diff --git a/gitnexus/src/core/embeddings/staged-embedding-recovery-child.ts b/gitnexus/src/core/embeddings/staged-embedding-recovery-child.ts
index ada7c4297..b1fb2cb73 100644
--- a/gitnexus/src/core/embeddings/staged-embedding-recovery-child.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/src/core/embeddings/staged-embedding-recovery-child.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import lbug from '@ladybugdb/core';
 import { createLbugDatabase, toNativeSafePath } from '../lbug/lbug-config.js';
+import { FAMILY_SUFFIXES } from '../../storage/embedding-recovery.js';
 import {
   abortCachedEmbeddingsBuilder,
   createCachedEmbeddingsBuilder,
@@ -11,15 +12,75 @@ import {
 } from './embedding-restore-spill.js';
 import type { StagedEmbeddingExport } from './staged-embedding-recovery.js';
 
+/** Native replay and close may checkpoint; only give them disposable copies. */
+function copyRecoveryFamily(dbPath: string, exportDir: string): string {
+  const replayDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(exportDir, 'replay-'));
+  const replayPath = path.join(replayDir, path.basename(dbPath));
+  const noFollow = fs.constants.O_NOFOLLOW ?? 0;
+  const flags = fs.constants.O_RDONLY | noFollow | (fs.constants.O_NONBLOCK ?? 0);
+  const buffer = Buffer.allocUnsafe(1024 * 1024);
+  for (const suffix of FAMILY_SUFFIXES) {
+    const sourcePath = dbPath + suffix;
+    let entry: fs.BigIntStats;
+    try {
+      entry = fs.lstatSync(sourcePath, { bigint: true });
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (suffix && (error as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code === 'ENOENT') continue;
+      throw error;
+    }
+    if (!entry.isFile()) throw new Error('staged embedding family is not a regular file');
+    const source = fs.openSync(sourcePath, flags);
+    let destination: number | undefined;
+    try {
+      const opened = fs.fstatSync(source, { bigint: true });
+      const current = fs.lstatSync(sourcePath, { bigint: true });
+      if (
+        !opened.isFile() ||
+        !current.isFile() ||
+        (noFollow === 0 && opened.ino === 0n) ||
+        opened.dev !== entry.dev ||
+        opened.ino !== entry.ino ||
+        opened.dev !== current.dev ||
+        opened.ino !== current.ino
+      ) {
+        throw new Error('staged embedding family changed while opening');
+      }
+      destination = fs.openSync(replayPath + suffix, 'wx', 0o600);
+      let copied = 0n;
+      for (;;) {
+        const bytesRead = fs.readSync(source, buffer, 0, buffer.length, null);
+        if (bytesRead === 0) break;
+        fs.writeFileSync(destination, buffer.subarray(0, bytesRead));
+        copied += BigInt(bytesRead);
+      }
+      const after = fs.fstatSync(source, { bigint: true });
+      if (
+        copied !== opened.size ||
+        after.size !== opened.size ||
+        after.mtimeNs !== opened.mtimeNs ||
+        after.ctimeNs !== opened.ctimeNs
+      ) {
+        throw new Error('staged embedding family changed while copying');
+      }
+    } finally {
+      try {
+        if (destination !== undefined) fs.closeSync(destination);
+      } finally {
+        fs.closeSync(source);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return replayPath;
+}
+
 async function extract(): Promise<void> {
   const [dbPath, exportDir, dimensionsArg] = process.argv.slice(2);
   const dimensions = Number(dimensionsArg);
   if (!dbPath || !exportDir || !Number.isInteger(dimensions) || dimensions <= 0) {
     throw new Error('invalid staged embedding extraction arguments');
   }
-  const stat = fs.lstatSync(dbPath);
-  if (!stat.isFile() || stat.isSymbolicLink())
-    throw new Error('staged embedding DB is not a regular file');
+  // The parent owns exportDir and reclaims it even after killing this child.
+  const replayPath = copyRecoveryFamily(dbPath, exportDir);
   const builder = createCachedEmbeddingsBuilder({ inMemoryRowLimit: 0, spillDir: exportDir });
   const rejectedNodeIds = new Set<string>();
   let db: lbug.Database | undefined;
@@ -27,7 +88,7 @@ async function extract(): Promise<void> {
   try {
     // Avoid openLbugConnection's test-fixture lock sweep: a recovery source must
     // never have its WAL removed, even when an external slot resembles a fixture.
-    db = createLbugDatabase(lbug, toNativeSafePath(dbPath), { throwOnWalReplayFailure: true });
+    db = createLbugDatabase(lbug, toNativeSafePath(replayPath), { throwOnWalReplayFailure: true });
     conn = new lbug.Connection(db);
     const queried = await conn.query(
       'MATCH (e:CodeEmbedding) RETURN e.nodeId AS nodeId, e.chunkIndex AS chunkIndex, e.startLine AS startLine, e.endLine AS endLine, e.embedding AS embedding, e.contentHash AS contentHash',