diff --git a/docs/account-merge.md b/docs/account-merge.md
index 3d444c5..c8a1d80 100644
--- a/docs/account-merge.md
+++ b/docs/account-merge.md
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ Left untouched (counted by the plan): consent receipts, passkeys, ledger entries
 
 ## Merged is terminal
 
-Only the ledger writes `Membership.Status = Merged` or leaves it. The other status writers refuse a merged row (`Membership.IsMerged`): GitHub sign-in sync leaves the account untouched, the bootstrap-admin promotion (startup and sign-in) skips it, the Heimdall member-access claim does not activate it, member approval refuses it and the suspension service reports `NotApplicable`. Folded standing itself is still derived from the merge state, never from this status.
+Only the ledger writes `Membership.Status = Merged` or leaves it. The other status writers refuse a merged row (`Membership.IsMerged`): the bootstrap-admin promotion (startup and every GitHub sign-in, which is the one status write sign-in sync makes on an existing account) skips it, the Heimdall member-access claim does not activate it, member approval refuses it and the suspension service reports `NotApplicable`. Folded standing itself is still derived from the merge state, never from this status.
 
 ## Rollback
 
diff --git a/src/Bifrost.Web/Features/Membership/MembershipSynchronizationService.cs b/src/Bifrost.Web/Features/Membership/MembershipSynchronizationService.cs
index 8add391..6d41d73 100644
--- a/src/Bifrost.Web/Features/Membership/MembershipSynchronizationService.cs
+++ b/src/Bifrost.Web/Features/Membership/MembershipSynchronizationService.cs
@@ -67,11 +67,6 @@ public sealed class MembershipSynchronizationService(
 
             dbContext.UserAccounts.Add(userAccount);
         }
-        else if (userAccount.Membership is { IsMerged: true })
-        {
-            // A folded account is terminal: sign-in rewrites nothing on it (the actor gate already makes it act as nobody).
-            return;
-        }
         else
         {
             userAccount.GitHubLogin = gitHubLogin;
diff --git a/tests/Bifrost.Web.Tests/AccountMergePostgresTests.cs b/tests/Bifrost.Web.Tests/AccountMergePostgresTests.cs
index 32925eb..da58e4f 100644
--- a/tests/Bifrost.Web.Tests/AccountMergePostgresTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Bifrost.Web.Tests/AccountMergePostgresTests.cs
@@ -121,6 +121,14 @@ public sealed class AccountMergePostgresTests(MergePostgres postgres) : IClassFi
         }
     }
 
+    private static IEnumerable<Exception> Chain(Exception error)
+    {
+        for (var current = error; current is not null; current = current.InnerException!)
+        {
+            yield return current;
+        }
+    }
+
     private static string ConnectionOf(AccountMergeLedgerTests.World world)
     {
         using var db = world.Db();
@@ -214,7 +222,8 @@ public sealed class AccountMergePostgresTests(MergePostgres postgres) : IClassFi
         var results = await Task.WhenAll(Task.Run(TryCommit), Task.Run(TryCommit));
 
         Assert.Equal(1, results.Count(x => x is null));
-        Assert.All(results.OfType<Exception>(), e => Assert.IsAssignableFrom<DbUpdateException>(e)); // the loser: the unique index or the token
+        // The loser is refused by the unique index, the token, or Postgres picking it as the deadlock victim.
+        Assert.All(results.OfType<Exception>(), e => Assert.True(Chain(e).Any(x => x is DbUpdateException), e.ToString()));
         var journal = await world.JournalAsync(merge);
         Assert.Equal(journal.Count, journal.Select(x => x.Seq).Distinct().Count());
         Assert.Equal(1, journal.Count(x => x.Kind == AccountMergeEntryKind.Vote));
diff --git a/tests/Bifrost.Web.Tests/HeimdallGoogleLinkTests.cs b/tests/Bifrost.Web.Tests/HeimdallGoogleLinkTests.cs
index e1c90ca..6a13cfc 100644
--- a/tests/Bifrost.Web.Tests/HeimdallGoogleLinkTests.cs
+++ b/tests/Bifrost.Web.Tests/HeimdallGoogleLinkTests.cs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ using Bifrost.Web.Features.Heimdall;
 using Bifrost.Web.Features.Shared;
 using Bifrost.Web.Tests.Support;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.DataProtection;
+using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
 
 namespace Bifrost.Web.Tests;
@@ -242,6 +243,31 @@ public sealed class HeimdallGoogleLinkTests
         AssertAttemptCleared(b.Response, start);
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task A_link_begun_before_a_merge_froze_the_account_does_not_continue_after_it()
+    {
+        using var host = new HeimdallHost(realSessions: true);
+        var account = HeimdallShapes.NewAccountId();
+        var survivorAccount = HeimdallShapes.NewAccountId();
+        var session = await host.SignInSessionAsync(account);
+        await host.SignInSessionAsync(survivorAccount);
+        var start = await host.StartLinkAsync(session);
+        await host.Db(async db =>
+        {
+            var folded = await db.UserAccounts.SingleAsync(x => x.HeimdallAccountId == account);
+            var survivor = await db.UserAccounts.SingleAsync(x => x.HeimdallAccountId == survivorAccount);
+            db.AccountMerges.Add(new AccountMerge { SurvivorUserAccountId = survivor.Id, FoldedUserAccountId = folded.Id, State = AccountMergeState.Confirmed, CreatedUtc = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow });
+            await db.SaveChangesAsync();
+            return 0;
+        });
+        var starts = host.Heimdall.StartBodies.Count;
+
+        var b = await StepB(host, session, start, account);
+
+        Assert.Equal(starts, host.Heimdall.StartBodies.Count); // no Google link was asked for on the frozen account
+        Assert.Equal(LinkedPage + "?result=error", Location(b.Response));
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public async Task A_session_of_another_account_cannot_continue_the_link()
     {