diff --git a/modules/gitea/client.ts b/modules/gitea/client.ts
index 16571f17..a087d1ec 100644
--- a/modules/gitea/client.ts
+++ b/modules/gitea/client.ts
@@ -793,6 +793,7 @@ export class GiteaClient {
     // The size first, from the file's directory listing, which carries no content: a file over what an answer can carry is
     // refused without its body being fetched (issue 1577). A file the listing does not show is asked for as before.
     const clean = path.replace(/^\/+|\/+$/g, "");
+    pathSegments("file path", clean); // a path that is another path or user is refused before anything reaches the forge
     const slash = clean.lastIndexOf("/");
     const dir = slash < 0 ? "" : clean.slice(0, slash);
     let listing: any[] | null = null;
diff --git a/modules/gitea/test/guard.test.ts b/modules/gitea/test/guard.test.ts
index 6f1431aa..295de67b 100644
--- a/modules/gitea/test/guard.test.ts
+++ b/modules/gitea/test/guard.test.ts
@@ -640,6 +640,7 @@ test("no tool's caller text becomes another path or another user: `..` and `?sud
   await tool("gitea_delete_branch").run({ ...repo, branch: "feat/x" });
   await tool("gitea_get_file").run({ ...repo, path: "modules/gitea/module.json" }).catch(() => undefined);
   assert.deepEqual(state.asked, ["DELETE /repos/novox/mesh-catalog/branches/feat/x",
+    "GET /repos/novox/mesh-catalog/contents/modules/gitea", // the file's size first (issue 1577)
     "GET /repos/novox/mesh-catalog/contents/modules/gitea/module.json"]);
 });