diff --git a/internal/releaseadapter/v071/formal_maintenance_recovery_r38_test.go b/internal/releaseadapter/v071/formal_maintenance_recovery_r38_test.go
index 3075b9d..8ff1d6a 100644
--- a/internal/releaseadapter/v071/formal_maintenance_recovery_r38_test.go
+++ b/internal/releaseadapter/v071/formal_maintenance_recovery_r38_test.go
@@ -1006,32 +1006,35 @@ UPDATE knowledge_bases SET embedding_model_id='r38-model',vector_store_id='r38-v
 	}
 	heldIndex := recoveryIndexReadback(t, fx)
 	save("13-index-held.json", heldIndex)
-	heldDoc, ok := heldIndex["chunk-target"]
-	if !ok {
-		t.Fatal("chunk-target missing at held boundary")
-	}
-	heldSource := heldDoc["_source"].(map[string]any)
-	heldContent, _ := heldSource["content"].(string)
 	if earlyBranch {
-		// database 阶段失败时索引还没被恢复：既不能有恢复 marker，也不能回到 before-image。
-		if strings.HasPrefix(heldContent, indexRestoreClaimPrefix) {
-			t.Fatalf("early held index must not carry a restore marker: %q", heldContent)
+		// database 阶段失败时索引还没被恢复：整份读回必须仍是发布写入后的那一代，
+		// before-image 的 chunk-target 不能提前出现。
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(appliedIndex, heldIndex) {
+			t.Fatalf("early held index must be exactly the applied publish generation (applied=%d docs, held=%d docs)",
+				len(appliedIndex), len(heldIndex))
 		}
-		appliedSource := appliedIndex["chunk-target"]["_source"]
-		if !reflect.DeepEqual(appliedSource, heldSource) {
-			t.Fatal("early held index must still be the applied publish content")
+		if _, ok := heldIndex["chunk-target"]; ok {
+			t.Fatal("before-image chunk-target reappeared before the index stage ran")
 		}
-	} else if fullShape {
-		// 对象分支里索引已恢复，marker 不能还在：否则说明失败的其实是 ES 分支。
-		if strings.HasPrefix(heldContent, indexRestoreClaimPrefix) {
-			t.Fatalf("object branch left the ES restore marker in place: %q", heldContent)
+	} else {
+		heldDoc, ok := heldIndex["chunk-target"]
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatal("chunk-target missing at held boundary")
 		}
-		oldSource := beforeIndex["chunk-target"]["_source"]
-		if !reflect.DeepEqual(oldSource, heldSource) {
-			t.Fatalf("object branch index was not restored to its before-image")
+		heldSource := heldDoc["_source"].(map[string]any)
+		heldContent, _ := heldSource["content"].(string)
+		if fullShape {
+			// 对象/PG wiki 分支里索引已恢复，marker 不能还在：否则说明失败的其实是 ES 分支。
+			if strings.HasPrefix(heldContent, indexRestoreClaimPrefix) {
+				t.Fatalf("restored index left the ES restore marker in place: %q", heldContent)
+			}
+			oldSource := beforeIndex["chunk-target"]["_source"]
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(oldSource, heldSource) {
+				t.Fatalf("index was not restored to its before-image")
+			}
+		} else if !strings.HasPrefix(heldContent, indexRestoreClaimPrefix) {
+			t.Fatalf("held index must still carry the restore marker, got %q", heldContent)
 		}
-	} else if !strings.HasPrefix(heldContent, indexRestoreClaimPrefix) {
-		t.Fatalf("held index must still carry the restore marker, got %q", heldContent)
 	}
 	events, refused := proxy.snapshot()
 	save("14-wire-held.json", map[string]any{"events": events, "refused": refused})