diff --git a/src/specify_cli/bundler/lib/yamlio.py b/src/specify_cli/bundler/lib/yamlio.py
index a63d05ba4e..b7811d4909 100644
--- a/src/specify_cli/bundler/lib/yamlio.py
+++ b/src/specify_cli/bundler/lib/yamlio.py
@@ -54,10 +54,10 @@ def load_yaml(path: Path) -> Any:
     caller to reject.
     """
     path = Path(path)
-    if not path.exists():
-        raise BundlerError(f"File not found: {path}")
     try:
         text = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        raise BundlerError(f"File not found: {path}") from None
     except (OSError, UnicodeError) as exc:
         # A non-UTF-8 file raises UnicodeDecodeError, which is a ValueError --
         # NOT an OSError -- so it escaped this module's "IO failures degrade
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_bundler_yamlio.py b/tests/unit/test_bundler_yamlio.py
index b3e8e592e4..0396f0a4fd 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_bundler_yamlio.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_bundler_yamlio.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 from specify_cli.bundler import BundlerError
+import specify_cli.bundler.lib.yamlio as yamlio_module
 from specify_cli.bundler.lib.yamlio import dump_yaml, load_json, load_yaml
 
 
@@ -49,6 +50,25 @@ def test_load_json_non_utf8_raises_bundler_error(tmp_path: Path):
         load_json(path)
 
 
+def test_load_yaml_toctou_race(tmp_path: Path):
+    """Regression guard: a file that disappears between the old exists() pre-check
+    and read_text() must raise BundlerError, not a raw FileNotFoundError.
+
+    The mocked Path is observable as present (exists() returns True) but
+    read_text() raises FileNotFoundError, simulating a deletion between the two
+    calls — the exact race window the exists() removal eliminates."""
+    from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
+
+    path = tmp_path / "gone.yml"
+    mock_path = MagicMock(spec=Path)
+    mock_path.exists.return_value = True
+    mock_path.read_text.side_effect = FileNotFoundError(str(path))
+
+    with patch.object(yamlio_module, "Path", return_value=mock_path):
+        with pytest.raises(BundlerError, match="File not found"):
+            load_yaml(path)
+
+
 def test_load_json_malformed_still_reports_invalid_json(tmp_path: Path):
     """Clause order regression guard: decodable-but-malformed JSON must keep the
     more specific 'Invalid JSON' message rather than the read-error one."""