The further away you are from the QA department, the looser the definition of version sanity. By the time you get to the back of the development department, where the newbies sit, the definition of sanity is “compilable”.

This is a major point of contention in some companies, especially small ones where everything is slightly ad-hoc and personal opinion trumps procedures, if procedures even exist. You can’t expect anyone to take your word as gospel – and quite right, too. So be prepared to explain, negotiate, and stand your ground (in that order).

The lesson here: if sanity is a matter of opinion, you need to learn to make your case. It’s your job, in this case, to be able to clearly explain your red lines, their rational and why you think the current version meets them.