diff --git a/mobile/src/platform/native-media.test.ts b/mobile/src/platform/native-media.test.ts
index 1da0c721241..160a69144f2 100644
--- a/mobile/src/platform/native-media.test.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/platform/native-media.test.ts
@@ -81,10 +81,11 @@ function harness(
   const files = new Map<string, Uint8Array>()
   const written: { uri: string; base64: string }[] = []
   const copied: { from: string; to: string }[] = []
-  const registry = new MediaHandleRegistry({
-    now: () => 1_000,
-    discard: (uri) => discarded.push(uri)
-  })
+  const discard = (uri: string): void => {
+    discarded.push(uri)
+    files.delete(uri)
+  }
+  const registry = new MediaHandleRegistry({ now: () => 1_000, discard })
   const serve = createNativeMediaVerbServer({
     registry,
     launchLibrary: () =>
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ function harness(
       return destination
     },
     openFile: (uri) => fakeFile(files.get(uri) ?? new Uint8Array()),
-    discard: (uri) => discarded.push(uri),
+    discard,
     ownsStagedUri: (uri: string) => uri.startsWith('file:'),
     ...overrides
   })
@@ -352,28 +353,104 @@ describe('picking', () => {
     warn.mockRestore()
   })
 
-  it('refuses a Files result over the room before it stages any of it', async () => {
-    // DocumentPicker can exceed advisory room; reject before staging rather than copy assets the registry will refuse.
-    const warn = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {})
+  it.each([0, 2])(
+    'deletes an over-cap Files result while preserving %i prior handles',
+    async (held) => {
+      const liveUris = Array.from({ length: held }, (_, index) => `${CACHE}/held-${index}.png`)
+      const returnedUris = Array.from(
+        { length: BRIDGE_MEDIA_MAX_LIVE_HANDLES - held + 1 },
+        (_, index) => `${CACHE}/doc-${index}.pdf`
+      )
+      const probe = harness({
+        launchFiles: () =>
+          Promise.resolve({
+            canceled: false,
+            assets: returnedUris.map((uri) => ({ uri, mimeType: 'application/pdf' }))
+          })
+      })
+      for (const uri of liveUris) {
+        probe.files.set(uri, new Uint8Array(4096))
+      }
+      probe.registry.mint(liveUris.map((uri) => ({ uri, mime: 'image/png', byteLength: 4096 })))
+      for (const uri of returnedUris) {
+        probe.files.set(uri, new Uint8Array(1024 * 1024))
+      }
+      const storedBytes = (): number =>
+        [...probe.files.values()].reduce((bytes, file) => bytes + file.byteLength, 0)
+      expect(storedBytes()).toBe(returnedUris.length * 1024 * 1024 + held * 4096)
+      await expect(
+        probe.serve('native.media.pick', { source: 'files', multiple: true })
+      ).rejects.toSatisfy((error) => refusalOf(error) === 'native_media_handle_cap')
+      expect(probe.registry.liveCount()).toBe(held)
+      expect(probe.discarded).toEqual(returnedUris)
+      expect([...probe.files.keys()]).toEqual(liveUris)
+      expect(storedBytes()).toBe(held * 4096)
+      expect(probe.copied).toEqual([])
+      expect(probe.written).toEqual([])
+      probe.registry.releaseAll()
+      expect(probe.files.size).toBe(0)
+    }
+  )
+
+  it('leaves provider originals intact when refusing an over-cap mixed result', async () => {
+    const providerUri = 'content://media/external/images/media/42'
+    const ownedUris = Array.from(
+      { length: BRIDGE_MEDIA_MAX_LIVE_HANDLES },
+      (_, index) => `${CACHE}/picked-${index}.png`
+    )
     const probe = harness({
       launchFiles: () =>
         Promise.resolve({
           canceled: false,
-          assets: Array.from({ length: BRIDGE_MEDIA_MAX_LIVE_HANDLES + 1 }, (_, index) => ({
-            uri: `${CACHE}/doc-${index}.pdf`,
-            mimeType: 'application/pdf'
-          }))
+          assets: [providerUri, ...ownedUris].map((uri) => ({ uri, mimeType: 'image/png' }))
         })
     })
-    for (let index = 0; index <= BRIDGE_MEDIA_MAX_LIVE_HANDLES; index += 1) {
-      probe.files.set(`${CACHE}/doc-${index}.pdf`, bytesOf(4))
+    for (const uri of [providerUri, ...ownedUris]) {
+      probe.files.set(uri, new Uint8Array(1024 * 1024))
     }
     await expect(
       probe.serve('native.media.pick', { source: 'files', multiple: true })
     ).rejects.toSatisfy((error) => refusalOf(error) === 'native_media_handle_cap')
+    expect(probe.discarded).toEqual(ownedUris)
+    expect([...probe.files.keys()]).toEqual([providerUri])
+    expect(probe.files.get(providerUri)?.byteLength).toBe(1024 * 1024)
     expect(probe.registry.liveCount()).toBe(0)
-    expect(probe.discarded).toEqual([])
-    warn.mockRestore()
+    expect(probe.copied).toEqual([])
+  })
+
+  it('continues sweeping refused copies when one file cannot be deleted', async () => {
+    const warn = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {})
+    const returnedUris = Array.from(
+      { length: BRIDGE_MEDIA_MAX_LIVE_HANDLES + 1 },
+      (_, index) => `${CACHE}/doc-${index}.pdf`
+    )
+    const probe = harness({
+      launchFiles: () =>
+        Promise.resolve({
+          canceled: false,
+          assets: returnedUris.map((uri) => ({ uri, mimeType: 'application/pdf' }))
+        }),
+      discard: (uri) => {
+        probe.discarded.push(uri)
+        if (uri === returnedUris[0]) {
+          throw new Error('cache file is busy')
+        }
+        probe.files.delete(uri)
+      }
+    })
+    try {
+      for (const uri of returnedUris) {
+        probe.files.set(uri, new Uint8Array(1024 * 1024))
+      }
+      await expect(
+        probe.serve('native.media.pick', { source: 'files', multiple: true })
+      ).rejects.toSatisfy((error) => refusalOf(error) === 'native_media_handle_cap')
+      expect(probe.discarded).toEqual(returnedUris)
+      expect([...probe.files.keys()]).toEqual([returnedUris[0]])
+      expect(probe.registry.liveCount()).toBe(0)
+    } finally {
+      warn.mockRestore()
+    }
   })
 
   it('refuses an item bigger than the staging ceiling, and deletes what it picked', async () => {
diff --git a/mobile/src/platform/native-media.ts b/mobile/src/platform/native-media.ts
index 0f6239e10c9..36f072a350b 100644
--- a/mobile/src/platform/native-media.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/platform/native-media.ts
@@ -167,6 +167,11 @@ export function createNativeMediaVerbServer(
     // DocumentPicker ignores room; enforce count before staging any bytes.
     function withinRoom(assets: readonly PickedAsset[]): readonly PickedAsset[] {
       if (assets.length > room) {
+        for (const asset of assets) {
+          if (deps.ownsStagedUri(asset.uri)) {
+            discardQuietly(asset.uri)
+          }
+        }
         throw new BridgeNativeVerbRefusedError(
           'native_media_handle_cap',
           `that pick answered ${assets.length} items and this page has room for ${room}`