diff --git a/build/common/verify/wheel.py b/build/common/verify/wheel.py
index 03c0761..c08acf8 100644
--- a/build/common/verify/wheel.py
+++ b/build/common/verify/wheel.py
@@ -193,11 +193,11 @@ print(json.dumps({
 
 # Default runtime-verification inputs. Overridable by CLI flags or environment.
 DEFAULT_RUNTIME_CONFIG = os.getenv("ORISYS_VERIFY_CONFIG", "box")
-# Clips tracked in the repository, smallest first.
+# Clips tracked in the repository. ``data/sample/s1.mp4`` is the sanctioned
+# verification input; the larger 720p clip is deliberately not listed, so a
+# missing s1.mp4 fails loudly instead of silently verifying against it.
 DEFAULT_VIDEO_CANDIDATES = (
     Path("data") / "sample" / "s1.mp4",
-    Path("data") / "sample" / "s1_720p.mp4",
-    Path("tests") / "idle_1min.mp4",
 )
 
 
diff --git a/data/sample/s1.mp4 b/data/sample/s1.mp4
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b155542
Binary files /dev/null and b/data/sample/s1.mp4 differ
diff --git a/src/orisys/configs.py b/src/orisys/configs.py
index 8f69cec..63a6bd7 100644
--- a/src/orisys/configs.py
+++ b/src/orisys/configs.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import json
+import os
 import shutil
 import sys
 from contextlib import ExitStack
@@ -21,9 +22,17 @@ def _resource_path(*parts: str) -> Path | None:
     """Resolve a package resource to a filesystem path for wheel-safe loaders."""
     try:
         resource = files("orisys").joinpath(*parts)
-        return _RESOURCE_STACK.enter_context(as_file(resource))
+        resolved = _RESOURCE_STACK.enter_context(as_file(resource))
     except Exception:
         return None
+    # ``as_file`` is not contractually a ``pathlib.Path``: a Nuitka-compiled
+    # build hands back its own ``nuitka_resource_reader_files``, which is
+    # path-like but has no ``.resolve()``. Normalise here so every caller can
+    # treat the result as a Path.
+    try:
+        return Path(os.fspath(resolved))
+    except TypeError:
+        return None
 
 
 def _unique_paths(paths) -> list[Path]:
@@ -31,9 +40,10 @@ def _unique_paths(paths) -> list[Path]:
     unique: list[Path] = []
     seen: set[str] = set()
     for path in paths:
+        path = Path(path) if not isinstance(path, Path) else path
         try:
             key = str(path.resolve()).casefold()
-        except OSError:  # pragma: no cover - defensive: unresolvable path
+        except (OSError, ValueError):  # pragma: no cover - defensive
             key = str(path).casefold()
         if key in seen:
             continue
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index c9c03c8..5525c8c 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -46,11 +46,12 @@ from orisys import Sensor
 from orisys import configs as orisys_configs
 from orisys.backend_availability import check_cupy_available, check_opencl_available
 
-# Video clips that are tracked in git, in preference order.
+# Video clips that are tracked in git, in preference order. The 720p clip is
+# deliberately not a fallback: tests should run the sanctioned sample or skip,
+# never silently verify against a different resolution.
 DEFAULT_VIDEO_CANDIDATES = (
     Path("tests") / "idle_1min.mp4",
     Path("data") / "sample" / "s1.mp4",
-    Path("data") / "sample" / "s1_720p.mp4",
 )