diff --git a/packages/lint/src/rules/structure.test.ts b/packages/lint/src/rules/structure.test.ts
index 9f3392d7c0..f4d4f619f1 100644
--- a/packages/lint/src/rules/structure.test.ts
+++ b/packages/lint/src/rules/structure.test.ts
@@ -95,17 +95,18 @@ describe("legacy data-end", () => {
 });
 
 describe("media_missing_duration", () => {
-  it("flags img, video and audio without data-duration and passes them with one", async () => {
-    for (const tag of ["img", "video", "audio"]) {
-      expect(
-        has(await codes(`<${tag} src="a" data-start="0"></${tag}>`), "media_missing_duration"),
-      ).toBe(true);
-      expect(
-        has(
-          await codes(`<${tag} src="a" data-start="0" data-duration="3"></${tag}>`),
-          "media_missing_duration",
-        ),
-      ).toBe(false);
+  it("flags a timed img without data-duration and passes it with one", async () => {
+    const bare = await codes('<img src="a" data-start="0" />');
+    expect(has(bare, "media_missing_duration")).toBe(true);
+    const timed = await codes('<img src="a" data-start="0" data-duration="3" />');
+    expect(has(timed, "media_missing_duration")).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("takes video and audio length from the file, so data-start alone passes", async () => {
+    for (const tag of ["video", "audio"]) {
+      const found = await codes(`<${tag} src="a" data-start="0" data-track-index="1"></${tag}>`);
+      expect(has(found, "media_missing_duration")).toBe(false);
+      expect(has(found, "timeline_element_missing_timing")).toBe(false);
     }
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/lint/src/rules/structure.ts b/packages/lint/src/rules/structure.ts
index 7273ee09a0..37f065afd3 100644
--- a/packages/lint/src/rules/structure.ts
+++ b/packages/lint/src/rules/structure.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ const OPAQUE_TAGS = new Set([
 ]);
 // Never layout: their content is code or inert markup.
 const NON_LAYOUT_TAGS = new Set(["style", "script", "template", "noscript"]);
-const MEDIA_TAGS = new Set(["img", "video", "audio"]);
+// Their length comes from the media file, so data-start alone is enough.
+const FILE_LENGTH_TAGS = new Set(["video", "audio"]);
 const NODE_ATTRS = [
   "id",
   "class",
@@ -124,26 +125,27 @@ function nestedStructureFindings(rows: TagNode[], severity: Severity): Hyperfram
 }
 
 function missingDurationFindings(rows: TagNode[], severity: Severity): HyperframeLintFinding[] {
-  // A bare media element with no timing is a static layer, not a timeline clip.
+  // A bare img with no timing is a static layer, not a timeline clip.
   const intendedClip = (row: TagNode) =>
-    !MEDIA_TAGS.has(row.tag) ||
+    row.tag !== "img" ||
     row.attrs["data-start"] !== undefined ||
     row.attrs["data-track-index"] !== undefined;
   return rows
     .filter(
       (row) =>
+        !FILE_LENGTH_TAGS.has(row.tag) &&
         row.attrs["data-duration"] === undefined &&
         row.attrs["data-end"] === undefined &&
         !isSubCompositionHost(row) &&
         intendedClip(row),
     )
     .map((row) => {
-      const isMedia = MEDIA_TAGS.has(row.tag);
+      const isImage = row.tag === "img";
       return {
-        code: isMedia ? "media_missing_duration" : "timeline_element_missing_timing",
+        code: isImage ? "media_missing_duration" : "timeline_element_missing_timing",
         severity,
-        message: isMedia
-          ? `${describe(row)} is media on the timeline without data-duration, so its clip has no length.`
+        message: isImage
+          ? `${describe(row)} is an image on the timeline without data-duration, and an image has no length of its own.`
           : `${describe(row)} is a timeline element without data-duration, so the timeline cannot draw where it ends.`,
         elementId: row.attrs.id,
         fixHint: `Add data-duration (in seconds) to ${describe(row)}.`,