diff --git a/crates/format/src/autosave.rs b/crates/format/src/autosave.rs
index 476741361..06150e60e 100644
--- a/crates/format/src/autosave.rs
+++ b/crates/format/src/autosave.rs
@@ -199,12 +199,33 @@ pub fn list_recovery(recovery_dir: &Path) -> Vec<RecoveryEntry> {
             if bundle.join(crate::store::MANIFEST).is_file() {
                 out.push(RecoveryEntry { info, bundle });
             }
+        } else if e.file_type().is_ok_and(|ft| ft.is_dir())
+            && let Some(entry) = sidecarless_entry(recovery_dir, &p)
+        {
+            out.push(entry);
         }
     }
     out.sort_by(|a, b| b.info.saved_at.cmp(&a.info.saved_at).then(a.info.key.cmp(&b.info.key)));
     out
 }
 
+/// A committed `<key>.pcraft` bundle (its manifest is written last) whose sidecar was never
+/// published, e.g. a crash during a document's first autosave. The metadata is rebuilt from the
+/// manifest (read like a load reads it) and its modification time. Incomplete bundles (no
+/// readable manifest) and bundles with anything at the sidecar's path are not entries.
+fn sidecarless_entry(recovery_dir: &Path, bundle: &Path) -> Option<RecoveryEntry> {
+    let key = bundle.file_name()?.to_str()?.strip_suffix(".pcraft")?;
+    if key.is_empty() || sanitize(key) != key || std::fs::symlink_metadata(recovery_dir.join(format!("{key}.json"))).is_ok() {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let meta = std::fs::symlink_metadata(bundle.join(crate::store::MANIFEST)).ok().filter(|m| m.is_file())?;
+    let source = crate::store::DirSource { root: bundle.to_path_buf() };
+    let manifest = crate::store::read_manifest(&source, &crate::LoadOptions::default()).ok()?;
+    let saved_at = meta.modified().ok().and_then(|t| t.duration_since(UNIX_EPOCH).ok()).map_or(0, |d| d.as_secs());
+    let info = RecoveryInfo { key: key.to_string(), document_name: manifest.document.name, original_path: None, saved_at, revision: 0 };
+    Some(RecoveryEntry { info, bundle: bundle.to_path_buf() })
+}
+
 /// Load a recovered document.
 pub fn recover(entry: &RecoveryEntry) -> Result<Document> {
     crate::load_path(&entry.bundle)
@@ -292,8 +313,9 @@ impl RecoveryStore {
 const ORPHAN_AGE: std::time::Duration = std::time::Duration::from_secs(24 * 60 * 60);
 
 /// Best-effort removal of recovery data nothing can ever load or clean up:
-/// - `<key>.pcraft` bundle folders with no `<key>.json` sidecar (a crash during a document's
-///   first autosave: the sidecar is written after the bundle, and `list_recovery` skips them);
+/// - `<key>.pcraft` bundle folders with no `<key>.json` sidecar and no readable manifest (a
+///   crash in the middle of a document's first autosave). A sidecar-less bundle whose manifest
+///   was committed is complete and listed by `list_recovery`, so it is kept;
 /// - `*.pcsave.tmp` files left by an interrupted atomic write (see [`crate::atomic::temp_name`])
 ///   that another process created.
 ///
@@ -321,7 +343,8 @@ fn sweep_orphans(recovery_dir: &Path, min_age: std::time::Duration) {
         // Anything at the sidecar's path (even a broken one) keeps the bundle.
         let has_sidecar = std::fs::symlink_metadata(recovery_dir.join(format!("{key}.json"))).is_ok();
         let parts = [path.clone(), path.join("tiles"), path.join("blobs")];
-        if !has_sidecar && parts.iter().all(|p| untouched_for(p, min_age, true)) {
+        // A committed bundle is recoverable work: keep exactly what `list_recovery` lists.
+        if !has_sidecar && sidecarless_entry(recovery_dir, &path).is_none() && parts.iter().all(|p| untouched_for(p, min_age, true)) {
             let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&path);
         } else {
             bundles.extend(parts);
@@ -437,4 +460,41 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(recover(&entries[0]).unwrap(), *doc);
         let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
     }
+
+    #[cfg(not(target_arch = "wasm32"))]
+    #[test]
+    fn a_committed_bundle_without_a_sidecar_is_listed_and_survives_the_sweep() {
+        let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!(
+            "pcraft-nosidecar-{}-{}",
+            std::process::id(),
+            SystemTime::now().duration_since(UNIX_EPOCH).map(|d| d.as_nanos()).unwrap_or(0)
+        ));
+        let doc =
+            Arc::new(Document::new("Lost", photocraft_doc::Size { width: 4, height: 4 }, photocraft_color::ColorMode::Rgb, photocraft_color::SampleType::U8));
+        let saver = Autosaver::new(&dir, "first");
+        saver.request(doc.clone(), 1, None, SaveOptions::default());
+        assert!(saver.flush().is_some_and(|r| r.is_ok()));
+        // The crash: the bundle was committed, the sidecar never published.
+        std::fs::remove_file(dir.join("first.json")).unwrap();
+
+        let entries = list_recovery(&dir);
+        assert_eq!(entries.len(), 1, "the committed bundle is discoverable");
+        assert_eq!((entries[0].info.key.as_str(), entries[0].info.document_name.as_str()), ("first", "Lost"));
+        assert_eq!(recover(&entries[0]).unwrap(), *doc);
+
+        sweep_orphans(&dir, std::time::Duration::ZERO);
+        assert!(dir.join("first.pcraft").is_dir(), "aged cleanup keeps a committed bundle");
+
+        // Incomplete bundles (no manifest, or one that does not read) are neither listed nor kept.
+        let partial = dir.join("partial.pcraft");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(partial.join("tiles")).unwrap();
+        let broken = dir.join("broken.pcraft");
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&broken).unwrap();
+        std::fs::write(broken.join("manifest.json"), b"{").unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(list_recovery(&dir).len(), 1);
+        sweep_orphans(&dir, std::time::Duration::ZERO);
+        assert!(!partial.exists() && !broken.exists());
+        assert!(dir.join("first.pcraft").is_dir());
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir);
+    }
 }