diff --git a/crates/tracedecay-graph-db/src/generation_runtime.rs b/crates/tracedecay-graph-db/src/generation_runtime.rs
index d2fdd35dd58..a514bbc76de 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay-graph-db/src/generation_runtime.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay-graph-db/src/generation_runtime.rs
@@ -1840,6 +1840,11 @@ impl GraphDb {
             self.retire_sealed_generation_store(locator)?;
             return Ok(GenerationContentsDeletion::RetentionPending);
         }
+        // Native row deletion may already have committed, but the generation
+        // is not collected until its independently durable sealed artifact is
+        // gone. If unlink refuses, keep the in-memory retirement state retryable
+        // instead of advertising collection while bytes still exist on disk.
+        self.retire_sealed_generation_store(locator)?;
         let mut state = self.wait_verified_generations_write()?;
         state.known.remove(locator);
         state.quarantined.remove(locator);
@@ -1858,7 +1863,6 @@ impl GraphDb {
             state.heads.remove(&locator.projection);
         }
         drop(state);
-        self.retire_sealed_generation_store(locator)?;
         Ok(GenerationContentsDeletion::Deleted)
     }
 
@@ -4001,20 +4005,73 @@ mod tests {
             .delete_generation_contents(&locator, &|| Ok(()))
             .expect_err("a failed sealed unlink must not complete retention");
         assert!(
-            error
-                .to_string()
-                .contains("sealed directory removal failed")
+            matches!(
+                &error,
+                GraphDbError::Unavailable { message }
+                    if message.starts_with("sealed generation store sealed directory removal failed:")
+                        || message.starts_with("sealed generation store sealed generation retirement refused:")
+            ),
+            "an unremovable artifact must fail at the sealed-directory unlink boundary: {error}"
         );
         assert_eq!(std::fs::read(&directory).unwrap(), b"not a directory");
+        assert!(
+            !database
+                .wait_verified_generations_write()
+                .unwrap()
+                .collected
+                .contains(&locator),
+            "a failed sealed unlink must not mark its generation collected"
+        );
 
         std::fs::remove_file(&directory).unwrap();
         std::fs::create_dir(&directory).unwrap();
+        // Retirement requires an exact durable identity from the directory
+        // being removed. A receipt-free synthetic directory must never confer
+        // deletion authority when the strict collector is integrated.
+        let identity = generation.identity();
+        let receipt = serde_json::json!({
+            "version": 1,
+            "form": "compact",
+            "namespace": locator.projection.namespace.as_str(),
+            "projection": locator.projection.projection.as_str(),
+            "generation": locator.generation.as_str(),
+            "physical_namespace": namespace.as_str(),
+            "recovered_digest": sealed_digest(&generation).as_str(),
+            "entities": 0,
+            "relations": 0,
+            "graph_format": GraphFormatVersion::current().get(),
+            "row_sum": null,
+            "base": null,
+            "source_generation": identity.source_generation.as_str(),
+            "watermark": identity.watermark.as_str()
+        });
+        std::fs::write(
+            directory.join("sealed.json"),
+            serde_json::to_vec(&receipt).unwrap(),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
         std::fs::write(directory.join("derived-rows"), b"retired").unwrap();
+        let unrelated = directory.parent().unwrap().join("unrelated-entry");
+        std::fs::create_dir(&unrelated).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(unrelated.join("sentinel"), b"untouched").unwrap();
         assert!(matches!(
             database.delete_generation_contents(&locator, &|| Ok(())),
             Ok(GenerationContentsDeletion::Deleted)
         ));
+        assert_eq!(
+            std::fs::read(unrelated.join("sentinel")).unwrap(),
+            b"untouched",
+            "retiring one sealed generation must not traverse another child"
+        );
         assert!(!directory.exists());
+        assert!(
+            database
+                .wait_verified_generations_write()
+                .unwrap()
+                .collected
+                .contains(&locator),
+            "only successful physical retirement may mark the generation collected"
+        );
         // Idempotent replay after the directory is gone still succeeds.
         assert!(matches!(
             database.delete_generation_contents(&locator, &|| Ok(())),