diff --git a/docs/guides/android/adb-device-analysis.md b/docs/guides/android/adb-device-analysis.md
index 9eef148ede..d70495aee5 100644
--- a/docs/guides/android/adb-device-analysis.md
+++ b/docs/guides/android/adb-device-analysis.md
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ and during shutdown.
   property value remains available in `properties`.
 - **Device paths are not host paths.** `base_apk_device_path` values live on
   the device filesystem. Only pulls and captures produce host-local paths,
-  each paired with byte size and SHA-256 digest. A pulled file's host name is
+  with byte size and SHA-256 digest on success. A pulled file's host name is
   the device path's final POSIX segment. REA preserves the original device
   path and filename; a missing final segment or `.`/`..` is refused before
   output creation. Windows hosts follow [Windows filename rules](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/fileio/naming-a-file),
@@ -249,6 +249,10 @@ and during shutdown.
 - Pull and capture outputs are additive: the destination must not already
   exist. Re-running a completed pull refuses the existing directory instead
   of overwriting evidence.
+- If a single-file pull fails and REA observes a regular file at the destination,
+  the error includes its `local_path` with `transfer_status: "unconfirmed"`
+  and `digest_status: "unknown"`. The file remains in place; the receipt does
+  not establish that the transfer completed.
 - Cancellation during a package pull preserves caller-selected output. The
   error includes partial observations identifying completed artifacts and the
   interrupted local path; remaining APKs were not attempted.
diff --git a/src/adb/AdbProvider.ts b/src/adb/AdbProvider.ts
index 687a9fb82c..b31a1dfc88 100644
--- a/src/adb/AdbProvider.ts
+++ b/src/adb/AdbProvider.ts
@@ -2333,7 +2333,26 @@ export class AdbProvider {
       { timeoutMs: PULL_TIMEOUT_MS, maxOutputBytes: PULL_MAX_OUTPUT_BYTES },
       signal,
     );
-    if (!pulled.ok) return pulled;
+    if (!pulled.ok) {
+      // A failed adb process can leave caller-visible bytes at the selected
+      // destination. Report only an observed regular file; its transfer and
+      // digest are unconfirmed, and the caller owns the output.
+      const output = await lstat(localPath).catch(() => undefined);
+      if (output?.isFile() === true && !output.isSymbolicLink())
+        pulled.error.retainPartialObservation({
+          provider_id: "adb",
+          operation,
+          result: {
+            client,
+            serial: input.serial,
+            local_path: localPath,
+            device_path: input.device_path,
+            digest_status: "unknown",
+            transfer_status: "unconfirmed",
+          },
+        });
+      return pulled;
+    }
     try {
       const digest = await hashAdbFile(
         localPath,
diff --git a/src/domain/adb/adbDeviceAnalysis.ts b/src/domain/adb/adbDeviceAnalysis.ts
index 740e6d41bd..cff26cf708 100644
--- a/src/domain/adb/adbDeviceAnalysis.ts
+++ b/src/domain/adb/adbDeviceAnalysis.ts
@@ -892,6 +892,7 @@ export type AdbAcquiredFilePartialObservation =
             readonly local_path: string;
             readonly device_path: string;
             readonly digest_status: "unknown";
+            readonly transfer_status?: "unconfirmed";
           }
         | z.infer<typeof adbResultSchemas.pull_adb_file>;
     }
diff --git a/tests/boundary/providers/adb/adbSelectedLocalPaths.test.ts b/tests/boundary/providers/adb/adbSelectedLocalPaths.test.ts
index 79c453e2b3..d636ffbfac 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/providers/adb/adbSelectedLocalPaths.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/providers/adb/adbSelectedLocalPaths.test.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { dirname, join } from "node:path";
 import { expect, onTestFinished, test, vi } from "vitest";
 
 import { AdbProvider } from "../../../../src/adb/AdbProvider.js";
+import { projectAnalysisError } from "../../../../src/domain/analysisErrorProjection.js";
 import { AdbDeviceAnalysisService } from "../../../../src/application/adb/AdbDeviceAnalysisService.js";
 import { PrivateRuntimeRoot } from "../../../../src/process/PrivateRuntimeRoot.js";
 import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../../../fixtures/temporaryDirectory.js";
@@ -246,3 +247,89 @@ it.each([
     }
   },
 );
+
+it.each([true, false])(
+  "reports only observed output when adb pull fails (file created: %s)",
+  async (created) => {
+    const root = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-adb-partial-pull-");
+    const binary = join(root, "adb");
+    await writeFile(
+      binary,
+      `#!/bin/sh
+if [ "$1" = version ]; then printf 'Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.41\\nVersion 34.0.5-stub\\nInstalled as %s\\n' "$0"; exit 0; fi
+if [ "$3" = pull ]; then ${created ? `printf 'partial bytes' > "$5";` : ""} printf 'transfer interrupted\\n' >&2; exit 1; fi
+exit 1
+`,
+      { mode: 0o755 },
+    );
+    const provider = new AdbProvider({ environment: { REA_ADB_PATH: binary } });
+    onTestFinished(() => provider.close());
+    const result = await provider.execute({
+      operation: "pull_adb_file",
+      input: {
+        serial: "fixture",
+        device_path: "/sdcard/payload.bin",
+        output_directory: root,
+      },
+    });
+    if (result.ok) throw new Error("expected failed pull");
+    if (created) {
+      expect(await readFile(join(root, "payload.bin"), "utf8")).toBe(
+        "partial bytes",
+      );
+      expect(
+        projectAnalysisError(result.error).details?.partial_observation,
+      ).toMatchObject({
+        operation: "pull_adb_file",
+        result: {
+          local_path: join(root, "payload.bin"),
+          digest_status: "unknown",
+          transfer_status: "unconfirmed",
+        },
+      });
+    } else {
+      await expect(access(join(root, "payload.bin"))).rejects.toMatchObject({
+        code: "ENOENT",
+      });
+      expect(result.error.partialObservation).toBeUndefined();
+    }
+  },
+);
+
+it.each(["file", "symlink"] as const)(
+  "refuses a preexisting %s destination without invoking adb pull",
+  async (kind) => {
+    const root = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-adb-existing-pull-");
+    const binary = join(root, "adb");
+    const destination = join(root, "payload.bin");
+    const source = join(root, "original");
+    await writeFile(source, "original bytes");
+    if (kind === "file") await writeFile(destination, "original bytes");
+    else await symlink(source, destination);
+    await writeFile(
+      binary,
+      `#!/bin/sh
+if [ "$1" = version ]; then printf 'Android Debug Bridge version 1.0.41\\nVersion 34.0.5-stub\\nInstalled as %s\\n' "$0"; exit 0; fi
+if [ "$3" = pull ]; then printf 'invoked' > "$0.called"; exit 1; fi
+exit 1
+`,
+      { mode: 0o755 },
+    );
+    const provider = new AdbProvider({ environment: { REA_ADB_PATH: binary } });
+    onTestFinished(() => provider.close());
+    const result = await provider.execute({
+      operation: "pull_adb_file",
+      input: {
+        serial: "fixture",
+        device_path: "/sdcard/payload.bin",
+        output_directory: root,
+      },
+    });
+    if (result.ok) throw new Error("expected destination refusal");
+    expect(result.error.partialObservation).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(await readFile(destination, "utf8")).toBe("original bytes");
+    await expect(access(`${binary}.called`)).rejects.toMatchObject({
+      code: "ENOENT",
+    });
+  },
+);