diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/layout-audit.browser.js b/packages/cli/src/commands/layout-audit.browser.js
index e26425dbeb..b1bf1fdc93 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/layout-audit.browser.js
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/layout-audit.browser.js
@@ -1362,6 +1362,12 @@
     return !!ctx && ctx === preserve3dContext(b);
   }
 
+  // A covering element marked to cover text, or inside a marked wrapper that does not also hold the text.
+  function allowsOcclusionOf(hit, element) {
+    const allowed = authoredElement(hit).closest("[data-layout-allow-occlusion]");
+    return !!allowed && !allowed.contains(element);
+  }
+
   // The opaque element painted over (x, y), or null when the topmost element
   // there is related to the text, non-opaque, sharing a 3D context with it, or
   // part of a transient crossfade overlap.
@@ -1377,7 +1383,7 @@
     for (const hit of stack) {
       if (!isForeignElement(element, hit)) return null;
       // Pair-specific exemptions excuse this hit only; keep walking for deeper occluders.
-      if (hasIgnoreFlag(hit)) continue;
+      if (hasIgnoreFlag(hit) || allowsOcclusionOf(hit, element)) continue;
       if (sharedPreserve3d(element, hit)) continue;
       if (isCrossSceneTransitionOverlap(element, hit)) continue;
       const matte = seenMattes && matteFrameFor(hit);
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/layout-audit.browser.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/layout-audit.browser.test.ts
index 0f7f20a69e..d0099f0d4a 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/layout-audit.browser.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/layout-audit.browser.test.ts
@@ -3262,6 +3262,55 @@ describe("layout-audit.browser occlusion", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("lets data-layout-allow-occlusion on the covering element silence text_occluded", () => {
+    const issues = (overlayAttrs?: string) =>
+      auditOcclusionScene({
+        overlayAttrs,
+        overlayStyle: { backgroundColor: "rgb(10, 10, 10)" },
+        topmostId: "overlay",
+      });
+
+    expect(issues().some((issue) => issue.code === "text_occluded")).toBe(true);
+    expect(
+      issues("data-layout-allow-occlusion").some((issue) => issue.code === "text_occluded"),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("honours the flag on a graded video whose topmost element is its canvas stand-in", () => {
+    document.body.innerHTML = `
+      <div id="root" data-composition-id="main" data-width="1920" data-height="1080">
+        <div id="headline">Headline copy</div>
+        <video id="cutout" data-layout-allow-occlusion></video>
+        <canvas id="overlay" data-hf-color-grading-canvas></canvas>
+      </div>
+    `;
+    installOcclusionGeometry({
+      styleOverrides: { overlay: { backgroundColor: "rgb(10, 10, 10)" } },
+      headlineTextRect: rect({ left: 200, top: 500, width: 600, height: 80 }),
+      topmostId: "overlay",
+    });
+    installAuditScript();
+    expect(runAudit().some((issue) => issue.code === "text_occluded")).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("still flags a cover inside a flagged wrapper that also holds the text", () => {
+    document.body.innerHTML = `
+      <div id="root" data-composition-id="main" data-width="1920" data-height="1080">
+        <div id="card" data-layout-allow-occlusion>
+          <div id="headline">Headline copy</div>
+          <div id="overlay"></div>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    `;
+    installOcclusionGeometry({
+      styleOverrides: { overlay: { backgroundColor: "rgb(10, 10, 10)" } },
+      headlineTextRect: rect({ left: 200, top: 500, width: 600, height: 80 }),
+      topmostId: "overlay",
+    });
+    installAuditScript();
+    expect(runAudit().some((issue) => issue.code === "text_occluded")).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it("respects the data-layout-allow-occlusion opt-out", () => {
     const issues = auditOcclusionScene({
       headlineAttrs: "data-layout-allow-occlusion",