diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 7977ac09c3..b9de0c5d1e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -139,6 +139,14 @@ jobs:
           # root-owned, and the ZMQ IPC sockets live in it
           docker exec frigate /command/s6-setuidgid frigate touch /tmp/cache/.write-probe
           docker exec frigate rm /tmp/cache/.write-probe
+          # bundled models must be readable by the runtime user: they are baked
+          # in as root, and archive members can carry root-only modes
+          docker exec frigate /command/s6-setuidgid frigate sh -c '
+            for f in /cpu_model.tflite /edgetpu_model.tflite /cpu_audio_model.tflite \
+                     /labelmap.txt /audio-labelmap.txt /openvino-model/*; do
+              [ -e "$f" ] || continue
+              test -r "$f" || { echo "$f is not readable by the runtime user"; exit 1; }
+            done'
       - name: Assert escape hatch restores root
         run: |
           mkdir -p /tmp/frigate-config-root
diff --git a/docker/main/Dockerfile b/docker/main/Dockerfile
index c714fda963..cc551429c0 100644
--- a/docker/main/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/main/Dockerfile
@@ -146,6 +146,10 @@ RUN wget -q https://github.com/openvinotoolkit/open_model_zoo/raw/master/data/da
 RUN wget -qO - https://www.kaggle.com/api/v1/models/google/yamnet/tfLite/classification-tflite/1/download | tar xvz && mv 1.tflite cpu_audio_model.tflite
 COPY audio-labelmap.txt .
 
+# tar restores the archive's modes and the yamnet member ships 0700, so without
+# this the unprivileged runtime user cannot read the audio model
+RUN chmod -R a+rX /rootfs
+
 
 FROM wget AS s6-overlay
 ARG TARGETARCH