diff --git a/docs/ci/BUNDLED_RELEASES.md b/docs/ci/BUNDLED_RELEASES.md
index 795769ca..7b09ae27 100644
--- a/docs/ci/BUNDLED_RELEASES.md
+++ b/docs/ci/BUNDLED_RELEASES.md
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ Template: [`templates/game-release.yml`](templates/game-release.yml).
    as `licenses/recomp-ui-LICENSE` and its font/image notices as
    `assets/{fonts,img}/NOTICE.md`); refuse if anything kit-shaped is in the
    stage; sign on Windows; zip.
-6. Verify the zip: executable + OpenBIOS + catalog present; no `psxrecomp/`,
+6. Verify the zip: executable + OpenBIOS + catalog + recomp-ui license and
+   font/image notices present; no `psxrecomp/`,
    `recomp-ui/`, CLI, emitters at the root, sources, generated C, dumps,
    per-machine mod state.
 
diff --git a/docs/ci/templates/game-release.yml b/docs/ci/templates/game-release.yml
index 03bcef5b..d664a398 100644
--- a/docs/ci/templates/game-release.yml
+++ b/docs/ci/templates/game-release.yml
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ jobs:
           LIST="$(unzip -Z1 "${ZIP}")"
           # 1. It is a game: the executable, the bundled OpenBIOS, and the
           #    runtime data sit at the root.
-          for must in 'bios/openbios.bin' 'bios/OpenBIOS.LICENSE' 'game.toml' 'psx_game_version.txt' 'assets/fonts/' 'mods/bundled/'; do
+          for must in 'bios/openbios.bin' 'bios/OpenBIOS.LICENSE' 'game.toml' 'psx_game_version.txt' 'assets/fonts/' 'licenses/recomp-ui-LICENSE' 'assets/fonts/NOTICE.md' 'assets/img/NOTICE.md' 'mods/bundled/'; do
             if ! grep -q "^${must}" <<<"${LIST}"; then
               echo "::error::release zip lacks ${must}" >&2
               printf '%s\n' "${LIST}" | head -40 >&2
diff --git a/tools/package_game_release.sh b/tools/package_game_release.sh
index 733fd6ca..7a8490d6 100755
--- a/tools/package_game_release.sh
+++ b/tools/package_game_release.sh
@@ -384,16 +384,14 @@ fi
 if ! grep -qs '^PSX_RECOMP_UI:BOOL=OFF' "${BUILD_DIR}/CMakeCache.txt"; then
   UI_ROOT="$(sed -n 's/^RECOMP_UI_ROOT:[A-Z]*=//p' "${BUILD_DIR}/CMakeCache.txt" 2>/dev/null | head -n1 || true)"
   [[ -n "${UI_ROOT}" && -f "${UI_ROOT}/recomp_ui.cmake" ]] || UI_ROOT="${ROOT}/recomp-ui"
-  if [[ -f "${UI_ROOT}/recomp_ui.cmake" ]]; then
-    [[ -f "${UI_ROOT}/LICENSE" ]] || { echo "error: ${UI_ROOT}/LICENSE missing" >&2; exit 1; }
-    cp -a "${UI_ROOT}/LICENSE" "${STAGE}/licenses/recomp-ui-LICENSE"
-    for sub in fonts img; do
-      notice="${UI_ROOT}/assets/common/${sub}/NOTICE.md"
-      if [[ -f "${notice}" && -d "${STAGE}/assets/${sub}" ]]; then
-        cp -a "${notice}" "${STAGE}/assets/${sub}/NOTICE.md"
-      fi
-    done
-  fi
+  [[ -f "${UI_ROOT}/recomp_ui.cmake" ]] || { echo "error: recomp-ui assets are staged but no recomp-ui tree found (RECOMP_UI_ROOT / ${ROOT}/recomp-ui)" >&2; exit 1; }
+  [[ -f "${UI_ROOT}/LICENSE" ]] || { echo "error: ${UI_ROOT}/LICENSE missing" >&2; exit 1; }
+  cp -a "${UI_ROOT}/LICENSE" "${STAGE}/licenses/recomp-ui-LICENSE"
+  for sub in fonts img; do
+    notice="${UI_ROOT}/assets/common/${sub}/NOTICE.md"
+    [[ -f "${notice}" ]] || { echo "error: ${notice} missing" >&2; exit 1; }
+    cp -a "${notice}" "${STAGE}/assets/${sub}/NOTICE.md"
+  done
 fi
 if [[ -z "$(ls -A "${STAGE}/licenses" 2>/dev/null)" ]]; then
   echo "error: no third-party notices staged (${FRAMEWORK}/runtime/licenses empty?)" >&2
diff --git a/tools/tests/test_bundled_release_layout.py b/tools/tests/test_bundled_release_layout.py
index b42c1b2c..df41bb26 100644
--- a/tools/tests/test_bundled_release_layout.py
+++ b/tools/tests/test_bundled_release_layout.py
@@ -317,6 +317,15 @@ class PackagerScriptContract(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertIn('assets/common/${sub}/NOTICE.md', text)
         self.assertIn('"${STAGE}/assets/${sub}/NOTICE.md"', text)
         self.assertIn("RECOMP_UI_ROOT", text, "must follow the tree the build linked")
+        self.assertIn('[[ -f "${UI_ROOT}/recomp_ui.cmake" ]] ||', text,
+                      "missing recomp-ui tree must fail packaging")
+        self.assertIn('[[ -f "${notice}" ]] ||', text,
+                      "missing asset notices must fail packaging")
+        template = TEMPLATE.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+        for path in ("licenses/recomp-ui-LICENSE", "assets/fonts/NOTICE.md",
+                     "assets/img/NOTICE.md"):
+            self.assertIn(f"'{path}'", template,
+                          f"the CI zip verifier must require {path}")
 
     def test_scripts_are_executable_and_parse(self):
         for rel in ("tools/package_game_release.sh", "tools/ci/check_generated.sh"):