diff --git a/.github/workflows/docs.yml b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
index d9a81e8..ebb7f43 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
@@ -33,6 +33,11 @@ jobs:
         run: pip install -r requirements-docs.txt
       - name: Build (strict)
         run: mkdocs build --strict --site-dir site
+      - name: Docs site actually contains its documents
+        # `mkdocs build --strict` succeeded for months while publishing empty
+        # pages: all nine snippet includes used a `../` path that pymdownx
+        # refuses, and check_paths:false made the refusal silent.
+        run: python scripts/check_docs_site.py --site site
       - uses: actions/upload-pages-artifact@fc324d3547104276b827a68afc52ff2a11cc49c9 # v5.0.0
         with:
           path: site
diff --git a/docs/architecture.md b/docs/architecture.md
index a7815ed..a80de5b 100644
--- a/docs/architecture.md
+++ b/docs/architecture.md
@@ -1 +1 @@
---8<-- "../ARCHITECTURE.md"
+--8<-- "ARCHITECTURE.md"
diff --git a/docs/changelog.md b/docs/changelog.md
index 11fa8a5..786b75d 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.md
+++ b/docs/changelog.md
@@ -1 +1 @@
---8<-- "../CHANGELOG.md"
+--8<-- "CHANGELOG.md"
diff --git a/docs/code-of-conduct.md b/docs/code-of-conduct.md
index d468a9d..01f2ea2 100644
--- a/docs/code-of-conduct.md
+++ b/docs/code-of-conduct.md
@@ -1 +1 @@
---8<-- "../CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md"
+--8<-- "CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md"
diff --git a/docs/contributing.md b/docs/contributing.md
index 3f2d90d..ea38c9b 100644
--- a/docs/contributing.md
+++ b/docs/contributing.md
@@ -1 +1 @@
---8<-- "../CONTRIBUTING.md"
+--8<-- "CONTRIBUTING.md"
diff --git a/docs/index.md b/docs/index.md
index 1ed80e8..d84327e 100644
--- a/docs/index.md
+++ b/docs/index.md
@@ -39,4 +39,4 @@ devrepro doctor            # full read-only diagnostic scan
 - [Interoperability](interop.md) — how we relate to Nix, mise, Devbox, devenv…
 - [Roadmap](roadmap.md) — where we're going
 
---8<-- "../README.md"
+--8<-- "README.md"
diff --git a/docs/interop.md b/docs/interop.md
index 7038158..8592436 100644
--- a/docs/interop.md
+++ b/docs/interop.md
@@ -1 +1 @@
---8<-- "../INTEROP.md"
+--8<-- "INTEROP.md"
diff --git a/docs/product-gaps.md b/docs/product-gaps.md
index 7d0add4..9a9e8a5 100644
--- a/docs/product-gaps.md
+++ b/docs/product-gaps.md
@@ -1 +1 @@
---8<-- "../PRODUCT_GAPS.md"
+--8<-- "PRODUCT_GAPS.md"
diff --git a/docs/roadmap.md b/docs/roadmap.md
index 57aad72..40fbfee 100644
--- a/docs/roadmap.md
+++ b/docs/roadmap.md
@@ -1 +1 @@
---8<-- "../ROADMAP.md"
+--8<-- "ROADMAP.md"
diff --git a/docs/security.md b/docs/security.md
index b6cb6d8..a8ada70 100644
--- a/docs/security.md
+++ b/docs/security.md
@@ -1 +1 @@
---8<-- "../SECURITY.md"
+--8<-- "SECURITY.md"
diff --git a/mkdocs.yml b/mkdocs.yml
index 1ddee8b..3826d11 100644
--- a/mkdocs.yml
+++ b/mkdocs.yml
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ markdown_extensions:
   - admonition
   - pymdownx.superfences
   - pymdownx.snippets:
-      base_path: docs
-      check_paths: false
+      base_path: .
+      check_paths: true
   - tables
   - toc:
       permalink: true
@@ -61,3 +61,18 @@ markdown_extensions:
 validation:
   omitted_files: warn
   absolute_links: warn
+  links:
+    # Root documents (README, ARCHITECTURE, CONTRIBUTING...) are included into
+    # this site by snippet and carry links written relative to the repository
+    # root, where they are correct and where most people read them. Inside the
+    # site those targets sit outside the docs tree, so mkdocs reports them as
+    # not-found and --strict aborts.
+    #
+    # Downgraded to info deliberately, and paired with `check_paths: true`
+    # above, which is the check that actually matters: a snippet that cannot be
+    # found now fails the build. It previously did not. With check_paths off,
+    # all nine includes in this site silently resolved to nothing, and the
+    # published pages for Architecture, Roadmap, Contributing, Security,
+    # Interop, Product gaps, Changelog and Code of conduct were empty while the
+    # build stayed green.
+    not_found: info
diff --git a/scripts/check_docs_site.py b/scripts/check_docs_site.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f47fb1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check_docs_site.py
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+"""Assert the built docs site actually contains its documents.
+
+`mkdocs build --strict` passing does not mean the site has content in it. This
+project's site was green while publishing empty pages: every one of its nine
+`--8<--` snippet includes used a `../` path, which pymdownx refuses because it
+escapes `base_path`, and `check_paths: false` made that refusal silent. The
+Architecture page shipped with 68 words of navigation chrome and none of
+ARCHITECTURE.md.
+
+A build that succeeds while producing nothing is the same defect this
+repository has fixed twice elsewhere -- a CI step named for a check it never
+performed. So the site is checked for content, not just for exit status.
+
+    python scripts/check_docs_site.py            # build, then verify
+    python scripts/check_docs_site.py --site DIR # verify an existing build
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+import re
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import tempfile
+from pathlib import Path
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+
+#: A page carrying only nav chrome lands around 60-70 words. Real documents
+#: here run to hundreds. 120 sits clear of the chrome and below the shortest
+#: genuine page, so it catches an empty include without tuning per page.
+MIN_WORDS = 120
+
+TAG = re.compile(r"<[^>]+>")
+
+
+def words_in(html: str) -> int:
+    body = html.split("<article", 1)[-1].split("</article>", 1)[0]
+    return len(TAG.sub(" ", body).split())
+
+
+def build(into: Path) -> None:
+    result = subprocess.run(  # noqa: S603 - fixed argv, no shell, no user input
+        [sys.executable, "-m", "mkdocs", "build", "--strict", "--site-dir", str(into)],
+        cwd=ROOT,
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        check=False,
+    )
+    if result.returncode != 0:
+        print(result.stderr or result.stdout, file=sys.stderr)
+        raise SystemExit("mkdocs build failed")
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_argument("--site", type=Path, default=None)
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+        site = args.site or Path(tmp) / "site"
+        if args.site is None:
+            build(site)
+
+        pages = sorted(site.rglob("index.html"))
+        if not pages:
+            print("no pages were built", file=sys.stderr)
+            return 1
+
+        thin: list[tuple[str, int]] = []
+        for page in pages:
+            name = page.parent.relative_to(site).as_posix() or "(home)"
+            if name.startswith(("assets", "search")):
+                continue
+            count = words_in(page.read_text(encoding="utf-8", errors="replace"))
+            if count < MIN_WORDS:
+                thin.append((name, count))
+
+        if thin:
+            print(
+                f"{len(thin)} page(s) built with almost no content -- a snippet "
+                "include is probably resolving to nothing:",
+                file=sys.stderr,
+            )
+            for name, count in thin:
+                print(f"  {name}: {count} words", file=sys.stderr)
+            return 1
+
+        print(f"ok     {len(pages)} pages built, all carrying real content")
+        return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())