diff --git a/.changeset/name-failed-assets.md b/.changeset/name-failed-assets.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..44796c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/name-failed-assets.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@livekit/track-processors': patch
+---
+
+Reject with an `Error` naming the URL when the MediaPipe fileset or a background image fails to load, instead of a bare DOM `Event`
diff --git a/e2e/README.md b/e2e/README.md
index 99ce1f1..e6d4776 100644
--- a/e2e/README.md
+++ b/e2e/README.md
@@ -33,14 +33,14 @@ Chrome only for now. Firefox, WebKit and BrowserStack devices need their own cal
 
 ## What's covered
 
-Seventeen cases across eleven concerns.
+Twenty cases.
 
 | Spec | IDs | Concern |
 | --- | --- | --- |
 | `capability.spec.ts` | A1, A1b, A3, A4 | Support predicates; both pipelines selected and working |
-| `lifecycle.spec.ts` | B1, B2 | Attach produces blurred frames; detach restores them |
+| `lifecycle.spec.ts` | B1, B2, B3, B4 | Attach produces blurred frames; detach restores them and releases the WebGL context; a missing fileset rejects with an `Error` naming it |
 | `modes.spec.ts` | C1, C1b, C3 | Switching lands correctly, publishes no intermediate frame, and `disabled` is true passthrough |
-| `background.spec.ts` | D1, D5, D6 | Image composited behind the subject; fetched once; a failing image at construction is logged |
+| `background.spec.ts` | D1, D5, D6 | Image composited behind the subject; fetched once; a failing image at construction is logged by name |
 | `geometry.spec.ts` | E1 | Output dimensions follow the source at three resolutions |
 | `performance.spec.ts` | G1 | `onFrameProcessed` timings are coherent at a usable frame rate |
 
diff --git a/e2e/specs/background.spec.ts b/e2e/specs/background.spec.ts
index 4827a0e..3c6ad04 100644
--- a/e2e/specs/background.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/specs/background.spec.ts
@@ -133,5 +133,11 @@ test.describe('virtual background', () => {
     // uncaught error with no message.
     expect(app.pageErrors, 'uncaught page errors').toEqual([]);
     expect(await page.evaluate(() => window.harness.lastError()), 'harness logged an error').toBeNull();
+
+    // #142: the logged failure names the image rather than printing a bare DOM Event.
+    expect(
+      app.consoleErrors.some((line) => line.includes('missing-bg.png')),
+      `no console error named the image: ${JSON.stringify(app.consoleErrors)}`,
+    ).toBe(true);
   });
 });
diff --git a/e2e/specs/lifecycle.spec.ts b/e2e/specs/lifecycle.spec.ts
index 40064bf..9e4ba9b 100644
--- a/e2e/specs/lifecycle.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/specs/lifecycle.spec.ts
@@ -120,4 +120,34 @@ test.describe('processor lifecycle', () => {
       .poll(() => page.evaluate(() => window.harness.counters().webgl.contextsLost))
       .toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(before + cycles);
   });
+
+  // #142: MediaPipe rejects a failed wasm-loader script with its DOM Event, which has no message.
+  test('B4: a fileset that fails to load rejects with an Error naming its URL', async ({ app }) => {
+    const { page } = app;
+    await page.route('**/missing-wasm/**', (route) => route.fulfill({ status: 404 }));
+    await app.goto({ backdrop: 'checker', motion: 'static', wasm: '/missing-wasm' });
+    await startCamera(page);
+
+    const err = await page.evaluate(() =>
+      window.harness.media.setVideoProcessorEnabled(true).then(
+        () => null,
+        (e: unknown) => {
+          const cause = (e as { cause?: unknown }).cause;
+          return {
+            isError: e instanceof Error,
+            message: String((e as Error).message),
+            causeIsEvent: cause instanceof Event,
+            causeTarget:
+              cause instanceof Event ? (cause.target as Element | null)?.tagName : undefined,
+          };
+        },
+      ),
+    );
+    expect(err, 'attaching with a missing fileset resolved').not.toBeNull();
+    expect(err?.isError, 'rejection value is an Error').toBe(true);
+    expect(err?.message).toContain('/missing-wasm/');
+    // The browser's original error stays reachable for callers that need more than the message.
+    expect(err?.causeIsEvent, 'cause is the original Event').toBe(true);
+    expect(err?.causeTarget).toBe('SCRIPT');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/transformers/BackgroundTransformer.ts b/src/transformers/BackgroundTransformer.ts
index 8c8823a..1877a27 100644
--- a/src/transformers/BackgroundTransformer.ts
+++ b/src/transformers/BackgroundTransformer.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,14 @@ export type BackgroundOptions = {
   onFrameProcessed?: (stats: FrameProcessingStats) => void;
 };
 
+/**
+ * `cause` is assigned rather than passed to the constructor, because browsers without support for
+ * the `cause` option ignore it.
+ */
+function errorWithCause(message: string, cause: unknown) {
+  return Object.assign(new Error(message), { cause });
+}
+
 export default class BackgroundProcessor extends VideoTransformer<BackgroundOptions> {
   static get isSupported() {
     return (
@@ -78,6 +86,14 @@ export default class BackgroundProcessor extends VideoTransformer<BackgroundOpti
       runningMode: 'VIDEO',
       outputCategoryMask: true,
       outputConfidenceMasks: false,
+    }).catch((err) => {
+      // MediaPipe loads its wasm loader through a <script> tag and rejects with that tag's error
+      // Event, which has no message. The script's URL is the only thing identifying the failure.
+      if (err instanceof Event) {
+        const src = err.target instanceof HTMLScriptElement ? err.target.src : 'unknown URL';
+        throw errorWithCause(`Failed to load the MediaPipe tasks-vision fileset from ${src}`, err);
+      }
+      throw err;
     });
 
     // Skip loading the image here if update already loaded the image below
@@ -112,7 +128,8 @@ export default class BackgroundProcessor extends VideoTransformer<BackgroundOpti
       await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
         img.crossOrigin = 'Anonymous';
         img.onload = () => resolve(img);
-        img.onerror = (err) => reject(err);
+        img.onerror = (event) =>
+          reject(errorWithCause(`Failed to load background image from ${path}`, event));
         img.src = path;
       });
       const imageData = await createImageBitmap(img);