diff --git a/scripts/truth.py b/scripts/truth.py
index fd409653..13116bb5 100644
--- a/scripts/truth.py
+++ b/scripts/truth.py
@@ -200,6 +200,36 @@ def _same_file(files: list[dict], file_entry: dict, emu_name: str) -> dict | Non
     )
 
 
+def _require_by_slot(files: list[dict]) -> None:
+    """A core that requires a name an entry answers for requires the entry.
+
+    Merged by name, one core's alternatives land in several entries. Ymir
+    reads sega_101.bin, mpr-17933.bin or saturn_bios.bin, so the sega_101.bin
+    entry carries those aliases. kronos, yabause and yabasanshiro open
+    saturn_bios.bin first and sega_101.bin as a fallback: they sat in that
+    entry's _cores, out of its _required_by, while their saturn_bios.bin entry
+    had them requiring it, and a platform line paired through the alias read
+    them as optional. A core already among the entry's readers that requires
+    one of its aliases, as another entry of the system, is one of its
+    requirers. No reader is added.
+    """
+    required_by_name: dict[str, set[str]] = {}
+    for entry in files:
+        required_by_name.setdefault(entry["name"].lower(), set()).update(
+            entry.get("_required_by", ())
+        )
+    for entry in files:
+        # Only the aliases: entries sharing the entry's own name are other
+        # files that name already kept apart (pak0.pak under each game).
+        names = {str(alias).lower() for alias in entry.get("aliases") or ()}
+        names.discard(entry["name"].lower())
+        requirers = set().union(*(required_by_name.get(n, set()) for n in names))
+        added = (requirers & entry.get("_cores", set())) - entry.get("_required_by", set())
+        if added:
+            entry["_required_by"] = entry.get("_required_by", set()) | added
+            entry["required"] = True
+
+
 def _brought(file_entry: dict, emu_name: str) -> set[str]:
     """The core and build that need the file brought, empty when the
     emulator installs it. An entry read without layer (a test, a caller of
@@ -666,6 +696,9 @@ def generate_platform_truth(
             )
             sys_cov["unprofiled"].add(emu_name)
 
+    for sys_data in systems.values():
+        _require_by_slot(sys_data.get("files", []))
+
     # Drop files with no exploitable data AFTER all cores have contributed.
     # A file declared by one core without hash/size/path may be enriched by
     # another core that has the same entry with data, so the filter must run
diff --git a/tests/test_truth_diff.py b/tests/test_truth_diff.py
index 75d559c5..fa48edf6 100644
--- a/tests/test_truth_diff.py
+++ b/tests/test_truth_diff.py
@@ -246,6 +246,51 @@ class ACompositeZipMd5IsNoContainerMd5(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual([m["name"] for m in result["hash_mismatch"]], ["neocdz.zip"])
 
 
+class OneSlotUnderSeveralNames(unittest.TestCase):
+    """kronos opens saturn_bios.bin, then sega_101.bin as a fallback. Ymir
+    reads either name, so the sega_101.bin entry answers for saturn_bios.bin
+    too. kronos sat in that entry's _cores and out of its _required_by while
+    its saturn_bios.bin entry had it requiring the file."""
+
+    PROFILES = {
+        "kronos": {
+            "emulator": "Kronos", "type": "libretro", "systems": ["sega-saturn"],
+            "files": [
+                {"name": "saturn_bios.bin", "path": "kronos/saturn_bios.bin",
+                 "required": True, "size": 524288},
+                {"name": "sega_101.bin", "required": False, "size": 524288},
+            ],
+        },
+        "ymir": {
+            "emulator": "Ymir", "type": "libretro", "systems": ["sega-saturn"],
+            "files": [
+                {"name": "sega_101.bin", "required": True, "size": 524288,
+                 "aliases": ["saturn_bios.bin"]},
+            ],
+        },
+        "other": {
+            "emulator": "Other", "type": "libretro", "systems": ["sega-saturn"],
+            "files": [{"name": "saturn_bios.bin", "required": True, "size": 524288}],
+        },
+    }
+
+    def _files(self) -> dict[str, dict]:
+        cores = ["kronos", "ymir", "other"]
+        model = generate_platform_truth("p", {"cores": cores}, {}, self.PROFILES)
+        return {f["name"]: f for f in model["systems"]["sega-saturn"]["files"]}
+
+    def test_a_reader_requiring_an_alias_requires_the_entry(self):
+        sega = self._files()["sega_101.bin"]
+        self.assertEqual(sega["_cores"], ["kronos", "ymir"])
+        self.assertEqual(sega["_required_by"], ["kronos", "ymir"])
+
+    def test_no_reader_is_added(self):
+        """other requires saturn_bios.bin but never opens sega_101.bin."""
+        sega = self._files()["sega_101.bin"]
+        self.assertNotIn("other", sega["_required_by"])
+        self.assertTrue(set(sega["_required_by"]) <= set(sega["_cores"]))
+
+
 class OnlySystemDirectoryEntries(unittest.TestCase):
     """The truth kept files read from the save, content or working directory:
     diff_truth listed Cemu's mlc01 certificates, panda3ds's seeddb.bin and