diff --git a/tools/re-capture/title_sweep_probe.sh b/tools/re-capture/title_sweep_probe.sh
index 35a3c8d2..85d99db9 100755
--- a/tools/re-capture/title_sweep_probe.sh
+++ b/tools/re-capture/title_sweep_probe.sh
@@ -24,6 +24,19 @@ win="$(xdotool search --name "Xenia-canary" | tail -1)"
 [ -n "$win" ] || { echo "FATAL: no Xenia window"; pkill -x xenia_canary; exit 1; }
 xdotool windowactivate "$win" 2>/dev/null; xdotool key --window "$win" F10; xdotool key F10
 echo "armed at ${SECONDS}s"
+
+# ⚠️ ARMING IS NOT CONFIRMED BY SENDING THE KEY. Twice now a probe has printed
+# "armed", pressed on, and written no draw log at all -- once because the window
+# lookup failed, once with the window found and the key sent. A probe that cannot
+# confirm its own instrument is recording is a probe whose negatives mean nothing.
+# So: wait for the log to exist AND grow, and abort loudly if it does not.
+for _ in $(seq 1 20); do
+  sz=$(stat -c %s "$OUT"/xenia_re_ui_draws_*.log 2>/dev/null | head -1 || echo 0)
+  [ "${sz:-0}" -gt 0 ] && break
+  sleep 1
+done
+[ "${sz:-0}" -gt 0 ] || { echo "FATAL: armed but no draw log after 20s -- not recording"; pkill -x xenia_canary; exit 1; }
+echo "logging confirmed at ${SECONDS}s (${sz} bytes)"
 sleep 12; pad "press=A"; sleep 0.4; pad ""; echo "A (skip video) at ${SECONDS}s"
 sleep 150         # let the title build in and settle, no further input
 pkill -x xenia_canary