A method of operating a magnetic resonance system for acquiring magnetic resonance data from a phantom within a measurement zone, wherein the phantom comprises a known volume of at least one predetermined substance (128, 130), wherein the method comprises the steps of: - acquiring the magnetic resonance data by controlling the magnetic resonance system with pulse sequence instructions, wherein the pulse sequence instructions cause the magnetic resonance system to acquire the magnetic resonance data according to a magnetic resonance fingerprinting technique, wherein the pulse sequence instructions specify a train of pulse sequence repetitions, wherein each pulse sequence repetition has a repetition time chosen from a distribution of repetition times, wherein each pulse sequence repetition comprises a radio frequency pulse chosen from a distribution of radio frequency pulses, wherein the distribution of radio frequency pulses cause magnetic spins to rotate to a distribution of flip angles, and wherein each pulse sequence repetition comprises a sampling event where the magnetic resonance signal is sampled for a predetermined duration at a sampling time before the end of the pulse sequence repetition, wherein the sampling time is chosen from a distribution of sampling times, wherein the magnetic resonance data is acquired during the sampling event; and - determining an occurrence of one or more performance degradation conditions, faults or malfunctions of the magnetic resonance system by comparing the magnetic resonance data with a magnetic resonance fingerprinting dictionary, wherein the magnetic resonance fingerprinting dictionary contains a listing of magnetic resonance signals for a set of system states in response to execution of the pulse sequence instructions for each of the at least one predetermined substance, wherein the set of system states represent faults, malfunctions, and/or performance degradations conditions by different components of the magnetic resonance system. - acquiring the magnetic resonance data by controlling the magnetic resonance system with pulse sequence instructions, wherein the pulse sequence instructions cause the magnetic resonance system to acquire the magnetic resonance data according to a magnetic resonance fingerprinting technique, wherein the pulse sequence instructions specify a train of pulse sequence repetitions, wherein each pulse sequence repetition has a repetition time chosen from a distribution of repetition times, wherein each pulse sequence repetition comprises a radio frequency pulse chosen from a distribution of radio frequency pulses, wherein the distribution of radio frequency pulses cause magnetic spins to rotate to a distribution of flip angles, and wherein each pulse sequence repetition comprises a sampling event where the magnetic resonance signal is sampled for a predetermined duration at a sampling time before the end of the pulse sequence repetition, wherein the sampling time is chosen from a distribution of sampling times, wherein the magnetic resonance data is acquired during the sampling event; and - determining an occurrence of one or more performance degradation conditions, faults or malfunctions of the magnetic resonance system by comparing the magnetic resonance data with a magnetic resonance fingerprinting dictionary, wherein the magnetic resonance fingerprinting dictionary contains a listing of magnetic resonance signals for a set of system states in response to execution of the pulse sequence instructions for each of the at least one predetermined substance, wherein the set of system states represent faults, malfunctions, and/or performance degradations conditions by different components of the magnetic resonance system.