diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
index caa34e7..d3da77e 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@ jobs:
             libxkbcommon-dev \
             libxkbcommon-x11-0 \
             mesa-vulkan-drivers \
-            blender \
             mold \
             pkg-config
 
@@ -136,16 +135,45 @@ jobs:
             llvm-19 \
             mesa-vulkan-drivers \
             mold \
-            blender \
             pkg-config
           sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/clang clang /usr/bin/clang-19 100
           sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/clang++ clang++ /usr/bin/clang++-19 100
           echo "/usr/lib/llvm-19/bin" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
           rm -f "$HOME/.cache/cargo-xwin/clang-cl"
 
+      - name: Install pinned Blender
+        run: |
+          scripts/install-blender.sh "$RUNNER_TEMP/blender"
+          echo "BLENDER=$RUNNER_TEMP/blender/blender" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+
       - name: Preprocess assets
         run: cargo run --locked --bin process-assets --no-default-features --features debug_features -j 4
 
+      - name: Verify processed battlefield asset
+        run: |
+          python3 - <<'PY'
+          import json
+          import struct
+
+          path = "imported_assets/Default/stages/battlefield/bf2.blend"
+          with open(path, "rb") as asset:
+              header = asset.read(12)
+              if len(header) != 12:
+                  raise SystemExit(f"processed asset is truncated: {path}")
+              magic, version, length = struct.unpack("<4sII", header)
+              if magic != b"glTF" or version != 2 or length != asset.seek(0, 2):
+                  raise SystemExit(f"processed asset is not a valid GLB: {path}")
+              asset.seek(12)
+              json_length, chunk_type = struct.unpack("<II", asset.read(8))
+              if chunk_type != 0x4E4F534A:
+                  raise SystemExit(f"processed asset has no JSON chunk: {path}")
+              document = json.loads(asset.read(json_length))
+          meshes = document.get("meshes", [])
+          if not meshes:
+              raise SystemExit(f"processed asset contains no meshes: {path}")
+          print(f"{path}: {len(meshes)} meshes, {length} bytes")
+          PY
+
       - name: Build production binary
         run: cargo build --locked --profile production --no-default-features --features debug_features -j 4
 
diff --git a/scripts/install-blender.sh b/scripts/install-blender.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..497d028
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/install-blender.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+version="5.2.2"
+sha256="84098912789dc450e95697c4184fb8a90acbe5111c2ba4aede3fecb57806a168"
+install_dir="${1:-${BLENDER_INSTALL_DIR:-${HOME}/.local/blender-${version}}}"
+
+if [[ "$(uname -s)" != Linux || "$(uname -m)" != x86_64 ]]; then
+    echo "error: this installer currently supports Linux x86_64 only" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if [[ -x "$install_dir/blender" ]]; then
+    "$install_dir/blender" --version | head -n 1
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+mkdir -p "$(dirname "$install_dir")"
+tmp_dir="$(mktemp -d)"
+trap 'rm -rf "$tmp_dir"' EXIT
+
+archive="blender-${version}-linux-x64.tar.xz"
+url="https://download.blender.org/release/Blender5.2/${archive}"
+
+curl --fail --location --silent --show-error --output "$tmp_dir/$archive" "$url"
+printf '%s  %s\n' "$sha256" "$tmp_dir/$archive" | sha256sum --check --status
+tar --extract --xz --file "$tmp_dir/$archive" --directory "$tmp_dir"
+mv "$tmp_dir/blender-${version}-linux-x64" "$install_dir"
+
+"$install_dir/blender" --version | head -n 1
diff --git a/src/blend_asset.rs b/src/blend_asset.rs
index 5d45aa1..a6b3913 100644
--- a/src/blend_asset.rs
+++ b/src/blend_asset.rs
@@ -84,10 +84,11 @@ impl AssetLoader for BlendSourceLoader {
             .arg(&blend_path)
             .arg("--python")
             .arg(&script)
-        .arg("--")
-        .arg(&output)
-        .arg(&actions_path)
-        .output()
+            .arg("--")
+            .arg(&output)
+            .arg(&actions_path)
+            .arg(&blend_path)
+            .output()
             .map_err(|error| io::Error::other(format!("failed to start Blender: {error}")))?;
         if !result.status.success() {
             return Err(io::Error::other(format!(
@@ -106,6 +107,7 @@ impl AssetLoader for BlendSourceLoader {
         let mut dependencies = manifest.dependencies;
         let document: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_slice(&fs::read(&output)?)
             .map_err(|error| io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::InvalidData, error))?;
+        validate_export(&document, &output)?;
         if let Some(images) = document.get("images").and_then(serde_json::Value::as_array) {
             for image in images {
                 if let Some(uri) = image.get("uri").and_then(serde_json::Value::as_str) {
@@ -142,6 +144,22 @@ impl AssetLoader for BlendSourceLoader {
     }
 }
 
+fn validate_export(document: &serde_json::Value, output: &Path) -> io::Result<()> {
+    for key in ["scenes", "nodes", "meshes"] {
+        let count = document
+            .get(key)
+            .and_then(serde_json::Value::as_array)
+            .map_or(0, Vec::len);
+        if count == 0 {
+            return Err(io::Error::new(
+                io::ErrorKind::InvalidData,
+                format!("Blender export {} contains no {key}", output.display()),
+            ));
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 async fn referenced_actions(
     load_context: &mut LoadContext<'_>,
     root: &Path,
diff --git a/src/blend_asset/export.py b/src/blend_asset/export.py
index 61efb59..2c5e3ff 100644
--- a/src/blend_asset/export.py
+++ b/src/blend_asset/export.py
@@ -7,6 +7,15 @@ import sys
 def main():
     output = sys.argv[sys.argv.index("--") + 1]
     actions_path = sys.argv[sys.argv.index("--") + 2]
+    source_path = sys.argv[sys.argv.index("--") + 3]
+    loaded_path = os.path.realpath(bpy.data.filepath)
+    expected_path = os.path.realpath(source_path)
+    if loaded_path != expected_path:
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            f"Blender loaded {loaded_path!r} instead of {expected_path!r}"
+        )
+    if not bpy.data.objects or not bpy.data.meshes:
+        raise RuntimeError("Blender loaded an empty scene")
     with open(actions_path) as file:
         actions_to_keep = set(json.load(file))