diff --git a/scripts/exporter/retropie_exporter.py b/scripts/exporter/retropie_exporter.py
index 4d6f7b7a..6ee5a487 100644
--- a/scripts/exporter/retropie_exporter.py
+++ b/scripts/exporter/retropie_exporter.py
@@ -184,6 +184,34 @@ class Exporter(BaseExporter):
                 names.append(fe.name)
         return names
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _slot_of(fe: NativeFile) -> tuple[str, tuple[str, ...]] | None:
+        """The search chain a file belongs to, or None when it is in none.
+
+        PicoDrive walks one ranked list per region and loads the first file
+        it finds: the files of one chain are alternatives, and naming two of
+        them in an enumeration that reads "requires a, b and c" says both
+        are needed. A file joins a chain only when its source ranks it and
+        names its territory.
+        """
+        regions = (fe.truth or {}).get("region") or []
+        if fe.priority is None or not regions:
+            return None
+        return fe.native_system, tuple(sorted(str(r) for r in regions))
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _one_per_slot(cls, candidates: list[NativeFile], filled: set) -> list[NativeFile]:
+        """The candidates whose chain the help leaves empty, best first."""
+        kept: list[NativeFile] = []
+        for fe in search_order(candidates):
+            slot = cls._slot_of(fe)
+            if slot is not None:
+                if slot in filled:
+                    continue
+                filled.add(slot)
+            kept.append(fe)
+        return kept
+
     @staticmethod
     def _required_for(fe: NativeFile, core: str | None) -> bool:
         """Whether the package's own core needs the file.
@@ -290,7 +318,14 @@ class Exporter(BaseExporter):
                 )
                 & listed
             ]
-            missing = self._in_search_order(candidates)
+            filled = {
+                slot
+                for fe in files
+                if ({fe.name.lower()}
+                    | {str(a).lower() for a in (fe.native("aliases", []) or [])}) & listed
+                and (slot := self._slot_of(fe)) is not None
+            }
+            missing = self._in_search_order(self._one_per_slot(candidates, filled))
             if not missing:
                 continue
 
diff --git a/tests/test_exporters.py b/tests/test_exporters.py
index 897eedff..80bd22ce 100644
--- a/tests/test_exporters.py
+++ b/tests/test_exporters.py
@@ -356,6 +356,35 @@ class SearchOrder(unittest.TestCase):
             exporter._in_search_order(candidates), ["ranked.bin", "unranked.bin"]
         )
 
+    def test_a_region_the_help_already_fills_gets_no_alternative(self):
+        """PicoDrive loads the first file of each region's list. RetroPie
+        names one per region; the export appended three more, which the
+        sentence reads as three more required files."""
+        from exporter.baseline import NativeSystem  # noqa: PLC0415
+
+        def cd(name, region, rank):
+            return NativeFile(name=name, destination=name, native_system="segacd", truth={
+                "name": name, "required": True, "md5": "0" * 32, "_cores": ["picodrive"],
+                "region": [region], "priority": rank})
+
+        files = [cd("us_scd2_9306.bin", "north-america", 1),
+                 cd("us_scd1_9210.bin", "north-america", 3),
+                 cd("eu_mcd2_9306.bin", "europe", 1),
+                 cd("eu_mcd1_9210.bin", "europe", 3),
+                 cd("jp_mcd2_921222.bin", "japan", 1),
+                 cd("jp_mcd1_9112.bin", "japan", 2)]
+        script = ('rp_module_id="lr-picodrive"\nrp_module_help="The Sega CD requires the '
+                  'BIOS files us_scd1_9210.bin, eu_mcd1_9210.bin copied to $biosdir"\n')
+        exporter = discover_exporters()["retropie"]()
+        produced = exporter.render(
+            {"segacd": NativeSystem("segacd", files=files)}, None,
+            {"scriptmodules/libretrocores/lr-picodrive.sh": script},
+        )["scriptmodules/libretrocores/lr-picodrive.sh"]
+        self.assertIn("us_scd1_9210.bin, eu_mcd1_9210.bin and jp_mcd2_921222.bin copied",
+                      produced)
+        self.assertNotIn("us_scd2_9306", produced)
+        self.assertNotIn("jp_mcd1_9112", produced)
+
     def test_cores_that_disagree_keep_the_best_rank(self):
         """Nothing is dropped on the rank here, so the best one wins.