diff --git a/docs/FORMAT.md b/docs/FORMAT.md
index d792527..20062a5 100644
--- a/docs/FORMAT.md
+++ b/docs/FORMAT.md
@@ -75,15 +75,15 @@ After decompressing `innerMessage`, the result is a serialized `MFFile`
 
 Each file entry contains:
 
-| Field      | Number | Type                      | Description                         |
-| ---------- | ------ | ------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
-| `path`     | 1      | string                    | Relative file path (see Path Rules) |
-| `size`     | 2      | int64                     | File size in bytes                  |
-| `hashes`   | 3      | repeated `MFFileChecksum` | At least one hash required          |
-| `mimeType` | 301    | string (optional)         | MIME type                           |
-| `mtime`    | 302    | Timestamp (optional)      | Modification time                   |
-| `ctime`    | 303    | Timestamp (optional)      | Change time (inode metadata change) |
-| `mode`     | 304    | uint32                    | Permission bits (see File Mode)     |
+| Field      | Number | Type                      | Description                                                   |
+| ---------- | ------ | ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `path`     | 1      | string                    | Relative file path (see Path Rules)                           |
+| `size`     | 2      | int64                     | File size in bytes                                            |
+| `hashes`   | 3      | repeated `MFFileChecksum` | At least one hash required; readers reject an entry with none |
+| `mimeType` | 301    | string (optional)         | MIME type                                                     |
+| `mtime`    | 302    | Timestamp (optional)      | Modification time                                             |
+| `ctime`    | 303    | Timestamp (optional)      | Change time (inode metadata change)                           |
+| `mode`     | 304    | uint32                    | Permission bits (see File Mode)                               |
 
 ## File Mode
 
diff --git a/internal/cli/freshen.go b/internal/cli/freshen.go
index 4a9b246..cb37312 100644
--- a/internal/cli/freshen.go
+++ b/internal/cli/freshen.go
@@ -28,9 +28,15 @@ const (
 	scanProgressInterval = 100
 )
 
-// errEntryMissingMtime indicates a manifest entry that carries no
-// modification time where one is required to carry it forward unchanged.
-var errEntryMissingMtime = errors.New("manifest entry has no mtime")
+var (
+	// errEntryMissingMtime indicates a manifest entry that carries no
+	// modification time where one is required to carry it forward unchanged.
+	errEntryMissingMtime = errors.New("manifest entry has no mtime")
+
+	// errEntryMissingHash indicates a manifest entry that carries no hash
+	// to carry forward.
+	errEntryMissingHash = errors.New("manifest entry has no hash")
+)
 
 // FreshenStatus contains progress information for the freshen operation.
 type FreshenStatus struct {
@@ -644,6 +650,8 @@ func addFileToBuilder(
 // Entries reach this path only when recordEntry classified them as
 // unchanged, which requires a recorded mtime, so an absent mtime here is
 // an error rather than something to paper over with the Unix epoch.
+// Loading refuses an entry with no hash; one that got here anyway is an
+// error too, not a file to leave out of the manifest.
 func addExistingToBuilder(b *mfer.Builder, entry *mfer.MFFilePath) error {
 	mtime, ok := entryMtime(entry)
 	if !ok {
@@ -651,7 +659,7 @@ func addExistingToBuilder(b *mfer.Builder, entry *mfer.MFFilePath) error {
 	}
 
 	if len(entry.GetHashes()) == 0 {
-		return nil
+		return fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", errEntryMissingHash, entry.GetPath())
 	}
 
 	err := b.AddFileWithHash(mfer.RelFilePath(entry.GetPath()),
diff --git a/internal/cli/freshen_test.go b/internal/cli/freshen_test.go
index d6fbfe2..bde7f52 100644
--- a/internal/cli/freshen_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/freshen_test.go
@@ -471,6 +471,24 @@ func TestFreshenAddExistingRejectsMissingMtime(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "file1.txt")
 }
 
+// TestFreshenAddExistingRejectsMissingHash pins that an entry with no hash
+// is an error rather than a file left out of the rebuilt manifest.
+func TestFreshenAddExistingRejectsMissingHash(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	b := mfer.NewBuilder()
+	entry := &mfer.MFFilePath{
+		Path:  "data.bin",
+		Size:  8,
+		Mtime: &mfer.Timestamp{Seconds: 1_700_000_000},
+	}
+
+	err := addExistingToBuilder(b, entry)
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, errEntryMissingHash)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "data.bin")
+	assert.Zero(t, b.FileCount())
+}
+
 // TestFreshenAddExistingRejectsShortHash pins that an existing manifest
 // entry whose hash the builder refuses is reported as a problem with the
 // manifest, with the command that fixes it.
diff --git a/mfer/deserialize.go b/mfer/deserialize.go
index 0d3b95c..6a13cdf 100644
--- a/mfer/deserialize.go
+++ b/mfer/deserialize.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ var (
 	errUUIDMismatch         = errors.New("outer and inner UUID mismatch")
 	errInvalidFileFormat    = errors.New("invalid file format")
 	errInvalidManifestPath  = errors.New("invalid file entry")
+	errEntryMissingHash     = errors.New("file entry has no hash")
 	errDecodedTooLarge      = errors.New("too much memory needed")
 	errSignerNotSigningKey  = errors.New(
 		"signer is not the fingerprint of the key that made the signature")
@@ -293,7 +294,8 @@ func (m *manifest) deserializeInner() error {
 	// untrusted .mf. Reject loudly on the first offender rather than
 	// dropping entries, which would let a hostile manifest hide files from a
 	// check. A path listed twice is refused too: check would check the one
-	// file against both entries.
+	// file against both entries. So is an entry with no hash: there is
+	// nothing to check the file against.
 	seen := make(map[string]bool, len(m.pbInner.GetFiles()))
 
 	for _, f := range m.pbInner.GetFiles() {
@@ -302,6 +304,10 @@ func (m *manifest) deserializeInner() error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", errInvalidManifestPath, err)
 		}
 
+		if len(f.GetHashes()) == 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%w: %q", errEntryMissingHash, f.GetPath())
+		}
+
 		if seen[f.GetPath()] {
 			return fmt.Errorf("%w %q", errDuplicatePath, f.GetPath())
 		}
diff --git a/mfer/deserialize_path_test.go b/mfer/deserialize_path_test.go
index a95ebea..b722f15 100644
--- a/mfer/deserialize_path_test.go
+++ b/mfer/deserialize_path_test.go
@@ -165,6 +165,24 @@ func TestDeserializeRefusesPathListedTwice(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// A manifest holding a file entry with no hash is refused as it is loaded,
+// naming the path: there is nothing to check the file against.
+func TestDeserializeRefusesEntryWithNoHash(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	id := uuid.NewV4()
+	inner, err := proto.Marshal(&MFFile{
+		Version: MFFile_VERSION_ONE,
+		Files:   []*MFFilePath{{Path: "x", Size: 1}},
+		Uuid:    id[:],
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = NewManifestFromReader(bytes.NewReader(wrapInner(t, id, inner)))
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, errEntryMissingHash)
+	require.EqualError(t, err, `file entry has no hash: "x"`)
+}
+
 // Entries of a path, an empty hash, an empty MIME type and empty modification
 // and change times are counted at 432 bytes each (176 + 112 + 16 + 64 + 64)
 // and take 16 bytes plus the path to encode. A 37-character path makes that
@@ -229,6 +247,8 @@ func TestDeserializeDropsUnknownFields(t *testing.T) {
 
 	entry := protowire.AppendTag(nil, 1, protowire.BytesType) // MFFilePath.path
 	entry = protowire.AppendString(entry, "a")
+	entry = protowire.AppendTag(entry, 3, protowire.BytesType) // MFFilePath.hashes
+	entry = protowire.AppendBytes(entry, nil)
 	entry = append(entry, unknown...)
 
 	id := uuid.NewV4()