diff --git a/docs/disk-layout.md b/docs/disk-layout.md
index bab59ef..9d759b0 100644
--- a/docs/disk-layout.md
+++ b/docs/disk-layout.md
@@ -74,7 +74,11 @@ Removals are applied first and explicit assignments second, so an assignment
 wins when both mention the same key. Older metadata without `unsetEnv` keeps
 the historical ambient-inheritance behavior.
 
-- Status (`running` / `exited` / `vanished`) is *derived* from socket + pid, not stored.
+- Status (`running` / `exited` / `vanished`) is *derived*, not stored. A
+  reachable socket or live pidfile process proves the daemon is running. If
+  both paths are absent,
+  `daemonPid` is accepted only when the retained recovery process-start token
+  still matches that OS process.
 - `generation` and `daemonPid` are internal lifecycle guards. A daemon only
   removes files still owned by its generation, and `pty rm` waits for that
   daemon to finish deferred shutdown before it reports success. Readers should
diff --git a/src/sessions.ts b/src/sessions.ts
index b303bbe..f26373e 100644
--- a/src/sessions.ts
+++ b/src/sessions.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   assertPrivateRecoveryPaths,
   atomicWritePrivate,
   recoveryRevisionPath,
+  readProcessStartToken,
   signRecoveryRevision,
   stampRecoveryMetadata,
 } from "./recovery.ts";
@@ -135,8 +136,8 @@ export interface SessionMetadata {
    *  delete files whose metadata carries a different generation. */
   generation?: string;
   /** PID of the daemon that owns this metadata generation. Unlike the
-   *  sidecar pidfile, this survives socket cleanup long enough for `pty rm`
-   *  to wait until deferred daemon shutdown is complete. */
+   *  sidecar pidfile, this survives socket cleanup. Inventory accepts it only
+   *  when the recovery process-start token still proves the same OS process. */
   daemonPid?: number;
   /** Capability advertised only by daemons that support authenticated,
    *  signal-free recovery of an unlinked registry. Treat `secret` as opaque. */
@@ -944,7 +945,7 @@ export async function listSessions(options: ListSessionsOptions = {}): Promise<S
 
     // A live pid remains authoritative even if its socket inode is temporarily
     // absent. Listing observes that mismatch; it never "repairs" it.
-    const pid = readPid(name);
+    const pid = readPid(name, metadata);
     if (pid !== null && isProcessAlive(pid)) {
       sessions.push({
         name,
@@ -1273,7 +1274,7 @@ export async function gc(
   for (const s of withParent) {
     const parentRef = s.metadata!.tags!.parent;
     const parentMeta = readMetadata(parentRef);
-    const parentPid = parentMeta ? readPid(parentRef) : null;
+    const parentPid = parentMeta ? readPid(parentRef, parentMeta) : null;
     const parentAlive = parentMeta != null && parentPid !== null && isProcessAlive(parentPid);
     if (parentAlive) continue;
     const reason: "missing" | "dead" = parentMeta ? "dead" : "missing";
@@ -1801,7 +1802,16 @@ export function readSessionPid(name: string): number | null {
   }
 }
 
-const readPid = readSessionPid;
+function readPid(name: string, metadata?: SessionMetadata | null): number | null {
+  const sidecarPid = readSessionPid(name);
+  if (sidecarPid !== null) return sidecarPid;
+
+  const retained = metadata ?? readMetadata(name);
+  const daemonPid = retained?.daemonPid;
+  const processStartToken = retained?.recovery?.processStartToken;
+  if (daemonPid === undefined || processStartToken === undefined) return null;
+  return readProcessStartToken(daemonPid) === processStartToken ? daemonPid : null;
+}
 
 export function isProcessAlive(pid: number): boolean {
   try {
diff --git a/tests/recovery.test.ts b/tests/recovery.test.ts
index 4490cd7..530f3bf 100644
--- a/tests/recovery.test.ts
+++ b/tests/recovery.test.ts
@@ -65,6 +65,12 @@ function unlinkRegistry(root: string, name: string): void {
   }
 }
 
+function unlinkSocketAndPid(root: string, name: string): void {
+  for (const suffix of ["sock", "pid"]) {
+    fs.unlinkSync(path.join(root, `${name}.${suffix}`));
+  }
+}
+
 async function waitFor(check: () => boolean | Promise<boolean>, timeout = 5000): Promise<void> {
   const deadline = Date.now() + timeout;
   while (Date.now() < deadline) {
@@ -120,6 +126,49 @@ afterEach(async () => {
 });
 
 describe("live daemon registry recovery", () => {
+  it("keeps an identity-proven daemon actionable when its socket and pidfile are missing", async () => {
+    const root = makeRoot();
+    const name = "partial-registry";
+    const { pid } = startProvider(root, name);
+
+    unlinkSocketAndPid(root, name);
+    const listed = run(root, ["list", "--json"]);
+    expect(listed.status, listed.stderr || listed.stdout).toBe(0);
+    expect(JSON.parse(listed.stdout)).toContainEqual(expect.objectContaining({
+      name,
+      pid,
+      status: "running",
+    }));
+
+    const collected = run(root, ["gc"]);
+    expect(collected.status, collected.stderr || collected.stdout).toBe(0);
+    expect(fs.existsSync(path.join(root, `${name}.json`))).toBe(true);
+    expect(readProcessStartToken(pid)).not.toBeNull();
+
+    const killed = run(root, ["kill", name]);
+    expect(killed.status, killed.stderr || killed.stdout).toBe(0);
+    await waitFor(() => readProcessStartToken(pid) === null);
+  });
+
+  it("does not trust a retained daemon pid with a mismatched process identity", () => {
+    const root = makeRoot();
+    const name = "stale-daemon-pid";
+    const { pid } = startProvider(root, name);
+    const stale = metadata(root, name);
+    stale.recovery!.processStartToken = "mismatched-process-start";
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(root, `${name}.json`), JSON.stringify(stale));
+
+    unlinkSocketAndPid(root, name);
+    const listed = run(root, ["list", "--json"]);
+    expect(listed.status, listed.stderr || listed.stdout).toBe(0);
+    expect(JSON.parse(listed.stdout)).toContainEqual(expect.objectContaining({
+      name,
+      pid: null,
+      status: "vanished",
+    }));
+    expect(readProcessStartToken(pid)).not.toBeNull();
+  });
+
   it("refuses an existing creation lock without any liveness signal", () => {
     const root = makeRoot();
     fs.writeFileSync(path.join(root, "locked.lock"), "2147483647");