diff --git a/crates/engine/src/log/record.rs b/crates/engine/src/log/record.rs
index 17f34a4..594b27b 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/log/record.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/log/record.rs
@@ -181,6 +181,40 @@ pub fn encode(
     Ok(buf)
 }
 
+/// Walk a sealed log image.
+///
+/// A short last record at EOF is a torn tail and is dropped (`Ok` with the
+/// prefix). A CRC mismatch on a *fully framed* mid-file record is bitrot:
+/// the rest of the sealed file is still there and must not be silently
+/// discarded. Callers treat that as `CrcMismatch` (fail-stop) rather than
+/// "this is the torn active tail".
+///
+/// [`crate::log::recover`] uses the same rule when a sealed footer is
+/// missing and the file is rebuilt from records.
+pub fn scan_sealed(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<Vec<u64>> {
+    let mut offset = 0usize;
+    let mut good = Vec::new();
+    while offset < bytes.len() {
+        if bytes.len() - offset < HEADER_LEN {
+            break;
+        }
+        let header_buf = &bytes[offset..offset + HEADER_LEN];
+        let hdr = match parse_header(header_buf, offset as u64) {
+            Ok(h) => h,
+            Err(_) => break,
+        };
+        let rec_len = hdr.record_len();
+        if offset + rec_len > bytes.len() {
+            break;
+        }
+        let body = &bytes[offset + HEADER_LEN..offset + rec_len];
+        verify_crc(&hdr, header_buf, body, offset as u64)?;
+        good.push(offset as u64);
+        offset += rec_len;
+    }
+    Ok(good)
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
@@ -232,4 +266,41 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(hdr.expires_at_ms, 5000);
         assert_eq!(hdr.val_size, 0);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn sealed_mid_file_crc_is_corruption_not_a_silent_tail() {
+        let mut buf = Vec::new();
+        encode_into(&mut buf, 1, flags::NO_EXPIRY, 0, b"keep", b"one", b"").unwrap();
+        let second_at = buf.len();
+        encode_into(&mut buf, 2, flags::NO_EXPIRY, 0, b"drop-me", b"two", b"").unwrap();
+        encode_into(
+            &mut buf,
+            3,
+            flags::NO_EXPIRY,
+            0,
+            b"also-keep",
+            b"three",
+            b"",
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+
+        // Flip one value byte in the middle record. Framing stays intact.
+        let val = second_at + HEADER_LEN + b"drop-me".len();
+        buf[val] ^= 0x01;
+
+        let err = scan_sealed(&buf).expect_err("mid-file CRC in a sealed image is corruption");
+        assert!(
+            matches!(err, EngineError::CrcMismatch { offset } if offset == second_at as u64),
+            "got {err:?}"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn sealed_torn_tail_is_ok() {
+        let mut buf = Vec::new();
+        encode_into(&mut buf, 1, flags::NO_EXPIRY, 0, b"keep", b"one", b"").unwrap();
+        buf.extend_from_slice(&[0u8; 10]); // short junk at EOF
+        let offs = scan_sealed(&buf).expect("torn tail is not corruption");
+        assert_eq!(offs, vec![0]);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/log/recover.rs b/crates/engine/src/log/recover.rs
index d19797c..11a4e75 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/log/recover.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/log/recover.rs
@@ -151,9 +151,11 @@ async fn rebuild_from_records(file: &LogFile, file_id: u32, index: &mut NsIndex)
                 break;
             }
         };
-        if verify_crc(&hdr, &header_buf, &body, offset).is_err() {
-            break;
-        }
+        // Sealed files are immutable. A CRC miss mid-file is bitrot, not a
+        // torn tail — later records are still there. Fail-stop so we don't
+        // rebuild an index that silently dropped the suffix. (The active
+        // file still truncates: that *is* a torn write.)
+        verify_crc(&hdr, &header_buf, &body, offset)?;
         apply_record(index, file_id, offset, &hdr, &body);
         offset += hdr.record_len() as u64;
     }