diff --git a/src/vegas_mode/geometry.py b/src/vegas_mode/geometry.py
index bec65c01..85f8ad2c 100644
--- a/src/vegas_mode/geometry.py
+++ b/src/vegas_mode/geometry.py
@@ -222,16 +222,19 @@ def find_blank_cut(
         return target
 
     ink = column_has_ink(img, threshold)
-    lo = max(0, target - search_radius)
-    hi = min(width - 1, target + search_radius)
+
+    # target may legitimately equal width (a cut after the last column), but
+    # there is no column to inspect there, so both bounds stop at width - 1.
+    lo = max(0, min(target - search_radius, width - 1))
+    hi = max(0, min(target + search_radius, width - 1))
 
     # Walk outwards from target so the nearest gap wins.
     for offset in range(0, search_radius + 1):
         right = target + offset
-        if right <= hi and not ink[right]:
+        if lo <= right <= hi and not ink[right]:
             return right
         left = target - offset
-        if left >= lo and not ink[left]:
+        if lo <= left <= hi and not ink[left]:
             return left
 
     return target
diff --git a/test/test_vegas_density.py b/test/test_vegas_density.py
index a17724e4..e1e5589a 100644
--- a/test/test_vegas_density.py
+++ b/test/test_vegas_density.py
@@ -928,3 +928,44 @@ class TestBudgetUsesMeasuredGaps:
 
         p = RenderPipeline(VegasModeConfig(lead_in_width=0, **cfg), DM(), FakeStream())
         assert p._join_plugin_rows(selected).width <= DISPLAY_W
+
+
+class TestRotationAcrossMultipleCycles:
+    """
+    The single-image crop advances a window across cycles. The second and later
+    passes are where start + budget can land exactly on the image width, which
+    crashed find_blank_cut in the field and lost that plugin's content for the
+    cycle. First-pass-only tests never reach it.
+    """
+
+    def test_window_advances_over_many_cycles_without_error(self):
+        # Mirrors the field case: 1840px stocks strip, 1536px budget, so the
+        # second pass starts at 1536 and start + budget == 3072 -> clamped to
+        # the 1840 width, i.e. target == img.width.
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=3.0)
+        strip = canvas([(0, 1840)], width=1840)
+        widths = []
+        for _ in range(8):
+            adapter.invalidate_cache('ledmatrix-stocks')
+            images = adapter.get_content(NativePlugin([strip]), 'ledmatrix-stocks')
+            assert images, "content must never be lost mid-rotation"
+            widths.append(images[0].width)
+        assert all(w > 0 for w in widths)
+
+    def test_offset_wraps_back_to_zero_at_the_end(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=3.0)
+        strip = canvas([(0, 1840)], width=1840)
+        seen_reset = False
+        for _ in range(6):
+            adapter.invalidate_cache('s')
+            adapter.get_content(NativePlugin([strip]), 's')
+            if adapter._item_offsets.get('s', 0) == 0:
+                seen_reset = True
+        assert seen_reset, "window should wrap round rather than stall at the end"
+
+    def test_multi_row_rotation_never_returns_empty(self):
+        adapter = adapter_with(content_padding=0, max_plugin_width_ratio=1.0)
+        rows = [canvas([(0, 200)], width=200) for _ in range(7)]
+        for _ in range(10):
+            adapter.invalidate_cache('rows')
+            assert adapter.get_content(NativePlugin(rows), 'rows')
diff --git a/test/test_vegas_geometry.py b/test/test_vegas_geometry.py
index 2573fc16..5a336fc0 100644
--- a/test/test_vegas_geometry.py
+++ b/test/test_vegas_geometry.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from src.vegas_mode.geometry import (
     content_bounds,
     dead_window_stats,
     edge_blank,
+    find_blank_cut,
     separation_gap,
     trim_to_content,
     window_coverage_stats,
@@ -319,3 +320,51 @@ class TestSeparationGap:
         # flat gap; measured separation lifts them to the 24px target.
         card = paint(make_img(150), 0, 150)
         assert separation_gap(card, card, target=24, minimum=8) == 24
+
+
+class TestFindBlankCut:
+    def test_snaps_to_the_nearest_gap(self):
+        img = paint(make_img(200), 0, 90)
+        paint(img, 110, 200)
+        # 100 is inside the 90..110 gap already.
+        assert find_blank_cut(img, 100, 20) == 100
+
+    def test_walks_outwards_to_find_a_gap(self):
+        img = paint(make_img(200), 0, 95)
+        paint(img, 105, 200)
+        cut = find_blank_cut(img, 90, 20)
+        assert 95 <= cut < 105
+
+    def test_solid_ink_returns_the_target(self):
+        assert find_blank_cut(paint(make_img(200), 0, 200), 100, 20) == 100
+
+    def test_target_at_image_width_does_not_index_past_the_end(self):
+        # A cut after the last column is legal. Indexing ink[width] raised
+        # IndexError in the field, losing that plugin's content for the cycle.
+        # Reached once the rotation offset advances so start + budget lands
+        # exactly on the image width.
+        img = paint(make_img(1840), 0, 1840)
+        assert find_blank_cut(img, 1840, 32) == 1840
+
+    def test_target_past_image_width_is_clamped(self):
+        img = paint(make_img(100), 0, 100)
+        assert find_blank_cut(img, 500, 32) == 100
+
+    def test_target_at_width_with_a_trailing_gap_snaps_back(self):
+        # Content 0..179, blank 180..199. The nearest blank column to 200 is
+        # 199, not the start of the gap — nearest is what keeps the cut as
+        # close as possible to the requested budget.
+        img = paint(make_img(200), 0, 180)
+        assert find_blank_cut(img, 200, 32) == 199
+
+    def test_zero_radius_returns_the_target(self):
+        assert find_blank_cut(paint(make_img(100), 0, 100), 50, 0) == 50
+
+    def test_negative_target_is_clamped_to_zero(self):
+        assert find_blank_cut(paint(make_img(100), 0, 100), -20, 8) == 0
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("target", [0, 1, 50, 99, 100])
+    def test_never_raises_across_the_range(self, target):
+        img = paint(make_img(100), 0, 100)
+        cut = find_blank_cut(img, target, 16)
+        assert 0 <= cut <= 100