diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/checkArtifacts.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/checkArtifacts.test.ts
index 79439f7b34..59e7d1e899 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/checkArtifacts.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/checkArtifacts.test.ts
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ it("only warns when the report cannot be recorded; the exit status is the check'
   }
 });
 
-it("still reports the check when another process holds history, without waiting for it", async () => {
+it("records the check when another process holds history, without waiting for it", async () => {
   const project = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "hf-check-history-held-"));
   const log = vi.spyOn(console, "log").mockImplementation(() => undefined);
   const warn = vi.spyOn(console, "warn").mockImplementation(() => undefined);
@@ -90,12 +90,10 @@ it("still reports the check when another process holds history, without waiting
   try {
     await runCommand(check, { rawArgs: [project, "--json"] });
     const output = JSON.parse(String(log.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[0])) as CheckReport;
-    expect(output).not.toHaveProperty("saved");
+    expect(output).toHaveProperty("saved.id");
     expect(output.browserSkipped).toBe(true);
     expect(consumeCommandResult().exitCode).toBe(checkExitCode(output));
-    expect(
-      warn.mock.calls.some((call) => String(call[0]).includes("Check report was not recorded")),
-    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(warn.mock.calls.flat().join("\n")).not.toContain("not recorded");
   } finally {
     historyDeps.ownerWaitMs = previousWait;
     await held.close();
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/snapshot-contactSheet.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/snapshot-contactSheet.test.ts
index cf43763c45..2e0a6b2e98 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/snapshot-contactSheet.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/snapshot-contactSheet.test.ts
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ describe("snapshot contact sheet failures", () => {
     expect(console.error).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
-  it("keeps the captured frames when another process holds history", async () => {
+  it("keeps and records the captured frames when another process holds history", async () => {
     const args = {
       rawArgs: [
         project,
@@ -181,12 +181,13 @@ describe("snapshot contact sheet failures", () => {
         expect(readFileSync(frame)).toEqual(Buffer.from("replaced PNG"));
       }
       const after = JSON.parse(readFileSync(statePath, "utf8"));
-      expect(after.snapshots.unversioned).toEqual([]);
-      expect(after.snapshots.latest).toBeNull();
-      expect(console.error).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-      expect(console.warn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-        expect.stringContaining("Snapshots were not recorded"),
+      expect(after.snapshots.unversioned.map((record: { image: string }) => record.image)).toEqual(
+        ["0.5", "1"].map((time, index) =>
+          join(project, "snapshots", `frame-0${index}-at-${time}s.png`),
+        ),
       );
+      expect(console.error).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(console.warn).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("not recorded"));
     } finally {
       historyDeps.ownerWaitMs = previousWait;
       await held.close();
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/artifactCapture.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/utils/artifactCapture.test.ts
index a55e479b31..7d12bda779 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/artifactCapture.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/artifactCapture.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
+import { spawnSync } from "node:child_process";
 import { mkdtempSync, readFileSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import type { AddressInfo } from "node:net";
-import { join } from "node:path";
+import { join, resolve } from "node:path";
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 import { createAdaptorServer } from "@hono/node-server";
 import {
   createStudioApi,
@@ -82,6 +84,43 @@ it("does not assign results when inputs change during capture", async () => {
   expect(f.state().snapshots.latest?.revision).toBeNull();
 });
 
+it("a check run while the app keeps the history open is still recorded, never under an unfiled revision", async () => {
+  const f = await fixture();
+  // Held here as the desktop app holds every open project's history; the CLI runs as the app runs it, a child.
+  const held = await openProjectHistory({
+    projectDir: f.dir,
+    historyRoot: historyDeps.historyRoot,
+    undoScope: "everyone",
+  });
+  const cli = resolve(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url), "..", "..", "cli.ts");
+  const checkFromChild = () => {
+    const run = spawnSync("bun", ["run", cli, "check", "--json", f.dir], {
+      encoding: "utf-8",
+      env: {
+        ...process.env,
+        HYPERFRAMES_HISTORY_ROOT: historyDeps.historyRoot,
+        HYPERFRAMES_SKIP_UPDATE_CHECK: "1",
+        HYPERFRAMES_NO_TELEMETRY: "1",
+      },
+    });
+    expect(run.stderr).not.toContain("not recorded");
+  };
+  try {
+    writeFileSync(join(f.dir, "index.html"), "<html>filed</html>");
+    await held.checkpoint();
+    checkFromChild();
+    expect(f.state().currentRevision).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(f.state().checks.latest?.revision).toBe(f.state().currentRevision);
+
+    writeFileSync(join(f.dir, "index.html"), "<html>not filed yet</html>");
+    checkFromChild();
+    expect(f.state().checks.latest?.revision).toBeNull();
+    expect(f.state().checks.unversioned).toHaveLength(1);
+  } finally {
+    await held.close();
+  }
+});
+
 it("posts a preview checkpoint instead of sending GET", async () => {
   const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "hf-artifact-preview-"));
   roots.push(dir);
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/artifactCapture.ts b/packages/cli/src/utils/artifactCapture.ts
index a65d3672f4..e3aaa96a2e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/artifactCapture.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/artifactCapture.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
-import { beginArtifactCapture } from "@hyperframes/studio-server/history";
+import { HistoryBusyError, beginArtifactCapture } from "@hyperframes/studio-server/history";
 import { withOwner } from "./historyOwner.js";
 
 const SKIP_BUSY_HISTORY = { ownerWaitMs: 0 };
 
+function unlessAnotherProcessKeepsTheHistory(error: unknown): void {
+  if (!(error instanceof HistoryBusyError)) throw error;
+}
+
 export async function captureArtifactRevision(projectDir: string) {
-  return withOwner(
-    projectDir,
-    async (owner) => {
-      await owner.checkpoint();
-      return beginArtifactCapture(projectDir);
-    },
-    SKIP_BUSY_HISTORY,
+  await withOwner(projectDir, (owner) => owner.checkpoint(), SKIP_BUSY_HISTORY).catch(
+    unlessAnotherProcessKeepsTheHistory,
   );
+  return beginArtifactCapture(projectDir);
 }