diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 9a8702b83..e2b3dbab2 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -1057,6 +1057,8 @@ reused inodes after unlink; old proofs without creation time remain untrusted.
 Fresh reservations atomically commit their row path/name and captured ownership
 before the initial HTTP wait;
 no preexisting partial is truncated without matching expected ownership.
+Captured foreign files retain their recovery copy and journal even after public
+restoration, until the user explicitly removes the recovery copy.
 Private cleanup captures are journaled before relocation, keeping failed
 Remove/Clear/cancel cleanup retryable across restarts without hardlinks. Active
 failures, promotion and startup share that cleanup; Remove waits for active
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 29fbc479f..5e555c70e 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -1868,6 +1868,8 @@ reused inodes after unlink; old proofs without creation time remain untrusted.
 Fresh reservations atomically commit their row path/name and captured ownership
 before the initial HTTP wait;
 no preexisting partial is truncated without matching expected ownership.
+Captured foreign files retain their recovery copy and journal even after public
+restoration, until the user explicitly removes the recovery copy.
 Private cleanup captures are journaled before relocation, keeping failed
 Remove/Clear/cancel cleanup retryable across restarts without hardlinks. Active
 failures, promotion and startup share that cleanup; Remove waits for active
diff --git a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-capture.ts b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-capture.ts
index fff60d720..c59309b69 100644
--- a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-capture.ts
+++ b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-capture.ts
@@ -39,20 +39,7 @@ function cleanupCapture(
     }
     if (file) {
         if (!(file.isFile() && sameArchiveFileIdentity(file, identity))) {
-            // Restore without clobbering. If a prior restore linked successfully
-            // but unlink failed, the matching public entry permits cleanup retry.
-            try {
-                linkSync(path, publicPath);
-            } catch (error) {
-                if (
-                    (error as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code !== 'EEXIST' ||
-                    !sameArchiveFileIdentity(
-                        readArchiveStatsSync(publicPath),
-                        file
-                    )
-                )
-                    throw error;
-            }
+            restoreArchiveReplacement(path, publicPath);
         }
         unlinkSync(path);
     }
@@ -62,3 +49,25 @@ function cleanupCapture(
         /* never recursively delete captures */
     }
 }
+
+/** Never unlink a foreign capture after publishing a raceable public link. */
+export function restoreArchiveReplacement(
+    captured: string,
+    publicPath: string
+): never {
+    const file = readArchiveStatsSync(captured);
+    try {
+        linkSync(captured, publicPath);
+    } catch (error) {
+        if (
+            (error as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code !== 'EEXIST' ||
+            !sameArchiveFileIdentity(readArchiveStatsSync(publicPath), file)
+        )
+            throw error;
+    }
+    // A second process can remove the public link at any time. Only an explicit
+    // user cleanup of this recovery copy may release its durable journal entry.
+    throw new Error(
+        `Archive cleanup preserved an unrelated recovery file: ${captured}`
+    );
+}
diff --git a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-cleanup.spec.ts b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-cleanup.spec.ts
index 3b442bbdd..06d34dc03 100644
--- a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-cleanup.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-cleanup.spec.ts
@@ -61,7 +61,9 @@ it('restores a replacement that arrives before atomic capture', async () => {
         await writeFile(from, 'replacement');
         await actual.rename(from, to);
     });
-    await cleanupCatchupFile(path, identity);
+    await expect(cleanupCatchupFile(path, identity)).rejects.toThrow(
+        'preserved an unrelated recovery file'
+    );
     expect(await readFile(path, 'utf8')).toBe('replacement');
     expect(await readFile(join(directory, 'original'), 'utf8')).toBe('archive');
 });
diff --git a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-cleanup.ts b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-cleanup.ts
index 0ee980642..a292bd8e3 100644
--- a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-cleanup.ts
+++ b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-cleanup.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@ export async function cleanupCatchupFile(
             // public entry. If restoration is unavailable, retain it privately.
             try {
                 await link(captured, path);
-                await unlink(captured);
+                throw new Error(
+                    `Archive cleanup preserved an unrelated recovery file: ${captured}`
+                );
             } catch (error) {
                 console.warn(
                     '[Downloads] Replaced file retained for recovery:',
diff --git a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-removal.spec.ts b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-removal.spec.ts
index 36c4a092d..cc24d0dbc 100644
--- a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-removal.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-removal.spec.ts
@@ -73,10 +73,15 @@ it('restores a replacement captured at the cleanup boundary', () => {
         writeFileSync(from, 'unrelated bytes');
         actual.renameSync(from, to);
     });
-    removeJournaledCatchupPartial(filePath, proof, recordCapture);
+    expect(() =>
+        removeJournaledCatchupPartial(filePath, proof, recordCapture)
+    ).toThrow('preserved an unrelated recovery file');
     expect(readFileSync(filePath + '.part', 'utf8')).toBe('unrelated bytes');
+    expect(readFileSync(proof.partialCleanupPath!, 'utf8')).toBe(
+        'unrelated bytes'
+    );
 });
-it('retains a replacement capture until no-clobber restoration succeeds', () => {
+it('retains a replacement capture until explicit recovery-copy cleanup', () => {
     jest.mocked(renameSync).mockImplementationOnce((from, to) => {
         actual.renameSync(from, join(directory, 'original'));
         writeFileSync(from, 'foreign bytes');
@@ -113,16 +118,20 @@ it('retains a replacement capture until no-clobber restoration succeeds', () =>
     expect(readFileSync(filePath + '.part', 'utf8')).toBe('newer public bytes');
     expect(readFileSync(capture, 'utf8')).toBe('foreign bytes');
     actual.unlinkSync(filePath + '.part');
-    jest.mocked(unlinkSync).mockImplementationOnce(() => {
-        throw new Error('restored capture still locked');
-    });
     expect(() =>
         removeJournaledCatchupPartial(filePath, proof, recordCapture)
-    ).toThrow('restored capture still locked');
+    ).toThrow('preserved an unrelated recovery file');
     expect(readFileSync(filePath + '.part', 'utf8')).toBe('foreign bytes');
     expect(readFileSync(capture, 'utf8')).toBe('foreign bytes');
+    // The restored public entry may disappear immediately; its recovery copy
+    // must survive and remain journaled across another cleanup attempt.
+    actual.unlinkSync(filePath + '.part');
+    expect(() =>
+        removeJournaledCatchupPartial(filePath, proof, recordCapture)
+    ).toThrow('preserved an unrelated recovery file');
+    expect(readFileSync(capture, 'utf8')).toBe('foreign bytes');
+    actual.unlinkSync(capture); // explicit recovery-copy cleanup by the user
     removeJournaledCatchupPartial(filePath, proof, recordCapture);
-    expect(readFileSync(filePath + '.part', 'utf8')).toBe('foreign bytes');
     expect(() => lstatSync(capture)).toThrow();
 });
 
@@ -360,3 +369,31 @@ it.each([false, true])(
         expect(renameSync).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     }
 );
+
+it.each([false, true])(
+    'preserves the last foreign link if the restored public entry is immediately removed (retry=%s)',
+    (retry) => {
+        if (retry) {
+            const capture = join(directory, 'foreign-capture');
+            writeFileSync(capture, 'foreign bytes');
+            proof.partialCleanupPath = capture;
+            actual.unlinkSync(filePath + '.part');
+        } else {
+            jest.mocked(renameSync).mockImplementationOnce((from, to) => {
+                actual.renameSync(from, join(directory, 'original'));
+                writeFileSync(from, 'foreign bytes');
+                actual.renameSync(from, to);
+            });
+        }
+        jest.mocked(linkSync).mockImplementationOnce((from, to) => {
+            actual.linkSync(from, to);
+            actual.unlinkSync(to);
+        });
+        expect(() =>
+            removeJournaledCatchupPartial(filePath, proof, recordCapture)
+        ).toThrow('preserved an unrelated recovery file');
+        expect(readFileSync(proof.partialCleanupPath!, 'utf8')).toBe(
+            'foreign bytes'
+        );
+    }
+);
diff --git a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-removal.ts b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-removal.ts
index de6c2d788..1443957a5 100644
--- a/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-removal.ts
+++ b/apps/electron-backend/src/app/events/database/download-catchup-removal.ts
@@ -2,14 +2,11 @@ import {
     readArchiveStatsSync,
     type ArchiveFileStats,
 } from './download-catchup-stats';
-import { cleanupArchiveCapture } from './download-catchup-capture';
 import {
-    mkdtempSync,
-    renameSync,
-    linkSync,
-    unlinkSync,
-    rmdirSync,
-} from 'node:fs';
+    cleanupArchiveCapture,
+    restoreArchiveReplacement,
+} from './download-catchup-capture';
+import { mkdtempSync, renameSync, unlinkSync, rmdirSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { dirname, join } from 'node:path';
 import {
     readArchiveFinalizations,
@@ -63,16 +60,7 @@ function removeOwnedEntry(
         if (matches(readArchiveStatsSync(captured), identity)) {
             unlinkSync(captured);
         } else {
-            try {
-                linkSync(captured, path);
-                unlinkSync(captured);
-            } catch (error) {
-                console.warn(
-                    '[Downloads] Replaced file retained for recovery:',
-                    captured
-                );
-                throw error;
-            }
+            restoreArchiveReplacement(captured, path);
         }
     } finally {
         try {
diff --git a/docs/architecture/download-manager.md b/docs/architecture/download-manager.md
index c1b75e17e..c321fef78 100644
--- a/docs/architecture/download-manager.md
+++ b/docs/architecture/download-manager.md
@@ -117,7 +117,11 @@ final before reserving a destination. A failed
 unlink or replacement restoration keeps that durable pointer and blocks journal
 deletion/replacement. Later cleanup retries no-clobber restoration of captured
 foreign entries; an occupied public path or unsupported hardlinks preserves both
-the capture and its journal for recovery. Remove/Clear, Retry/Resume and fresh
+the capture and its journal for recovery. Even after a foreign entry is restored,
+its private recovery copy is never automatically unlinked: another process could
+remove the public link first. The error names the recovery file; after the user
+recovers it and explicitly removes that private copy, cleanup may release the
+journal. Ordinary owned-file cleanup remains automatic. Remove/Clear, Retry/Resume and fresh
 reservations retry identity-verified cleanup, including after restart and on
 filesystems without hardlinks. Cleanup remains synchronous after the
 runtime guard, so a completion transition cannot interleave with unlink.