diff --git a/internal/imgcache/negative_cache_internal_test.go b/internal/imgcache/negative_cache_internal_test.go
index f2c2115..ded267c 100644
--- a/internal/imgcache/negative_cache_internal_test.go
+++ b/internal/imgcache/negative_cache_internal_test.go
@@ -94,6 +94,97 @@ func TestNegativeCache_Expired(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestEvictionLoopRemovesExpiredNegativeCacheRows stores a failed fetch
+// that expires a second later and starts the eviction loop with a short
+// interval: a later tick must remove its row although its URL is never
+// requested again, and must keep a row that has not expired. It runs
+// with the disk cache enabled and disabled, as the negative cache is
+// used either way.
+func TestEvictionLoopRemovesExpiredNegativeCacheRows(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name             string
+		disableDiskCache bool
+	}{
+		{name: "disk cache enabled", disableDiskCache: false},
+		{name: "disk cache disabled", disableDiskCache: true},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			cache, err := NewCache(evictionTestDB(t), CacheConfig{
+				StateDir:         t.TempDir(),
+				NegativeTTL:      time.Second,
+				DisableDiskCache: tt.disableDiskCache,
+			})
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("failed to create cache: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			expired := &ImageRequest{
+				SourceHost: testHostExample, SourcePath: "/gone.jpg",
+			}
+
+			err = cache.StoreNegative(t.Context(), expired, 404, "not found")
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("StoreNegative failed: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			const notExpiredPath = "/later.jpg"
+
+			_, err = cache.db.ExecContext(t.Context(), `
+				INSERT INTO negative_cache
+					(source_host, source_path, status_code, expires_at)
+				VALUES (?, ?, 404, datetime('now', '+1 hour'))
+			`, testHostExample, notExpiredPath)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("failed to insert a row that has not expired: %v", err)
+			}
+
+			started := time.Now()
+
+			cache.StartEviction(100 * time.Millisecond)
+			defer func() { _ = cache.StopEviction(t.Context()) }()
+
+			for negativeCacheRowCount(t, cache, expired.SourcePath) > 0 {
+				if time.Since(started) > 10*time.Second {
+					t.Fatal("the expired row is still in negative_cache")
+				}
+
+				time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+			}
+
+			t.Logf("the expired row was removed %s after the loop started",
+				time.Since(started))
+
+			if negativeCacheRowCount(t, cache, notExpiredPath) != 1 {
+				t.Error("the row that has not expired was removed")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// negativeCacheRowCount returns how many negative_cache rows hold
+// sourcePath.
+func negativeCacheRowCount(tb testing.TB, cache *Cache, sourcePath string) int {
+	tb.Helper()
+
+	var count int
+
+	err := cache.db.QueryRowContext(tb.Context(),
+		`SELECT COUNT(*) FROM negative_cache WHERE source_path = ?`,
+		sourcePath,
+	).Scan(&count)
+	if err != nil {
+		tb.Fatalf("failed to count negative_cache rows: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return count
+}
+
 func TestService_Get_ReturnsErrorForNegativeCachedURL(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()