diff --git a/electron/ipc/project/manager.test.ts b/electron/ipc/project/manager.test.ts
index 3f360ee4..375d0f9d 100644
--- a/electron/ipc/project/manager.test.ts
+++ b/electron/ipc/project/manager.test.ts
@@ -64,4 +64,13 @@ describe("local media path policy", () => {
 
 		await expect(isAllowedLocalMediaPath(missingPath)).resolves.toBe(false);
 	});
+
+	it("allows approved media paths before the file exists", async () => {
+		const pendingExportPath = path.join(tempRoot, "Downloads", "pending-export.mp4");
+		const { isAllowedLocalMediaPath, rememberApprovedLocalReadPath } = await import("./manager");
+
+		await rememberApprovedLocalReadPath(pendingExportPath);
+
+		await expect(isAllowedLocalMediaPath(pendingExportPath)).resolves.toBe(true);
+	});
 });
diff --git a/electron/ipc/project/manager.ts b/electron/ipc/project/manager.ts
index 862af43e..e13127f6 100644
--- a/electron/ipc/project/manager.ts
+++ b/electron/ipc/project/manager.ts
@@ -64,10 +64,7 @@ export function isAllowedLocalReadPath(candidatePath: string) {
 // saved outside the active recording session can still be reopened in the editor.
 export async function isAllowedLocalMediaPath(candidatePath: string) {
 	const normalizedCandidatePath = normalizePath(candidatePath);
-	const realPath = await fs.realpath(normalizedCandidatePath).catch(() => normalizedCandidatePath);
-	return (
-		isAllowedLocalReadPath(normalizedCandidatePath) || isAllowedLocalReadPath(realPath)
-	);
+	return isAllowedLocalReadPath(normalizedCandidatePath);
 }
 
 export async function rememberApprovedLocalReadPath(filePath?: string | null) {
diff --git a/electron/ipc/register/project.ts b/electron/ipc/register/project.ts
index 70b0fe0b..dee0af16 100644
--- a/electron/ipc/register/project.ts
+++ b/electron/ipc/register/project.ts
@@ -16,27 +16,25 @@ import {
 	currentRecordingSession,
 	setCurrentRecordingSession,
 } from "../state";
-import { normalizeVideoSourcePath } from "../utils";
 import {
+	getProjectsDir,
 	isAllowedLocalMediaPath,
 	isPathInsideDirectory,
+	isTrustedProjectPath,
+	listProjectLibraryEntries,
+	loadProjectFromPath,
+	persistRecordingsDirectorySetting,
 	replaceApprovedSessionLocalReadPaths,
+	rememberRecentProject,
+	saveProjectThumbnail,
 } from "../project/manager";
 import {
 	getTelemetryPathForVideo,
 	isAutoRecordingPath,
 	getRecordingsDir,
 	approveUserPath,
+	normalizeVideoSourcePath,
 } from "../utils";
-import {
-	getProjectsDir,
-	persistRecordingsDirectorySetting,
-	saveProjectThumbnail,
-	rememberRecentProject,
-	listProjectLibraryEntries,
-	loadProjectFromPath,
-	isTrustedProjectPath,
-} from "../project/manager";
 import { persistRecordingSessionManifest, resolveRecordingSession } from "../project/session";
 
 function normalizeRecordingTimeOffsetMs(value: unknown): number {