diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/agent-instructions-service.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/agent-instructions-service.test.ts
index 653f0747437..beb7fafe75d 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/agent-instructions-service.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/agent-instructions-service.test.ts
@@ -531,6 +531,63 @@ describe("agent instructions service", () => {
     expect(Array.from({ length: 8 }, (_, index) => `# Stock ${index}\n`)).toContain(live);
   });
 
+  it("publishes owner metadata atomically with the materialization lock", async () => {
+    const paperclipHome = await makeTempDir("paperclip-agent-instructions-lock-publish-");
+    cleanupDirs.add(paperclipHome);
+    process.env.PAPERCLIP_HOME = paperclipHome;
+    process.env.PAPERCLIP_INSTANCE_ID = "test-instance";
+    const agent = makeAgent({});
+    const managedRoot = path.join(
+      paperclipHome,
+      "instances",
+      "test-instance",
+      "companies",
+      "company-1",
+      "agents",
+      "agent-1",
+      "instructions",
+    );
+    const lockPath = `${managedRoot}.paperclip-materialize.lock`;
+    const originalRename = fs.rename.bind(fs);
+    let pendingLockPath: string | null = null;
+    let publish: (() => void) | null = null;
+    const publishAllowed = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+      publish = resolve;
+    });
+    let pendingReady: (() => void) | null = null;
+    const pendingPrepared = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+      pendingReady = resolve;
+    });
+    const renameSpy = vi.spyOn(fs, "rename").mockImplementation(async (source, destination) => {
+      if (String(source).startsWith(`${lockPath}.pending-`) && String(destination) === lockPath) {
+        pendingLockPath = String(source);
+        pendingReady?.();
+        await publishAllowed;
+      }
+      return originalRename(source, destination);
+    });
+    const materialization = agentInstructionsService().materializeManagedBundle(
+      agent,
+      { "AGENTS.md": "# Stock\n" },
+    );
+
+    try {
+      await pendingPrepared;
+      await expect(fs.stat(lockPath)).rejects.toThrow();
+      expect(pendingLockPath).not.toBeNull();
+      await expect(fs.readFile(path.join(pendingLockPath!, "owner.json"), "utf8")).resolves.toContain(
+        `"pid":${process.pid}`,
+      );
+      const pendingFiles = await fs.readdir(pendingLockPath!);
+      expect(pendingFiles.some((file) => file.startsWith("heartbeat-"))).toBe(true);
+    } finally {
+      publish?.();
+    }
+
+    await expect(materialization).resolves.toMatchObject({ materialization: { action: "added" } });
+    renameSpy.mockRestore();
+  });
+
   it("does not evict an old materialization lock owned by a live process", async () => {
     const paperclipHome = await makeTempDir("paperclip-agent-instructions-live-lock-");
     cleanupDirs.add(paperclipHome);
diff --git a/server/src/services/agent-instructions.ts b/server/src/services/agent-instructions.ts
index 1bd02864703..4fded35503e 100644
--- a/server/src/services/agent-instructions.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/agent-instructions.ts
@@ -338,37 +338,39 @@ async function withManagedBundleMaterializationLock<T>(
   const ownerPath = path.join(lockPath, "owner.json");
   const token = randomUUID();
   const heartbeatPath = path.join(lockPath, `heartbeat-${token}`);
+  const pendingLockPath = `${lockPath}.pending-${token}`;
   const ownerProcessStartMarker = await processStartMarker(process.pid);
   const deadline = Date.now() + MANAGED_BUNDLE_LOCK_TIMEOUT_MS;
   await fs.mkdir(path.dirname(rootPath), { recursive: true });
-  while (true) {
-    try {
-      await fs.mkdir(lockPath);
+  try {
+    await fs.mkdir(pendingLockPath);
+    await fs.writeFile(
+      path.join(pendingLockPath, "owner.json"),
+      `${JSON.stringify({
+        pid: process.pid,
+        token,
+        processStartMarker: ownerProcessStartMarker,
+        createdAt: new Date().toISOString(),
+      })}\n`,
+      "utf8",
+    );
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(pendingLockPath, `heartbeat-${token}`), "", "utf8");
+    while (true) {
       try {
-        await fs.writeFile(
-          ownerPath,
-          `${JSON.stringify({
-            pid: process.pid,
-            token,
-            processStartMarker: ownerProcessStartMarker,
-            createdAt: new Date().toISOString(),
-          })}\n`,
-          "utf8",
-        );
-        await fs.writeFile(heartbeatPath, "", "utf8");
+        await fs.rename(pendingLockPath, lockPath);
+        break;
       } catch (error) {
-        await fs.rm(lockPath, { recursive: true, force: true }).catch(() => undefined);
-        throw error;
+        if (!(await statIfExists(lockPath))) throw error;
+        if (await removeStaleManagedBundleLock(lockPath)) continue;
+        if (Date.now() >= deadline) {
+          throw new Error(`Timed out waiting for managed instructions lock at ${lockPath}`);
+        }
+        await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 25));
       }
-      break;
-    } catch (error) {
-      if ((error as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code !== "EEXIST") throw error;
-      if (await removeStaleManagedBundleLock(lockPath)) continue;
-      if (Date.now() >= deadline) {
-        throw new Error(`Timed out waiting for managed instructions lock at ${lockPath}`);
-      }
-      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 25));
     }
+  } catch (error) {
+    await fs.rm(pendingLockPath, { recursive: true, force: true }).catch(() => undefined);
+    throw error;
   }
 
   const heartbeat = setInterval(() => {