diff --git a/apps/server/internal/adapters/postgres/movement_test.go b/apps/server/internal/adapters/postgres/movement_test.go
index 79db5df..09e7980 100644
--- a/apps/server/internal/adapters/postgres/movement_test.go
+++ b/apps/server/internal/adapters/postgres/movement_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"image"
 	"image/color"
 	"image/png"
+	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -403,3 +404,40 @@ func TestAcceptingAFixApprovesItsBytes(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("status = %q after accepting the fix, want accepted", state)
 	}
 }
+
+// The frugal contract: one refusal names every missing address (#223). When
+// a capture and a recording are both absent, the first answer names both —
+// before the fix it named the captures alone, the recording surfaced only on
+// the second push, and the one-refusal promise broke for any client sending
+// videos.
+func TestAMissingRecordingIsNamedInTheFirstRefusal(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, repo, blobs, project, kase := freshnessFixture(t)
+	absentCapture := "sha256:" + strings.Repeat("ab", 32)
+	absentRecording := "sha256:" + strings.Repeat("cd", 32)
+
+	svc := intake.New(repo, blobs)
+	_, err := svc.Take(ctx, project.Slug, contract.Manifest{
+		Cases: []contract.ManifestCase{{
+			ID: kase.ID,
+			Steps: []contract.ManifestStep{{
+				Name: "opens",
+				Captures: []contract.ManifestCapture{{
+					Variant: map[string]string{"theme": "light"}, Hash: absentCapture,
+				}},
+			}},
+			Recordings: []contract.ManifestRecording{{
+				Variant: map[string]string{"theme": "light"}, Hash: absentRecording,
+			}},
+		}},
+	})
+
+	var missing *intake.MissingContent
+	if !errors.As(err, &missing) {
+		t.Fatalf("err = %v, want MissingContent naming both addresses", err)
+	}
+	got := slices.Sorted(slices.Values(missing.Hashes))
+	want := slices.Sorted(slices.Values([]string{absentCapture, absentRecording}))
+	if !slices.Equal(got, want) {
+		t.Errorf("hashes = %v, want the capture and the recording together", missing.Hashes)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/apps/server/internal/app/intake/intake_test.go b/apps/server/internal/app/intake/intake_test.go
index 1b8cb2c..1fb43cc 100644
--- a/apps/server/internal/app/intake/intake_test.go
+++ b/apps/server/internal/app/intake/intake_test.go
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ func (b refusingBlobs) Get(context.Context, string) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
 	return nil, nil
 }
 
+func (b refusingBlobs) Exists(context.Context, string) (bool, error) {
+	b.t.Error("intake checked a blob, want the manifest refused first")
+	return false, nil
+}
+
 func validHash(b byte) string {
 	h := "sha256:"
 	for i := 0; i < 64; i++ {
diff --git a/apps/server/internal/app/intake/png.go b/apps/server/internal/app/intake/png.go
index 204b359..2a6e278 100644
--- a/apps/server/internal/app/intake/png.go
+++ b/apps/server/internal/app/intake/png.go
@@ -47,8 +47,9 @@ func (n *NotPNG) Unwrap() error { return ErrNotAPNG }
 // answer cannot change under it. This is the early, useful answer; that one is
 // the guard.
 //
-// Recordings are not checked: they are never compared, so their format is
-// nobody's business (ADR 0013).
+// Recordings are format-checked never — they are never compared, so their
+// format is nobody's business (ADR 0013) — but their absence is reported
+// here with everything else: one refusal names every missing address (#223).
 func (s *Service) checkCaptures(ctx context.Context, m contract.Manifest) error {
 	seen := map[string]struct{}{}
 	var absent, notPNG []string
@@ -72,6 +73,19 @@ func (s *Service) checkCaptures(ctx context.Context, m contract.Manifest) error
 				}
 			}
 		}
+		for _, r := range c.Recordings {
+			if _, done := seen[r.Hash]; done {
+				continue
+			}
+			seen[r.Hash] = struct{}{}
+			held, err := s.blobs.Exists(ctx, r.Hash)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+			if !held {
+				absent = append(absent, r.Hash)
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	if len(absent) > 0 {
 		return &MissingContent{Hashes: absent}
diff --git a/apps/server/internal/app/intake/ports.go b/apps/server/internal/app/intake/ports.go
index d171b19..5fec185 100644
--- a/apps/server/internal/app/intake/ports.go
+++ b/apps/server/internal/app/intake/ports.go
@@ -41,9 +41,11 @@ type Repository interface {
 }
 
 // Blobs reads capture bytes back. Intake needs them for two things: proving a
-// capture is a PNG, and comparing it against what was approved.
+// capture is a PNG, and comparing it against what was approved. Existence
+// alone answers for a recording (#223): its bytes are never read here.
 type Blobs interface {
 	Get(ctx context.Context, hash string) (io.ReadCloser, error)
+	Exists(ctx context.Context, hash string) (bool, error)
 }
 
 // Verdict is what the comparison found for one step and variant, ready to be stored.