diff --git a/api/schemas/workplan.py b/api/schemas/workplan.py
index 20b6d4d..eb71618 100644
--- a/api/schemas/workplan.py
+++ b/api/schemas/workplan.py
@@ -155,6 +155,9 @@ class WorkplanRead(WorkplanStatusMixin):
     backing_relative_path: str | None = None
     backing_archived: bool | None = None
     backing_synced_at: datetime | None = None
+    # Set when forge projection retired the row (slug stamped "@retired-").
+    # A retired row is a tombstone, not live work, whatever its status.
+    projection_retired_at: datetime | None = None
     # Derived (CUST-WP-0074 rule 5): "human" | "external" | "none" while
     # status is blocked, else None. Set by
     # api.services.wait_kind.annotate_workplans on read routes.
diff --git a/scripts/consistency_check.py b/scripts/consistency_check.py
index 33e4906..12880eb 100644
--- a/scripts/consistency_check.py
+++ b/scripts/consistency_check.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ Checks:
   C-06  workstream-unlinked      WARN  Yes  Workplan has no state_hub_workstream_id
         --fix derives the UUID from the canonical record id and writes it back
   C-07  orphan-db-active         FAIL  No   Active DB workstream, no backing file
-  C-08  orphan-db-closed         INFO  No   Finished/archived DB workstream, no file
+  C-08  orphan-db-closed         INFO  No   Finished/archived (or projection-retired) DB workstream, no file
   C-09  workstream-repo-mismatch FAIL  Yes  DB workstream repo_id != file location
   C-10  task-status-drift        WARN  Yes  Task status differs between file and DB
   C-11  task-unlinked            WARN  Yes  Task block has no state_hub_task_id
@@ -2522,6 +2522,14 @@ def _sync_workplan_bindings(
         )
 
 
+RETIRED_SLUG_MARK = "@retired-"  # mirrors api.services.forge_projection
+
+
+def _is_projection_retired(ws: dict) -> bool:
+    """True for a row forge projection retired (field, or the slug stamp on older APIs)."""
+    return bool(ws.get("projection_retired_at")) or RETIRED_SLUG_MARK in (ws.get("slug") or "")
+
+
 def _check_orphan_db(
     api_base: str,
     repo_id: str,
@@ -2529,7 +2537,15 @@ def _check_orphan_db(
     report: ConsistencyReport,
     active_file_ws_ids: set[str] | None = None,
 ) -> None:
-    """Flag DB workstreams with repo_id=this_repo that have no backing workplan file."""
+    """Flag DB workstreams with repo_id=this_repo that have no backing workplan file.
+
+    A row retired by forge projection is a tombstone: retirement stamps the
+    slug with ``@retired-YYYYMMDD`` and sets ``projection_retired_at`` but
+    deliberately leaves status alone, so a row retired while blocked stays
+    blocked. Its canonical successor is file-backed under a new id. Such rows
+    are reported as C-08 INFO, never C-07 FAIL — the repo has nothing to fix,
+    and closing them by hand would rewrite history the retirement preserved.
+    """
     active_file_ws_ids = active_file_ws_ids or file_ws_ids
     all_ws = _api_get(api_base, "/workplans", {"repo_id": repo_id})
     if not isinstance(all_ws, list):
@@ -2543,6 +2559,18 @@ def _check_orphan_db(
         if normalised_status in CLOSED_WORKSTREAM_STATUSES and ws_id in file_ws_ids:
             continue
         ws_slug = ws.get("slug", "")
+        if _is_projection_retired(ws) and ws_id not in file_ws_ids:
+            report.add(
+                severity="INFO", check_id="C-08",
+                message=(
+                    f"Retired DB workstream '{ws_slug}' "
+                    f"(id={ws_id[:8]}…, status={ws_status}) has no backing workplan file "
+                    f"— projection tombstone, not live work"
+                ),
+                db_id=ws_id,
+                fixable=False,
+            )
+            continue
         if normalised_status not in CLOSED_WORKSTREAM_STATUSES:
             report.add(
                 severity="FAIL", check_id="C-07",
diff --git a/tests/test_c07_retired_rows.py b/tests/test_c07_retired_rows.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ecb9ca4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_c07_retired_rows.py
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+"""C-07 must not fail on rows forge projection retired (railiance-platform, 2026-10-11).
+
+Retirement stamps the slug with ``@retired-YYYYMMDD`` and sets
+``projection_retired_at`` but leaves status untouched, so a row retired while
+blocked stayed blocked and C-07 reported it as an ADR-001 violation the repo
+could never fix.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).parent.parent / "scripts"))
+
+import consistency_check  # noqa: E402
+from consistency_check import ConsistencyReport, _check_orphan_db  # noqa: E402
+
+
+def _run(monkeypatch, rows, file_ids=frozenset()):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(consistency_check, "_api_get", lambda *a, **k: rows)
+    report = ConsistencyReport(repo_slug="r", repo_path="/tmp/r")
+    _check_orphan_db("http://hub", "repo-id", set(file_ids), report)
+    return [(i.severity, i.check_id) for i in report.issues]
+
+
+def test_retired_slug_blocked_row_is_info_not_fail(monkeypatch):
+    rows = [{"id": "038bc3c0-0000", "slug": "railiance-wp-0029@retired-20260826", "status": "blocked"}]
+    assert _run(monkeypatch, rows) == [("INFO", "C-08")]
+
+
+def test_projection_retired_at_field_is_info_not_fail(monkeypatch):
+    rows = [{"id": "aaaa0000-0000", "slug": "x-wp-0001", "status": "active",
+             "projection_retired_at": "2026-08-26T00:00:00Z"}]
+    assert _run(monkeypatch, rows) == [("INFO", "C-08")]
+
+
+def test_unretired_open_orphan_still_fails(monkeypatch):
+    rows = [{"id": "bbbb0000-0000", "slug": "x-wp-0002", "status": "blocked"}]
+    assert _run(monkeypatch, rows) == [("FAIL", "C-07")]