object {
+          "jsii": Object {
+            "pacmak": Object {
+              "hasDefaultInterfaces": true,
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        "name": "testpkg",
+        "readme": Object {
+          "markdown": "# Missing literate source
+
+      ## This is a heading within the literate file!
+
+      \`\`\`csharp
+      // Example automatically generated without compilation. See https://github.com/aws/jsii/issues/826
+      new index_1.SampleClass(\\"literate\\");
+      \`\`\`
+
+      # Missing fixture
+
+      \`\`\`csharp
+      // Example automatically generated without compilation. See https://github.com/aws/jsii/issues/826
+      new SampleClass(\\"README.md\\");
+      \`\`\`",
+        },
+        "repository": Object {
+          "type": "git",
+          "url": "https://github.com/aws/jsii.git",
+        },
+        "schema": "jsii/0.10.0",
+        "targets": Object {
+          "js": Object {
+            "npm": "testpkg",
+          },
+        },
+        "types": Object {
+          "testpkg.SampleClass": Object {
+            "assembly": "testpkg",
+            "docs": Object {
+              "example": "// Example automatically generated without compilation. See https://github.com/aws/jsii/issues/826
+      new DoesNotCompile(this, \\"That\\", new Struct { Foo = 1337 });",
+            },
+            "fqn": "testpkg.SampleClass",
+            "initializer": Object {
+              "locationInModule": Object {
+                "filename": "index.ts",
+                "line": 8,
+              },
+              "parameters": Array [
+                Object {
+                  "name": "_source",
+                  "type": Object {
+                    "primitive": "string",
+                  },
+                },
+              ],
+            },
+            "kind": "class",
+            "locationInModule": Object {
+              "filename": "index.ts",
+              "line": 7,
+            },
+            "name": "SampleClass",
+          },
+        },
+        "version": "0.0.1",
+      }
+    `,
+    );
+
+    expect(
+      fs.readJsonSync(path.join(tmpDir, `${SPEC_FILE_NAME}.java`)),
+    ).toMatchInlineSnapshot(
+      {
+        fingerprint: expect.any(String),
+        jsiiVersion: expect.any(String),
+      },
+      `
+      Object {
+        "author": Object {
+          "name": "John Doe",
+          "roles": Array [
+            "author",
+          ],
+        },
+        "description": "testpkg",
+        "fingerprint": Any<String>,
+        "homepage": "https://github.com/aws/jsii.git",
+        "jsiiVersion": Any<String>,
+        "license": "Apache-2.0",
+        "metadata": Object {
+          "jsii": Object {
+            "pacmak": Object {
+              "hasDefaultInterfaces": true,
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        "name": "testpkg",
+        "readme": Object {
+          "markdown": "# Missing literate source
+
+      ## This is a heading within the literate file!
+
+      \`\`\`java
+      // Example automatically generated without compilation. See https://github.com/aws/jsii/issues/826
+      new SampleClass(\\"literate\\");
+      \`\`\`
+
+      # Missing fixture
+
+      \`\`\`java
+      // Example automatically generated without compilation. See https://github.com/aws/jsii/issues/826
+      new SampleClass(\\"README.md\\");
+      \`\`\`",
+        },
+        "repository": Object {
+          "type": "git",
+          "url": "https://github.com/aws/jsii.git",
+        },
+        "schema": "jsii/0.10.0",
+        "targets": Object {
+          "js": Object {
+            "npm": "testpkg",
+          },
+        },
+        "types": Object {
+          "testpkg.SampleClass": Object {
+            "assembly": "testpkg",
+            "docs": Object {
+              "example": "// Example automatically generated without compilation. See https://github.com/aws/jsii/issues/826
+      DoesNotCompile.Builder.create(this, \\"That\\").foo(1337).build();",
+            },
+            "fqn": "testpkg.SampleClass",
+            "initializer": Object {
+              "locationInModule": Object {
+                "filename": "index.ts",
+                "line": 8,
+              },
+              "parameters": Array [
+                Object {
+                  "name": "_source",
+                  "type": Object {
+                    "primitive": "string",
+                  },
+                },
+              ],
+            },
+            "kind": "class",
+            "locationInModule": Object {
+              "filename": "index.ts",
+              "line": 7,
+            },
+            "name": "SampleClass",
+          },
+        },
+        "version": "0.0.1",
+      }
+    `,
+    );
+
+    expect(
+      fs.readJsonSync(path.join(tmpDir, `${SPEC_FILE_NAME}.python`)),
+    ).toMatchInlineSnapshot(
+      {
+        fingerprint: expect.any(String),
+        jsiiVersion: expect.any(String),
+      },
+      `
+      Object {
+        "author": Object {
+          "name": "John Doe",
+          "roles": Array [
+            "author",
+          ],
+        },
+        "description": "testpkg",
+        "fingerprint": Any<String>,
+        "homepage": "https://github.com/aws/jsii.git",
+        "jsiiVersion": Any<String>,
+        "license": "Apache-2.0",
+        "metadata": Object {
+          "jsii": Object {
+            "pacmak": Object {
+              "hasDefaultInterfaces": true,
+            },
+          },
+        },
+        "name": "testpkg",
+        "readme": Object {
+          "markdown": "# Missing literate source
+
+      ## This is a heading within the literate file!
+
+      \`\`\`python
+      # Example automatically generated without compilation. See https://github.com/aws/jsii/issues/826
+      index_1.SampleClass(\\"literate\\")
+      \`\`\`
+
+      # Missing fixture
+
+      \`\`\`python
+      # Example automatically generated without compilation. See https://github.com/aws/jsii/issues/826
+      SampleClass(\\"README.md\\")
+      \`\`\`",
+        },
+        "repository": Object {
+          "type": "git",
+          "url": "https://github.com/aws/jsii.git",
+        },
+        "schema": "jsii/0.10.0",
+        "targets": Object {
+          "js": Object {
+            "npm": "testpkg",
+          },
+        },
+        "types": Object {
+          "testpkg.SampleClass": Object {
+            "assembly": "testpkg",
+            "docs": Object {
+              "example": "# Example automatically generated without compilation. See https://github.com/aws/jsii/issues/826
+      DoesNotCompile(self, \\"That\\", foo=1337)",
+            },
+            "fqn": "testpkg.SampleClass",
+            "initializer": Object {
+              "locationInModule": Object {
+                "filename": "index.ts",
+                "line": 8,
+              },
+              "parameters": Array [
+                Object {
+                  "name": "_source",
+                  "type": Object {
+                    "primitive": "string",
+                  },
+                },
+              ],
+            },
+            "kind": "class",
+            "locationInModule": Object {
+              "filename": "index.ts",
+              "line": 7,
+            },
+            "name": "SampleClass",
+          },
+        },
+        "version": "0.0.1",
+      }
+    `,
+    );
+  }));
+
 async function withTemporaryDirectory<T>(
   callback: (dir: string) => Promise<T>,
 ): Promise<T> {