diff --git a/src/agent_comms/historical_views.py b/src/agent_comms/historical_views.py
index fc4927035d..cf07533b34 100644
--- a/src/agent_comms/historical_views.py
+++ b/src/agent_comms/historical_views.py
@@ -409,13 +409,24 @@ def __init__(self, bus_path: Path):
 
     @classmethod
     def files_in(cls, root: Path) -> frozenset[Path]:
+        """Archived roots are found by where attach puts them, never by decoding the
+        catalogue: a copy of a root in an older shape must copy before any carry reads it."""
         declared = super().files_in(root)
-        for source in cls(Bus.path_in(root)).sources():
-            archived = Path(source.root)
-            if archived.is_relative_to(root):
-                declared |= RootFile.paths_in(archived)
+        for archived in cls.archived_roots(root):
+            declared |= RootFile.paths_in(archived)
         return declared
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def archive_directory(root: Path) -> Path:
+        return root / "history"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def archived_roots(cls, directory: Path) -> tuple[Path, ...]:
+        archives = cls.archive_directory(directory)
+        if not archives.is_dir():
+            return ()
+        return tuple(sorted(path for path in archives.iterdir() if path.is_dir()))
+
     def sources(self) -> tuple[HistorySource, ...]:
         with self.read_sources() as sources:
             return sources
@@ -463,7 +474,7 @@ def attach(self, source_root: Path, *, source_read: HistorySource | None = None)
             existing = next((s for s in sources if s.original_root == str(source_root)), None)
             if existing is not None:
                 return existing
-            parent = self.bus_path.parent / "history"
+            parent = self.archive_directory(self.bus_path.parent)
             parent.mkdir(mode=0o700, exist_ok=True)
             stage = Path(tempfile.mkdtemp(prefix="source-", dir=parent))
             try:
diff --git a/src/agent_comms/locked_store.py b/src/agent_comms/locked_store.py
index eba890b9b7..d6076ac4af 100644
--- a/src/agent_comms/locked_store.py
+++ b/src/agent_comms/locked_store.py
@@ -162,6 +162,21 @@ def existing_in(cls, root: Path) -> dict[Path, type[Self]]:
         return {path: owner for owner, directory in cls.declarations_in(root)
                 for path in owner.matching_in(directory)}
 
+    @classmethod
+    def archived_roots(cls, directory: Path) -> tuple[Path, ...]:
+        """Whole bus roots this declaration keeps as immutable copies under ``directory``."""
+        return ()
+
+    @classmethod
+    def primaries_in(cls, root: Path) -> dict[Path, type[Self]]:
+        """Existing declared files under ``root`` and every root archived in it, each with
+        its own owner, so an archived store's companions stay with that store."""
+        primaries = cls.existing_in(root)
+        for owner, directory in RootFile.declarations_in(root):
+            for archived in owner.archived_roots(directory):
+                primaries.update(cls.primaries_in(archived))
+        return primaries
+
     @classmethod
     def owned_files(
         cls, root: Path, paths: Collection[Path],
@@ -172,7 +187,7 @@ def owned_files(
         undeclared existing file acquires content behavior without inventing a
         store declaration for it.
         """
-        primaries = cls.existing_in(root)
+        primaries = cls.primaries_in(root)
         declarations = {member: owner for owner, directory in cls.declarations_in(root)
                         for member in owner.files_in(directory)}
         declarations.update(primaries)
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 5e6dc8fbe7..b43329bc5b 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -239,16 +239,13 @@ def without_mutation_guards(db: sqlite3.Connection, table: type[TypedTable]) ->
 
 
 @pytest.fixture
-def scratch_root(tmp_path_factory):
+def scratch_root(durable_home):
+    """The test's own agent-scratch, derived from the storage rule under the test's HOME."""
     from agent_comms.storage_rules import StorageRule
 
-    base = tmp_path_factory.getbasetemp()
-    scratch = StorageRule().scratch_base.resolve()
-    if not base.resolve().is_relative_to(scratch):
-        base = scratch / "pytest"
-        base.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
-    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix="check-root-", dir=base) as directory:
-        yield Path(directory)
+    root = StorageRule().scratch_base / "pytest" / "check-root"
+    root.mkdir(parents=True)
+    return root
 
 
 @pytest.fixture