diff --git a/core/dr-gpu/src/shaders/merge.wgsl b/core/dr-gpu/src/shaders/merge.wgsl
index 57381b9..07fc4df 100644
--- a/core/dr-gpu/src/shaders/merge.wgsl
+++ b/core/dr-gpu/src/shaders/merge.wgsl
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ fn to_direction(u: f32, v: f32) -> vec3<f32> {
     return vec3<f32>(sin(theta) * cos(phi), sin(phi), cos(theta) * cos(phi));
 }
 
-fn load(x: i32, y: i32) -> vec3<f32> {
-    return textureLoad(tile, vec2<i32>(x, y), 0).rgb;
+fn load(x: i32, y: i32) -> vec4<f32> {
+    return textureLoad(tile, vec2<i32>(x, y), 0);
 }
 
 @compute @workgroup_size(8, 8, 1)
@@ -110,11 +110,25 @@ fn warp(@builtin(global_invocation_id) gid: vec3<u32>) {
     let y1 = min(y0 + 1, i32(p.tile_size.y) - 1);
     let fx = tx - f32(x0);
     let fy = ty - f32(y0);
-    let top = mix(load(x0, y0), load(x1, y0), fx);
-    let bot = mix(load(x0, y1), load(x1, y1), fx);
-    let rgb = mix(top, bot, fy) * p.gain;
+    // The four texels, with their alpha: the tap writes alpha 0 where the
+    // lens correction found no source pixel, and a sample that touches one
+    // of those is a partial pixel — down-weighted by exactly how much of
+    // it is missing, and dropped when all of it is.
+    let s00 = load(x0, y0);
+    let s10 = load(x1, y0);
+    let s01 = load(x0, y1);
+    let s11 = load(x1, y1);
+    let top = mix(s00, s10, fx);
+    let bot = mix(s01, s11, fx);
+    let s = mix(top, bot, fy);
+    if (s.a <= 0.001) {
+        return;
+    }
+    // Colour is the alpha-weighted mean of the texels that exist.
+    let rgb = s.rgb / s.a * p.gain;
+    let wa = w * s.a;
     let i = gid.y * p.chunk_size.x + gid.x;
-    acc[i] = acc[i] + vec4<f32>(rgb * w, w);
+    acc[i] = acc[i] + vec4<f32>(rgb * wa, wa);
 }
 
 // Resolve: the accumulated chunk to sixteen-bit samples.
diff --git a/core/dr-pipeline/src/operation.rs b/core/dr-pipeline/src/operation.rs
index 8f30d1b..66e835a 100644
--- a/core/dr-pipeline/src/operation.rs
+++ b/core/dr-pipeline/src/operation.rs
@@ -857,12 +857,22 @@ fn compose_inner(
         ""
     };
 
+    // TRACES: FR-MRG-2
+    // A pixel whose source coordinate leaves the frame — the corners a lens
+    // correction pulls in — is stored black. For the display that is the
+    // right picture; for a merge it is a pixel that does not exist and must
+    // not be averaged in as if it did, so the camera-space tap marks it
+    // with alpha 0 and the warp reads the alpha as validity.
+    let void_alpha = match output_mode {
+        OutputMode::CameraLinear => "0.0",
+        _ => "1.0",
+    };
     let prologue = format!(
         "{}{}{}\n{}",
         framing.wgsl_prologue(),
         channel_positions,
         warp.body,
-        sample_source(interpolate, warp.splits_channels)
+        sample_source(interpolate, warp.splits_channels).replace("VOID_ALPHA", void_alpha)
     );
     let sampler_helper = if interpolate { BILINEAR_HELPER } else { "" };
 
@@ -1237,7 +1247,7 @@ pub(crate) fn sample_source(interpolate: bool, splits_channels: bool) -> &'stati
     // remove. `sample_bilinear` clamps its own texel indices, so red and blue
     // land on the edge pixel rather than out of bounds.
     if (any(uv_src < vec2<f32>(0.0)) || any(uv_src >= vec2<f32>(1.0))) {
-        textureStore(output, vec2<i32>(gid.xy), vec4<f32>(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0));
+        textureStore(output, vec2<i32>(gid.xy), vec4<f32>(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, VOID_ALPHA));
         return;
     }
 
@@ -1265,7 +1275,7 @@ pub(crate) fn sample_source(interpolate: bool, splits_channels: bool) -> &'stati
     // corners; render them black rather than clamping, which would smear an
     // edge pixel across them.
     if (any(uv_src < vec2<f32>(0.0)) || any(uv_src >= vec2<f32>(1.0))) {
-        textureStore(output, vec2<i32>(gid.xy), vec4<f32>(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0));
+        textureStore(output, vec2<i32>(gid.xy), vec4<f32>(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, VOID_ALPHA));
         return;
     }
 
@@ -1308,7 +1318,7 @@ pub(crate) fn sample_source(interpolate: bool, splits_channels: bool) -> &'stati
     // transformed at all. Render it black rather than clamping, which would
     // smear an edge pixel across the gap.
     if (any(uv_src < vec2<f32>(0.0)) || any(uv_src >= vec2<f32>(1.0))) {
-        textureStore(output, vec2<i32>(gid.xy), vec4<f32>(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 1.0));
+        textureStore(output, vec2<i32>(gid.xy), vec4<f32>(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, VOID_ALPHA));
         return;
     }
 
@@ -2109,6 +2119,35 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(convert < clip, "the clip must come after the conversion");
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn the_camera_space_tap_marks_a_pixel_off_the_sensor_with_alpha_zero() {
+        // TRACES: FR-MRG-2
+        // A lens correction pulls the corners in, and the pixels it leaves
+        // behind have no source. The display stores them black and opaque;
+        // the tap stores them black and *transparent*, so a merge can tell
+        // "nothing here" from "black here" and never averages the fringe in.
+        let tap = compose_camera_linear(
+            &[],
+            dr_types::Orientation::default(),
+            crate::framing::CropRect::default(),
+        )
+        .source;
+        assert!(
+            tap.contains("vec4<f32>(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0)"),
+            "the tap must store alpha 0 off the sensor:\n{tap}"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            !tap.contains("VOID_ALPHA"),
+            "the placeholder must be substituted:\n{tap}"
+        );
+        let display = compose(&[]).source;
+        assert!(
+            !display.contains("vec4<f32>(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0)"),
+            "the display keeps its opaque black:\n{display}"
+        );
+        assert!(!display.contains("VOID_ALPHA"));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn the_generated_matrix_is_the_one_the_profile_writer_will_use() {
         // The shader encodes the pixels and `dr-export` describes them, from