diff --git a/src/main/ai-vault-search/session-search-schema.test.ts b/src/main/ai-vault-search/session-search-schema.test.ts
index a7f5ec6aa71..cbcd24ef3ed 100644
--- a/src/main/ai-vault-search/session-search-schema.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/ai-vault-search/session-search-schema.test.ts
@@ -272,10 +272,13 @@ describe('visibility views', () => {
                (3,1,'claude','c','c','tombstoned','');
         INSERT INTO search_pending_deletes(path,session_row_id) VALUES ('c',3);
         INSERT INTO search_write_batches(id,session_row_id) VALUES (7,1);
-        INSERT INTO messages(id,session_row_id,batch_id,role) VALUES (1,1,NULL,'user'),(2,1,7,'user')`)
+        INSERT INTO messages(id,session_row_id,batch_id,role) VALUES (1,1,NULL,'user'),(2,1,7,'user'),
+               (3,3,NULL,'user')`)
       expect(db.prepare(`SELECT title FROM ${VISIBLE_SESSIONS} ORDER BY id`).all()).toEqual([
         { title: 'published' }
       ])
+      // Row 3 is the one a batch-pointer filter alone would return: its batch is
+      // long gone and only the session-keyed tombstone retires it.
       expect(db.prepare(`SELECT id FROM ${VISIBLE_MESSAGES} ORDER BY id`).all()).toEqual([
         { id: 1 }
       ])
diff --git a/src/main/ai-vault-search/session-search-schema.ts b/src/main/ai-vault-search/session-search-schema.ts
index 4b88686f37d..d44dbb80318 100644
--- a/src/main/ai-vault-search/session-search-schema.ts
+++ b/src/main/ai-vault-search/session-search-schema.ts
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS search_pending_deletes(
   session_row_id INTEGER NOT NULL,
   batch_id INTEGER
 );
+-- Both views subtract this set on every read; without it each one scans the table.
+-- Partial because a batch-keyed tombstone names a session that is still visible.
+CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS search_pending_deletes_session
+  ON search_pending_deletes(session_row_id) WHERE batch_id IS NULL;
 -- A row exists only while its batch is in flight; publish clears its messages and deletes it.
 CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS search_write_batches(
   id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
@@ -91,11 +95,17 @@ CREATE VIRTUAL TABLE IF NOT EXISTS conversation_fts USING fts5(
 );
 -- Why: staged rows must never reach a result. One definition per half, so a new
 -- read site cannot forget one; SQLite flattens both into the caller's plan.
+-- Both halves subtract the same session-keyed tombstones. A message outlives its
+-- session row until the cleanup lane reaches it, so filtering messages on the
+-- batch pointer alone would show a replaced generation beside its successor and
+-- would keep answering for a file that was already removed.
 CREATE VIEW IF NOT EXISTS ${VISIBLE_SESSIONS} AS SELECT * FROM sessions
   WHERE index_ready = 1
     AND id NOT IN (SELECT session_row_id FROM search_pending_deletes WHERE batch_id IS NULL);
 CREATE VIEW IF NOT EXISTS ${VISIBLE_MESSAGES} AS SELECT * FROM messages
-  WHERE batch_id IS NULL;
+  WHERE batch_id IS NULL
+    AND session_row_id NOT IN
+      (SELECT session_row_id FROM search_pending_deletes WHERE batch_id IS NULL);
 `
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/main/ai-vault-search/session-search-staged-write.test.ts b/src/main/ai-vault-search/session-search-staged-write.test.ts
index e4e48446fa6..a65d3409606 100644
--- a/src/main/ai-vault-search/session-search-staged-write.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/ai-vault-search/session-search-staged-write.test.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,22 @@ afterEach(async () => {
   await index.close()
 })
 
+/**
+ * The read shape every query site has to use: an FTS table joined to the
+ * visible half. Both views subtract tombstones, so a hit here is a row a search
+ * may return right now, with no cleanup pass required first.
+ */
+function matches(db: SyncDatabase, table: string, term: string): number {
+  return (
+    db
+      .prepare(
+        `SELECT count(*) AS n FROM ${table} JOIN visible_messages m ON m.id = ${table}.rowid
+         WHERE ${table} MATCH ?`
+      )
+      .get(term) as { n: number }
+  ).n
+}
+
 function counts(db: SyncDatabase): Record<string, number> {
   const one = (sql: string): number => (db.prepare(sql).get() as { n: number }).n
   return {
@@ -69,18 +85,9 @@ it('writes both FTS tables for every published conversational row', async () =>
   // messages_fts carries every row; conversation_fts is the tool-free half.
   expect(counts(index.db).full).toBe(3)
   expect(counts(index.db).conversation).toBe(2)
-  const matches = (table: string, term: string): number =>
-    (
-      index.db
-        .prepare(
-          `SELECT count(*) AS n FROM ${table} JOIN visible_messages m ON m.id = ${table}.rowid
-           WHERE ${table} MATCH ?`
-        )
-        .get(term) as { n: number }
-    ).n
-  expect(matches('messages_fts', 'gamma')).toBe(1)
-  expect(matches('conversation_fts', 'gamma')).toBe(0)
-  expect(matches('conversation_fts', 'beta')).toBe(1)
+  expect(matches(index.db, 'messages_fts', 'gamma')).toBe(1)
+  expect(matches(index.db, 'conversation_fts', 'gamma')).toBe(0)
+  expect(matches(index.db, 'conversation_fts', 'beta')).toBe(1)
 })
 
 it('hides staged rows from both halves until the read finishes', async () => {
@@ -178,15 +185,31 @@ it('replaces the previous generation without ever showing both', async () => {
 
   expect(counts(index.db).sessions).toBe(1)
   expect(counts(index.db).messages).toBe(10)
-  const hits = (term: string): number =>
-    (
-      index.db
-        .prepare(
-          `SELECT count(*) AS n FROM messages_fts JOIN visible_messages m ON m.id = messages_fts.rowid
-           WHERE messages_fts MATCH ?`
-        )
-        .get(term) as { n: number }
-    ).n
-  expect(hits('firstgeneration')).toBe(0)
-  expect(hits('secondgeneration')).toBe(10)
+  expect(matches(index.db, 'messages_fts', 'firstgeneration')).toBe(0)
+  expect(matches(index.db, 'messages_fts', 'secondgeneration')).toBe(10)
+})
+
+// The cleanup lane cannot start before the first microtask, so everything below
+// reads the index in the state a search issued in the same tick would see.
+it('answers for only the new generation the moment a replace publishes', async () => {
+  replayTranscriptRead({ messages: userMessages('firstgeneration', 3) })
+  replayTranscriptRead({ messages: userMessages('secondgeneration', 3) })
+
+  expect(matches(index.db, 'messages_fts', 'firstgeneration')).toBe(0)
+  expect(matches(index.db, 'messages_fts', 'secondgeneration')).toBe(3)
+  expect(counts(index.db).messages).toBe(3)
+  // Both generations really are still on disk; only the views subtract one.
+  expect(counts(index.db).rawMessages).toBe(6)
+  await store.settled()
+})
+
+it('stops answering for a removed file the moment it is removed', async () => {
+  replayTranscriptRead({ messages: userMessages('removedneedle', 3) })
+  store.removeFile(SYNTHETIC_TRANSCRIPT)
+
+  expect(counts(index.db).sessions).toBe(0)
+  expect(counts(index.db).messages).toBe(0)
+  expect(matches(index.db, 'messages_fts', 'removedneedle')).toBe(0)
+  expect(counts(index.db).rawMessages).toBe(3)
+  await store.settled()
 })