diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/node-islands/probe-recorder.test.ts b/packages/compiler/src/node-islands/probe-recorder.test.ts
index 2e82be3e9..f67522a38 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/node-islands/probe-recorder.test.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/node-islands/probe-recorder.test.ts
@@ -72,3 +72,25 @@ test("the probe never evaluates the program's own source", () => {
   expect(existsSync(join(root, "src/evaluated-program"))).toBe(false);
   expect(existsSync(join(root, "src/evaluated-shared"))).toBe(false);
 });
+
+test("a package that catches the refusal does not defer, nor does one that loads it later", () => {
+  const root = project({
+    "src/config.js": marker("config"),
+    "node_modules/catches/package.json": '{ "name": "catches" }',
+    "node_modules/catches/index.js":
+      'let config;\ntry { config = require("../../src/config.js"); } catch { config = { fallback: true }; }\nmodule.exports = config;\n',
+    "node_modules/later/package.json": '{ "name": "later" }',
+    "node_modules/later/index.js": 'module.exports = { config: require("catches") };\n',
+    "node_modules/clean/package.json": '{ "name": "clean" }',
+    "node_modules/clean/index.js": "module.exports = { ok: true };\n",
+  });
+  const results = probe(root, [
+    join(root, "node_modules/catches/index.js"),
+    join(root, "node_modules/later/index.js"),
+    join(root, "node_modules/clean/index.js"),
+  ]);
+  const refusal = `the build does not evaluate ${join(root, "src/config.js")}, a file of the program`;
+  expect(results.map((r) => r.throws)).toEqual([refusal, refusal, undefined]);
+  expect(results.map((r) => r.root === undefined)).toEqual([true, true, false]);
+  expect(existsSync(join(root, "src/evaluated-config"))).toBe(false);
+});
diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/node-islands/probe-recorder.ts b/packages/compiler/src/node-islands/probe-recorder.ts
index af29be084..33a357b43 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/node-islands/probe-recorder.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/node-islands/probe-recorder.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@
  *     observable by other island modules evaluated out of order);
  *   - every file the load required (the module's closure), and a throw;
  *     a load that resolves a file outside every node_modules directory (the
- *     program's own source) throws before that file evaluates;
+ *     program's own source) throws before that file evaluates, and its
+ *     record is that throw even when the load catches it;
  *
  * and takes the interface snapshot of the module's value (snapshot.ts).
  * Calls made by Node's own internals (the module loader reading files,
@@ -190,6 +191,11 @@ exports.probe = function probe(input) {
   const inputs = [], volatile = [], effects = [], tty = new Map(), envKeys = new Map();
   const files = new Set();
   let recording = false;
+  // The first program file the current load asked for (the resolve hook),
+  // and, for every file a load with a refusal evaluated, that program file:
+  // the module cache keeps what such a file exported without it.
+  let refused = null;
+  const refusedBy = new Map();
   const note = (list, what) => {
     if (recording && !internalCaller()) list.push(list === volatile ? what : what + " (" + lastCaller + ")");
   };
@@ -440,8 +446,10 @@ exports.probe = function probe(input) {
       const result = nextResolve(specifier, context);
       if (recording && typeof result.url === "string" && result.url.startsWith("file:")) {
         const file = require("node:url").fileURLToPath(result.url);
-        if (!/[\\/]node_modules[\\/]/.test(file))
+        if (!/[\\/]node_modules[\\/]/.test(file)) {
+          if (refused === null) refused = file;
           throw new Error("the build does not evaluate " + file + ", a file of the program");
+        }
         files.add(file);
       }
       return result;
@@ -511,6 +519,7 @@ exports.probe = function probe(input) {
     pendingTimers.clear();
     loadPromises.clear();
     tty.clear(); envKeys.clear(); files.clear();
+    refused = null;
     files.add(path);
     currentFiles = files;
     currentPackageDir = null;
@@ -522,6 +531,15 @@ exports.probe = function probe(input) {
     recording = true;
     try { exportsValue = createRequire(path)(path); } catch (e) { threw = String((e && e.message) || e); }
     recording = false;
+    // A load that catches the refusal evaluates a fallback the executable
+    // never runs: its exports are not the module's, and neither are those of
+    // a later load that reaches one of its files through the module cache.
+    if (refused === null)
+      for (const f of files) if (refusedBy.has(f)) { refused = refusedBy.get(f); break; }
+    if (refused !== null) {
+      threw = "the build does not evaluate " + refused + ", a file of the program";
+      for (const f of files) if (!refusedBy.has(f)) refusedBy.set(f, refused);
+    }
     const after = shot();
     const root = threw === undefined ? value(exportsValue, 0) : undefined;
     const mutations = [];