diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index eb904655..76da20b7 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1624,6 +1624,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "image",
  "log",
  "regex",
+ "same-file",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
  "thiserror 2.0.21",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 64a8c8a2..e39d2e46 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ serde = { version = "1", features = ["derive", "rc"] }
 serde_json = { version = "1", features = ["float_roundtrip"] }
 regex = "1.13"
 log = "0.4"
+same-file = "1.0.6"
 # All date/time conversion goes through chrono (no hand-rolled calendar code beyond the 400-year range extension; AGENTS.md).
 chrono = { version = "0.4.45", default-features = false, features = ["std"] }
 proptest = "1"
diff --git a/apps/figcraft-cli/src/files.rs b/apps/figcraft-cli/src/files.rs
index 263e1ac9..1a4f27b1 100644
--- a/apps/figcraft-cli/src/files.rs
+++ b/apps/figcraft-cli/src/files.rs
@@ -301,6 +301,16 @@ fn refuse_dropping_images(input: &str, out: &str, images_left_out: usize) -> Cli
     Ok(())
 }
 
+fn refuse_dropping_images_from_script(input: Option<(&str, usize)>, active: &figcraft_engine::DocState, out: &str) -> CliResult<()> {
+    if let Some((input, images_left_out)) = input {
+        refuse_dropping_images(input, out, images_left_out)?;
+    }
+    if let Some(images_left_out) = active.images_lost_saving_to(out) {
+        refuse_dropping_images(out, out, images_left_out)?;
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 pub fn convert(input: &str, out: &str) -> CliResult<ExitCode> {
     let (loaded, _) = figcraft_engine::cmd::file::load_path(input, None).map_err(|e| CliError::Failed(format!("can't open {input}: {e}")))?;
     refuse_dropping_images(input, out, loaded.images_past_budget)?;
@@ -363,13 +373,14 @@ pub fn run_script(script: &str, input: Option<&str>, out: Option<&str>) -> CliRe
     let bytes = figcraft_engine::file_access::read(script).map_err(|e| CliError::Failed(e.to_string()))?;
     let text = String::from_utf8(bytes).map_err(|_| CliError::Failed(format!("{script}: not UTF-8")))?;
     let steps = parse_script(&text).map_err(|e| CliError::Failed(format!("{script}: {e}")))?;
-    let mut s = match input {
+    let (mut s, input_images_left_out) = match input {
         Some(path) => {
             let mut s = Session::empty();
             s.execute("file.open", &json!({"path": path})).map_err(|e| CliError::Failed(format!("can't open {path}: {e}")))?;
-            s
+            let left_out = s.ds().map_err(|e| CliError::Failed(e.to_string()))?.images_lost_saving_to(path).unwrap_or(0);
+            (s, left_out)
         }
-        None => Session::new(),
+        None => (Session::new(), 0),
     };
     // One undo step and all-or-nothing, the way the same commands behave through `command.batch`
     // (MCP, the control channel, plugins): `{"$step": n}` resolves against the steps before it, and
@@ -400,9 +411,7 @@ pub fn run_script(script: &str, input: Option<&str>, out: Option<&str>) -> CliRe
     }
     if let Some(out) = out {
         let ds = s.ds().map_err(|e| CliError::Failed(e.to_string()))?;
-        if let (Some(input), Some(left_out)) = (input, ds.images_lost_saving_to(out)) {
-            refuse_dropping_images(input, out, left_out)?;
-        }
+        refuse_dropping_images_from_script(input.map(|input| (input, input_images_left_out)), ds, out)?;
         if ext(out) == "figcraft" {
             // Through the engine, so the version history is kept.
             write(out, &figcraft_engine::cmd::file::file_bytes(ds).map_err(|e| CliError::Failed(e.to_string()))?)?;
@@ -544,4 +553,24 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(!out.exists(), "a script that failed writes nothing");
         std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir).unwrap();
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_script_output_over_its_input_is_refused_whichever_tab_the_script_left_active() {
+        let dir = temp_dir("script-images-left-out");
+        let input = dir.join("big.figcraft");
+        std::fs::write(&input, b"kept").unwrap();
+        let link = dir.join("link.figcraft");
+        std::fs::hard_link(&input, &link).unwrap();
+        let (input, link, other) = (input.to_str().unwrap(), link.to_str().unwrap(), dir.join("other.figcraft"));
+        let duplicate = Session::new();
+        let active = duplicate.ds().unwrap();
+
+        for out in [input, link] {
+            let refused = refuse_dropping_images_from_script(Some((input, 3)), active, out);
+            assert!(matches!(&refused, Err(CliError::Failed(m)) if m.contains("3 of its images")), "{out}");
+        }
+        assert!(refuse_dropping_images_from_script(Some((input, 3)), active, other.to_str().unwrap()).is_ok());
+        assert!(refuse_dropping_images_from_script(Some((input, 0)), active, input).is_ok());
+        std::fs::remove_dir_all(dir).unwrap();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/engine/Cargo.toml b/crates/engine/Cargo.toml
index 545d872c..1ac9f0e1 100644
--- a/crates/engine/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/engine/Cargo.toml
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ thiserror = { workspace = true }
 log = { workspace = true }
 base64 = { workspace = true }
 regex = { workspace = true }
+same-file = { workspace = true }
 web-time = "1.1.0"
 
 [dev-dependencies]
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/file_access.rs b/crates/engine/src/file_access.rs
index 0fda5e92..7a8ab8c9 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/file_access.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/file_access.rs
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ pub(crate) fn within_app_folder(path: &Path, folder: &Path) -> bool {
 
 pub fn same_file(a: impl AsRef<Path>, b: impl AsRef<Path>) -> bool {
     let (a, b) = (a.as_ref(), b.as_ref());
-    a == b || matches!((std::fs::canonicalize(a), std::fs::canonicalize(b)), (Ok(x), Ok(y)) if x == y)
+    a == b || same_file::is_same_file(a, b).unwrap_or(false)
 }
 
 /// `p` without Windows' `\\?\` prefix, for messages.
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/images_left_in_file_tests.rs b/crates/engine/src/images_left_in_file_tests.rs
index 44456ced..98e1cd8b 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/images_left_in_file_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/images_left_in_file_tests.rs
@@ -66,3 +66,16 @@ fn a_file_without_images_left_out_saves_as_before() {
     assert!(!s.ds().unwrap().is_dirty());
     let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn a_hard_link_to_the_file_is_not_saved_over() {
+    let (dir, path, mut s) = opened_with_images_left_in_file("hard-link");
+    let link = dir.join("link.figcraft");
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&link);
+    std::fs::hard_link(&path, &link).unwrap();
+    let before = std::fs::read(&path).unwrap();
+    rect(&mut s, 20.0);
+    assert!(s.execute("file.saveAs", &json!({"path": link.to_string_lossy()})).is_err());
+    assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&path).unwrap(), before);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+}