diff --git a/hermes_cli/desktop_update_verify.py b/hermes_cli/desktop_update_verify.py
index 353fb693cc..a9e88be86b 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/desktop_update_verify.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/desktop_update_verify.py
@@ -1,15 +1,76 @@
 """Read-only verification at the Windows Desktop handoff receipt boundary."""
-from pathlib import Path
+import json
+from pathlib import Path, PurePosixPath
+import re
+import struct
 
 from hermes_cli.main_desktop import (
+    _HTML_TAG_WITH_URL,
+    _MODULE_TAG,
     _desktop_build_needed,
     _desktop_exe_integrity_error,
     _desktop_packaged_executable,
 )
 
 
+def _verify_packaged_entry(resources: Path) -> None:
+    """Read ASAR's Pickle header and the entry declared by packaged package.json.
+
+    dist/** is unpacked by electron-builder. No Node install or application
+    launch is needed at this boundary; this is not a full dependency audit.
+    """
+    archive = resources / "app.asar"
+    try:
+        with archive.open("rb") as stream:
+            size, header_size, payload_size, json_size = struct.unpack("<4I", stream.read(16))
+            if (size != 4 or header_size != payload_size + 4
+                    or payload_size != 4 + ((json_size + 3) // 4) * 4
+                    or not 0 < json_size <= 64 * 1024 * 1024
+                    or 8 + header_size > archive.stat().st_size):
+                raise ValueError("invalid ASAR header")
+            header = json.loads(stream.read(json_size))
+
+            def read_member(name: str) -> bytes:
+                path = PurePosixPath(name)
+                if not name or path.is_absolute() or ".." in path.parts or "\\" in name or ":" in name:
+                    raise ValueError("invalid ASAR entry path")
+                node = header
+                for part in path.parts:
+                    node = node["files"][part]
+                length = node["size"]
+                if not isinstance(length, int) or length <= 0:
+                    raise ValueError(f"empty ASAR entry: {name}")
+                if node.get("unpacked"):
+                    data = (resources / "app.asar.unpacked" / path).read_bytes()
+                else:
+                    offset = int(node["offset"])
+                    if offset < 0 or 8 + header_size + offset + length > archive.stat().st_size:
+                        raise ValueError(f"truncated ASAR entry: {name}")
+                    stream.seek(8 + header_size + offset)
+                    data = stream.read(length)
+                if len(data) != length or not data.strip():
+                    raise ValueError(f"incomplete ASAR entry: {name}")
+                return data
+
+            package = json.loads(read_member("package.json"))
+            read_member(package["main"]).decode("utf-8")
+    except (OSError, ValueError, KeyError, TypeError, struct.error) as exc:
+        raise RuntimeError(f"The updated Desktop archive or main entry is invalid: {exc}") from exc
+
+    index = resources / "app.asar.unpacked" / "dist" / "index.html"
+    try:
+        html = index.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+        if not any(_MODULE_TAG.search(match.group(0))
+                   and match.group(0).lower().startswith("<script")
+                   and not re.match(r"^[a-z]+:|^//", match.group(1), re.IGNORECASE)
+                   for match in _HTML_TAG_WITH_URL.finditer(html)):
+            raise ValueError("renderer has no local module entry")
+    except (OSError, ValueError) as exc:
+        raise RuntimeError(f"The updated Desktop renderer entry is invalid: {exc}") from exc
+
+
 def verify_windows_desktop_update(project_root: Path) -> None:
-    """Raise when a zero-exit updater left an unusable or stale packaged app."""
+    """Raise when a zero-exit updater left an incomplete or stale packaged app."""
     desktop = project_root / "apps" / "desktop"
     executable = _desktop_packaged_executable(desktop)
     if executable is None:
@@ -17,9 +78,6 @@ def verify_windows_desktop_update(project_root: Path) -> None:
     error = _desktop_exe_integrity_error(executable)
     if error:
         raise RuntimeError(f"The updated Desktop executable is invalid: {error}")
-    resources = executable.parent / "resources"
-    for required in (resources / "app.asar", resources / "app.asar.unpacked" / "dist" / "index.html"):
-        if not required.is_file():
-            raise RuntimeError(f"The updated Desktop bundle is incomplete: {required}")
+    _verify_packaged_entry(executable.parent / "resources")
     if _desktop_build_needed(desktop, project_root, source_mode=False):
         raise RuntimeError("The updated Desktop build is stale, unstamped, or incomplete")
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_desktop_update_verify.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_desktop_update_verify.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..69590a39bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_desktop_update_verify.py
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+"""Receipt validation uses packaged output, not just a source stamp."""
+import json
+import struct
+
+import pytest
+
+from hermes_cli import desktop_update_verify as verify
+from hermes_cli.main_desktop import _write_desktop_build_stamp
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def bundle(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    desktop = tmp_path / 'apps/desktop'
+    resources = desktop / 'release/fixture/resources'
+    dist = resources / 'app.asar.unpacked/dist'
+    (dist / 'assets').mkdir(parents=True)
+    (dist / 'index.html').write_text('<script type="module" src="./assets/index.js"></script>', encoding='utf-8')
+    (dist / 'assets/index.js').write_text('export {};', encoding='utf-8')
+    entry = b'import "electron";'
+    (dist / 'electron-main.mjs').write_bytes(entry)
+    package = json.dumps({'main': 'dist/electron-main.mjs'}).encode()
+    header = json.dumps({'files': {'package.json': {'size': len(package), 'offset': '0'}, 'dist': {'files': {'electron-main.mjs': {'size': len(entry), 'unpacked': True}}}}}).encode()
+    padded = header + b'\0' * (-len(header) % 4)
+    archive = resources / 'app.asar'
+    archive.write_bytes(struct.pack('<4I', 4, 8 + len(padded), 4 + len(padded), len(header)) + padded + package)
+    (tmp_path / '.gitignore').write_text('apps/desktop/release/\n', encoding='utf-8')
+    monkeypatch.setattr(verify, '_desktop_packaged_executable', lambda _: resources.parent / 'Hermes.exe')
+    monkeypatch.setattr(verify, '_desktop_exe_integrity_error', lambda _: None)
+    # Host-independent artifact contract; executable lookup itself is covered natively.
+    from hermes_cli import main_desktop
+    monkeypatch.setattr(main_desktop, '_desktop_packaged_executable', lambda _: resources.parent / 'Hermes.exe')
+    _write_desktop_build_stamp(tmp_path, source_mode=False)
+    return tmp_path, archive, dist
+
+
+def test_readable_packaged_entry_passes(bundle):
+    root, _, _ = bundle
+    verify.verify_windows_desktop_update(root)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('damage', ['archive', 'truncated', 'entry', 'empty-index', 'unreadable-index', 'no-module'])
+def test_current_stamp_does_not_hide_damaged_output(bundle, damage):
+    root, archive, dist = bundle
+    if damage == 'archive':
+        archive.write_bytes(b'not an asar')
+    elif damage == 'truncated':
+        archive.write_bytes(archive.read_bytes()[:-4])
+    elif damage == 'entry':
+        (dist / 'electron-main.mjs').write_bytes(b'')
+    else:
+        (dist / 'index.html').write_bytes({'empty-index': b'', 'unreadable-index': b'\xff', 'no-module': b'<html></html>'}[damage])
+    with pytest.raises((RuntimeError, OSError, ValueError)):
+        verify.verify_windows_desktop_update(root)
diff --git a/website/docs/getting-started/updating.md b/website/docs/getting-started/updating.md
index de9b6c5d50..18663f49e4 100644
--- a/website/docs/getting-started/updating.md
+++ b/website/docs/getting-started/updating.md
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ When you run `hermes update`, the following steps occur:
 
 ### Missing Windows updater files
 
-If the maintained updater script is missing (for example after antivirus quarantine), the legacy update forwarder fails instead of reporting a successful hand-off. Repair the installation and review the security software's quarantine report before retrying; do not disable antivirus protection. The maintained updater checks that the updated Python runtime can import the CLI and that the packaged Desktop has a valid Windows executable, its app archive and renderer entry files, and a current build stamp before reporting success. Missing prerequisites are reported before waiting for Desktop shutdown; dependency repair is still allowed to run as part of the update.
+If the maintained updater script is missing (for example after antivirus quarantine), the legacy update forwarder fails instead of reporting a successful hand-off. Repair the installation and review the security software's quarantine report before retrying; do not disable antivirus protection. Before reporting success, the maintained updater checks the CLI import, Windows executable header, ASAR header and packaged main entry, readable renderer HTML with a local module entry, initial module files, and current build stamp. These are minimum artifact checks, not a full dependency audit or an application/backend launch test. Missing Python is reported before waiting for Desktop shutdown; dependency repair is still allowed to run as part of the update. Electron checks maintained handoff prerequisites before stopping backends when that layout is present; genuine legacy-flat updater layouts remain supported, so not every missing updater file is detected before backend shutdown.
 
 ### Updating against a non-default branch: `--branch`