diff --git a/.changeset/four-swans-throw.md b/.changeset/four-swans-throw.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d31cb76317992
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/four-swans-throw.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"gradio": minor
+---
+
+feat:Enforce `meta` key present during preprocess in FileData payloads
diff --git a/gradio/blocks.py b/gradio/blocks.py
index e464037eb036e..9b36eb4e39076 100644
--- a/gradio/blocks.py
+++ b/gradio/blocks.py
@@ -18,12 +18,7 @@
 from collections.abc import AsyncIterator, Callable, Coroutine, Sequence, Set
 from pathlib import Path
 from types import ModuleType
-from typing import (
-    TYPE_CHECKING,
-    Any,
-    Literal,
-    cast,
-)
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Literal, Union, cast
 from urllib.parse import urlparse, urlunparse
 
 import anyio
@@ -1702,10 +1697,12 @@ async def preprocess_data(
                         check_in_upload_folder=not explicit_call,
                     )
                     if getattr(block, "data_model", None) and inputs_cached is not None:
-                        if issubclass(block.data_model, GradioModel):  # type: ignore
-                            inputs_cached = block.data_model(**inputs_cached)  # type: ignore
-                        elif issubclass(block.data_model, GradioRootModel):  # type: ignore
-                            inputs_cached = block.data_model(root=inputs_cached)  # type: ignore
+                        data_model = cast(
+                            Union[GradioModel, GradioRootModel], block.data_model
+                        )
+                        inputs_cached = data_model.model_validate(
+                            inputs_cached, context={"validate_meta": True}
+                        )
                     processed_input.append(block.preprocess(inputs_cached))
         else:
             processed_input = inputs
diff --git a/gradio/data_classes.py b/gradio/data_classes.py
index 268509e857a66..15c3f3b264753 100644
--- a/gradio/data_classes.py
+++ b/gradio/data_classes.py
@@ -21,13 +21,15 @@
 
 from fastapi import Request
 from gradio_client.documentation import document
-from gradio_client.utils import traverse
+from gradio_client.utils import is_file_obj_with_meta, traverse
 from pydantic import (
     BaseModel,
     GetCoreSchemaHandler,
     GetJsonSchemaHandler,
     RootModel,
     ValidationError,
+    ValidationInfo,
+    model_validator,
 )
 from pydantic.json_schema import JsonSchemaValue
 from pydantic_core import core_schema
@@ -227,6 +229,19 @@ class FileData(GradioModel):
     is_stream: bool = False
     meta: dict = {"_type": "gradio.FileData"}
 
+    @model_validator(mode="before")
+    @classmethod
+    def validate_model(cls, v, info: ValidationInfo):
+        if (
+            info.context
+            and info.context.get("validate_meta")
+            and not is_file_obj_with_meta(v)
+        ):
+            raise ValueError(
+                "The 'meta' field must be explicitly provided in the input data and be equal to {'_type': 'gradio.FileData'}."
+            )
+        return v
+
     @property
     def is_none(self) -> bool:
         """
diff --git a/test/test_routes.py b/test/test_routes.py
index d085405e193ec..65c5985d76e1f 100644
--- a/test/test_routes.py
+++ b/test/test_routes.py
@@ -339,6 +339,7 @@ def test_get_file_created_by_app(self, test_client):
                     {
                         "path": file_response.json()[0],
                         "size": os.path.getsize("test/test_files/alphabet.txt"),
+                        "meta": {"_type": "gradio.FileData"},
                     }
                 ],
                 "fn_index": 0,
@@ -1613,3 +1614,30 @@ def victim(url, results):
         t.join()
 
     assert not any(results), "attacker was able to modify a victim's config root url"
+
+
+def test_file_without_meta_key_not_moved():
+    demo = gr.Interface(
+        fn=lambda s: str(s), inputs=gr.File(type="binary"), outputs="textbox"
+    )
+
+    app, _, _ = demo.launch(prevent_thread_lock=True)
+    test_client = TestClient(app)
+    try:
+        with test_client:
+            req = test_client.post(
+                "gradio_api/run/predict",
+                json={
+                    "data": [
+                        {
+                            "path": "test/test_files/alphabet.txt",
+                            "orig_name": "test.txt",
+                            "size": 4,
+                            "mime_type": "text/plain",
+                        }
+                    ]
+                },
+            )
+            assert req.status_code == 500
+    finally:
+        demo.close()