diff --git a/tests/composition-runtime.test.mjs b/tests/composition-runtime.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..574c1ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/composition-runtime.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import test from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import {createRequire} from 'node:module';
+import {fileURLToPath} from 'node:url';
+
+// Exercise actual Worker fetch semantics using Wrangler's existing dev tools.
+const require=createRequire(import.meta.url);
+const tooling=createRequire(require.resolve('wrangler/package.json'));
+const {Miniflare,convertV4MiniflareOptions}=tooling('miniflare');
+const {buildSync}=tooling('esbuild');
+const root=fileURLToPath(new URL('../',import.meta.url));
+const script=buildSync({stdin:{contents:"import {compositionMedia} from './worker/src/meme-composition.mjs'; export default {fetch(){return compositionMedia('drake-preference');}}",resolveDir:root},bundle:true,write:false,format:'esm',platform:'browser'}).outputFiles[0].text;
+
+test('actual Workerd media path serves allowed rasters and never follows redirects',async()=>{
+  let calls=0,redirect=false;
+  const runtime=new Miniflare(convertV4MiniflareOptions({
+    name:'caption-media-regression',modules:true,compatibilityDate:'2026-09-01',script,
+    outboundService:async request=>{
+      calls++;assert.equal(request.url,'https://i.imgflip.com/30b1gx.jpg');
+      return redirect?new Response(null,{status:302,headers:{Location:'https://private.invalid/'}}):
+        new Response(new Uint8Array([255,216,255,1]),{headers:{'Content-Type':'image/jpeg'}});
+    }
+  }));
+  try {
+    const image=await runtime.dispatchFetch('http://localhost/');
+    assert.equal(image.status,200);assert.equal(image.headers.get('content-type'),'image/jpeg');
+    assert.deepEqual(new Uint8Array(await image.arrayBuffer()),new Uint8Array([255,216,255,1]));
+    assert.equal(calls,1);
+    redirect=true;
+    assert.equal((await runtime.dispatchFetch('http://localhost/')).status,502);
+    assert.equal(calls,2,'redirect target must never be fetched');
+  }finally{await runtime.dispose();}
+});
diff --git a/tests/meme-composition.test.mjs b/tests/meme-composition.test.mjs
index 44453bb..643b7bf 100644
--- a/tests/meme-composition.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/meme-composition.test.mjs
@@ -185,12 +185,15 @@ test('body limit applies to bytes read, even when a caller omits Content-Length'
 test('media fetch permits only catalogue rasters, rejects redirects and checks actual signatures',async()=>{
   let fetched;
   const response=await compositionMedia(drake.id,async(url,options)=>{fetched={url,options};return new Response(new Uint8Array([255,216,255,1]),{headers:{'Content-Type':'image/jpeg'}});});
-  assert.equal(response.status,200);assert.equal(fetched.url,drake.image_url);assert.equal(fetched.options.redirect,'error');
+  assert.equal(response.status,200);assert.equal(fetched.url,drake.image_url);assert.equal(fetched.options.redirect,'manual');
   assert.equal(response.headers.get('Cross-Origin-Resource-Policy'),'same-origin');
   for(const [type,bytes] of [['image/svg+xml','<svg></svg>'],['image/jpeg','<html>not an image</html>'],['image/gif','GIF89a']]) {
     assert.equal((await compositionMedia(drake.id,async()=>new Response(bytes,{headers:{'Content-Type':type}}))).status,502);
   }
   assert.equal((await compositionMedia('https://localhost/admin',()=>assert.fail('Must not fetch.'))).status,404);
+  let redirects=0;
+  assert.equal((await compositionMedia(drake.id,async()=>{redirects++;return new Response(null,{status:302,headers:{Location:'https://private.invalid/'}});})).status,502);
+  assert.equal(redirects,1);
   for(const url of ['https://i.imgflip.com.evil.test/a.jpg','https://user:pass@i.imgflip.com/a.jpg','https://i.imgflip.com:8443/a.jpg','http://i.imgflip.com/a.jpg','https://i.imgflip.com/../admin']) assert.equal(creationMediaUrl({image_url:url}),null);
 });
 
diff --git a/worker/src/meme-composition.mjs b/worker/src/meme-composition.mjs
index fef4215..5204645 100644
--- a/worker/src/meme-composition.mjs
+++ b/worker/src/meme-composition.mjs
@@ -87,14 +87,22 @@ function isRaster(bytes,type) {
 export async function compositionMedia(id,fetchImpl=fetch) {
   const record=byId.get(id);const url=creationMediaUrl(record);
   if(!url) return json({error:'Image composition is unavailable for this reference.'},404);
+  let stage='fetch',upstreamStatus;
   try {
-    const response=await fetchImpl(url,{redirect:'error',signal:AbortSignal.timeout(12000)});
+    // Workerd rejects redirect:"error". Manual mode keeps redirects unfollowed;
+    // the response gate below rejects every non-2xx before reading any bytes.
+    const response=await fetchImpl(url,{redirect:'manual',signal:AbortSignal.timeout(12000)});
+    upstreamStatus=response.status;stage='response';
     const type=response.headers.get('content-type')?.split(';')[0].toLowerCase();
     if(!response.ok||!['image/jpeg','image/png','image/webp'].includes(type)||Number(response.headers.get('content-length'))>MAX_IMAGE_BYTES) {await response.body?.cancel();throw new Error();}
-    const bytes=await boundedBytes(response.body,MAX_IMAGE_BYTES);
+    stage='read';const bytes=await boundedBytes(response.body,MAX_IMAGE_BYTES);
+    stage='signature';
     if(!isRaster(bytes,type)) throw new Error();
     return new Response(bytes,{headers:{'Content-Type':type,'Cache-Control':'public, max-age=86400','X-Content-Type-Options':'nosniff','Cross-Origin-Resource-Policy':'same-origin','Referrer-Policy':'no-referrer'}});
-  } catch {return json({error:'Could not load the source image. Try again shortly.'},502);}
+  } catch {
+    console.log(JSON.stringify({event:'composition.media_failed',stage,upstream_status:upstreamStatus}));
+    return json({error:'Could not load the source image. Try again shortly.'},502);
+  }
 }
 
 export async function annaComposition(request,env) {