diff --git a/hermes_cli/curator.py b/hermes_cli/curator.py
index 18dbb63a89..1804944a02 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/curator.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/curator.py
@@ -440,11 +440,12 @@ def _cmd_purge(args) -> int:
     cutoff = time.time() - ttl_days * 86400
 
     def _archived_ts(p: Path) -> float:
-        # Prefer the usage record's archived_at: archives made before archive_skill stamped the
-        # dir mtime still carry the skill's last-edit mtime and would be purged at once.
+        # The NEWER of the record's archived_at and the dir mtime: archives made before
+        # archive_skill stamped the mtime carry the skill's last-edit mtime, and a stale
+        # archived_at survives a manual un-archive + re-archive. Never purge before either says so.
         rec = skill_usage.get_record(p.name)
         at = skill_usage._parse_iso_timestamp(rec.get("archived_at")) if rec.get("state") == skill_usage.STATE_ARCHIVED else None
-        return at.timestamp() if at else p.stat().st_mtime
+        return max(at.timestamp(), p.stat().st_mtime) if at else p.stat().st_mtime
 
     candidates = sorted(
         p for p in archive_root.iterdir() if p.is_dir() and _archived_ts(p) < cutoff)
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_curator_archive_prune.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_curator_archive_prune.py
index cd3501b341..5c3ff222d0 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_curator_archive_prune.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_curator_archive_prune.py
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ def test_purge_ages_an_archive_from_when_it_was_archived(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     skill_usage.record_created("old-helper", agent_created=True)
     ok, msg = skill_usage.archive_skill("old-helper")
     assert ok, msg
+    # A stale archived_at (left by a manual un-archive + re-archive) must not beat the fresh mtime.
+    usage = skill_usage.load_usage()
+    usage["old-helper"]["archived_at"] = "2000-01-01T00:00:00+00:00"
+    assert skill_usage.save_usage(usage)
 
     assert curator_cli._cmd_purge(_ns(days=30, dry_run=False, yes=True)) == 0
     assert (tmp_path / "skills" / ".archive" / "old-helper" / "SKILL.md").is_file()