diff --git a/internal/fusefs/fuse_unix.go b/internal/fusefs/fuse_unix.go
index 3a1108e..f652583 100644
--- a/internal/fusefs/fuse_unix.go
+++ b/internal/fusefs/fuse_unix.go
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ func (fs *ArtifactFuse) LookUpInode(_ context.Context, op *fuseops.LookUpInodeOp
 	fs.mu.Unlock()
 
 	op.Entry.Child = ref.ID
-	op.Entry.Attributes = inodeAttrs(mode, uint64(size), typ, mtime)
+	op.Entry.Attributes = inodeAttrs(mode, size, typ, mtime)
 	setChildEntryExpiry(&op.Entry, time.Second)
 	return nil
 }
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ func (fs *ArtifactFuse) GetInodeAttributes(_ context.Context, op *fuseops.GetIno
 	if err != nil {
 		return syscall.ENOENT
 	}
-	op.Attributes = inodeAttrs(mode, uint64(size), typ, mtime)
+	op.Attributes = inodeAttrs(mode, size, typ, mtime)
 	op.AttributesExpiration = attrExpiry(time.Second)
 	return nil
 }
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ func (fs *ArtifactFuse) SetInodeAttributes(ctx context.Context, op *fuseops.SetI
 	if op.Mtime != nil {
 		mtime = *op.Mtime
 	}
-	op.Attributes = inodeAttrs(mode, uint64(size), typ, mtime)
+	op.Attributes = inodeAttrs(mode, size, typ, mtime)
 	op.AttributesExpiration = attrExpiry(time.Second)
 	return nil
 }
@@ -567,7 +567,15 @@ func TryUnmount(mountPoint string) error {
 	return err
 }
 
-func inodeAttrs(mode uint32, size uint64, typ string, mtime time.Time) fuseops.InodeAttributes {
+// inodeAttrs builds the kernel-visible attributes for an inode. The size is
+// taken as a signed int64 because that's how snapshot and overlay state store
+// it; a negative value there means the on-disk row is corrupt. Publishing it
+// verbatim would wrap into a huge uint64 (e.g. -1 becomes ~18 exabytes), so
+// clamp to zero instead.
+func inodeAttrs(mode uint32, size int64, typ string, mtime time.Time) fuseops.InodeAttributes {
+	if size < 0 {
+		size = 0
+	}
 	m := os.FileMode(mode & 0o777)
 	if m == 0 {
 		if typ == "dir" {
@@ -586,7 +594,7 @@ func inodeAttrs(mode uint32, size uint64, typ string, mtime time.Time) fuseops.I
 		m |= os.ModeSymlink
 	}
 	return fuseops.InodeAttributes{
-		Size:  size,
+		Size:  uint64(size),
 		Nlink: 1,
 		Mode:  m,
 		Uid:   uint32(os.Getuid()),
diff --git a/internal/fusefs/inode_attrs_unix_test.go b/internal/fusefs/inode_attrs_unix_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1f976a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/fusefs/inode_attrs_unix_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+//go:build !windows
+
+package fusefs
+
+import (
+	"math"
+	"os"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func TestInodeAttrs_ClampsNegativeSizeToZero(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		name string
+		size int64
+	}{
+		{"minus one", -1},
+		{"min int64", math.MinInt64},
+		{"arbitrary negative", -4096},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := inodeAttrs(0o644, tc.size, "file", time.Unix(0, 0))
+			if got.Size != 0 {
+				t.Fatalf("file size = %d, want 0 for input %d", got.Size, tc.size)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInodeAttrs_PreservesPositiveFileSize(t *testing.T) {
+	got := inodeAttrs(0o644, 42, "file", time.Unix(0, 0))
+	if got.Size != 42 {
+		t.Fatalf("file size = %d, want 42", got.Size)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInodeAttrs_PreservesMaxInt64(t *testing.T) {
+	got := inodeAttrs(0o644, math.MaxInt64, "file", time.Unix(0, 0))
+	if got.Size != math.MaxInt64 {
+		t.Fatalf("file size = %d, want MaxInt64", got.Size)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInodeAttrs_DirZeroSizeBecomes4096(t *testing.T) {
+	got := inodeAttrs(0o755, 0, "dir", time.Unix(0, 0))
+	if got.Size != 4096 {
+		t.Fatalf("dir size = %d, want 4096", got.Size)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInodeAttrs_DirNegativeSizeAlsoBecomes4096(t *testing.T) {
+	// Negative clamps to 0, which the dir branch then upgrades to 4096.
+	got := inodeAttrs(0o755, -1, "dir", time.Unix(0, 0))
+	if got.Size != 4096 {
+		t.Fatalf("dir size = %d, want 4096", got.Size)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInodeAttrs_SymlinkModeBitSet(t *testing.T) {
+	got := inodeAttrs(0o777, 16, "symlink", time.Unix(0, 0))
+	if got.Mode&os.ModeSymlink == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("symlink mode bit not set in %v", got.Mode)
+	}
+	if got.Size != 16 {
+		t.Fatalf("symlink size = %d, want 16", got.Size)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInodeAttrs_DefaultFileModeWhenZero(t *testing.T) {
+	got := inodeAttrs(0, 1, "file", time.Unix(0, 0))
+	if got.Mode.Perm() != 0o644 {
+		t.Fatalf("file default perm = %v, want 0644", got.Mode.Perm())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestInodeAttrs_DefaultDirModeWhenZero(t *testing.T) {
+	got := inodeAttrs(0, 1, "dir", time.Unix(0, 0))
+	if got.Mode.Perm() != 0o755 {
+		t.Fatalf("dir default perm = %v, want 0755", got.Mode.Perm())
+	}
+	if got.Mode&os.ModeDir == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("dir mode bit not set in %v", got.Mode)
+	}
+}