diff --git a/scripts/generate_pack.py b/scripts/generate_pack.py
index 43777c99..bb297cf5 100644
--- a/scripts/generate_pack.py
+++ b/scripts/generate_pack.py
@@ -94,7 +94,6 @@ from validation import (
     agnostic_substitute,
     _build_validation_index,
     deliverable,
-    filter_files_by_mode,
     with_archive_members,
     extra_alternatives,
 )
@@ -2551,6 +2550,16 @@ def _pack_output_lock(output_dir: str, exclusive: bool = True) -> Iterator[None]
         sys.exit(1)
 
 
+def _baseline_shortfall(excluded: int, absent: int) -> list[str]:
+    """Why a verified pack holds fewer baseline files than the platform declares."""
+    parts = []
+    if excluded:
+        parts.append(f"{excluded} unsafe excluded")
+    if absent:
+        parts.append(f"{absent} not in the collection")
+    return parts
+
+
 def _run_verify_packs(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
     """Verify each pack in the output directory against its platform.
 
@@ -2634,10 +2643,12 @@ def _run_verify_packs(args: argparse.Namespace) -> None:
                 required_only=required_only,
             )
             (ok, _checked, _present, errors, bl_checked, bl_present,
-             core_checked, core_present, bl_excluded) = result
-            # The unsafe exclusions explain a baseline short of its total: a
-            # dump whose hash the frontend refuses is left out on purpose.
-            excluded = f" ({bl_excluded} unsafe excluded)" if bl_excluded else ""
+             core_checked, core_present, bl_excluded, bl_absent) = result
+            # These explain a baseline short of its total: a dump whose hash
+            # the frontend refuses is left out on purpose, and a file the
+            # collection does not hold cannot be packed (verify reports it).
+            shortfall = ", ".join(_baseline_shortfall(bl_excluded, bl_absent))
+            excluded = f" ({shortfall})" if shortfall else ""
             counts = (
                 f"{bl_present}/{bl_checked} baseline{excluded}, "
                 f"{core_present}/{core_checked} cores"
@@ -4816,6 +4827,7 @@ def verify_and_finalize_packs(
                 core_checked,
                 core_present,
                 bl_excluded,
+                bl_absent,
             ) = verify_pack_against_platform(
                 zip_path,
                 pname,
@@ -4827,8 +4839,8 @@ def verify_and_finalize_packs(
                 target_cores=_target_cores_for(pname, target_name, platforms_dir),
             )
             status = "OK" if p_ok else "FAILED"
-            exclusion_note = (
-                f", {bl_excluded} unsafe excluded" if bl_excluded else ""
+            exclusion_note = "".join(
+                f", {part}" for part in _baseline_shortfall(bl_excluded, bl_absent)
             )
             print(
                 f"  platform {pname}: {bl_present}/{bl_checked} baseline present"
diff --git a/scripts/packverify.py b/scripts/packverify.py
index dfc7f806..3ce9a5c2 100644
--- a/scripts/packverify.py
+++ b/scripts/packverify.py
@@ -448,6 +448,31 @@ def _repo_holds_member(file_entry: dict, db: dict) -> bool:
     return False
 
 
+def _held_nowhere(
+    entries: list[dict],
+    db: dict,
+    zip_contents: dict,
+    data_dir_registry: dict | None,
+) -> bool:
+    """Return whether no declaration for a destination resolves to a file.
+
+    The builder cannot ship what the collection does not hold, so such a
+    destination is a data gap that verify.py reports as missing, not a pack
+    generation fault. A destination that resolves to anything stays checked.
+    """
+    return bool(entries) and all(
+        resolve_file(
+            entry,
+            db,
+            DEFAULT_BIOS_DIR,
+            zip_contents,
+            data_dir_registry=data_dir_registry,
+            offline=True,
+        )[1] == "not_found"
+        for entry in entries
+    )
+
+
 def _intentional_hash_exclusion(
     entries: list[dict],
     db: dict,
@@ -613,7 +638,7 @@ def verify_pack_against_platform(
     target_cores: set[str] | None = None,
     source: str = "full",
     required_only: bool = False,
-) -> tuple[bool, int, int, list[str], int, int, int, int, int]:
+) -> tuple[bool, int, int, list[str], int, int, int, int, int, int]:
     """Verify a pack ZIP against its platform config and core requirements.
 
     A region priority list narrows the expectation to what the builder would
@@ -633,7 +658,9 @@ def verify_pack_against_platform(
     5. No unexpected zero-byte BIOS files
 
     Returns ``(all_ok, checked, present, errors, baseline_checked,
-    baseline_present, core_checked, core_present, baseline_excluded)``.
+    baseline_present, core_checked, core_present, baseline_excluded,
+    baseline_absent)``. ``baseline_absent`` counts destinations the collection
+    holds no file for: verify.py reports them missing.
     """
 
     config = load_platform_config(platform_name, platforms_dir)
@@ -702,6 +729,7 @@ def verify_pack_against_platform(
         baseline_checked = 0
         baseline_present = 0
         baseline_excluded = 0
+        baseline_absent = 0
         decl_by_member: dict[str, list[dict]] = {}
         # Mirror the builder's path-conflict logic: a declaration whose path
         # collides file-vs-directory with a packed member was skipped by the
@@ -745,6 +773,11 @@ def verify_pack_against_platform(
             ):
                 baseline_excluded += 1
                 continue
+            elif db is not None and _held_nowhere(
+                declarations, db, exclusion_index, data_registry
+            ):
+                baseline_absent += 1
+                continue
             else:
                 errors.append(f"baseline missing: {expected}")
                 continue
@@ -835,4 +868,5 @@ def verify_pack_against_platform(
         core_checked,
         core_present,
         baseline_excluded,
+        baseline_absent,
     )
diff --git a/tests/test_e2e.py b/tests/test_e2e.py
index 0059adad..5d99fedc 100644
--- a/tests/test_e2e.py
+++ b/tests/test_e2e.py
@@ -5268,6 +5268,37 @@ struct BurnDriver BurnDrvneogeo = {
             )
             self.assertEqual(result[3], [], f"unexpected errors: {result[3]}")
 
+    def test_213b_file_the_collection_lacks_is_no_pack_error(self):
+        """A declared file nothing resolves to is a data gap verify reports;
+        a held file absent from the pack stays a pack error."""
+        import tempfile
+
+        from generate_pack import generate_pack, verify_pack_against_platform
+
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
+            plat_dir, bios_root, out_dir, db, _h, _hl = self._make_hash_zip_fixture(
+                tmpdir, declare_md5=True
+            )
+            config_path = os.path.join(plat_dir, "test_hashzip.yml")
+            with open(config_path) as fh:
+                config = yaml.safe_load(fh)
+            config["systems"]["arcade-sys"]["files"].append(
+                {"name": "absent.bin", "destination": "dc/absent.bin"}
+            )
+            with open(config_path, "w") as fh:
+                yaml.dump(config, fh)
+            zip_path = generate_pack("test_hashzip", plat_dir, db, bios_root, out_dir)
+            result = verify_pack_against_platform(zip_path, "test_hashzip", plat_dir, db=db)
+            self.assertEqual(result[3], [])
+            self.assertEqual((result[4], result[5], result[9]), (2, 1, 1))
+
+            empty = os.path.join(out_dir, "Empty.zip")
+            with zipfile.ZipFile(empty, "w") as zf:
+                zf.writestr("README.txt", "")
+            result = verify_pack_against_platform(empty, "test_hashzip", plat_dir, db=db)
+            self.assertEqual(result[3], ["baseline missing: dc/testbios.zip"])
+            self.assertEqual(result[9], 1)
+
     def test_214_hash_matches_truncated_and_multi(self):
         """Declared-hash compare handles truncation, case, multi-values."""
         from generate_pack import _hash_matches
diff --git a/tests/test_pack_conformance_dirs.py b/tests/test_pack_conformance_dirs.py
index cd81fbdb..f17d77eb 100644
--- a/tests/test_pack_conformance_dirs.py
+++ b/tests/test_pack_conformance_dirs.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ class ConformanceUsesTheRunDirectories(unittest.TestCase):
 
         def record(*args, **kwargs):
             seen.update(kwargs)
-            return True, 0, 0, [], 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
+            return True, 0, 0, [], 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
 
         with mock.patch.object(gp, "list_registered_platforms", return_value=["fix"]), \
                 mock.patch.object(