diff --git a/src/agent_comms/storage_rules.py b/src/agent_comms/storage_rules.py
index 932353015a..d720a9db5a 100644
--- a/src/agent_comms/storage_rules.py
+++ b/src/agent_comms/storage_rules.py
@@ -689,14 +689,17 @@ def require_write(self, path: Path) -> None:
         owner, = owners
         resolved = path.resolve()
         sources = Checkout.git_roots(resolved, *resolved.parents)
+        scratch = self.rule.roots_of(owner).scratch.resolve()
+        # The registry's scratch allocation is more specific than an enclosing
+        # source tree. A repository rooted in that allocation is still source.
+        if resolved.is_relative_to(scratch) and not any(
+                root.is_relative_to(scratch) for root in sources):
+            return
         store = self.comms.goals.todos
         allowed = frozenset(boundary for root in sources
                             for allocation in CheckoutAllocation.for_path(self.rule, owner, root)
                             for boundary in allocation.edit_boundary(self.rule, owner, root, store, self.reads))
-        # A thread registered at a directory holding its scratch (unit-fieldplan at $HOME) still
-        # owns that scratch: the rule gate's audit lives there, and refusing it deadlocked the unit.
-        in_project = (resolved.is_relative_to(owner.project_path.resolve())
-                      and not resolved.is_relative_to(self.rule.roots_of(owner).scratch.resolve()))
+        in_project = resolved.is_relative_to(owner.project_path.resolve())
         if (sources or path.is_relative_to(self.rule.checkout_base) or in_project) and not any(
                 resolved.is_relative_to(root) for root in allowed):
             self.rule.deny(f'{path} is a read/launch source, not allocated editable work of {owner.name}.')
diff --git a/tests/test_storage_rules.py b/tests/test_storage_rules.py
index 38b3e59b4e..5b50cdb83f 100644
--- a/tests/test_storage_rules.py
+++ b/tests/test_storage_rules.py
@@ -282,19 +282,44 @@ def test_equal_repository_spellings_allocate_one_owned_checkout(checkout_comms:
     assert path in rule.checkouts_of(thread, RepositoryReads())
 
 
-def test_a_thread_registered_above_its_scratch_may_write_its_scratch_and_only_that(checkout_comms: Comms):
-    """unit-fieldplan is registered at $HOME: its audit path, which the rule gate requires, sat
-    inside its project and was refused as source it does not hold, so nothing could run."""
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('enclosing_source', (False, True))
+def test_a_thread_registered_above_its_scratch_may_write_its_scratch_and_only_that(
+        checkout_comms: Comms, enclosing_source: bool):
+    """An enclosing project or Git tree cannot take the registry's scratch allocation."""
     comms = checkout_comms
     rule = comms.registry.storage_rule
     above = rule.scratch_base.parent
+    if enclosing_source:
+        Repo.git(above, 'init', '-q')
     thread = comms.registry.declare(Thread('homed', frozenset(), Checkout(above)))
     projection = StorageProjection(rule, thread, comms)
-    projection.require_write(rule.roots_of(thread).scratch / 'compaction-deal.audit.json')
+    scratch = rule.roots_of(thread).scratch
+    projection.require_write(scratch / 'compaction-deal.audit.json')
     with pytest.raises(StorageDenied, match='not allocated editable work'):
         projection.require_write(above / 'notes.txt')
     with pytest.raises(StorageDenied, match='foreign scratch'):
         projection.require_write(rule.scratch_base / 'worker' / 'notes.txt')
+    with pytest.raises(StorageDenied, match='artifacts'):
+        projection.require_write(scratch / '.artifacts' / 'output')
+    scratch.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (scratch / 'project-link').symlink_to(above, target_is_directory=True)
+    with pytest.raises(StorageDenied, match='not allocated editable work'):
+        projection.require_write(scratch / 'project-link' / 'notes.txt')
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('source_path', (Path(), Path('nested-source')))
+def test_git_source_inside_scratch_still_requires_an_edit_allocation(
+        checkout_comms: Comms, source_path: Path):
+    comms = checkout_comms
+    rule = comms.registry.storage_rule
+    above = rule.scratch_base.parent
+    thread = comms.registry.declare(Thread('homed', frozenset(), Checkout(above)))
+    scratch = rule.roots_of(thread).scratch
+    source = scratch / source_path
+    source.mkdir(parents=True)
+    Repo.git(source, 'init', '-q')
+    with pytest.raises(StorageDenied, match='not allocated editable work'):
+        StorageProjection(rule, thread, comms).require_write(source / 'implementation.py')
 
 
 def test_three_small_checkouts_are_admitted(checkout_comms: Comms):