diff --git a/docs.php b/docs.php
index ebc3d873..bcc55fc1 100644
--- a/docs.php
+++ b/docs.php
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ function main(array $options = []): void {
   require_once $base_path . '/tests/behat/bootstrap/FeatureContextTrait.php';
   require_once $base_path . '/tests/behat/bootstrap/FeatureContext.php';
 
-  $info = extract_info(FeatureContext::class, [FeatureContextTrait::class, 'HelperTrait'], $base_path);
+  $info = extract_info(FeatureContext::class, [FeatureContextTrait::class, 'HelperTrait', 'EntityFixtureTrait'], $base_path);
 
   $errors = validate($info);
 
diff --git a/src/Drupal/ContentTrait.php b/src/Drupal/ContentTrait.php
index a58b12ca..fdbafe6f 100644
--- a/src/Drupal/ContentTrait.php
+++ b/src/Drupal/ContentTrait.php
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 use Behat\Gherkin\Node\TableNode;
 use Behat\Mink\Exception\ExpectationException;
 use DrevOps\BehatSteps\HelperTrait;
+use Drupal\DrupalExtension\Hook\Attribute\BeforeNodeCreate;
+use Drupal\DrupalExtension\Hook\Scope\BeforeNodeCreateScope;
 use Drupal\node\Entity\Node;
 use Drupal\node\NodeAccessControlHandlerInterface;
 use Drupal\node\NodeInterface;
@@ -24,6 +26,7 @@
  */
 trait ContentTrait {
 
+  use EntityFixtureTrait;
   use HelperTrait;
 
   /**
@@ -303,6 +306,22 @@ public function contentAssertNotExistsWithTitle(string $content_type, string $ti
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Expand fixture file paths for file/image fields on nodes.
+   *
+   * Rewrites bare fixture filenames (e.g. 'document.pdf') on 'file' and
+   * 'image' field types to absolute paths under the Mink 'files_path' so
+   * drupal-driver's FileHandler can read and upload them during node
+   * creation. Without this, scenarios with file fields on nodes have to
+   * pre-create managed files explicitly via FileTrait.
+   *
+   * Backed by 'EntityFixtureTrait::entityFixtureExpand()'.
+   */
+  #[BeforeNodeCreate]
+  public function contentBeforeNodeCreate(BeforeNodeCreateScope $scope): void {
+    $this->entityFixtureExpand('node', $scope->getStub());
+  }
+
   /**
    * Load multiple nodes with specified type and conditions.
    *
diff --git a/src/Drupal/EntityFixtureTrait.php b/src/Drupal/EntityFixtureTrait.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f7751cc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Drupal/EntityFixtureTrait.php
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace DrevOps\BehatSteps\Drupal;
+
+use Drupal\Driver\DrupalDriverInterface;
+use Drupal\Driver\Entity\EntityStubInterface;
+
+/**
+ * Internal helper for fixture path expansion on entity stubs.
+ *
+ * Shared by Drupal entity creation traits (e.g. ContentTrait, MediaTrait)
+ * that need to rewrite bare fixture filenames on 'file' and 'image' fields
+ * to absolute fixture paths before drupal-driver's FileHandler reads them.
+ *
+ * Requires a Drupal context: the consumer must expose 'getMinkParameter()'
+ * and 'getDriver()' (e.g. via MinkContext / RawDrupalContext) and Drupal
+ * must be bootstrapped at call time.
+ *
+ * This is an internal trait and should not be used directly in step
+ * definitions.
+ */
+trait EntityFixtureTrait {
+
+  /**
+   * Expand fixture file paths for file/image fields on an entity stub.
+   *
+   * Rewrites bare fixture filenames (e.g. 'document.pdf') on 'file' and
+   * 'image' field types to absolute paths under the Mink 'files_path' so
+   * drupal-driver's FileHandler can read and upload them during entity
+   * creation. Skips expansion when a managed file with the same basename
+   * already exists in public:// or private://, so existing files take
+   * precedence and behaviour stays backward compatible.
+   *
+   * @param string $entity_type
+   *   The entity type machine name (e.g. 'node', 'media').
+   * @param \Drupal\Driver\Entity\EntityStubInterface $stub
+   *   The entity stub mutated in place.
+   */
+  protected function entityFixtureExpand(string $entity_type, EntityStubInterface $stub): void {
+    $files_path = $this->getMinkParameter('files_path');
+
+    if (empty($files_path)) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    $resolved_files_path = realpath((string) $files_path);
+
+    if ($resolved_files_path === FALSE || !is_dir($resolved_files_path)) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    $fixture_path = rtrim($resolved_files_path, DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR) . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR;
+
+    $driver = $this->getDriver();
+
+    if (!$driver instanceof DrupalDriverInterface) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    $field_types = $driver->getCore()->getEntityFieldTypes($entity_type);
+
+    foreach ($stub->getValues() as $name => $value) {
+      if (empty($field_types[$name]) || ($field_types[$name] !== 'image' && $field_types[$name] !== 'file')) {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      $basename = is_array($value) ? ($value[0] ?? NULL) : $value;
+
+      if (!is_string($basename) || $basename === '') {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      if (str_contains($basename, '/') || str_contains($basename, '\\') || $basename !== basename($basename)) {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      if ($this->entityFixtureManagedFileExists($basename)) {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      if (!is_file($fixture_path . $basename)) {
+        continue;
+      }
+
+      if (is_array($value)) {
+        $value[0] = $fixture_path . $basename;
+        $stub->setValue($name, $value);
+      }
+      else {
+        $stub->setValue($name, $fixture_path . $basename);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Check whether a managed file with the given basename already exists.
+   *
+   * Mirrors drupal-driver FileHandler::resolveExistingFile() for bare
+   * basenames so callers do not pre-empt the driver's own lookup.
+   *
+   * @param string $basename
+   *   Candidate basename (no path separators).
+   *
+   * @return bool
+   *   TRUE when a managed file exists at public://basename or
+   *   private://basename.
+   */
+  protected function entityFixtureManagedFileExists(string $basename): bool {
+    if (str_contains($basename, '/') || str_contains($basename, '\\')) {
+      return FALSE;
+    }
+
+    $storage = \Drupal::entityTypeManager()->getStorage('file');
+
+    foreach (['public', 'private'] as $scheme) {
+      if ($storage->loadByProperties(['uri' => $scheme . '://' . $basename])) {
+        return TRUE;
+      }
+    }
+
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/Drupal/MediaTrait.php b/src/Drupal/MediaTrait.php
index 3d39297d..3c70850c 100644
--- a/src/Drupal/MediaTrait.php
+++ b/src/Drupal/MediaTrait.php
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
  */
 trait MediaTrait {
 
+  use EntityFixtureTrait;
   use HelperTrait;
 
   /**
@@ -360,49 +361,13 @@ protected function mediaExpandEntityFields(EntityStub $stub): void {
   /**
    * Expand entity fields with fixture values.
    *
+   * Backed by 'EntityFixtureTrait::entityFixtureExpand()'.
+   *
    * @param \Drupal\Driver\Entity\EntityStub $stub
    *   The entity stub.
    */
   protected function mediaExpandEntityFieldsFixtures(EntityStub $stub): void {
-    if (!empty($this->getMinkParameter('files_path'))) {
-      $fixture_path = rtrim((string) realpath($this->getMinkParameter('files_path')), DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR) . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR;
-    }
-
-    // @codeCoverageIgnoreStart
-    if (empty($fixture_path) || !is_dir($fixture_path)) {
-      throw new \RuntimeException('Fixture files path is not set or does not exist. Check that the "files_path" parameter is set for Mink.');
-    }
-    // @codeCoverageIgnoreEnd
-    $fields = $stub->getValues();
-
-    $driver = $this->getDriver();
-    if (!$driver instanceof DrupalDriverInterface) {
-      // @codeCoverageIgnoreStart
-      throw new \RuntimeException(sprintf('The active Drupal driver "%s" does not support content operations required for media field expansion.', $driver::class));
-      // @codeCoverageIgnoreEnd
-    }
-
-    $field_types = $driver->getCore()->getEntityFieldTypes('media');
-
-    foreach ($fields as $name => $value) {
-      if (!str_contains((string) $name, 'field_')) {
-        continue;
-      }
-
-      if (!empty($field_types[$name]) && ($field_types[$name] == 'image' || $field_types[$name] == 'file')) {
-        if (is_array($value)) {
-          if (!empty($value[0]) && is_file($fixture_path . $value[0])) {
-            $value[0] = $fixture_path . $value[0];
-            $stub->setValue($name, $value);
-          }
-        }
-        // @codeCoverageIgnoreStart
-        elseif (is_file($fixture_path . $value)) {
-          $stub->setValue($name, $fixture_path . $value);
-        }
-        // @codeCoverageIgnoreEnd
-      }
-    }
+    $this->entityFixtureExpand('media', $stub);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/tests/behat/bootstrap/FeatureContext.php b/tests/behat/bootstrap/FeatureContext.php
index 0a1e9dee..4c7c0744 100644
--- a/tests/behat/bootstrap/FeatureContext.php
+++ b/tests/behat/bootstrap/FeatureContext.php
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 use DrevOps\BehatSteps\Drupal\DraggableviewsTrait;
 use DrevOps\BehatSteps\Drupal\EckTrait;
 use DrevOps\BehatSteps\Drupal\EmailTrait;
+use DrevOps\BehatSteps\Drupal\EntityFixtureTrait;
 use DrevOps\BehatSteps\Drupal\FileTrait;
 use DrevOps\BehatSteps\Drupal\MediaTrait;
 use DrevOps\BehatSteps\Drupal\MenuTrait;
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ class FeatureContext extends DrupalContext {
   use EckTrait;
   use ElementTrait;
   use EmailTrait;
+  use EntityFixtureTrait;
   use FieldTrait;
   use FileDownloadTrait;
   use IframeTrait;
diff --git a/tests/behat/features/drupal_content.feature b/tests/behat/features/drupal_content.feature
index 2aaa8e95..efd82d32 100644
--- a/tests/behat/features/drupal_content.feature
+++ b/tests/behat/features/drupal_content.feature
@@ -352,3 +352,22 @@ Feature: Check that ContentTrait works
       """
       Unable to find "page" content with title "[TEST] Non-existing".
       """
+
+  @api
+  Scenario: Assert file field on node resolves bare fixture filename without explicit managed file
+    Given the following article content:
+      | title                | field_file |
+      | [TEST] Fixture file  | text.txt   |
+    And I am logged in as a user with the "administrator" role
+    When I visit the "article" content edit page with the title "[TEST] Fixture file"
+    Then I should see "[TEST] Fixture file"
+    And the response should contain ".txt"
+
+  @api
+  Scenario: Assert image field on node resolves bare fixture filename without explicit managed file
+    Given the following article content:
+      | title                 | field_image |
+      | [TEST] Fixture image  | image.png   |
+    And I am logged in as a user with the "administrator" role
+    When I visit the "article" content edit page with the title "[TEST] Fixture image"
+    Then I should see "[TEST] Fixture image"