diff --git a/src/brainy.ts b/src/brainy.ts
index 0a2bd460..9344ff0c 100644
--- a/src/brainy.ts
+++ b/src/brainy.ts
@@ -367,6 +367,15 @@ class InsertPreconditionExistsSignal extends Error {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * @description The derived-index families a read may depend on. A read that
+ * consults none of them (a canonical-storage read: `get`, an entity
+ * enumeration, a VFS content/dir read) is index-independent and must never
+ * block on another family's one-time migration. Used by the family-scoped
+ * migration gate ({@link Brainy.awaitMigrationLock}).
+ */
+export type IndexFamily = 'vector' | 'metadata' | 'graph'
+
 /**
  * The main Brainy class - Clean, Beautiful, Powerful
  * REAL IMPLEMENTATION - No stubs, no mocks
@@ -1439,7 +1448,10 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
    * re-initializing — using a closed Brainy is a consumer bug, not a lazy-init
    * opportunity.
    */
-  private async ensureInitialized(opts?: { bypassMigrationLock?: boolean }): Promise<void> {
+  private async ensureInitialized(opts?: {
+    bypassMigrationLock?: boolean
+    needs?: IndexFamily[]
+  }): Promise<void> {
     if (this.closed) {
       throw new Error('Brainy instance is not initialized: it was closed via close(). Create a new instance.')
     }
@@ -1449,12 +1461,17 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
     // Coordinated migration LOCK (#18): every data-plane read and write funnels
     // through here, so this is the single choke point that holds operations while
     // a native provider runs its one-time 7.x → 8.0 rebuild-from-canonical — no
-    // op touches a half-built index. Observability (`health`/`checkHealth`) and
-    // the lock-clearing path (`stampBrainFormat`, which does not route through
-    // here) opt out so an operator can always watch progress and cor can stamp.
+    // op touches a half-built index. The gate is FAMILY-SCOPED: `needs` names the
+    // derived-index families this operation actually consults, so a read served
+    // entirely from canonical storage (`needs: []`) or from a healthy family
+    // never blocks on an UNRELATED family's migration. `needs` omitted = the
+    // conservative whole-brain wait (writes, and any read not yet classified).
+    // Observability (`health`/`checkHealth`) and the lock-clearing path
+    // (`stampBrainFormat`, which does not route through here) opt out entirely so
+    // an operator can always watch progress and a native provider can stamp.
     // A brain that never migrates pays one boolean check (see awaitMigrationLock).
     if (!opts?.bypassMigrationLock) {
-      await this.awaitMigrationLock()
+      await this.awaitMigrationLock(opts?.needs)
     }
   }
 
@@ -2188,7 +2205,9 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
    *
    */
   async get(id: string, options?: GetOptions): Promise<Entity<T> | null> {
-    await this.ensureInitialized()
+    // Canonical read: a get resolves an entity by id straight from storage and
+    // consults no derived index — it must not wait on any family's migration.
+    await this.ensureInitialized({ needs: [] })
     this.warnIfReadsDegraded('get')
 
     // Id normalization (8.0): a caller may read by their natural key — resolve
@@ -2247,7 +2266,8 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
    * ```
    */
   async batchGet(ids: string[], options?: GetOptions): Promise<Map<string, Entity<T>>> {
-    await this.ensureInitialized()
+    // Canonical read (see get): resolves by id from storage, no derived index.
+    await this.ensureInitialized({ needs: [] })
 
     // Id normalization (8.0): resolve each id to its canonical UUID so callers
     // can batch-read by natural key. resolveEntityId is idempotent on real
@@ -4271,7 +4291,9 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
   async related(
     paramsOrId?: string | RelatedParams
   ): Promise<Relation<T>[]> {
-    await this.ensureInitialized()
+    // Graph read: relationship traversal consults only the graph adjacency
+    // family, so it waits on a graph migration but not on vector/metadata.
+    await this.ensureInitialized({ needs: ['graph'] })
     await this.verifyGraphAdjacencyLive()
 
     // Handle string ID shorthand: related(id) -> related({ from: id })
@@ -5810,7 +5832,11 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
    * })
    */
   async find(query: string | FindParams<T>): Promise<Result<T>[]> {
-    await this.ensureInitialized()
+    // Init only here — the migration gate is applied family-scoped below, once
+    // the query params reveal which index families this read actually consults
+    // (a string query may parse to a where / connected / vector shape). The lazy
+    // loader and cold-read probes below already defer to a migrating provider.
+    await this.ensureInitialized({ needs: [] })
 
     // Ensure indexes are loaded (lazy loading when disableAutoRebuild: true)
     // This is a production-safe, concurrency-controlled lazy load
@@ -5849,6 +5875,13 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
     // Zero-config validation (static import for performance)
     validateFindParams(params)
 
+    // Family-scoped migration gate: wait only on the index families THIS query
+    // consults, so a filter or graph query served from a healthy family never
+    // blocks on an unrelated family's one-time 7.x → 8.0 migration. Placed once
+    // params are final (after natural-language parse + connected-id resolution)
+    // and before the aggregate path, which carries no gate of its own.
+    await this.awaitMigrationLock(this.queryIndexFamilies(params))
+
     // Aggregate query path — early return when params.aggregate is set
     if (params.aggregate) {
       return this.findAggregate(params)
@@ -12530,14 +12563,14 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
     entityCount: number
     indexEntryCount: number
     recommendation: string | null
-    /** Cross-layer (ADR-004 §6): each provider's own invariant self-report, when
+    /** Cross-layer: each provider's own invariant self-report, when
      *  it exposes validateInvariants(). Absent providers are simply not listed. */
     providers?: ProviderInvariantReport[]
   }> {
     await this.ensureInitialized()
     const result = await this.metadataIndex.validateConsistency()
 
-    // Cross-layer integrity (ADR-004 §6): validateConsistency() above only sees the
+    // Cross-layer integrity: validateConsistency() above only sees the
     // JS metadata index — it is BLIND to a native provider whose manifest ↔
     // segments ↔ counts have diverged. Delegate to each provider's own
     // validateInvariants() and aggregate, so "healthy-while-broken" is impossible.
@@ -12583,7 +12616,7 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
 
   /**
    * @description Feature-detect + call each index provider's OPTIONAL
-   * `validateInvariants()` (ADR-004 §6) and collect the reports. The contract is
+   * `validateInvariants()` and collect the reports. The contract is
    * that `validateInvariants()` NEVER throws and is bounded <50ms — but if a
    * provider violates that, the throw is turned into an UNHEALTHY synthetic
    * report (loud), never swallowed into "healthy". Providers that do not expose
@@ -12673,7 +12706,8 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
       limit?: number
     }
   ): Promise<string[]> {
-    await this.ensureInitialized()
+    // Graph read (see related): adjacency traversal only.
+    await this.ensureInitialized({ needs: ['graph'] })
     await this.verifyGraphAdjacencyLive()
 
     const direction = options?.direction || 'both'
@@ -14844,6 +14878,58 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
     )
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @description The provider instance backing a given index {@link IndexFamily}.
+   * The single place the family label maps to the concrete provider, so the
+   * scoped migration gate and any future family-aware routing agree.
+   */
+  private providerForFamily(family: IndexFamily): unknown {
+    switch (family) {
+      case 'vector':
+        return this.index
+      case 'metadata':
+        return this.metadataIndex
+      case 'graph':
+        return this.graphIndex
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @description Whether the migration LOCK should hold for an operation that
+   * depends on the given index families:
+   * - `needs === undefined` → WHOLE-BRAIN: any migrating provider counts (the
+   *   conservative default for writes and unclassified reads — a write touches
+   *   every index).
+   * - `needs === []` → NEVER: a canonical-storage read consults no derived index,
+   *   so a migration elsewhere is irrelevant; it serves immediately.
+   * - `needs = [families]` → SCOPED: only those families' providers count, so a
+   *   read served from a healthy family is not blocked by an unrelated family's
+   *   one-time migration.
+   */
+  private neededFamiliesMigrating(needs?: IndexFamily[]): boolean {
+    if (needs === undefined) return this.anyProviderMigrating()
+    for (const family of needs) {
+      if (this.providerIsMigrating(this.providerForFamily(family))) return true
+    }
+    return false
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @description The index families a {@link find} query consults, derived from
+   * its params — the read-side input to the family-scoped migration gate. A
+   * vector / near / semantic query needs `vector`; a `where` / type / subtype /
+   * service filter or an aggregate needs `metadata`; a `connected` traversal
+   * needs `graph`. A query combining shapes needs the union. Mirrors find()'s
+   * own criteria split so the gate and the executor never disagree.
+   */
+  private queryIndexFamilies(params: FindParams<T>): IndexFamily[] {
+    const needs: IndexFamily[] = []
+    if ((params.query && params.query.trim() !== '') || params.vector || params.near) needs.push('vector')
+    if (params.where || params.type || params.subtype || params.service || params.aggregate) needs.push('metadata')
+    if (params.connected) needs.push('graph')
+    return needs
+  }
+
   /**
    * @description Rich migration progress relayed verbatim from whichever provider
    * exposes the OPTIONAL `migrationStatus(): { phase?, index?, percent?, … } | null`.
@@ -14872,11 +14958,19 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
   /**
    * @description Block-and-queue on the coordinated migration LOCK (#18). Called
    * at the {@link ensureInitialized} choke point (and once inside `init()` before
-   * VFS bootstrap), so every data-plane read and write — and startup itself —
-   * waits here while a native provider runs its one-time 7.x → 8.0
-   * rebuild-from-canonical. The caller gets the correct answer, never a partial
-   * read of a half-built index and never a lost write. A brain that is not
-   * migrating pays a single boolean check and returns immediately.
+   * VFS bootstrap), so a data-plane operation waits here while a native provider
+   * runs its one-time 7.x → 8.0 rebuild-from-canonical. The caller gets the
+   * correct answer, never a partial read of a half-built index and never a lost
+   * write. A brain that is not migrating pays a single boolean check and returns
+   * immediately.
+   *
+   * FAMILY-SCOPED: `needs` names the index families the caller depends on, so the
+   * wait holds ONLY for a migration of one of those families. A read served
+   * entirely from canonical storage (`needs: []`) or from a healthy family never
+   * blocks on an unrelated family's migration. `needs` omitted = the conservative
+   * whole-brain wait (writes touch every index; startup wants all of them ready).
+   * @param needs - Index families this operation consults, or `undefined` for the
+   *   whole-brain wait.
    *
    * IMPORTANT: this timeout bounds THE CALLER'S WAIT, not the migration. The
    * migration itself is unbounded — the native provider rebuilds a billion-scale
@@ -14890,8 +14984,8 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
    * for a very large brain, runs the offline migrator. The block/release lines
    * log once per window; the flags reset on release so a later upgrade re-logs.
    */
-  private async awaitMigrationLock(): Promise<void> {
-    if (!this.anyProviderMigrating()) return // fast path — the overwhelming common case
+  private async awaitMigrationLock(needs?: IndexFamily[]): Promise<void> {
+    if (!this.neededFamiliesMigrating(needs)) return // fast path — the overwhelming common case
 
     const startedAt = Date.now()
     const timeoutMs = this.config.migrationWaitTimeoutMs ?? 30_000
@@ -14904,7 +14998,7 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
       )
     }
 
-    while (this.anyProviderMigrating()) {
+    while (this.neededFamiliesMigrating(needs)) {
       const remaining = timeoutMs - (Date.now() - startedAt)
       if (remaining <= 0) {
         const status = this.providerMigrationStatus()
@@ -15092,6 +15186,13 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
    */
   private async ensureMetadataConsistencyProbed(): Promise<void> {
     if (this._metadataConsistencyProbed) return
+    // Defer while the metadata provider runs its one-time in-place migration:
+    // probing (and self-healing via rebuild) an index the provider is mid-rebuild
+    // would collide with the provider that owns it. Mirrors the vector deference
+    // in ensureIndexesLoaded. Do NOT latch — once the migration clears, the next
+    // read runs the probe. (The family-scoped find() gate waits on the metadata
+    // family separately before any actual filter read.)
+    if (this.providerIsMigrating(this.metadataIndex)) return
     this._metadataConsistencyProbed = true
     const provider = this.metadataIndex as {
       probeConsistency?: () => Promise<boolean>
@@ -15161,6 +15262,32 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
 
   async repairIndex(): Promise<void> {
     await this.ensureInitialized()
+
+    // Prune orphaned canonical containers left by the pre-8.3.1 partial-delete
+    // defect: a delete that removed the metadata (content) leg but left the
+    // vector leg + the entity directory (a "ghost"), or left an empty directory
+    // (a "scar"). These are not live entities (getNoun needs the content leg)
+    // yet inflate enumerated counts and confuse locator resolution. Feature-
+    // detected (filesystem-only — key/prefix stores have no orphan containers);
+    // recompute counts afterward so the totals stop counting the ghosts.
+    const pruner = this.storage as {
+      pruneOrphanedEntities?: () => Promise<{ nouns: string[]; verbs: string[] }>
+      rebuildTypeCounts?: () => Promise<void>
+      rebuildSubtypeCounts?: () => Promise<void>
+    }
+    if (typeof pruner.pruneOrphanedEntities === 'function') {
+      const orphans = await pruner.pruneOrphanedEntities()
+      if (orphans.nouns.length + orphans.verbs.length > 0) {
+        await pruner.rebuildTypeCounts?.()
+        await pruner.rebuildSubtypeCounts?.()
+        prodLog.warn(
+          `[Brainy] repairIndex() pruned ${orphans.nouns.length} orphaned noun + ` +
+            `${orphans.verbs.length} orphaned verb container(s) left by a pre-8.3.1 ` +
+            `partial delete, and recomputed counts.`
+        )
+      }
+    }
+
     await this.metadataIndex.detectAndRepairCorruption()
     // Lift a failed-rollback write-quarantine: force a full rebuild so the
     // derived indexes are provably reconciled with canonical, then clear the
@@ -15175,7 +15302,7 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
         `Writes are re-enabled.`
       )
     }
-    // Cross-layer repair (ADR-004 §6): repairIndex must reconcile NATIVE derived
+    // Cross-layer repair: repairIndex must reconcile NATIVE derived
     // state from canonical, not just the JS metadata index. Consult each provider's
     // own validateInvariants() and rebuild any whose failing invariant asks for it
     // (heal: 'rebuild') — the native counterpart of detectAndRepairCorruption().
diff --git a/src/storage/adapters/fileSystemStorage.ts b/src/storage/adapters/fileSystemStorage.ts
index c2352d2f..a9e3014c 100644
--- a/src/storage/adapters/fileSystemStorage.ts
+++ b/src/storage/adapters/fileSystemStorage.ts
@@ -502,6 +502,104 @@ export class FileSystemStorage extends BaseStorage {
     this.writeBarrierDeleteDirs?.add(path.dirname(pathStr))
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @description Remove the entity container directory after both canonical legs
+   * were deleted (full-removal delete). `objectLegPath` is one leg's
+   * storage-root-relative path (e.g. `entities/nouns/<shard>/<id>/vectors.json`);
+   * its parent is the `<id>/` entity directory. `rmdir` removes it ONLY if empty
+   * — both legs are gone by this point, so it should be. A non-empty dir means an
+   * unexpected leftover (a leg whose delete faulted — already surfaced upstream —
+   * or foreign data): we do NOT recursively nuke it (loud errors, never quiet
+   * losses); we log and leave it for the orphan repair sweep (`repairIndex`).
+   */
+  protected override async removeCanonicalContainer(objectLegPath: string): Promise<void> {
+    const relDir = path.dirname(objectLegPath)
+    const absDir = path.join(this.rootDir, relDir)
+    try {
+      await fs.promises.rmdir(absDir)
+      // The dir removal is durable once its PARENT (the shard dir) is fsync'd.
+      this.writeBarrierDeleteDirs?.add(path.dirname(relDir))
+    } catch (error: any) {
+      if (error?.code === 'ENOENT') return // container already gone — fine
+      if (error?.code === 'ENOTEMPTY' || error?.code === 'EEXIST') {
+        console.warn(
+          `[FileSystemStorage] entity container ${relDir} not empty after delete — ` +
+            `leaving it for the orphan repair sweep (brain.repairIndex()).`
+        )
+        return
+      }
+      throw error
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @description Prune orphaned entity directories left by the pre-8.3.1
+   * partial-delete defect. A delete used to remove the metadata (content) leg
+   * but leave the `vectors.json` leg + the `<id>/` directory (a "ghost"), or —
+   * on the direct storage path — remove both legs but leave an empty directory
+   * (a "scar"). Neither is a live entity (`getNoun` needs the metadata content
+   * leg) yet each lingers on disk, inflating enumerated counts and confusing
+   * locator resolution.
+   *
+   * CONSERVATIVE by design: removes ONLY dirs with NO metadata content leg — a
+   * directory that still holds its content is left untouched. LOUD: logs every
+   * removed orphan. Operator-invoked via {@link Brainy.repairIndex}; never runs
+   * automatically. Returns the pruned container ids so the caller can recompute
+   * counts.
+   */
+  public async pruneOrphanedEntities(): Promise<{ nouns: string[]; verbs: string[] }> {
+    await this.ensureInitialized()
+    const pruned: { nouns: string[]; verbs: string[] } = { nouns: [], verbs: [] }
+
+    for (const [kind, root] of [
+      ['nouns', 'entities/nouns'],
+      ['verbs', 'entities/verbs']
+    ] as const) {
+      const rootAbs = path.join(this.rootDir, root)
+      let shards: string[]
+      try {
+        shards = await fs.promises.readdir(rootAbs)
+      } catch (error: any) {
+        if (error?.code === 'ENOENT') continue // no entities of this kind yet
+        throw error
+      }
+
+      for (const shard of shards) {
+        const shardAbs = path.join(rootAbs, shard)
+        let entries: import('fs').Dirent[]
+        try {
+          entries = await fs.promises.readdir(shardAbs, { withFileTypes: true })
+        } catch (error: any) {
+          if (error?.code === 'ENOENT') continue
+          throw error
+        }
+
+        for (const entry of entries) {
+          if (!entry.isDirectory()) continue
+          const idAbs = path.join(shardAbs, entry.name)
+          let legs: string[]
+          try {
+            legs = await fs.promises.readdir(idAbs)
+          } catch (error: any) {
+            if (error?.code === 'ENOENT') continue
+            throw error
+          }
+          // A live entity has its metadata content leg. No content leg → a
+          // vector-only ghost or an empty scar → prune the whole container.
+          if (legs.some((f) => f.startsWith('metadata.json'))) continue
+          await fs.promises.rm(idAbs, { recursive: true, force: true })
+          pruned[kind].push(entry.name)
+          console.warn(
+            `[FileSystemStorage] pruned orphaned ${kind === 'nouns' ? 'noun' : 'verb'} ` +
+              `container ${root}/${shard}/${entry.name} (no metadata content leg)`
+          )
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    return pruned
+  }
+
   /**
    * Primitive operation: List objects under path prefix
    * All metadata operations use this internally via base class routing
@@ -631,7 +729,7 @@ export class FileSystemStorage extends BaseStorage {
   public override async removeRawPrefix(prefix: string): Promise<void> {
     await this.ensureInitialized()
     // Registered-blob contract: a prefix-nuke must not take out a protected
-    // family member (ADR-004 §7). Throws if the prefix intersects one.
+    // family member. Throws if the prefix intersects one.
     await this.assertPrefixNotProtected(prefix)
     await fs.promises.rm(path.join(this.rootDir, prefix), { recursive: true, force: true })
   }
@@ -1240,7 +1338,7 @@ export class FileSystemStorage extends BaseStorage {
       // errors, never quiet losses. Fault-propagation restored lockstep with
       // cortex 3.0.13, whose two column-store call sites now handle the throw
       // (they mark the field unavailable + throw a named error) instead of
-      // relying on null-on-error (CORTEX-BILLION-SCALE-SPINE).
+      // relying on null-on-error.
       if (isAbsentError(err)) return null
       throw err
     }
@@ -1253,7 +1351,7 @@ export class FileSystemStorage extends BaseStorage {
    */
   public async deleteBinaryBlob(key: string): Promise<void> {
     await this.ensureInitialized()
-    // Registered-blob contract (ADR-004 §7): refuse to delete a declared
+    // Registered-blob contract: refuse to delete a declared
     // derived-index family member — an in-process GC/sweeper cannot remove a
     // load-bearing index file. Throws ProtectedArtifactError; no-op when no
     // families are registered.
diff --git a/src/storage/baseStorage.ts b/src/storage/baseStorage.ts
index 5fdf129f..f5efdcb6 100644
--- a/src/storage/baseStorage.ts
+++ b/src/storage/baseStorage.ts
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ export abstract class BaseStorage extends BaseStorageAdapter {
   /** One-shot guard so the graph fast-path cold-load probe runs once per adapter. */
   private _graphFastPathProbed = false
   /**
-   * Registered-blob contract (ADR-004 §7): declared derived-index families, keyed
+   * Registered-blob contract: declared derived-index families, keyed
    * by name. Members are undeletable through the blob delete seams. Loaded lazily
    * from `_system/derived-artifacts.json` and re-persisted on every change.
    */
@@ -842,6 +842,24 @@ export abstract class BaseStorage extends BaseStorageAdapter {
     return this.deleteObjectFromPath(path)
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @description Remove the container that held a canonical entity's leg files,
+   * called after both legs are deleted so a delete leaves NOTHING behind — no
+   * orphan "scar" directory. `objectLegPath` is any one of the entity's leg
+   * paths (e.g. its `vectors.json`); the container is that path's parent.
+   *
+   * Default: a no-op. Key/prefix-addressed stores (in-memory, cloud object
+   * stores) have no empty-container concept — deleting the leg keys already
+   * removes the entity entirely. The filesystem adapter overrides this to
+   * `rmdir` the emptied entity directory.
+   *
+   * @param objectLegPath - Storage-root-relative path of one of the entity's legs.
+   * @protected
+   */
+  protected async removeCanonicalContainer(objectLegPath: string): Promise<void> {
+    void objectLegPath
+  }
+
   /**
    * @description List canonical objects under a storage-root-relative prefix.
    *
@@ -1062,7 +1080,7 @@ export abstract class BaseStorage extends BaseStorageAdapter {
   }
 
   // ==========================================================================
-  // Registered-blob contract (ADR-004 §7) — declared derived-index families are
+  // Registered-blob contract — declared derived-index families are
   // undeletable through the blob delete seams. Shared here so every adapter that
   // extends BaseStorage inherits the same enforcement; the concrete
   // deleteBinaryBlob / removeRawPrefix call assertBlobKeyDeletable /
@@ -1116,7 +1134,7 @@ export abstract class BaseStorage extends BaseStorageAdapter {
   /**
    * @description A blob key that is a transient write-scratch file (a `*.tmp.*`
    * temp, a `*.rebuild-tmp`, a `*.rotate-tmp`). Its OWNER renames/removes it as
-   * part of an atomic write; it is never a protected family member (ADR-004 §7).
+   * part of an atomic write; it is never a protected family member.
    */
   private isTransientBlobKey(key: string): boolean {
     return /\.rebuild-tmp$|\.rotate-tmp$|\.tmp(\.|$)/.test(key)
@@ -1185,7 +1203,7 @@ export abstract class BaseStorage extends BaseStorageAdapter {
 
   /**
    * @description Verify every declared family has all its members present on
-   * disk (ADR-004 §7 missing-on-open catch for an EXTERNAL deleter that bypasses
+   * disk (missing-on-open catch for an EXTERNAL deleter that bypasses
    * the in-process refusal). Returns the incomplete families (name + missing
    * members) — the caller decides how to heal (rebuild from canonical). Loud by
    * construction: a missing load-bearing blob is named, never silently tolerated.
@@ -1601,16 +1619,22 @@ export abstract class BaseStorage extends BaseStorageAdapter {
   public async deleteNoun(id: string): Promise<void> {
     await this.ensureInitialized()
 
-    // Delete both the vector file and metadata file (2-file system)
-    await this.deleteNoun_internal(id)
+    // FULL removal (live-HEAD hygiene): remove BOTH canonical legs AND the
+    // entity's container, so a delete leaves nothing behind — no orphan/scar
+    // directory to inflate the enumerated count or ghost resolveLocator. The
+    // generation store holds the immutable before-image, so asOf() still
+    // reconstructs the deleted entity until retention expires.
+    await this.deleteNoun_internal(id) // vectors.json leg
 
-    // Delete metadata file (if it exists)
-    try {
-      await this.deleteNounMetadata(id)
-    } catch (error) {
-      // Ignore if metadata file doesn't exist
-      prodLog.debug(`No metadata file to delete for noun ${id}`)
-    }
+    // Metadata leg + count decrement. A genuine "already absent" is a no-op
+    // downstream (readCanonicalObject / deleteObjectFromPath both treat ENOENT as
+    // success); a REAL fault must surface loudly (loud errors, never quiet
+    // losses) and must never silently skip the count decrement — so this is NO
+    // LONGER wrapped in a blind catch that masked faults as "file didn't exist".
+    await this.deleteNounMetadata(id)
+
+    // Remove the now-empty entity container (a no-op for key/prefix stores).
+    await this.removeCanonicalContainer(getNounVectorPath(id))
   }
 
   /**
@@ -2915,16 +2939,12 @@ export abstract class BaseStorage extends BaseStorageAdapter {
   public async deleteVerb(id: string): Promise<void> {
     await this.ensureInitialized()
 
-    // Delete both the vector file and metadata file (2-file system)
-    await this.deleteVerb_internal(id)
-
-    // Delete metadata file (if it exists)
-    try {
-      await this.deleteVerbMetadata(id)
-    } catch (error) {
-      // Ignore if metadata file doesn't exist
-      prodLog.debug(`No metadata file to delete for verb ${id}`)
-    }
+    // FULL removal (see deleteNoun): both canonical legs + the verb container.
+    // The blind catch that masked real faults as "no metadata file" is gone — a
+    // genuine absence is already a no-op downstream; a real fault surfaces loudly.
+    await this.deleteVerb_internal(id) // vectors.json leg
+    await this.deleteVerbMetadata(id)  // metadata leg + count decrement
+    await this.removeCanonicalContainer(getVerbVectorPath(id))
   }
   /**
    * Get graph index (lazy initialization with concurrent access protection)
diff --git a/src/transaction/operations/StorageOperations.ts b/src/transaction/operations/StorageOperations.ts
index ca513cd4..bd753552 100644
--- a/src/transaction/operations/StorageOperations.ts
+++ b/src/transaction/operations/StorageOperations.ts
@@ -104,13 +104,26 @@ export class SaveNounOperation implements Operation {
 }
 
 /**
- * Delete noun metadata with rollback support
+ * Delete a noun — FULL canonical removal, with rollback support.
+ *
+ * Despite the historical name, this removes the WHOLE entity: both canonical
+ * legs (metadata + vector) AND the entity's container. Previously it deleted
+ * only the metadata leg via `deleteNounMetadata`, leaving the canonical
+ * `vectors.json` leg and the `<id>/` directory orphaned on disk — a "ghost"
+ * that reads as absent (getNoun needs both legs) yet inflates the enumerated
+ * count and can never be told apart from a damage scar. Routing through
+ * `storage.deleteNoun` removes both legs + the container in one place.
+ *
+ * Immutability is preserved: this cleans only the live-HEAD projection; the
+ * generation store retains the before-image so `asOf()` still reconstructs the
+ * deleted entity until retention expires.
  *
  * Rollback strategy:
- * - Restore deleted metadata
+ * - Restore BOTH legs from the before-image (vector leg raw, metadata leg via
+ *   the count-aware save so deleteNoun()'s decrement is reversed).
  */
 export class DeleteNounMetadataOperation implements Operation {
-  readonly name = 'DeleteNounMetadata'
+  readonly name = 'DeleteNoun'
 
   constructor(
     private readonly storage: StorageAdapter,
@@ -118,21 +131,34 @@ export class DeleteNounMetadataOperation implements Operation {
   ) {}
 
   async execute(): Promise<RollbackAction> {
-    // Get metadata before deletion (for rollback)
+    // Capture the FULL before-image (both legs) so the undo restores the whole
+    // entity — a metadata-only rollback would leave the vector leg unrestored.
+    const previousNoun = await this.storage.getNoun(this.id)
     const previousMetadata = await this.storage.getNounMetadata(this.id)
 
-    if (!previousMetadata) {
+    if (!previousNoun && !previousMetadata) {
       // Nothing to delete - no rollback needed
       return async () => {}
     }
 
-    // Delete metadata
-    await this.storage.deleteNounMetadata(this.id)
+    // Full removal: both canonical legs + the entity container + count decrement.
+    await this.storage.deleteNoun(this.id)
 
     // Return rollback action
     return async () => {
-      // Restore deleted metadata
-      await this.storage.saveNounMetadata(this.id, previousMetadata)
+      // Restore the vector leg, then the metadata leg through the count-aware
+      // save so deleteNoun()'s decrement is reversed.
+      if (previousNoun) {
+        await this.storage.saveNoun({
+          id: previousNoun.id,
+          vector: previousNoun.vector,
+          connections: previousNoun.connections || new Map(),
+          level: previousNoun.level || 0
+        })
+      }
+      if (previousMetadata) {
+        await this.storage.saveNounMetadata(this.id, previousMetadata)
+      }
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/integration/delete-full-removal.test.ts b/tests/integration/delete-full-removal.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..83675a13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/delete-full-removal.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+/**
+ * @module tests/integration/delete-full-removal
+ * @description Canonical noun/verb deletes are FULL removals: both legs
+ * (metadata + vectors) AND the entity's `<id>/` container are removed, so a
+ * delete leaves NOTHING behind. Regression for the ghost/scar defect where
+ * remove() deleted the vector INDEX entry + the canonical metadata leg but never
+ * the canonical vectors.json leg or the directory — leaving an orphan that reads
+ * as absent (getNoun needs both legs) yet inflated the enumerated count and
+ * confused locator resolution. Also covers the operator repair sweep
+ * (brain.repairIndex()) that prunes orphans left by the pre-fix behavior.
+ */
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
+import * as fs from 'node:fs'
+import * as os from 'node:os'
+import * as path from 'node:path'
+import { Brainy } from '../../src/index.js'
+
+/** All entity-directory names (the `<id>` dirs) under entities/<kind>. */
+function entityDirs(root: string, kind: 'nouns' | 'verbs'): string[] {
+  const base = path.join(root, 'entities', kind)
+  if (!fs.existsSync(base)) return []
+  const ids: string[] = []
+  for (const shard of fs.readdirSync(base)) {
+    const shardDir = path.join(base, shard)
+    if (!fs.statSync(shardDir).isDirectory()) continue
+    for (const id of fs.readdirSync(shardDir)) {
+      if (fs.statSync(path.join(shardDir, id)).isDirectory()) ids.push(id)
+    }
+  }
+  return ids
+}
+
+/** Absolute path of one entity's `<id>` directory (or null if not present). */
+function entityDir(root: string, kind: 'nouns' | 'verbs', id: string): string | null {
+  const base = path.join(root, 'entities', kind)
+  if (!fs.existsSync(base)) return null
+  for (const shard of fs.readdirSync(base)) {
+    const candidate = path.join(base, shard, id)
+    if (fs.existsSync(candidate)) return candidate
+  }
+  return null
+}
+
+describe('canonical delete is a full removal (no ghost/scar directory)', () => {
+  let dir: string
+  let brain: any
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    process.env.BRAINY_DETERMINISTIC_EMBEDDINGS = 'true'
+    dir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'brainy-del-'))
+    brain = new Brainy({ requireSubtype: false, storage: { type: 'filesystem', path: dir }, silent: true, dimensions: 384 })
+    await brain.init()
+  })
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close?.().catch(() => {})
+    fs.rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true })
+  })
+
+  it('remove() deletes BOTH legs and the container — nothing left on disk', async () => {
+    const ids: string[] = []
+    for (let i = 0; i < 3; i++) ids.push(await brain.add({ data: `doc ${i}`, type: 'document', metadata: { i } }))
+    await brain.flush()
+
+    // (A filesystem brain also has its VFS-root noun, so don't assume an exact set.)
+    const before = entityDirs(dir, 'nouns')
+    expect(before).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining(ids))
+
+    await brain.remove(ids[1])
+    await brain.flush()
+
+    // getNoun is null AND the on-disk container is fully gone (no orphan), and
+    // EXACTLY one directory disappeared (the removed entity's).
+    expect(await brain.get(ids[1])).toBeNull()
+    expect(entityDir(dir, 'nouns', ids[1])).toBeNull()
+    const after = entityDirs(dir, 'nouns')
+    expect(after).toHaveLength(before.length - 1)
+    expect(after).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining([ids[0], ids[2]]))
+    expect(after).not.toContain(ids[1])
+  })
+
+  it('the enumerated count is honest after a delete (no monotonic inflation)', async () => {
+    const ids: string[] = []
+    for (let i = 0; i < 4; i++) ids.push(await brain.add({ data: `n${i}`, type: 'document', metadata: { i } }))
+    await brain.flush()
+
+    const before = await brain.storage.getNounsWithPagination({ limit: 100, offset: 0 })
+
+    await brain.remove(ids[0])
+    await brain.remove(ids[1])
+    await brain.flush()
+
+    // The count drops by EXACTLY the two removed entities — no ghost lingers to
+    // hold the total up (the pre-fix defect left it monotonic).
+    const after = await brain.storage.getNounsWithPagination({ limit: 100, offset: 0 })
+    expect(after.totalCount).toBe(before.totalCount - 2)
+    const remaining = after.items.map((n: any) => n.id)
+    expect(remaining).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining([ids[2], ids[3]]))
+    expect(remaining).not.toContain(ids[0])
+    expect(remaining).not.toContain(ids[1])
+  })
+})
+
+describe('repairIndex() prunes orphan containers left by the pre-fix partial delete', () => {
+  let dir: string
+  let brain: any
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    process.env.BRAINY_DETERMINISTIC_EMBEDDINGS = 'true'
+    dir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'brainy-orphan-'))
+    brain = new Brainy({ requireSubtype: false, storage: { type: 'filesystem', path: dir }, silent: true, dimensions: 384 })
+    await brain.init()
+  })
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close?.().catch(() => {})
+    fs.rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true })
+  })
+
+  it('a vector-only "ghost" (metadata leg deleted out-of-band) is pruned', async () => {
+    const ids: string[] = []
+    for (let i = 0; i < 3; i++) ids.push(await brain.add({ data: `g${i}`, type: 'document', metadata: { i } }))
+    await brain.flush()
+
+    // Simulate the pre-fix defect on ids[0]: remove ONLY its metadata leg,
+    // leaving vectors.json + the directory (the exact ghost shape).
+    const ghostDir = entityDir(dir, 'nouns', ids[0])!
+    for (const f of fs.readdirSync(ghostDir)) {
+      if (f.startsWith('metadata.json')) fs.rmSync(path.join(ghostDir, f))
+    }
+    // The ghost dir (vectors.json, no metadata content leg) still sits on disk.
+    expect(entityDir(dir, 'nouns', ids[0])).not.toBeNull()
+
+    await brain.repairIndex()
+
+    // The sweep removes the ghost container; the two healthy entities survive.
+    expect(entityDir(dir, 'nouns', ids[0])).toBeNull()
+    expect(entityDir(dir, 'nouns', ids[1])).not.toBeNull()
+    expect(entityDir(dir, 'nouns', ids[2])).not.toBeNull()
+  })
+
+  it('an empty "scar" directory is pruned', async () => {
+    const id = await brain.add({ data: 'lonely', type: 'document', metadata: {} })
+    await brain.flush()
+    const scarDir = entityDir(dir, 'nouns', id)!
+    for (const f of fs.readdirSync(scarDir)) fs.rmSync(path.join(scarDir, f)) // empty the dir, keep it
+    expect(fs.existsSync(scarDir)).toBe(true)
+
+    await brain.repairIndex()
+
+    expect(fs.existsSync(scarDir)).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('a healthy entity (both legs present) is NEVER pruned', async () => {
+    const id = await brain.add({ data: 'keep me', type: 'document', metadata: { keep: true } })
+    await brain.flush()
+
+    await brain.repairIndex()
+
+    expect(entityDir(dir, 'nouns', id)).not.toBeNull()
+    expect(await brain.get(id)).not.toBeNull()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/tests/integration/readdir-no-duplicate-replace.test.ts b/tests/integration/readdir-no-duplicate-replace.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8043bd40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/readdir-no-duplicate-replace.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+/**
+ * @module tests/integration/readdir-no-duplicate-replace
+ * @description A re-created path must NOT show up twice in readdir. The reported
+ * defect (memory-vm) was readdir serving DUPLICATE entries for re-created paths,
+ * rooted in a delete that left a ghost (partial removal) whose next delete read
+ * null metadata and skipped unposting the stale Contains edge. With full-removal
+ * deletes there is no ghost, so the edge is always unposted and the path appears
+ * exactly once after any number of delete→recreate cycles.
+ */
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from 'vitest'
+import * as fs from 'node:fs'
+import * as os from 'node:os'
+import * as path from 'node:path'
+import { Brainy } from '../../src/index.js'
+
+describe('readdir shows a re-created path exactly once (no duplicate on replace)', () => {
+  let dir: string
+  let brain: any
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    process.env.BRAINY_DETERMINISTIC_EMBEDDINGS = 'true'
+    dir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'brainy-readdir-'))
+    brain = new Brainy({ requireSubtype: false, storage: { type: 'filesystem', path: dir }, silent: true, dimensions: 384 })
+    await brain.init()
+  })
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await brain.close?.().catch(() => {})
+    fs.rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true })
+  })
+
+  it('delete then re-create the same file path — readdir lists it once', async () => {
+    await brain.vfs.mkdir('/d', { recursive: true })
+    await brain.vfs.writeFile('/d/x.txt', 'v1')
+    expect(await brain.vfs.readdir('/d')).toEqual(['x.txt'])
+
+    await brain.vfs.unlink('/d/x.txt')
+    expect(await brain.vfs.readdir('/d')).toEqual([])
+
+    await brain.vfs.writeFile('/d/x.txt', 'v2')
+    const listing = (await brain.vfs.readdir('/d')) as string[]
+    expect(listing).toEqual(['x.txt']) // exactly once — no ghost duplicate
+    expect(listing.filter((n) => n === 'x.txt')).toHaveLength(1)
+  })
+
+  it('survives several delete→recreate cycles without accumulating duplicates', async () => {
+    await brain.vfs.mkdir('/c', { recursive: true })
+    for (let i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
+      await brain.vfs.writeFile('/c/f.txt', `gen ${i}`)
+      await brain.vfs.unlink('/c/f.txt')
+    }
+    await brain.vfs.writeFile('/c/f.txt', 'final')
+    const listing = (await brain.vfs.readdir('/c')) as string[]
+    expect(listing).toEqual(['f.txt'])
+    expect(await brain.vfs.readFile('/c/f.txt')).toBeDefined()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/tests/unit/brainy/migration-gate-family-scoped.test.ts b/tests/unit/brainy/migration-gate-family-scoped.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b71c3899
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/brainy/migration-gate-family-scoped.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+/**
+ * @module tests/unit/brainy/migration-gate-family-scoped
+ * @description The coordinated migration LOCK is FAMILY-SCOPED: a read waits only
+ * on the index families it actually consults. A one-time native migration of ONE
+ * family (its `isMigrating()` held) must NOT block a read served entirely from
+ * canonical storage (get / VFS content + dir) or from a HEALTHY family — only a
+ * read that needs the migrating family blocks. Regression for the whole-brain
+ * gate that hung getStats / readdir / readFile behind an unrelated family's
+ * migration until the wait timed out.
+ */
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { Brainy } from '../../../src/brainy.js'
+import { MigrationInProgressError } from '../../../src/errors/brainyError.js'
+
+const seed = async () => {
+  const brain = new Brainy({
+    storage: { type: 'memory' },
+    dimensions: 384,
+    requireSubtype: false,
+    silent: true,
+    // Short so a genuine block resolves fast; a real block would otherwise wait
+    // the 30 s default — this test asserts the wait does NOT happen for scoped
+    // reads, and DOES (bounded) for the one that needs the migrating family.
+    migrationWaitTimeoutMs: 300
+  })
+  await brain.init()
+  for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+    await brain.add({ data: `doc ${i}`, type: 'document', metadata: { i } })
+  }
+  await brain.vfs.writeFile('/notes/hello.txt', 'canonical bytes — no index needed')
+  await brain.flush()
+  return brain
+}
+
+/** Force a provider to report an in-flight (stuck) migration. */
+const jam = (provider: unknown) => {
+  ;(provider as { isMigrating: () => boolean }).isMigrating = () => true
+}
+
+describe('migration LOCK is family-scoped', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    process.env.BRAINY_DETERMINISTIC_EMBEDDINGS = 'true'
+  })
+
+  it('a stuck VECTOR migration does not block canonical or graph/metadata reads', async () => {
+    const brain = await seed()
+    const childId = (
+      (await brain.vfs.readdir('/notes', { withFileTypes: true })) as Array<{ entityId: string }>
+    )[0].entityId
+
+    jam((brain as any).index) // vector provider migrating; graph + metadata healthy
+
+    // None of these consult the vector family → they serve immediately.
+    await expect(brain.getStats()).resolves.toBeDefined()
+    await expect(brain.vfs.readdir('/notes')).resolves.toHaveLength(1) // graph traversal
+    await expect(brain.vfs.readFile('/notes/hello.txt')).resolves.toBeDefined() // canonical blob
+    await expect(brain.get(childId)).resolves.not.toBeNull() // canonical by id
+    await expect(brain.find({ where: { i: 1 } })).resolves.toBeDefined() // metadata filter
+  })
+
+  it('a stuck VECTOR migration STILL blocks a read that needs the vector family', async () => {
+    const brain = await seed()
+    jam((brain as any).index)
+
+    // A semantic query consults the vector index — it must wait, and (bounded by
+    // migrationWaitTimeoutMs) surface the retryable MigrationInProgressError
+    // rather than serve a half-built result.
+    await expect(brain.find({ query: 'doc' })).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(MigrationInProgressError)
+  })
+
+  it('a stuck GRAPH migration blocks traversal but not vector/canonical reads', async () => {
+    const brain = await seed()
+    const childId = (
+      (await brain.vfs.readdir('/notes', { withFileTypes: true })) as Array<{ entityId: string }>
+    )[0].entityId
+
+    jam((brain as any).graphIndex) // graph provider migrating; vector + metadata healthy
+
+    // Canonical + vector + metadata are unaffected.
+    await expect(brain.get(childId)).resolves.not.toBeNull()
+    await expect(brain.find({ query: 'doc' })).resolves.toBeDefined()
+    await expect(brain.find({ where: { i: 1 } })).resolves.toBeDefined()
+
+    // A graph traversal needs the migrating family → it blocks (bounded).
+    await expect(brain.related({ from: childId })).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(MigrationInProgressError)
+  })
+
+  it('with no migration in flight, every read serves (the fast path is a no-op)', async () => {
+    const brain = await seed()
+    await expect(brain.getStats()).resolves.toBeDefined()
+    await expect(brain.find({ query: 'doc' })).resolves.toBeDefined()
+    await expect(brain.vfs.readdir('/notes')).resolves.toHaveLength(1)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/tests/unit/migration-lock.test.ts b/tests/unit/migration-lock.test.ts
index 81d44a9f..f0fbbe4c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/migration-lock.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/migration-lock.test.ts
@@ -2,11 +2,16 @@
  * Migration LOCK (#18) — coordinated, automatic 7.x → 8.0 auto-upgrade.
  *
  * Exercises the real block-and-queue behavior of `awaitMigrationLock` at the
- * `ensureInitialized` choke point: while ANY index provider reports
- * `isMigrating() === true`, data-plane reads and writes WAIT (no operation
- * touches a half-built index); observability (`getIndexStatus`, `health`) and
- * the lock-clearing `stampBrainFormat` stay exempt; and a lock that outlives the
- * configured window surfaces a retryable `MigrationInProgressError`.
+ * `ensureInitialized` choke point. The gate is FAMILY-SCOPED: a write (which
+ * touches every index) WAITS while ANY provider reports `isMigrating() === true`,
+ * and a read WAITS only when the migrating provider is one of the index families
+ * that read consults (so a read served from canonical storage or a healthy family
+ * is never blocked by an unrelated family's migration — see
+ * `tests/unit/brainy/migration-gate-family-scoped.test.ts`). Observability
+ * (`getIndexStatus`, `health`) and the lock-clearing `stampBrainFormat` stay
+ * exempt; a lock that outlives the configured window surfaces a retryable
+ * `MigrationInProgressError`. Here the graph provider holds the lock, so the
+ * read cases use a graph traversal (`related`) — the family that actually waits.
  *
  * A native (cortex) provider owns the real migration; here we simulate the lock
  * by feature-detect-injecting `isMigrating()` onto a live provider, exactly as
@@ -84,11 +89,12 @@ describe('Migration LOCK (#18) — coordinated 7.x→8.0 auto-upgrade', () => {
     expect(id).toBeTruthy()
   })
 
-  it('blocks a read while migrating, then releases when the flag clears (poll path)', async () => {
+  it('blocks a graph read while the graph provider migrates, then releases when the flag clears (poll path)', async () => {
+    const anchor = await brain.add({ data: 'anchor', type: NounType.Concept })
     let migrating = true
     brain.graphIndex.isMigrating = () => migrating
 
-    const p = brain.find({ type: NounType.Concept }) // a read → gated
+    const p = brain.related({ from: anchor }) // a GRAPH read → gated on the graph migration
     let resolved = false
     p.then(() => {
       resolved = true
@@ -109,9 +115,12 @@ describe('Migration LOCK (#18) — coordinated 7.x→8.0 auto-upgrade', () => {
       migrationWaitTimeoutMs: 120
     })
     await shortBrain.init()
-    setMigrating(shortBrain, true) // never clears
+    const anchor = await shortBrain.add({ data: 'anchor', type: NounType.Concept })
+    setMigrating(shortBrain, true) // graph lock never clears
 
-    await expect(shortBrain.find({ type: NounType.Concept })).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(
+    // A graph read needs the migrating family → it waits out the window and
+    // surfaces the retryable error rather than serving a half-built traversal.
+    await expect(shortBrain.related({ from: anchor })).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(
       MigrationInProgressError
     )
     try {