diff --git a/scripts/check_freshness.py b/scripts/check_freshness.py
index b8e03f28b..3f703d768 100644
--- a/scripts/check_freshness.py
+++ b/scripts/check_freshness.py
@@ -509,7 +509,10 @@ def check_native(
 ) -> list[Finding]:
     exporters = discover_exporters()
     index = cache_dir / export_native.SOURCES_INDEX
-    recorded = export_native.load_sources(cache_dir)
+    try:
+        recorded = export_native.load_sources(cache_dir)
+    except export_native.SourcesIndexUnreadable as exc:
+        return [Finding("native", index.name, ERROR, detail=str(exc))]
     findings: list[Finding] = []
     for name in list_registered_platforms(str(platforms_dir), include_archived=True):
         exporter_class = exporters.get(name)
diff --git a/scripts/export_native.py b/scripts/export_native.py
index 42d529eba..d91e9e783 100644
--- a/scripts/export_native.py
+++ b/scripts/export_native.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ from artifacts import file_lock, write_bytes_atomic, write_if_changed, write_tex
 import yaml
 
 from common import (
+    InputMissing,
     build_zip_contents_index,
     platform_arg,
     list_registered_platforms,
@@ -62,13 +63,27 @@ _USER_AGENT = "retrobios-exporter/1.0"
 _MAX_BYTES = 64 * 1024 * 1024
 
 
+class SourcesIndexUnreadable(InputMissing):
+    """The cache's URL index exists and does not read as JSON."""
+
+
 def _load_sources(index: Path | None) -> dict[str, str]:
+    """The URL each cached file was fetched from.
+
+    An absent index records nothing. An index that does not read raises:
+    read as empty it let every cached original pass for current, and the
+    next download rewrote it with that one entry.
+    """
     if index is None or not index.is_file():
         return {}
     try:
         return json.loads(index.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
-    except (OSError, json.JSONDecodeError):
-        return {}
+    except (OSError, json.JSONDecodeError) as exc:
+        raise SourcesIndexUnreadable(
+            f"{index} does not read ({exc}): remove it, then"
+            " python scripts/export_native.py --all --refresh-cache"
+            " downloads every original again and records its URL"
+        ) from exc
 
 
 def source_key(destination: Path, index: Path | None) -> str:
diff --git a/tests/test_check_freshness.py b/tests/test_check_freshness.py
index 72846872f..9fedcc590 100644
--- a/tests/test_check_freshness.py
+++ b/tests/test_check_freshness.py
@@ -35,6 +35,14 @@ class NativeCacheTests(unittest.TestCase):
         self.root.mkdir()
         self.wanted = {"list.txt": "https://example.invalid/tag-2/list.txt"}
 
+    def test_an_unreadable_index_is_an_error_not_unrecorded(self):
+        """Read as empty, it named "no URL recorded" for every original."""
+        self.index.write_text("{", encoding="utf-8")
+        findings = cf.check_native(REPO_ROOT / "platforms", self.cache, self.cache)
+        self.assertEqual([(f.subject, f.status) for f in findings],
+                         [(self.index.name, cf.ERROR)])
+        self.assertIn("--refresh-cache", findings[0].detail)
+
     def _cached(self, mtime: float) -> None:
         path = self.root / "list.txt"
         path.write_text("x", encoding="utf-8")
diff --git a/tests/test_exporters.py b/tests/test_exporters.py
index f84b4e624..391171064 100644
--- a/tests/test_exporters.py
+++ b/tests/test_exporters.py
@@ -1005,6 +1005,22 @@ class CachedOriginal(unittest.TestCase):
         self._upstream("v1.txt", "moved")
         self.assertEqual(fetch(url, target, self.index), b"one")
 
+    def test_an_unreadable_index_serves_nothing(self):
+        """A truncated index read as empty: the cached batocera-41 file was
+        served for a 43.1 URL, and the next download erased every other
+        platform's recorded URL."""
+        import export_native
+
+        old = self._upstream("batocera-41.txt", "old")
+        target = self.cache / "plat" / "list.txt"
+        fetch(old, target, self.index)
+        self.index.write_text('{"plat/list.txt": "' + old + '",', encoding="utf-8")
+        new = self._upstream("batocera-43.txt", "new")
+        with self.assertRaises(export_native.SourcesIndexUnreadable) as caught:
+            fetch(new, target, self.index)
+        self.assertIn("--refresh-cache", str(caught.exception))
+        self.assertTrue(self.index.read_text(encoding="utf-8").endswith(","))
+
     def test_refresh_reads_a_branch_url_again(self):
         """A branch URL keeps its name while the platform moves."""
         url = self._upstream("branch.txt", "one")