diff --git a/scripts/generate_pack.py b/scripts/generate_pack.py
index d207150b..b476ae27 100644
--- a/scripts/generate_pack.py
+++ b/scripts/generate_pack.py
@@ -1345,6 +1345,15 @@ def generate_emulator_pack(
                     ),
                     {"name": archive_name},
                 )
+                if required_only and archive_entry.get("required") is False and all(
+                    member.get("required") is False
+                    for member in files
+                    if member.get("archive") == archive_name
+                ):
+                    # Optional as a whole: its own entry and every member it
+                    # carries. geolith's _Required pack held neocd.zip and
+                    # irrmaze.zip all the same.
+                    continue
                 local_path, status = resolve_file(
                     archive_entry,
                     db,
diff --git a/tests/test_required_only_archives.py b/tests/test_required_only_archives.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c2d4b306
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_required_only_archives.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+"""--required-only reaches archives in emulator packs.
+
+geolith declares neocd.zip and irrmaze.zip optional, members included, and
+its _Required pack held them anyway: the archive loop never read `required`.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+import zipfile
+from pathlib import Path
+
+REPO_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+
+
+class RequiredOnlyArchives(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_optional_archives_stay_out(self):
+        if not (REPO_ROOT / "database.json").is_file():
+            self.skipTest("database.json not built")
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(dir=REPO_ROOT / "tmp") as tmp:
+            result = subprocess.run(
+                [sys.executable, "scripts/generate_pack.py", "--emulator", "geolith",
+                 "--required-only", "--offline", "--output-dir", tmp],
+                capture_output=True, text=True, cwd=REPO_ROOT, timeout=600,
+            )
+            self.assertEqual(result.returncode, 0, result.stdout + result.stderr)
+            pack = next(Path(tmp).glob("*.zip"))
+            names = set(zipfile.ZipFile(pack).namelist())
+        self.assertNotIn("neocd.zip", names)
+        self.assertNotIn("irrmaze.zip", names)
+        self.assertIn("neogeo.zip", names)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()