diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5e634b44..ac139364 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -363,6 +363,19 @@ One removal 2.0 cannot warn about, written down instead: the legacy `LOADED_DRIV
   and omitted the README
 
 ### Fixed
+- **Screenshots asserted with `delayed: false` are now counted and reported.** They
+  validated immediately but never reached the registry, so a suite run that way ended
+  on `0 verified ... NOTHING WAS VERIFIED` and its failures were missing from the
+  report. The failure still raises inside the test, once
+- **A capture that disappears before it is compared no longer crashes the comparison.**
+  `different?` raised `TypeError` (the missing-image result carried a String where
+  the readers index a Hash). It now reads as different, and the error message names
+  the missing file
+- **The summary never counts a comparison that did not run.** With
+  `fail_on_difference = false` nothing validated the screenshots at teardown, so a
+  differing one was tallied as `verified`, with no diff files and no report entry. The
+  tally now runs the comparison, so the summary says `changed` and the report lists it.
+  The flag still never fails a test
 - **`CI: ""` means "not CI" for the HTML report too.** The report embedded every image
   whenever the `CI` variable merely existed, so the documented opt-out (`CI: ""` in the
   update-baselines job) still produced a report with inlined images while the record mode
diff --git a/docs/architecture.md b/docs/architecture.md
index a972161f..dd16ca4d 100644
--- a/docs/architecture.md
+++ b/docs/architecture.md
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ The entry point for test code. `assert_matches_screenshot` is the primary assert
 1. Checks if screenshots are `active?` (returns `false` if disabled)
 2. Builds a full screenshot name via `ScreenshotNamer` (handles sections, groups, counters)
 3. Delegates to `ScreenshotMatcher` to capture and prepare comparison
-4. Creates a `ScreenshotAssertion` — either adds it to the thread-local registry (delayed validation) or validates immediately
+4. Creates a `ScreenshotAssertion` and adds it to the thread-local registry; with `delayed: false` it also validates it right away (the registry skips it at teardown)
 
 ### 2. ScreenshotMatcher (`lib/snap_diff/screenshot_matcher.rb`)
 
@@ -187,8 +187,8 @@ Test begins
     ├─ test body:
     │    └─ screenshot("name")
     │         ├─ ScreenshotMatcher builds assertion
-    │         ├─ delayed=true → add to Thread-local registry
-    │         └─ delayed=false → validate immediately
+    │         ├─ add to Thread-local registry (always)
+    │         └─ delayed=false → also validate immediately
     │
     ├─ teardown:
     │    ├─ SnapDiff.session.verify
diff --git a/lib/snap_diff/comparison.rb b/lib/snap_diff/comparison.rb
index 5dbb7b6e..ed8df179 100644
--- a/lib/snap_diff/comparison.rb
+++ b/lib/snap_diff/comparison.rb
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ def initialize(image_path, base_image_path, options = {})
     #
     # @note This method will raise ArgumentError if either image file is missing.
     def quick_equal?
-      return true if identical_files?
+      return true if images_exist? && identical_files?
 
       result, difference = find_difference(quick_mode: true)
       self.difference = difference
@@ -169,8 +169,12 @@ def image_preprocessor
     end
 
     def find_difference(quick_mode: false)
-      # Validate images exist
-      return build_null_difference("missing_image") unless images_exist?
+      # A missing input is a failed comparison, in the same shape the
+      # caller asked for: quick mode expects an [equal, result] pair.
+      unless images_exist?
+        missing = build_null_difference(missing_image: true)
+        return quick_mode ? [false, missing] : missing
+      end
 
       # Step 1 of the layered strategy documented on this class: byte-identical
       # files cannot have different pixels. quick_equal? has always checked
diff --git a/lib/snap_diff/dsl.rb b/lib/snap_diff/dsl.rb
index 4e938d1d..f92f8a32 100644
--- a/lib/snap_diff/dsl.rb
+++ b/lib/snap_diff/dsl.rb
@@ -96,14 +96,11 @@ def assert_matches_screenshot(name, skip_stack_frames: 0, **options)
 
       return false unless assertion
 
-      # Determine if validation should be delayed or immediate
-      delayed = options.fetch(:delayed, SnapDiff.config.delayed)
-
-      if delayed
-        SnapDiff.session.add_assertion(assertion)
-      else
-        assertion.validate!
-      end
+      # Registered either way: the end-of-run tally and the reporters see
+      # every finished assertion, immediate ones included. An immediate one
+      # validates here and is a no-op when the registry verifies at teardown.
+      SnapDiff.session.add_assertion(assertion)
+      assertion.validate! unless options.fetch(:delayed, SnapDiff.config.delayed)
 
       true
     end
diff --git a/lib/snap_diff/reporters/default.rb b/lib/snap_diff/reporters/default.rb
index 021a9fa8..c1a72438 100644
--- a/lib/snap_diff/reporters/default.rb
+++ b/lib/snap_diff/reporters/default.rb
@@ -35,8 +35,9 @@ def generate
           return nil
         end
 
-        if difference.failed? && difference.failed_by[:different_dimensions]
-          return build_error_for_different_dimensions
+        if difference.failed?
+          return build_error_for_missing_image if difference.failed_by[:missing_image]
+          return build_error_for_different_dimensions if difference.failed_by[:different_dimensions]
         end
 
         annotate_and_save_images
@@ -57,6 +58,17 @@ def build_error_for_different_dimensions
         ["Dimensions have changed: #{dimension_change}", *artifact_lines(INPUT_ARTIFACTS)].join(NEW_LINE)
       end
 
+      # A capture that vanished before the comparison ran has no pixels to
+      # annotate: say which input is gone and list the one that is left.
+      def build_error_for_missing_image
+        missing = INPUT_ARTIFACTS.filter_map do |label, path_method|
+          path = send(path_method)
+          "#{label} #{display_path(path)}" unless path.exist?
+        end
+
+        ["Cannot compare, missing: #{missing.join(", ")}", *artifact_lines(INPUT_ARTIFACTS)].join(NEW_LINE)
+      end
+
       # "WxH => WxH", baseline first. Public so Reporters::HTML says it the
       # same way.
       def dimension_change
diff --git a/lib/snap_diff/reporters/html.rb b/lib/snap_diff/reporters/html.rb
index 8621fc90..c1e5822f 100644
--- a/lib/snap_diff/reporters/html.rb
+++ b/lib/snap_diff/reporters/html.rb
@@ -129,12 +129,29 @@ def self.default_output_path
 
       # Build a report entry from a comparison, omitting unavailable images and metrics.
       def failure_entry_for(name, compare)
-        details = compare.dimensions_changed? ? dimension_change_details(compare) : difference_details(compare)
         {
           name: name,
           original: resolve_image(compare.base_image_path),
           new: resolve_image(compare.image_path)
-        }.merge(details).compact
+        }.merge(failure_details(compare)).compact
+      end
+
+      def failure_details(compare)
+        if compare.difference.failed_by&.[](:missing_image)
+          missing_input_details(compare)
+        elsif compare.dimensions_changed?
+          dimension_change_details(compare)
+        else
+          difference_details(compare)
+        end
+      end
+
+      # An input that vanished before the comparison leaves nothing to diff
+      # or annotate. The entry carries the error so the page says so, instead
+      # of inferring "pass" from the absent diff keys. resolve_image already
+      # drops the missing file from original/new.
+      def missing_input_details(compare)
+        {error: compare.error_message.lines.first.strip}
       end
 
       # Images of different sizes get no annotated or heatmap images, and
diff --git a/lib/snap_diff/reporting.rb b/lib/snap_diff/reporting.rb
index e95f166f..93539cca 100644
--- a/lib/snap_diff/reporting.rb
+++ b/lib/snap_diff/reporting.rb
@@ -199,6 +199,11 @@ def notify(assertions)
       # Tallies a finished test's assertions. An assertion with no
       # `compare` never reached a baseline, so it is neither verified nor
       # changed -- it is counted, if at all, by {record_missing_baseline}.
+      # A comparison that has not run yet (nothing validated it: teardown
+      # skips that when fail_on_difference is off) runs here, so a verified
+      # screenshot is always one that was actually compared. One that cannot
+      # run is warned about by name and left out of the tally; the other
+      # screenshots of the same test still count.
       def count(assertions)
         verified = 0
         changed = 0
@@ -207,8 +212,11 @@ def count(assertions)
           compare = assertion.compare
           next unless compare
 
+          different = compare.different?
           verified += 1
-          changed += 1 if compare.difference&.different?
+          changed += 1 if different
+        rescue => e
+          warn "[snap_diff] Could not tally '#{assertion.name}' (#{e.class}: #{e.message})"
         end
 
         @mutex.synchronize do
diff --git a/lib/snap_diff/screenshot_assertion.rb b/lib/snap_diff/screenshot_assertion.rb
index 60bc9b21..ac243ea9 100644
--- a/lib/snap_diff/screenshot_assertion.rb
+++ b/lib/snap_diff/screenshot_assertion.rb
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ def inspect
     # Return an annotated failure message for an unsuppressed screenshot mismatch.
     # Return nil for absent, matching, or suppressed comparisons; archive matching baselines.
     def validate
+      return if @validated
       return unless compare
 
       if compare.different?
@@ -98,12 +99,14 @@ def archive_baseline!
       FileUtils.mv(compare.base_image_path, compare.image_path, force: true)
     end
 
+    # Raise on an unsuppressed mismatch. An assertion raised here (delayed:
+    # false) is still registered, so the registry re-visits it at teardown:
+    # the flag makes that second #validate a no-op instead of a second failure.
     def validate!
       error_msg = validate
+      @validated = true
 
-      if error_msg
-        raise SnapDiff::ExpectationNotMet.new(error_msg, caller)
-      end
+      raise SnapDiff::ExpectationNotMet.new(error_msg, caller) if error_msg
     end
 
     # Verifies that all scheduled screenshots do not show any unintended differences.
diff --git a/test/unit/compare_api_test.rb b/test/unit/compare_api_test.rb
index 811dbf97..f95d4708 100644
--- a/test/unit/compare_api_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/compare_api_test.rb
@@ -54,4 +54,41 @@ class CompareApiTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     )
     assert_not result.different?
   end
+
+  # The capture can vanish between capture and comparison (two tests writing
+  # the same screenshot name, a cleanup racing the run). That is a difference
+  # to report, not a crash: `different?` used to raise TypeError because the
+  # missing-image result carried a String where every reader indexes a Hash.
+  test "a capture that disappears before the comparison runs reads as different" do
+    Dir.mktmpdir do |dir|
+      base = Pathname(dir) / "x.base.png"
+      capture = Pathname(dir) / "x.png"
+      FileUtils.cp TEST_IMAGES_DIR / "a.png", base
+      FileUtils.cp TEST_IMAGES_DIR / "b.png", capture
+      comparison = SnapDiff.compare(base, capture)
+      FileUtils.rm capture
+
+      assert comparison.different?
+      assert_match(/missing: actual .*x\.png/, comparison.error_message)
+    end
+  end
+
+  # quick_equal? destructures find_difference's answer into [equal, result].
+  # The missing-image path used to return the bare result, which a Struct
+  # splits into its fields, so `difference` ended up holding the meta Hash
+  # and the next `different?` raised NoMethodError.
+  test "#quick_equal? on a vanished capture is false and leaves a usable difference" do
+    Dir.mktmpdir do |dir|
+      base = Pathname(dir) / "x.base.png"
+      capture = Pathname(dir) / "x.png"
+      FileUtils.cp TEST_IMAGES_DIR / "a.png", base
+      FileUtils.cp TEST_IMAGES_DIR / "b.png", capture
+      comparison = SnapDiff.compare(base, capture)
+      FileUtils.rm capture
+
+      assert_not comparison.quick_equal?
+      assert comparison.different?
+      assert comparison.difference.failed_by[:missing_image]
+    end
+  end
 end
diff --git a/test/unit/diff_test.rb b/test/unit/diff_test.rb
index 7c47a2f4..b7152570 100644
--- a/test/unit/diff_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/diff_test.rb
@@ -147,8 +147,8 @@ def _test_sample_screenshot_error
       mock = ::Minitest::Mock.new
       mock.expect(:different?, true)
       mock.expect(:different?, true)
-      # Read by SnapDiff::Reporting.count when the test ends.
-      mock.expect(:difference, TestDoubles::TestDifference.new(true))
+      # The third read is SnapDiff::Reporting.count's, when the test ends.
+      mock.expect(:different?, true)
       mock.expect(:dimensions_changed?, false)
       mock.expect(:base_image_path, Pathname.new("screenshot.base.png"))
       mock.expect(:error_message, "expected error message")
@@ -184,8 +184,7 @@ def _test_sample_screenshot_error
       comparison = ::Minitest::Mock.new
       comparison.expect(:different?, true) # to find backtrace
       comparison.expect(:different?, true) # to find messages
-      # Read by SnapDiff::Reporting.count when the test ends.
-      comparison.expect(:difference, TestDoubles::TestDifference.new(true))
+      comparison.expect(:different?, true) # SnapDiff::Reporting.count, when the test ends
       comparison.expect(:dimensions_changed?, false)
       comparison.expect(:base_image_path, Pathname.new("screenshot.base.png"))
       comparison.expect(:error_message, "expected error message for non minitest")
diff --git a/test/unit/reporter_interplay_test.rb b/test/unit/reporter_interplay_test.rb
index 74056b2d..55c5ea0f 100644
--- a/test/unit/reporter_interplay_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/reporter_interplay_test.rb
@@ -69,6 +69,98 @@ def summary
     end
   end
 
+  # The same wiring for the immediate path. An assertion validated with
+  # delayed: false is just as finished as a delayed one; a suite that runs
+  # that way used to end on "0 verified" with its failures missing from
+  # the report.
+  test "an immediate assertion reaches reporters and the tally too" do
+    SnapDiff::Reporting.reset_run_totals!
+    SnapDiff::Vcs.stub(:checkout_vcs, true) do
+      snap = create_snapshot_for(:a, :a)
+
+      assert_matches_screenshot(snap.full_name, delayed: false)
+      SnapDiff.reset
+
+      assert_equal [snap.full_name], @spy.recorded.flatten.map(&:name)
+      assert_equal 1, SnapDiff::Reporting.verified
+    end
+  end
+
+  test "an immediate failure is reported once and raised once" do
+    SnapDiff::Reporting.reset_run_totals!
+    SnapDiff::Vcs.stub(:checkout_vcs, true) do
+      snap = create_snapshot_for(:c, :a)
+
+      assert_raises(SnapDiff::ExpectationNotMet) { assert_matches_screenshot(snap.full_name, delayed: false) }
+      assert_nil SnapDiff.session.verify, "teardown must not fail the test a second time"
+      SnapDiff.reset
+
+      assert_equal [snap.full_name], @spy.recorded.flatten.map(&:name)
+      assert_equal 1, SnapDiff::Reporting.changed
+    end
+  end
+
+  # A comparison nobody ran has no verdict yet. With fail_on_difference
+  # off, teardown never validates, so the tally has to force the comparison
+  # itself or it reports a differing screenshot as verified and matching.
+  test "the tally runs a comparison nobody forced" do
+    SnapDiff::Reporting.reset_run_totals!
+    SnapDiff::Vcs.stub(:checkout_vcs, true) do
+      SnapDiff.config.stub(:fail_on_difference, false) do
+        differing = create_snapshot_for(:c, :a)
+        matching = create_snapshot_for(:a, :a)
+
+        assert_matches_screenshot(differing.full_name)
+        assert_matches_screenshot(matching.full_name)
+        assert_nil SnapDiff.session.verify, "fail_on_difference = false never fails the test"
+        SnapDiff.reset
+
+        assert_equal 2, SnapDiff::Reporting.verified
+        assert_equal 1, SnapDiff::Reporting.changed
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  # A comparison that blows up costs its own row, not the test's whole tally:
+  # the other screenshots of the same test still count, and the warning names
+  # the one that failed.
+  test "a comparison that raises is skipped on its own, with a warning naming it" do
+    SnapDiff::Reporting.reset_run_totals!
+    SnapDiff::Vcs.stub(:checkout_vcs, true) do
+      good = create_snapshot_for(:a, :a)
+      assert_matches_screenshot(good.full_name)
+
+      broken = SnapDiff::ScreenshotAssertion.new("broken_shot")
+      broken.compare = Object.new.tap { |compare| compare.define_singleton_method(:different?) { raise "boom" } }
+      SnapDiff.session.add_assertion(broken)
+
+      _out, err = capture_io { SnapDiff.reset }
+
+      assert_equal 1, SnapDiff::Reporting.verified
+      assert_match(/Could not tally 'broken_shot' \(RuntimeError: boom\)/, err)
+      assert_equal 2, @spy.recorded.flatten.size, "reporters still get every assertion"
+    end
+  end
+
+  # Nothing the tally does on a healthy run, or on a capture that vanished
+  # before it was compared, is worth a line on stderr.
+  test "reset tallies a match, a difference and a vanished capture without a word" do
+    SnapDiff::Reporting.reset_run_totals!
+    SnapDiff::Vcs.stub(:checkout_vcs, true) do
+      matching = create_snapshot_for(:a, :a)
+      differing = create_snapshot_for(:c, :a)
+      vanished = create_snapshot_for(:c, :a)
+      [matching, differing, vanished].each { |snap| assert_matches_screenshot(snap.full_name) }
+      FileUtils.rm(vanished.path)
+
+      _out, err = capture_io { SnapDiff.reset }
+
+      assert_empty err
+      assert_equal 3, SnapDiff::Reporting.verified
+      assert_equal 2, SnapDiff::Reporting.changed
+    end
+  end
+
   test "reset without assertions does not notify reporters" do
     SnapDiff.reset
 
diff --git a/test/unit/reporters/html_reporter_test.rb b/test/unit/reporters/html_reporter_test.rb
index 0d975dfd..86d4fc9b 100644
--- a/test/unit/reporters/html_reporter_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/reporters/html_reporter_test.rb
@@ -118,6 +118,25 @@ class HTMLReporterTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     assert_includes @output_path.read, "resized"
   end
 
+  # A capture that vanished before the comparison has nothing to diff or
+  # annotate. Without an explicit error the template infers "pass" from the
+  # missing diff keys, so the entry says what went wrong instead.
+  test "#record shows a vanished capture as an error, not a pass" do
+    reporter = SnapDiff::Reporters::HTML.new(output_path: @output_path)
+    compare = make_comparison(:a, :b, destination: "gone")
+    FileUtils.rm compare.image_path
+    compare.processed
+    assertion = SnapDiff::ScreenshotAssertion.new("gone").tap { |a| a.compare = compare }
+
+    reporter.record([assertion])
+
+    entry = reporter.failures.sole
+    assert_match(/missing/i, entry[:error])
+    assert_nil entry[:diff]
+    assert_nil entry[:new], "there is no capture to show"
+    assert entry[:original], "the baseline is still there to show"
+  end
+
   # Annotated and heatmap images are only drawn for same-size images. Any
   # on disk for this name are left over from an earlier, same-size failure
   # and describe a different comparison, so the entry must not link them.