diff --git a/hermes_cli/local_runtime/gguf.py b/hermes_cli/local_runtime/gguf.py
index 72e6ee04e4..3531f134ae 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/local_runtime/gguf.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/local_runtime/gguf.py
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ class GGUFHeader:
         return self.head_dim_k
 
 
-def _split_parts(path: Path) -> "list[Path] | None":
+def split_parts(path: Path) -> "list[Path] | None":
     """Every on-disk part of the split ``path`` belongs to, first part first; None when ``path`` is
     not a split member or no other part is present.
 
@@ -203,7 +203,13 @@ def _split_parts(path: Path) -> "list[Path] | None":
 def _read_part(path: Path) -> GGUFHeader:
     """One file's own header: metadata and that file's tensor table."""
     def read(f, fmt: str):
-        return struct.unpack(fmt, f.read(struct.calcsize(fmt)))
+        # A header cut short raises ValueError, which every caller already treats as "skip this
+        # model"; struct.error would escape them and take the whole preset pass down.
+        size = struct.calcsize(fmt)
+        data = f.read(size)
+        if len(data) != size:
+            raise ValueError(f"truncated GGUF header: {path}")
+        return struct.unpack(fmt, data)
 
     def read_str(f) -> str:
         (n,) = read(f, "<Q")
@@ -265,13 +271,14 @@ def read_gguf_header(path: str | Path) -> GGUFHeader:
     part 1 alone underprices every model whose first shard is a metadata stub (the Hugging Face
     layout), which then makes the physics check and the residency cap admit giants the card cannot
     hold. Architecture metadata (block count, train context, the per-layer SWA pattern, vocab) is
-    taken from the first part, which is where GGUF writes it.
+    taken from the first part: gguf-split writes the model's metadata there only, and every later
+    part carries just its ``split.*`` keys.
 
     A part that has gone missing or become unreadable is skipped rather than fatal: a half-arrived
     split prices at what is actually on disk. Refusing it is ``staged_in(require_complete=True)``'s
     job — an incomplete split is never servable, it is only underpriced here."""
     path = Path(path)
-    parts = _split_parts(path)
+    parts = split_parts(path)
     if parts is None:
         return _read_part(path)
 
@@ -280,9 +287,7 @@ def read_gguf_header(path: str | Path) -> GGUFHeader:
     for part in parts[1:]:
         try:
             readable.append(_read_part(part))
-        except (ValueError, OSError, struct.error) as exc:
-            # struct.error is neither ValueError nor OSError, and it is what a header cut
-            # mid-stream actually raises. A part that cannot be parsed is priced out, not fatal.
+        except (ValueError, OSError) as exc:
             logger.debug("split part unreadable %s: %s", part.name, exc)
     if len(readable) == 1:
         return first
diff --git a/hermes_cli/web_routers/local_models.py b/hermes_cli/web_routers/local_models.py
index cf380ce88e..a982b198a3 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/web_routers/local_models.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/web_routers/local_models.py
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ from agent.memory_provider import spawn_context_thread
 from pm.downloader import Download, DownloadPaused, Source
 
 from hermes_cli.local_runtime.endpoint import _state_endpoint
+from hermes_cli.local_runtime.gguf import split_parts
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -470,9 +471,8 @@ def _loaded_models(running: Dict[str, Any]) -> "tuple[Dict[str, str], Dict[str,
 
 def _staged_row(gguf: Path) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     model_id = _model_id_for(gguf)
-    # Split models: report the whole variant's bytes, not one part's.
-    hit = catalog.find_entry_for_model(model_id)
-    size = hit[1].size_bytes if hit is not None else gguf.stat().st_size
+    # A split model is every part on disk; its first file can be a metadata stub of a few MB.
+    size = sum(p.stat().st_size for p in split_parts(gguf) or [gguf])
     return {"id": model_id, "size_bytes": size, "size_label": _human_gb(size)}
 
 
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_local_models_routes.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_local_models_routes.py
index 1e7d462695..78303596d2 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_local_models_routes.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_local_models_routes.py
@@ -84,6 +84,18 @@ def test_status_lists_staged_models_with_labels(client, tmp_path):
     assert row["size_label"].endswith("GB")
 
 
+def test_status_sizes_a_split_model_by_all_its_parts(client):
+    """A split's first file can be a metadata stub of a few MB. The row reports the model the user
+    has on disk, so a side-loaded split outside the catalog is every part, not part 1."""
+    from hermes_cli.local_runtime.bootstrap import models_dir
+
+    _write_fake_gguf(models_dir() / "Side-Split-00001-of-00002.gguf", size=1024)
+    _write_fake_gguf(models_dir() / "Side-Split-00002-of-00002.gguf", size=8192)
+    rows = {m["id"]: m for m in client.get("/api/local-models/status").json()["models"]}
+
+    assert rows["Side-Split"]["size_bytes"] == (4 + 1024) + (4 + 8192)
+
+
 def test_status_tracks_preset_spill_and_restored_window(client, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     from dataclasses import replace
     from types import SimpleNamespace
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_local_runtime_gguf_split.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_local_runtime_gguf_split.py
index ef627622ca..a21941d888 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_local_runtime_gguf_split.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_local_runtime_gguf_split.py
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import re
 import struct
 
+import pytest
+
 from hermes_cli.local_runtime.context_policy import spill_overrides
 from hermes_cli.local_runtime.estimator import profile_from_gguf
 from hermes_cli.local_runtime.gguf import read_gguf_header
@@ -52,13 +54,21 @@ ARCH = {
 }
 
 
+def _split_keys(no: int, count: int) -> dict:
+    """What gguf-split writes into every part after the first: its split keys and nothing else
+    (checked against a published Flash Next split: part 1 carries 67 keys, parts 2-3 carry 3)."""
+    return {"split.no": no, "split.count": count, "split.tensors.count": 0}
+
+
 def _split(tmp_path, stem: str, parts: list[dict], total: int | None = None):
-    """A split on disk: ``parts[i]`` is the metadata + tensor table of shard i+1."""
+    """A split on disk laid out as gguf-split writes it: ``parts[i]`` is the tensor table of shard
+    i+1, and only shard 1 carries the model's metadata unless a spec overrides it."""
     total = total or len(parts)
     written = []
     for i, spec in enumerate(parts, start=1):
         path = tmp_path / f"{stem}-{i:05d}-of-{total:05d}.gguf"
-        _write_gguf(path, spec.get("metadata", ARCH), spec.get("tensors", []))
+        default = ARCH if i == 1 else _split_keys(i - 1, total)
+        _write_gguf(path, spec.get("metadata", default), spec.get("tensors", []))
         written.append(path)
     return written
 
@@ -121,8 +131,8 @@ def test_ffn_blocks_spread_across_shards_still_place_spill(tmp_path):
                     (f"blk.{i}.ffn_up.weight", 256), (f"blk.{i}.ffn_down.weight", 240)]
     parts = _split(tmp_path, "hybrid-split", [
         {"metadata": hybrid, "tensors": tensors[:1]},
-        {"metadata": hybrid, "tensors": tensors[1:37]},   # blocks 0-8 (4 tensors each)
-        {"metadata": hybrid, "tensors": tensors[37:]},    # blocks 9-11
+        {"tensors": tensors[1:37]},   # blocks 0-8 (4 tensors each)
+        {"tensors": tensors[37:]},    # blocks 9-11
     ], total=3)
 
     profile = profile_from_gguf(read_gguf_header(parts[0]))
@@ -163,11 +173,33 @@ def test_residency_cap_prices_a_split_against_the_card(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     mdir.mkdir()
     # A 48 GiB split laid out the reported way: part 1 a metadata stub, the weights in part 2.
     _write_gguf(mdir / "giant-00001-of-00002.gguf", ARCH, [])
-    _write_gguf(mdir / "giant-00002-of-00002.gguf", ARCH, [("blk.0.attn_q.weight", 48 * GIB // 4)])
+    _write_gguf(mdir / "giant-00002-of-00002.gguf", _split_keys(1, 2),
+                [("blk.0.attn_q.weight", 48 * GIB // 4)])
     # A 10 GB single-shard neighbour: a small second resident must stay possible.
     _write_gguf(mdir / "utility.gguf", ARCH, [("blk.0.attn_q.weight", 10 * GIB // 4)])
 
     budget = HardwareBudget(usable_vram_bytes=64 * GIB, total_device_bytes=64 * GIB,
                             ram_available_bytes=64 * GIB)
 
-    assert presets.admitted_residency_count(mdir, budget, 4) == 1
\ No newline at end of file
+    assert presets.admitted_residency_count(mdir, budget, 4) == 1
+
+
+def test_a_truncated_header_skips_the_model_instead_of_raising(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """Every caller skips a model whose header raises ValueError or OSError. A header cut short
+    used to raise struct.error, which none of them catch, so one bad file took down the whole
+    preset pass instead of dropping out of it."""
+    from hermes_cli.local_runtime import presets
+    from hermes_cli.local_runtime.estimator import HardwareBudget
+
+    monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path / ".hermes"))
+    parts = _split(tmp_path, "cut-head", [
+        {"tensors": []},
+        {"tensors": [("blk.0.attn_q.weight", 16 << 20)]},
+    ])
+    parts[0].write_bytes(b"GGUF\x03\x00")
+    budget = HardwareBudget(usable_vram_bytes=64 * GIB, total_device_bytes=64 * GIB,
+                            ram_available_bytes=64 * GIB)
+
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        read_gguf_header(parts[0])
+    assert presets.resident_footprint(parts[0], budget, 8192) is None
\ No newline at end of file