diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/validate.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/validate.ts
index ad95a6960f..1aca7ada81 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/validate.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/validate.ts
@@ -72,6 +72,73 @@ async function seekTo(page: import("puppeteer-core").Page, time: number): Promis
   await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, SEEK_SETTLE_MS));
 }
 
+/**
+ * Flag `<video>`/`<audio>` clips whose source is meaningfully shorter than their
+ * `data-duration` slot (the slot gets silently shortened in renders). Runs in
+ * the live page to read each element's intrinsic `.duration`, which static lint
+ * can't see.
+ */
+async function auditClipDurations(
+  page: import("puppeteer-core").Page,
+  analyzeClipMediaFit: typeof import("@hyperframes/engine").analyzeClipMediaFit,
+): Promise<ConsoleEntry[]> {
+  const clips = await page.evaluate(() => {
+    const rows: Array<{
+      id: string;
+      kind: string;
+      slot: number;
+      mediaStart: number;
+      duration: number;
+      loop: boolean;
+    }> = [];
+    document.querySelectorAll("video[data-duration], audio[data-duration]").forEach((node) => {
+      const el = node as HTMLMediaElement;
+      const slot = parseFloat(el.getAttribute("data-duration") ?? "");
+      if (!(slot > 0)) return;
+      rows.push({
+        id: el.id || el.getAttribute("src") || `(${el.tagName.toLowerCase()})`,
+        kind: el.tagName === "AUDIO" ? "Audio" : "Video",
+        slot,
+        mediaStart: parseFloat(el.getAttribute("data-media-start") ?? "0") || 0,
+        duration: el.duration,
+        loop: el.loop || el.getAttribute("data-loop") === "true",
+      });
+    });
+    return rows;
+  });
+
+  const warnings: ConsoleEntry[] = [];
+  const unreadable: string[] = [];
+  for (const clip of clips) {
+    if (!Number.isFinite(clip.duration) || clip.duration <= 0) {
+      // Metadata never loaded (e.g. slow remote source) — record so the gap in
+      // coverage isn't silent, rather than dropping it.
+      unreadable.push(clip.id);
+      continue;
+    }
+    const mediaSeconds = Math.max(0, clip.duration - clip.mediaStart);
+    const fit = analyzeClipMediaFit({ slotSeconds: clip.slot, mediaSeconds, loop: clip.loop });
+    if (!fit) continue;
+    warnings.push({
+      level: "warning",
+      text:
+        `${clip.kind} "${clip.id}" is ${mediaSeconds.toFixed(2)}s but its slot (data-duration) ` +
+        `is ${clip.slot.toFixed(2)}s — the slot is shortened to the media length when rendered. ` +
+        `Set data-duration to ~${mediaSeconds.toFixed(2)}s if that isn't intended.`,
+    });
+  }
+  if (unreadable.length > 0) {
+    warnings.push({
+      level: "warning",
+      text:
+        `Could not read the duration of ${unreadable.length} media element(s) within the ` +
+        `validate timeout (${unreadable.join(", ")}); their slot vs. source fit was not checked. ` +
+        `Re-run with a longer --timeout if the source is slow to load.`,
+    });
+  }
+  return warnings;
+}
+
 async function runContrastAudit(page: import("puppeteer-core").Page): Promise<ContrastEntry[]> {
   const duration = await getCompositionDuration(page);
   if (duration <= 0) return [];
@@ -134,7 +201,7 @@ async function validateInBrowser(
   try {
     const browser = await ensureBrowser();
     const puppeteer = await import("puppeteer-core");
-    const { buildChromeArgs } = await import("@hyperframes/engine");
+    const { buildChromeArgs, analyzeClipMediaFit } = await import("@hyperframes/engine");
     const browserGpuMode =
       process.env.PRODUCER_BROWSER_GPU_MODE === "software" ? "software" : "hardware";
     const chromeBrowser = await puppeteer.default.launch({
@@ -192,6 +259,10 @@ async function validateInBrowser(
     await page.goto(server.url, { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded", timeout: 10000 });
     await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, opts.timeout ?? 3000));
 
+    for (const w of await auditClipDurations(page, analyzeClipMediaFit)) {
+      warnings.push(w);
+    }
+
     if (opts.contrast) {
       contrast = await runContrastAudit(page);
     }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/compiler/timingCompiler.ts b/packages/core/src/compiler/timingCompiler.ts
index 169c37b298..e702f8ac4c 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/compiler/timingCompiler.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/compiler/timingCompiler.ts
@@ -48,8 +48,10 @@ export interface CompilationResult {
   unresolved: UnresolvedElement[];
 }
 
-// ffprobe precision can differ slightly across local and CI media stacks.
-const MEDIA_DURATION_CLAMP_EPSILON_SECONDS = 0.05;
+// ffprobe precision can differ slightly across local and CI media stacks. Also
+// the floor for the engine's hold-last-frame tolerance (a slot left unclamped is
+// short by at most this), so they must move together.
+export const MEDIA_DURATION_CLAMP_EPSILON_SECONDS = 0.05;
 
 export function shouldClampMediaDuration(declaredDuration: number, maxDuration: number): boolean {
   return declaredDuration > maxDuration + MEDIA_DURATION_CLAMP_EPSILON_SECONDS;
diff --git a/packages/core/src/index.ts b/packages/core/src/index.ts
index 53a21a64fd..c29992ba3d 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/index.ts
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ export {
   extractResolvedMedia,
   clampDurations,
   shouldClampMediaDuration,
+  MEDIA_DURATION_CLAMP_EPSILON_SECONDS,
 } from "./compiler/timingCompiler";
 
 // Lint
diff --git a/packages/engine/src/index.ts b/packages/engine/src/index.ts
index 20592af4e0..9be222084a 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/index.ts
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ export {
   getFrameAtTime,
   createFrameLookupTable,
   FrameLookupTable,
+  analyzeClipMediaFit,
   type VideoElement,
   type ImageElement,
   type ExtractedFrames,
diff --git a/packages/engine/src/services/videoFrameExtractor.test.ts b/packages/engine/src/services/videoFrameExtractor.test.ts
index 98579c6ed8..dc9e2836b2 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/services/videoFrameExtractor.test.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/services/videoFrameExtractor.test.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import {
   codecMayHaveAlpha,
   decoderForCodec,
   getFrameAtTime,
+  analyzeClipMediaFit,
   type VideoElement,
   type ExtractedFrames,
 } from "./videoFrameExtractor.js";
@@ -375,6 +376,33 @@ describe("FrameLookupTable", () => {
     expect(table.getActiveFramePayloads(5.0).get("hero")?.frameIndex).toBe(29);
   });
 
+  it("holds the last frame when the source is a sub-frame shorter than the slot", () => {
+    // clip [2, 3.45] declares a 1.45s slot, but `ffmpeg -t 1.45` at 30fps emits
+    // 43 frames = 1.433s — a half-frame short. The tail between source
+    // exhaustion (~3.433) and the clip end (3.45) must hold the last frame
+    // rather than render the page background (a one-frame black flash at the
+    // cut). The held index is the final extracted frame (42).
+    const table = createFrameLookupTable(
+      [
+        {
+          id: "hero",
+          src: "clip.mp4",
+          start: 2,
+          end: 3.45,
+          mediaStart: 0,
+          loop: false,
+          hasAudio: false,
+        },
+      ],
+      [fakeExtracted(43, 30)],
+    );
+    // last real frame
+    expect(table.getActiveFramePayloads(3.4).get("hero")?.frameIndex).toBe(42);
+    // source exhausted but within tolerance of the end → hold, don't blank
+    expect(table.getActiveFramePayloads(3.44).get("hero")?.frameIndex).toBe(42);
+    expect(table.getActiveFramePayloads(3.45).get("hero")?.frameIndex).toBe(42);
+  });
+
   it("keeps both clips active at a shared adjacent boundary, matching the runtime", () => {
     // clip A ends at 3.0, clip B starts at 3.0. The runtime shows both at the
     // shared instant; the active set must too.
@@ -395,6 +423,35 @@ describe("FrameLookupTable", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("analyzeClipMediaFit", () => {
+  it("returns null for a sub-tolerance shortfall the compiler leaves unclamped", () => {
+    // 1.433s media in a 1.45s slot — a sub-frame shortfall (<0.05s) the renderer
+    // freezes seamlessly and the compiler never clamps. Not worth warning about.
+    expect(analyzeClipMediaFit({ slotSeconds: 1.45, mediaSeconds: 1.433 })).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("returns null when media is longer than or equal to the slot", () => {
+    expect(analyzeClipMediaFit({ slotSeconds: 2, mediaSeconds: 2 })).toBeNull();
+    expect(analyzeClipMediaFit({ slotSeconds: 2, mediaSeconds: 5 })).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("reports the shortfall when the slot exceeds media beyond the clamp epsilon", () => {
+    const fit = analyzeClipMediaFit({ slotSeconds: 5, mediaSeconds: 1 });
+    expect(fit).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(fit?.shortfallSeconds).toBeCloseTo(4, 5);
+    expect(fit?.toleranceSeconds).toBeCloseTo(0.05, 5);
+  });
+
+  it("never flags looping clips (they repeat to fill the slot)", () => {
+    expect(analyzeClipMediaFit({ slotSeconds: 5, mediaSeconds: 1, loop: true })).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("returns null for unusable inputs (non-finite media, zero slot)", () => {
+    expect(analyzeClipMediaFit({ slotSeconds: 0, mediaSeconds: 1 })).toBeNull();
+    expect(analyzeClipMediaFit({ slotSeconds: 5, mediaSeconds: NaN })).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
+
 describe("parseImageElements", () => {
   it("parses images with data-start and data-duration", () => {
     const images = parseImageElements(
diff --git a/packages/engine/src/services/videoFrameExtractor.ts b/packages/engine/src/services/videoFrameExtractor.ts
index 5fbaad1bb1..e6c4bf2ca0 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/services/videoFrameExtractor.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/services/videoFrameExtractor.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { spawn } from "child_process";
 import { existsSync, mkdirSync, readdirSync, rmSync } from "fs";
 import { isAbsolute, join, posix, resolve, sep } from "path";
 import { parseHTML } from "linkedom";
-import { decodeUrlPathVariants } from "@hyperframes/core";
+import { decodeUrlPathVariants, MEDIA_DURATION_CLAMP_EPSILON_SECONDS } from "@hyperframes/core";
 import { trackChildProcess } from "../utils/processTracker.js";
 import { extractMediaMetadata, type VideoMetadata } from "../utils/ffprobe.js";
 import {
@@ -963,6 +963,32 @@ export function getFrameAtTime(
   return extracted.framePaths.get(frameIndex) || null;
 }
 
+const HOLD_LAST_FRAME_TOLERANCE_FRAMES = 2;
+
+/**
+ * Whether a clip's source is shorter than its `data-duration` slot by more than
+ * the compiler tolerates before clamping the slot to the media
+ * (MEDIA_DURATION_CLAMP_EPSILON_SECONDS) — the case worth warning about. Shared
+ * by the render and `validate` warnings. `null` when the media covers the slot,
+ * the clip loops, or inputs are unusable.
+ */
+export function analyzeClipMediaFit(params: {
+  /** Timeline slot length in seconds — `end - start` (a.k.a. data-duration). */
+  slotSeconds: number;
+  /** Playable source media after the trim offset — `duration - mediaStart`. */
+  mediaSeconds: number;
+  /** Looping clips repeat to fill the slot, so they never fall short. */
+  loop?: boolean;
+}): { shortfallSeconds: number; toleranceSeconds: number } | null {
+  const { slotSeconds, mediaSeconds, loop } = params;
+  if (loop) return null;
+  if (!(slotSeconds > 0) || !Number.isFinite(mediaSeconds) || mediaSeconds < 0) return null;
+  const toleranceSeconds = MEDIA_DURATION_CLAMP_EPSILON_SECONDS;
+  const shortfallSeconds = slotSeconds - mediaSeconds;
+  if (shortfallSeconds <= toleranceSeconds) return null;
+  return { shortfallSeconds, toleranceSeconds };
+}
+
 export class FrameLookupTable {
   private videos: Map<
     string,
@@ -1079,11 +1105,17 @@ export class FrameLookupTable {
         continue;
       }
       if (frameIndex < 0 || frameIndex >= video.extracted.totalFrames) {
-        // At the inclusive clip end (globalTime === end), hold the last
-        // extracted frame so the render matches the runtime, which keeps the
-        // element visible on its final frame at `t === end`. Mid-clip source
-        // exhaustion (globalTime < end) stays blank — unchanged.
-        if (globalTime >= video.end && video.extracted.totalFrames > 0) {
+        // Source exhausted. Hold the last frame near the clip end so a media that
+        // falls a hair short of its slot (e.g. `ffmpeg -t 1.45` → 1.433s at 30fps)
+        // doesn't flash the background for one frame. A clip that's substantially
+        // shorter than its slot still blanks for the tail. Tolerance floored at
+        // the clamp epsilon so the seam is covered at any fps (see that const).
+        const fps = video.extracted.fps;
+        const holdTolerance = Math.max(
+          fps > 0 ? HOLD_LAST_FRAME_TOLERANCE_FRAMES / fps : 0,
+          MEDIA_DURATION_CLAMP_EPSILON_SECONDS,
+        );
+        if (globalTime >= video.end - holdTolerance && video.extracted.totalFrames > 0) {
           const lastIndex = video.extracted.totalFrames - 1;
           const lastPath = video.extracted.framePaths.get(lastIndex);
           if (lastPath) frames.set(videoId, { framePath: lastPath, frameIndex: lastIndex });
diff --git a/packages/producer/src/services/htmlCompiler.ts b/packages/producer/src/services/htmlCompiler.ts
index 38d30ffdb2..6048bc8a6f 100644
--- a/packages/producer/src/services/htmlCompiler.ts
+++ b/packages/producer/src/services/htmlCompiler.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ import type { Page } from "puppeteer-core";
 import { injectDeterministicFontFaces } from "./deterministicFonts.js";
 import { prepareAnimatedGifInputs } from "./animatedGifPrep.js";
 import { createStudioPositionSeekReapplyScript } from "@hyperframes/core/studio-api/manual-edits-render-script";
-import { defaultLogger } from "../logger.js";
+import { defaultLogger, type ProducerLogger } from "../logger.js";
 
 export interface CompiledComposition {
   html: string;
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@ async function compileHtmlFile(
   html: string,
   baseDir: string,
   downloadDir: string,
+  log?: ProducerLogger,
 ): Promise<{ html: string; unresolvedCompositions: UnresolvedElement[] }> {
   const { html: staticCompiled, unresolved } = compileTimingAttrs(html);
 
@@ -244,13 +245,25 @@ async function compileHtmlFile(
           downloadDir,
           el.tagName,
         );
-        return { id: el.id, duration: el.duration, maxDuration, src: el.src! };
+        return { id: el.id, tagName: el.tagName, duration: el.duration, maxDuration, src: el.src! };
       }),
   );
   const clampList: ResolvedDuration[] = [];
   for (const r of clampResults) {
     if (r.maxDuration > 0 && shouldClampMediaDuration(r.duration, r.maxDuration)) {
       clampList.push({ id: r.id, duration: r.maxDuration });
+      // This clip's `data-duration` is being silently shortened to its source.
+      // Surface it so the author can confirm the longer slot wasn't intended.
+      // ponytail: top-level only — sub-composition clips still get clamped (and
+      // videos still hold the last frame); thread `log` through
+      // parseSubCompositions to warn for them too.
+      const kind = r.tagName === "audio" ? "Audio" : "Video";
+      log?.warn(
+        `[compile] ${kind} "${r.id}" (${r.src}) is ${r.maxDuration.toFixed(2)}s but its ` +
+          `data-duration is ${r.duration.toFixed(2)}s — the slot is shortened to the media ` +
+          `length. Set data-duration to ~${r.maxDuration.toFixed(2)}s, trim data-media-start, ` +
+          `or use a longer/looping source if that isn't intended.`,
+      );
     }
   }
 
@@ -1295,6 +1308,11 @@ async function embedLocalFontFaces(html: string, projectDir: string): Promise<st
  * additive; omitting `options` preserves the in-process renderer's defaults.
  */
 export interface CompileForRenderOptions {
+  /**
+   * Logger for compile-time diagnostics (e.g. the data-duration vs. media
+   * mismatch warning). Optional so non-render callers can omit it.
+   */
+  log?: ProducerLogger;
   /**
    * Threaded through to {@link injectDeterministicFontFaces}. When `true`,
    * any external font fetch failure throws `FontFetchError` instead of
@@ -1353,6 +1371,7 @@ export async function compileForRender(
     rawHtml,
     projectDir,
     downloadDir,
+    options.log,
   );
 
   // Parse sub-compositions first (extracts media + compiled HTML for each)
diff --git a/packages/producer/src/services/render/stages/compileStage.ts b/packages/producer/src/services/render/stages/compileStage.ts
index aeb1f66a70..4c35b9cd6d 100644
--- a/packages/producer/src/services/render/stages/compileStage.ts
+++ b/packages/producer/src/services/render/stages/compileStage.ts
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ export async function runCompileStage(input: CompileStageInput): Promise<Compile
 
   const compileStart = Date.now();
   const compiled = await compileForRender(projectDir, htmlPath, join(workDir, "downloads"), {
+    log,
     failClosedFontFetch: failClosedFontFetch === true,
     allowSystemFontCapture,
     animatedGifCacheDir: cfg.extractCacheDir