diff --git a/server/src/services/finalized-workspace-recovery-migration.test.ts b/server/src/services/finalized-workspace-recovery-migration.test.ts
index 3b9950ccf29..e8c967a1d77 100644
--- a/server/src/services/finalized-workspace-recovery-migration.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/finalized-workspace-recovery-migration.test.ts
@@ -179,6 +179,17 @@ describe.skipIf(!support.supported)("finalized workspace recovery preservation",
     await migrateRemoteWorkspace({ db, ...f, apply: true, writersStopped: true });
     expect(await verifiedWorkspaceRepairReceipt(db, (await preserved(f)).run)).toBeNull();
   });
+  it("preserves an older finalized reference with omitted optional fields", async () => {
+    const f = await fixture(true);
+    const { resourceDisposition: _disposition, ...legacy } = f.reference;
+    await db.update(heartbeatRuns).set({ runnerProfileJson: { nativeWorkspaceSync: {
+      ...legacy, schema: "paperclip.native-workspace-sync/v1",
+    } } }).where(eq(heartbeatRuns.id, f.runId));
+    await migrateRemoteWorkspace({ db, ...f, apply: true, writersStopped: true });
+    const inspected = await inspectWorkspaceRecoverySource(db, { ...f, actionId: f.action.id });
+    expect(inspected.sources).toEqual([expect.objectContaining({ preservationOnly: true,
+      reference: { ...legacy, schema: "paperclip.native-workspace-sync/v1", resourceDisposition: null } })]);
+  });
   it("requires the exact receipt and leaves ordinary finalized references alone", async () => {
     const f = await fixture(true);
     expect(await readMigratedLegacyWorkspaceSource(db, { ...f, reference: f.reference })).toBeNull();
diff --git a/server/src/services/legacy-workspace-recovery-migration.ts b/server/src/services/legacy-workspace-recovery-migration.ts
index 63917ddb149..5fd3426503c 100644
--- a/server/src/services/legacy-workspace-recovery-migration.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/legacy-workspace-recovery-migration.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { isDeepStrictEqual } from "node:util";
 import { and, eq, sql } from "drizzle-orm";
 import { environmentLeases, executionWorkspaces, heartbeatRuns, issues, workspaceOperations, type Db } from "@paperclipai/db";
 import { readRemoteWorkspaceAuthority } from "@paperclipai/shared";
-import type { NativeWorkspaceSyncReference } from "./native-runtime/native-workspace-sync.js";
+import { readNativeWorkspaceSyncReference, type NativeWorkspaceSyncReference } from "./native-runtime/native-workspace-sync.js";
 
 export type LegacyWorkspaceRecoverySource = {
   runId: string; issueId: string; reference: NativeWorkspaceSyncReference | null;
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ export async function readMigratedLegacyWorkspaceSource(db: Pick<Db, "select">,
   const runMarker = run?.runnerProfileJson?.[input.reference?.state === "finalized"
     ? "finalizedWorkspaceRecoveryMigration" : "legacyWorkspaceRecoveryMigration"] as { workspaceId?: unknown } | undefined;
   if (input.reference?.state === "finalized" && runMarker == null) return null;
-  if (input.reference?.state === "finalized" && !isDeepStrictEqual(input.reference, run?.runnerProfileJson?.nativeWorkspaceSync))
+  if (input.reference?.state === "finalized" && !isDeepStrictEqual(input.reference, readNativeWorkspaceSyncReference(run?.runnerProfileJson?.nativeWorkspaceSync)))
     throw new Error("legacy_workspace_migration_receipt_invalid");
   const workspaceId = input.reference?.workspaceId ?? runMarker?.workspaceId;
   if (typeof workspaceId !== "string") return null;