diff --git a/scripts/ad-networks/niche-sort.mjs b/scripts/ad-networks/niche-sort.mjs
index 94dfacee..5e1ab18b 100644
--- a/scripts/ad-networks/niche-sort.mjs
+++ b/scripts/ad-networks/niche-sort.mjs
@@ -24,7 +24,9 @@ export function validateNicheBatch(input, output) {
     if (seen.has(row.domain)) throw new Error(`Duplicate result: ${row.domain}`);
     seen.add(row.domain); rows.push(row);
   }
-  if (seen.size !== domains.size) throw new Error(`Domain set mismatch: expected ${domains.size}, received ${seen.size}`);
+  // The model sometimes drops a site from a long batch. Keep the answers it gave: a missing site
+  // isn't checkpointed, so the next run asks again. An empty answer is still a failed call.
+  if (!seen.size) throw new Error(`No niche results for a batch of ${domains.size}`);
   return rows;
 }
 
@@ -145,7 +147,7 @@ export async function sortNiches(options, dependencies = {}) {
     }
     // Also retry revalidation when a previous run committed before it failed.
     await (dependencies.revalidate ?? revalidateAdNetworks)(options);
-    return { applied: true, environment: options.environment, classified: input.length, imported, withheld, synced: true, revalidated: true };
+    return { applied: true, environment: options.environment, classified, imported, withheld, synced: true, revalidated: true };
   } catch (error) {
     error.jobResult = { classified, imported, withheld, synced: imported > 0, revalidated: false }; throw error;
   } finally {
diff --git a/tests/pages/ad-networks/niche-sort.test.mjs b/tests/pages/ad-networks/niche-sort.test.mjs
index 41f79dfe..5c0b019d 100644
--- a/tests/pages/ad-networks/niche-sort.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/pages/ad-networks/niche-sort.test.mjs
@@ -9,10 +9,13 @@ import { adNetworkNicheShares, hasAdNetworkNicheCoverage } from '../../../lib/ad
 const input = [{ domain: 'example.com' }, { domain: 'example.org' }];
 const result = (domain, niche = 'food', confidence = 'high') => ({ domain, niche, confidence });
 const lines = rows => rows.map(row => JSON.stringify(row)).join('\n');
-test('model validation requires the exact input set once each, known labels, and confidence', () => {
+test('model validation takes only input domains once each, with known labels and confidence', () => {
   const correct = [result('example.com'), result('example.org', null, 'low')];
   assert.deepEqual(validateNicheBatch(input, lines(correct)), correct);
-  for (const bad of [[correct[0]], [correct[0], correct[0]], [...correct, result('extra.com')],
+  // A dropped site is left for the next run; an empty answer fails.
+  assert.deepEqual(validateNicheBatch(input, lines([correct[0]])), [correct[0]]);
+  assert.throws(() => validateNicheBatch(input, ''), /No niche results/);
+  for (const bad of [[correct[0], correct[0]], [...correct, result('extra.com')],
     [result('example.com', 'invented'), correct[1]], [result('example.com', 'food', 1.5), correct[1]],
     [{ ...correct[0], comment: 'extra' }, correct[1]], [result('https://example.com'), correct[1]]]) {
     assert.throws(() => validateNicheBatch(input, lines(bad)));