diff --git a/src/device-sync/__tests__/engine/real-planners.test.ts b/src/device-sync/__tests__/engine/real-planners.test.ts
index 48fa36d9..d72a6541 100644
--- a/src/device-sync/__tests__/engine/real-planners.test.ts
+++ b/src/device-sync/__tests__/engine/real-planners.test.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   createHarness,
   renameDeviceContact,
   rowWrites,
+  RUN_BUDGET,
   type Harness,
 } from './harness';
 
@@ -295,6 +296,62 @@ describe('device sync engine with the real planners', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('a deletion the teardown uploads', () => {
+    /** The contacts planner as fixed for data finding 4: a deleted contact's shadow follows the server. */
+    function refreshingDeletedShadows(h: Harness): void {
+      h.deps.planners = {
+        ...h.deps.planners,
+        contacts: {
+          ...contactsPlanner,
+          planDownload: (card, local, ctx) => {
+            if (!local?.deleted || !local.sourceId) return contactsPlanner.planDownload(card, local, ctx);
+            const shadow = JSON.stringify({ ...card, '~memberOf': local.shadow?.['~memberOf'] ?? [] });
+            const ops = [{ op: 'update' as const, table: 'raw_contacts' as const, id: local.rawContactId, values: { sync2: shadow } }];
+            return { ops: { ref: local.sourceId, ops }, conflicts: 0, stillDirty: true, effect: 'update' as const, writes: 1 };
+          },
+        },
+      };
+    }
+
+    it('is decided on the server version when the server changed since the last sync', async () => {
+      const h = real();
+      const archive = h.server.addAddressBook('a', { name: 'Archive' });
+      h.prefs.contactsSelection[`a/${archive}`] = false;
+      const [ada] = addServerCards(h, ['Ada Lovelace']);
+      await h.run();
+      refreshingDeletedShadows(h);
+      h.device.user.deleteContact(h.contactNamed('Ada Lovelace')!.id);
+      // Meanwhile another client files Ada in Archive too.
+      h.server.serverUpdate('ContactCard', 'a', ada, { [`addressBookIds/${archive}`]: true });
+
+      expect(await h.teardown(CONTACTS_AUTHORITY)).toEqual({ pending: 0 });
+
+      expect(h.server.get('ContactCard', 'a', ada)).toMatchObject({ addressBookIds: { [archive]: true } });
+      expect((h.server.get('ContactCard', 'a', ada)!.addressBookIds as object)).not.toHaveProperty(h.book);
+    });
+
+    it('waits, with the edits, while no state guards the upload (the first sync never ended)', async () => {
+      const h = real();
+      const [ada] = addServerCards(h, ['Ada Lovelace', 'Grace Hopper', ...Array.from({ length: 60 }, (_, i) => `P${i}`)]);
+      // The first sync (a full reconcile) runs out of time after its first chunk (Ada and Grace): no state yet.
+      h.checkpoints.onCheckpoint = (n) => {
+        if (n === 3) h.clock.now += RUN_BUDGET;
+      };
+      expect((await h.run()).outcome).toBe('cancelled');
+      h.checkpoints.onCheckpoint = undefined;
+      expect(h.state()?.accounts.a.itemsState).toBeNull();
+      renameDeviceContact(h, h.contactNamed('Ada Lovelace')!.id, 'Ada King');
+      h.device.user.deleteContact(h.contactNamed('Grace Hopper')!.id);
+      addDeviceContact(h, 'Hedy Lamarr');
+      // Meanwhile another client changes Ada.
+      h.server.serverUpdate('ContactCard', 'a', ada, { 'name/full': 'Ada, Countess of Lovelace' });
+
+      expect(await h.teardown(CONTACTS_AUTHORITY)).toEqual({ pending: 2 });
+
+      expect(h.serverNames().filter((n) => !/^P\d+$/.test(n))).toEqual(['Ada, Countess of Lovelace', 'Grace Hopper', 'Hedy Lamarr']);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('a device edit the server refuses (forbidden)', () => {
     it('puts a contact back in place, keeping what only the device knows', async () => {
       const h = real();
diff --git a/src/device-sync/engine/item-sync.ts b/src/device-sync/engine/item-sync.ts
index 88c0bbe0..31c75eaa 100644
--- a/src/device-sync/engine/item-sync.ts
+++ b/src/device-sync/engine/item-sync.ts
@@ -800,14 +800,19 @@ export abstract class ItemSync {
    */
   protected async uploadAll(): Promise<void> {
     const accounts = this.accountIds();
-    for (const acct of accounts) await this.withRetries(acct, () => this.pairPhase(acct));
+    // A teardown downloads nothing first: `ifInState` is what keeps its uploads from overwriting a server change.
+    // An account without a stored state (its first sync never ended) uploads only new items; the rest waits.
+    const guarded = accounts.filter((acct) => this.env.mode !== 'teardown' || !!this.env.store.account(acct).itemsState);
+    for (const acct of guarded) await this.withRetries(acct, () => this.pairPhase(acct));
     await this.claimNewItems();
     const deletionsAllowed = await this.deletionPolicy(await this.loadUploadItems());
-    for (const acct of accounts) await this.withRetries(acct, () => this.prePhase(acct));
+    for (const acct of guarded) await this.withRetries(acct, () => this.prePhase(acct));
     for (const phase of ['create', 'update', 'delete'] as const) {
-      for (const acct of accounts) await this.withRetries(acct, () => this.phase(acct, phase, deletionsAllowed));
+      for (const acct of phase === 'create' ? accounts : guarded) {
+        await this.withRetries(acct, () => this.phase(acct, phase, deletionsAllowed));
+      }
     }
-    for (const acct of accounts) await this.withRetries(acct, () => this.extraPhase(acct, deletionsAllowed));
+    for (const acct of guarded) await this.withRetries(acct, () => this.extraPhase(acct, deletionsAllowed));
     for (const acct of accounts) await this.adoptExtraCreated(acct);
   }