diff --git a/ingestion/cmd/server/symlink_check_test.go b/ingestion/cmd/server/symlink_check_test.go
index 0efcb5e..0f6a357 100644
--- a/ingestion/cmd/server/symlink_check_test.go
+++ b/ingestion/cmd/server/symlink_check_test.go
@@ -53,3 +53,13 @@ func TestAlertingWarningsNamesTheSymlinkTripwire(t *testing.T) {
 	w := strings.Join(alertingWarnings(func(string) string { return "" }), " ")
 	assert.Contains(t, w, "symlink tripwire")
 }
+
+func TestStartupSymlinkCheckRefusesAnUnlistableBrainRoot(t *testing.T) {
+	if os.Geteuid() == 0 {
+		t.Skip("root lists mode-0100 directories")
+	}
+	brain := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, os.Chmod(brain, 0o100))
+	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = os.Chmod(brain, 0o755) })
+	assert.Error(t, startupSymlinkCheck(brain))
+}
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/symlinkguard/symlinkguard.go b/ingestion/internal/symlinkguard/symlinkguard.go
index e3fa3b2..2dc11f0 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/symlinkguard/symlinkguard.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/symlinkguard/symlinkguard.go
@@ -62,8 +62,9 @@ func (r Result) String() string {
 // directory it could not read, continuing past both. Only the ROOT .git is
 // skipped (it is brain-sync's, and no reader walks it); a nested .git is
 // scanned like any other directory. brainDir itself may be a symlink (a
-// volume mount); it is resolved first. The error is non-nil only when the
-// root cannot be resolved, wrapping os.ErrNotExist when it is missing.
+// volume mount); it is resolved first. The error is non-nil when the root
+// cannot be resolved (wrapping os.ErrNotExist when it is missing) or cannot be
+// listed.
 func Scan(brainDir string) (Result, error) {
 	root, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(brainDir)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ func Scan(brainDir string) (Result, error) {
 	}
 	var r Result
 	rootGit := filepath.Join(root, ".git")
-	_ = filepath.WalkDir(root, func(p string, d fs.DirEntry, err error) error {
+	walkErr := filepath.WalkDir(root, func(p string, d fs.DirEntry, err error) error {
 		rel, _ := filepath.Rel(root, p)
 		rel = filepath.ToSlash(rel)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -94,6 +95,13 @@ func Scan(brainDir string) (Result, error) {
 	})
 	sort.Strings(r.Symlinks)
 	sort.Strings(r.Unreadable)
+	if walkErr != nil {
+		// Only the root's own error reaches here (deeper errors are recorded
+		// as Unreadable). A root that cannot be listed cannot be shown clean
+		// (PR #159 round 2: discarding this reported clean while search
+		// served a planted symlink).
+		return r, fmt.Errorf("scan brain dir: %w", walkErr)
+	}
 	return r, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/symlinkguard/symlinkguard_test.go b/ingestion/internal/symlinkguard/symlinkguard_test.go
index 4dbbf67..6b46112 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/symlinkguard/symlinkguard_test.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/symlinkguard/symlinkguard_test.go
@@ -153,3 +153,37 @@ func TestWatchToleratesANonPositiveInterval(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("Watch did not return on cancel")
 	}
 }
+
+// PR #159 round 2: a brain root that can be entered but not listed (mode
+// 0100) made WalkDir fail at the root; the error was discarded and Scan
+// reported clean, while search (which goes straight into wiki/) still served
+// a planted symlink. A root that cannot be listed is now an error.
+func TestScanOfAnUnlistableRootIsAnError(t *testing.T) {
+	if os.Geteuid() == 0 {
+		t.Skip("root lists mode-0100 directories")
+	}
+	brain := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(brain, "wiki"), 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(t.TempDir(), filepath.Join(brain, "wiki", "leak.md")))
+	require.NoError(t, os.Chmod(brain, 0o100))
+	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = os.Chmod(brain, 0o755) })
+	_, err := Scan(brain)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist), "an unlistable root is not a missing root")
+}
+
+// The same set that disappears and comes back is reported again.
+func TestWatchReportsASetAgainAfterItWasCleared(t *testing.T) {
+	brain := t.TempDir()
+	link := filepath.Join(brain, "planted")
+	n := &recNotifier{}
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+	go Watch(ctx, brain, 10*time.Millisecond, n)
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(t.TempDir(), link))
+	require.Eventually(t, func() bool { return n.count() == 1 }, 2*time.Second, 10*time.Millisecond)
+	require.NoError(t, os.Remove(link))
+	time.Sleep(60 * time.Millisecond)
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(t.TempDir(), link))
+	require.Eventually(t, func() bool { return n.count() == 2 }, 2*time.Second, 10*time.Millisecond)
+}