diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/AetheriaStores.cs b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/AetheriaStores.cs
index e2cdcd631..92f8e3f90 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/AetheriaStores.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/AetheriaStores.cs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ public static class AetheriaStores
     {
         // A read-only open of an absent catalog would hydrate an empty game; a shipped player missing its catalog stops here.
         if (!catalogWritable && !File.Exists(catalogPath))
-            throw new InvalidOperationException($"Catalog {catalogPath} does not exist; a read-only open never invents one.");
+            throw new FileNotFoundException($"Catalog {catalogPath} does not exist; a read-only open never invents one.", catalogPath);
         var cache = new CultCache();
         try
         {
diff --git a/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/AetheriaStoresTests.cs b/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/AetheriaStoresTests.cs
index 099c3a259..4d7611b9a 100644
--- a/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/AetheriaStoresTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Aetheria.Shared.Tests/AetheriaStoresTests.cs
@@ -209,7 +209,8 @@ public sealed class AetheriaStoresTests : IDisposable
     {
         var missing = Path.Combine(_root, "absent", "Aetheria.cc");
 
-        var error = Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(() => AetheriaStores.Open(missing));
+        // FileNotFoundException, not the catalog-global check: that one also throws on a missing file whenever a global is registered.
+        var error = Assert.Throws<FileNotFoundException>(() => AetheriaStores.Open(missing));
         Assert.Contains(missing, error.Message);
         Assert.False(File.Exists(missing));
         Assert.False(Directory.Exists(Path.GetDirectoryName(missing)));