diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle/mod.rs b/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle/mod.rs
index a93edadd..0e9045ba 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle/mod.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle/mod.rs
@@ -250,6 +250,16 @@ pub async fn create_container(name: &str, hive: &HiveEnv, paths: &AgentPaths) ->
 /// Rebuild-path preamble, run by the job queue's `Prebuild` node: fail fast on
 /// a port collision, then make sure the applied repo + state dirs exist.
 /// Container untouched.
+///
+/// `applied` is normally already the right shape here (this runs against a
+/// previously-provisioned agent), but a `destroy --purge` removes it
+/// (`job_queue::exec::run_purge_state`) — a later revive of the *same*
+/// agent name is still a rebuild, not a first-spawn, so it lands here, not
+/// in `provision_container`. Pass `proposed` as a reseed source (same shape
+/// `setup_applied` already uses on first-spawn) whenever it still exists on
+/// disk, so that case recovers instead of bailing — only fall back to the
+/// no-source `None` (and `setup_applied`'s existing clear bail) when
+/// `proposed` is also gone, which is the genuinely unrecoverable case.
 pub async fn prepare_rebuild_dirs(name: &str, paths: &AgentPaths) -> Result<()> {
     validate(name)?;
     if let Some(other) = port_collision(name).await {
@@ -258,7 +268,8 @@ pub async fn prepare_rebuild_dirs(name: &str, paths: &AgentPaths) -> Result<()>
             agent_web_port(name)
         );
     }
-    setup_applied(&paths.applied, None, name).await?;
+    let reseed_from = paths.proposed.exists().then_some(paths.proposed.as_path());
+    setup_applied(&paths.applied, reseed_from, name).await?;
     ensure_agent_state_subvolume(name).await?;
     ensure_claude_dir(&paths.claude)?;
     ensure_state_dir(&paths.notes)?;