diff --git a/nextcloud_mcp_server/vector/processor.py b/nextcloud_mcp_server/vector/processor.py
index 8b7d6851..38c04b33 100644
--- a/nextcloud_mcp_server/vector/processor.py
+++ b/nextcloud_mcp_server/vector/processor.py
@@ -141,11 +141,13 @@ async def record_indexing_usage(
       (card #282).
 
     Best-effort and flag-gated: a metering failure is logged and never breaks
-    indexing. No-op when metering is disabled or the document produced no chunks
-    (an empty batch embeds nothing and would only write zero-value rows).
-    ``pages_embedded`` is additionally skipped when ``page_count`` is absent or
-    zero — gating on the page count itself (not the ``doc_type``) keeps this
-    correct if a future non-PDF parsed type starts reporting pages.
+    indexing. ``chunk_count`` is the empty-batch no-op guard — a document that
+    produced no chunks embedded nothing, so both events are skipped rather than
+    writing zero-value rows. ``pages_embedded`` is additionally skipped when
+    ``page_count`` is absent or not strictly positive — gating on the page count
+    itself (not the ``doc_type``) keeps this correct if a future non-PDF parsed
+    type starts reporting pages, and a malformed non-positive count meters as
+    "no pages" rather than emitting a zero/negative billing row.
 
     Privacy note: ``user_id`` stays tenant-local — the CP rollup aggregates
     GROUP BY (day, metric) into ``usage_daily`` (no metadata column), so nothing
@@ -170,17 +172,20 @@ async def record_indexing_usage(
         # independent; one raising never blocks the other — acceptable under the
         # (day, metric) SUM-aggregation billing model.
 
-        # tokens_embedded: recorded for every embedded document.
+        # tokens_embedded first (intentional ordering): it is recorded for every
+        # embedded document, so the embedding cost is always captured before the
+        # conditional parsing cost — don't reverse this in a refactor.
         await store.record_usage_event(
             metric="tokens_embedded",
             value=token_count,
             metadata=metadata,
             enabled=True,
         )
-        # pages_embedded: parsed pages only. Text content has no page_count, so
-        # skip it rather than write a zero-value row that would misrepresent a
-        # no-parse document as billable parsing work.
-        if page_count:
+        # pages_embedded: parsed pages only, and only a strictly positive count.
+        # Text content has no page_count; a zero/negative count is skipped rather
+        # than writing a row that would misrepresent a no-parse document as
+        # billable parsing work.
+        if page_count and page_count > 0:
             await store.record_usage_event(
                 metric="pages_embedded",
                 value=page_count,
@@ -933,6 +938,8 @@ async def _index_document(
             # Narrow defensively: file_metadata values are loosely typed, so a
             # malformed page_count meters as "no pages" rather than erroring on
             # the indexing path.
+            # bool is an int subclass, so exclude it explicitly — a stray
+            # page_count=True in metadata must not slip through as pages=1.
             raw_page_count = file_metadata.get("page_count")
             await record_indexing_usage(
                 enabled=settings.usage_metering_enabled,
@@ -944,7 +951,10 @@ async def _index_document(
                 token_count=embed_tokens,
                 total_chars=total_chars,
                 page_count=(
-                    raw_page_count if isinstance(raw_page_count, int) else None
+                    raw_page_count
+                    if isinstance(raw_page_count, int)
+                    and not isinstance(raw_page_count, bool)
+                    else None
                 ),
             )
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_processor_metering.py b/tests/unit/test_processor_metering.py
index a5449e4b..7a46f7f5 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_processor_metering.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_processor_metering.py
@@ -96,6 +96,26 @@ async def test_zero_pages_skips_pages(store_spy):
     assert by_metric == {"tokens_embedded": 99}
 
 
+@pytest.mark.unit
+async def test_negative_pages_skips_pages(store_spy):
+    """A malformed negative page_count meters as 'no pages' (tokens only)."""
+    await processor.record_indexing_usage(
+        enabled=True,
+        provider="mistral",
+        model="mistral-embed",
+        doc_type="file",
+        user_id="alice",
+        chunk_count=4,
+        token_count=99,
+        total_chars=1000,
+        page_count=-1,
+    )
+
+    calls = store_spy.record_usage_event.await_args_list
+    by_metric = {c.kwargs["metric"]: c.kwargs["value"] for c in calls}
+    assert by_metric == {"tokens_embedded": 99}
+
+
 @pytest.mark.unit
 async def test_disabled_is_noop(store_spy):
     """Flag off → no store access, no events."""