diff --git a/scripts/validation.py b/scripts/validation.py
index 544451f90..5a4272dd5 100644
--- a/scripts/validation.py
+++ b/scripts/validation.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from common import (
     adler32_of,
     archive_members,
     compute_hashes,
+    entry_system_ids,
     name_match_size_ok,
     sanitize_pack_path,
     size_fits,
@@ -145,6 +146,72 @@ def _rule_failure(
     return None
 
 
+def _found_by_content(entry: dict, profile: dict) -> bool:
+    """Whether every build of the core identifies this entry by content."""
+    return not opens_by_name(entry, profile) and not opens_by_name(
+        entry, profile, standalone=True
+    )
+
+
+def _regions(entry: dict) -> set[str]:
+    value = entry.get("region")
+    return set(value) if isinstance(value, list) else {value} if value else set()
+
+
+def content_alternatives(entry: dict, profile: dict) -> list[dict]:
+    """The labels a content-found core takes in place of this one.
+
+    rustation scans its folder by sha256 (found_by: content): its
+    scph1001.bin is a label for v2.2, and the v2.0 dump ROCKNIX ships under
+    that name boots the same North American console, labelled
+    scph1001_v20.bin. Alternatives share the entry's system and declared
+    region, the slot slot.py groups by: openMSX also finds its ROMs by
+    sha1, but each one serves its own machine and declares no region.
+    """
+    if not _found_by_content(entry, profile):
+        return []
+    regions = _regions(entry)
+    if not regions:
+        return []
+    systems = set(entry_system_ids(entry, profile))
+    return [
+        other for other in profile.get("files") or []
+        if isinstance(other, dict)
+        and _found_by_content(other, profile)
+        and regions & _regions(other)
+        and systems == set(entry_system_ids(other, profile))
+    ]
+
+
+def _labels_widened(profile: dict) -> list[dict]:
+    """The profile's entries, each content-found label accepting the dumps
+    of its alternatives (content_alternatives)."""
+    widened = []
+    for f in profile.get("files") or []:
+        if not isinstance(f, dict):
+            continue
+        siblings = content_alternatives(f, profile)
+        if len(siblings) < 2:
+            widened.append(f)
+            continue
+        merged = dict(f)
+        for field_name in ("crc32", "md5", "sha1", "sha256"):
+            if f.get(field_name):
+                merged[field_name] = list(dict.fromkeys(
+                    value for other in siblings
+                    for value in parse_hash_list(other.get(field_name))
+                ))
+        if f.get("size") is not None:
+            merged["size"] = sorted({
+                size for other in siblings
+                for size in (other["size"] if isinstance(other.get("size"), list)
+                             else [other.get("size")])
+                if size is not None
+            })
+        widened.append(merged)
+    return widened
+
+
 def _build_validation_index(profiles: dict) -> dict[str, dict]:
     """Build per-filename validation rules from emulator profiles.
 
@@ -170,7 +237,7 @@ def _build_validation_index(profiles: dict) -> dict[str, dict]:
     for emu_name, profile in profiles.items():
         if profile.get("type") in ("launcher", "alias"):
             continue
-        for f in profile.get("files", []):
+        for f in _labels_widened(profile):
             fname = f.get("name", "")
             if not fname:
                 continue
diff --git a/tests/test_validation_scope.py b/tests/test_validation_scope.py
index 87399f979..30c8946b4 100644
--- a/tests/test_validation_scope.py
+++ b/tests/test_validation_scope.py
@@ -47,5 +47,44 @@ class HleIndexScope(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertIn("for profile in platform_profiles.values()", block)
         self.assertNotIn("profiles.values()", block.replace("platform_profiles.values()", ""))
 
+
+class ContentFoundLabelsTakeTheirRegionSlot(unittest.TestCase):
+    """rustation scans its folder by sha256, so its scph1001.bin entry is a
+    label. ROCKNIX ships the v2.0 dump under that name, which rustation
+    boots (labelled scph1001_v20.bin), and verify called it a mismatch."""
+
+    def test_an_alternative_dump_passes_under_the_label(self):
+        import hashlib
+        import sys
+        import tempfile
+
+        sys.path.insert(0, str(REPO_ROOT / "scripts"))
+        from validation import _build_validation_index, check_file_validation
+
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+            path = Path(tmp) / "scph1001.bin"
+            path.write_bytes(b"v2.0")
+            v20 = hashlib.sha256(b"v2.0").hexdigest()
+            profile = {
+                "found_by": "content",
+                "systems": ["sony-playstation"],
+                "files": [
+                    {"name": "scph1001.bin", "region": ["north-america"],
+                     "validation": ["sha256"], "sha256": "a" * 64},
+                    {"name": "scph1001_v20.bin", "region": ["north-america"],
+                     "validation": ["sha256"], "sha256": v20},
+                    {"name": "scph5500.bin", "region": ["japan"],
+                     "validation": ["sha256"], "sha256": "b" * 64},
+                ],
+            }
+            index = _build_validation_index({"rustation": profile})
+            self.assertIsNone(check_file_validation(str(path), "scph1001.bin", index))
+            # Another region is another slot.
+            self.assertIsNotNone(check_file_validation(str(path), "scph5500.bin", index))
+            # A core that opens the file by name rejects it.
+            index = _build_validation_index({"rustation": {**profile, "found_by": "name"}})
+            self.assertIsNotNone(check_file_validation(str(path), "scph1001.bin", index))
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()