diff --git a/crates/compositor/src/pipeline_windows.rs b/crates/compositor/src/pipeline_windows.rs
index 4c59cf73c..3a0fa0492 100644
--- a/crates/compositor/src/pipeline_windows.rs
+++ b/crates/compositor/src/pipeline_windows.rs
@@ -2274,6 +2274,25 @@ mod tests {
         out
     }
 
+    /// A 64x64, 25 fps, 0.6 s clip whose frames around the two cut points get their own colour:
+    /// blue before 0.36 s, magenta 0.36-0.399 s (the last frame a 0.4 s cut keeps), lime from
+    /// 0.4 s, yellow from 0.56 s (the file's last frame).
+    fn encode_end_frame_colours(codec_args: &[&str], filename: &str) -> std::path::PathBuf {
+        let boxes = [
+            ("magenta", "between(t,0.36,0.399)"),
+            ("lime", "between(t,0.4,0.559)"),
+            ("yellow", "gte(t,0.56)"),
+        ];
+        let filter = boxes
+            .iter()
+            .map(|(c, en)| format!("drawbox=x=0:y=0:w=iw:h=ih:color={c}:t=fill:enable='{en}'"))
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>()
+            .join(",");
+        let mut args = vec!["-vf", filter.as_str()];
+        args.extend_from_slice(codec_args);
+        encode_named_color(&args, filename, "blue", "0.6")
+    }
+
     unsafe fn allocated_decoder_open_resources(filename: &str) -> DecoderOpenResources {
         let path = encode_color(&["-c:v", "libopenh264", "-b:v", "200k"], filename);
         let cpath = CString::new(path.to_string_lossy().as_bytes()).expect("fixture path CString");
@@ -3074,7 +3093,9 @@ mod tests {
         let h264 = ["-c:v", "libopenh264", "-b:v", "200k"];
         // Long enough that a view which wrapped onto it is still there when the test looks.
         let first = encode_named_color(&h264, "997-first.mp4", "red", "3.0");
-        let last = encode_named_color(&h264, "997-last.mp4", "blue", "0.6");
+        // The last frame before each end has its own colour (magenta before the 0.4 s cut, yellow
+        // for the file's last frame), so the held picture says which frame the view stopped on.
+        let last = encode_end_frame_colours(&h264, "997-last.mp4");
         // The paths travel in JSON, and the view matches them against its requests as strings.
         let first = first.to_str().expect("utf8").replace('\\', "/");
         let last = last.to_str().expect("utf8").replace('\\', "/");
@@ -3105,6 +3126,8 @@ mod tests {
             let first_frame = wait_for_frame(&view, 0, |p| p.clip_index == 2);
             let mut gen = first_frame.0;
             let mut held = first_frame.5;
+            let mut held_rgba = first_frame.3;
+            let (mut held_w, mut held_h) = (first_frame.1, first_frame.2);
 
             // Play to the end of the last clip, then about as long again.
             view.set_playing(true);
@@ -3114,20 +3137,44 @@ mod tests {
             while let Some(frame) = view.latest_frame_since(gen) {
                 gen = frame.0;
                 held = frame.5;
+                held_rgba = frame.3;
+                (held_w, held_h) = (frame.1, frame.2);
             }
-            // The frame held at the end is the clip's own last frame, not the first one its cut
-            // removed (the 25 fps file has a frame at exactly 0.4 s).
+            // The published time is the hold clock: it runs on to the clip's end even if decoding
+            // stopped early. The bounds check the clock (reached the end, never past it); the
+            // colour below checks which frame is held.
             assert!(
-                held.source_time_sec < last_end_sec,
-                "end {last_end_sec}: held a frame past the clip's end, at {:.3} s",
+                held.source_time_sec <= last_end_sec + 1e-6,
+                "end {last_end_sec}: the clock ran past the clip's end, at {:.3} s",
                 held.source_time_sec
             );
-            // And it did play up to there: a view stalled at its start would pass the bound above.
             assert!(
                 held.source_time_sec > last_end_sec - 0.1,
-                "end {last_end_sec}: playback did not reach the clip's end, held at {:.3} s",
+                "end {last_end_sec}: the clock did not reach the clip's end, held at {:.3} s",
                 held.source_time_sec
             );
+            // The colour proves which frame is held: the last one the cut keeps (magenta), or the
+            // file's last frame (yellow). Stuck on an earlier frame shows blue or lime instead.
+            let center = (((held_h / 2) * held_w + held_w / 2) * 4) as usize;
+            let rgb = &held_rgba[center..center + 3];
+            let (r, g, b) = (i32::from(rgb[0]), i32::from(rgb[1]), i32::from(rgb[2]));
+            if last_end_sec < 0.5 {
+                assert!(
+                    r > 150 && b > 150 && g < 100,
+                    "end {last_end_sec}: expected magenta, the last frame the cut keeps: {rgb:?}"
+                );
+            } else {
+                assert!(
+                    r > 150 && g > 150 && b < 100,
+                    "end {last_end_sec}: expected yellow, the file's last frame: {rgb:?}"
+                );
+            }
+
+            assert_eq!(
+                held.clip_index, 2,
+                "end {last_end_sec}: held a frame from clip {} instead of the last clip",
+                held.clip_index
+            );
 
             // A seek inside the last clip, as the app sends it while paused.
             view.set_time(0.2);