diff --git a/apps/effectcraft-cli/src/template.rs b/apps/effectcraft-cli/src/template.rs
index f4da23cd..a4247f2a 100644
--- a/apps/effectcraft-cli/src/template.rs
+++ b/apps/effectcraft-cli/src/template.rs
@@ -36,7 +36,20 @@ pub(super) fn validate(cmd: &str, args: &Args) -> Result<(), Failure> {
     {
         for input in ["--template", "--values"] {
             if let Some(path) = args.opt(input)
-                && std::fs::canonicalize(path).is_ok_and(|path| path == output)
+                && std::fs::canonicalize(path).is_ok_and(|path| {
+                    if path == output {
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                    #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+                    {
+                        use std::os::unix::fs::MetadataExt;
+                        // Distinct canonical paths can still name the same file through hard links.
+                        if let (Ok(input), Ok(output)) = (std::fs::metadata(&path), std::fs::metadata(&output)) {
+                            return input.dev() == output.dev() && input.ino() == output.ino();
+                        }
+                    }
+                    false
+                })
             {
                 return Err(Failure::Error(format!("--out {out} would overwrite {input} {path}")));
             }
diff --git a/apps/effectcraft-cli/tests/qa_template.rs b/apps/effectcraft-cli/tests/qa_template.rs
index ac67280e..ccab23be 100644
--- a/apps/effectcraft-cli/tests/qa_template.rs
+++ b/apps/effectcraft-cli/tests/qa_template.rs
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ fn template_output_alias_fixture(case: &str) -> PathBuf {
     dir
 }
 
-fn assert_template_output_preserves_inputs(dir: &PathBuf, out: &str) {
+fn assert_template_output_preserves_inputs(dir: &PathBuf, out: &str) -> Value {
     let template_before = std::fs::read(dir.join("lt.ectemplate")).unwrap();
     let values_before = std::fs::read(dir.join("values.json")).unwrap();
     // Read the inputs before interpreting the subprocess status or error text.
@@ -272,7 +272,8 @@ fn assert_template_output_preserves_inputs(dir: &PathBuf, out: &str) {
     );
     assert!(template_preserved, "template rendering must preserve its template input when --out aliases that file");
     assert!(values_preserved, "template rendering must preserve its values input when --out aliases that file");
-    assert!(!result.status.success(), "an output alias must fail before rendering overwrites an input");
+    assert_eq!(result.status.code(), Some(1), "an output alias must fail before rendering overwrites an input");
+    serde_json::from_slice(&result.stdout).unwrap()
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -652,3 +653,39 @@ fn template_missing_output_does_not_replace_extracted_media() {
     assert!(media_preserved, "missing --out must fail before overwriting previously extracted media");
     let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
 }
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+#[test]
+fn template_frame_output_cannot_alias_its_template_through_a_hard_link() {
+    use std::os::unix::fs::MetadataExt;
+
+    let dir = template_output_alias_fixture("hard-linked-template");
+    let input = dir.join("lt.ectemplate");
+    let output = dir.join("hard-linked-template.png");
+    std::fs::hard_link(&input, &output).unwrap();
+    let input_metadata = std::fs::metadata(&input).unwrap();
+    let output_metadata = std::fs::metadata(&output).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((input_metadata.dev(), input_metadata.ino()), (output_metadata.dev(), output_metadata.ino()), "actual hard-link file identity");
+    assert_ne!(input.canonicalize().unwrap(), output.canonicalize().unwrap(), "the hard link has a distinct canonical path");
+    let reply = assert_template_output_preserves_inputs(&dir, "hard-linked-template.png");
+    assert_eq!(reply["error"], "--out hard-linked-template.png would overwrite --template lt.ectemplate", "{reply}");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+#[test]
+fn template_frame_output_cannot_alias_its_values_through_a_hard_link() {
+    use std::os::unix::fs::MetadataExt;
+
+    let dir = template_output_alias_fixture("hard-linked-values");
+    let input = dir.join("values.json");
+    let output = dir.join("hard-linked-values.png");
+    std::fs::hard_link(&input, &output).unwrap();
+    let input_metadata = std::fs::metadata(&input).unwrap();
+    let output_metadata = std::fs::metadata(&output).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!((input_metadata.dev(), input_metadata.ino()), (output_metadata.dev(), output_metadata.ino()), "actual hard-link file identity");
+    assert_ne!(input.canonicalize().unwrap(), output.canonicalize().unwrap(), "the hard link has a distinct canonical path");
+    let reply = assert_template_output_preserves_inputs(&dir, "hard-linked-values.png");
+    assert_eq!(reply["error"], "--out hard-linked-values.png would overwrite --values values.json", "{reply}");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/footage_check.rs b/crates/engine/src/footage_check.rs
index de14b06c..ca5ff3f7 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/footage_check.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/footage_check.rs
@@ -235,7 +235,8 @@ mod tests {
         paths.sort();
         // Windows joins the stored "media/..." onto the project's folder and leaves a path with mixed
         // separators; `Path` equality compares components, so both spellings are the same file.
-        let expected = ["/nonexistent/ec/abs.png", clip.to_str().unwrap(), "media/ec-relative-gone.png"];
+        let mut expected = ["/nonexistent/ec/abs.png", clip.to_str().unwrap(), "media/ec-relative-gone.png"];
+        expected.sort();
         assert_eq!(paths.len(), expected.len(), "{paths:?}");
         for (got, want) in paths.iter().zip(expected) {
             assert_eq!(std::path::Path::new(got), std::path::Path::new(want), "{paths:?}");