diff --git a/packages/core/src/audioAutomation.test.ts b/packages/core/src/audioAutomation.test.ts
index 7b9af2c747..61fefbf313 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/audioAutomation.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/audioAutomation.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import {
   applyCurve,
   shapeProgress,
   fxAutomationTarget,
+  HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_ATTR,
+  HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_DATA_KEY,
   isConstantLane,
   parseAutomation,
   parseAutomationTarget,
@@ -30,6 +32,14 @@ const lane = (points: HfAutomationLane["points"], target = "volume"): HfAutomati
   points,
 });
 
+describe("the automation attribute's two spellings", () => {
+  it("names the same attribute either way", () => {
+    // Same split as the FX chain: written as an attribute, read as a dataset
+    // key. Derived, so a rename cannot half-land.
+    expect(HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_ATTR).toBe(`data-${HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_DATA_KEY}`);
+  });
+});
+
 describe("targets", () => {
   it("reads volume and fx targets, and rejects anything else", () => {
     expect(parseAutomationTarget("volume")).toEqual({ kind: "volume" });
diff --git a/packages/core/src/audioAutomation.ts b/packages/core/src/audioAutomation.ts
index 5278cd7d1c..fe6909b719 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/audioAutomation.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/audioAutomation.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ import { getAudioFxDef, type HfAudioFxChain } from "./audioFx.js";
 
 export const HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_ATTR = "data-automation";
 
+/** The same attribute as a `dataset` / `dataAttributes` key. See `HF_AUDIO_FX_DATA_KEY`. */
+export const HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_DATA_KEY = HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_ATTR.slice("data-".length);
+
 /** Automation files are versioned; a reader must refuse a version it doesn't know. */
 export const HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_VERSION = 1;
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/audioFx.test.ts b/packages/core/src/audioFx.test.ts
index 3caaa2464c..09b60ae660 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/audioFx.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/audioFx.test.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ import {
   enabledAudioFxNodes,
   getAudioFxDef,
   HF_AUDIO_FX,
+  HF_AUDIO_FX_ATTR,
   HF_AUDIO_FX_CHAIN_VERSION,
+  HF_AUDIO_FX_DATA_KEY,
   HF_AUDIO_FX_IDS,
   normalizeAudioFxParams,
   parseAudioFxChain,
@@ -47,6 +49,15 @@ describe("effect registry", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("the chain attribute's two spellings", () => {
+  it("names the same attribute either way", () => {
+    // The studio WRITES through the attribute and READS through the dataset
+    // key, so the read side used to carry its own `"fx-chain"` literal and a
+    // rename would only half-land. Derived now; this is what keeps it derived.
+    expect(HF_AUDIO_FX_ATTR).toBe(`data-${HF_AUDIO_FX_DATA_KEY}`);
+  });
+});
+
 describe("normalizeAudioFxParams", () => {
   it("fills missing keys with defaults", () => {
     expect(normalizeAudioFxParams("peaking", {})).toEqual(defaultAudioFxParams("peaking"));
diff --git a/packages/core/src/audioFx.ts b/packages/core/src/audioFx.ts
index 32be62bc64..8ab6c60cc0 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/audioFx.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/audioFx.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,16 @@
 
 export const HF_AUDIO_FX_ATTR = "data-fx-chain";
 
+/**
+ * The same attribute as a `dataset` / `dataAttributes` key — the `data-` prefix
+ * is not part of that spelling.
+ *
+ * Derived rather than restated: the studio writes through
+ * `HF_AUDIO_FX_ATTR` and reads through the key, so a hardcoded `"fx-chain"`
+ * on the read side is a rename waiting to half-land.
+ */
+export const HF_AUDIO_FX_DATA_KEY = HF_AUDIO_FX_ATTR.slice("data-".length);
+
 /** Chain files are versioned; a reader must refuse a version it doesn't know. */
 export const HF_AUDIO_FX_CHAIN_VERSION = 1;
 
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/components/editor/audioFxSummary.ts b/packages/studio/src/components/editor/audioFxSummary.ts
index 441217a8ab..a56ee5323c 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/components/editor/audioFxSummary.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/components/editor/audioFxSummary.ts
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@
  * grouping exists to prevent — that they are seven things to manage.
  */
 
-import { parseAudioFxChain } from "@hyperframes/core/audio-fx";
+import { HF_AUDIO_FX_DATA_KEY, parseAudioFxChain } from "@hyperframes/core/audio-fx";
 import type { DomEditSelection } from "./domEditingTypes";
 
 export function audioFxSummary(element: DomEditSelection): string {
-  const raw = element.dataAttributes?.["fx-chain"];
+  const raw = element.dataAttributes?.[HF_AUDIO_FX_DATA_KEY];
   const carveAttr = element.dataAttributes?.["fx-carve"];
   let handBuilt = 0;
   let carveNodes = 0;
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/components/editor/propertyPanelAudioFxGroup.tsx b/packages/studio/src/components/editor/propertyPanelAudioFxGroup.tsx
index bcc0e16ed5..5d132620e9 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/components/editor/propertyPanelAudioFxGroup.tsx
+++ b/packages/studio/src/components/editor/propertyPanelAudioFxGroup.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import {
   defaultAudioFxParams,
   HF_AUDIO_FX_ATTR,
+  HF_AUDIO_FX_DATA_KEY,
   mintAudioFxNodeId,
   parseAudioFxChain,
   serializeAudioFxChain,
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ import {
   automatedTargetsOf,
   automationAttrValue,
   HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_ATTR,
+  HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_DATA_KEY,
   readPanelAutomation,
   resolveAutomationRange,
   withoutLane,
@@ -109,7 +111,7 @@ export function AudioFxGroup({
   onSetAttributeLive: (attr: string, value: string | null) => void | Promise<void>;
 }) {
   const chain = ((): HfAudioFxChain => {
-    const raw = element.dataAttributes?.["fx-chain"];
+    const raw = element.dataAttributes?.[HF_AUDIO_FX_DATA_KEY];
     if (!raw) return { version: 1, nodes: [] };
     try {
       return parseAudioFxChain(raw);
@@ -120,7 +122,10 @@ export function AudioFxGroup({
     }
   })();
 
-  const automation = readPanelAutomation(element.dataAttributes?.["automation"], chain);
+  const automation = readPanelAutomation(
+    element.dataAttributes?.[HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_DATA_KEY],
+    chain,
+  );
   const automatedTargets = automatedTargetsOf(automation);
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/components/editor/propertyPanelAutomation.ts b/packages/studio/src/components/editor/propertyPanelAutomation.ts
index d940eedfab..3469ce29fa 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/components/editor/propertyPanelAutomation.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/components/editor/propertyPanelAutomation.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 
 import {
   HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_ATTR,
+  HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_DATA_KEY,
   parseAutomation,
   resolveAutomation,
   resolveAutomationRange,
@@ -77,4 +78,4 @@ export function automationAttrValue(automation: HfAutomation): string {
   return automation.lanes.length > 0 ? serializeAutomation(automation) : "";
 }
 
-export { HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_ATTR, resolveAutomationRange };
+export { HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_ATTR, HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_DATA_KEY, resolveAutomationRange };
diff --git a/packages/studio/src/components/editor/useVolumeAutomation.ts b/packages/studio/src/components/editor/useVolumeAutomation.ts
index b0cfbb7aa1..02a2f728ab 100644
--- a/packages/studio/src/components/editor/useVolumeAutomation.ts
+++ b/packages/studio/src/components/editor/useVolumeAutomation.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * rather than a second interpretation of the attribute.
  */
 
-import { VOLUME_TARGET } from "@hyperframes/core/audio-automation";
+import { HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_DATA_KEY, VOLUME_TARGET } from "@hyperframes/core/audio-automation";
 import type { DomEditSelection } from "./domEditingTypes";
 import {
   automationAttrValue,
@@ -28,7 +28,10 @@ export function useVolumeAutomation(
 ): VolumeAutomationBinding {
   // The chain is not needed to resolve a volume lane — volume is always a valid
   // target — so this deliberately does not parse it.
-  const automation = readPanelAutomation(element.dataAttributes?.["automation"], undefined);
+  const automation = readPanelAutomation(
+    element.dataAttributes?.[HF_AUDIO_AUTOMATION_DATA_KEY],
+    undefined,
+  );
   const write = (next: Parameters<typeof automationAttrValue>[0]): void => {
     // Quiet: clicking the toggle used to reload the preview and restart every
     // playing track, while the same click on an effect parameter did not.