diff --git a/apps/api/src/scanner/scanner.service.test.ts b/apps/api/src/scanner/scanner.service.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2238eee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/api/src/scanner/scanner.service.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { scanDigest } from "./scanner.service.js";
+
+describe("scan digest", () => {
+  it("reports incomplete files without exposing huge traces", () => {
+    const detail = scanDigest(
+      19,
+      0,
+      [
+        { filePath: "/library/broken.cbr", error: "x".repeat(300) },
+        { filePath: "/library/broken.epub", error: "Invalid EPUB" }
+      ]
+    );
+
+    expect(detail).toContain("Scanned 19 file(s)");
+    expect(detail).toContain("2 incomplete file(s)");
+    expect(detail).toContain("broken.cbr");
+    expect(detail.length).toBeLessThan(380);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/api/src/scanner/scanner.service.ts b/apps/api/src/scanner/scanner.service.ts
index d6ad412..e8aaeaf 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/scanner/scanner.service.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/scanner/scanner.service.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Injectable, NotFoundException } from "@nestjs/common";
 import { existsSync, readdirSync, statSync } from "node:fs";
-import { extname, join } from "node:path";
+import { basename, extname, join } from "node:path";
 import { eq, inArray } from "drizzle-orm";
 import { DatabaseService } from "../database/database.service.js";
 import { automationSettings, books, libraries } from "../database/schema.js";
@@ -47,27 +47,39 @@ export class ScannerService {
   private async scanLibrary(jobId: number, library: typeof libraries.$inferSelect): Promise<void> {
     this.jobs.markRunning(jobId, `Scanning ${library.path}`);
     let count = 0;
+    const failures: ScanFailure[] = [];
     const seen = new Set<string>();
     for (const filePath of walkBooks(library.path)) {
       seen.add(filePath);
-      await this.ingestFile(library.id, filePath);
-      count += 1;
+      try {
+        await this.ingestFile(library.id, filePath);
+        count += 1;
+      } catch (error) {
+        failures.push({ filePath, error: errorMessage(error) });
+        this.ingestIncompleteFile(library.id, filePath);
+      }
     }
     const removed = this.removeMissingBooks(library.id, seen);
-    this.jobs.markSucceeded(jobId, `Scanned ${count} file(s), removed ${removed} missing book(s)`);
+    this.jobs.markSucceeded(jobId, scanDigest(count, removed, failures));
   }
 
   private async scanAllLibraries(jobId: number): Promise<void> {
     this.jobs.markRunning(jobId, "Scanning all enabled libraries");
     const enabledLibraries = this.database.db.select().from(libraries).where(eq(libraries.enabled, true)).all();
     let scanned = 0;
+    const failures: ScanFailure[] = [];
     for (const library of enabledLibraries) {
       for (const filePath of walkBooks(library.path)) {
-        await this.ingestFile(library.id, filePath);
-        scanned += 1;
+        try {
+          await this.ingestFile(library.id, filePath);
+          scanned += 1;
+        } catch (error) {
+          failures.push({ filePath, error: errorMessage(error) });
+          this.ingestIncompleteFile(library.id, filePath);
+        }
       }
     }
-    this.jobs.markSucceeded(jobId, `Scanned ${scanned} file(s) across ${enabledLibraries.length} library/libraries`);
+    this.jobs.markSucceeded(jobId, scanDigest(scanned, 0, failures, `across ${enabledLibraries.length} library/libraries`));
   }
 
   private async enrichExistingBooks(jobId: number): Promise<void> {
@@ -113,6 +125,34 @@ export class ScannerService {
       : this.database.db.insert(books).values({ ...values, createdAt: now }).returning().get();
   }
 
+  private ingestIncompleteFile(libraryId: number, filePath: string): void {
+    const stats = statSync(filePath);
+    const now = this.database.now();
+    const existing = this.database.db.select({ id: books.id }).from(books).where(eq(books.filePath, filePath)).get();
+    const values = {
+      libraryId,
+      title: basename(filePath, extname(filePath)),
+      author: null,
+      description: null,
+      isbn: null,
+      isbn13: null,
+      identifiersJson: JSON.stringify({ candidates: [], isbn10: null, isbn13: null }),
+      language: null,
+      publisher: null,
+      publishedDate: null,
+      format: bookFormatFromPath(filePath),
+      filePath,
+      coverPath: null,
+      fileSize: stats.size,
+      fileMtime: stats.mtime.toISOString(),
+      updatedAt: now
+    };
+
+    existing
+      ? this.database.db.update(books).set(values).where(eq(books.id, existing.id)).returning().get()
+      : this.database.db.insert(books).values({ ...values, createdAt: now }).returning().get();
+  }
+
   private removeMissingBooks(libraryId: number, seen: Set<string>): number {
     const existing = this.database.db.select({ id: books.id, filePath: books.filePath }).from(books).where(eq(books.libraryId, libraryId)).all();
     const missing = existing.filter((book) => !seen.has(book.filePath) && !existsSync(book.filePath));
@@ -132,6 +172,31 @@ export class ScannerService {
   }
 }
 
+type ScanFailure = {
+  filePath: string;
+  error: string;
+};
+
+export function scanDigest(scanned: number, removed: number, failures: ScanFailure[], suffix?: string): string {
+  const base = suffix ? `Scanned ${scanned} file(s) ${suffix}` : `Scanned ${scanned} file(s), removed ${removed} missing book(s)`;
+  if (!failures.length) return base;
+  const examples = failures
+    .slice(0, 3)
+    .map((failure) => `${basename(failure.filePath)}: ${truncate(failure.error)}`)
+    .join("; ");
+  const extra = failures.length > 3 ? `; ${failures.length - 3} more` : "";
+  return `${base}, ${failures.length} incomplete file(s): ${examples}${extra}`;
+}
+
+function errorMessage(error: unknown): string {
+  if (error instanceof Error && error.message) return truncate(error.message);
+  return truncate(String(error));
+}
+
+function truncate(value: string): string {
+  return value.length > 120 ? `${value.slice(0, 117)}...` : value;
+}
+
 function* walkBooks(root: string): Generator<string> {
   for (const entry of readdirSync(root, { withFileTypes: true })) {
     const path = join(root, entry.name);