diff --git a/docs/tool-design.md b/docs/tool-design.md
index 14424a5b48..d3c0f9fe1f 100644
--- a/docs/tool-design.md
+++ b/docs/tool-design.md
@@ -256,6 +256,10 @@ File-error wrappers retain the format owner's specific diagnostic and recovery
 text. Strict JSON file input, for example, keeps the byte-order-mark explanation
 and UTF-8 recovery through CLI/MCP projection rather than replacing it with
 generic invalid-file advice. Consumers do not classify parser message text.
+When an artifact boundary falls back to an I/O error, retain the original cause
+on the typed error so provider callers can inspect its filesystem evidence.
+Keep public error fields under the canonical projector's ownership; retaining
+a cause does not require exposing it in transport output.
 
 Update canonical contracts, output schemas, examples, generated artifacts, and
 relevant docs together. Verify converted advertised schemas and success,
diff --git a/src/artifacts/ArtifactOperationFailure.ts b/src/artifacts/ArtifactOperationFailure.ts
index e484f8afb2..b67f74e048 100644
--- a/src/artifacts/ArtifactOperationFailure.ts
+++ b/src/artifacts/ArtifactOperationFailure.ts
@@ -37,5 +37,7 @@ export const translateArtifactFailure = (
   }
   // Keep typed Evidence and other analysis failures instead of reducing them to I/O.
   if (cause instanceof AnalysisError) return cause;
-  return new ArtifactOperationError(operation, "io");
+  return new ArtifactOperationError(operation, "io", undefined, undefined, {
+    cause,
+  });
 };
diff --git a/tests/process-global/dylibFileLifetime.test.ts b/tests/process-global/dylibFileLifetime.test.ts
index 1cb37d37f2..91d3bf6894 100644
--- a/tests/process-global/dylibFileLifetime.test.ts
+++ b/tests/process-global/dylibFileLifetime.test.ts
@@ -125,6 +125,23 @@ it("preserves a dyld read failure when the same read observes cancellation", asy
   expect(fault.handles.every((handle) => handle.fd === -1)).toBe(true);
 });
 
+it("retains the original dyld I/O cause through provider translation", async () => {
+  const { client } = await fixture();
+  const cause = Object.assign(new Error("controlled dyld EIO"), {
+    code: "EIO",
+    path: fault.path,
+  });
+  fault.readFailure = cause;
+  const result = await client.execute("trace_dylib_resolution", {
+    roots: ["Main"],
+  });
+  if (result.ok) throw new Error("Expected failed dyld read");
+  expect(result.error).toMatchObject({ reason: "io" });
+  expect(result.error.cause).toBe(cause);
+  expect(fault.handles.every((handle) => handle.fd === -1)).toBe(true);
+  await expect(client.close()).resolves.toMatchObject({ ok: true });
+});
+
 it("observes cancellation during the final dyld digest close", async () => {
   const { trace } = await fixture();
   fault.abortClose = 2;
@@ -382,15 +399,31 @@ it("waits for an in-flight final dyld close before completing provider close", a
   }
 });
 
-it("keeps post-admission pathname disappearance as an integrity failure through the provider", async () => {
-  const { client } = await fixture();
-  fault.onRead = async () => {
-    fault.onRead = undefined;
-    await rename(fault.path, `${fault.path}.old`);
-  };
-  const result = await client.execute("trace_dylib_resolution", {
-    roots: ["Main"],
-  });
-  expect(result).toMatchObject({ ok: false, error: { reason: "integrity" } });
-  expect(fault.handles.every((handle) => handle.fd === -1)).toBe(true);
-});
+it.each(["image", "digest"] as const)(
+  "retains the path and filesystem cause when the pathname disappears during the dyld %s read",
+  async (stage) => {
+    const { client } = await fixture();
+    fault.onRead = async () => {
+      if (fault.handles.length !== (stage === "image" ? 1 : 2)) return;
+      fault.onRead = undefined;
+      await rename(fault.path, `${fault.path}.old`);
+    };
+    const result = await client.execute("trace_dylib_resolution", {
+      roots: ["Main"],
+    });
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({
+      ok: false,
+      error: {
+        reason: "integrity",
+        detail: expect.stringContaining(fault.path),
+        cause: {
+          reason: "integrity",
+          cause: { code: "ENOENT", path: fault.path },
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    expect(fault.handles).toHaveLength(stage === "image" ? 1 : 2);
+    expect(fault.handles.every((handle) => handle.fd === -1)).toBe(true);
+    await expect(client.close()).resolves.toMatchObject({ ok: true });
+  },
+);