diff --git a/src/process/BoundedFileBytes.ts b/src/process/BoundedFileBytes.ts
index a33d17c052..d42725b0ee 100644
--- a/src/process/BoundedFileBytes.ts
+++ b/src/process/BoundedFileBytes.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ export const readBoundedFileBytes = async (
       expectedSize > maxBytes)
   )
     throw new RangeError("Expected file size must fit the byte limit");
+  assertActive();
   if (expectedSize === undefined) {
     const chunks: Buffer[] = [];
     const buffer = Buffer.allocUnsafe(Math.min(64 * 1_024, maxBytes + 1));
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ export const readBoundedFileBytes = async (
         0,
         Math.min(buffer.length, maxBytes - total + 1),
       );
+      assertActive();
       if (bytesRead === 0) return Buffer.concat(chunks, total);
       total += bytesRead;
       if (total > maxBytes) return undefined;
@@ -64,6 +66,7 @@ export const readBoundedFileBytes = async (
   for (;;) {
     assertActive();
     const { bytesRead } = await read(buffer, total, expectedSize - total);
+    assertActive();
     if (bytesRead === 0) return buffer.subarray(0, total);
     total += bytesRead;
     if (total > maxBytes) return undefined;
diff --git a/tests/boundary/filesystem/boundedFileBytes.test.ts b/tests/boundary/filesystem/boundedFileBytes.test.ts
index 8a753eb2b2..f2813adf19 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/filesystem/boundedFileBytes.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/filesystem/boundedFileBytes.test.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ describe("bounded file byte reads", () => {
     },
   );
 
-  it.each([undefined, 5])(
+  it.each([undefined, 0, 5])(
     "preserves raw reasons or caller-owned cancellation with expected size %s",
     async (expectedSize) => {
       const root = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-bounded-cancel-");
@@ -61,6 +61,48 @@ describe("bounded file byte reads", () => {
     },
   );
 
+  it.each([
+    { contents: "", maxBytes: 0, expectedSize: undefined, outcome: "EOF" },
+    { contents: "", maxBytes: 5, expectedSize: 5, outcome: "early EOF" },
+    {
+      contents: "hello",
+      maxBytes: 5,
+      expectedSize: 5,
+      outcome: "expected size",
+    },
+    {
+      contents: "hello",
+      maxBytes: 4,
+      expectedSize: undefined,
+      outcome: "overflow",
+    },
+  ])(
+    "honors cancellation while the $outcome read is in flight",
+    async ({ contents, maxBytes, expectedSize }) => {
+      const root = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-bounded-cancel-read-");
+      const path = join(root, "input");
+      await writeFile(path, contents);
+      const handle = await open(path, "r");
+      const controller = new AbortController();
+      const reason = new Error("cancelled during read");
+      const typed = new Error("typed cancellation", { cause: reason });
+      try {
+        const result = readBoundedFileBytes(handle, maxBytes, {
+          signal: controller.signal,
+          expectedSize,
+          cancellationFailure: (observed) => {
+            expect(observed).toBe(reason);
+            return typed;
+          },
+        });
+        controller.abort(reason);
+        await expect(result).rejects.toBe(typed);
+      } finally {
+        await handle.close();
+      }
+    },
+  );
+
   it("stops after one overflow byte when a file grows beyond its admitted size", async () => {
     const root = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-growing-bytes-");
     const path = join(root, "input");