diff --git a/scripts/restore_large_files.py b/scripts/restore_large_files.py
index 973872fa3..a902d38a7 100644
--- a/scripts/restore_large_files.py
+++ b/scripts/restore_large_files.py
@@ -29,14 +29,15 @@ from common import copy_file_atomic, load_database
 
 
 def gitignored_paths(gitignore: str) -> set[str]:
-    """Paths the repository keeps out of git, as written in .gitignore."""
-    try:
-        with open(gitignore) as f:
-            return {
-                line.strip() for line in f if line.strip().startswith("bios/")
-            }
-    except FileNotFoundError:
-        return set()
+    """Paths the repository keeps out of git, as written in .gitignore.
+
+    A missing file raises: read as empty, it left nothing to restore and
+    nothing unsatisfied, and the run exited 0 with every asset absent.
+    """
+    with open(gitignore) as f:
+        return {
+            line.strip() for line in f if line.strip().startswith("bios/")
+        }
 
 
 def index_cache(cache_dir: str) -> dict[str, str]:
@@ -144,6 +145,8 @@ def main() -> None:
         help="the .gitignore listing release-asset files (default: %(default)s)",
     )
     args = parser.parse_args()
+    if not os.path.isfile(args.gitignore):
+        parser.error(f"no file at {args.gitignore}: it lists the release assets")
     _restored, unsatisfied = restore(args.cache, args.db, args.gitignore)
     if unsatisfied:
         raise SystemExit(1)
diff --git a/tests/test_audit_regressions.py b/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
index a93c0a8c8..284c3e730 100644
--- a/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
+++ b/tests/test_audit_regressions.py
@@ -2061,6 +2061,25 @@ class CheckoutCompletenessRegressions(unittest.TestCase):
             finally:
                 os.chdir(cwd)
 
+    def test_restore_without_its_registry_fails(self):
+        """A mistyped --gitignore read as an empty registry: nothing to
+        restore, nothing unsatisfied, exit 0 with every asset absent."""
+        import subprocess
+
+        from scripts.restore_large_files import gitignored_paths
+
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(dir=TMP_ROOT) as directory:
+            missing = str(Path(directory) / "absent")
+            with self.assertRaises(FileNotFoundError):
+                gitignored_paths(missing)
+            proc = subprocess.run(
+                [sys.executable, str(ROOT / "scripts" / "restore_large_files.py"),
+                 "--gitignore", missing, "--cache", directory],
+                capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=120,
+            )
+            self.assertEqual(proc.returncode, 2, proc.stdout + proc.stderr)
+            self.assertIn("lists the release assets", proc.stderr)
+
     def test_restore_refuses_a_copy_replaced_after_the_index(self):
         """The cache is hashed first and copied later: another run that
         replaced the cached name in between put its bytes at a path the