diff --git a/internal/pkg/file.go b/internal/pkg/file.go
index fdff735..98b8eee 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/file.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/file.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package pkg
 import (
 	"context"
 	"crypto/sha512"
+	"fmt"
 )
 
 // A fileArtifact is an [Artifact] that cures into data known ahead of time.
@@ -10,10 +11,28 @@ type fileArtifact []byte
 
 var _ KnownChecksum = fileArtifact{}
 
+// fileArtifactNamed embeds fileArtifact alongside a caller-supplied name.
+type fileArtifactNamed struct {
+	fileArtifact
+	// Caller-supplied user-facing reporting name.
+	name string
+}
+
+var _ fmt.Stringer = fileArtifactNamed{}
+
+// String returns the caller-supplied reporting name.
+func (a fileArtifactNamed) String() string { return a.name }
+
 // NewFile returns a [File] that cures into a caller-supplied byte slice.
 //
-// Caller must not modify data after NewBin returns.
-func NewFile(data []byte) File { return fileArtifact(data) }
+// Caller must not modify data after NewFile returns.
+func NewFile(name string, data []byte) File {
+	f := fileArtifact(data)
+	if name != "" {
+		return fileArtifactNamed{f, name}
+	}
+	return f
+}
 
 // Kind returns the hardcoded [Kind] constant.
 func (a fileArtifact) Kind() Kind { return KindFile }
diff --git a/internal/pkg/file_test.go b/internal/pkg/file_test.go
index 48e5562..07dac04 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/file_test.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/file_test.go
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ func TestFile(t *testing.T) {
 			c.SetStrict(true)
 
 			cureMany(t, c, []cureStep{
-				{"short", pkg.NewFile([]byte{0}), base.Append(
+				{"short", pkg.NewFile("null", []byte{0}), base.Append(
 					"identifier",
 					"lIx_W4M7tVOcQ8jh08EJOfXf4brRmkEEjvUa7c17vVUzlmtUxlhhrgqmc9aZhjbn",
 				), pkg.MustDecode(
diff --git a/internal/pkg/pkg_test.go b/internal/pkg/pkg_test.go
index 2c66438..f5e6dc5 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/pkg_test.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/pkg_test.go
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ func TestCache(t *testing.T) {
 				if _, _, err = c.Cure(stubArtifactF{
 					kind:   pkg.KindExec,
 					params: []byte("unreachable artifact cured after cancel"),
-					deps:   []pkg.Artifact{pkg.NewFile([]byte("unreachable dependency"))},
+					deps:   []pkg.Artifact{pkg.NewFile("", []byte("unreachable dependency"))},
 				}); !reflect.DeepEqual(err, context.Canceled) {
 					t.Fatalf("(closed) Cure: error = %v", err)
 				}