diff --git a/crates/tracedecay-runtime-core/src/db/access/path_layout.rs b/crates/tracedecay-runtime-core/src/db/access/path_layout.rs
index 0f6d0b68c7..2d3d2e98b4 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay-runtime-core/src/db/access/path_layout.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay-runtime-core/src/db/access/path_layout.rs
@@ -46,14 +46,13 @@ pub(super) fn database_lock_root(database_path: &Path, fallback_parent: &Path) -
 
 fn profile_project_root(database_path: &Path) -> Option<&Path> {
     let parent = database_path.parent()?;
-    let data_root = if parent.file_name().is_some_and(|name| name == "branches") {
-        parent.parent()?
-    } else if parent
-        .file_name()
-        .is_some_and(|name| name == ".consolidation-input")
-        && database_path
+    let data_root = if parent.file_name().is_some_and(|name| name == "branches")
+        || (parent
             .file_name()
-            .is_some_and(|name| name == "source-sessions.db" || name == "target-sessions.db")
+            .is_some_and(|name| name == ".consolidation-input")
+            && database_path
+                .file_name()
+                .is_some_and(|name| name == "source-sessions.db" || name == "target-sessions.db"))
     {
         parent.parent()?
     } else {
diff --git a/src/daemon/scheduler.rs b/src/daemon/scheduler.rs
index 1e6e62c03d..998c5e83d4 100644
--- a/src/daemon/scheduler.rs
+++ b/src/daemon/scheduler.rs
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ impl DaemonEngine {
     }
 
     pub(super) async fn shutdown_automation_schedulers_with_deadline(&self, deadline: Duration) {
-        let scheduler_handles: Vec<JoinHandle<()>> = match timeout(
+        let Ok(scheduler_handles) = timeout(
             deadline,
             self.store_administration.with_writer(|| async {
                 let mut schedulers = self
@@ -329,16 +329,16 @@ impl DaemonEngine {
                     .automation_schedulers()
                     .lock()
                     .await;
-                schedulers.drain().map(|(_, handle)| handle.task).collect()
+                schedulers
+                    .drain()
+                    .map(|(_, handle)| handle.task)
+                    .collect::<Vec<JoinHandle<()>>>()
             }),
         )
         .await
-        {
-            Ok(handles) => handles,
-            Err(_) => {
-                log_daemon_event("daemon_shutdown", &[("outcome", "timeout".to_string())]);
-                return;
-            }
+        else {
+            log_daemon_event("daemon_shutdown", &[("outcome", "timeout".to_string())]);
+            return;
         };
         let _child_shutdown = crate::sessions::codex_app_server::begin_codex_app_server_shutdown();
         for handle in &scheduler_handles {
diff --git a/src/migrate/consolidate/tests.rs b/src/migrate/consolidate/tests.rs
index 0191624606..d3326fca26 100644
--- a/src/migrate/consolidate/tests.rs
+++ b/src/migrate/consolidate/tests.rs
@@ -402,6 +402,8 @@ async fn synthesized_branch_metadata_change_invalidates_confirmation_token() {
 
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn hook_analytics_append_after_plan_preserves_bytes_without_invalidating_confirmation() {
+    use std::io::Write;
+
     let fixture = fixture().await;
     let source = layout_for_id(&fixture.project, &fixture.profile, &fixture.source_id).unwrap();
     let telemetry_path = source.data_root.join("hook_analytics.jsonl");
@@ -411,7 +413,6 @@ async fn hook_analytics_append_after_plan_preserves_bytes_without_invalidating_c
     let options = fixture.options();
 
     let planned = plan(&options).await.unwrap();
-    use std::io::Write;
     fs::OpenOptions::new()
         .append(true)
         .open(&telemetry_path)
diff --git a/src/tracedecay/lifecycle.rs b/src/tracedecay/lifecycle.rs
index 5d650b3724..b3342782d2 100644
--- a/src/tracedecay/lifecycle.rs
+++ b/src/tracedecay/lifecycle.rs
@@ -229,11 +229,7 @@ impl TraceDecay {
         // stay behind the rare paths that actually compare stores. Resolving a
         // layout is on every open, including fail-closed clients that must not
         // touch the store at all.
-        let (
-            candidates,
-            selected_manifest_matches_exact_root,
-            candidates_match_exact_root,
-        ) =
+        let (candidates, selected_manifest_matches_exact_root, candidates_match_exact_root) =
             storage::matching_legacy_profile_layouts(project_root, &profile_root, selected_id)?;
         if selected.is_some()
             && !candidates.is_empty()
@@ -265,6 +261,9 @@ impl TraceDecay {
         )
     }
 
+    // The four flags mirror the resolver evidence computed by the sole
+    // caller; a params struct would outlive this soon-to-move code.
+    #[allow(clippy::fn_params_excessive_bools)]
     async fn choose_identity_layout(
         project_root: &Path,
         selected: Option<StoreLayout>,
@@ -280,14 +279,27 @@ impl TraceDecay {
         // This resolver uses bounded presence probes only; the subsequent
         // serving open performs full integrity validation and fails closed.
         // Legacy duplicates stay untouched, while an empty or unreadable
-        // selected store still reaches the fail-closed diagnostics.
+        // selected store still reaches the fail-closed diagnostics. An
+        // exact-root candidate with real content is a genuine identity
+        // cutover: it keeps the fail-closed conflict diagnostics instead of
+        // being silently outranked.
         if (selected_manifest_matches_exact_root
             || (selected_via_exact_registry_alias && !candidates_match_exact_root))
             && !candidates.is_empty()
-            && let Some(selected) = selected.as_ref()
+            && let Some(selected_layout) = selected.as_ref()
+            && store_identity_has_bounded_population_evidence(selected_layout).await
         {
-            if store_identity_has_bounded_population_evidence(selected).await {
-                return Ok(Some(selected.clone()));
+            let mut exact_candidate_is_populated = false;
+            if candidates_match_exact_root {
+                for candidate in &candidates {
+                    if store_identity_has_bounded_population_evidence(candidate).await {
+                        exact_candidate_is_populated = true;
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            if !exact_candidate_is_populated {
+                return Ok(Some(selected_layout.clone()));
             }
         }
         if candidates.len() > 1 {
@@ -1567,9 +1579,8 @@ async fn store_identity_has_bounded_population_evidence(layout: &StoreLayout) ->
         tree_has_files(&layout.lcm_payload_root),
         tree_has_files(&layout.response_handle_root),
     );
-    let (automation_files, payload_files, response_files) = match tree_presence {
-        (Ok(automation), Ok(payloads), Ok(responses)) => (automation, payloads, responses),
-        _ => return false,
+    let (Ok(automation_files), Ok(payload_files), Ok(response_files)) = tree_presence else {
+        return false;
     };
 
     graph_is_populated
@@ -1591,11 +1602,10 @@ fn branch_inventory(data_root: &Path) -> std::result::Result<usize, ()> {
     let path = data_root.join(storage::BRANCH_META_FILENAME);
     match std::fs::symlink_metadata(&path) {
         Err(error) if error.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => Ok(0),
-        Err(_) => Err(()),
         Ok(metadata) if metadata.file_type().is_file() => branch_meta::load_branch_meta(data_root)
             .map(|meta| meta.branches.len())
             .ok_or(()),
-        Ok(_) => Err(()),
+        Err(_) | Ok(_) => Err(()),
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/storage_suite/storage_resolver_test.rs b/tests/storage_suite/storage_resolver_test.rs
index 5e38771ace..d72b387c58 100644
--- a/tests/storage_suite/storage_resolver_test.rs
+++ b/tests/storage_suite/storage_resolver_test.rs
@@ -1902,9 +1902,7 @@ async fn linked_worktree_exact_registry_alias_ignores_duplicate_shared_legacy_ma
                 store_kind: "code_project".to_string(),
                 storage_mode: "profile_sharded".to_string(),
                 store_relpath: format!("projects/{project_id}"),
-                manifest_relpath: Some(format!(
-                    "projects/{project_id}/{STORE_MANIFEST_FILENAME}"
-                )),
+                manifest_relpath: Some(format!("projects/{project_id}/{STORE_MANIFEST_FILENAME}")),
                 last_verified_at: None,
                 last_write_at: None,
             })
@@ -2033,7 +2031,12 @@ async fn linked_worktree_exact_manifest_overrides_canonical_exact_registry_alias
 
     let canonical = TraceDecay::init(&project).await.unwrap();
     canonical.index_all().await.unwrap();
-    let canonical_project_id = canonical.store_layout().identity.project_id.clone().unwrap();
+    let canonical_project_id = canonical
+        .store_layout()
+        .identity
+        .project_id
+        .clone()
+        .unwrap();
     canonical.close();
 
     git(