diff --git a/crates/omnigraph/src/db/manifest.rs b/crates/omnigraph/src/db/manifest.rs
index 7fcf7de..3b2886f 100644
--- a/crates/omnigraph/src/db/manifest.rs
+++ b/crates/omnigraph/src/db/manifest.rs
@@ -48,6 +48,22 @@ const OBJECT_TYPE_TABLE_VERSION: &str = "table_version";
 const OBJECT_TYPE_TABLE_TOMBSTONE: &str = "table_tombstone";
 const TABLE_VERSION_MANAGEMENT_KEY: &str = "table_version_management";
 
+/// Apply pending internal-schema migrations against `__manifest` on the
+/// open-for-write path, independent of a publish.
+///
+/// `Omnigraph::open(ReadWrite)` calls this before the coordinator reads branch
+/// state, so branch-observing code (`branch_list`, the schema-apply
+/// blocking-branch checks) sees the post-migration graph. In particular the
+/// v2→v3 step sweeps legacy `__run__*` staging branches off `__manifest`
+/// (MR-770); running it here closes the window where those branches would
+/// otherwise block schema apply before the first publish runs the migration.
+///
+/// Idempotent: a no-op stamp read when the on-disk version already matches.
+pub(crate) async fn migrate_on_open(root_uri: &str) -> Result<()> {
+    let mut dataset = open_manifest_dataset(root_uri, None).await?;
+    migrations::migrate_internal_schema(&mut dataset).await
+}
+
 /// Immutable point-in-time view of the database.
 ///
 /// Cheap to create (no storage I/O). All reads within a query go through one
diff --git a/crates/omnigraph/src/db/omnigraph.rs b/crates/omnigraph/src/db/omnigraph.rs
index 998eb85..39f07d1 100644
--- a/crates/omnigraph/src/db/omnigraph.rs
+++ b/crates/omnigraph/src/db/omnigraph.rs
@@ -340,6 +340,16 @@ impl Omnigraph {
         mode: OpenMode,
     ) -> Result<Self> {
         let root = normalize_root_uri(uri)?;
+        // Apply pending internal-schema migrations before the coordinator reads
+        // branch state, so `branch_list` and the schema-apply blocking-branch
+        // checks observe the post-migration graph — notably the v2→v3 sweep of
+        // legacy `__run__*` staging branches (MR-770). ReadWrite only: a
+        // read-only open must not trigger object-store writes, so a read-only
+        // open of an unmigrated legacy graph still lists `__run__*` until its
+        // first read-write open (an accepted, documented limitation).
+        if matches!(mode, OpenMode::ReadWrite) {
+            crate::db::manifest::migrate_on_open(&root).await?;
+        }
         // Open the coordinator first so the schema-staging recovery sweep can
         // compare its snapshot against any leftover staging files.
         let mut coordinator = GraphCoordinator::open(&root, Arc::clone(&storage)).await?;
@@ -2216,6 +2226,56 @@ edge WorksAt: Person -> Company
         assert!(result.applied, "schema apply should have applied");
     }
 
+    /// Regression (MR-770): a pre-v0.4.0 graph that still carries a stale
+    /// `__run__*` branch on `__manifest` must not block schema apply. The
+    /// v2→v3 sweep runs in `Omnigraph::open(ReadWrite)` — before the
+    /// schema-apply blocking-branch check — so apply succeeds with no
+    /// intervening publish.
+    ///
+    /// Confirmed to fail before the open-time migration landed: the reopened
+    /// graph still listed `__run__legacy`, and `apply_schema` returned
+    /// "found non-main branches: __run__legacy".
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn legacy_run_branch_is_swept_on_open_and_does_not_block_schema_apply() {
+        let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let uri = dir.path().to_str().unwrap();
+        let mut db = Omnigraph::init(uri, TEST_SCHEMA).await.unwrap();
+
+        // Synthesize a legacy graph: a stale `__run__` branch on `__manifest`
+        // plus the manifest stamp rewound to v2 (pre-sweep).
+        db.branch_create("__run__legacy").await.unwrap();
+        drop(db);
+        {
+            let mut ds = lance::Dataset::open(&format!("{}/__manifest", uri))
+                .await
+                .unwrap();
+            ds.update_schema_metadata([(
+                "omnigraph:internal_schema_version".to_string(),
+                Some("2".to_string()),
+            )])
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        }
+
+        // Reopen (ReadWrite): the open-time migration must sweep `__run__legacy`
+        // before any branch-observing code runs.
+        let db = Omnigraph::open(uri).await.unwrap();
+        let branches = db.branch_list().await.unwrap();
+        assert!(
+            !branches.iter().any(|b| b.starts_with("__run__")),
+            "open-time migration must sweep legacy __run__ branches; got {branches:?}",
+        );
+
+        // Schema apply must proceed with no intervening publish — the
+        // blocking-branch check no longer sees `__run__legacy`.
+        let desired = TEST_SCHEMA.replace(
+            "    age: I32?\n}",
+            "    age: I32?\n    nickname: String?\n}",
+        );
+        let result = db.apply_schema(&desired).await.unwrap();
+        assert!(result.applied, "schema apply should have applied");
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn test_apply_schema_adds_index_for_existing_property() {
         let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
diff --git a/crates/omnigraph/src/db/omnigraph/schema_apply.rs b/crates/omnigraph/src/db/omnigraph/schema_apply.rs
index 0dcf0f9..b4ec5e4 100644
--- a/crates/omnigraph/src/db/omnigraph/schema_apply.rs
+++ b/crates/omnigraph/src/db/omnigraph/schema_apply.rs
@@ -94,11 +94,11 @@ pub(super) async fn apply_schema_with_lock(
 ) -> Result<SchemaApplyResult> {
     db.ensure_schema_state_valid().await?;
     let branches = db.coordinator.read().await.all_branches().await?;
-    // Skip `main` and internal system branches. The schema-apply lock branch
-    // is excluded because it is the cluster-wide schema-apply serializer.
-    // `__run__*` branches are no longer created; the filter remains as
-    // defense-in-depth for legacy graphs with leftover staging branches.
-    // A future production sweep will let this guard go.
+    // Skip `main` and internal system branches (the schema-apply lock branch,
+    // the cluster-wide schema-apply serializer). Legacy `__run__*` staging
+    // branches were swept off `__manifest` by the v2→v3 migration that runs in
+    // `Omnigraph::open(ReadWrite)` before this check (MR-770), so they no
+    // longer appear here.
     let blocking_branches = branches
         .into_iter()
         .filter(|branch| branch != "main" && !is_internal_system_branch(branch))
diff --git a/docs/dev/writes.md b/docs/dev/writes.md
index 0876ad3..8b692b4 100644
--- a/docs/dev/writes.md
+++ b/docs/dev/writes.md
@@ -248,9 +248,14 @@ list`.
 
 ## Migration code
 
-`db/manifest/migrations.rs` does not change. Active deletion of
-`_graph_runs.lance` belongs in MR-770 (the production sweep) — this PR
-stops *creating* run state but does not destroy legacy bytes on disk.
+`db/manifest/migrations.rs` carries the v2→v3 internal-schema step (MR-770):
+a one-time sweep that deletes legacy `__run__*` staging branches off
+`__manifest`. It runs in `Omnigraph::open(ReadWrite)` (via
+`manifest::migrate_on_open`, before the coordinator reads branch state) and
+again on the publisher's write path; both are idempotent once the stamp is at
+v3. Deleting the inert `_graph_runs.lance` / `_graph_run_actors.lance` dataset
+*bytes* is still deferred — it needs a `StorageAdapter::delete_prefix`
+primitive — but those bytes are invisible to graph-level state.
 
 ## Mid-query partial failure: closed by MR-794
 
diff --git a/docs/user/storage.md b/docs/user/storage.md
index e71fe71..d1c52b5 100644
--- a/docs/user/storage.md
+++ b/docs/user/storage.md
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ Adding a new on-disk shape change is one constant bump (`INTERNAL_MANIFEST_SCHEM
 |---|---|
 | v1 (implicit, pre-stamp) | `__manifest.object_id` had no PK annotation; publisher had no row-level CAS protection. |
 | v2 | `__manifest.object_id` carries `lance-schema:unenforced-primary-key=true`; row-level CAS engaged. Stamped as `omnigraph:internal_schema_version=2`. |
+| v3 | One-time sweep of legacy `__run__*` staging branches (pre-v0.4.0 Run state machine, removed MR-771) off `__manifest`. Runs at `Omnigraph::open(ReadWrite)` and on publish. Stamped as `omnigraph:internal_schema_version=3`. |
 
 ## On-disk layout