diff --git a/src/application/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactReconstruction.ts b/src/application/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactReconstruction.ts
index 7b3972c363..00253da3fb 100644
--- a/src/application/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactReconstruction.ts
+++ b/src/application/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactReconstruction.ts
@@ -96,7 +96,12 @@ export const reconstructJavaScriptArtifact = async (
         "read_javascript_artifacts",
         "Reading inventoried JavaScript application sources",
       );
-      const files = await readJavaScriptArtifactFiles(reader, snapshot, signal);
+      const files = await readJavaScriptArtifactFiles(
+        reader,
+        snapshot,
+        scope,
+        signal,
+      );
       await reportPhase(
         "parse_javascript_sources",
         `Parsing and projecting ${String(files.files.length)} application source files`,
diff --git a/src/artifacts/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactFiles.ts b/src/artifacts/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactFiles.ts
index cfe1e811bf..6ed6b29e71 100644
--- a/src/artifacts/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactFiles.ts
+++ b/src/artifacts/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactFiles.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import type { Readable } from "node:stream";
 
 import { compareUnicodeCodePoints } from "../../domain/unicodeCodePointOrder.js";
 import { AsarArtifactReader } from "../AsarArtifactReader.js";
+import type { ArtifactResourceScope } from "../ArtifactResourceScope.js";
 import {
   ArtifactPathRegistry,
   normalizeArtifactPath,
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ interface ExpectedContainer {
 }
 
 interface ReadContext {
+  readonly resources: ArtifactResourceScope;
   readonly expected: ReadonlyMap<string, ExpectedFile>;
   readonly expectedContainers: ReadonlyMap<string, ExpectedContainer>;
   readonly registry: ArtifactPathRegistry;
@@ -59,6 +61,7 @@ interface ReadTextInput {
 export const readJavaScriptArtifactFiles = async (
   reader: ArtifactReader,
   snapshot: ArtifactInventorySnapshot,
+  resources: ArtifactResourceScope,
   signal?: AbortSignal,
 ): Promise<JavaScriptArtifactFileSet> => {
   if (reader instanceof AsarArtifactReader) {
@@ -79,6 +82,7 @@ export const readJavaScriptArtifactFiles = async (
   const inventory = expectedInventory(snapshot);
   const expected = inventory.files;
   const context: ReadContext = {
+    resources,
     expected,
     expectedContainers: inventory.containers,
     registry: new ArtifactPathRegistry(),
@@ -122,7 +126,10 @@ const visitReader = async (
       iterator: reader.entries(context.signal)[Symbol.asyncIterator](),
     },
   ];
-  const ownedReaders: ArtifactReader[] = [];
+  const ownedReaders: {
+    readonly reader: ArtifactReader;
+    readonly path: string;
+  }[] = [];
   let failure: { readonly cause: unknown } | undefined;
   try {
     while (stack.length > 0) {
@@ -174,7 +181,7 @@ const visitReader = async (
         );
         context.containers.push(inventory);
         const nested = new AsarArtifactReader(entry.adapterKey);
-        ownedReaders.push(nested);
+        ownedReaders.push({ reader: nested, path });
         stack.push({
           reader: nested,
           prefix: path,
@@ -205,24 +212,33 @@ const visitReader = async (
   } catch (cause: unknown) {
     failure = { cause };
   } finally {
-    for (const { iterator } of stack) {
+    for (const { iterator, prefix, reader } of stack.reverse()) {
       try {
         await iterator.return?.();
       } catch (cause: unknown) {
-        failure ??= { cause };
+        failure = {
+          cause: ArtifactReaderFailure.withCleanup(
+            failure === undefined ? cause : failure.cause,
+            ArtifactReaderFailure.cleanupObservation(
+              cause,
+              `JavaScript artifact traversal for ${prefix || reader.format}`,
+            ),
+          ),
+        };
       }
     }
     for (const owned of ownedReaders.reverse()) {
-      try {
-        await owned.close();
-      } catch (cause: unknown) {
+      const resource = `nested ASAR reader for ${owned.path}`;
+      const cleanup = await context.resources.release({
+        kind: "reader",
+        reader: owned.reader,
+        resource,
+      });
+      if (cleanup.kind === "failed") {
         failure = {
           cause: ArtifactReaderFailure.withCleanup(
-            failure?.cause ?? cause,
-            ArtifactReaderFailure.cleanupObservation(
-              cause,
-              `nested ASAR reader for ${prefix}`,
-            ),
+            failure === undefined ? cleanup.cause : failure.cause,
+            ArtifactReaderFailure.cleanupObservation(cleanup.cause, resource),
           ),
         };
       }
diff --git a/tests/boundary/filesystem/javascriptArtifactContentIdentity.test.ts b/tests/boundary/filesystem/javascriptArtifactContentIdentity.test.ts
index 47e1b5ce48..16eecbb6ca 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/filesystem/javascriptArtifactContentIdentity.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/filesystem/javascriptArtifactContentIdentity.test.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { createPackage } from "@electron/asar";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 
 import { scanArtifactInventory } from "../../fixtures/artifactInventory.js";
-import { readJavaScriptArtifactFiles } from "../../../src/artifacts/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactFiles.js";
+import { readJavaScriptArtifactFiles } from "../../support/javascriptApplicationScope.js";
 import { AsarArtifactReader } from "../../../src/artifacts/AsarArtifactReader.js";
 import { DirectoryArtifactReader } from "../../../src/artifacts/DirectoryArtifactReader.js";
 import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../../fixtures/temporaryDirectory.js";
diff --git a/tests/boundary/filesystem/javascriptArtifactReconstruction.test.ts b/tests/boundary/filesystem/javascriptArtifactReconstruction.test.ts
index 5ecbb0fdad..27b953ef9d 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/filesystem/javascriptArtifactReconstruction.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/filesystem/javascriptArtifactReconstruction.test.ts
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ import { expect, it } from "vitest";
 
 import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../../fixtures/temporaryDirectory.js";
 
-import { readJavaScriptArtifactFiles } from "../../../src/artifacts/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactFiles.js";
-import { reconstructJavaScriptArtifact } from "../../support/javascriptApplicationScope.js";
+import {
+  reconstructJavaScriptArtifact,
+  readJavaScriptArtifactFiles,
+} from "../../support/javascriptApplicationScope.js";
 import { scanArtifactInventory } from "../../fixtures/artifactInventory.js";
 import {
   type ArtifactEntry,
diff --git a/tests/boundary/filesystem/javascriptIntegrityPolicy.test.ts b/tests/boundary/filesystem/javascriptIntegrityPolicy.test.ts
index 61e120e182..47b77114ac 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/filesystem/javascriptIntegrityPolicy.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/filesystem/javascriptIntegrityPolicy.test.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import { analyzeJavaScriptApplication } from "../../support/javascriptApplicatio
 import { javascriptApplicationAnalysisResultSchema } from "../../../src/domain/javascript/javascriptApplicationAnalysis.js";
 import { projectAnalysisError } from "../../../src/domain/analysisErrorProjection.js";
 import { createJavaScriptArtifactReader } from "../../../src/artifacts/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactReader.js";
-import { readJavaScriptArtifactFiles } from "../../../src/artifacts/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactFiles.js";
+import { readJavaScriptArtifactFiles } from "../../support/javascriptApplicationScope.js";
 import { scanCanonicalArtifactInventory } from "../../fixtures/artifactInventory.js";
 import { createStrippedAsarAddon } from "../../fixtures/strippedAsarAddon.js";
 import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../../fixtures/temporaryDirectory.js";
diff --git a/tests/boundary/filesystem/javascriptNestedReaderCleanup.test.ts b/tests/boundary/filesystem/javascriptNestedReaderCleanup.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1f86afd179
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/boundary/filesystem/javascriptNestedReaderCleanup.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+import { mkdir, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+
+import { createPackage } from "@electron/asar";
+import { expect, it, onTestFinished, vi } from "vitest";
+
+import { AsarArtifactReader } from "../../../src/artifacts/AsarArtifactReader.js";
+import { ArtifactResourceScope } from "../../../src/artifacts/ArtifactResourceScope.js";
+import { ArtifactReaderFailure } from "../../../src/artifacts/ArtifactReader.js";
+import { reconstructJavaScriptArtifact } from "../../../src/application/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactReconstruction.js";
+import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../../fixtures/temporaryDirectory.js";
+
+it("retains a failed nested reader through blocked work and scope cleanup", async () => {
+  const root = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-js-nested-reader-cleanup-");
+  const bundle = join(root, "bundle");
+  const contents = join(root, "asar-contents");
+  const archive = join(bundle, "app.asar");
+  await Promise.all([mkdir(bundle), mkdir(contents)]);
+  await writeFile(join(contents, "package.json"), '{"main":"index.js"}\n');
+  await writeFile(join(contents, "index.js"), "module.exports = 1;\n");
+  await createPackage(contents, archive);
+
+  const scope = new ArtifactResourceScope();
+  const originalClose = AsarArtifactReader.prototype.close;
+  const closedReaders: AsarArtifactReader[] = [];
+  const closeFailure = new Error("nested ASAR close failed");
+  let blockReadPhaseClose = true;
+  onTestFinished(async () => {
+    blockReadPhaseClose = false;
+    await scope.close().catch(() => undefined);
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+  vi.spyOn(AsarArtifactReader.prototype, "close").mockImplementation(
+    async function (this: AsarArtifactReader) {
+      closedReaders.push(this);
+      // Inventory closes its nested reader first. Fail the next, read-phase
+      // reader close after its native handle remains available for scope retry.
+      if (this === closedReaders[1] && blockReadPhaseClose) throw closeFailure;
+      await originalClose.call(this);
+    },
+  );
+
+  const input = { input_path: bundle };
+  const firstFailure = await reconstructJavaScriptArtifact(input, scope).catch(
+    (cause: unknown) => cause,
+  );
+  expect(firstFailure).toBeInstanceOf(ArtifactReaderFailure);
+  expect(firstFailure).toMatchObject({
+    cleanup: {
+      reason: closeFailure.message,
+      resources: [expect.stringContaining("app.asar")],
+    },
+  });
+  expect(closedReaders).toHaveLength(2);
+  const retainedReader = closedReaders[1];
+  expect(retainedReader).toBeDefined();
+  expect(retainedReader).not.toBe(closedReaders[0]);
+
+  const blockedWork = await reconstructJavaScriptArtifact(input, scope).catch(
+    (cause: unknown) => cause,
+  );
+  expect(blockedWork).toMatchObject({
+    reason: "unavailable",
+    cleanup: {
+      reason: closeFailure.message,
+      resources: [expect.stringContaining("app.asar")],
+    },
+  });
+  expect(closedReaders).toHaveLength(3);
+  expect(closedReaders[2]).toBe(retainedReader);
+
+  blockReadPhaseClose = false;
+  await scope.close();
+  expect(closedReaders).toHaveLength(4);
+  expect(closedReaders[3]).toBe(retainedReader);
+});
diff --git a/tests/composition/javascript-applications/javascriptArtifactReconstruction.test.ts b/tests/composition/javascript-applications/javascriptArtifactReconstruction.test.ts
index 846eee6c3c..bb41d5c0b7 100644
--- a/tests/composition/javascript-applications/javascriptArtifactReconstruction.test.ts
+++ b/tests/composition/javascript-applications/javascriptArtifactReconstruction.test.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,10 @@ import { expect, it } from "vitest";
 
 import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../../fixtures/temporaryDirectory.js";
 
-import { reconstructJavaScriptArtifact } from "../../support/javascriptApplicationScope.js";
+import {
+  reconstructJavaScriptArtifact,
+  readJavaScriptArtifactFiles,
+} from "../../support/javascriptApplicationScope.js";
 import {
   analyzeJavaScriptArtifactFiles,
   analyzeAndProjectJavaScriptArtifactFiles,
@@ -22,7 +25,6 @@ import {
   createJavaScriptSemanticGraphProjection,
 } from "../../../src/application/javascript/JavaScriptSemanticGraphBuilder.js";
 import { createJavaScriptArtifactReader } from "../../../src/artifacts/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactReader.js";
-import { readJavaScriptArtifactFiles } from "../../../src/artifacts/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactFiles.js";
 import {
   scanCanonicalArtifactInventory,
   scanArtifactInventory,
diff --git a/tests/support/javascriptApplicationScope.ts b/tests/support/javascriptApplicationScope.ts
index 830f803681..c9c920f02b 100644
--- a/tests/support/javascriptApplicationScope.ts
+++ b/tests/support/javascriptApplicationScope.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,19 @@ import type { ExecutionOptions } from "../../src/application/AnalysisProvider.js
 import { analyzeJavaScriptApplication as analyzeOwned } from "../../src/application/javascript/JavaScriptApplicationService.js";
 import { reconstructJavaScriptArtifact as reconstructOwned } from "../../src/application/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactReconstruction.js";
 import type { ProgressReporter } from "../../src/application/ProgressReporter.js";
+import { readJavaScriptArtifactFiles as readOwned } from "../../src/artifacts/javascript/JavaScriptArtifactFiles.js";
+import type { ArtifactReader } from "../../src/artifacts/ArtifactReader.js";
+import type { ArtifactInventorySnapshot } from "../../src/domain/artifactInventorySnapshot.js";
+
+/** Read a fixture's nested containers with an awaited cleanup owner. */
+export const readJavaScriptArtifactFiles = (
+  reader: ArtifactReader,
+  snapshot: ArtifactInventorySnapshot,
+  signal?: AbortSignal,
+) =>
+  withArtifactResourceScope((scope) =>
+    readOwned(reader, snapshot, scope, signal),
+  );
 
 /** Run a JavaScript analysis with an awaited, test-owned artifact scope. */
 export const analyzeJavaScriptApplication = (