diff --git a/internal/mcp/edit_serialization.go b/internal/mcp/edit_serialization.go
index c6664ccea..089d73230 100644
--- a/internal/mcp/edit_serialization.go
+++ b/internal/mcp/edit_serialization.go
@@ -171,6 +171,9 @@ func (s *Server) trackMutationTicket(ticket *indexer.MutationTicket) *mutationRe
 		receipt.result = result
 		receipt.completed = true
 		receipt.mu.Unlock()
+		if result.Err == nil && result.Reindexed {
+			s.resolveSupersededFailedReceipts(receipt.path, receipt.generation, result)
+		}
 		close(receipt.done)
 		time.AfterFunc(mutationReceiptRetention, func() {
 			s.mutationReceipts.Delete(receipt.id)
@@ -179,6 +182,44 @@ func (s *Server) trackMutationTicket(ticket *indexer.MutationTicket) *mutationRe
 	return receipt
 }
 
+// resolveSupersededFailedReceipts resolves terminally failed receipts for a
+// path once a later generation of the same path has been applied
+// successfully. The graph then reflects newer bytes than the failed
+// generation ever wrote, so the stale failure no longer describes a real
+// freshness gap — keeping it would only fail freshness barriers that waiting
+// cannot heal, because a terminal error never completes differently.
+//
+// The failed receipt is resolved in place rather than deleted: the
+// mutation-commit ledger refreshes its graph half through
+// mutationReceiptState, and a deleted receipt would leave that record
+// reading "pending" forever. Stamping the superseding apply mirrors how
+// completeMutationWaiters resolves earlier waiters with the later apply's
+// result. Pending receipts and failures at or above the succeeded
+// generation are left untouched. The succeeded result is passed by value so
+// the sweep holds no lock besides the receipt it is stamping.
+func (s *Server) resolveSupersededFailedReceipts(succeededPath string, succeededGeneration uint64, applied indexer.MutationResult) {
+	cleanPath := filepath.Clean(succeededPath)
+	s.mutationReceipts.Range(func(_, value any) bool {
+		other, ok := value.(*mutationReceipt)
+		if !ok {
+			return true
+		}
+		if other.generation >= succeededGeneration || filepath.Clean(other.path) != cleanPath {
+			return true
+		}
+		other.mu.Lock()
+		if other.completed && (other.result.Err != nil || !other.result.Reindexed) {
+			other.result = indexer.MutationResult{
+				RequestedGeneration: other.generation,
+				AppliedGeneration:   applied.AppliedGeneration,
+				Reindexed:           true,
+			}
+		}
+		other.mu.Unlock()
+		return true
+	})
+}
+
 func (r *mutationReceipt) outcome(pending bool) mutationReindexOutcome {
 	r.mu.RLock()
 	defer r.mu.RUnlock()
@@ -313,16 +354,19 @@ waitLoop:
 	}
 
 	issues := make([]string, 0, len(receipts))
+	hasTerminalFailure := false
 	for _, receipt := range receipts {
 		select {
 		case <-receipt.done:
 			outcome := receipt.outcome(false)
 			switch {
 			case outcome.Err != nil:
+				hasTerminalFailure = true
 				issues = append(issues, fmt.Sprintf(
 					"failed receipt=%s repo=%q path=%q generation=%d error=%q",
 					receipt.id, receipt.repo, receipt.path, receipt.generation, outcome.Err.Error()))
 			case !outcome.Reindexed:
+				hasTerminalFailure = true
 				issues = append(issues, fmt.Sprintf(
 					"failed receipt=%s repo=%q path=%q generation=%d error=%q",
 					receipt.id, receipt.repo, receipt.path, receipt.generation, "reindex not confirmed"))
@@ -352,6 +396,11 @@ waitLoop:
 		}
 		message += issue
 	}
+	if hasTerminalFailure {
+		message += "; terminally failed generations do not recover by waiting — " +
+			"they clear when a later mutation of the same path succeeds or when " +
+			"the receipt retention lapses"
+	}
 	return fmt.Errorf("%s", message)
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/mcp/mutation_freshness_test.go b/internal/mcp/mutation_freshness_test.go
index e632fe555..397cf85ff 100644
--- a/internal/mcp/mutation_freshness_test.go
+++ b/internal/mcp/mutation_freshness_test.go
@@ -104,6 +104,122 @@ func TestMutationFreshnessTerminalFailureFailsClosed(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestMutationFreshnessSuccessResolvesSupersededFailures(t *testing.T) {
+	s := &Server{mutationSafetyWait: time.Millisecond}
+	stale := pendingFreshnessReceipt(s, "receipt-stale-failed", "repo-a", "/repo-a/file.go", 6)
+	completeFreshnessReceipt(stale, indexer.MutationResult{
+		RequestedGeneration: 6,
+		Err:                 errors.New("context deadline exceeded"),
+	})
+	otherPath := pendingFreshnessReceipt(s, "receipt-other-path", "repo-a", "/repo-a/other.go", 7)
+	completeFreshnessReceipt(otherPath, indexer.MutationResult{
+		RequestedGeneration: 7,
+		Err:                 errors.New("unrelated failure"),
+	})
+	newer := pendingFreshnessReceipt(s, "receipt-newer-failed", "repo-a", "/repo-a/file.go", 12)
+	completeFreshnessReceipt(newer, indexer.MutationResult{
+		RequestedGeneration: 12,
+		Err:                 errors.New("later failure"),
+	})
+
+	succeeded := pendingFreshnessReceipt(s, "receipt-success", "repo-a", "/repo-a/file.go", 9)
+	appliedResult := indexer.MutationResult{
+		RequestedGeneration: 9,
+		AppliedGeneration:   9,
+		Reindexed:           true,
+	}
+	completeFreshnessReceipt(succeeded, appliedResult)
+	s.resolveSupersededFailedReceipts("/repo-a/file.go", 9, appliedResult)
+
+	if _, loaded := s.mutationReceipts.Load("receipt-stale-failed"); !loaded {
+		t.Fatal("superseded receipt was deleted; it must stay queryable for the mutation-commit ledger")
+	}
+	resolved := stale.outcome(false)
+	if resolved.Err != nil || !resolved.Reindexed || resolved.AppliedGeneration != 9 {
+		t.Fatalf("superseded failure was not resolved in place: %+v", resolved)
+	}
+	if outcome := otherPath.outcome(false); outcome.Err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("failure on an unrelated path was resolved")
+	}
+	if outcome := newer.outcome(false); outcome.Err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("failure newer than the succeeded generation was resolved")
+	}
+
+	err := s.awaitMutationFreshnessForRepos(context.Background(), "repo-a")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("remaining failures did not fail closed")
+	}
+	message := err.Error()
+	if strings.Contains(message, "receipt-stale-failed") {
+		t.Fatalf("freshness error still reports the superseded receipt: %s", message)
+	}
+	for _, want := range []string{
+		"receipt-other-path",
+		"receipt-newer-failed",
+		"do not recover by waiting",
+	} {
+		if !strings.Contains(message, want) {
+			t.Fatalf("freshness error %q does not contain %q", message, want)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTrackMutationTicketResolvesSupersededFailures(t *testing.T) {
+	s := &Server{}
+	stale := pendingFreshnessReceipt(s, "receipt-stale-failed", "", "/repo/file.go", 3)
+	completeFreshnessReceipt(stale, indexer.MutationResult{
+		RequestedGeneration: 3,
+		Err:                 errors.New("context deadline exceeded"),
+	})
+
+	done := make(chan indexer.MutationResult, 1)
+	ticket := &indexer.MutationTicket{Path: "/repo/file.go", Generation: 5, Done: done}
+	receipt := s.trackMutationTicket(ticket)
+	done <- indexer.MutationResult{
+		RequestedGeneration: 5,
+		AppliedGeneration:   5,
+		Reindexed:           true,
+	}
+	close(done)
+	<-receipt.done
+
+	if _, loaded := s.mutationReceipts.Load("receipt-stale-failed"); !loaded {
+		t.Fatal("stale receipt was deleted; it must stay queryable for the mutation-commit ledger")
+	}
+	resolved := stale.outcome(false)
+	if resolved.Err != nil || !resolved.Reindexed || resolved.AppliedGeneration != 5 {
+		t.Fatalf("stale failed receipt not resolved after a successful ticket: %+v", resolved)
+	}
+	if _, loaded := s.mutationReceipts.Load(receipt.id); !loaded {
+		t.Fatal("successful receipt itself was dropped before retention")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestMutationFreshnessSuccessKeepsPendingSamePathReceipts(t *testing.T) {
+	s := &Server{mutationSafetyWait: time.Millisecond}
+	inflight := pendingFreshnessReceipt(s, "receipt-inflight", "repo-a", "/repo-a/file.go", 4)
+
+	appliedResult := indexer.MutationResult{
+		RequestedGeneration: 9,
+		AppliedGeneration:   9,
+		Reindexed:           true,
+	}
+	succeeded := pendingFreshnessReceipt(s, "receipt-success", "repo-a", "/repo-a/file.go", 9)
+	completeFreshnessReceipt(succeeded, appliedResult)
+	s.resolveSupersededFailedReceipts("/repo-a/file.go", 9, appliedResult)
+
+	if _, loaded := s.mutationReceipts.Load("receipt-inflight"); !loaded {
+		t.Fatal("a still-pending receipt for the same path was dropped by the resolve")
+	}
+	if outcome := inflight.outcome(true); outcome.Pending != true {
+		t.Fatalf("a still-pending receipt was marked completed by the resolve: %+v", outcome)
+	}
+	err := s.awaitMutationFreshnessForRepos(context.Background(), "repo-a")
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "receipt-inflight") {
+		t.Fatalf("barrier no longer reports the in-flight receipt: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestMutationReposForSymbolIDsUnresolvedWidensBarrier(t *testing.T) {
 	g := graph.New()
 	g.AddNode(&graph.Node{