diff --git a/src/helpers/session-context-copilot.ts b/src/helpers/session-context-copilot.ts
index f91d16a8..8e1daaf0 100644
--- a/src/helpers/session-context-copilot.ts
+++ b/src/helpers/session-context-copilot.ts
@@ -196,12 +196,15 @@ export async function readCopilotSession(
     path: eventsFile,
   };
 
-  const raw = await readTextIfExists(eventsFile);
+  // A file that exists but cannot be read rejects rather than yielding null.
+  const raw = await readTextIfExists(eventsFile).catch(() => null);
   if (raw === null) return noTranscript;
 
   let rawEntries: z.infer<typeof CopilotEventsSchema>;
   try {
-    rawEntries = CopilotEventsSchema.parse(Bun.JSONL.parse(raw));
+    const parsed = CopilotEventsSchema.safeParse(Bun.JSONL.parse(raw));
+    if (!parsed.success) return noTranscript;
+    rawEntries = parsed.data;
   } catch {
     return noTranscript;
   }
diff --git a/src/helpers/session-context.ts b/src/helpers/session-context.ts
index f69fa83e..c8f6033f 100644
--- a/src/helpers/session-context.ts
+++ b/src/helpers/session-context.ts
@@ -283,12 +283,18 @@ export async function readClaudeCodeSession(
   }
 
   const sessionFile = join(projectsDir, targetName);
-  const raw = await readTextIfExists(sessionFile);
+  // `.catch` as well as the null: readTextIfExists rejects for a file that
+  // exists but cannot be read, which is the case sessionReadFailure names.
+  const raw = await readTextIfExists(sessionFile).catch(() => null);
   if (raw === null) return sessionReadFailure(sessionFile);
 
   let entries: TranscriptEntry[];
   try {
-    entries = z.array(TranscriptEntrySchema).parse(Bun.JSONL.parse(raw));
+    const parsed = z
+      .array(TranscriptEntrySchema)
+      .safeParse(Bun.JSONL.parse(raw));
+    if (!parsed.success) return sessionReadFailure(sessionFile);
+    entries = parsed.data;
   } catch {
     return sessionReadFailure(sessionFile);
   }
@@ -433,12 +439,18 @@ export async function readCursorSession(
     targetDir.name,
     `${targetDir.name}.jsonl`
   );
-  const raw = await readTextIfExists(sessionFile);
+  // `.catch` as well as the null: readTextIfExists rejects for a file that
+  // exists but cannot be read, which is the case sessionReadFailure names.
+  const raw = await readTextIfExists(sessionFile).catch(() => null);
   if (raw === null) return sessionReadFailure(sessionFile);
 
   let entries: TranscriptEntry[];
   try {
-    entries = z.array(TranscriptEntrySchema).parse(Bun.JSONL.parse(raw));
+    const parsed = z
+      .array(TranscriptEntrySchema)
+      .safeParse(Bun.JSONL.parse(raw));
+    if (!parsed.success) return sessionReadFailure(sessionFile);
+    entries = parsed.data;
   } catch {
     return sessionReadFailure(sessionFile);
   }
diff --git a/tests/helpers/session-context-copilot.test.ts b/tests/helpers/session-context-copilot.test.ts
index a6cc13f1..79db6cb2 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/session-context-copilot.test.ts
+++ b/tests/helpers/session-context-copilot.test.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // Copyright 2026 Archgate
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
 import {
+  chmodSync,
   mkdirSync,
   mkdtempSync,
   rmSync,
@@ -60,6 +61,26 @@ describe("readCopilotSession", () => {
     }
   }
 
+  // events.jsonl exists but cannot be read: the reader reports "no transcript"
+  // rather than letting the rejection escape. Non-root POSIX only.
+  test.skipIf(process.platform === "win32" || process.getuid?.() === 0)(
+    "reports no transcript when events.jsonl cannot be read",
+    async () => {
+      const sessionId = `copilot-${uniqueId}-locked`;
+      makeSession(sessionId, projectRoot, ['{"type":"user.message"}']);
+      const file = join(stateDir, sessionId, "events.jsonl");
+      chmodSync(file, 0o000);
+      try {
+        const result = await readCopilotSession(projectRoot);
+        expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
+        if (result.ok) throw new Error("expected a failure result");
+        expect(result.error).toContain("no conversation transcript");
+      } finally {
+        chmodSync(file, 0o600);
+      }
+    }
+  );
+
   test("returns data for most recent session matching project", async () => {
     const sessionId = `copilot-${uniqueId}-1`;
     makeSession(sessionId, projectRoot, [
diff --git a/tests/helpers/session-context-cursor.test.ts b/tests/helpers/session-context-cursor.test.ts
index ceb2d7e8..e5110654 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/session-context-cursor.test.ts
+++ b/tests/helpers/session-context-cursor.test.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   mkdtempSync,
   rmSync,
   symlinkSync,
+  chmodSync,
   writeFileSync,
 } from "node:fs";
 import * as os from "node:os";
@@ -65,6 +66,30 @@ describe("readCursorSession", () => {
     writeFileSync(join(sessionDir, `${sessionId}.jsonl`), lines.join("\n"));
   }
 
+  // Discovery finds the file, the read then fails — permission-denied here,
+  // a session removed mid-read in practice. Non-root POSIX only: chmod is a
+  // no-op on Windows and root ignores the mode bits.
+  test.skipIf(process.platform === "win32" || process.getuid?.() === 0)(
+    "reports a read failure when the transcript cannot be read",
+    async () => {
+      makeSession("session-locked", ['{"role":"user"}']);
+      const file = join(
+        transcriptsDir,
+        "session-locked",
+        "session-locked.jsonl"
+      );
+      chmodSync(file, 0o000);
+      try {
+        const result = await readCursorSession(projectRoot);
+        expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
+        if (result.ok) throw new Error("expected a failure result");
+        expect(result.error).toBe("Failed to read session file");
+      } finally {
+        chmodSync(file, 0o600);
+      }
+    }
+  );
+
   test("returns data for most recent session", async () => {
     makeSession("session-abc", [
       JSON.stringify({
diff --git a/tests/helpers/session-context.test.ts b/tests/helpers/session-context.test.ts
index 11ad1a0d..fc6d867e 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/session-context.test.ts
+++ b/tests/helpers/session-context.test.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,13 @@ import {
   test,
   type Mock,
 } from "bun:test";
-import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import {
+  chmodSync,
+  mkdirSync,
+  mkdtempSync,
+  rmSync,
+  writeFileSync,
+} from "node:fs";
 import * as os from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 
@@ -171,6 +177,29 @@ describe("readClaudeCodeSession", () => {
       );
     }
 
+    // A session file can exist at discovery and be unreadable at the read:
+    // removed in between, or permission-denied. readTextIfExists rejects
+    // rather than yielding null there, which is the case sessionReadFailure
+    // names. Only reproducible as a non-root POSIX user — chmod is a no-op on
+    // Windows and root ignores the mode bits.
+    test.skipIf(process.platform === "win32" || process.getuid?.() === 0)(
+      "reports a read failure for a session file that cannot be read",
+      async () => {
+        const file = join(projectsDir, "session.jsonl");
+        writeFileSync(file, '{"type":"user"}');
+        chmodSync(file, 0o000);
+        try {
+          const result = await readClaudeCodeSession(projectRoot);
+          expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
+          if (result.ok) throw new Error("expected a failure result");
+          expect(result.error).toBe("Failed to read session file");
+        } finally {
+          // Restore before afterEach's rmSync, which cannot remove it otherwise.
+          chmodSync(file, 0o600);
+        }
+      }
+    );
+
     test("returns data with correct transcript when JSONL exists", async () => {
       writeSession([
         { type: "user", message: { role: "user", content: "hello" } },