diff --git a/src/artifacts/NodeSeaArtifactReader.test.ts b/src/artifacts/NodeSeaArtifactReader.test.ts
index 58b7f2b449..5249a5c98b 100644
--- a/src/artifacts/NodeSeaArtifactReader.test.ts
+++ b/src/artifacts/NodeSeaArtifactReader.test.ts
@@ -745,3 +745,31 @@ it.each([0xfeedface, 0xfeedfacf, 0xcefaedfe, 0xcffaedfe])(
     }
   },
 );
+
+it("confirms SEA naming before rejecting an unrelated cyclic PE resource branch", async () => {
+  const fixture = peResourceFixture(true, [
+    { type: 3, name: 1, language: 1033, payload: Buffer.from("other") },
+    {
+      type: 10,
+      name: "NODE_SEA_BLOB",
+      language: 1033,
+      payload: buildNodeSeaBlob(populated),
+    },
+  ]);
+  const other = fixture.entryOffsets.find(
+    (at) => fixture.bytes.readUInt32LE(at) === 3,
+  );
+  if (other === undefined) throw new Error("Expected unrelated resource type");
+  fixture.bytes.writeUInt32LE(0x80000000, other + 4);
+  const handle = await open(
+    await writeCarrier("sea-with-unrelated-cycle", fixture.bytes),
+    "r",
+  );
+  try {
+    await expect(
+      locateNodeSea(handle, fixture.bytes.length),
+    ).rejects.toMatchObject({ reason: "format" });
+  } finally {
+    await handle.close();
+  }
+});
diff --git a/src/artifacts/nodeSea/NodeSeaLocation.ts b/src/artifacts/nodeSea/NodeSeaLocation.ts
index cfa25719c9..0d3a1c81b4 100644
--- a/src/artifacts/nodeSea/NodeSeaLocation.ts
+++ b/src/artifacts/nodeSea/NodeSeaLocation.ts
@@ -591,8 +591,9 @@ const locatePeResources = async (carrier: Carrier): Promise<BlobRange[]> => {
   if (bytes === undefined) throw formatFailure(NODE_SEA_TRUNCATED);
   // A native-looking file need not be an admitted PE image. Once the layout
   // is admitted, resource errors remain failures rather than inferred absence.
+  let layout: ReturnType<typeof readPeResourceLayout>;
   try {
-    readPeResourceLayout(bytes);
+    layout = readPeResourceLayout(bytes);
   } catch (cause) {
     if (cause instanceof ArtifactReaderFailure && cause.reason === "format")
       return [];
@@ -611,6 +612,7 @@ const locatePeResources = async (carrier: Carrier): Promise<BlobRange[]> => {
       max_entries: MAX_INSPECT_PE_DIRECTORY_ENTRIES,
     },
     carrier.signal,
+    layout,
   );
   return resources.resources.flatMap((resource) => {
     if (
diff --git a/src/native/pe/PeResourceLayout.ts b/src/native/pe/PeResourceLayout.ts
index 269a126916..857378183a 100644
--- a/src/native/pe/PeResourceLayout.ts
+++ b/src/native/pe/PeResourceLayout.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+import {
+  PE_RESOURCE_DIRECTORY_BYTES,
+  PE_RESOURCE_ENTRY_BYTES,
+  PE_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX_BYTES,
+  readPeResourceDirectoryFacts,
+  readPeResourceEntryFacts,
+  readPeResourceNameFacts,
+} from "./PeResourceTreeFacts.js";
 import { observeMzWindowsHeader } from "../../domain/dosMz.js";
 import { readPeCoffHeader } from "../../domain/peCoffHeader.js";
 import { readPeSectionHeader } from "../../domain/peSectionHeader.js";
@@ -260,7 +268,7 @@ export const hasPeResourceName = async (
   let root: number;
   try {
     layout = readPeResourceLayout(headers, fileSize);
-    if (layout.size < 16) return false;
+    if (layout.size < PE_RESOURCE_DIRECTORY_BYTES) return false;
     root = layout.map(layout.rva, layout.size);
   } catch (cause) {
     if (cause instanceof ArtifactReaderFailure && cause.reason === "format")
@@ -274,29 +282,47 @@ export const hasPeResourceName = async (
       : read(root + at, length);
   let examined = 0;
   const directory = async (at: number): Promise<Buffer | undefined> => {
-    const header = await relative(at, 16);
+    const header = await relative(at, PE_RESOURCE_DIRECTORY_BYTES);
     if (header === undefined) return undefined;
-    const entries = header.readUInt16LE(12) + header.readUInt16LE(14);
+    const { entryCount: entries } = readPeResourceDirectoryFacts(header);
     if (entries > maxEntries - examined) return undefined;
     examined += entries;
-    return relative(at + 16, entries * 8);
+    return relative(
+      at + PE_RESOURCE_DIRECTORY_BYTES,
+      entries * PE_RESOURCE_ENTRY_BYTES,
+    );
   };
   const types = await directory(0);
   if (types === undefined) return false;
   const expected = Buffer.from(name, "utf16le");
-  for (let at = 0; at < types.length; at += 8) {
-    if (types.readUInt32LE(at) !== typeId) continue;
-    const target = types.readUInt32LE(at + 4);
-    if ((target & 0x80000000) === 0) continue;
-    const names = await directory(target & 0x7fffffff);
+  for (let at = 0; at < types.length; at += PE_RESOURCE_ENTRY_BYTES) {
+    const type = readPeResourceEntryFacts(
+      types.subarray(at, at + PE_RESOURCE_ENTRY_BYTES),
+    );
+    if (type.identity.kind !== "id" || type.identity.id !== typeId) continue;
+    if (type.target.kind !== "directory") continue;
+    const names = await directory(type.target.offset);
     if (names === undefined) continue;
-    for (let entry = 0; entry < names.length; entry += 8) {
-      const encoded = names.readUInt32LE(entry);
-      if ((encoded & 0x80000000) === 0) continue;
-      const nameAt = encoded & 0x7fffffff;
-      const length = await relative(nameAt, 2);
-      if (length?.readUInt16LE(0) !== name.length) continue;
-      const candidate = await relative(nameAt + 2, expected.length);
+    for (
+      let entry = 0;
+      entry < names.length;
+      entry += PE_RESOURCE_ENTRY_BYTES
+    ) {
+      const { identity } = readPeResourceEntryFacts(
+        names.subarray(entry, entry + PE_RESOURCE_ENTRY_BYTES),
+      );
+      if (identity.kind !== "name") continue;
+      const nameAt = identity.offset;
+      const length = await relative(nameAt, PE_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX_BYTES);
+      if (
+        length === undefined ||
+        readPeResourceNameFacts(length).utf16Units !== name.length
+      )
+        continue;
+      const candidate = await relative(
+        nameAt + PE_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX_BYTES,
+        expected.length,
+      );
       if (candidate?.equals(expected)) return true;
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/native/pe/PeResourceParser.test.ts b/src/native/pe/PeResourceParser.test.ts
index 94afbbbd89..ecf8b0a17d 100644
--- a/src/native/pe/PeResourceParser.test.ts
+++ b/src/native/pe/PeResourceParser.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   inspectPeResourcesInputSchema,
   peResourcesSchema,
 } from "../../domain/native/peResources.js";
+import { hasPeResourceName } from "./PeResourceLayout.js";
 import { parsePeResources } from "./PeResourceParser.js";
 import { peResourceFixture } from "./PeResources.fixture.js";
 
@@ -560,3 +561,103 @@ describe("PE resource ownership boundaries", () => {
     });
   });
 });
+
+const probeSeaName = (bytes: Buffer) =>
+  hasPeResourceName(
+    bytes,
+    bytes.length,
+    async (offset, length) =>
+      offset < 0 || length > bytes.length - offset
+        ? undefined
+        : bytes.subarray(offset, offset + length),
+    10,
+    "NODE_SEA_BLOB",
+    4096,
+  );
+
+it("matches resource names by their exact UTF-16 bytes without losing source identity", async () => {
+  const fixture = peResourceFixture(false, [
+    {
+      type: 10,
+      name: "NODE_SEA_BLOB",
+      language: 1033,
+      payload: Buffer.from("data"),
+    },
+  ]);
+  expect(await probeSeaName(fixture.bytes)).toBe(true);
+  const entry = fixture.entryOffsets.find(
+    (at) => (fixture.bytes.readUInt32LE(at) & 0x80000000) !== 0,
+  );
+  if (entry === undefined) throw new Error("Expected named resource fixture");
+  const nameAt = 0x400 + (fixture.bytes.readUInt32LE(entry) & 0x7fffffff);
+  fixture.bytes[nameAt + 3] = 1;
+  expect(await probeSeaName(fixture.bytes)).toBe(false);
+  const report = await parse(fixture.bytes);
+  expect(report.resources[0]?.name).toMatchObject({
+    kind: "name",
+    name: "\u014eODE_SEA_BLOB",
+    utf16le_hex: fixture.bytes
+      .subarray(nameAt + 2, nameAt + 2 + 26)
+      .toString("hex"),
+  });
+  fixture.bytes.writeUInt16LE(0xffff, nameAt);
+  expect(await probeSeaName(fixture.bytes)).toBe(false);
+  await expect(parse(fixture.bytes)).rejects.toMatchObject({
+    reason: "format",
+  });
+});
+
+it("keeps name probing independent of full resource name/ID partition admission", async () => {
+  const fixture = peResourceFixture(false, [
+    {
+      type: 10,
+      name: "NODE_SEA_BLOB",
+      language: 1033,
+      payload: Buffer.from("data"),
+    },
+  ]);
+  const names = fixture.directoryOffsets[1];
+  if (names === undefined) throw new Error("Expected resource names directory");
+  fixture.bytes.writeUInt16LE(0, names + 12);
+  fixture.bytes.writeUInt16LE(1, names + 14);
+  expect(await probeSeaName(fixture.bytes)).toBe(true);
+  await expect(parse(fixture.bytes)).rejects.toMatchObject({
+    reason: "format",
+    message: "Resource name/ID entry counts disagree with encoded identities.",
+  });
+});
+
+it("keeps raw name probing separate from full resource-name alignment admission", async () => {
+  const fixture = peResourceFixture(false, [
+    {
+      type: 10,
+      name: "NODE_SEA_BLOB",
+      language: 1033,
+      payload: Buffer.from("data"),
+    },
+  ]);
+  const entry = fixture.entryOffsets.find(
+    (at) => (fixture.bytes.readUInt32LE(at) & 0x80000000) !== 0,
+  );
+  if (entry === undefined) throw new Error("Expected named resource fixture");
+  const original = 0x400 + (fixture.bytes.readUInt32LE(entry) & 0x7fffffff);
+  const nameBytes = 2 + fixture.bytes.readUInt16LE(original) * 2;
+  const previousEnd = fixture.bytes.readUInt32LE(fixture.directoryAt + 4);
+  const unaligned = previousEnd % 2 === 0 ? previousEnd + 1 : previousEnd;
+  const extendedEnd = unaligned + nameBytes;
+  expect(0x400 + extendedEnd).toBeLessThanOrEqual(fixture.bytes.length);
+  fixture.bytes.copy(
+    fixture.bytes,
+    0x400 + unaligned,
+    original,
+    original + nameBytes,
+  );
+  fixture.bytes.writeUInt32LE(0x80000000 + unaligned, entry);
+  fixture.bytes.writeUInt32LE(extendedEnd, fixture.directoryAt + 4);
+  fixture.bytes.writeUInt32LE(extendedEnd, fixture.sectionAt + 8);
+  expect(await probeSeaName(fixture.bytes)).toBe(true);
+  await expect(parse(fixture.bytes)).rejects.toMatchObject({
+    reason: "format",
+    message: "Unaligned PE resource name.",
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/native/pe/PeResourceParser.ts b/src/native/pe/PeResourceParser.ts
index 0cd3f83f21..0d96cd158f 100644
--- a/src/native/pe/PeResourceParser.ts
+++ b/src/native/pe/PeResourceParser.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+import {
+  PE_RESOURCE_DIRECTORY_BYTES,
+  PE_RESOURCE_ENTRY_BYTES,
+  PE_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX_BYTES,
+  readPeResourceDirectoryFacts,
+  readPeResourceEntryFacts,
+  readPeResourceNameFacts,
+  type PeResourceIdentityDeclaration,
+} from "./PeResourceTreeFacts.js";
 import { createHash } from "node:crypto";
 import { setImmediate } from "node:timers/promises";
 import { assertArtifactReadActive } from "../../artifacts/ArtifactFileOperation.js";
@@ -15,6 +24,8 @@ import {
   requirePeRange,
 } from "./PeResourceLayout.js";
 
+type PeResourceLayout = ReturnType<typeof readPeResourceLayout>;
+
 type Range = { offset: number; bytes: number };
 type OccupiedRange = Range & {
   kind: "directory" | "name" | "data-entry" | "payload";
@@ -43,9 +54,11 @@ export const parsePeResources = async (
   artifact: PeResources["artifact"],
   input: InspectPeResourcesInput,
   signal?: AbortSignal,
+  /** Already admitted from these same bytes; used by carrier probes that own layout failure policy. */
+  admittedLayout?: PeResourceLayout,
 ): Promise<PeResources> => {
   assertArtifactReadActive(signal);
-  const layout = readPeResourceLayout(bytes);
+  const layout = admittedLayout ?? readPeResourceLayout(bytes);
   const directories: PeResources["directories"] = [];
   const resources: PeResources["resources"] = [];
   const occupied: OccupiedRange[] = [];
@@ -92,23 +105,33 @@ export const parsePeResources = async (
     if (size > 0) occupied.push({ ...range, kind });
     return range;
   };
-  const readIdentity = (encoded: number): PeResourceIdentity => {
-    if ((encoded & 0x80000000) === 0) return { kind: "id", id: encoded };
-    const at = encoded & 0x7fffffff;
+  const readIdentity = (
+    declaration: PeResourceIdentityDeclaration,
+  ): PeResourceIdentity => {
+    if (declaration.kind === "id") return { kind: "id", id: declaration.id };
+    const at = declaration.offset;
     const previous = names.get(at);
     if (previous !== undefined) return previous;
     if (at % 2 !== 0) peFailure("Unaligned PE resource name.");
-    const start = relative(at, 2);
-    const utf16Units = bytes.readUInt16LE(start);
+    const start = relative(at, PE_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX_BYTES);
+    const { utf16Units, payloadBytes: length } = readPeResourceNameFacts(
+      bytes.subarray(start, start + PE_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX_BYTES),
+    );
     reserveDecodedName(utf16Units);
-    const length = utf16Units * 2;
-    relative(at, 2 + length);
-    const raw = bytes.subarray(start + 2, start + 2 + length);
+    relative(at, PE_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX_BYTES + length);
+    const raw = bytes.subarray(
+      start + PE_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX_BYTES,
+      start + PE_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX_BYTES + length,
+    );
     const value: PeResourceIdentity = {
       kind: "name",
       name: raw.toString("utf16le"),
       utf16le_hex: raw.toString("hex"),
-      location: recordRange(start, 2 + length, "name"),
+      location: recordRange(
+        start,
+        PE_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX_BYTES + length,
+        "name",
+      ),
     };
     names.set(at, value);
     return value;
@@ -120,25 +143,30 @@ export const parsePeResources = async (
     ancestors: ReadonlySet<number>,
   ): Promise<void> => {
     if (ancestors.has(at)) peFailure("Cyclic PE resource directory.");
-    const header = relative(at, 16);
-    const named = bytes.readUInt16LE(header + 12);
-    const ids = bytes.readUInt16LE(header + 14);
-    const count = named + ids;
+    const header = relative(at, PE_RESOURCE_DIRECTORY_BYTES);
+    const facts = readPeResourceDirectoryFacts(
+      bytes.subarray(header, header + PE_RESOURCE_DIRECTORY_BYTES),
+    );
+    const { namedEntries: named, idEntries: ids, entryCount: count } = facts;
     if (count > input.max_entries - examined)
       limit(
         "PE resource directory entry budget exceeded; no partial inventory was returned.",
         "capacity",
       );
     examined += count;
-    relative(at, 16 + 8 * count);
+    relative(at, PE_RESOURCE_DIRECTORY_BYTES + PE_RESOURCE_ENTRY_BYTES * count);
     const directory = {
       path,
       entry_locations: entryLocations,
-      location: recordRange(header, 16 + 8 * count, "directory"),
-      characteristics: bytes.readUInt32LE(header),
-      timestamp: bytes.readUInt32LE(header + 4),
-      major_version: bytes.readUInt16LE(header + 8),
-      minor_version: bytes.readUInt16LE(header + 10),
+      location: recordRange(
+        header,
+        PE_RESOURCE_DIRECTORY_BYTES + PE_RESOURCE_ENTRY_BYTES * count,
+        "directory",
+      ),
+      characteristics: facts.characteristics,
+      timestamp: facts.timestamp,
+      major_version: facts.majorVersion,
+      minor_version: facts.minorVersion,
       named_entries: named,
       id_entries: ids,
     };
@@ -151,22 +179,27 @@ export const parsePeResources = async (
         await setImmediate();
         assertArtifactReadActive(signal);
       }
-      const entry = header + 16 + index * 8;
-      const encoded = bytes.readUInt32LE(entry);
-      if (((encoded & 0x80000000) !== 0) !== index < named)
+      const entry =
+        header + PE_RESOURCE_DIRECTORY_BYTES + index * PE_RESOURCE_ENTRY_BYTES;
+      const record = readPeResourceEntryFacts(
+        bytes.subarray(entry, entry + PE_RESOURCE_ENTRY_BYTES),
+      );
+      if ((record.identity.kind === "name") !== index < named)
         peFailure(
           "Resource name/ID entry counts disagree with encoded identities.",
         );
-      const identity = readIdentity(encoded);
+      const identity = readIdentity(record.identity);
       const key = identityKey(identity);
       if (keys.has(key))
         peFailure("Duplicate identity within a resource directory.");
       keys.add(key);
       const next = [...path, identity];
-      const locations = [...entryLocations, { offset: entry, bytes: 8 }];
-      const target = bytes.readUInt32LE(entry + 4);
-      const offset = target & 0x7fffffff;
-      if ((target & 0x80000000) !== 0) {
+      const locations = [
+        ...entryLocations,
+        { offset: entry, bytes: PE_RESOURCE_ENTRY_BYTES },
+      ];
+      const { offset } = record.target;
+      if (record.target.kind === "directory") {
         if (next.length >= 3)
           peFailure(
             "Unsupported resource tree deeper than type/name/language.",
diff --git a/src/native/pe/PeResourceTreeFacts.ts b/src/native/pe/PeResourceTreeFacts.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..536c49de53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/native/pe/PeResourceTreeFacts.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/** Fixed PE resource records; callers own interval, budget and tree admission. */
+export const PE_RESOURCE_DIRECTORY_BYTES = 16;
+export const PE_RESOURCE_ENTRY_BYTES = 8;
+export const PE_RESOURCE_NAME_PREFIX_BYTES = 2;
+
+/** Decode an already-admitted IMAGE_RESOURCE_DIRECTORY record. */
+export const readPeResourceDirectoryFacts = (bytes: Buffer) => {
+  const namedEntries = bytes.readUInt16LE(12);
+  const idEntries = bytes.readUInt16LE(14);
+  return {
+    characteristics: bytes.readUInt32LE(0),
+    timestamp: bytes.readUInt32LE(4),
+    majorVersion: bytes.readUInt16LE(8),
+    minorVersion: bytes.readUInt16LE(10),
+    namedEntries,
+    idEntries,
+    entryCount: namedEntries + idEntries,
+  };
+};
+
+export type PeResourceIdentityDeclaration =
+  | { readonly kind: "id"; readonly id: number }
+  | { readonly kind: "name"; readonly offset: number };
+
+/** Offsets remain relative to the resource root; numeric IDs retain all source bits. */
+export const readPeResourceEntryFacts = (bytes: Buffer) => {
+  const encodedIdentity = bytes.readUInt32LE(0);
+  const encodedTarget = bytes.readUInt32LE(4);
+  const identity: PeResourceIdentityDeclaration =
+    (encodedIdentity & 0x80000000) === 0
+      ? { kind: "id", id: encodedIdentity }
+      : { kind: "name", offset: encodedIdentity & 0x7fffffff };
+  return {
+    identity,
+    target: {
+      kind:
+        (encodedTarget & 0x80000000) === 0
+          ? ("data" as const)
+          : ("directory" as const),
+      offset: encodedTarget & 0x7fffffff,
+    },
+  };
+};
+
+/** Observe the length only; callers admit decoded-name costs before reading or decoding payload. */
+export const readPeResourceNameFacts = (bytes: Buffer) => {
+  const utf16Units = bytes.readUInt16LE(0);
+  return { utf16Units, payloadBytes: utf16Units * 2 };
+};