diff --git a/crates/automation/src/rpc.rs b/crates/automation/src/rpc.rs
index 2a8ce8366a..a0923a6744 100644
--- a/crates/automation/src/rpc.rs
+++ b/crates/automation/src/rpc.rs
@@ -935,6 +935,43 @@ mod tests {
         std::fs::remove_dir_all(base).unwrap();
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn workspace_layer_exports_keep_linked_smart_objects_as_pixels() {
+        use photocraft_engine::doc::{LayerContent, SmartSource};
+
+        const MARKER: &[u8] = b"PHOTOCRAFT-LINKED-0002";
+        let has_marker = |bytes: &[u8]| bytes.windows(MARKER.len()).any(|w| w == MARKER);
+        let base = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("pc-export-layers-linked-{}", std::process::id()));
+        let root = base.join("workspace");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&root).unwrap();
+        let outside = base.join("outside.txt");
+        std::fs::write(&outside, MARKER).unwrap();
+        // A document whose smart object names a file outside the roots as its source.
+        let mut session = photocraft_engine::Session::new();
+        session.execute("file.new", json!({"width": 8, "height": 8, "background": "white"})).unwrap();
+        session.execute("layer.smartObjects.convertToSmartObject", json!({})).unwrap();
+        let state = session.active_mut().unwrap();
+        let LayerContent::Smart(smart) = &mut std::sync::Arc::make_mut(&mut state.doc).layers[0].content else { panic!("smart object") };
+        smart.source = SmartSource::Linked { path: outside.to_string_lossy().into_owned() };
+        std::fs::write(root.join("in.pcraft"), photocraft_engine::smart_cmds::encode_source(&state.doc).unwrap()).unwrap();
+
+        let mut h = Headless::with_workspace(crate::AuthorizedWorkspace::new(Some(&root), Some(&root)).unwrap());
+        h.handle("doc.open", json!({"path": "in.pcraft"})).unwrap();
+        let out = root.join("layers");
+        for format in ["psd", "psb"] {
+            let exported = h.handle("doc.exportLayers", json!({"dir": out.to_string_lossy(), "format": format})).unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(exported["count"], 1, "{exported}");
+        }
+        let files: Vec<_> = std::fs::read_dir(&out).unwrap().map(|e| e.unwrap().path()).collect();
+        assert_eq!(files.len(), 2, "{files:?}");
+        for file in files {
+            assert!(!has_marker(&std::fs::read(&file).unwrap()), "{} embeds no file outside the roots", file.display());
+        }
+        // Release directory capabilities before cleanup on Windows.
+        drop(h);
+        std::fs::remove_dir_all(base).unwrap();
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn trusted_local_render_keeps_full_size_behavior() {
         let mut h = Headless::trusted_local();
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/file_cmds.rs b/crates/engine/src/file_cmds.rs
index e078859933..ebc7c49640 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/file_cmds.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/file_cmds.rs
@@ -1681,6 +1681,9 @@ pub fn export_layers_with(s: &Session, p: &Value, mut write: impl FnMut(&str, &[
     let cmd = "file.export.layersToFiles";
     let format = p.get("format").and_then(Value::as_str).unwrap_or("png").trim_start_matches('.').to_ascii_lowercase();
     let visible_only = p.get("visibleOnly").and_then(Value::as_bool).unwrap_or(true);
+    // Callers outside `Session::execute` (headless workspace exports) carry the session's gate
+    // into `encode`, so a PSD embeds no file a linked smart object names.
+    let _authorization = crate::jobs::render_authorization_scope(s.authorize);
     let save = SaveOpts::from_params(s, p, cmd)?;
     let d = s.active().ok_or(EngineError::NoDocument)?;
     let prefix = p.get("prefix").and_then(Value::as_str).map(str::to_string).unwrap_or_else(|| stem(&d.doc.name));