diff --git a/scripts/verify.py b/scripts/verify.py
index 4e486caf7..196288bc5 100644
--- a/scripts/verify.py
+++ b/scripts/verify.py
@@ -1309,8 +1309,12 @@ def verify_platform(
                     "release_asset": local_path,
                     "reason": "release asset, fetched when the pack is built",
                 }
+                # Written at its path like any held file: keyed to None, it
+                # stayed out of pack_destinations and step 5 read the pack's
+                # copy as a file only the pack holds.
                 packed_order.append((
-                    sys_id, f"{base_dest}/{destination}" if base_dest else destination, None,
+                    sys_id, f"{base_dest}/{destination}" if base_dest else destination,
+                    local_path,
                 ))
                 shipped_keys.add(_dest_key(file_entry, sys_id))
                 local_path = None
diff --git a/tests/test_verify_release_asset.py b/tests/test_verify_release_asset.py
index f8c69c3b4..34e104f99 100644
--- a/tests/test_verify_release_asset.py
+++ b/tests/test_verify_release_asset.py
@@ -89,6 +89,12 @@ class ReleaseAssetNotCached(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(entry["status"], Status.OK)
         self.assertEqual(entry["release_asset"], REGISTERED[0])
 
+    def test_its_path_is_a_pack_destination(self):
+        """The pack holds the fetched file at its path: absent from
+        pack_destinations, step 5 reported it 'pack only'."""
+        report = verify_platform(self.config, self.db, "emulators", {})
+        self.assertIn("big.bin", report["pack_destinations"])
+
     def test_offline_counts_it_missing(self):
         packresolve.set_offline(True)
         self.assertEqual(self._entry()["status"], Status.MISSING)