diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 87a47ac..bb12829 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+- feat: `get_project_metadata` returns the `QUARTO_EXECUTE_INFO` path as a third value with each reason, so a caller can name the file without reading the variable again. Its four reasons are now a stable API that callers can compare against. (#21)
+
 ## 2.7.0 (2026-10-29)
 
 - feat: Add `get_project_metadata`, which returns the project's `format.metadata` table from the `QUARTO_EXECUTE_INFO` file. When the file is set but can't be used, it returns `nil` and a short reason, so each extension can stay silent or warn in its own words. (#19)
diff --git a/modules/metadata.lua b/modules/metadata.lua
index cedfa95..fc5b9ac 100644
--- a/modules/metadata.lua
+++ b/modules/metadata.lua
@@ -195,8 +195,13 @@ end
 --- The file is read on every call; pass the result on rather than calling twice.
 --- @return table|nil format_meta The format.metadata table, or nil if unavailable
 --- @return string|nil reason Why the file could not be used when
----   QUARTO_EXECUTE_INFO is set; nil when it is unset or empty
---- @usage local format_meta, reason = M.get_project_metadata()
+---   QUARTO_EXECUTE_INFO is set; nil when it is unset or empty.
+---   The reasons are a stable API: callers can compare against them, and a
+---   change to any of them is a breaking change. They are exactly
+---   "file is unreadable", "file is empty", "invalid JSON" and
+---   "no format.metadata table".
+--- @return string|nil path The QUARTO_EXECUTE_INFO path, with every reason
+--- @usage local format_meta, reason, path = M.get_project_metadata()
 --- @note quarto-cli's decoder raises on bad JSON, while q2's (pandoc.json)
 ---   returns nil, so a nil result is also reported as invalid JSON.
 function M.get_project_metadata()
@@ -204,19 +209,19 @@ function M.get_project_metadata()
   if str.is_empty(path) then return nil end
 
   local file = io.open(path, "r")
-  if not file then return nil, "file is unreadable" end
+  if not file then return nil, "file is unreadable", path end
 
   local content = file:read("*a")
   file:close()
 
-  if str.is_empty(content) then return nil, "file is empty" end
+  if str.is_empty(content) then return nil, "file is empty", path end
 
   local ok, info = pcall(quarto.json.decode, content)
-  if not ok or info == nil then return nil, "invalid JSON" end
+  if not ok or info == nil then return nil, "invalid JSON", path end
 
   if type(info) ~= "table" or type(info["format"]) ~= "table"
       or type(info["format"]["metadata"]) ~= "table" then
-    return nil, "no format.metadata table"
+    return nil, "no format.metadata table", path
   end
 
   return info["format"]["metadata"]
diff --git a/tests/run.lua b/tests/run.lua
index 098d51f..21c9c6c 100644
--- a/tests/run.lua
+++ b/tests/run.lua
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ do
       end
       return previous_getenv(name)
     end
-    fn()
+    fn(value)
   end
 
   --- Point QUARTO_EXECUTE_INFO at a file holding `content`, or at a path that
@@ -394,16 +394,18 @@ do
     end)
   end
 
-  local function reports(description, expected_reason)
-    local ok, format_meta, reason = pcall(metadata.get_project_metadata)
-    check(ok and format_meta == nil and reason == expected_reason, description,
-      ok and string.format('expected nil, %s; got %s, %s',
-        tostring(expected_reason), tostring(format_meta), tostring(reason))
+  local function reports(description, expected_reason, expected_path)
+    local ok, format_meta, reason, path = pcall(metadata.get_project_metadata)
+    check(ok and format_meta == nil and reason == expected_reason and path == expected_path,
+      description,
+      ok and string.format('expected nil, %s, %s; got %s, %s, %s',
+        tostring(expected_reason), tostring(expected_path),
+        tostring(format_meta), tostring(reason), tostring(path))
       or ('raised: ' .. tostring(format_meta)))
   end
 
   local function reports_for(content, description, expected_reason)
-    with_execute_info(content, function() reports(description, expected_reason) end)
+    with_execute_info(content, function(path) reports(description, expected_reason, path) end)
   end
 
   local function returns_blocks(content, description, predicate)