diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d4f68fa..9f7d48b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@
   twice, is not uploaded again; an archived copy of the same file is unarchived instead of uploaded. A live app without
   an editable version uses the live version: approved assets are selected there, new ones are uploaded and wait for a
   review of their own. Art without words needs no copy per locale: `<renders>/creative/header.png` / `search.*`
-  fill every language without its own file. Pitfall 76 rewritten.
+  fill every language without its own file, uploaded once and placed per locale (the dry run counts files, not slots).
+  Pitfall 76 rewritten.
 
 ## 0.8.13 · 2026-10-18
 
diff --git a/cli/apple/creative-assets.ts b/cli/apple/creative-assets.ts
index c932487..18ce31e 100644
--- a/cli/apple/creative-assets.ts
+++ b/cli/apple/creative-assets.ts
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ const reason = (a: J): string => {
 /** Bounded wait for processing (every wait has a timeout and a heartbeat); tests set waitMs 0 / timeoutMs 0. */
 export const processingTiming = { pollMs: 3000, timeoutMs: 120_000, heartbeatMs: 20_000, sleep: (ms: number): Promise<void> => (ms > 0 ? rt.sleep(ms) : Promise.resolve()) };
 
-export interface Row { locale: string; placement: Placement; file: string; action: 'keep' | 'upload' | 'wait' | 'select' | 'replace' | 'approve' | 'refuse'; state?: string; asset?: J }
+export interface Row { locale: string; placement: Placement; file: string; action: 'keep' | 'upload' | 'reuse' | 'wait' | 'select' | 'replace' | 'approve' | 'refuse'; state?: string; asset?: J }
 
 /** Local files per App Store locale, checked; throws on any error before a network call. */
 export function localCreative(ctx: Ctx): { src: string; local: Map<string, CreativeFile[]> } {
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ export async function run(ctx: Ctx): Promise<void> {
   if (verify) return verifySlots();
 
   const rows: Row[] = [];
+  const planned = new Set<string>(); // dry run: MD5s already planned for upload
   async function upload(f: CreativeFile, sum: string): Promise<J> {
     const buf = readFileSync(f.file);
     const type = f.kind === 'image' ? 'appAssetLibraryImages' : 'appAssetLibraryVideos';
@@ -202,7 +203,12 @@ export async function run(ctx: Ctx): Promise<void> {
       if (pick.refuse) { warn(TAG, `${tag}: ${basename(f.file)} ${pick.refuse}`); row('refuse'); continue; }
       let asset = pick.asset;
       if (!asset) {
-        if (dry) { log(TAG, `${tag}: would upload ${basename(f.file)} to the Asset Library and select it ${onLive ? 'on the live version once approved' : 'once processed'}`); row('upload'); continue; }
+        if (dry) {
+          // one upload per file: a later locale with the same file reuses it (the real run finds it by MD5)
+          const first = !planned.has(sum); planned.add(sum);
+          log(TAG, `${tag}: would ${first ? 'upload' : 'reuse'} ${basename(f.file)}${first ? ' to the Asset Library' : ' (uploaded once for an earlier locale)'} and select it ${onLive ? 'on the live version once approved' : 'once processed'}`);
+          row(first ? 'upload' : 'reuse'); continue;
+        }
         log(TAG, `${tag}: uploading ${basename(f.file)} to the Asset Library`);
         asset = await upload(f, sum);
         assets = await library();
@@ -261,7 +267,7 @@ export async function run(ctx: Ctx): Promise<void> {
       log(TAG, `${added} creative asset(s) added to draft review submission ${sid}; nothing was submitted`);
     }
   }
-  const summary = `creative assets: ${n(['keep'])} up to date, ${n(['select', 'replace'])} ${dry ? 'to select' : 'selected'}, ${n(['upload'])} to upload, ${n(['wait'])} still processing, ${approve ? `${approve} waiting for App Review (live version), ` : ''}${n(['refuse'])} refused${off ? `, ${off} did not read back` : ''}`;
+  const summary = `creative assets: ${n(['keep'])} up to date, ${n(['select', 'replace'])} ${dry ? 'to select' : 'selected'}, ${n(['upload'])} file(s) to upload${n(['reuse']) ? ` (used by ${n(['upload', 'reuse'])} slots)` : ''}, ${n(['wait'])} still processing, ${approve ? `${approve} waiting for App Review (live version), ` : ''}${n(['refuse'])} refused${off ? `, ${off} did not read back` : ''}`;
   if (unreviewed.size) {
     log(TAG, forReview
       ? `owner step: Submit for Review with the version (or alone once the app has an approved version): ${consoleLink('asc.app-review')}`
diff --git a/tests/creative-assets.test.ts b/tests/creative-assets.test.ts
index 07b5daa..6a24321 100644
--- a/tests/creative-assets.test.ts
+++ b/tests/creative-assets.test.ts
@@ -194,6 +194,19 @@ describe('apple creative-assets against the fake App Store Connect', () => {
     expect((await go(p, ['--verify'])).out).toContain('every slot shows the local file');
   });
 
+  test('one shared file for many locales: the dry run plans one upload, the run uploads once and places it per locale', async () => {
+    const two = { ...CFG, languages: [{ id: 'en', apple: 'en-US', play: 'en-US' }, { id: 'tr', apple: 'tr', play: 'tr-TR' }] };
+    s.asc.put({ type: 'appAssetLibraries', id: 'lib-1', attributes: {}, rels: { app: APP } });
+    s.asc.put({ type: 'appStoreVersions', id: 'ver-1', attributes: { versionString: '1.0.0', appVersionState: 'PREPARE_FOR_SUBMISSION', platform: 'IOS' }, rels: { app: APP } });
+    for (const l of ['en-US', 'tr']) s.asc.put({ type: 'appStoreVersionLocalizations', id: `loc-${l}`, attributes: { locale: l }, rels: { appStoreVersion: 'ver-1' } });
+    const p = project(two, { 'store/renders/creative/header.png': png(3840, 1646, false, 4) });
+    const dry = await go(p, ['--dry']);
+    expect(dry.out).toContain('1 file(s) to upload (used by 2 slots)');
+    const r = await go(p);
+    expect(r.w.filter(x => x === 'POST /v1/appAssetLibraryImages')).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(r.w.filter(x => x === 'POST /v1/appAssetLibraryPlacements')).toHaveLength(2);
+  });
+
   test('a bad file stops the run before any call', async () => {
     const p = setup({ 'store/renders/en/creative/header.png': png(3840, 1600, true) });
     const a = s.calls.length;