diff --git a/tests/control_plane_ts/legacy_writer_fence_read_error.test.ts b/tests/control_plane_ts/legacy_writer_fence_read_error.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bf7180ba92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/control_plane_ts/legacy_writer_fence_read_error.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import fs from "node:fs/promises";
+import { syncBuiltinESMExports } from "node:module";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import test from "node:test";
+
+import {
+  legacyCoordinationWriterFencePath,
+  loadLegacyCoordinationWriterFence,
+} from "../../loopx/control_plane/coordination/legacy_writer_fence.ts";
+
+test("fence reader removes the filesystem error path without dropping the diagnostic", async t => {
+  const root = await fs.mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), "loopx-fence-read-"));
+  t.after(() => fs.rm(root, { recursive: true, force: true }));
+  const path = legacyCoordinationWriterFencePath(root, "synthetic-goal");
+  const reason = "EACCES: permission denied, open";
+
+  for (const withPath of [true, false]) {
+    await t.test(withPath ? "path-bearing error" : "error without path", async () => {
+      // ENOENT returns missing before this branch, so it cannot test cleanup.
+      const error = Object.assign(new Error(withPath ? `${reason} '${path}'` : reason), {
+        code: "EACCES",
+        ...(withPath ? { path } : {}),
+      });
+      const read = t.mock.method(fs, "readFile", async () => { throw error; });
+      syncBuiltinESMExports();
+      try {
+        assert.deepEqual(await loadLegacyCoordinationWriterFence(root, "synthetic-goal"), {
+          status: "failed",
+          reason_code: "legacy_writer_fence_read_failed",
+          reason,
+        });
+        assert.equal(read.mock.callCount(), 1);
+        assert.deepEqual(read.mock.calls[0].arguments, [path, "utf8"]);
+      } finally {
+        read.mock.restore();
+        syncBuiltinESMExports();
+      }
+    });
+  }
+});
+
+test("fence reader distinguishes a missing file from a real directory read failure", async t => {
+  const root = await fs.mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), "loopx-fence-read-"));
+  t.after(() => fs.rm(root, { recursive: true, force: true }));
+  const path = legacyCoordinationWriterFencePath(root, "synthetic-goal");
+  assert.deepEqual(await loadLegacyCoordinationWriterFence(root, "synthetic-goal"), { status: "missing" });
+
+  await fs.mkdir(path, { recursive: true });
+  const result = await loadLegacyCoordinationWriterFence(root, "synthetic-goal");
+  assert.equal(result.status, "failed");
+  if (result.status !== "failed") assert.fail("directory read must fail closed");
+  assert.equal(result.reason_code, "legacy_writer_fence_read_failed");
+  assert.match(result.reason, /EISDIR/);
+  assert.equal(result.reason.includes(path), false);
+  assert.equal((await fs.stat(path)).isDirectory(), true);
+});
diff --git a/tsconfig.control-plane.json b/tsconfig.control-plane.json
index 44551b9cf4..ca134b12d6 100644
--- a/tsconfig.control-plane.json
+++ b/tsconfig.control-plane.json
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@
     "tests/control_plane_ts/task_lease_acquire_cli.test.ts",
     "tests/control_plane_ts/legacy_writer_fence_caller_parity_support.ts",
     "tests/control_plane_ts/legacy_writer_fence_caller_parity.test.ts",
+    "tests/control_plane_ts/legacy_writer_fence_read_error.test.ts",
     "tests/control_plane_ts/turn_journal.test.ts",
     "tests/control_plane_ts/turn_journal_effects.test.ts",
     "tests/control_plane_ts/vision_checkpoint.test.ts",