diff --git a/internal/imgcache/metacache_internal_test.go b/internal/imgcache/metacache_internal_test.go
index c327249..14be0f4 100644
--- a/internal/imgcache/metacache_internal_test.go
+++ b/internal/imgcache/metacache_internal_test.go
@@ -83,6 +83,16 @@ func assertLookupMisses(t *testing.T, cache *Cache, request *ImageRequest) {
 	}
 }
 
+// renameFile renames the file at from to to.
+func renameFile(t *testing.T, from, to string) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	err := os.Rename(from, to)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("renaming %s: %v", from, err)
+	}
+}
+
 // TestSecondHitDoesNotReadMetaFile checks that once a variant has been
 // stored or read, a hit takes its content type from memory: with the
 // .meta file deleted, GetVariant must still return the stored content
@@ -145,6 +155,43 @@ func TestReadDuringStoreKeepsStoredContentType(t *testing.T) {
 	assertVariantServed(t, cache, testVariantKeyOne, content)
 }
 
+// TestFailedReadDuringStoreKeepsStoredContentType checks that a read
+// which found no .meta file cannot leave application/octet-stream in
+// memory, even when another read has removed the content type
+// StoreVariant kept there. In this order: the store; a read that finds
+// the variant in memory but cannot open its file, and so removes it
+// from memory; a read that opened the variant file before the store
+// wrote its .meta file. Later hits must get the stored content type.
+func TestFailedReadDuringStoreKeepsStoredContentType(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	cache, _ := newEvictionTestCache(t, 1<<20)
+	content := []byte("webp variant bytes")
+	variantPath := cache.variants.keyToPath(testVariantKeyOne)
+	metaPath := variantPath + ".meta"
+
+	storeEvictionTestVariant(t, cache, testVariantKeyOne, content)
+
+	renameFile(t, variantPath, variantPath+".hidden")
+	assertVariantNotFound(t, cache, testVariantKeyOne)
+	renameFile(t, variantPath+".hidden", variantPath)
+
+	renameFile(t, metaPath, metaPath+".hidden")
+
+	reader, _, contentType, err := cache.GetVariant(testVariantKeyOne)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("GetVariant(%s) error = %v", testVariantKeyOne, err)
+	}
+
+	_ = reader.Close()
+
+	t.Logf("the read without a .meta file got content type %q", contentType)
+
+	renameFile(t, metaPath+".hidden", metaPath)
+
+	assertVariantServed(t, cache, testVariantKeyOne, content)
+}
+
 // TestEvictedVariantIsNotServed checks that a variant the evictor
 // removed is a miss and cannot be read, although it had been stored
 // and served before.