diff --git a/api/models.py b/api/models.py
index 47f3bc47..2616563a 100644
--- a/api/models.py
+++ b/api/models.py
@@ -8491,6 +8491,13 @@ def _load_cli_sessions_uncached(
             carrying its resolved project assignment, and the projection loop
             must read that richer row. Pass 2 needs no budget of its own (its
             query limit is the bound) and ignores the result.
+
+            "Upgrade" is one-way. Overwriting a row that already carries a
+            RESOLVED project_id with a projection that has none would delete the
+            chip this whole function exists to restore — and swap the row's
+            identity from the lineage tip back to its root. Pass 2 projects the
+            same conversations as pass 1 without the assignment context, so it
+            must never be able to win that race.
             """
             lineage_ids = _lineage_ids(row)
             existing = next(
@@ -8498,8 +8505,14 @@ def _load_cli_sessions_uncached(
                 None,
             )
             if existing is not None:
-                existing.clear()
-                existing.update(row)
+                if (
+                    _resolved_project_id(row.get('project_id')) is not None
+                    or _resolved_project_id(existing.get('project_id')) is None
+                ):
+                    # Either the incoming row adds an assignment, or the row on
+                    # file has none to lose: overwriting cannot drop a chip.
+                    existing.clear()
+                    existing.update(row)
                 for value in lineage_ids:
                     represented_rows[value] = existing
                 return False
diff --git a/tests/test_project_assigned_cli_session_limit.py b/tests/test_project_assigned_cli_session_limit.py
index 316b871c..33c39a24 100755
--- a/tests/test_project_assigned_cli_session_limit.py
+++ b/tests/test_project_assigned_cli_session_limit.py
@@ -753,6 +753,53 @@ def test_unassigned_refill_runs_when_the_mixed_window_under_delivers(
     assert sum(1 for s in sessions if s["project_id"] == "project-live") == 3
 
 
+def test_unassigned_refill_cannot_clobber_a_resolved_assignment(
+    fake_hermes_home, tmp_path
+):
+    """Recovery pass 2 must never un-fix this PR's own headline bug.
+
+    Pass 2 merges its rows into the same lineage-keyed table pass 1 fills, and
+    it used to overwrite an existing entry unconditionally. When the SQL
+    ``project_assignment='unassigned'`` filter and the Python lineage projection
+    disagree about where a compression lineage starts, pass 2 hands back the
+    lineage ROOT as its own "unassigned" conversation — and the unconditional
+    overwrite then replaced the assigned row with it, deleting the project chip
+    and swapping the session identity from the lineage tip back to the root.
+
+    They disagree here on a blank ``source``: ``_is_continuation_session``
+    treats an empty/whitespace source as "unknown, same conversation", while the
+    SQL lineage CTE compares ``LOWER(TRIM(parent.source)) = LOWER(TRIM(...))``
+    and so refuses to walk from the assigned tip up to the blank-source root.
+    The merge has to be safe whether or not the two ever line up exactly.
+    """
+    _register_projects(tmp_path, "project-live")
+
+    rows = [
+        # Blank source: SQL will not join this root to its assigned tip, but the
+        # Python projection collapses the pair into one row keyed on both ids.
+        _session(
+            "chain-root",
+            BASE_TS + 500,
+            source="",
+            ended_at=BASE_TS + 505,
+            end_reason="compression",
+        ),
+        _session(
+            "chain-tip", BASE_TS + 510, parent="chain-root", project_id="project-live"
+        ),
+    ]
+    # Two spare unassigned rows so the window is short and pass 2 actually runs.
+    rows.extend(_session(f"plain-{index}", BASE_TS + index) for index in range(2))
+    _write_state_db(fake_hermes_home / "state.db", rows)
+
+    by_id = {s["session_id"]: s for s in models.get_cli_sessions()}
+
+    # Was: "chain-tip" gone, "chain-root" present with project_id None.
+    assert "chain-tip" in by_id, "pass 2 replaced the assigned row with its root"
+    assert by_id["chain-tip"]["project_id"] == "project-live"
+    assert "chain-root" not in by_id, "the lineage must stay one conversation"
+
+
 # ── Rebase guard: upstream's kanban pass shares the system-chip helper ────────