diff --git a/src/xenia/hid/file/file_input_driver.h b/src/xenia/hid/file/file_input_driver.h
index 7e4eacb81..bb8cf333b 100644
--- a/src/xenia/hid/file/file_input_driver.h
+++ b/src/xenia/hid/file/file_input_driver.h
@@ -139,16 +139,31 @@ class FileInputDriver final : public InputDriver {
  private:
   // Re-parse only when the file actually changed: `GetState` is polled every
   // frame and a stat is far cheaper than a read+parse.
+  //
+  // The change test uses **nanosecond** mtime, not `st_mtime`. Whole-second
+  // granularity plus size looked sufficient and is not: a script that steps a
+  // menu writes several same-length states per second (`press=A` then `press=B`,
+  // both 8 bytes), and every one of those after the first would be silently
+  // dropped. That failure is invisible — the emulator just does not react — so
+  // it is worth the extra field.
   void Refresh() {
     struct stat st;
     if (::stat(cvars::pad_file.c_str(), &st) != 0) {
-      Neutral();
+      if (present_) {
+        present_ = false;
+        Neutral();
+        ++packet_;
+        XELOGI("[file-pad] {} gone -> neutral", cvars::pad_file);
+      }
       return;
     }
-    if (st.st_mtime == mtime_ && st.st_size == size_) {
+    if (present_ && st.st_mtim.tv_sec == mtime_sec_ &&
+        st.st_mtim.tv_nsec == mtime_nsec_ && st.st_size == size_) {
       return;
     }
-    mtime_ = st.st_mtime;
+    present_ = true;
+    mtime_sec_ = st.st_mtim.tv_sec;
+    mtime_nsec_ = st.st_mtim.tv_nsec;
     size_ = st.st_size;
     std::FILE* f = std::fopen(cvars::pad_file.c_str(), "rb");
     if (!f) {
@@ -161,6 +176,10 @@ class FileInputDriver final : public InputDriver {
     buf[n] = '\0';
     Parse(buf);
     ++packet_;
+    // One line per change (not per frame): with no display to watch, this log is
+    // the only proof that a scripted press was actually picked up.
+    XELOGI("[file-pad] #{} buttons={:04X} lt={} rt={} lx={} ly={} rx={} ry={}",
+           packet_, buttons_, lt_, rt_, lx_, ly_, rx_, ry_);
   }
 
   void Neutral() {
@@ -230,7 +249,9 @@ class FileInputDriver final : public InputDriver {
   uint8_t lt_ = 0, rt_ = 0;
   int16_t lx_ = 0, ly_ = 0, rx_ = 0, ry_ = 0;
   uint32_t packet_ = 1;
-  time_t mtime_ = 0;
+  bool present_ = false;
+  time_t mtime_sec_ = 0;
+  long mtime_nsec_ = -1;
   off_t size_ = -1;
 };