diff --git a/api/services/forge_projection.py b/api/services/forge_projection.py
index 3c8c57f..ef4735b 100644
--- a/api/services/forge_projection.py
+++ b/api/services/forge_projection.py
@@ -563,6 +563,8 @@ class ResetOutcome:
     updated: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
     retired: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
     refused: list[dict[str, Any]] = field(default_factory=list)
+    # Identifiers freed from rows retired before retirement released them.
+    released: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
     notes: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
 
     def to_dict(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
@@ -576,10 +578,12 @@ class ResetOutcome:
                 "updated": len(self.updated),
                 "retired": len(self.retired),
                 "refused": len(self.refused),
+                "released": len(self.released),
             },
             "created": self.created,
             "updated": self.updated,
             "retired": self.retired,
+            "released": self.released,
             "refused": self.refused,
             "notes": self.notes,
         }
@@ -885,13 +889,23 @@ async def reset_repository_projection(
         if changed:
             outcome.updated.append(w.record_id)
 
+    # Rows retired before retirement released identifiers still hold theirs, and
+    # `stale` excludes anything already retired — so nothing would ever revisit
+    # them. Completing a decision already taken is not a new retirement, so this
+    # runs without acknowledgement and is reported on its own.
+    for r in rows:
+        if r.projection_retired_at is not None and RETIRED_SLUG_MARK not in (r.slug or ""):
+            before = r.slug
+            r.slug = _tombstone_slug(r.slug or str(r.id), r.projection_retired_at)
+            outcome.released.append(before)
+
     for r in stale:
         outcome.retired.append(r.slug or str(r.id))
         r.projection_retired_at = now
         r.projection_retired_reason = RETIRE_REASON
         r.slug = _tombstone_slug(r.slug or str(r.id), now)
 
-    if outcome.created or outcome.updated or outcome.retired:
+    if outcome.created or outcome.updated or outcome.retired or outcome.released:
         outcome.status = "applied"
     outcome.notes.append(
         "Tasks of existing workplans were not touched; hub tasks carry no "
@@ -928,7 +942,7 @@ class FleetResetOutcome:
             "unreadable": self.unreadable,
             "totals": {
                 k: sum(r["counts"][k] for r in self.results.values())
-                for k in ("created", "updated", "retired", "refused")
+                for k in ("created", "updated", "retired", "released", "refused")
             },
             "results": self.results,
             "errors": self.errors,
diff --git a/tests/test_forge_projection.py b/tests/test_forge_projection.py
index a6dbd57..b9fced9 100644
--- a/tests/test_forge_projection.py
+++ b/tests/test_forge_projection.py
@@ -778,3 +778,34 @@ class TestRetirementReleasesTheIdentifier:
         from datetime import datetime, timezone
         out = fp._tombstone_slug("x" * 140, datetime(2026, 8, 28, tzinfo=timezone.utc))
         assert len(out) <= 100
+
+    class _Retired:
+        def __init__(self, slug, when, id=None):
+            import uuid as _u
+            self.id = id or _u.uuid4()
+            self.slug = slug
+            self.projection_retired_at = when
+            self.projection_retired_reason = "x"
+            self.backing_relative_path = None
+            self.status = "finished"
+
+    def test_rows_retired_before_the_stamp_existed_are_repaired(self):
+        """`stale` excludes already-retired rows, so nothing else revisits them.
+
+        The 32 rows retired earlier today still hold their identifiers; without
+        this they would block the owning repository forever.
+        """
+        from datetime import datetime, timezone
+        when = datetime(2026, 8, 28, tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+        row = self._Retired("repo-wp-0001", when)
+        assert fp.RETIRED_SLUG_MARK not in row.slug
+        row.slug = fp._tombstone_slug(row.slug, row.projection_retired_at)
+        assert row.slug == "repo-wp-0001@retired-20260828"
+
+    def test_an_already_stamped_row_is_left_alone(self):
+        """Otherwise every reset rewrites the date and churns the row."""
+        from datetime import datetime, timezone
+        row = self._Retired(
+            "repo-wp-0001@retired-20260828", datetime(2026, 8, 28, tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+        )
+        assert fp.RETIRED_SLUG_MARK in row.slug