diff --git a/gitnexus/src/core/ingestion/languages/r/query.ts b/gitnexus/src/core/ingestion/languages/r/query.ts
index 3467706cc..edec91a8a 100644
--- a/gitnexus/src/core/ingestion/languages/r/query.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/src/core/ingestion/languages/r/query.ts
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ export const R_SCOPE_QUERY = `
   arguments: (arguments
     (argument
       name: (identifier) @_contains1
-      (#match? @_contains1 "^(contains|CONTAINS)$")
+      (#match? @_contains1 "^(contains)$")
       value: (string
         content: (string_content) @reference.inherits))))
 
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ export const R_SCOPE_QUERY = `
   arguments: (arguments
     (argument
       name: (identifier) @_contains2
-      (#match? @_contains2 "^(contains|CONTAINS)$")
+      (#match? @_contains2 "^(contains)$")
       value: (call
         function: (identifier) @_cfn2
         (#match? @_cfn2 "^c$")
diff --git a/gitnexus/test/fixtures/lang-resolution/r-s4-contains-forms/R/classes.R b/gitnexus/test/fixtures/lang-resolution/r-s4-contains-forms/R/classes.R
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c292bf8ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gitnexus/test/fixtures/lang-resolution/r-s4-contains-forms/R/classes.R
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# `contains` is matched case-sensitively, as R matches argument names: `CONTAINS =` links nothing.
+setClass("Base", representation(x = "numeric"))
+
+# Both a real base and the VIRTUAL sentinel: each gets its own EXTENDS edge.
+setClass("Both", contains = c("Base", "VIRTUAL"))
+
+# The sentinel written first, then a real base.
+setClass("SentinelFirst", contains = c("VIRTUAL", "Base"))
+
+setClass("Shouted", CONTAINS = "Base")
diff --git a/gitnexus/test/integration/resolvers/r-virtual-heritage.test.ts b/gitnexus/test/integration/resolvers/r-virtual-heritage.test.ts
index 2f3874f02..fe54c3957 100644
--- a/gitnexus/test/integration/resolvers/r-virtual-heritage.test.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/test/integration/resolvers/r-virtual-heritage.test.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
  */
 import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, afterAll, vi } from 'vitest';
 import path from 'path';
-import { FIXTURES, getRelationships, runPipelineFromRepo } from './helpers.js';
+import { FIXTURES, getNodesByLabel, getRelationships, runPipelineFromRepo } from './helpers.js';
+import { rScopeResolver } from '../../../src/core/ingestion/languages/r/scope-resolver.js';
 import type { PipelineResult } from './helpers.js';
 
 beforeAll(() => vi.stubEnv('GITNEXUS_WORKER_READY_TIMEOUT_MS', '60000'));
@@ -52,3 +53,69 @@ describe('R: the S4 sentinel and an R6 base of the same name in one repository',
     expect(extendsEdges(result, 'Child')).toEqual([]);
   });
 });
+
+describe('R: the VIRTUAL placeholder edge next to other heritage edges', () => {
+  let result: PipelineResult;
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    result = await runPipelineFromRepo(path.join(FIXTURES, 'r-s4-contains-forms'), () => {});
+  }, 60000);
+
+  it.each(['Both', 'SentinelFirst'])(
+    '%s gets an edge to its real base and one to the placeholder',
+    (source) => {
+      expect(
+        extendsEdges(result, source)
+          .map((e) => e.rel.targetId)
+          .sort(),
+      ).toEqual([PLACEHOLDER, 'Class:R/classes.R:Base'].sort());
+    },
+  );
+
+  it('gives the placeholder edge the confidence and reason of a resolved virtual heritage edge', () => {
+    const edge = extendsEdges(result, 'Both').find((e) => e.rel.targetId === PLACEHOLDER);
+    expect(edge?.rel.confidence).toBe(0.85);
+    expect(edge?.rel.reason).toBe('scope-resolution: inherits (virtual)');
+  });
+
+  it('mints exactly one placeholder node', () => {
+    expect(result.graph.getNode(PLACEHOLDER)?.label).toBe('Class');
+    expect(getNodesByLabel(result, 'Class').filter((n) => n === 'VIRTUAL')).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it('reads `contains` case-sensitively: CONTAINS = "Base" links nothing', () => {
+    expect(extendsEdges(result, 'Shouted')).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('R: emitting the VIRTUAL heritage edges twice changes nothing', () => {
+  let result: PipelineResult;
+  let calls = 0;
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    const original = rScopeResolver.emitHeritageEdges;
+    if (original === undefined) throw new Error('the R scope resolver emits heritage edges');
+    const spy = vi
+      .spyOn(rScopeResolver, 'emitHeritageEdges')
+      .mockImplementation((...args: Parameters<typeof original>) => {
+        calls++;
+        original(...args);
+        original(...args);
+      });
+    try {
+      result = await runPipelineFromRepo(path.join(FIXTURES, 'r-s4-contains-forms'), () => {});
+    } finally {
+      spy.mockRestore();
+    }
+  }, 60000);
+
+  it('ran the doubled hook (otherwise the checks below prove nothing)', () => {
+    expect(calls).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  });
+
+  it('keeps one placeholder node and one edge per class that names it', () => {
+    expect(getNodesByLabel(result, 'Class').filter((n) => n === 'VIRTUAL')).toHaveLength(1);
+    const toPlaceholder = getRelationships(result, 'EXTENDS').filter(
+      (e) => e.rel.targetId === PLACEHOLDER,
+    );
+    expect(toPlaceholder.map((e) => e.source).sort()).toEqual(['Both', 'SentinelFirst']);
+  });
+});