diff --git a/apps/effectcraft-cli/src/main.rs b/apps/effectcraft-cli/src/main.rs
index ea7cc34d1..43e514048 100644
--- a/apps/effectcraft-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/apps/effectcraft-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -691,11 +691,10 @@ fn render(args: &Args, json_out: bool) -> Result<(), Failure> {
     let mut s = session(args)?;
     if args.opt("--template").is_some() {
         template::prepare(&mut s, args)?;
-    } else {
-        match &args.project {
-            Some(p) => s.execute("file.open", json!({"path": p})).map_err(|e| Failure::Error(e.to_string()))?,
-            None => s.execute("file.openDemoProject", json!({})).map_err(|e| Failure::Error(e.to_string()))?,
-        };
+    } else if let Some(p) = &args.project {
+        s.execute("file.open", json!({"path": p})).map_err(|e| Failure::Error(e.to_string()))?;
+    } else if args.flag("--demo") || !args.flag("--empty") {
+        s.execute("file.openDemoProject", json!({})).map_err(|e| Failure::Error(e.to_string()))?;
     }
     let err = |e: effectcraft_engine::EngineError| Failure::Error(e.to_string());
     if !args.flag("--queue") {
diff --git a/apps/effectcraft-cli/tests/cli.rs b/apps/effectcraft-cli/tests/cli.rs
index 7472e26bb..30a0271b6 100644
--- a/apps/effectcraft-cli/tests/cli.rs
+++ b/apps/effectcraft-cli/tests/cli.rs
@@ -539,3 +539,57 @@ fn render_bitrate_applies_to_vp9_webm() {
     assert!(high > low, "100 kbps: {low} bytes, 8000 kbps: {high} bytes");
     let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&root);
 }
+
+/// Render uses the same empty/project/demo selection as the other CLI commands.
+#[test]
+fn render_empty_does_not_load_the_demo() {
+    let root = tmp("render-empty");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&root);
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&root).unwrap();
+    let project = root.join("control.ecproj");
+    let template = root.join("control.ectemplate");
+    let project_path = project.to_str().unwrap();
+    let template_path = template.to_str().unwrap();
+    let build = r#"
+var comp = app.project.items.addComp("Empty control", 64, 36, 1, 1, 30);
+var solid = comp.layers.addSolid([0, 1, 0], "Green", 64, 36, 1);
+solid.property("ADBE Transform Group").property("ADBE Opacity").addToMotionGraphicsTemplateAs(comp, "Opacity");
+"#;
+    ok_json(&["script", "--eval", build, "--save-as", project_path]);
+    let params = json!({"comp": "Empty control", "path": template_path}).to_string();
+    let exported = ok_json(&["exec", "essential.exportTemplate", &params, "--project", project_path]);
+    assert_eq!(exported["controls"], 1, "{exported}");
+    let empty = ok_json(&["info", "--empty"]);
+    assert!(empty["project"]["items"].as_array().unwrap().is_empty(), "{empty}");
+
+    let render = |options: &[&str], name: &str| {
+        let output = root.join(name);
+        assert!(!output.exists());
+        let mut args = vec!["render", "--format", "gif", "--start", "0", "--end", "0.1", "--resolution", "quarter", "--out", output.to_str().unwrap()];
+        args.extend_from_slice(options);
+        let reply = ok_json(&args);
+        assert_eq!(reply["rendered"].as_array().unwrap().len(), 1, "{reply}");
+        assert_eq!(PathBuf::from(reply["rendered"][0]["output"].as_str().unwrap()), output);
+        let bytes = std::fs::read(&output).unwrap();
+        assert!(bytes.len() >= 10 && (bytes.starts_with(b"GIF87a") || bytes.starts_with(b"GIF89a")), "{reply}");
+        let dimensions = (u16::from_le_bytes([bytes[6], bytes[7]]), u16::from_le_bytes([bytes[8], bytes[9]]));
+        (reply["rendered"][0]["comp"].clone(), dimensions)
+    };
+    // Defaults still render the demo, and an explicit demo wins over --empty.
+    let demo = render(&[], "default.gif");
+    assert_eq!(render(&["--demo", "--empty"], "demo.gif"), demo);
+    // A supplied project wins over both flags, while template mode also accepts --empty.
+    let project_result = render(&["--project", project_path, "--demo", "--empty"], "project.gif");
+    assert_eq!(project_result, (json!("Empty control"), (16, 9)));
+    assert_eq!(render(&["--template", template_path, "--empty"], "template.gif").1, (16, 9));
+
+    let output = root.join("empty.gif");
+    assert!(!output.exists());
+    let (code, reply) =
+        run_json(&["render", "--empty", "--format", "gif", "--start", "0", "--end", "0.1", "--resolution", "quarter", "--out", output.to_str().unwrap()]);
+    let output_exists = output.exists();
+    assert!(!output_exists, "--empty must not render the demo into the requested output");
+    assert_eq!(code, 1, "{reply}");
+    assert_eq!(reply["error"], "command `renderQueue.add` is not available right now: select or open a composition", "{reply}");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&root);
+}