diff --git a/ant-cli/src/commands/data/chunk.rs b/ant-cli/src/commands/data/chunk.rs
index 9c7a0bf..9e4f278 100644
--- a/ant-cli/src/commands/data/chunk.rs
+++ b/ant-cli/src/commands/data/chunk.rs
@@ -130,6 +130,10 @@ impl PeerGetSummary {
                 self.not_found += 1;
                 "not_found".to_string()
             }
+            Err(DataError::NotFound(e)) => {
+                self.not_found += 1;
+                format!("not_found message={e}")
+            }
             Err(DataError::Timeout(e)) => {
                 self.timeout += 1;
                 format!("timeout message={e}")
@@ -359,6 +363,10 @@ mod tests {
 
         assert_eq!(summary.record(&Ok(Some(chunk))), "found bytes=3");
         assert_eq!(summary.record(&Ok(None)), "not_found");
+        assert_eq!(
+            summary.record(&Err(DataError::NotFound("nothing at abcd".to_string()))),
+            "not_found message=nothing at abcd"
+        );
         assert_eq!(
             summary.record(&Err(DataError::Timeout("slow".to_string()))),
             "timeout message=slow"
@@ -373,7 +381,7 @@ mod tests {
         );
 
         assert_eq!(summary.found, 1);
-        assert_eq!(summary.not_found, 1);
+        assert_eq!(summary.not_found, 2);
         assert_eq!(summary.timeout, 1);
         assert_eq!(summary.network_error, 1);
         assert_eq!(summary.error, 1);
diff --git a/ant-core/src/data/client/data.rs b/ant-core/src/data/client/data.rs
index a3a5b98..ba5fbf9 100644
--- a/ant-core/src/data/client/data.rs
+++ b/ant-core/src/data/client/data.rs
@@ -395,10 +395,11 @@ impl Client {
     ///
     /// # Errors
     ///
-    /// Returns an error if the chunk is not found or deserialization fails.
+    /// Returns [`Error::NotFound`] if no chunk exists at `address`; other
+    /// errors if retrieval or deserialization fails.
     pub async fn data_map_fetch(&self, address: &[u8; 32]) -> Result<DataMap> {
         let chunk = self.chunk_get(address).await?.ok_or_else(|| {
-            Error::InvalidData(format!(
+            Error::NotFound(format!(
                 "DataMap chunk not found at {}",
                 hex::encode(address)
             ))
@@ -412,7 +413,8 @@ impl Client {
     ///
     /// # Errors
     ///
-    /// Returns an error if the chunk is not found or deserialization fails.
+    /// Returns [`Error::NotFound`] if no chunk exists at `address`; other
+    /// errors if retrieval or deserialization fails.
     pub async fn data_map_fetch_from_closest_peers(
         &self,
         address: &[u8; 32],
@@ -422,7 +424,7 @@ impl Client {
             .chunk_get_from_closest_peers(address, peer_count.get())
             .await?
             .ok_or_else(|| {
-                Error::InvalidData(format!(
+                Error::NotFound(format!(
                     "DataMap chunk not found at {}",
                     hex::encode(address)
                 ))
@@ -451,8 +453,9 @@ impl Client {
     ///
     /// # Errors
     ///
-    /// Returns an error if any chunk cannot be retrieved, if decryption fails,
-    /// or if a shrunk map must be resolved on a current-thread runtime.
+    /// Returns an error if any chunk cannot be retrieved (a chunk absent from
+    /// every queried peer surfaces as [`Error::NotFound`]), if decryption
+    /// fails, or if a shrunk map must be resolved on a current-thread runtime.
     pub async fn data_download(&self, data_map: &DataMap) -> Result<Bytes> {
         let root_data_map = self.resolve_root_data_map(data_map).await?;
 
@@ -479,7 +482,7 @@ impl Client {
                     // (Ok(None) -> Timeout is the load-shedding
                     // signal for sustained close-group exhaustion).
                     let chunk = self.chunk_get_observed(&address).await?.ok_or_else(|| {
-                        Error::InvalidData(format!(
+                        Error::NotFound(format!(
                             "Missing chunk {} required for data reconstruction",
                             hex::encode(address)
                         ))
@@ -552,7 +555,7 @@ impl Client {
 
         // The self-encryption fetcher may only yield `self_encryption::Error`.
         // Capture the underlying `ant-core` error out-of-band so a missing
-        // wrapper chunk surfaces as `Error::InvalidData` (matching the
+        // wrapper chunk surfaces as `Error::NotFound` (matching the
         // content-chunk path) and a network failure keeps its `Timeout` /
         // `Network` classification, instead of every resolution failure
         // flattening to `Error::Encryption`.
@@ -566,7 +569,7 @@ impl Client {
                             Ok(Some(chunk)) => Ok(chunk.content),
                             Ok(None) => Err(record_wrapper_fetch_error(
                                 &mut fetch_error,
-                                Error::InvalidData(format!(
+                                Error::NotFound(format!(
                                     "Missing wrapper chunk {} required to resolve root DataMap",
                                     hex::encode(address)
                                 )),
diff --git a/ant-core/src/data/client/mod.rs b/ant-core/src/data/client/mod.rs
index 5214df9..224afaf 100644
--- a/ant-core/src/data/client/mod.rs
+++ b/ant-core/src/data/client/mod.rs
@@ -55,11 +55,12 @@ pub(crate) const PUT_TARGET_WIDTH: usize = 20;
 /// - `PartialUpload` -> `NetworkError` (literal capacity signal: some
 ///   chunks could not be stored)
 /// - `AlreadyStored`, `Encryption`, `Crypto`, `Payment`,
-///   `Serialization`, `InvalidData`, `SignatureVerification`,
+///   `Serialization`, `InvalidData`, `NotFound`, `SignatureVerification`,
 ///   `Config`, `InsufficientDiskSpace`, `CostEstimationInconclusive`,
 ///   `Cancelled` -> `ApplicationError` (would happen on a perfectly
 ///   healthy link; `Cancelled` is caller-initiated and must not be retried
-///   as a transport failure)
+///   as a transport failure; `NotFound` is a definitively absent record
+///   reported over a working link, not a transport symptom)
 /// - `RemotePut` -> `ApplicationError` (the remote node responded with a
 ///   structured rejection — the transport succeeded, so the node declined
 ///   at the application layer; not a local capacity signal)
@@ -83,6 +84,10 @@ pub(crate) fn classify_error(err: &Error) -> Outcome {
         | Error::Payment(_)
         | Error::Serialization(_)
         | Error::InvalidData(_)
+        // A definitively absent record, reported over a working link —
+        // the peers answered, there was just nothing stored there. Not a
+        // transport symptom, so it must not push the limiter down.
+        | Error::NotFound(_)
         | Error::SignatureVerification(_)
         | Error::Config(_)
         | Error::InsufficientDiskSpace(_)
@@ -623,6 +628,13 @@ mod tests {
                 Error::InvalidData("d".to_string()),
                 Outcome::ApplicationError,
             ),
+            // A definitively absent record over a working link — the peers
+            // answered, nothing was stored there. Must NOT register as a
+            // capacity signal.
+            (
+                Error::NotFound("missing".to_string()),
+                Outcome::ApplicationError,
+            ),
             (
                 Error::Serialization("s".to_string()),
                 Outcome::ApplicationError,
@@ -759,6 +771,7 @@ mod tests {
             | Error::Payment(_)
             | Error::Protocol(_)
             | Error::InvalidData(_)
+            | Error::NotFound(_)
             | Error::Serialization(_)
             | Error::Crypto(_)
             | Error::Io(_)
diff --git a/ant-core/src/data/error.rs b/ant-core/src/data/error.rs
index e0f49b7..8039e30 100644
--- a/ant-core/src/data/error.rs
+++ b/ant-core/src/data/error.rs
@@ -64,6 +64,17 @@ pub enum Error {
     #[error("invalid data: {0}")]
     InvalidData(String),
 
+    /// The requested record does not exist on the network.
+    ///
+    /// A well-formed address with nothing stored at it — e.g. a `DataMap`
+    /// chunk lookup or a reconstruction fetch that came back empty from
+    /// every queried peer. Distinct from [`Error::InvalidData`], which means
+    /// content WAS retrieved but is malformed or fails integrity checks, so
+    /// callers can show "not found — check the address" instead of a
+    /// caller-bug message.
+    #[error("not found: {0}")]
+    NotFound(String),
+
     /// Serialization error.
     #[error("serialization error: {0}")]
     Serialization(String),
@@ -230,6 +241,15 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(err.to_string(), "invalid data: bad hash");
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_display_not_found() {
+        let err = Error::NotFound("DataMap chunk not found at abcd".to_string());
+        assert_eq!(
+            err.to_string(),
+            "not found: DataMap chunk not found at abcd"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_display_serialization() {
         let err = Error::Serialization("decode failed".to_string());