diff --git a/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.test.ts
index c49e3ca85cb..ec4b5db474d 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.test.ts
@@ -409,11 +409,29 @@ describe('Relay region preference', () => {
         logEvent: (event) => events.push(event)
       }).resolve()
     ).resolves.toBe('asia-east2')
-    expect(JSON.parse(readFileSync(cachePath(path), 'utf8'))).toMatchObject({
-      region: 'asia-east2',
-      expiresAt: 1_000 + 24 * 60 * 60_000
-    })
-    expect(events).toEqual([expect.objectContaining({ chosenRegion: 'asia-east2' })])
+    const held = JSON.parse(readFileSync(cachePath(path), 'utf8'))
+    expect(held).toMatchObject({ region: 'asia-east2', expiresAt: 1_000 + 24 * 60 * 60_000 })
+    // One hold per proven hint: the held entry carries no marker, so the next expiry
+    // must re-earn the region against a full catalog rather than chain holds forever.
+    expect(held.fullCatalog).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(events).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({ chosenRegion: 'asia-east2', reason: 'held-previous' })
+    ])
+  })
+
+  it('cannot chain holds: a held hint that expires during a second roll wave is not held again', async () => {
+    const path = userDataPath()
+    writeCache(path, 'asia-east2', 999, false)
+    const healthy = sampledProbe({ [ASIA]: [90, 30, 32, 34] })
+    await expect(
+      new RelayRegionPreferenceResolver({
+        directorUrl: DIRECTOR,
+        userDataPath: path,
+        fetch: catalogFetch([{ region: 'asia-east2', probeOrigins: [ASIA] }]),
+        probe: healthy.probe,
+        now: () => 1_000
+      }).resolve()
+    ).resolves.toBeUndefined()
   })
 
   it('does not hold an incumbent an older build cached without the full-catalog marker', async () => {
@@ -712,6 +730,45 @@ describe('Relay region cache self-heal', () => {
     expect(existsSync(cachePath(path))).toBe(true)
   })
 
+  it('does not delete a cache a concurrent refresh rewrote while the self-heal probed', async () => {
+    // Why: self-heal snapshots the cache before its probes. A refresh that finishes in
+    // between may have written a different, correct region; the stale verdict must not
+    // delete it and force yet another probe.
+    const path = userDataPath()
+    writeCache(path, 'asia-east2', 999)
+    const events: unknown[] = []
+    let release: () => void = () => {}
+    const gate = new Promise<void>((resolve) => (release = resolve))
+    const samples: Record<string, number[]> = {
+      [US]: [300, 30, 32, 34],
+      [ASIA]: [300, 200, 205, 210],
+      [CELL]: [300, 200, 205, 210]
+    }
+    const probe = async (origin: string): Promise<number | null> => {
+      await gate
+      return samples[origin]?.shift() ?? null
+    }
+    const resolver = new RelayRegionPreferenceResolver({
+      directorUrl: DIRECTOR,
+      userDataPath: path,
+      fetch: catalogFetch(BOTH_REGIONS),
+      probe,
+      now: () => 500,
+      logEvent: (event) => events.push(event)
+    })
+    const heal = resolver.invalidateIfAssignedCellIsFar(CELL)
+    // The refresh lands first and writes us-central1 against a full catalog.
+    writeCache(path, 'us-central1', 999)
+    release()
+    await heal
+    expect(JSON.parse(readFileSync(cachePath(path), 'utf8'))).toMatchObject({
+      region: 'us-central1'
+    })
+    expect(events).toContainEqual(
+      expect.objectContaining({ decision: 'kept', reason: 'superseded-by-refresh' })
+    )
+  })
+
   it('probes a given cell only once per process', async () => {
     const path = userDataPath()
     writeCache(path, 'asia-east2', LIVE_EXPIRY)
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.ts b/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.ts
index aa948f42d9a..d606018325e 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-preference.ts
@@ -163,7 +163,15 @@ export class RelayRegionPreferenceResolver {
       outcome.decision = far ? 'deleted' : 'kept'
       outcome.reason = far ? 'assigned-cell-far' : 'assigned-cell-near'
       if (far) {
-        rmSync(this.cachePath(), { force: true })
+        // Reread first: a refresh that finished during the probes may have
+        // written a different, correct region that this stale verdict must not delete.
+        const latest = readRelayRegionCache(this.cachePath(), this.options.directorUrl, now)
+        if (latest?.region === cache.region) {
+          rmSync(this.cachePath(), { force: true })
+        } else {
+          outcome.decision = 'kept'
+          outcome.reason = 'superseded-by-refresh'
+        }
       }
       this.logSelfHeal(outcome)
     } catch {
@@ -210,12 +218,21 @@ export class RelayRegionPreferenceResolver {
         reports,
         best: bestMeasurement(measurements),
         selected,
+        held: !complete && selected !== null,
         ttlMs
       })
     )
+    // A held incumbent is written without the marker: one roll wave may extend
+    // a proven hint by a day, but the next expiry must re-earn it against a full
+    // catalog, so a hint can never be renewed indefinitely on partial evidence.
     this.writeCache(
       selected
-        ? { region: selected.region, latencyMs: selected.latencyMs, ttlMs, fullCatalog: true }
+        ? {
+            region: selected.region,
+            latencyMs: selected.latencyMs,
+            ttlMs,
+            ...(complete ? { fullCatalog: true as const } : {})
+          }
         : { region: null, ttlMs },
       now
     )
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-probe-log.ts b/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-probe-log.ts
index cdb924ea108..81eff868e60 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-probe-log.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/relay/relay-region-probe-log.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ export type RelayRegionSelfHealLogEvent = {
     | 'catalog-unavailable'
     | 'assigned-cell-near'
     | 'assigned-cell-far'
+    | 'superseded-by-refresh'
 }
 
 export type RelayRegionLogEvent = RelayRegionProbeLogEvent | RelayRegionSelfHealLogEvent
@@ -107,6 +108,8 @@ export function relayRegionRefreshEvent(input: {
   reports: RelayRegionProbeReport[]
   best: RegionMeasurement | null
   selected: RegionMeasurement | null
+  /** The incumbent was kept through an incomplete catalog rather than measured against a rival. */
+  held?: boolean
   ttlMs: number
 }): RelayRegionProbeLogEvent {
   return {
@@ -114,7 +117,7 @@ export function relayRegionRefreshEvent(input: {
     directorHost: relayDirectorHost(input.directorUrl),
     regions: input.reports,
     chosenRegion: input.selected?.region ?? 'no-hint',
-    reason: refreshReason(input.reports, input.best, input.selected),
+    reason: input.held ? 'held-previous' : refreshReason(input.reports, input.best, input.selected),
     cached: false,
     ttlMs: input.ttlMs
   }