diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 04a41f13..f05d4046 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2637,9 +2637,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pulldown-cmark"
-version = "0.13.4"
+version = "0.13.5"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "e9f068eba8e7071c5f9511831b44f32c740d5adf574e990f946ddb53db2f314e"
+checksum = "278e9268c93b9e498a2da46c34d90ba93a3255eb99009646398f34bc73ab36eb"
 dependencies = [
  "bitflags",
  "getopts",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index e1f02145..062e435d 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ futures-util = "0.3.31"
 image = { version = "0.25.10", default-features = false, features = ["gif", "jpeg", "png", "webp"] }
 opentelemetry = "0.32.0"
 pgvector = "0.4.1"
-pulldown-cmark = "0.13.4"
+pulldown-cmark = "0.13.5"
 quick-xml = { version = "0.41.0", features = ["serialize"] }
 rand = "0.10.1"
 redis = "1.2.1"
diff --git a/crates/openplotva-app/src/agent_tools.rs b/crates/openplotva-app/src/agent_tools.rs
index aa775de7..50ce745b 100644
--- a/crates/openplotva-app/src/agent_tools.rs
+++ b/crates/openplotva-app/src/agent_tools.rs
@@ -273,7 +273,17 @@ impl MediaFailureExplainer {
             .await
             .ok()?;
         input.disable_tools = true;
-        input.reference_context.push(format!("Media delivery has ended with a problem: {failure}. Explain this once in your usual voice. Do not invent a cause or claim an undelivered result. Do not restart generation."));
+        input.reference_context.push(format!(
+            "The bot supports image and music generation. It accepted this request, but delivery ended with a problem: {failure}. Tools are disabled only for this failure notice. This does not mean the bot lacks the capability."
+        ));
+        input.reference_context.push(format!(
+            "Original request, for context only: {}",
+            input.message.text
+        ));
+        let notice_task = "Briefly report the delivery problem stated above. Preserve the distinction between failed and partial delivery. Do not invent a cause or claim that the bot cannot generate music or images. Do not perform the original request, write lyrics, provide a text substitute, or restart generation. Write in the language of the original request quoted above, in your usual voice.";
+        input.message.text = notice_task.to_owned();
+        input.message.normalized = notice_task.to_owned();
+        input.message.original_text = notice_task.to_owned();
         struct NoTools;
         impl DialogToolbox for NoTools {}
         let result = crate::dialog_turn::run_captured_session(
diff --git a/crates/openplotva-app/src/music_jobs.rs b/crates/openplotva-app/src/music_jobs.rs
index 394cc9a7..0e12a5b3 100644
--- a/crates/openplotva-app/src/music_jobs.rs
+++ b/crates/openplotva-app/src/music_jobs.rs
@@ -474,6 +474,7 @@ fn song_prompt_retryable_reason(error: &MusicGenerationError) -> Option<FailureR
             // lyrics at 1145 chars). Fall through to the next routed model
             // instead of dying terminally.
             if openplotva_media::acestep::is_invalid_song_material_message(message)
+                || message.contains("song reprompt: decode response:")
                 || openplotva_llm::retry::is_truncated_model_output_message(message)
             {
                 return Some(FailureReason::ProviderProtocolError);
@@ -2115,6 +2116,17 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(song_prompt_retryable_reason(&provider), None);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn song_director_schema_errors_try_the_next_model() {
+        let error = super::MusicGenerationError::Material(
+            "song reprompt failed: song reprompt: decode response: invalid type: string, expected a sequence at line 1 column 697".to_owned(),
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::song_prompt_retryable_reason(&error),
+            Some(openplotva_llm::retry::FailureReason::ProviderProtocolError)
+        );
+    }
+
     use openplotva_taskman::{
         DEFAULT_LLM_JOB_MAX_ATTEMPTS, HIGHEST_PRIORITY, JobStatus, LLM_JOB_RETRY_EXHAUSTED_STAGE,
         LLM_JOB_RETRY_STAGE, MUSIC_VIP_QUEUE_NAME, MusicGenJobParams, TaskQueueJobEvent,
diff --git a/crates/openplotva-llm/src/aifarm.rs b/crates/openplotva-llm/src/aifarm.rs
index 214901e8..ba1d70ac 100644
--- a/crates/openplotva-llm/src/aifarm.rs
+++ b/crates/openplotva-llm/src/aifarm.rs
@@ -2393,7 +2393,12 @@ where
                 on_status,
             )
             .await?;
-        openplotva_media::acestep::decode_song_prompt_payload(&content, &topic, &language)
+        let payload = serde_json::from_str(&content).map_err(|source| {
+            AifarmMediaOptimizerError::SongPrompt {
+                source: openplotva_media::acestep::AceStepError::Json(source),
+            }
+        })?;
+        openplotva_media::acestep::normalize_song_prompt_payload_for_request(payload, &request)
             .map_err(|source| AifarmMediaOptimizerError::SongPrompt { source })
     }
 
@@ -10298,6 +10303,85 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(job.invocation.timeout_ms, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS);
     }
 
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn song_director_accepts_short_lyrics_copied_from_the_request()
+    -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+        let lyrics = "[Verse]\nMorning. Новый day.\nAt home ждёт семья.";
+        let response = json!({
+            "choices": [{
+                "message": {
+                    "role": "assistant",
+                    "content": serde_json::to_string(&json!({
+                        "analysis": "Synthwave with clean female vocals.",
+                        "title": "Night City",
+                        "vocal_language": "ru",
+                        "vocals": "female",
+                        "genre": "synthwave",
+                        "bpm": 102,
+                        "key": "",
+                        "sound": ["synth bass", "gated reverb drums", "analog pads", "arpeggiated plucks", "bright lead synth"],
+                        "character": ["neon mood", "nostalgic 80s", "driving"],
+                        "structure": ["synth intro", "verse over a pulsing bass", "big chorus", "outro fades on the hook"],
+                        "vocal_style": "clean vocals with light reverb",
+                        "references": [],
+                        "duration_seconds": 180,
+                        "lyrics": lyrics,
+                    }))?
+                }
+            }]
+        });
+        let transport = FakeTransport::new(vec![Ok(AifarmHttpResponse {
+            status_code: 200,
+            status_text: "OK".to_owned(),
+            body: serde_json::to_vec(&response)?,
+            ..AifarmHttpResponse::default()
+        })]);
+        let generator = AifarmStructuredJsonGenerator::with_transport(
+            AifarmStructuredJsonConfig {
+                client: AifarmClientConfig {
+                    direct_url: "https://llm.example/v1/chat/completions".to_owned(),
+                    ..AifarmClientConfig::default()
+                },
+                ..AifarmStructuredJsonConfig::default()
+            },
+            transport.clone(),
+        )
+        .with_prompt_store(prompt_store_with(&[(
+            "music/song_director.prompt",
+            "{{role \"system\"}}custom song system {{topic}}{{role \"user\"}}custom song user {{request}} {{languageHint}}",
+        )]));
+
+        let result = generator
+            .optimize_song_prompt(
+                openplotva_media::acestep::SongPromptRequest {
+                    topic: "night city".to_owned(),
+                    request_text:
+                        "Спой ровно этот текст:\nMorning. Новый day.\nAt home ждёт семья."
+                            .to_owned(),
+                    language_hint: "en-US".to_owned(),
+                    ..openplotva_media::acestep::SongPromptRequest::default()
+                },
+                &mut |_status| {},
+            )
+            .await?;
+
+        assert_eq!(result.title, "Night City");
+        assert_eq!(result.vocal_language, "ru");
+        assert_eq!(result.vocals, "female");
+        assert_eq!(result.duration_seconds, 180);
+        assert!(
+            result
+                .style
+                .starts_with("synthwave, female clean vocals with light reverb, synth bass"),
+            "{}",
+            result.style
+        );
+        assert!(result.style.ends_with(", 102 BPM"), "{}", result.style);
+        assert_eq!(result.lyrics, lyrics);
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn http_client_takes_the_result_from_the_sync_submit() -> Result<(), CompletionError> {
         let completion_payload =
diff --git a/crates/openplotva-llm/src/gemini.rs b/crates/openplotva-llm/src/gemini.rs
index d8e7b4b6..82550675 100644
--- a/crates/openplotva-llm/src/gemini.rs
+++ b/crates/openplotva-llm/src/gemini.rs
@@ -1361,7 +1361,7 @@ where
             .await?;
         let payload: openplotva_media::acestep::SongPromptPayload =
             serde_json::from_value(payload).map_err(GeminiMediaPromptOptimizerError::Decode)?;
-        openplotva_media::acestep::normalize_song_prompt_payload(payload, &topic, &language)
+        openplotva_media::acestep::normalize_song_prompt_payload_for_request(payload, &request)
             .map_err(|error| GeminiMediaPromptOptimizerError::Tool(error.to_string()))
     }
 
diff --git a/crates/openplotva-media/src/acestep.rs b/crates/openplotva-media/src/acestep.rs
index 5fe4ee07..36916ebe 100644
--- a/crates/openplotva-media/src/acestep.rs
+++ b/crates/openplotva-media/src/acestep.rs
@@ -784,6 +784,24 @@ pub fn normalize_song_prompt_payload(
     payload: SongPromptPayload,
     requested_topic: &str,
     requested_language: &str,
+) -> Result<SongPromptResult, AceStepError> {
+    normalize_song_prompt_payload_with_source(payload, requested_topic, requested_language, "")
+}
+
+/// Validate generated material against the listener's original text when supplied.
+pub fn normalize_song_prompt_payload_for_request(
+    payload: SongPromptPayload,
+    request: &SongPromptRequest,
+) -> Result<SongPromptResult, AceStepError> {
+    let (topic, language) = normalize_song_prompt_input(request)?;
+    normalize_song_prompt_payload_with_source(payload, &topic, &language, &request.request_text)
+}
+
+fn normalize_song_prompt_payload_with_source(
+    payload: SongPromptPayload,
+    requested_topic: &str,
+    requested_language: &str,
+    request_text: &str,
 ) -> Result<SongPromptResult, AceStepError> {
     let topic = requested_topic.trim();
     if topic.is_empty() {
@@ -801,6 +819,7 @@ pub fn normalize_song_prompt_payload(
         ));
     }
     let lyrics = canonicalize_song_lyrics(&payload.lyrics);
+    let supplied_lyrics = lyrics_copied_from_request(&lyrics.text, request_text);
     let vocals_field = payload.vocals.trim().to_ascii_lowercase();
     let instrumental = vocals_field == "instrumental" || lyrics.line_count == 0;
     let vocals = if instrumental {
@@ -811,17 +830,19 @@ pub fn normalize_song_prompt_payload(
         String::new()
     };
     if !instrumental {
-        if lyrics.line_count < SONG_MIN_LYRIC_LINES
-            || lyrics.line_count > SONG_MAX_LYRIC_LINES
-            || lyrics.sections < 2
-            || !lyrics.has_chorus
+        if lyrics.line_count > SONG_MAX_LYRIC_LINES
+            || (!supplied_lyrics
+                && (lyrics.line_count < SONG_MIN_LYRIC_LINES
+                    || lyrics.sections < 2
+                    || !lyrics.has_chorus))
         {
             return Err(AceStepError::InvalidResponse(
                 SONG_LYRICS_STRUCTURE_REJECTION.to_owned(),
             ));
         }
-        if !lyrics_script_matches_language(&lyrics.text, &language)
-            || foreign_script_line_share(&lyrics.text, &language) > SONG_MAX_FOREIGN_LINE_SHARE
+        if !supplied_lyrics
+            && (!lyrics_script_matches_language(&lyrics.text, &language)
+                || foreign_script_line_share(&lyrics.text, &language) > SONG_MAX_FOREIGN_LINE_SHARE)
         {
             return Err(AceStepError::InvalidResponse(
                 SONG_LYRICS_LANGUAGE_REJECTION.to_owned(),
@@ -876,6 +897,21 @@ pub fn normalize_song_prompt_payload(
     })
 }
 
+fn lyrics_copied_from_request(lyrics: &str, request_text: &str) -> bool {
+    let words = |text: &str| {
+        text.lines()
+            .filter(|line| section_marker(line.trim()).is_none())
+            .flat_map(str::split_whitespace)
+            .map(str::to_owned)
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>()
+    };
+    let sung = words(lyrics);
+    !sung.is_empty()
+        && words(request_text)
+            .windows(sung.len())
+            .any(|part| part == sung)
+}
+
 const fn non_zero_or(value: u32, fallback: u32) -> u32 {
     if value == 0 { fallback } else { value }
 }
@@ -2627,6 +2663,61 @@ mod tests {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn supplied_lyrics_keep_short_mixed_language_material() {
+        let mut payload = rap_payload();
+        payload.vocal_language = "ru".to_owned();
+        payload.lyrics = "[Verse]\nMorning. Новый day.\n[Chorus]\nAt home ждёт семья.".to_owned();
+        let request = SongPromptRequest {
+            topic: "garage grime".to_owned(),
+            request_text: "Спой ровно этот текст:\n\nMorning. Новый day. At home ждёт семья."
+                .to_owned(),
+            ..SongPromptRequest::default()
+        };
+        let result = super::normalize_song_prompt_payload_for_request(payload.clone(), &request)
+            .expect("supplied words do not need a generated song structure");
+        assert_eq!(
+            result.lyrics,
+            "[Verse]\nMorning. Новый day.\n\n[Chorus]\nAt home ждёт семья."
+        );
+
+        let unrelated = SongPromptRequest {
+            request_text: "Write a song about city lights".to_owned(),
+            ..request.clone()
+        };
+        assert!(
+            super::normalize_song_prompt_payload_for_request(payload.clone(), &unrelated).is_err()
+        );
+        let missing = SongPromptRequest {
+            request_text: String::new(),
+            topic: request.request_text.clone(),
+            ..request.clone()
+        };
+        assert!(
+            super::normalize_song_prompt_payload_for_request(payload.clone(), &missing).is_err(),
+            "a model-written topic is not the original lyrics"
+        );
+        payload
+            .lyrics
+            .push_str("\nA new line the listener never supplied.");
+        assert!(super::normalize_song_prompt_payload_for_request(payload, &request).is_err());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn supplied_lyrics_do_not_bypass_the_size_limit() {
+        let mut payload = rap_payload();
+        payload.lyrics = (0..70)
+            .map(|n| format!("Original lyric line {n}"))
+            .collect::<Vec<_>>()
+            .join("\n");
+        let request = SongPromptRequest {
+            topic: "song".to_owned(),
+            request_text: payload.lyrics.clone(),
+            ..SongPromptRequest::default()
+        };
+        assert!(super::normalize_song_prompt_payload_for_request(payload, &request).is_err());
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn song_director_payload_rejects_bad_material() {
         let rejection = |payload: SongPromptPayload, language: &str| {
diff --git a/prompts/music/song_director.prompt b/prompts/music/song_director.prompt
index 132ca6da..4b5a5ec5 100644
--- a/prompts/music/song_director.prompt
+++ b/prompts/music/song_director.prompt
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ Every tag is an English phrase of one to eight words that a producer of that gen
 
 ## 4. Write the lyrics (empty string for instrumentals)
 
+- If the listener supplies exact lyrics, preserve every word, punctuation mark, language switch and the order. You may add section markers and line breaks. Do not add verses, ad-libs or repeated choruses unless requested. Supplied lyrics override the length, rhyme, language and chorus rules below. Choose a duration that fits the supplied text.
 - Same language throughout, in that language's natural word order and stress; native idioms, no calques. Names and details from the request appear as they are.
 - The chorus carries the title line and a hook that repeats; verses tell the story in concrete images (objects, places, actions), not abstractions. Every line should be singable in one breath.
 - Rhyme the way the genre does: rap uses internal and multi-syllable rhymes and rhythmic repetition; pop and rock use clean end rhymes with a lift into the chorus; metal and punk favour hard consonants and shouted chants; folk and chanson tell a story with plain exact rhymes; ambient has no lyrics.