diff --git a/docs/account.md b/docs/account.md
index 014f618462..7c90dc40cb 100644
--- a/docs/account.md
+++ b/docs/account.md
@@ -267,10 +267,14 @@ is what authenticates the PC.
   close at once (`auth_revoked`). A `remove` signed before this PC itself paired the key again leaves
   that pairing be (`unchanged`), so a late or replayed one cannot undo it. A row an `add` or a remote
   approval made goes, however late the `remove` arrives.
-- **Revoke** and **Revoke all** on the PC leave a tombstone too, so no record brings the key back.
+- **Revoke** and **Revoke all** on the PC leave a tombstone too, so no record brings the key back,
+  even after the PC joins an account. An account `remove` for a key the PC revoked first takes over
+  its tombstone.
 - A pairing made on this PC (a code started on the PC, or a comparison approved here) clears that
   key's tombstone, after its row is written. A code started through the relay, or a comparison an
-  account member approves remotely, is refused for a tombstoned key.
+  account member approves remotely, is refused for a tombstoned key, except on a PC in no account:
+  there a code started through the relay may let back a key the PC revoked itself (not one the
+  account removed), and clears its tombstone.
 - A stop between two such writes leaves a row and a tombstone for one key. On start the PC tells them
   apart by time: a row made before the key's removal is revoked, one made after it keeps its device
   and the tombstone goes. Until then no such row signs in, signs or approves.
diff --git a/server/account/account.contract.test.ts b/server/account/account.contract.test.ts
index 61c0dc5e70..02e115ae2d 100644
--- a/server/account/account.contract.test.ts
+++ b/server/account/account.contract.test.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { exportPublicKey, generateKeyPair, importPublicKey } from "../../shared/
 import { bytesToHex } from "@noble/hashes/utils.js";
 import { deriveServerId } from "../../shared/relay-server-proof.ts";
 import { applyAccountRecords } from "./records.ts";
+import { createServer } from "../index.ts";
 
 type Fixture = ReturnType<typeof relayFixture>;
 type Link = Awaited<ReturnType<typeof relayConnection>>;
@@ -751,6 +752,110 @@ test("a waiting remove survives a stop right after the service took its page's a
   expect(f.app.context.services.devices.hasKey(c.spki)).toBe(false);
 });
 
+test("a key paired again in one of two state dirs stays paired, without its tombstone, when the other starts", async () => {
+  const f = fixture();
+  const { key, link } = await member(f);
+  const gone = await accountKey();
+  await post(link, "/api/account/records", { records: [await add(key, gone.spki)] });
+  await post(link, "/api/account/records", { records: [await remove(key, gone.spki)] });
+  const sibling = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ovis-account-sibling-"));
+  // both dirs share the registry and the removal
+  for (const name of ["devices.json", "account-tombstones.json"]) writeFileSync(join(sibling, name), readFileSync(join(f.stateDir, name)), { mode: 0o600 });
+  const store = f.app.context.services.devices;
+  // a second after the removal, as a person pairing again would be
+  const later = Date.now() + 1_000;
+  expect(store.pairRelay(store.startPairing(later).code, "Mac app", gone.spki, later)).not.toBeNull();
+  const other = createServer({ port: 0, hostname: "127.0.0.1", stateDir: sibling, siblingStateDir: f.stateDir, token: "t", tailscaleOwner: null, machines: false, sidecar: false });
+  try {
+    // the merge brings the other dir's tombstone back, and the start-up repair drops it: the row is newer
+    for (const devices of [other.context.services.devices, new DeviceStore(f.stateDir)]) {
+      expect(devices.hasKey(gone.spki)).toBe(true);
+      expect(devices.isTombstoned(gone.spki)).toBe(false);
+    }
+  } finally {
+    other.stop();
+    rmSync(sibling, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
+test("a key revoked before the PC joined an account stays out: a member's signed add for it is refused", async () => {
+  const f = fixture();
+  const store = f.app.context.services.devices;
+  const revoked = await accountKey();
+  const before = store.pairRelay(store.startPairing().code, "Old phone", revoked.spki);
+  if (!before) throw new Error("Expected relay enrollment");
+  store.revoke(before.device.id);
+  const { key, link } = await member(f);
+  const outcome = await post(link, "/api/account/records", { records: [await add(key, revoked.spki)] });
+  expect((outcome.body as unknown as { results: { outcome: string; code?: string }[] }).results[0]).toMatchObject({ outcome: "refused", code: "tombstoned" });
+  expect(store.hasKey(revoked.spki)).toBe(false);
+});
+
+test("an account remove for a key this PC revoked first makes its tombstone the account's", async () => {
+  const f = fixture();
+  const { key, link } = await member(f);
+  const store = f.app.context.services.devices;
+  const gone = await accountKey();
+  await post(link, "/api/account/records", { records: [await add(key, gone.spki)] });
+  store.revoke(accountDeviceId(SERVER_ID, gone.spki));
+  const removal = await remove(key, gone.spki);
+  await post(link, "/api/account/records", { records: [removal] });
+  const kept = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(f.stateDir, "account-tombstones.json"), "utf8")) as { tombstones: { key: string; record_id: string }[] };
+  expect(kept.tombstones.find((t) => t.key === gone.spki)?.record_id).toBe(removal.id);
+});
+
+test("a key revoked on this PC stays out when a sibling dir that missed the revoke added it through the account", async () => {
+  const f = fixture();
+  const { key, link } = await member(f);
+  const store = f.app.context.services.devices;
+  const gone = await accountKey();
+  await post(link, "/api/account/records", { records: [await add(key, gone.spki)] });
+  const sibling = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ovis-account-sibling-"));
+  try {
+    // the sibling dir still has the account's row; this dir then revokes it on the PC
+    writeFileSync(join(sibling, "devices.json"), readFileSync(join(f.stateDir, "devices.json")), { mode: 0o600 });
+    store.revoke(accountDeviceId(SERVER_ID, gone.spki));
+    const registry = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(sibling, "devices.json"), "utf8")) as { devices: { relay_public_key?: string; created_at: string }[] };
+    // made a second after the revoke, as the sibling knew nothing of it
+    for (const row of registry.devices) if (row.relay_public_key === gone.spki) row.created_at = new Date(Date.now() + 1_000).toISOString();
+    writeFileSync(join(sibling, "devices.json"), JSON.stringify(registry), { mode: 0o600 });
+    const app = createServer({ port: 0, hostname: "127.0.0.1", stateDir: f.stateDir, siblingStateDir: sibling, token: "t", tailscaleOwner: null, machines: false, sidecar: false });
+    try {
+      expect(app.context.services.devices.hasKey(gone.spki)).toBe(false);
+    } finally { app.stop(); }
+  } finally { rmSync(sibling, { recursive: true, force: true }); }
+});
+
+test("merging two dirs keeps the account's removal of a key over a revoke on the PC, with the later time", () => {
+  const [a, b] = [mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ovis-account-a-")), mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ovis-account-b-"))];
+  try {
+    const key = "a-removed-key";
+    writeFileSync(join(a, "account-tombstones.json"), JSON.stringify({ v: 1, tombstones: [{ key, account: ACCOUNT, record_id: "r1", removed_at: "2026-11-01T00:00:00.000Z" }] }));
+    writeFileSync(join(b, "account-tombstones.json"), JSON.stringify({ v: 1, tombstones: [{ key, account: "", record_id: "local", removed_at: "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z" }] }));
+    expect(mergeAccountTombstones(a, b)).toBeNull();
+    for (const dir of [a, b]) {
+      const kept = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(dir, "account-tombstones.json"), "utf8")) as { tombstones: { record_id: string; removed_at: string }[] };
+      expect(kept.tombstones.map((t) => [t.record_id, t.removed_at])).toEqual([["r1", "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z"]]);
+    }
+  } finally { for (const dir of [a, b]) rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true }); }
+});
+
+test("merging two dirs rewrites a dir whose tombstone for the key is the PC's revoke at the same time as the account's removal", () => {
+  const [a, b] = [mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ovis-account-a-")), mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ovis-account-b-"))];
+  try {
+    const key = "a-removed-key";
+    const at = "2026-11-02T00:00:00.000Z";
+    writeFileSync(join(a, "account-tombstones.json"), JSON.stringify({ v: 1, tombstones: [{ key, account: "", record_id: "local", removed_at: at }] }));
+    writeFileSync(join(b, "account-tombstones.json"), JSON.stringify({ v: 1, tombstones: [{ key, account: ACCOUNT, record_id: "r1", removed_at: at }] }));
+    expect(mergeAccountTombstones(a, b)).toBeNull();
+    for (const dir of [a, b]) {
+      const kept = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(dir, "account-tombstones.json"), "utf8")) as { tombstones: { record_id: string }[] };
+      expect(kept.tombstones.map((t) => t.record_id)).toEqual(["r1"]);
+    }
+  } finally { for (const dir of [a, b]) rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true }); }
+});
+
+
 test("a watching member leaves the account on a PC with a remove signed by its own key", async () => {
   const f = fixture();
   const { key, link } = await member(f);
diff --git a/server/device-access.contract.test.ts b/server/device-access.contract.test.ts
index 9993983924..09ddd5d205 100644
--- a/server/device-access.contract.test.ts
+++ b/server/device-access.contract.test.ts
@@ -1180,3 +1180,73 @@ it("a script's first pairing on a fresh install is kept at once, so its token st
     rmSync(stateDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
   }
 });
+
+it("a PC in no account lets a revoked key pair again with a code started through the relay, which clears its tombstone", async () => {
+  const stateDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ovis-relay-repair-"));
+  try {
+    const store = new DeviceStore(stateDir);
+    const keys = await crypto.subtle.generateKey({ name: "ECDSA", namedCurve: "P-256" }, true, ["sign", "verify"]);
+    const publicKey = Buffer.from(await crypto.subtle.exportKey("spki", keys.publicKey)).toString("base64url");
+    const first = store.pairRelay(store.startPairing().code, "Relay phone", publicKey);
+    if (!first) throw new Error("Expected relay enrollment");
+    store.revoke(first.device.id);
+    expect(store.isTombstoned(publicKey)).toBe(true);
+    const again = store.pairRelay(store.startPairing(Date.now(), { remote: true, startedBy: null, memberRequired: false }).code, "Relay phone", publicKey);
+    expect(again?.device.label).toBe("Relay phone");
+    expect(new DeviceStore(stateDir).isTombstoned(publicKey)).toBe(false);
+  } finally {
+    rmSync(stateDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
+it("a PC in no account still refuses, with a code started through the relay, a key its account removed", async () => {
+  const stateDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ovis-relay-account-removed-"));
+  try {
+    const keys = await crypto.subtle.generateKey({ name: "ECDSA", namedCurve: "P-256" }, true, ["sign", "verify"]);
+    const publicKey = Buffer.from(await crypto.subtle.exportKey("spki", keys.publicKey)).toString("base64url");
+    writeFileSync(join(stateDir, "account-tombstones.json"), JSON.stringify({ v: 1, tombstones: [{ key: publicKey, account: "acct_1", record_id: "r1", removed_at: "2026-11-01T00:00:00.000Z" }] }), { mode: 0o600 });
+    const store = new DeviceStore(stateDir);
+    expect(store.pairRelay(store.startPairing(Date.now(), { remote: true, startedBy: null, memberRequired: false }).code, "Phone", publicKey)).toBeNull();
+    expect(store.isTombstoned(publicKey)).toBe(true);
+  } finally {
+    rmSync(stateDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
+it("a PC in no account whose tombstone file will not parse refuses a code started through the relay", async () => {
+  const stateDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ovis-relay-tombstones-broken-"));
+  try {
+    writeFileSync(join(stateDir, "account-tombstones.json"), "{broken", { mode: 0o600 });
+    const store = new DeviceStore(stateDir);
+    const keys = await crypto.subtle.generateKey({ name: "ECDSA", namedCurve: "P-256" }, true, ["sign", "verify"]);
+    const publicKey = Buffer.from(await crypto.subtle.exportKey("spki", keys.publicKey)).toString("base64url");
+    expect(store.pairRelay(store.startPairing(Date.now(), { remote: true, startedBy: null, memberRequired: false }).code, "Phone", publicKey)).toBeNull();
+  } finally {
+    rmSync(stateDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
+it("a key re-paired on a PC in no account with a code another device started stays when its tombstone comes back", async () => {
+  const stateDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "ovis-relay-repair-starter-"));
+  try {
+    const store = new DeviceStore(stateDir);
+    const fresh = async () => {
+      const keys = await crypto.subtle.generateKey({ name: "ECDSA", namedCurve: "P-256" }, true, ["sign", "verify"]);
+      return Buffer.from(await crypto.subtle.exportKey("spki", keys.publicKey)).toString("base64url");
+    };
+    const [starterKey, publicKey] = [await fresh(), await fresh()];
+    const starter = store.pairRelay(store.startPairing().code, "Laptop", starterKey);
+    const first = store.pairRelay(store.startPairing().code, "Phone", publicKey);
+    if (!starter || !first) throw new Error("Expected relay enrollment");
+    store.revoke(first.device.id);
+    const tombstones = readFileSync(join(stateDir, "account-tombstones.json"));
+    // a second later, as a person pairing again would be
+    const later = Date.now() + 1_000;
+    expect(store.pairRelay(store.startPairing(later, { remote: true, startedBy: starter.device.id, memberRequired: false }).code, "Phone", publicKey, later)).not.toBeNull();
+    // the revoke's tombstone back, as a stop before it was cleared or a sibling dir's merge leaves it
+    writeFileSync(join(stateDir, "account-tombstones.json"), tombstones, { mode: 0o600 });
+    expect(new DeviceStore(stateDir).hasKey(publicKey)).toBe(true);
+  } finally {
+    rmSync(stateDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
diff --git a/server/devices.ts b/server/devices.ts
index 1d89eee65c..4b0d03dd36 100644
--- a/server/devices.ts
+++ b/server/devices.ts
@@ -206,11 +206,16 @@ export function mergeAccountTombstones(active: string, sibling: string): string
   const merged = new Map<string, AccountTombstone>();
   for (const tombstone of [...read.flatMap((list) => list ?? []), ...pending]) {
     const kept = merged.get(tombstone.key);
-    if (!kept || tombstone.removed_at > kept.removed_at) merged.set(tombstone.key, tombstone);
+    if (!kept) { merged.set(tombstone.key, tombstone); continue; }
+    // the account's removal outranks a revoke on the PC (only it keeps a relay code out), with the later of the two times
+    const local = (t: AccountTombstone) => t.record_id === "local";
+    const winner = local(kept) && !local(tombstone) ? tombstone : !local(kept) && local(tombstone) ? kept : tombstone.removed_at > kept.removed_at ? tombstone : kept;
+    const removedAt = tombstone.removed_at > kept.removed_at ? tombstone.removed_at : kept.removed_at;
+    merged.set(tombstone.key, { ...winner, removed_at: removedAt });
   }
   const tombstones = [...merged.values()];
   for (const [index, path] of paths.entries()) {
-    if ((read[index] ?? []).length !== tombstones.length || tombstones.some((t) => !read[index]?.some((own) => own.key === t.key && own.removed_at === t.removed_at))) {
+    if ((read[index] ?? []).length !== tombstones.length || tombstones.some((t) => !read[index]?.some((own) => own.key === t.key && own.removed_at === t.removed_at && own.record_id === t.record_id))) {
       writePrivateState(path, { v: 1, tombstones });
     }
   }
@@ -479,14 +484,21 @@ export class DeviceStore {
     // a code started through the relay is not a pairing made on this PC (docs/account.md, rule 5)
     const remote = this.pending?.remote ?? false;
     const startedBy = this.pending?.startedBy ?? null;
-    // a code started through the relay is not a pairing made on this PC; a member's code goes with the member
-    if ((remote && (this.accountError !== null || this.isTombstoned(publicKey))) || (this.pending?.memberRequired && (startedBy === null || !this.isAccountApprover(startedBy)))) {
+    // a code started through the relay is not a pairing made on this PC; a member's code goes with the member.
+    // On a PC in no account such a code may bring back a key this PC revoked itself, as before account linking;
+    // never one the account removed
+    const accountless = this.account() === null;
+    const refusedKey = accountless ? this.tombstones.some((t) => t.key === publicKey && t.record_id !== "local") : this.isTombstoned(publicKey);
+    if ((remote && (this.accountError !== null || refusedKey)) || (this.pending?.memberRequired && (startedBy === null || !this.isAccountApprover(startedBy)))) {
       this.noteRelayFailure("code", now);
       return null;
     }
-    // a device let in by a code started through the relay is its starter's addition, not a pairing made on this PC (removeAccountKey)
-    const paired = this.enrollRelay(label, publicKey, now, true, startedBy ?? undefined);
-    if (!remote) this.clearTombstone(publicKey);
+    // a device let in by a code started through the relay is its starter's addition, not a pairing made on this PC (removeAccountKey);
+    // one that brings back a key this PC revoked itself (on a PC in no account) undoes that revoke, and is the PC's own
+    // pairing, so a tombstone that comes back (a sibling dir, a stop before it is cleared) takes it only if newer
+    const undoesRevoke = remote && accountless && this.isTombstoned(publicKey);
+    const paired = this.enrollRelay(label, publicKey, now, true, undoesRevoke ? undefined : startedBy ?? undefined);
+    if (!remote || accountless) this.clearTombstone(publicKey);
     return paired;
   }
 
@@ -774,7 +786,10 @@ export class DeviceStore {
     if (this.devices.some((d) => d.relay_public_key === key && d.added_by === undefined && d.created_at > record.issuedAt)) return false;
     const recordId = record.id;
     const fresh = !this.isTombstoned(key);
-    if (fresh) this.writeTombstones([...this.tombstones, { key, account, record_id: recordId, removed_at: new Date(now).toISOString() }]);
+    const removal = { key, account, record_id: recordId, removed_at: new Date(now).toISOString() };
+    if (fresh) this.writeTombstones([...this.tombstones, removal]);
+    // a key this PC revoked first becomes the account's removal, so a code started through the relay cannot bring it back
+    else if (this.tombstones.some((t) => t.key === key && t.record_id === "local")) this.writeTombstones(this.tombstones.map((t) => t.key === key ? removal : t));
     const ids = this.devices.filter((d) => d.relay_public_key === key).map((d) => d.id);
     for (const id of ids) this.revoke(id, record.by);
     return fresh || ids.length > 0;