diff --git a/apps/effectcraft-web/js/host.js b/apps/effectcraft-web/js/host.js
index 702c5d33..2482521c 100644
--- a/apps/effectcraft-web/js/host.js
+++ b/apps/effectcraft-web/js/host.js
@@ -615,21 +615,26 @@ export async function browseRead(path) {
 }
 
 /// The fallback where folders can't be opened: pick files (or a whole folder, `directory`) with a
-/// plain file input; resolves with [{path, bytes}] (path relative to the picked folder).
+/// plain file input; resolves with [{path, bytes}] (path relative to the picked folder). A file
+/// that can't be read is listed as {path, error} instead (#226); cancelling resolves with [].
 export function browsePickFiles(directory) {
-  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+  return new Promise((resolve) => {
     const input = document.createElement("input");
     input.type = "file";
     input.multiple = true;
     if (directory) input.webkitdirectory = true;
+    input.oncancel = () => resolve([]);
     input.onchange = async () => {
-      try {
-        const out = [];
-        for (const f of input.files) {
-          out.push({ path: (directory && f.webkitRelativePath) || f.name, bytes: new Uint8Array(await f.arrayBuffer()) });
+      const out = [];
+      for (const f of input.files) {
+        const path = (directory && f.webkitRelativePath) || f.name;
+        try {
+          out.push({ path, bytes: new Uint8Array(await f.arrayBuffer()) });
+        } catch (e) {
+          out.push({ path, error: String((e && (e.message || e.name)) || e) });
         }
-        resolve(out);
-      } catch (e) { reject(e); }
+      }
+      resolve(out);
     };
     input.click();
   });
diff --git a/apps/effectcraft-web/src/browse.rs b/apps/effectcraft-web/src/browse.rs
index aba2eb22..ad7500fe 100644
--- a/apps/effectcraft-web/src/browse.rs
+++ b/apps/effectcraft-web/src/browse.rs
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ fn spawn(p: js_sys::Promise, what: &'static str, then: impl FnOnce(&mut effectcr
                 crate::post(move |app| then(app, v));
             }
             Err(e) => {
-                let msg = e.as_string().or_else(|| js_sys::Reflect::get(&e, &"message".into()).ok().and_then(|m| m.as_string())).unwrap_or_default();
+                let msg = crate::persist::js_err(e);
                 // Cancelling a picker is not an error.
                 if !msg.contains("abort") && !msg.contains("AbortError") {
                     crate::post(move |app| app.ui.status = format!("{what}: {msg}"));
@@ -234,20 +234,42 @@ impl Browser for WebBrowser {
                 Ok(json!({"pending": true}))
             }
             "addFiles" | "uploadFolder" => {
+                let what = if id == "uploadFolder" { "Upload Folder…" } else { "Add Files…" };
                 let p = pick_files(id == "uploadFolder");
                 wasm_bindgen_futures::spawn_local(async move {
-                    let Ok(list) = wasm_bindgen_futures::JsFuture::from(p).await else { return };
-                    let mut n = 0;
-                    for f in js_sys::Array::from(&list).iter() {
-                        let path = js_sys::Reflect::get(&f, &"path".into()).ok().and_then(|v| v.as_string());
-                        let bytes = js_sys::Reflect::get(&f, &"bytes".into()).ok().and_then(|b| b.dyn_into::<js_sys::Uint8Array>().ok());
-                        if let (Some(path), Some(bytes)) = (path, bytes) {
-                            crate::files::put(&format!("/{}", path.trim_start_matches('/')), bytes.to_vec().into());
-                            n += 1;
+                    let list = match wasm_bindgen_futures::JsFuture::from(p).await {
+                        Ok(list) => js_sys::Array::from(&list),
+                        Err(e) => {
+                            let msg = crate::persist::js_err(e);
+                            crate::post(move |app| app.ui.status = format!("{what}: {msg}"));
+                            return;
                         }
+                    };
+                    // Files that can't be read are reported, not dropped silently (#226).
+                    let (mut n, mut unread) = (0, vec![]);
+                    for f in list.iter() {
+                        let get = |key: &str| js_sys::Reflect::get(&f, &key.into()).ok();
+                        let Some(path) = get("path").and_then(|v| v.as_string()) else { continue };
+                        match get("bytes").and_then(|b| b.dyn_into::<js_sys::Uint8Array>().ok()) {
+                            Some(bytes) => {
+                                crate::files::put(&format!("/{}", path.trim_start_matches('/')), bytes.to_vec().into());
+                                n += 1;
+                            }
+                            None => unread.push(match get("error").and_then(|e| e.as_string()).filter(|e| !e.is_empty()) {
+                                Some(why) => format!("{path} ({why})"),
+                                None => path,
+                            }),
+                        }
+                    }
+                    // Cancelled: nothing to report.
+                    if n == 0 && unread.is_empty() {
+                        return;
                     }
                     crate::post(move |app| {
                         app.ui.status = format!("{n} file(s) added to Browser Storage");
+                        if !unread.is_empty() {
+                            app.ui.status += &format!(". Could not read {}: try {what} again", unread.join(", "));
+                        }
                         go(app, STORAGE);
                     });
                 });
diff --git a/apps/effectcraft-web/src/persist.rs b/apps/effectcraft-web/src/persist.rs
index 93fe8906..a2345cc3 100644
--- a/apps/effectcraft-web/src/persist.rs
+++ b/apps/effectcraft-web/src/persist.rs
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ pub fn last_error() -> Option<String> {
     LAST_ERROR.with(|e| e.borrow().clone())
 }
 
-fn js_err(e: JsValue) -> String {
+/// A JavaScript error (a rejected promise's reason) as text.
+pub(crate) fn js_err(e: JsValue) -> String {
     e.as_string().or_else(|| js_sys::Reflect::get(&e, &"message".into()).ok().and_then(|m| m.as_string())).unwrap_or_else(|| format!("{e:?}"))
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/effectcraft-web/tests/page.mjs b/apps/effectcraft-web/tests/page.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2b8cc9bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/effectcraft-web/tests/page.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+// Page-side helpers of the web app (js/host.js) under Node with a fake DOM, no browser or Wasm
+// build needed:
+//
+//   node apps/effectcraft-web/tests/page.mjs
+//
+// - Add Files… / Upload Folder…: a picked file that can't be read is listed with its error
+//   instead of failing the whole pick silently, and cancelling picks nothing (#226).
+// Exits non-zero on failure.
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { dirname, join } from "node:path";
+import { fileURLToPath, pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
+
+const here = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+globalThis.self = globalThis;
+
+class FakeElement {
+  constructor(tag) {
+    this.tag = tag;
+    this.children = [];
+    this.attributes = {};
+    this.textContent = "";
+  }
+  setAttribute(k, v) {
+    this.attributes[k] = v;
+  }
+  append(...c) {
+    this.children.push(...c);
+  }
+  *all() {
+    yield this;
+    for (const c of this.children) yield* c.all();
+  }
+}
+let picker;
+globalThis.document = {
+  body: new FakeElement("body"),
+  createElement(tag) {
+    const el = new FakeElement(tag);
+    if (tag === "input") {
+      picker = el;
+      el.click = () => {};
+    }
+    return el;
+  },
+  getElementById(id) {
+    return [...this.body.all()].find((e) => e.id === id) ?? null;
+  },
+};
+
+const host = await import(pathToFileURL(join(here, "../js/host.js")));
+
+// #226: one readable and one unreadable file.
+const file = (name, read) => ({ name, webkitRelativePath: "", arrayBuffer: read });
+const picked = host.browsePickFiles(false);
+picker.files = [
+  file("ok.png", async () => new Uint8Array([1, 2, 3]).buffer),
+  file("red-corner.png", async () => {
+    throw new DOMException("Generated unreadable selected file", "NotReadableError");
+  }),
+];
+await picker.onchange();
+const out = await picked;
+assert.equal(out.length, 2);
+assert.deepEqual([out[0].path, [...out[0].bytes]], ["ok.png", [1, 2, 3]]);
+assert.deepEqual(out[1], { path: "red-corner.png", error: "Generated unreadable selected file" });
+const cancelled = host.browsePickFiles(false);
+picker.oncancel();
+assert.deepEqual(await cancelled, [], "cancelling picks nothing");
+
+console.log("page: ok");
diff --git a/docs/web.md b/docs/web.md
index f3b44306..1b5e0fa7 100644
--- a/docs/web.md
+++ b/docs/web.md
@@ -230,7 +230,8 @@ Window ▸ Media Browser browses a virtual tree (`src/browse.rs`):
 
 - **Browser Storage**: every file in browser storage (imported media, saved projects, files added
   with **Add Files…** or **Upload Folder…**, plain file inputs that work in every browser). This is
-  the persistent recent list where folders can't be opened.
+  the persistent recent list where folders can't be opened. A picked file that can't be read is
+  named in the status bar with the browser's reason, and the others are still added.
 - **Folders**: **Open Folder…** (File System Access API, `showDirectoryPicker`, Chromium) lists a
   folder from the user's disk; only the listing is read, and a file's bytes are read when it is
   imported (then kept in browser storage). The folder handles are remembered in IndexedDB; after
@@ -418,6 +419,10 @@ node apps/effectcraft-web/tests/smoke.mjs --url http://127.0.0.1:8765/ --out tar
 reused worker again even at the same size, and a worker that fails to start fails its job and is
 terminated (`node apps/effectcraft-web/tests/workers.mjs`).
 
+`apps/effectcraft-web/tests/page.mjs` checks page-side helpers of `js/host.js` the same way with
+a fake DOM: a picked file that can't be read is reported while the others are added
+(`node apps/effectcraft-web/tests/page.mjs`).
+
 It also checks the M13.10 paths: viewer frames rendered in frame workers while scrubbing with the
 CPU renderer (project synced as diffs, event-loop gaps under 400 ms), a `wait: true` render that
 replies when done while the page keeps running, and the Media Browser over browser storage; and