diff --git a/movie_editor/backend/builder.py b/movie_editor/backend/builder.py
index 19c1b130..12253fe4 100644
--- a/movie_editor/backend/builder.py
+++ b/movie_editor/backend/builder.py
@@ -81,11 +81,20 @@ OPEN_PORTS: list[tuple[str, str, str, bool]] = [   # (core_id, input, type, requ
     ("studio", "clip", "CLIP", True),
     ("studio", "source_image", "IMAGE", False),
     ("studio", "latent", "LATENT", False),
+    ("studio", "positive_conditioning", "CONDITIONING", False),
     ("sampler", "vae", "VAE", True),
     ("concat", "audio_latent", "LATENT", True),
     ("audiodec", "audio_vae", "VAE", True),
 ]
 
+# Ports that may be wired but must never AUTO-wire. A pre-encoded conditioning replaces
+# the whole prompt path — no shortcuts, no $variables, no per-scene split — so it has to be
+# something the user asked for. A lone CLIPTextEncode someone added for another purpose
+# would otherwise capture the prompt silently.
+EXPLICIT_ONLY_PORTS: frozenset[tuple[str, str]] = frozenset({
+    ("studio", "positive_conditioning"),
+})
+
 # A required port another input can stand in for: {(core_id, input): (alternative inputs…)}.
 # Studio encodes the prompt through `clip`, but a pre-encoded CONDITIONING wired into
 # positive_conditioning replaces that path entirely (_v2_conditioning_source takes whichever
@@ -1018,8 +1027,18 @@ def _producers(graph, slots, slot_node_id, slot_def, object_info):
         out.setdefault(t, []).append((cid, oidx))
     for s in slots:
         nd = slot_def[s["id"]]
+        node_id = slot_node_id[s["id"]]
+        # A pass-through output is only real once its own input is fed: the LoRA loader
+        # hands CLIP straight back, so an unwired one emits nothing while still making
+        # every other CLIP consumer look ambiguous ("2 possible sources").
+        dead = set()
+        for ci in connection_inputs(nd or {}):
+            if not isinstance((graph.get(node_id) or {}).get("inputs", {}).get(ci["name"]), list):
+                dead.add(ci["type"])
         for i, o in enumerate(node_outputs(nd or {})):
-            out.setdefault(o["type"], []).append((slot_node_id[s["id"]], i))
+            if o["type"] in dead:
+                continue
+            out.setdefault(o["type"], []).append((node_id, i))
     return out
 
 
@@ -1165,6 +1184,8 @@ def _autowire(graph, slots, slot_node_id, slot_def, object_info, producers, repo
             continue
         if isinstance(node["inputs"].get(inp), list):
             continue  # already wired (explicit/core)
+        if (node_id, inp) in EXPLICIT_ONLY_PORTS:
+            continue  # wirable, never automatic — see EXPLICIT_ONLY_PORTS
         alt_wired = next((alt for alt in PORT_ALTERNATIVES.get((node_id, inp), ())
                           if isinstance(node["inputs"].get(alt), list)), None)
         if alt_wired:
diff --git a/movie_editor/backend/pipeline_wiring.py b/movie_editor/backend/pipeline_wiring.py
index 39f28429..0ff24948 100644
--- a/movie_editor/backend/pipeline_wiring.py
+++ b/movie_editor/backend/pipeline_wiring.py
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ TYPE_CHAIN_TERMINALS: dict[str, list[str]] = {
     "CLIP": ["FunPackStudio.clip"],
     "LATENT": ["FunPackStudio.latent"],
     "IMAGE": ["FunPackStudio.source_image"],
+    # Pre-encoded conditioning. Studio's own port, not the sampler's positive: the sampler's
+    # is a core-internal link, and feeding it directly would cut Studio out of its own
+    # pipeline. Never auto-wired (builder.EXPLICIT_ONLY_PORTS) because it replaces the
+    # typed prompt wholesale.
+    "CONDITIONING": ["FunPackStudio.positive_conditioning"],
 }
 
 # Core-internal ports: shown in the full port list but not user-wirable in guided mode
@@ -64,6 +69,7 @@ PORT_LABELS: dict[str, str] = {
     "FunPackStudio.clip": "Studio · clip",
     "FunPackStudio.latent": "Studio · latent (forwards to Concat AV · video_latent)",
     "FunPackStudio.source_image": "Studio · source_image (Img2Video anchor)",
+    "FunPackStudio.positive_conditioning": "Studio · positive_conditioning (replaces the typed prompt)",
     "FunPackLTXAVSceneChainSampler.vae": "Chain Sampler · vae",
     "LTXVConcatAVLatent.audio_latent": "Concat AV Latent · audio_latent",
     "LTXVAudioVAEDecode.audio_vae": "Audio VAE Decode · audio_vae",
@@ -76,6 +82,7 @@ OPEN_CORE_INPUTS: frozenset[tuple[str, str]] = frozenset({
     ("studio", "clip"),
     ("studio", "source_image"),
     ("studio", "latent"),
+    ("studio", "positive_conditioning"),
     ("sampler", "vae"),
     ("concat", "audio_latent"),
     ("audiodec", "audio_vae"),
@@ -86,6 +93,7 @@ PORT_TO_OPEN_CORE: dict[str, tuple[str, str]] = {
     "FunPackStudio.clip": ("studio", "clip"),
     "FunPackStudio.source_image": ("studio", "source_image"),
     "FunPackStudio.latent": ("studio", "latent"),
+    "FunPackStudio.positive_conditioning": ("studio", "positive_conditioning"),
     "FunPackLTXAVSceneChainSampler.vae": ("sampler", "vae"),
     "LTXVConcatAVLatent.audio_latent": ("concat", "audio_latent"),
     "LTXVAudioVAEDecode.audio_vae": ("audiodec", "audio_vae"),
@@ -130,7 +138,8 @@ FAMILY_WIRING: dict[str, dict] = {
                                  ("CONDITIONING", None, _H3_KEYFRAME_PORT)],
         },
         "type_chain_terminals": {"LATENT": [_H3_LATENT_PORT],
-                                 "CONDITIONING": [_H3_KEYFRAME_PORT]},
+                                 "CONDITIONING": [_H3_KEYFRAME_PORT,
+                                                  "FunPackStudio.positive_conditioning"]},
         "default_wires": {
             "audio_vae": {"VAE": "port:VAEDecodeAudio.vae"},
             "audio_encoder": {},
diff --git a/movie_editor/frontend/models.js b/movie_editor/frontend/models.js
index a3800740..91353779 100644
--- a/movie_editor/frontend/models.js
+++ b/movie_editor/frontend/models.js
@@ -640,7 +640,8 @@
       const incoming = (config.slots || []).some((s2) =>
         s2.id !== slot.id && Object.values(s2.wires || {}).some((tg) => wireTargets(tg).includes(`node:${slot.id}:${ci.name}`)));
       if (incoming) return;
-      const prod = sources(slot, ci.type).filter((o) => o.value && o.value !== "timeline").length;
+      const prod = sources(slot, ci.type)
+        .filter((o) => o.value && o.value !== "timeline" && producerIsLive(o.value)).length;
       if (prod === 1) return;  // a single producer auto-wires
       if (prod > 1)
         issues.push({ level: "error", msg: `Input "${ci.name}" (${ci.type}): ${prod} possible sources — set its Input source.` });
@@ -1042,6 +1043,23 @@
   // Available sources for a slot connection input of a given type.
   // Source IDs: "" = auto, "out:<slotId>:<outName>", "core:<coreId>:<outIdx>",
   // "timeline" (IMAGE only), "ref:<mediaId>" (media marked R in the bin).
+  // A pass-through output is only a real source once its own input is fed: the LoRA loader
+  // hands CLIP straight back, so an unwired one emits nothing while still making every
+  // other CLIP consumer read as ambiguous. Matches builder._producers, which is what
+  // actually decides whether generation is blocked.
+  function producerIsLive(value) {
+    const m = /^out:([^:]+):(.+)$/.exec(String(value));
+    if (!m) return true;
+    const slot = (config.slots || []).find((s) => s.id === m[1]);
+    if (!slot) return true;
+    const spec = specFor(slot);
+    if (!spec) return true;
+    const out = (spec.outputs || []).find((o) => o.name === m[2]);
+    if (!out) return true;
+    return !(spec.connection_inputs || []).some(
+      (ci) => ci.type === out.type && !inputIsFed(slot, ci.name));
+  }
+
   function sources(slot, type) {
     const out = [{ value: "", label: "(auto-wire)" }];
     if (typeAccepts(type, "IMAGE")) out.push({ value: "timeline", label: "Timeline (scene image)" });
diff --git a/movie_editor/tests/test_builder.py b/movie_editor/tests/test_builder.py
index b65f311a..941c427c 100644
--- a/movie_editor/tests/test_builder.py
+++ b/movie_editor/tests/test_builder.py
@@ -946,6 +946,9 @@ OI_DEFAULTS = dict(OI, **{
                                "frame_rate": ["FLOAT,INT", {"default": 25.0, "widgetType": "FLOAT"}],
                                "audio_vae": ["VAE", {}]}},
         "output": ["LATENT"], "output_name": ["Latent"]},
+    "CLIPTextEncode": {
+        "input": {"required": {"text": ["STRING", {"default": ""}], "clip": ["CLIP", {}]}},
+        "output": ["CONDITIONING"], "output_name": ["CONDITIONING"]},
     "FunPackLoraLoader": {
         "input": {"required": {"model": ["MODEL", {}],
                                "lora_list": ["STRING", {"default": "[]",
@@ -1017,3 +1020,42 @@ def test_the_seeded_audio_latent_follows_the_project_not_its_own_widgets():
     assert audio["inputs"]["frame_rate"] == ["fps", 0]
     # and it takes the AUDIO vae, not whichever VAE auto-wire happened to reach first
     assert audio["inputs"]["audio_vae"] == graph["audiodec"]["inputs"]["audio_vae"]
+
+
+def test_a_conditioning_node_never_captures_the_prompt_by_itself():
+    """positive_conditioning replaces the typed prompt wholesale — shortcuts, $variables and
+    the per-scene split all go with it — so it must be something the user wired on purpose."""
+    models = _seeded_models()
+    models["slots"].append({
+        "id": "enc", "role": "custom", "node_class": "CLIPTextEncode",
+        "inputs": {"text": "hello"}, "wires": {}, "input_sources": {}})
+    graph, report = builder.build(OI_DEFAULTS, models, PARAMS)
+    assert "positive_conditioning" not in graph["studio"]["inputs"]
+    assert not any("positive_conditioning" in m for m in report["blocking"])
+
+
+def test_a_conditioning_wire_the_user_asked_for_is_honoured():
+    models = _seeded_models()
+    models["slots"].append({
+        "id": "enc", "role": "custom", "node_class": "CLIPTextEncode",
+        "inputs": {"text": "hello"},
+        "wires": {"CONDITIONING": ["port:FunPackStudio.positive_conditioning"]},
+        "input_sources": {}})
+    graph, report = builder.build(OI_DEFAULTS, models, PARAMS)
+    assert isinstance(graph["studio"]["inputs"]["positive_conditioning"], list)
+    assert report["blocking"] == []
+
+
+def test_an_unwired_pass_through_is_not_counted_as_a_source():
+    """The seeded LoRA loader hands CLIP straight back. With its clip input unwired it emits
+    nothing, and counting it made every other CLIP consumer read as ambiguous."""
+    models = _seeded_models()
+    models["slots"].append({
+        "id": "enc", "role": "custom", "node_class": "CLIPTextEncode",
+        "inputs": {"text": "hello"},
+        "wires": {"CONDITIONING": ["port:FunPackStudio.positive_conditioning"]},
+        "input_sources": {}})
+    graph, report = builder.build(OI_DEFAULTS, models, PARAMS)
+    by_class = {n["class_type"]: nid for nid, n in graph.items()}
+    assert graph[by_class["CLIPTextEncode"]]["inputs"]["clip"] == [by_class["FunPackCLIPLoader"], 0]
+    assert report["ambiguous"] == []
diff --git a/movie_editor/tests/test_pipeline_wiring.py b/movie_editor/tests/test_pipeline_wiring.py
index 661f1233..fd9628fa 100644
--- a/movie_editor/tests/test_pipeline_wiring.py
+++ b/movie_editor/tests/test_pipeline_wiring.py
@@ -503,3 +503,22 @@ def test_every_open_core_input_is_reachable_from_some_role():
             if port in pipeline_wiring._hidden_ports(family):
                 continue
             assert port in offered, (family, port)
+
+
+def test_pre_encoded_conditioning_has_a_port_in_both_families():
+    """A CONDITIONING output could be added and never connected: Studio's own port was not
+    offered, and the sampler's positive is a core-internal link."""
+    for family in ("ltxav", "minimax_h3"):
+        assert "FunPackStudio.positive_conditioning" in \
+            pipeline_wiring._chain_terminals(family)["CONDITIONING"]
+        assert "FunPackStudio.positive_conditioning" in \
+            pipeline_wiring._type_fallback_ports(family)["CONDITIONING"]
+
+
+def test_the_samplers_own_positive_stays_core_owned():
+    """Studio produces the conditioning the sampler samples. Wiring straight into the
+    sampler would cut Studio out of its own pipeline."""
+    for family in ("ltxav", "minimax_h3"):
+        offered = {p for ports in pipeline_wiring._type_fallback_ports(family).values()
+                   for p in ports}
+        assert "FunPackLTXAVSceneChainSampler.positive" not in offered