diff --git a/src/domain/analysisErrorPresentation.ts b/src/domain/analysisErrorPresentation.ts
index bf2382058..93ffeb4fb 100644
--- a/src/domain/analysisErrorPresentation.ts
+++ b/src/domain/analysisErrorPresentation.ts
@@ -119,6 +119,13 @@ export const analysisErrorCategory = (
     return "unavailable";
   if (error instanceof ArtifactOperationError)
     return artifactErrorCategory(error.reason);
+  if (
+    error instanceof EvidenceFileError &&
+    (error.reason === "missing" ||
+      error.reason === "not-file" ||
+      error.reason === "exists")
+  )
+    return "invalid_input";
   return STATIC_ERROR_CATEGORIES[error._tag] ?? "execution_failure";
 };
 
diff --git a/src/domain/analysisErrorProjection.test.ts b/src/domain/analysisErrorProjection.test.ts
index 96525d518..66fa06914 100644
--- a/src/domain/analysisErrorProjection.test.ts
+++ b/src/domain/analysisErrorProjection.test.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import {
 import { ArtifactOperationError } from "./artifactOperationError.js";
 import { BinaryTargetError } from "./configurationErrors.js";
 import { BrowserObservationError } from "./browserObservationError.js";
-import { EvidenceIntegrityError } from "./evidenceErrors.js";
+import { EvidenceFileError, EvidenceIntegrityError } from "./evidenceErrors.js";
 import {
   HopperProcessError,
   HopperRemoteError,
@@ -573,3 +573,32 @@ describe("analysis error projection: operational diagnostics", () => {
     expect(unknown.remediation.action).toContain("provider_operation_health");
   });
 });
+
+describe("analysis error projection: evidence files", () => {
+  it.each([
+    ["read", "missing", "invalid_request", "invalid_input"],
+    ["read", "not-file", "invalid_request", "invalid_input"],
+    ["write", "missing", "invalid_request", "invalid_input"],
+    ["write", "exists", "invalid_request", "invalid_input"],
+    [
+      "read",
+      "invalid-json",
+      "evidence_integrity_mismatch",
+      "execution_failure",
+    ],
+    ["read", "io", "execution_failure", "execution_failure"],
+  ] as const)(
+    "classifies a %s %s evidence file by who can correct it",
+    (operation, reason, code, category) => {
+      const projected = projectAnalysisError(
+        new EvidenceFileError(operation, reason, { path: "/selected.json" }),
+      );
+      expect(projected).toMatchObject({
+        code,
+        category,
+        details: { operation, reason, path: "/selected.json" },
+      });
+      expect(analysisErrorProjectionSchema.parse(projected)).toEqual(projected);
+    },
+  );
+});
diff --git a/src/domain/analysisErrorProjection.ts b/src/domain/analysisErrorProjection.ts
index 5048a88eb..4eaac5176 100644
--- a/src/domain/analysisErrorProjection.ts
+++ b/src/domain/analysisErrorProjection.ts
@@ -144,10 +144,12 @@ const artifactOperationCode = (
 
 const evidenceFileCode = (
   reason: EvidenceFileError["reason"],
-): AnalysisErrorProjection["code"] =>
-  reason === "invalid-json"
-    ? "evidence_integrity_mismatch"
-    : "execution_failure";
+): AnalysisErrorProjection["code"] => {
+  if (reason === "invalid-json") return "evidence_integrity_mismatch";
+  // A missing, non-file or already-existing path is the caller's selection.
+  if (reason === "io") return "execution_failure";
+  return "invalid_request";
+};
 
 const unknownRegistryCode = (
   reason: UnknownRegistryError["reason"],