diff --git a/src/codex/shim.ts b/src/codex/shim.ts
index 312c946a09..88ad80c657 100644
--- a/src/codex/shim.ts
+++ b/src/codex/shim.ts
@@ -403,6 +403,14 @@ function stableShimPathProbe(path: string): StableShimPathProbe | null {
   return contentSize > 0 ? { fingerprint, prefix } : null;
 }
 
+function shimPathFingerprint(path: string): ShimPathFingerprint | null {
+  const fingerprint = statFingerprint(path, false);
+  if (!fingerprint) return null;
+  if (fingerprint.kind !== "symlink") return fingerprint;
+  const target = statFingerprint(path, true);
+  return target ? { ...fingerprint, target } : null;
+}
+
 function sameStableShimPathProbe(left: StableShimPathProbe, right: StableShimPathProbe): boolean {
   return left.prefix === right.prefix && sameFingerprint(left.fingerprint, right.fingerprint);
 }
@@ -830,9 +838,9 @@ function rollbackFreshShimInstall(journal: readonly FreshShimInstallJournalEntry
     }
     try {
       if (entry.originalMovedToBackup && existsSync(target.backupPath)) {
-        const movedOriginal = stableShimPathProbe(target.backupPath);
+        const movedOriginal = shimPathFingerprint(target.backupPath);
         if (!movedOriginal || !entry.movedOriginalFingerprint
-          || !sameFingerprint(movedOriginal.fingerprint, entry.movedOriginalFingerprint)) {
+          || !sameFingerprint(movedOriginal, entry.movedOriginalFingerprint)) {
           throw new Error("Codex shim fresh-install backup changed during rollback");
         }
         if (sourceOccupied) {
@@ -1833,9 +1841,14 @@ function installCodexShimInternal(options: InstallCodexShimInternalOptions): { i
         renameSync(target.originalPath, target.backupPath);
         entry.originalMovedToBackup = true;
         if (process.platform !== "win32") {
+          const movedOriginalFingerprint = shimPathFingerprint(target.backupPath);
+          if (!movedOriginalFingerprint) throw new Error("Codex shim fresh install could not fingerprint the staged launcher");
+          entry.movedOriginalFingerprint = movedOriginalFingerprint;
           const movedOriginal = stableShimPathProbe(target.backupPath);
           if (!movedOriginal) throw new Error("Codex shim fresh install could not fingerprint the staged launcher");
-          entry.movedOriginalFingerprint = movedOriginal.fingerprint;
+          if (!sameFingerprint(movedOriginal.fingerprint, movedOriginalFingerprint)) {
+            throw new Error("Codex shim fresh install staged launcher changed while being fingerprinted");
+          }
         }
       }
       if (!target.preserveOnly) {
diff --git a/tests/codex-shim.test.ts b/tests/codex-shim.test.ts
index dbf74d38ab..8e073cd184 100644
--- a/tests/codex-shim.test.ts
+++ b/tests/codex-shim.test.ts
@@ -791,6 +791,36 @@ wait "$child"
     }
   });
 
+  test("Unix fresh install restores an original that cannot be content-probed", () => {
+    if (process.platform === "win32") return;
+
+    const binDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ocx-shim-install-empty-bin-"));
+    const home = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ocx-shim-install-empty-home-"));
+    const oldPath = process.env.PATH;
+    const oldHome = process.env.OPENCODEX_HOME;
+    const codexPath = join(binDir, "codex");
+    try {
+      process.env.PATH = prependPath(binDir, oldPath);
+      process.env.OPENCODEX_HOME = home;
+      writeFileSync(codexPath, "", "utf8");
+      chmodSync(codexPath, 0o755);
+
+      expect(() => installCodexShim()).toThrow("could not fingerprint the staged launcher");
+
+      expect(existsSync(codexPath)).toBe(true);
+      expect(readFileSync(codexPath, "utf8")).toBe("");
+      expect(existsSync(`${codexPath}.opencodex-real`)).toBe(false);
+      expect(existsSync(join(home, "codex-shim.json"))).toBe(false);
+    } finally {
+      if (oldPath === undefined) delete process.env.PATH;
+      else process.env.PATH = oldPath;
+      if (oldHome === undefined) delete process.env.OPENCODEX_HOME;
+      else process.env.OPENCODEX_HOME = oldHome;
+      rmSync(binDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+      rmSync(home, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
   test("Unix fresh install removes its marker-bearing partial wrapper before rollback", () => {
     if (process.platform === "win32") return;