diff --git a/crates/api-core/src/handlers/machine.rs b/crates/api-core/src/handlers/machine.rs
index 22db14eb80..56b3bcb096 100644
--- a/crates/api-core/src/handlers/machine.rs
+++ b/crates/api-core/src/handlers/machine.rs
@@ -654,9 +654,10 @@ pub(crate) async fn admin_force_delete_machine(
     db::machine_interface::lock_all_admin_segments(&mut txn).await?;
 
     // Clean up the explored tables next, in site-explorer's write order
-    // (`explored_managed_hosts`, then `explored_endpoints`, then interface
-    // rows), so this delete and a concurrent exploration pass can't hold the
-    // same tables in opposite orders.
+    // (`explored_managed_hosts`, then each machine topology and its
+    // `explored_endpoints` row, then interface rows), so this delete and a
+    // concurrent exploration pass can't hold the same tables in opposite
+    // orders.
     if let Some(machine) = &host_machine
         && let Some(addr) = machine.status.bmc_info.ip
     {
@@ -683,6 +684,10 @@ pub(crate) async fn admin_force_delete_machine(
             "Cleaning up explored endpoint",
         );
 
+        // Site Explorer refreshes firmware in machine_topologies before it
+        // updates this endpoint. Lock in the same order; force_cleanup later
+        // deletes the already-locked topology row.
+        db::machine_topology::lock_by_machine_id(&mut txn, &machine.id).await?;
         db::explored_endpoints::delete(&mut txn, addr).await?;
     }
 
diff --git a/crates/api-core/src/tests/machine_admin_force_delete.rs b/crates/api-core/src/tests/machine_admin_force_delete.rs
index c0c92941c6..ba998768d7 100644
--- a/crates/api-core/src/tests/machine_admin_force_delete.rs
+++ b/crates/api-core/src/tests/machine_admin_force_delete.rs
@@ -441,6 +441,71 @@ async fn test_admin_force_delete_orders_endpoint_locks_by_address(pool: sqlx::Pg
     }
 }
 
+/// Site Explorer updates a machine topology before its explored endpoint.
+/// Force-delete must take those locks in the same order: otherwise it can
+/// hold the endpoint while waiting for the topology, forming a cycle when
+/// Site Explorer proceeds to the endpoint.
+#[crate::sqlx_test]
+async fn test_admin_force_delete_orders_topology_before_endpoint(pool: sqlx::PgPool) {
+    let env = create_test_env(pool).await;
+    let managed_host = create_managed_host(&env).await;
+
+    let mut txn = env.pool.begin().await.unwrap();
+    let machine = db::machine::find_one(
+        txn.as_mut(),
+        &managed_host.id,
+        MachineSearchConfig::default(),
+    )
+    .await
+    .unwrap()
+    .unwrap();
+    let bmc_ip = machine
+        .status
+        .bmc_info
+        .ip
+        .expect("managed host fixture has a BMC ip");
+    txn.commit().await.unwrap();
+
+    // Simulate Site Explorer's firmware refresh holding the topology row.
+    let mut exploration_txn = env.pool.begin().await.unwrap();
+    sqlx::query("UPDATE machine_topologies SET machine_id = machine_id WHERE machine_id = $1")
+        .bind(managed_host.id)
+        .execute(exploration_txn.as_mut())
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+    let api = managed_host.api.clone();
+    let host_id = managed_host.id;
+    let force_delete_task = tokio::spawn(async move {
+        api.admin_force_delete_machine(tonic::Request::new(AdminForceDeleteMachineRequest {
+            host_query: host_id.to_string(),
+            delete_interfaces: false,
+            delete_bmc_interfaces: false,
+            delete_bmc_credentials: false,
+            allow_delete_with_orphaned_dpf_crds: false,
+        }))
+        .await
+    });
+    wait_until_blocked_on_any(&env.pool, &["machine_topologies", "cleanup_machine_by_id"]).await;
+
+    // With canonical topology -> endpoint ordering, force-delete is still
+    // waiting for the topology and has not locked the endpoint.
+    sqlx::query("UPDATE explored_endpoints SET address = address WHERE address = $1")
+        .bind(bmc_ip)
+        .execute(exploration_txn.as_mut())
+        .await
+        .expect("endpoint update must not deadlock against force-delete");
+    exploration_txn.commit().await.unwrap();
+
+    let response = force_delete_task
+        .await
+        .unwrap()
+        .expect("force delete completes once exploration commits")
+        .into_inner();
+    assert!(response.all_done);
+    validate_machine_deletion(&env, &managed_host.id, None).await;
+}
+
 /// Polls `pg_stat_activity` until some backend in this test's database sits
 /// in a lock wait on a query that names `relation`. The `datname` filter
 /// keeps parallel per-test databases on the shared server out of the match,
@@ -449,20 +514,26 @@ async fn test_admin_force_delete_orders_endpoint_locks_by_address(pool: sqlx::Pg
 /// RPC's pre-transaction work (Redfish attempts against the fixture BMC)
 /// on slow CI runners.
 async fn wait_until_blocked_on(pool: &sqlx::PgPool, relation: &str) {
+    wait_until_blocked_on_any(pool, &[relation]).await;
+}
+
+async fn wait_until_blocked_on_any(pool: &sqlx::PgPool, queries: &[&str]) {
     for _ in 0..600 {
-        let waiting: i64 = sqlx::query_scalar(
-            "SELECT count(*) FROM pg_stat_activity WHERE datname = current_database() AND wait_event_type = 'Lock' AND query ILIKE '%' || $1 || '%'",
+        let waiting_queries: Vec<String> = sqlx::query_scalar(
+            "SELECT query FROM pg_stat_activity WHERE datname = current_database() AND wait_event_type = 'Lock'",
         )
-        .bind(relation)
-        .fetch_one(pool)
+        .fetch_all(pool)
         .await
         .unwrap();
-        if waiting > 0 {
+        if waiting_queries
+            .iter()
+            .any(|query| queries.iter().any(|needle| query.contains(needle)))
+        {
             return;
         }
         tokio::time::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(100)).await;
     }
-    panic!("force delete never blocked on {relation}");
+    panic!("force delete never blocked on any of {queries:?}");
 }
 
 async fn force_delete(
diff --git a/crates/api-db/src/machine_topology.rs b/crates/api-db/src/machine_topology.rs
index dd772a5556..80d870b0eb 100644
--- a/crates/api-db/src/machine_topology.rs
+++ b/crates/api-db/src/machine_topology.rs
@@ -169,6 +169,25 @@ pub async fn update_firmware_version_by_machine_id(
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// Lock every topology row for a machine.
+///
+/// Site Explorer updates topology rows before the corresponding
+/// `explored_endpoints` row. Callers that touch both tables must acquire them
+/// in the same order to avoid deadlocks.
+pub async fn lock_by_machine_id(
+    txn: &mut PgConnection,
+    machine_id: &MachineId,
+) -> DatabaseResult<()> {
+    let query = "SELECT machine_id FROM machine_topologies WHERE machine_id = $1 FOR UPDATE";
+    sqlx::query(query)
+        .bind(machine_id)
+        .fetch_all(txn)
+        .await
+        .map_err(|e| DatabaseError::query(query, e))?;
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 pub async fn find_by_machine_ids(
     txn: &mut PgConnection,
     machine_ids: &[MachineId],