diff --git a/hermes_state.py b/hermes_state.py
index 36961edabb..f233ce858e 100644
--- a/hermes_state.py
+++ b/hermes_state.py
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ from hermes_state_telegram import SessionTelegramTopicsMixin
 from hermes_state_schema import SessionSchemaMixin
 import hermes_state_holders as _state_holders
 from hermes_state_dbfile import (
-    _canonical_sqlite_path, _connect_tracked_db, _prepare_connection_retirement,
+    _canonical_sqlite_path, _connect_tracked_db, _fd_is_truly_unlinked, _prepare_connection_retirement,
     _read_sqlite_application_id, _stat_sqlite_sidecar_identity,
     _watched_sqlite_sidecar_paths, has_invalid_sqlite_header_preopen, is_zeroed_state_db, quarantine_cross_process_lock,
     quarantine_invalid_state_db,
@@ -1007,8 +1007,9 @@ class SessionDB(
         if sys.platform.startswith("linux"):
             watched = _watched_sqlite_sidecar_paths(self.db_path)
             try:
-                for target in _proc_fd_targets(os.getpid()):
-                    if " (deleted)" in target and _canonical_sqlite_path(target) in watched:
+                for target, fd_path in _proc_fd_targets(os.getpid()):
+                    if (" (deleted)" in target and _canonical_sqlite_path(target) in watched
+                            and _fd_is_truly_unlinked(fd_path)):
                         return True
             except OSError:
                 return False
diff --git a/hermes_state_dbfile.py b/hermes_state_dbfile.py
index e55a33b062..327c4b6a6d 100644
--- a/hermes_state_dbfile.py
+++ b/hermes_state_dbfile.py
@@ -141,8 +141,22 @@ def _watched_sqlite_sidecar_paths(db_path) -> Set[str]:
     return {_canonical_sqlite_path(base + "-wal"), _canonical_sqlite_path(base + "-shm")}
 
 
+def _fd_is_truly_unlinked(fd_path: str) -> bool:
+    """Confirm a `` (deleted)`` /proc fd target really lost its last name.
+
+    The suffix alone is not proof: on OpenZFS a live, still-linked file whose
+    dentry was unhashed is reported as deleted while ``st_nlink`` is still 1 and
+    the path resolves to the very same inode. Only ``st_nlink == 0`` means the
+    inode is an orphan generation. An unstattable descriptor counts as deleted
+    so the guard keeps failing closed."""
+    try:
+        return os.stat(fd_path).st_nlink == 0
+    except OSError:
+        return True
+
+
 def _iter_proc_fd_targets():
-    """Yield ``(pid, readlink target)`` for every readable ``/proc/<pid>/fd`` entry."""
+    """Yield ``(pid, readlink target, fd path)`` for every readable ``/proc/<pid>/fd`` entry."""
     for pid_str in os.listdir("/proc"):
         if not pid_str.isdigit():
             continue
@@ -153,7 +167,8 @@ def _iter_proc_fd_targets():
             continue  # process gone or not ours
         for fd in fds:
             with contextlib.suppress(OSError):
-                yield int(pid_str), os.readlink(f"{fd_dir}/{fd}")
+                fd_path = f"{fd_dir}/{fd}"
+                yield int(pid_str), os.readlink(fd_path), fd_path
 
 
 def iter_deleted_sqlite_sidecar_holders(db_path) -> List[Tuple[int, str]]:
@@ -166,8 +181,9 @@ def iter_deleted_sqlite_sidecar_holders(db_path) -> List[Tuple[int, str]]:
     holders: List[Tuple[int, str]] = []
     watched = _watched_sqlite_sidecar_paths(db_path)
     try:
-        for pid, target in _iter_proc_fd_targets():
-            if " (deleted)" in target and _canonical_sqlite_path(target) in watched:
+        for pid, target, fd_path in _iter_proc_fd_targets():
+            if (" (deleted)" in target and _canonical_sqlite_path(target) in watched
+                    and _fd_is_truly_unlinked(fd_path)):
                 holders.append((pid, target))
     except Exception as exc:
         logger.debug("deleted-WAL holder scan failed for %s: %s", db_path, exc)
@@ -614,7 +630,7 @@ def count_db_holders(db_path: Path) -> Optional[int]:
         if not sys.platform.startswith("linux"):
             return None
         target = os.path.realpath(str(db_path))
-        return len({pid for pid, link in _iter_proc_fd_targets() if link == target})
+        return len({pid for pid, link, _fd_path in _iter_proc_fd_targets() if link == target})
     except Exception:
         return None
 
diff --git a/hermes_state_readpool.py b/hermes_state_readpool.py
index 23f6f26c25..5e3b27c26a 100644
--- a/hermes_state_readpool.py
+++ b/hermes_state_readpool.py
@@ -69,13 +69,14 @@ _fd_usage_lock = threading.Lock()
 _fd_usage_cache: "tuple[float, Optional[int]]" = (0.0, None)
 
 
-def _proc_fd_targets(pid: int) -> Iterator[str]:
-    """readlink() of every entry in /proc/<pid>/fd (unreadable links skipped).
-    Raises OSError when the fd directory itself cannot be listed."""
+def _proc_fd_targets(pid: int) -> "Iterator[tuple[str, str]]":
+    """Yield ``(readlink target, fd path)`` for every entry in /proc/<pid>/fd (unreadable
+    links skipped). Raises OSError when the fd directory itself cannot be listed."""
     fd_dir = f"/proc/{pid}/fd"
     for fd in os.listdir(fd_dir):
+        fd_path = f"{fd_dir}/{fd}"
         try:
-            yield os.readlink(f"{fd_dir}/{fd}")
+            yield os.readlink(fd_path), fd_path
         except OSError:
             continue
 
diff --git a/tests/hermes_state/test_deleted_wal_generation_guard.py b/tests/hermes_state/test_deleted_wal_generation_guard.py
index bdab0ba1c5..34ba9703ae 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_state/test_deleted_wal_generation_guard.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_state/test_deleted_wal_generation_guard.py
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ from pathlib import Path
 import pytest
 
 import hermes_state
+import hermes_state_dbfile
+import hermes_state_readpool
 import hermes_state_wal
 from hermes_state import (
     DeletedWalGenerationError, SessionDB, _close_time_checkpoint_configurable, classify_persistence_error,
@@ -127,6 +129,63 @@ def test_second_sessiondb_open_refuses_and_does_not_mint_wal(tmp_path, force_wal
     writer.close()
 
 
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    not sys.platform.startswith("linux"),
+    reason="deleted-WAL /proc scan is Linux-only",
+)
+def test_iter_holders_ignores_live_unhashed_dentry(tmp_path, force_wal, monkeypatch):
+    """OpenZFS can report a live, still-linked file's /proc fd target with the
+    `` (deleted)`` suffix (dentry unhashed, nlink still 1) even though nothing
+    was actually unlinked. The scan must not treat that as an orphaned WAL."""
+    path = tmp_path / "state.db"
+    db = _make_db(path, "s", "held")
+    wal = _require_wal(db)
+    real_readlink = os.readlink
+
+    def fake_readlink(fd_path, *args, **kwargs):
+        target = real_readlink(fd_path, *args, **kwargs)
+        if target.endswith(("-wal", "-shm")):
+            return target + " (deleted)"
+        return target
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(hermes_state_dbfile.os, "readlink", fake_readlink)
+    try:
+        assert iter_deleted_sqlite_sidecar_holders(path) == []
+        assert wal.exists()
+    finally:
+        db.close()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    not sys.platform.startswith("linux"),
+    reason="deleted-WAL write halt uses Linux unlink semantics",
+)
+def test_write_path_ignores_live_unhashed_dentry(tmp_path, force_wal, monkeypatch):
+    """Same OpenZFS artifact as above, but on the sticky in-process write-path
+    probe (_wal_generation_was_lost), which the open-path fix alone does not cover."""
+    path = tmp_path / "state.db"
+    db = _make_db(path, "s", "held")
+    _require_wal(db)
+    # Mimic the post-close-race state that forces the /proc probe path.
+    db._db_sidecar_identity = {}
+    real_readlink = os.readlink
+
+    def fake_readlink(fd_path, *args, **kwargs):
+        target = real_readlink(fd_path, *args, **kwargs)
+        if target.endswith(("-wal", "-shm")):
+            return target + " (deleted)"
+        return target
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(hermes_state_readpool.os, "readlink", fake_readlink)
+    try:
+        assert db._wal_generation_was_lost() is False
+        db.append_message("s", role="user", content="after-artifact")
+        rows = db.get_messages("s")
+        assert any(m["content"] == "after-artifact" for m in rows)
+    finally:
+        db.close()
+
+
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
     not sys.platform.startswith("linux"),
     reason="deleted-WAL write halt uses Linux unlink semantics",