diff --git a/graph-ui/src/App.tsx b/graph-ui/src/App.tsx
index bc51e3540..cc3e4ee7b 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/App.tsx
+++ b/graph-ui/src/App.tsx
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@ export function App() {
                 navigate({ tab: "flows", flow: id !== null ? String(id) : null })
               }
               onOpenSymbol={openSymbol}
+              onOpenWiki={setWikiSlug}
             />
           ) : activeTab === "changes" && selectedProject ? (
             <ChangesTab project={selectedProject} onOpenSymbol={openSymbol} />
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/components/FlowsTab.observed.test.tsx b/graph-ui/src/components/FlowsTab.observed.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3b9041fad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/graph-ui/src/components/FlowsTab.observed.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+/* @vitest-environment jsdom */
+import "@testing-library/jest-dom/vitest";
+import { fireEvent, render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { ObservedChip } from "./FlowsTab";
+
+/* The chip is exercised in isolation — FlowsTab itself fetches on mount.
+ * The all-observed line logic lives in lib/observed.ts and is tested there. */
+describe("ObservedChip", () => {
+  const observed = {
+    count: 3,
+    label: "pytest 2026-08-27",
+    last_seen: "2026-08-27T14:12:00Z",
+  };
+
+  it("renders glyph, word and count, with the run in the title", () => {
+    render(<ObservedChip observed={observed} />);
+    const chip = screen.getByTitle("ran in pytest 2026-08-27 · last 2026-08-27");
+    expect(chip).toHaveTextContent("▶ observed ×3");
+    /* No onOpenWiki → plain text, no nested button (flow-step rows are buttons). */
+    expect(screen.queryByRole("button")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("opens the wiki entry from the marker word when onOpenWiki is given", () => {
+    const onOpenWiki = vi.fn();
+    render(<ObservedChip observed={observed} onOpenWiki={onOpenWiki} />);
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole("button", { name: "observed" }));
+    expect(onOpenWiki).toHaveBeenCalledWith("observed");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/components/FlowsTab.tsx b/graph-ui/src/components/FlowsTab.tsx
index a78eff392..5bfe6250a 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/components/FlowsTab.tsx
+++ b/graph-ui/src/components/FlowsTab.tsx
@@ -10,10 +10,13 @@ import {
   searchGraph,
   type FlowDetail,
   type FlowsPayload,
+  type ObservedCall,
   type TracePayload,
 } from "../lib/atlas";
 import { groupFlowsByEntry } from "../lib/flowgroup";
+import { allHopsObserved, newestObserved, observedTitle } from "../lib/observed";
 import { formatGuard } from "../lib/why";
+import { MetricChip } from "./MetricChip";
 import { AddToPromptButton } from "./PromptBasket";
 
 interface FlowsTabProps {
@@ -21,6 +24,7 @@ interface FlowsTabProps {
   flowId: number | null;
   onOpenFlow: (id: number | null) => void;
   onOpenSymbol: (ref: { id?: number; qn?: string }) => void;
+  onOpenWiki: (slug: string) => void;
 }
 
 function flowToMermaid(detail: FlowDetail): string {
@@ -35,6 +39,35 @@ function flowToMermaid(detail: FlowDetail): string {
   return lines.join("\n");
 }
 
+/* "▶ observed ×N" — runtime-evidence marker beside the guard chips: this
+ * exact hop fired in a recorded run. Glyph + word, never color-only. With
+ * onOpenWiki the word opens the wiki entry; omit it where the chip sits
+ * inside a row button (flow steps) — nested buttons are invalid HTML. */
+export function ObservedChip({
+  observed,
+  onOpenWiki,
+}: {
+  observed: ObservedCall;
+  onOpenWiki?: (slug: string) => void;
+}) {
+  return (
+    <span
+      className="text-[10px] px-1 rounded-full border border-good/50 text-good/80 font-mono shrink-0"
+      title={observedTitle(observed)}
+    >
+      ▶{" "}
+      {onOpenWiki ? (
+        <MetricChip slug="observed" onOpen={onOpenWiki}>
+          observed
+        </MetricChip>
+      ) : (
+        "observed"
+      )}{" "}
+      ×{observed.count}
+    </span>
+  );
+}
+
 /* One endpoint picker: type ≥2 chars, pick from symbol matches. */
 function EndpointPicker({
   project,
@@ -118,7 +151,13 @@ function EndpointPicker({
   );
 }
 
-export function FlowsTab({ project, flowId, onOpenFlow, onOpenSymbol }: FlowsTabProps) {
+export function FlowsTab({
+  project,
+  flowId,
+  onOpenFlow,
+  onOpenSymbol,
+  onOpenWiki,
+}: FlowsTabProps) {
   const [payload, setPayload] = useState<FlowsPayload | null>(null);
   const [detail, setDetail] = useState<FlowDetail | null>(null);
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
@@ -186,6 +225,13 @@ export function FlowsTab({ project, flowId, onOpenFlow, onOpenSymbol }: FlowsTab
     };
   }, [payload]);
 
+  /* Newest observation each — names the runtime-freshness footers. */
+  const traceNewest = useMemo(() => newestObserved(trace?.path ?? []), [trace]);
+  const detailNewest = useMemo(
+    () => (detail ? newestObserved(detail.steps) : null),
+    [detail],
+  );
+
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!copied) return;
     const timer = setTimeout(() => setCopied(false), 1500);
@@ -254,6 +300,11 @@ export function FlowsTab({ project, flowId, onOpenFlow, onOpenSymbol }: FlowsTab
                     reachable in {trace.hops} hop{trace.hops === 1 ? "" : "s"} via{" "}
                     {trace.mode === "data" ? "data flow" : "calls"}
                   </p>
+                  {allHopsObserved(trace.path ?? []) && (
+                    <p className="text-[11px] text-good/70 mb-1">
+                      This whole path was observed in recorded runs.
+                    </p>
+                  )}
                   <div className="flex items-center gap-1 flex-wrap">
                     {(trace.path ?? []).map((step, index) => (
                       <span key={index} className="flex items-center gap-1 flex-wrap">
@@ -280,9 +331,19 @@ export function FlowsTab({ project, flowId, onOpenFlow, onOpenSymbol }: FlowsTab
                             {formatGuard(guard)}
                           </span>
                         ))}
+                        {step.observed && (
+                          <ObservedChip observed={step.observed} onOpenWiki={onOpenWiki} />
+                        )}
                       </span>
                     ))}
                   </div>
+                  {traceNewest && (
+                    <p className="text-[11px] text-foreground/40 mt-1.5">
+                      Runtime markers from recorded runs ({traceNewest.label}).
+                      Unmarked hops are possible, not dead — runs only cover
+                      what they exercised.
+                    </p>
+                  )}
                 </div>
               ) : (
                 <p className="text-[12px] text-foreground/45">
@@ -452,12 +513,20 @@ export function FlowsTab({ project, flowId, onOpenFlow, onOpenSymbol }: FlowsTab
                         {formatGuard(guard)}
                       </span>
                     ))}
+                    {step.observed && <ObservedChip observed={step.observed} />}
                     <span className="text-[12px] text-foreground/35 truncate ml-auto shrink-0 max-w-[40%]">
                       {step.file_path}
                     </span>
                   </button>
                 ))}
               </div>
+              {detailNewest && (
+                <p className="text-[11px] text-foreground/40 mt-3">
+                  Runtime markers from recorded runs ({detailNewest.label}).
+                  Unmarked hops are possible, not dead — runs only cover what
+                  they exercised.
+                </p>
+              )}
             </div>
           </ScrollArea>
         )}
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/lib/atlas.ts b/graph-ui/src/lib/atlas.ts
index 7655846d6..a7defffe6 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/lib/atlas.ts
+++ b/graph-ui/src/lib/atlas.ts
@@ -138,6 +138,15 @@ export interface FlowsPayload {
   flows: FlowSummary[];
 }
 
+/* Runtime evidence: this exact caller→callee pair fired in a recorded run.
+ * Absent means "never recorded" — NOT dead; a run only covers what it
+ * exercised. label/last_seen name the newest run, count spans all runs. */
+export interface ObservedCall {
+  count: number;
+  label: string;
+  last_seen: string;
+}
+
 export interface FlowStep {
   id: number;
   name: string;
@@ -147,6 +156,7 @@ export interface FlowStep {
   guards?: { kind: string; cond?: string; negated?: boolean }[];
   /* Resolver confidence of the edge from the parent step (0..1). */
   confidence?: number;
+  observed?: ObservedCall;
 }
 
 export interface FlowDetail {
@@ -283,6 +293,7 @@ export interface TracePayload {
     name: string;
     file_path?: string;
     guards?: { kind: string; cond?: string; negated?: boolean }[];
+    observed?: ObservedCall;
   }[];
 }
 
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/lib/observed.test.ts b/graph-ui/src/lib/observed.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b72e20d11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/graph-ui/src/lib/observed.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { allHopsObserved, newestObserved, observedTitle } from "./observed";
+
+const obs = (label: string, last_seen: string, count = 1) => ({
+  count,
+  label,
+  last_seen,
+});
+
+describe("allHopsObserved", () => {
+  it("is false with no hops to judge — empty path or origin alone", () => {
+    expect(allHopsObserved([])).toBe(false);
+    expect(allHopsObserved([{}])).toBe(false);
+    expect(allHopsObserved([{ observed: obs("pytest", "2026-08-27") }])).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("is true when every non-root hop is observed — the origin never counts", () => {
+    expect(
+      allHopsObserved([
+        {},
+        { observed: obs("pytest 2026-08-27", "2026-08-27T10:00:00Z") },
+        { observed: obs("pytest 2026-08-27", "2026-08-27T10:00:00Z") },
+      ]),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("is false as soon as one non-root hop was never recorded", () => {
+    expect(
+      allHopsObserved([
+        {},
+        { observed: obs("pytest 2026-08-27", "2026-08-27T10:00:00Z") },
+        {},
+      ]),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("newestObserved", () => {
+  it("is null when nothing was observed", () => {
+    expect(newestObserved([])).toBeNull();
+    expect(newestObserved([{}, {}])).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("names the most recently seen run across steps", () => {
+    const newest = newestObserved([
+      { observed: obs("pytest 2026-08-25", "2026-08-25T09:00:00Z") },
+      {},
+      { observed: obs("pytest 2026-08-27", "2026-08-27T14:12:00Z") },
+      { observed: obs("pytest 2026-08-26", "2026-08-26T09:00:00Z") },
+    ]);
+    expect(newest?.label).toBe("pytest 2026-08-27");
+  });
+});
+
+describe("observedTitle", () => {
+  it("carries the run label and the ISO date of the newest sighting", () => {
+    expect(observedTitle(obs("pytest 2026-08-27", "2026-08-27T14:12:00Z", 4))).toBe(
+      "ran in pytest 2026-08-27 · last 2026-08-27",
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/lib/observed.ts b/graph-ui/src/lib/observed.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..374a079a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/graph-ui/src/lib/observed.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/* Observed executions — runtime evidence on trace hops and flow steps from
+ * ingested traces. Presence means the exact caller→callee pair fired in a
+ * recorded run; absence means "never recorded", which must never be read
+ * as dead or unused — a run only covers what it exercised. */
+import type { ObservedCall } from "./atlas";
+
+/* True when every hop beyond the first is observed (the first entry is the
+ * origin, not a call). False when there is no hop to judge. */
+export function allHopsObserved(steps: { observed?: ObservedCall }[]): boolean {
+  if (steps.length < 2) return false;
+  return steps.slice(1).every((step) => step.observed !== undefined);
+}
+
+/* The most recently seen observation across steps — names the freshness
+ * footer. Null when nothing was observed. */
+export function newestObserved(
+  steps: { observed?: ObservedCall }[],
+): ObservedCall | null {
+  let newest: ObservedCall | null = null;
+  for (const step of steps) {
+    if (step.observed && (!newest || step.observed.last_seen > newest.last_seen)) {
+      newest = step.observed;
+    }
+  }
+  return newest;
+}
+
+/* Title text for the marker chip: "ran in pytest 2026-08-27 · last 2026-08-27". */
+export function observedTitle(observed: ObservedCall): string {
+  return `ran in ${observed.label} · last ${observed.last_seen.slice(0, 10)}`;
+}
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/lib/questions.ts b/graph-ui/src/lib/questions.ts
index 6c8be3c4f..78bfca76f 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/lib/questions.ts
+++ b/graph-ui/src/lib/questions.ts
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ export const QUESTION_FAMILIES: QuestionFamily[] = [
     question: "What code caused this behavior?",
     status: "partial",
     tab: "flows",
-    gap: "Flows are static journeys; observed executions (traces) are not surfaced in the UI yet",
+    hint: "Flows tab — ▶ observed markers on trace hops and flow steps show what actually ran",
+    gap: "Flows and traces now mark observed vs possible hops from ingested runtime traces; automatic trace capture and failure reproduction are not built",
   },
   {
     id: "F6",
diff --git a/graph-ui/src/wiki/entries.ts b/graph-ui/src/wiki/entries.ts
index ce791fcf2..798c1300e 100644
--- a/graph-ui/src/wiki/entries.ts
+++ b/graph-ui/src/wiki/entries.ts
@@ -173,6 +173,25 @@ export const WIKI_ENTRIES: WikiEntry[] = [
       "Reflection, code generation, and runtime dispatch are not modelled. Coverage is best-effort.",
     appearsIn: ["Flows", "Trace", "Symbol connections"],
   },
+  {
+    id: "M-OBSERVED",
+    slug: "observed",
+    term: "observed",
+    tier: "first-class",
+    sentence:
+      "A call that actually fired in a recorded run — observed, not merely possible from static analysis.",
+    why: "Static edges say what could happen; observation says what did. An observed marker on a speculative edge is runtime evidence the resolver got it right.",
+    computedParts: [
+      "ingest_traces call paths, stored by qualified name per run label",
+    ],
+    caps: [
+      "capped: 200k observed pairs per project — whole runs age out together, oldest first",
+    ],
+    notCovered:
+      "Absence of observation never means dead or unused — a run covers only what it exercised. Counts survive reindexing (name-keyed), but renamed symbols start fresh.",
+    appearsIn: ["Flows", "Trace"],
+    seeAlso: ["confidence", "dead-candidate"],
+  },
   {
     id: "M-DEAD",
     slug: "dead-candidate",
diff --git a/graph-ui/tsconfig.tsbuildinfo b/graph-ui/tsconfig.tsbuildinfo
index 03dbfbc07..2dc75298f 100644
--- a/graph-ui/tsconfig.tsbuildinfo
+++ b/graph-ui/tsconfig.tsbuildinfo
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"root":["./src/app.tsx","./src/main.tsx","./src/vite-env.d.ts","./src/api/rpc.ts","./src/components/changestab.tsx","./src/components/commandk.tsx","./src/components/controltab.tsx","./src/components/dashboardtab.tsx","./src/components/displaysettingsmenu.tsx","./src/components/edgelines.tsx","./src/components/errorboundary.tsx","./src/components/filterpanel.tsx","./src/components/flowstab.tsx","./src/components/graphloader.tsx","./src/components/graphscene.test.ts","./src/components/graphscene.tsx","./src/components/graphtab.deadcode.test.tsx","./src/components/graphtab.filters.test.tsx","./src/components/graphtab.regions.test.tsx","./src/components/graphtab.test.ts","./src/components/graphtab.tsx","./src/components/halolayer.tsx","./src/components/metricchip.tsx","./src/components/minimap.tsx","./src/components/missedcallout.tsx","./src/components/modulestab.tsx","./src/components/nodecloud.tsx","./src/components/nodedetailpanel.showmore.test.tsx","./src/components/nodedetailpanel.test.tsx","./src/components/nodedetailpanel.tsx","./src/components/nodelabels.tsx","./src/components/nodetooltip.tsx","./src/components/overviewtab.tsx","./src/components/projectcard.tsx","./src/components/projectswitcher.tsx","./src/components/promptbasket.tsx","./src/components/regionpanel.tsx","./src/components/regiontooltip.tsx","./src/components/resizehandle.tsx","./src/components/sidebar.tsx","./src/components/statstab.test.tsx","./src/components/statstab.tsx","./src/components/symboltab.tsx","./src/components/tabbar.tsx","./src/components/triggertree.tsx","./src/components/wikihovercard.test.tsx","./src/components/wikihovercard.tsx","./src/components/wikipanel.test.tsx","./src/components/wikipanel.tsx","./src/components/wikitier.ts","./src/components/ui/badge.tsx","./src/components/ui/button.tsx","./src/components/ui/card.tsx","./src/components/ui/checkbox.tsx","./src/components/ui/input.tsx","./src/components/ui/scroll-area.tsx","./src/components/ui/separator.tsx","./src/hooks/usegraphdata.test.ts","./src/hooks/usegraphdata.ts","./src/hooks/useprojects.ts","./src/lib/atlas.test.ts","./src/lib/atlas.ts","./src/lib/colors.ts","./src/lib/complexity.test.ts","./src/lib/complexity.ts","./src/lib/composer.ts","./src/lib/density.test.ts","./src/lib/density.ts","./src/lib/findings.test.ts","./src/lib/findings.ts","./src/lib/firstread.ts","./src/lib/flowgroup.test.ts","./src/lib/flowgroup.ts","./src/lib/i18n.test.ts","./src/lib/i18n.ts","./src/lib/impact.test.ts","./src/lib/impact.ts","./src/lib/questions.test.ts","./src/lib/questions.ts","./src/lib/rationale.test.ts","./src/lib/rationale.ts","./src/lib/regions.test.ts","./src/lib/regions.ts","./src/lib/treemap.ts","./src/lib/types.ts","./src/lib/utils.ts","./src/lib/why.test.ts","./src/lib/why.ts","./src/lib/whyfetch.ts","./src/test/setup.ts","./src/wiki/entries.test.ts","./src/wiki/entries.ts"],"version":"5.9.3"}
\ No newline at end of file
+{"root":["./src/app.tsx","./src/main.tsx","./src/vite-env.d.ts","./src/api/rpc.ts","./src/components/changestab.tsx","./src/components/commandk.tsx","./src/components/controltab.tsx","./src/components/dashboardtab.tsx","./src/components/displaysettingsmenu.tsx","./src/components/edgelines.tsx","./src/components/errorboundary.tsx","./src/components/filterpanel.tsx","./src/components/flowstab.observed.test.tsx","./src/components/flowstab.tsx","./src/components/graphloader.tsx","./src/components/graphscene.test.ts","./src/components/graphscene.tsx","./src/components/graphtab.deadcode.test.tsx","./src/components/graphtab.filters.test.tsx","./src/components/graphtab.regions.test.tsx","./src/components/graphtab.test.ts","./src/components/graphtab.tsx","./src/components/halolayer.tsx","./src/components/metricchip.tsx","./src/components/minimap.tsx","./src/components/missedcallout.tsx","./src/components/modulestab.tsx","./src/components/nodecloud.tsx","./src/components/nodedetailpanel.showmore.test.tsx","./src/components/nodedetailpanel.test.tsx","./src/components/nodedetailpanel.tsx","./src/components/nodelabels.tsx","./src/components/nodetooltip.tsx","./src/components/overviewtab.tsx","./src/components/projectcard.tsx","./src/components/projectswitcher.tsx","./src/components/promptbasket.tsx","./src/components/regionpanel.tsx","./src/components/regiontooltip.tsx","./src/components/resizehandle.tsx","./src/components/sidebar.tsx","./src/components/statstab.test.tsx","./src/components/statstab.tsx","./src/components/symboltab.tsx","./src/components/tabbar.tsx","./src/components/triggertree.tsx","./src/components/wikihovercard.test.tsx","./src/components/wikihovercard.tsx","./src/components/wikipanel.test.tsx","./src/components/wikipanel.tsx","./src/components/wikitier.ts","./src/components/ui/badge.tsx","./src/components/ui/button.tsx","./src/components/ui/card.tsx","./src/components/ui/checkbox.tsx","./src/components/ui/input.tsx","./src/components/ui/scroll-area.tsx","./src/components/ui/separator.tsx","./src/hooks/usegraphdata.test.ts","./src/hooks/usegraphdata.ts","./src/hooks/useprojects.ts","./src/lib/atlas.test.ts","./src/lib/atlas.ts","./src/lib/colors.ts","./src/lib/complexity.test.ts","./src/lib/complexity.ts","./src/lib/composer.ts","./src/lib/density.test.ts","./src/lib/density.ts","./src/lib/findings.test.ts","./src/lib/findings.ts","./src/lib/firstread.ts","./src/lib/flowgroup.test.ts","./src/lib/flowgroup.ts","./src/lib/i18n.test.ts","./src/lib/i18n.ts","./src/lib/impact.test.ts","./src/lib/impact.ts","./src/lib/observed.test.ts","./src/lib/observed.ts","./src/lib/questions.test.ts","./src/lib/questions.ts","./src/lib/rationale.test.ts","./src/lib/rationale.ts","./src/lib/regions.test.ts","./src/lib/regions.ts","./src/lib/treemap.ts","./src/lib/types.ts","./src/lib/utils.ts","./src/lib/why.test.ts","./src/lib/why.ts","./src/lib/whyfetch.ts","./src/test/setup.ts","./src/wiki/entries.test.ts","./src/wiki/entries.ts"],"version":"5.9.3"}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/mcp/mcp.c b/src/mcp/mcp.c
index eb55e6ce6..d948d757b 100644
--- a/src/mcp/mcp.c
+++ b/src/mcp/mcp.c
@@ -11147,7 +11147,7 @@ static char *adr_read_legacy_file(const char *root_path) {
 /* resolve_store opens file-backed projects query-only. A mutation must release
  * that reader before opening a dedicated writer because atomic publication uses
  * a self-contained DELETE-mode database that switches back to WAL on write. */
-static cbm_store_t *open_adr_store_for_write(cbm_mcp_server_t *srv, cbm_store_t *resolved,
+static cbm_store_t *open_store_for_write(cbm_mcp_server_t *srv, cbm_store_t *resolved,
                                              cbm_store_t **owned_rw) {
     if (!srv || !resolved || !owned_rw) {
         return NULL;
@@ -11248,7 +11248,7 @@ static char *handle_manage_adr(cbm_mcp_server_t *srv, const char *args) {
     cbm_store_t *store = resolved;
     cbm_store_t *owned_rw = NULL;
     if (write_request) {
-        store = open_adr_store_for_write(srv, resolved, &owned_rw);
+        store = open_store_for_write(srv, resolved, &owned_rw);
         if (!store) {
             if (mutation_held) {
                 mcp_project_mutation_end(srv, project);
@@ -11285,7 +11285,7 @@ static char *handle_manage_adr(cbm_mcp_server_t *srv, const char *args) {
                     resolved = resolve_store_internal(srv, project, true, false, NULL);
                 }
                 if (resolved) {
-                    store = open_adr_store_for_write(srv, resolved, &owned_rw);
+                    store = open_store_for_write(srv, resolved, &owned_rw);
                     if (store) {
                         have_adr = (cbm_store_adr_get(store, project, &adr) == CBM_STORE_OK);
                         if (!have_adr &&
@@ -11384,12 +11384,25 @@ static char *handle_ingest_traces(cbm_mcp_server_t *srv, const char *args) {
     if (!label || !label[0])
         label = "unlabeled";
 
+    /* resolve_store opens file-backed projects query-only (and skips schema
+     * DDL); observation writes need the dedicated read-write connection —
+     * whose open also creates the observed_* tables in pre-existing DBs. */
+    cbm_store_t *owned_rw = NULL;
+    store = open_store_for_write(srv, store, &owned_rw);
+    if (!store) {
+        yyjson_doc_free(adoc);
+        free(project);
+        return cbm_mcp_text_result("could not open the project store for writing", true);
+    }
+
     struct sqlite3 *db = cbm_store_get_db(store);
     sqlite3_stmt *exists = NULL;
     if (!db || sqlite3_prepare_v2(db,
                                   "SELECT 1 FROM nodes WHERE project=?1 AND qualified_name=?2 "
                                   "LIMIT 1",
                                   -1, &exists, NULL) != SQLITE_OK) {
+        if (owned_rw)
+            cbm_store_close(owned_rw);
         yyjson_doc_free(adoc);
         free(project);
         return cbm_mcp_text_result("store is not queryable", true);
@@ -11518,6 +11531,8 @@ static char *handle_ingest_traces(cbm_mcp_server_t *srv, const char *args) {
     char *json = yy_doc_to_str(doc);
     yyjson_mut_doc_free(doc);
     yyjson_doc_free(adoc);
+    if (owned_rw)
+        cbm_store_close(owned_rw);
     free(project);
 
     char *result = cbm_mcp_text_result(json, false);