diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2aa7141..deae5d9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -57,6 +57,13 @@ All notable changes to **basou** are recorded here. The project follows
   promises this (see Changed). A signal Node has no name for (`SIGEMT` on
   macOS, the real-time signals on Linux) still reaches basou as an exit code
   of `0`, so basou still exits `0` for it.
+- **`basou decision capture` and `basou review record` no longer print the
+  path of a `--file` they cannot read.** `Input file not found: <path>`
+  carried the path as given, which can be absolute, and most other failures
+  to read it (a file without read permission, say) passed on Node's own
+  message, which names the path. They now say `--file names a file that does not exist`,
+  `--file names a directory, not a file` or `Could not read the file --file
+  names`, as `basou note` does, and `--verbose` adds the cause's code.
 
 ## 0.68.4 — 2026-10-15
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/decision.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/decision.test.ts
index c1fd352..2e152f2 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/decision.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/decision.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { execFile } from "node:child_process";
 import {
+  chmod,
   mkdir,
   mkdtemp,
   readdir,
@@ -1333,17 +1334,73 @@ describe("doRunDecisionCapture (input validation, agent-facing errors)", () => {
     expect(process.exitCode).toBe(1);
   });
 
-  it("cap-err-9: --file that does not exist is rejected without hanging", async () => {
+  it("cap-err-9: a --file that cannot be read is refused with a fixed message that carries no path", async () => {
+    const repo = await setupInitedRepo();
+    await mkdir(join(repo, "a-directory"));
+    await writeFile(join(repo, "locked.json"), "[]");
+    await chmod(join(repo, "locked.json"), 0o000);
+    const cases: Array<[string, string]> = [
+      [join(repo, "missing.json"), "--file names a file that does not exist"],
+      [join(repo, "a-directory"), "--file names a directory, not a file"],
+    ];
+    // Root reads a 0o000 file anyway, so the permission case only means
+    // something for an ordinary user.
+    if (process.getuid?.() !== 0) {
+      cases.push([join(repo, "locked.json"), "Could not read the file --file names"]);
+    }
+    const err = captureStderr();
+    for (const [file, message] of cases) {
+      err.mockClear();
+      process.exitCode = 0;
+      await runDecisionCapture({ file }, { cwd: repo, nowProvider: () => FIXED_NOW });
+      expect(joinCalls(err), file).toBe(message);
+      expect(process.exitCode, file).toBe(1);
+    }
+    const dirs = await readdir(basouPaths(repo).sessions);
+    expect(dirs.filter((d) => d.startsWith("ses_"))).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("cap-err-9c: --verbose adds the code of the cause, still with no path", async () => {
     const repo = await setupInitedRepo();
     const err = captureStderr();
     await runDecisionCapture(
-      { file: join(repo, "missing.json") },
+      { file: join(repo, "missing.json"), verbose: true },
       { cwd: repo, nowProvider: () => FIXED_NOW },
     );
-    expect(joinCalls(err)).toContain("Input file not found:");
+    expect(joinCalls(err)).toBe("--file names a file that does not exist\nCaused by: ENOENT");
     expect(process.exitCode).toBe(1);
   });
 
+  it("cap-err-9d: a relative --file is read from the working directory, not the workspace root", async () => {
+    const repo = await setupInitedRepo();
+    const sub = join(repo, "sub");
+    await mkdir(sub);
+    await writeFile(
+      join(sub, "rel.json"),
+      JSON.stringify([{ title: "from sub", kind: "decision" }]),
+    );
+    await writeFile(
+      join(repo, "rel.json"),
+      JSON.stringify([{ title: "from root", kind: "decision" }]),
+    );
+    captureStdout();
+    const previous = process.cwd();
+    process.chdir(sub);
+    try {
+      await doRunDecisionCapture({ file: "rel.json" }, { cwd: sub, nowProvider: () => FIXED_NOW });
+    } finally {
+      process.chdir(previous);
+    }
+    const sid = await findAdHocSessionId(repo);
+    const events = (await readFile(join(basouPaths(repo).sessions, sid, "events.jsonl"), "utf8"))
+      .split("\n")
+      .filter((l) => l.length > 0)
+      .map((l) => JSON.parse(l) as Record<string, unknown>);
+    expect(events.filter((e) => e.type === "decision_recorded").map((e) => e.title)).toEqual([
+      "from sub",
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("cap-err-9b: --file - is refused as reserved for stdin, before the root lookup and whatever is on disk", async () => {
     const input = JSON.stringify([{ title: "x", kind: "decision" }]);
     const readInput = vi.fn(async () => input);
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/decision.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/decision.ts
index bb98dc7..0723049 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/decision.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/decision.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { readFile } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { homedir } from "node:os";
 import { join, resolve } from "node:path";
 import {
@@ -32,7 +31,7 @@ import {
   renderCliError,
   shortSessionId,
 } from "../lib/error-render.js";
-import { refuseDashInputFile } from "../lib/input-file.js";
+import { readInputFileText, refuseDashInputFile } from "../lib/input-file.js";
 import { resolveBasouRootForCommand } from "../lib/repo-root.js";
 import { registerDecisionGapsCommand } from "./decision-gaps.js";
 
@@ -737,14 +736,7 @@ async function readCaptureInput(
   ctx: DecisionCaptureContext,
 ): Promise<string> {
   if (options.file !== undefined) {
-    try {
-      return await readFile(options.file, "utf8");
-    } catch (error: unknown) {
-      if (findErrorCode(error, "ENOENT")) {
-        throw new Error(`Input file not found: ${options.file}`);
-      }
-      throw error;
-    }
+    return await readInputFileText("--file", options.file);
   }
   if (ctx.readInput !== undefined) {
     return await ctx.readInput();
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/note.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/note.ts
index e7ce38a..4533519 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/note.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/note.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { readFile } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { homedir } from "node:os";
 import { resolve } from "node:path";
 import {
@@ -24,7 +23,7 @@ import {
   renderCliError,
   shortSessionId,
 } from "../lib/error-render.js";
-import { refuseDashInputFile } from "../lib/input-file.js";
+import { readInputFileText, refuseDashInputFile } from "../lib/input-file.js";
 import { resolveBasouRootForCommand } from "../lib/repo-root.js";
 
 // Single words that are almost certainly a mistyped subcommand rather than a
@@ -317,20 +316,7 @@ async function readNoteBody(
     return { body: bodyArgument, source: "argument" };
   }
   if (options.file !== undefined) {
-    let raw: string;
-    try {
-      raw = await readFile(resolve(cwd, options.file), "utf8");
-    } catch (error: unknown) {
-      // Fixed messages, like `basou task new --from-file`: the error surface
-      // never carries a path. The cause (shown with --verbose) has the detail.
-      if (findErrorCode(error, "ENOENT")) {
-        throw new Error("--file names a file that does not exist", { cause: error });
-      }
-      if (findErrorCode(error, "EISDIR")) {
-        throw new Error("--file names a directory, not a file", { cause: error });
-      }
-      throw new Error("Could not read the file --file names", { cause: error });
-    }
+    const raw = await readInputFileText("--file", resolve(cwd, options.file));
     return { body: dropTrailingNewlines(raw), source: "file" };
   }
   if (ctx.readInput !== undefined) {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/review.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/review.test.ts
index 2611b3b..b8df71b 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/review.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/review.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 import { execFile } from "node:child_process";
-import { mkdtemp, readdir, readFile, realpath, rm, symlink, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import {
+  chmod,
+  mkdir,
+  mkdtemp,
+  readdir,
+  readFile,
+  realpath,
+  rm,
+  symlink,
+  writeFile,
+} from "node:fs/promises";
 import { devNull, tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { promisify } from "node:util";
@@ -387,6 +397,48 @@ describe("doRunReviewRecord (validation errors surface to the agent)", () => {
     expect(readInput).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it("rev-err-6: a --file that cannot be read is refused with a fixed message that carries no path", async () => {
+    const repo = await setupInitedRepo();
+    await mkdir(join(repo, "a-directory"));
+    await writeFile(join(repo, "locked.json"), "[]");
+    await chmod(join(repo, "locked.json"), 0o000);
+    const cases: Array<[string, string]> = [
+      [join(repo, "missing.json"), "--file names a file that does not exist"],
+      [join(repo, "a-directory"), "--file names a directory, not a file"],
+    ];
+    // Root reads a 0o000 file anyway, so the permission case only means
+    // something for an ordinary user.
+    if (process.getuid?.() !== 0) {
+      cases.push([join(repo, "locked.json"), "Could not read the file --file names"]);
+    }
+    for (const [file, message] of cases) {
+      await expect(
+        doRunReviewRecord({ file }, { cwd: repo, nowProvider: () => FIXED_NOW }),
+        file,
+      ).rejects.toHaveProperty("message", message);
+    }
+    const dirs = (await readdir(basouPaths(repo).sessions)).filter((d) => d.startsWith("ses_"));
+    expect(dirs).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("rev-err-7: a relative --file is read from the working directory, not the workspace root", async () => {
+    const repo = await setupInitedRepo();
+    const sub = join(repo, "sub");
+    await mkdir(sub);
+    await writeFile(join(sub, "rev.json"), '{ "reviewer": "from-sub", "target": "wt" }');
+    await writeFile(join(repo, "rev.json"), '{ "reviewer": "from-root", "target": "wt" }');
+    captureStdout();
+    const previous = process.cwd();
+    process.chdir(sub);
+    try {
+      await doRunReviewRecord({ file: "rev.json" }, { cwd: sub, nowProvider: () => FIXED_NOW });
+    } finally {
+      process.chdir(previous);
+    }
+    const reviews = (await readAdHocEvents(repo)).filter((e) => e.type === "review_recorded");
+    expect(reviews.map((e) => e.reviewer)).toEqual(["from-sub"]);
+  });
+
   it("rev-err-5: a --file path that names a file called - is read", async () => {
     const repo = await setupInitedRepo();
     captureStdout();
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/review.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/review.ts
index 28b64d6..1b0c2d7 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/review.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/review.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { readFile } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { homedir } from "node:os";
 import { resolve } from "node:path";
 import {
@@ -24,7 +23,7 @@ import {
   renderCliError,
   shortSessionId,
 } from "../lib/error-render.js";
-import { refuseDashInputFile } from "../lib/input-file.js";
+import { readInputFileText, refuseDashInputFile } from "../lib/input-file.js";
 import { resolveBasouRootForCommand } from "../lib/repo-root.js";
 
 /**
@@ -260,14 +259,7 @@ async function readReviewInput(
   ctx: ReviewRecordContext,
 ): Promise<string> {
   if (options.file !== undefined) {
-    try {
-      return await readFile(options.file, "utf8");
-    } catch (error: unknown) {
-      if (findErrorCode(error, "ENOENT")) {
-        throw new Error(`Input file not found: ${options.file}`);
-      }
-      throw error;
-    }
+    return await readInputFileText("--file", options.file);
   }
   if (ctx.readInput !== undefined) {
     return await ctx.readInput();
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/input-file.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/input-file.test.ts
index 26330a7..ea0fb3a 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/input-file.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/input-file.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
+import { chmod, mkdir, mkdtemp, rm, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { join } from "node:path";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import {
   type InputFileAlternative,
   type InputFileFlag,
+  readInputFileText,
   refuseDashInputFile,
 } from "./input-file.js";
 
@@ -47,3 +51,45 @@ describe("refuseDashInputFile", () => {
     }
   });
 });
+
+describe("readInputFileText", () => {
+  it("reads the file, and refuses one it cannot read with a message that names the flag, not the path", async () => {
+    const dir = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), "basou-input-file-"));
+    try {
+      await writeFile(join(dir, "in.json"), "[1]\n");
+      await mkdir(join(dir, "a-directory"));
+      await writeFile(join(dir, "locked.json"), "[]");
+      await chmod(join(dir, "locked.json"), 0o000);
+      expect(await readInputFileText("--file", join(dir, "in.json"))).toBe("[1]\n");
+      const cases: Array<[InputFileFlag, string, string, string]> = [
+        ["--file", "missing.json", "--file names a file that does not exist", "ENOENT"],
+        ["--from", "a-directory", "--from names a directory, not a file", "EISDIR"],
+      ];
+      // Root reads a 0o000 file anyway.
+      if (process.getuid?.() !== 0) {
+        cases.push([
+          "--from-file",
+          "locked.json",
+          "Could not read the file --from-file names",
+          "EACCES",
+        ]);
+      }
+      for (const [flag, name, message, code] of cases) {
+        const error = await readInputFileText(flag, join(dir, name)).then(
+          () => undefined,
+          (e: unknown) => e,
+        );
+        expect(error, name).toBeInstanceOf(Error);
+        expect((error as Error).message, name).toBe(message);
+        expect((error as Error).message, name).not.toContain(dir);
+        // An Error, so that --verbose can print its code (renderCliError reads
+        // the code only off an Error).
+        expect((error as Error).cause, name).toBeInstanceOf(Error);
+        expect(((error as Error).cause as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code, name).toBe(code);
+      }
+    } finally {
+      await chmod(join(dir, "locked.json"), 0o600).catch(() => undefined);
+      await rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/input-file.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/input-file.ts
index 0f61703..d4762a2 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/input-file.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/input-file.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+import { readFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { findErrorCode } from "@basou/core";
+
 /**
  * The flags that name a file to read a command's input from: `--file`
  * (`basou decision capture`, `basou review record`, `basou note`),
@@ -52,3 +55,23 @@ export function refuseDashInputFile(
       `${toFile}; a file named - is read with ${flag} ./-.`,
   );
 }
+
+/**
+ * Read the text of the file an input-file flag names. A failure is a fixed
+ * message that names the flag and never the path, per the CLI's pathless error
+ * contract (a path the caller gave can be absolute); the cause, shown with
+ * `--verbose` as its code, has the detail.
+ */
+export async function readInputFileText(flag: InputFileFlag, path: string): Promise<string> {
+  try {
+    return await readFile(path, "utf8");
+  } catch (error: unknown) {
+    if (findErrorCode(error, "ENOENT")) {
+      throw new Error(`${flag} names a file that does not exist`, { cause: error });
+    }
+    if (findErrorCode(error, "EISDIR")) {
+      throw new Error(`${flag} names a directory, not a file`, { cause: error });
+    }
+    throw new Error(`Could not read the file ${flag} names`, { cause: error });
+  }
+}