diff --git a/crates/tracedecay-rusqlite-runtime/src/connection/mod.rs b/crates/tracedecay-rusqlite-runtime/src/connection/mod.rs
index 0f4af77d0b..9437ece2bc 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay-rusqlite-runtime/src/connection/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay-rusqlite-runtime/src/connection/mod.rs
@@ -569,10 +569,13 @@ impl std::error::Error for VerifiedReaderError {
 /// Foreign-database reader bound to the physical file actually
 /// opened by SQLite rather than a later pathname observation.
 pub struct VerifiedReader {
-    _opened_file: OpenedDatabaseFile,
+    // Keep the connection before the raw pin in declaration order: closing
+    // any raw descriptor on Unix can release another SQLite connection's
+    // process-wide record locks. SQLite must close its handle first.
     connection: Connection,
     canonical_path: PathBuf,
     file_identity: u64,
+    _opened_file: OpenedDatabaseFile,
 }
 
 pub fn default_vfs_max_pathname() -> Option<usize> {
@@ -592,8 +595,10 @@ impl VerifiedReader {
         self.file_identity
     }
 
-    pub fn into_parts(self) -> (Connection, PathBuf, u64) {
-        (self.connection, self.canonical_path, self.file_identity)
+    /// The verified canonical pathname. It remains bound to this reader's
+    /// retained physical file until the SQLite connection is closed.
+    pub fn canonical_path(&self) -> &Path {
+        &self.canonical_path
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/tracedecay-sessions/src/runtime/host_sqlite.rs b/crates/tracedecay-sessions/src/runtime/host_sqlite.rs
index 2775366cc0..b48ccd3cf0 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay-sessions/src/runtime/host_sqlite.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay-sessions/src/runtime/host_sqlite.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,37 @@
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex, PoisonError};
 
+/// A plain SQLite read or a verified foreign read. The verified case retains
+/// its inode pin for the whole connection lifetime instead of unpacking and
+/// dropping it immediately after admission.
+enum SqliteReadHandle {
+    Plain(rusqlite::Connection),
+    Verified(tracedecay_rusqlite_runtime::VerifiedReader),
+}
+
+impl SqliteReadHandle {
+    fn connection(&self) -> &rusqlite::Connection {
+        match self {
+            Self::Plain(connection) => connection,
+            Self::Verified(reader) => reader.connection(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub(crate) struct SqliteReadConn {
-    inner: Arc<Mutex<rusqlite::Connection>>,
+    inner: Arc<Mutex<SqliteReadHandle>>,
 }
 
 impl SqliteReadConn {
     pub(crate) fn new(connection: rusqlite::Connection) -> Self {
         Self {
-            inner: Arc::new(Mutex::new(connection)),
+            inner: Arc::new(Mutex::new(SqliteReadHandle::Plain(connection))),
+        }
+    }
+
+    pub(crate) fn new_verified(reader: tracedecay_rusqlite_runtime::VerifiedReader) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            inner: Arc::new(Mutex::new(SqliteReadHandle::Verified(reader))),
         }
     }
 
@@ -21,9 +44,69 @@ impl SqliteReadConn {
         let inner = Arc::clone(&self.inner);
         tracedecay_runtime_core::native_runtime::spawn_blocking(move || {
             let guard = inner.lock().unwrap_or_else(PoisonError::into_inner);
-            body(&guard)
+            body(guard.connection())
         })
         .await
         .ok()
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(all(test, target_os = "linux"))]
+mod tests {
+    use std::os::unix::fs::MetadataExt;
+    use std::path::Path;
+
+    use super::SqliteReadConn;
+
+    fn descriptors_for(path: &Path) -> usize {
+        let identity = std::fs::metadata(path).expect("database metadata");
+        std::fs::read_dir("/proc/self/fd")
+            .expect("process file descriptors")
+            .filter_map(Result::ok)
+            .filter(|entry| {
+                std::fs::metadata(entry.path()).is_ok_and(|metadata| {
+                    metadata.dev() == identity.dev() && metadata.ino() == identity.ino()
+                })
+            })
+            .count()
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn verified_foreign_reader_retains_its_pin_until_the_last_handle_closes() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().expect("test directory");
+        let path = dir.path().join("foreign.sqlite3");
+        {
+            let conn = rusqlite::Connection::open(&path).expect("create database");
+            conn.execute_batch(
+                "CREATE TABLE sample(value INTEGER); INSERT INTO sample VALUES (42)",
+            )
+            .expect("seed database");
+        }
+        assert_eq!(descriptors_for(&path), 0);
+
+        let verified = tracedecay_rusqlite_runtime::open_verified_immutable_reader(&path)
+            .expect("open verified foreign database");
+        let pinned_descriptors = descriptors_for(&path);
+        assert!(
+            pinned_descriptors >= 2,
+            "SQLite and its verified identity pin each retain an inode handle"
+        );
+
+        let reader = SqliteReadConn::new_verified(verified);
+        assert_eq!(descriptors_for(&path), pinned_descriptors);
+        let other = reader.clone();
+        drop(reader);
+        assert_eq!(descriptors_for(&path), pinned_descriptors);
+        let value: i64 = other
+            .inner
+            .lock()
+            .expect("reader lock")
+            .connection()
+            .query_row("SELECT value FROM sample", [], |row| row.get(0))
+            .expect("read verified database");
+        assert_eq!(value, 42);
+
+        drop(other);
+        assert_eq!(descriptors_for(&path), 0);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/tracedecay-sessions/src/runtime/hosts/cursor_composer/sqlite.rs b/crates/tracedecay-sessions/src/runtime/hosts/cursor_composer/sqlite.rs
index c96205b831..e0821235fa 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay-sessions/src/runtime/hosts/cursor_composer/sqlite.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay-sessions/src/runtime/hosts/cursor_composer/sqlite.rs
@@ -114,11 +114,11 @@ pub(super) async fn open_readonly_immutable(db_path: &Path) -> Result<ReadOnlyDb
     tracedecay_runtime_core::native_runtime::spawn_blocking(move || {
         let opened = tracedecay_rusqlite_runtime::open_verified_immutable_reader(&path)
             .map_err(|error| format!("could not open '{}' read-only: {error}", path.display()))?;
-        let (conn, canonical_path, file_identity) = opened.into_parts();
-        let generation = ObservationSourceGenerationV1::new(file_identity)
+        let canonical_path = opened.canonical_path().to_path_buf();
+        let generation = ObservationSourceGenerationV1::new(opened.file_identity())
             .map_err(|error| format!("invalid SQLite generation identity: {error}"))?;
         Ok(ReadOnlyDb {
-            conn: CursorConn::new(conn),
+            conn: CursorConn::new_verified(opened),
             generation,
             canonical_path,
         })