diff --git a/crates/omnigraph/src/exec/query.rs b/crates/omnigraph/src/exec/query.rs
index 63343e7..5509b43 100644
--- a/crates/omnigraph/src/exec/query.rs
+++ b/crates/omnigraph/src/exec/query.rs
@@ -870,6 +870,27 @@ async fn execute_expand_indexed(
     };
     let edge_table_key = format!("edge:{}", edge_type);
     let edge_ds = snapshot.open(&edge_table_key).await?;
+
+    // C6 guard: surface the silent scalar-index fallback. If Lance won't route
+    // the per-hop `key_col IN (...)` through the BTREE (no index, or a fragment
+    // missing physical_rows), the scan is a correct but O(|E|) full scan.
+    // Detection-only (metadata, no IO); never fails the query.
+    match crate::table_store::TableStore::key_column_index_coverage(&edge_ds, key_col).await {
+        Ok(crate::table_store::IndexCoverage::Degraded { reason }) => tracing::warn!(
+            target: "omnigraph::traverse",
+            edge = %edge_type,
+            key_col = key_col,
+            reason = %reason,
+            "indexed traversal falls back to a full edge scan (results correct, perf degraded)"
+        ),
+        Ok(crate::table_store::IndexCoverage::Indexed) => {}
+        Err(e) => tracing::debug!(
+            target: "omnigraph::traverse",
+            error = %e,
+            "index-coverage check failed; proceeding with traversal"
+        ),
+    }
+
     let max = max_hops.unwrap_or(min_hops.max(1));
 
     // Per-source BFS state in string-id space (no dense interning needed).
diff --git a/crates/omnigraph/src/table_store.rs b/crates/omnigraph/src/table_store.rs
index 19f1ddf..ca2cbd0 100644
--- a/crates/omnigraph/src/table_store.rs
+++ b/crates/omnigraph/src/table_store.rs
@@ -43,6 +43,19 @@ pub struct DeleteState {
     pub(crate) version_metadata: TableVersionMetadata,
 }
 
+/// Whether a `key_col IN (...)` scan on a dataset will be served by the
+/// persisted scalar (BTREE) index, or silently fall back to a full filtered
+/// scan. Detection-only (metadata, no IO); the scan returns the correct rows
+/// either way. Surfaced by the indexed traversal path so the silent perf
+/// fallback is observable, and available to a future cost-based planner.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum IndexCoverage {
+    /// The column has a usable BTREE and every fragment records `physical_rows`.
+    Indexed,
+    /// Lance will not use the scalar index for this scan (correct, full scan).
+    Degraded { reason: String },
+}
+
 /// A Lance write that has produced fragment files on object storage but is
 /// not yet committed to the dataset's manifest. The staged-write primitives
 /// are consumed by `MutationStaging` (`exec/staging.rs`,
@@ -628,6 +641,50 @@ impl TableStore {
         .map_err(|e| OmniError::Lance(e.to_string()))
     }
 
+    /// Metadata-only check (no IO) of whether `scan_edges_by_endpoint` — a
+    /// `key_col IN (...)` filter — on `ds` will be served by the persisted BTREE
+    /// on `column`, or silently fall back to a full filtered scan. Mirrors
+    /// Lance's own decision: scalar indices are disabled for the whole scan if
+    /// ANY fragment lacks `physical_rows` (lance `dataset/scanner.rs`
+    /// `create_filter_plan`), and are obviously unused if no BTREE on the
+    /// column exists. The scan is correct (returns all rows) either way — this
+    /// only surfaces the perf cliff so the indexed traversal can warn on it.
+    pub async fn key_column_index_coverage(ds: &Dataset, column: &str) -> Result<IndexCoverage> {
+        let Some(field_id) = ds.schema().field(column).map(|field| field.id) else {
+            return Ok(IndexCoverage::Degraded {
+                reason: format!("column '{}' not in schema", column),
+            });
+        };
+        let indices = ds
+            .load_indices()
+            .await
+            .map_err(|e| OmniError::Lance(e.to_string()))?;
+        let has_btree = indices
+            .iter()
+            .filter(|index| !is_system_index(index))
+            .filter(|index| index.fields.len() == 1 && index.fields[0] == field_id)
+            .any(|index| {
+                index
+                    .index_details
+                    .as_ref()
+                    .map(|details| details.type_url.ends_with("BTreeIndexDetails"))
+                    .unwrap_or(false)
+            });
+        if !has_btree {
+            return Ok(IndexCoverage::Degraded {
+                reason: format!("no BTREE index on '{}'", column),
+            });
+        }
+        // Same check Lance runs: a fragment missing physical_rows disables
+        // scalar indices for the entire scan (all-or-nothing).
+        if ds.fragments().iter().any(|f| f.physical_rows.is_none()) {
+            return Ok(IndexCoverage::Degraded {
+                reason: "a fragment is missing physical_rows".to_string(),
+            });
+        }
+        Ok(IndexCoverage::Indexed)
+    }
+
     pub async fn count_rows(&self, ds: &Dataset, filter: Option<String>) -> Result<usize> {
         ds.count_rows(filter)
             .await
diff --git a/crates/omnigraph/tests/traversal_indexed.rs b/crates/omnigraph/tests/traversal_indexed.rs
index 7808655..d7acb92 100644
--- a/crates/omnigraph/tests/traversal_indexed.rs
+++ b/crates/omnigraph/tests/traversal_indexed.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ mod helpers;
 use arrow_array::{Array, StringArray};
 
 use omnigraph::db::Omnigraph;
+use omnigraph::table_store::{IndexCoverage, TableStore};
 use omnigraph_compiler::ir::ParamMap;
 use serial_test::serial;
 
@@ -61,6 +62,33 @@ async fn both_modes(db: &mut Omnigraph, queries: &str, name: &str, params: &Para
     indexed
 }
 
+// The C6 index-coverage guard: `key_column_index_coverage` must report whether
+// a `key_col IN (...)` scan will use the persisted BTREE or silently full-scan.
+// Not #[serial] — it calls the helper directly and reads no env.
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn key_column_index_coverage_detects_btree_presence() {
+    let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+    let db = init_and_load(&dir).await;
+    let snap = snapshot_main(&db).await.unwrap();
+
+    // Edge `src` gets a BTREE from ensure_indices on load → Indexed.
+    let edge_ds = snap.open("edge:Knows").await.unwrap();
+    let src_cov = TableStore::key_column_index_coverage(&edge_ds, "src")
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(src_cov, IndexCoverage::Indexed, "edge src is BTREE-indexed");
+
+    // A node property column with no scalar index → Degraded (the warn path).
+    let node_ds = snap.open("node:Person").await.unwrap();
+    let age_cov = TableStore::key_column_index_coverage(&node_ds, "age")
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    assert!(
+        matches!(age_cov, IndexCoverage::Degraded { .. }),
+        "non-indexed column should be Degraded, got {age_cov:?}"
+    );
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 #[serial]
 async fn indexed_matches_csr_one_hop_same_type() {