diff --git a/ingestion/internal/api/promote.go b/ingestion/internal/api/promote.go
index 4f21bb0..cfeae31 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/api/promote.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/api/promote.go
@@ -133,7 +133,9 @@ func PromoteNote(brainDir string, opts PromoteOptions) (string, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
-	if _, err := putBrainFile(brainDir, dest, []byte(promoted)); err != nil {
+	// Created with O_EXCL: a note that appeared after the collision check
+	// above is never overwritten.
+	if err := createBrainFile(brainDir, dest, []byte(promoted)); err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("write promoted note: %w", err)
 	}
 	if err := removeBrainFile(brainDir, src); err != nil {
@@ -196,7 +198,7 @@ func RejectNote(brainDir string, opts RejectOptions) (string, error) {
 
 	// Write-then-delete: the source survives any write failure. Both go
 	// through the brain root (hyperguild#188).
-	if _, err := putBrainFile(brainDir, dest, []byte(fm.render()+body)); err != nil {
+	if err := createBrainFile(brainDir, dest, []byte(fm.render()+body)); err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("write rejected note: %w", err)
 	}
 	if err := removeBrainFile(brainDir, src); err != nil {
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/api/provenance.go b/ingestion/internal/api/provenance.go
index e2cafb5..0cd107c 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/api/provenance.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/api/provenance.go
@@ -44,20 +44,19 @@ func StampProvenanceFile(brainDir, relPath, origin, writtenBy string) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// putBrainFile creates or replaces the file at abs (inside brainDir) through
-// the brain root, never through a symlinked directory or file (#188).
-func putBrainFile(brainDir, abs string, data []byte) (string, error) {
+// createBrainFile creates the file at abs (inside brainDir) through the
+// brain root and fails if anything is already there.
+func createBrainFile(brainDir, abs string, data []byte) error {
 	rel, err := filepath.Rel(brainDir, abs)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
+		return err
 	}
-	rel = filepath.ToSlash(rel)
 	bfs, err := brainfs.Open(brainDir)
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", fmt.Errorf("open brain: %w", err)
+		return fmt.Errorf("open brain: %w", err)
 	}
 	defer func() { _ = bfs.Close() }()
-	return rel, bfs.PutRegular(rel, data)
+	return bfs.CreateRegular(filepath.ToSlash(rel), data)
 }
 
 // removeBrainFile removes the file at abs (inside brainDir) through the
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/brain/index.go b/ingestion/internal/brain/index.go
index 51373c0..86dc3e3 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/brain/index.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/brain/index.go
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/fs"
-	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -31,7 +30,6 @@ func BuildWingIndex(brainDir, wing string) error {
 	if w == "" {
 		return fmt.Errorf("invalid wing %q", wing)
 	}
-	wingDir := filepath.Join(brainDir, "wiki", w)
 	// Listed and read through the brain root (hyperguild#157): a wing or
 	// hall that is a symlink is not followed, and notes are regular files.
 	bfs, err := brainfs.Open(brainDir)
@@ -64,7 +62,6 @@ func BuildWingIndex(brainDir, wing string) error {
 
 	// Written through the brain root, never through a symlinked _index.md
 	// (hyperguild#158).
-	_ = wingDir
 	return bfs.PutRegular("wiki/"+w+"/_index.md", []byte(b.String()))
 }
 
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/brainfs/brainfs.go b/ingestion/internal/brainfs/brainfs.go
index 414d9a2..f7f423d 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/brainfs/brainfs.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/brainfs/brainfs.go
@@ -156,6 +156,25 @@ func (b *Brain) PutRegular(rel string, data []byte) error {
 	} else if !errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
 		return err
 	}
+	return b.createNew(rel, data)
+}
+
+// CreateRegular creates a new regular file at a brain-relative path, with
+// PutRegular's parent rules, and fails with fs.ErrExist if anything is
+// already there: for writers that must never overwrite (promote, reject).
+func (b *Brain) CreateRegular(rel string, data []byte) error {
+	if err := cleanRel(rel); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := b.mkdirReal(path.Dir(rel)); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return b.createNew(rel, data)
+}
+
+// createNew creates rel with O_EXCL and writes data only after confirming
+// the path is the regular file it created.
+func (b *Brain) createNew(rel string, data []byte) error {
 	f, err := b.root.OpenFile(rel, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE|os.O_EXCL|syscall.O_NOFOLLOW|syscall.O_NONBLOCK, 0o644)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/brainfs/brainfs_test.go b/ingestion/internal/brainfs/brainfs_test.go
index eb3b9aa..11b8b7d 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/brainfs/brainfs_test.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/brainfs/brainfs_test.go
@@ -453,3 +453,43 @@ func TestRealParentRefusesASymlinkedDirectoryOrUncleanPath(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.ErrorIs(t, b.RealParent("wiki/../raw/x.md"), ErrNotRegular)
 	assert.NoError(t, b.RealParent("wiki/x.md"), "positive control")
 }
+
+// cleanRel must refuse an unclean path on its own: here the ".." resolves,
+// after a symlinked directory, to a real regular file, so only the clean
+// check stands between the call and that file.
+func TestAppendRegularRefusesAnUncleanPathThatResolvesToARealFile(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "keep"), 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "v.md"), []byte("untouched"), 0o644))
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filepath.Join("raw", "keep"), filepath.Join(dir, "indir")))
+	b, err := Open(dir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer func() { _ = b.Close() }()
+	assert.ErrorIs(t, b.AppendRegular("indir/../v.md", []byte("x")), ErrNotRegular)
+	assert.ErrorIs(t, b.PutRegular("indir/../v.md", []byte("x")), ErrNotRegular)
+	got, _ := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "v.md"))
+	assert.Equal(t, "untouched", string(got))
+}
+
+func TestRemoveRefusesAPathBehindASymlinkedDirectoryAndRemovesOnlyTheLink(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "raw"), 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "v.md"), []byte("keep"), 0o644))
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki"), 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filepath.Join("..", "raw"), filepath.Join(dir, "wiki", "alias")))
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(filepath.Join("..", "raw", "v.md"), filepath.Join(dir, "wiki", "link.md")))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki", "n.md"), []byte("n"), 0o644))
+	b, err := Open(dir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer func() { _ = b.Close() }()
+
+	assert.ErrorIs(t, b.Remove("wiki/alias/v.md"), ErrNotRegular)
+	_, err = os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "v.md"))
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "the file behind the symlinked directory is kept")
+	require.NoError(t, b.Remove("wiki/link.md"))
+	_, err = os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "v.md"))
+	assert.NoError(t, err, "removing a final symlink never removes its target")
+	require.NoError(t, b.Remove("wiki/n.md"), "positive control")
+	_, err = os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki", "n.md"))
+	assert.True(t, os.IsNotExist(err))
+}
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/notes/edit_redirect_test.go b/ingestion/internal/notes/edit_redirect_test.go
index 7a75399..dc52575 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/notes/edit_redirect_test.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/notes/edit_redirect_test.go
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ import (
 // a symlinked directory inside the brain.
 func TestEditRefusesANoteBehindASymlinkedDirectory(t *testing.T) {
 	b := t.TempDir()
+	// Edit refuses a tree that is not the sync source before any path
+	// check, so the test needs a .git to reach the symlink refusal.
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(b, ".git"), 0o755))
 	victim := filepath.Join(b, "raw", "facts", "v.md")
 	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(victim), 0o755))
 	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(victim, []byte("old text\n"), 0o644))
@@ -22,4 +25,12 @@ func TestEditRefusesANoteBehindASymlinkedDirectory(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 	got, _ := os.ReadFile(victim)
 	assert.Equal(t, "old text\n", string(got))
+
+	real := filepath.Join(b, "wiki", "w", "facts", "r.md")
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(real), 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(real, []byte("old text\n"), 0o644))
+	_, err = Edit(b, "wiki/w/facts/r.md", "old text", "new text", ScopeNotes)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "positive control: a note in a real directory is edited")
+	got, _ = os.ReadFile(real)
+	assert.Equal(t, "new text\n", string(got))
 }
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/provenance/provenance.go b/ingestion/internal/provenance/provenance.go
index d48807f..040f4fc 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/provenance/provenance.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/provenance/provenance.go
@@ -101,7 +101,6 @@ func Apply(content string, s Stamp) (string, error) {
 	return out, nil
 }
 
-
 // plainGroups keeps the provably plain key groups of a frontmatter block.
 func plainGroups(block string) string {
 	lines := strings.Split(strings.TrimSuffix(block, "\n"), "\n")