diff --git a/src/graph_buffer/graph_buffer.c b/src/graph_buffer/graph_buffer.c
index 61b4bbbc1..e5dbc213b 100644
--- a/src/graph_buffer/graph_buffer.c
+++ b/src/graph_buffer/graph_buffer.c
@@ -1534,13 +1534,21 @@ int cbm_gbuf_dump_to_sqlite(cbm_gbuf_t *gb, const char *path) {
      * intermittently emit a structurally-corrupt .db (gbuf-data corruption that
      * is ASan/TSan-invisible). Detect it with the fast projects-table check
      * (O(1), not a full integrity_check) and remove the corrupt DB so neither
-     * queries nor tests ever read garbage — the next access re-indexes. */
+     * queries nor tests ever read garbage — the next access re-indexes.
+     *
+     * Use the _full variant so a path-only defect (root_path the check considers
+     * non-absolute, e.g. a relative repo_path like ".") is RETAINED, not deleted
+     * — the node/edge data is intact and queries key off project name, not
+     * root_path. Deleting on path-only would drop valid DBs whenever a relative
+     * path is indexed (caught by self-indexing the repo with repo_path=".").
+     * Consistent with #557 resolve_store. */
     if (rc == 0) {
         cbm_store_t *verify = cbm_store_open_path((const char *)path);
         if (verify) {
-            bool intact = cbm_store_check_integrity(verify);
+            bool path_only = false;
+            bool intact = cbm_store_check_integrity_full(verify, &path_only);
             cbm_store_close(verify);
-            if (!intact) {
+            if (!intact && !path_only) { /* genuine structural corruption only */
                 char nodes_str[CBM_SZ_16];
                 char edges_str[CBM_SZ_16];
                 snprintf(nodes_str, sizeof(nodes_str), "%d", node_idx);
diff --git a/tests/test_graph_buffer.c b/tests/test_graph_buffer.c
index 543e597b1..7d2bb3810 100644
--- a/tests/test_graph_buffer.c
+++ b/tests/test_graph_buffer.c
@@ -1047,6 +1047,35 @@ TEST(gbuf_dump_pipeline_path_integrity) {
     PASS();
 }
 
+/* Regression: a RELATIVE root_path (e.g. ".") must not cause the post-dump
+ * verify to delete a valid DB. The integrity check flags non-absolute
+ * root_paths as bad_root_path, but that's a cosmetic project-row defect
+ * (path_only) — the node/edge data is intact. The dump-verify must RETAIN
+ * (path_only) like #557, not delete. Caught by self-indexing the repo with
+ * repo_path="." (which failed with status=error before the fix). */
+TEST(gbuf_dump_relative_root_path_retained) {
+    char path[256];
+    ASSERT_EQ(gbuf_make_temp_db(path, sizeof(path)), 0);
+
+    cbm_gbuf_t *gb = cbm_gbuf_new("proj", ".");
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(gb);
+    cbm_gbuf_upsert_node(gb, "Function", "main", "proj.main", "main.c", 1, 2, "{}");
+
+    /* Must succeed (DB retained) despite the relative "." root_path. */
+    ASSERT_EQ(cbm_gbuf_dump_to_sqlite(gb, path), 0);
+
+    /* The DB file must still exist (not deleted by the verify). */
+    FILE *f = fopen(path, "rb");
+    ASSERT_NOT_NULL(f);
+    if (f) {
+        fclose(f);
+    }
+
+    unlink(path);
+    cbm_gbuf_free(gb);
+    PASS();
+}
+
 SUITE(graph_buffer) {
     /* Original tests */
     RUN_TEST(gbuf_create_free);
@@ -1110,4 +1139,6 @@ SUITE(graph_buffer) {
 
     /* B1 pipeline-path isolation (#23) */
     RUN_TEST(gbuf_dump_pipeline_path_integrity);
+    /* Relative root_path retain regression (#57 self-index finding) */
+    RUN_TEST(gbuf_dump_relative_root_path_retained);
 }