diff --git a/src/application/v8CodeCache/V8CodeCacheService.test.ts b/src/application/v8CodeCache/V8CodeCacheService.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f63e58bbd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/application/v8CodeCache/V8CodeCacheService.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+import { createHash } from "node:crypto";
+import { expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import { AnalysisOutputError } from "../../domain/analysisErrorCore.js";
+import { parseEvidence } from "../../domain/evidence.js";
+import { ok } from "../../domain/result.js";
+import {
+  V8_CODE_CACHE_HEADER_BYTES,
+  V8_CODE_CACHE_MAGIC_HIGH,
+  type V8CodeCache,
+} from "../../domain/v8/v8CodeCache.js";
+import { parseV8CodeCache } from "../../v8/V8CodeCacheParser.js";
+import { V8CodeCacheService } from "./V8CodeCacheService.js";
+
+const reportFor = (payloadBytes: number): V8CodeCache => {
+  const bytes = Buffer.alloc(V8_CODE_CACHE_HEADER_BYTES + payloadBytes, 0x61);
+  bytes.fill(0, 0, V8_CODE_CACHE_HEADER_BYTES);
+  bytes.writeUInt32LE(V8_CODE_CACHE_MAGIC_HIGH * 0x10000, 0);
+  bytes.writeUInt32LE(payloadBytes, 20);
+  return parseV8CodeCache(
+    bytes,
+    {
+      path: "/artifacts/authored.jsc",
+      sha256: createHash("sha256").update(bytes).digest("hex"),
+      bytes: bytes.length,
+    },
+    { min_string_bytes: 4, max_strings: 8 },
+  );
+};
+
+const inspect = (report: V8CodeCache) =>
+  new V8CodeCacheService({
+    identity: { id: "cache-fixture", name: "Cache fixture", version: "1" },
+    close: async () => {},
+    inspect: async () => ok(report),
+  }).inspect({ path: report.artifact.path });
+
+it.each([0, 9])(
+  "rejects complete coverage claiming %s scanned bytes for an eight-byte payload",
+  async (scanned_bytes) => {
+    const report = reportFor(8);
+    const result = await inspect({
+      ...report,
+      coverage: { ...report.coverage, scanned_bytes },
+    });
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(false);
+    if (!result.ok) expect(result.error).toBeInstanceOf(AnalysisOutputError);
+  },
+);
+
+it.each([8, 5000])(
+  "retains complete scan facts for a %s-byte payload and its bounded string prefix",
+  async (payloadBytes) => {
+    const report = reportFor(payloadBytes);
+    const result = await inspect(report);
+    if (!result.ok) throw result.error;
+    expect(parseEvidence(result.value).normalized_result).toMatchObject({
+      coverage: { status: "complete", scanned_bytes: payloadBytes, strings: 1 },
+      embedded_strings: [
+        {
+          bytes: payloadBytes,
+          retained_bytes: Math.min(payloadBytes, 4096),
+          truncated: payloadBytes > 4096,
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+  },
+);
diff --git a/src/domain/v8/v8CodeCache.ts b/src/domain/v8/v8CodeCache.ts
index a6f86cf3b4..666e53ca92 100644
--- a/src/domain/v8/v8CodeCache.ts
+++ b/src/domain/v8/v8CodeCache.ts
@@ -196,6 +196,12 @@ export const v8CodeCacheSchema = z
         message:
           "Observation coverage disagrees with the listed embedded strings.",
       });
+    if (report.coverage.scanned_bytes !== report.payload.bytes)
+      context.addIssue({
+        code: "custom",
+        path: ["coverage", "scanned_bytes"],
+        message: "Complete coverage must examine every declared payload byte.",
+      });
     report.embedded_strings.forEach((observation, index) => {
       if (observation.retained_bytes > observation.bytes)
         context.addIssue({