diff --git a/apps/server/src/vcs/WorktreeRemovalGuard.test.ts b/apps/server/src/vcs/WorktreeRemovalGuard.test.ts
index ff86dc49c..87ddef0be 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/vcs/WorktreeRemovalGuard.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/vcs/WorktreeRemovalGuard.test.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+import * as NodeFs from "node:fs";
+import * as NodeOs from "node:os";
+import * as NodePath from "node:path";
+
 import { assert, describe, it } from "@effect/vitest";
 import * as Data from "effect/Data";
 import * as Effect from "effect/Effect";
@@ -46,6 +50,31 @@ describe("ensureWorktreeRemovable", () => {
     }),
   );
 
+  // git names a worktree by its real path; a thread can record the same
+  // folder through a symlink, and must still be in the way.
+  it.effect("sees a thread that recorded the folder through a symlink", () => {
+    const base = NodeFs.realpathSync(NodeFs.mkdtempSync(NodePath.join(NodeOs.tmpdir(), "guard-")));
+    const real = NodePath.join(base, "feature");
+    const linked = NodePath.join(base, "linked");
+    NodeFs.mkdirSync(real);
+    NodeFs.symlinkSync(real, linked);
+    return Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const exit = yield* ensureWorktreeRemovable({
+        worktreePath: real,
+        readThreads: Effect.succeed([thread({ worktreePath: linked })]),
+      }).pipe(Effect.exit);
+      assert.isTrue(Exit.isFailure(exit));
+
+      // Another folder beside it is still free to go.
+      yield* ensureWorktreeRemovable({
+        worktreePath: NodePath.join(base, "other"),
+        readThreads: Effect.succeed([thread({ worktreePath: linked })]),
+      });
+    }).pipe(
+      Effect.ensuring(Effect.sync(() => NodeFs.rmSync(base, { recursive: true, force: true }))),
+    );
+  });
+
   // The guard protects against a common mistake; it must not become a reason
   // that deleting a folder stops working when an unrelated query fails.
   it.effect("allows removal when the thread list cannot be read", () =>
diff --git a/apps/server/src/vcs/WorktreeRemovalGuard.ts b/apps/server/src/vcs/WorktreeRemovalGuard.ts
index 0c73423ff..9ac02ab3c 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/vcs/WorktreeRemovalGuard.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/vcs/WorktreeRemovalGuard.ts
@@ -13,10 +13,17 @@
  * skip the step that keeps the thread usable.
  *
  * The classification itself lives in `@threadlines/shared/worktreeUsage` so the
- * client's cleanup list greys out exactly the folders this guard would refuse.
+ * client's cleanup list greys out the folders this guard would refuse. The
+ * guard goes one step further than the list can: it compares folders as the
+ * disk resolves them. git names a worktree by its real path, and a thread may
+ * have recorded the same folder through a symlink (a data folder under
+ * macOS's `/var`, which is `/private/var`); by spelling alone that thread
+ * would not be in the way.
  *
  * @module WorktreeRemovalGuard
  */
+import * as NodeFs from "node:fs/promises";
+
 import * as Effect from "effect/Effect";
 import { VcsWorktreeInUseError } from "@threadlines/contracts";
 import {
@@ -45,9 +52,34 @@ export const ensureWorktreeRemovable = <E>(input: {
         }).pipe(Effect.as([] as ReadonlyArray<WorktreeUsageThread>)),
       ),
     );
+    // Each distinct folder is resolved once; one that is gone keeps its spelling.
+    const resolved = new Map<string, string>();
+    const realPath = (path: string) =>
+      Effect.promise(async () => {
+        const known = resolved.get(path);
+        if (known !== undefined) return known;
+        const real = await NodeFs.realpath(path).catch(() => path);
+        resolved.set(path, real);
+        return real;
+      });
+    const realPathOrNull = (path: string | null | undefined) =>
+      typeof path === "string" && path.length > 0 ? realPath(path) : Effect.succeed(path);
     const blockingThreads = findWorktreeBlockingThreads({
-      worktreePath: input.worktreePath,
-      threads,
+      worktreePath: yield* realPath(input.worktreePath),
+      threads: yield* Effect.forEach(threads, (thread) =>
+        Effect.gen(function* () {
+          const session = thread.session;
+          return {
+            ...thread,
+            worktreePath: (yield* realPathOrNull(thread.worktreePath)) ?? null,
+            effectiveCwd: yield* realPathOrNull(thread.effectiveCwd),
+            session:
+              session === null || session === undefined
+                ? session
+                : { ...session, checkoutCwd: yield* realPathOrNull(session.checkoutCwd) },
+          } satisfies WorktreeUsageThread;
+        }),
+      ),
     });
     if (blockingThreads.length === 0) {
       return;