diff --git a/crates/omnigraph/src/db/manifest/recovery.rs b/crates/omnigraph/src/db/manifest/recovery.rs
index 5fb3224..7f60fce 100644
--- a/crates/omnigraph/src/db/manifest/recovery.rs
+++ b/crates/omnigraph/src/db/manifest/recovery.rs
@@ -599,6 +599,50 @@ async fn process_sidecar(
             }
         },
         SidecarDecision::RollBack => {
+            // Distinguish "stale sidecar from a previous successful
+            // roll-forward whose audit/delete failed" from a legitimate
+            // rollback. If every table is at NoMovement AND any pin's
+            // manifest_pinned has advanced past expected_version, the
+            // manifest already reflects the writer's intent — a previous
+            // recovery's `roll_forward_all` succeeded but `record_audit`
+            // or `delete_sidecar` failed, leaving the sidecar to be
+            // re-discovered. Recording this as RolledBack with empty
+            // outcomes (the naive RollBack path's behavior under all-
+            // NoMovement) misleads operators reading
+            // `_graph_commit_recoveries.lance` — the actual outcome was
+            // a successful roll-forward.
+            let all_no_movement = states
+                .iter()
+                .all(|s| matches!(s.classification, TableClassification::NoMovement));
+            let any_pin_advanced = sidecar
+                .tables
+                .iter()
+                .zip(states.iter())
+                .any(|(pin, state)| state.manifest_pinned > pin.expected_version);
+            if all_no_movement && any_pin_advanced {
+                if matches!(mode, RecoveryMode::RollForwardOnly) {
+                    // Refresh-time audit-recovery is safe: no
+                    // Dataset::restore involved; just an audit-row write
+                    // and sidecar delete.
+                    warn!(
+                        operation_id = sidecar.operation_id.as_str(),
+                        writer_kind = ?sidecar.writer_kind,
+                        "recovery: cleaning up stale sidecar from a prior successful \
+                         roll-forward (audit-recovery, in-process refresh)"
+                    );
+                } else {
+                    warn!(
+                        operation_id = sidecar.operation_id.as_str(),
+                        writer_kind = ?sidecar.writer_kind,
+                        "recovery: cleaning up stale sidecar from a prior successful \
+                         roll-forward (manifest already advanced; recording RolledForward audit)"
+                    );
+                }
+                return record_audit_recovery_rollforward(
+                    root_uri, storage, snapshot, sidecar, &states,
+                )
+                .await;
+            }
             if matches!(mode, RecoveryMode::RollForwardOnly) {
                 // In-process recovery cannot run Dataset::restore safely
                 // (would orphan a concurrent writer's commit). Leave the
@@ -744,6 +788,49 @@ async fn roll_back_sidecar(
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// Cleanup path for stale sidecars where a previous recovery's
+/// roll-forward succeeded (manifest pin advanced past `expected_version`)
+/// but `record_audit` or sidecar deletion failed, leaving the sidecar
+/// to be re-discovered on a subsequent open. By the time we re-classify,
+/// every table reads as `NoMovement` (lance_head == manifest_pinned),
+/// which the naive `RollBack` arm would record as RolledBack-with-empty-
+/// outcomes — misleading for operators because the actual outcome was
+/// a successful roll-forward.
+///
+/// This helper records the correct shape: a `RolledForward` audit row
+/// whose `from_version` is the original `expected_version` and whose
+/// `to_version` is the current `manifest_pinned` (the actual published
+/// version after the prior roll-forward). No Lance writes are needed —
+/// the substrate is already in the post-roll-forward state.
+async fn record_audit_recovery_rollforward(
+    root_uri: &str,
+    storage: &dyn StorageAdapter,
+    snapshot: &Snapshot,
+    sidecar: &RecoverySidecar,
+    states: &[ClassifiedTable],
+) -> Result<()> {
+    let outcomes: Vec<TableOutcome> = sidecar
+        .tables
+        .iter()
+        .zip(states.iter())
+        .map(|(pin, state)| TableOutcome {
+            table_key: pin.table_key.clone(),
+            from_version: pin.expected_version,
+            to_version: state.manifest_pinned,
+        })
+        .collect();
+    record_audit(
+        root_uri,
+        sidecar,
+        snapshot.version(),
+        RecoveryKind::RolledForward,
+        outcomes,
+    )
+    .await?;
+    delete_sidecar_by_operation_id(root_uri, storage, &sidecar.operation_id).await?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 /// Atomically extend every table's manifest pin from `expected_version` to
 /// `post_commit_pin` via a single `ManifestBatchPublisher::publish` call.
 /// Returns the new manifest version produced by the publish.
diff --git a/crates/omnigraph/tests/recovery.rs b/crates/omnigraph/tests/recovery.rs
index 6ffe4fd..5ad87e8 100644
--- a/crates/omnigraph/tests/recovery.rs
+++ b/crates/omnigraph/tests/recovery.rs
@@ -497,6 +497,143 @@ async fn recovery_rolls_forward_after_phase_b_completes() {
     .unwrap();
 }
 
+/// A previous recovery's `roll_forward_all` succeeded (manifest pin
+/// already advanced past the sidecar's `expected_version`) but
+/// `record_audit` or sidecar deletion failed, leaving the sidecar to be
+/// re-discovered on a subsequent open. The naive RollBack arm would
+/// classify all tables as NoMovement and record a `RolledBack` audit row
+/// with empty outcomes — misleading because the actual outcome was a
+/// successful roll-forward. Recovery must detect this stale-after-
+/// success shape and record `RolledForward` instead.
+///
+/// Synthesizes the state by:
+/// 1. Letting init + load advance the manifest pin AND Lance HEAD
+///    legitimately to some version `v`.
+/// 2. Writing a sidecar whose `expected_version < v` and
+///    `post_commit_pin == v` — exactly the shape left over after a
+///    publisher succeeds but audit fails.
+///
+/// On reopen the classifier sees `lance_head == manifest_pinned == v`
+/// → all NoMovement → decide returns RollBack. The new audit-recovery
+/// branch must detect `manifest_pinned > expected_version` and record
+/// `RolledForward` with `from_version=expected_version`,
+/// `to_version=v`.
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn recovery_records_rolled_forward_for_stale_sidecar_after_successful_roll_forward() {
+    use omnigraph::loader::{LoadMode, load_jsonl};
+
+    let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+    let uri = dir.path().to_str().unwrap();
+
+    let mut db = Omnigraph::init(uri, TEST_SCHEMA).await.unwrap();
+    let test_data = r#"{"type":"Person","data":{"name":"alice","age":30}}
+{"type":"Person","data":{"name":"bob","age":25}}
+"#;
+    load_jsonl(&mut db, test_data, LoadMode::Append)
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+    // Capture the current manifest pin and Lance HEAD — these match
+    // because the load went through the publisher.
+    let person_entry = db
+        .snapshot_of(omnigraph::db::ReadTarget::branch("main"))
+        .await
+        .unwrap()
+        .entry("node:Person")
+        .expect("Person entry exists post-load")
+        .clone();
+    let manifest_pin = person_entry.table_version;
+    drop(db);
+
+    let person_uri = node_table_uri(uri, "Person");
+    let head_now = Dataset::open(&person_uri).await.unwrap().version().version;
+    assert_eq!(
+        head_now, manifest_pin,
+        "Lance HEAD must equal manifest pin in steady state"
+    );
+    // Sidecar shape that simulates "publisher succeeded; audit/delete
+    // failed in a previous recovery pass". `expected_version` is less
+    // than the current manifest pin (the publish already ran) and
+    // `post_commit_pin` matches the current head.
+    let stale_expected = manifest_pin - 1;
+    let sidecar_json = format!(
+        r#"{{
+            "schema_version": 1,
+            "operation_id": "01H00000000000000000000SF",
+            "started_at": "0",
+            "branch": null,
+            "actor_id": "act-original",
+            "writer_kind": "Mutation",
+            "tables": [
+                {{
+                    "table_key": "node:Person",
+                    "table_path": "{}",
+                    "expected_version": {},
+                    "post_commit_pin": {}
+                }}
+            ]
+        }}"#,
+        person_uri, stale_expected, manifest_pin
+    );
+    write_sidecar_file(dir.path(), "01H00000000000000000000SF", &sidecar_json);
+
+    // Reopen — sweep must classify Person as NoMovement (head_now ==
+    // manifest_pinned) but recognize stale-after-success because
+    // manifest_pinned > stale_expected. Audit-recovery branch records
+    // RolledForward and deletes the sidecar.
+    let _db = Omnigraph::open(uri).await.unwrap();
+
+    // Sidecar deleted.
+    assert!(
+        list_recovery_dir(dir.path()).is_empty(),
+        "stale-after-success sidecar must be deleted after audit-recovery"
+    );
+
+    // Audit row says RolledForward (not RolledBack).
+    let audit = read_latest_recovery_audit(dir.path()).await;
+    assert_eq!(
+        audit,
+        Some((
+            "RolledForward".to_string(),
+            Some("act-original".to_string()),
+            "01H00000000000000000000SF".to_string(),
+            "Mutation".to_string(),
+        )),
+        "stale-after-success sidecar must record RolledForward, not RolledBack"
+    );
+    // Audit outcomes report from_version=stale_expected, to_version=manifest_pin.
+    use arrow_array::{Array, StringArray};
+    use futures::TryStreamExt;
+    let recoveries_dir = dir.path().join("_graph_commit_recoveries.lance");
+    let ds = Dataset::open(recoveries_dir.to_str().unwrap())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    let batches: Vec<arrow_array::RecordBatch> = ds
+        .scan()
+        .try_into_stream()
+        .await
+        .unwrap()
+        .try_collect()
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    let last = batches.iter().filter(|b| b.num_rows() > 0).last().unwrap();
+    let row = last.num_rows() - 1;
+    let outcomes_json = last
+        .column_by_name("per_table_outcomes_json")
+        .unwrap()
+        .as_any()
+        .downcast_ref::<StringArray>()
+        .unwrap()
+        .value(row);
+    let outcomes: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(outcomes_json).unwrap();
+    let arr = outcomes.as_array().unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(arr.len(), 1, "outcomes must include the Person table");
+    let outcome = &arr[0];
+    assert_eq!(outcome["table_key"], "node:Person");
+    assert_eq!(outcome["from_version"].as_u64().unwrap(), stale_expected);
+    assert_eq!(outcome["to_version"].as_u64().unwrap(), manifest_pin);
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn recovery_rolls_back_records_audit_row_with_recovery_actor() {
     use omnigraph::loader::{LoadMode, load_jsonl};