diff --git a/hermes_cli/update_inventory.py b/hermes_cli/update_inventory.py
index 42a53be703..503c1aa235 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/update_inventory.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/update_inventory.py
@@ -324,11 +324,12 @@ def match_runtime_outcomes(
     Serve/dashboard runtimes are reconciled in their OWN vocabulary and never borrow the gateway's
     outcome: with ``stale_serve_pids`` a pre-update serve whose incarnation is gone counts as
     ``restarted``, one still alive is ``unaccounted``; without the probe an untouched serve stays
-    ``unaccounted``. A Desktop-supervised serve is ``deferred`` only when that probe confirmed its
-    pre-update incarnation is still alive: the restart phase is forbidden to restart it out from under
-    the app (it hosts the live Desktop chats), so it is handed back to its supervisor and surfaced.
-    Without that evidence it remains ``unaccounted``, rather than claiming the app owns an unknown
-    incarnation. See #111494.
+    ``unaccounted``. A Desktop-supervised serve is ``deferred`` only when the survivor probe RAN
+    and still lists its pid: the restart phase is forbidden to restart it out from under the app (it
+    hosts the live Desktop chats), so it is handed back to its supervisor and surfaced. Without a
+    probe result it remains ``unaccounted``, rather than claiming the app owns an unknown
+    incarnation. The probe itself fails closed (unreadable ledger -> every planned serve is listed as
+    surviving), so ``deferred`` means "not shown to be gone", not "observed alive". See #111494.
 
     See #91277.
     They never borrow the gateway's outcome: ``relaunched_profiles`` and ``hermes-gateway*`` name a