diff --git a/extensions/qa-lab/src/parity-shared.test.ts b/extensions/qa-lab/src/parity-shared.test.ts
index 0ffaafa72e46..6a39978dc5e4 100644
--- a/extensions/qa-lab/src/parity-shared.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/qa-lab/src/parity-shared.test.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,13 @@ describe("compareCapturedToolCallShape", () => {
     expect(compareCapturedToolCallShape([call, call, call], [call, call])).toBeUndefined();
   });
 
+  it("preserves execution count for non-image tools", () => {
+    const readCall = { tool: "read", argsHash: "same-args" };
+    expect(compareCapturedToolCallShape([readCall, readCall], [readCall])).toBe(
+      "tool call count differs (2 vs 1)",
+    );
+  });
+
   it("preserves canonical execution count", () => {
     expect(compareCapturedToolCallShape([call], [call, call])).toBe(
       "tool call count differs (1 vs 2)",
diff --git a/extensions/qa-lab/src/parity-shared.ts b/extensions/qa-lab/src/parity-shared.ts
index 0531ff87cd1b..ff6c181130a3 100644
--- a/extensions/qa-lab/src/parity-shared.ts
+++ b/extensions/qa-lab/src/parity-shared.ts
@@ -75,10 +75,12 @@ export function compareCapturedToolCallShape(
       rightIndex += 1;
       continue;
     }
-    const knownShape = right.some(
-      (candidate) => candidate.tool === leftCall.tool && candidate.argsHash === leftCall.argsHash,
-    );
-    if (!knownShape) {
+    const duplicatedImageShape =
+      leftCall.tool === "image_generate" &&
+      right.some(
+        (candidate) => candidate.tool === leftCall.tool && candidate.argsHash === leftCall.argsHash,
+      );
+    if (!duplicatedImageShape) {
       return exactMatch;
     }
   }