diff --git a/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/unified-resources.md b/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/unified-resources.md
index 5fd8e63d1a..872f108a8b 100644
--- a/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/unified-resources.md
+++ b/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/unified-resources.md
@@ -7066,10 +7066,11 @@ another pair than the exclusions do, as a relink of the two rows a
 report-merge left does (a registry now keeps each exclusion's `CreatedAt`);
 a tie keeps the pair apart. Once a relink rejoins them, the declared link
 folds one of the rows it names into the other's ID, and `applyManualLinks`
-records that ID with the IDs manual links fold (it recognises the node's own
-IDs from the joined row's Proxmox facet, and the agent's source-specific
-ID), so pin succession keeps the link instead of re-keying it onto the
-joined ID and handing the decision back to the older exclusions. The paths
+records that as a `ManualLinkFold` on the joined row (it recognises the
+node's own IDs from the row's Proxmox facet, and the agent's source-specific
+ID), so pin succession treats the folded ID as observed and keeps the link
+instead of re-keying it onto the joined ID and handing the decision back to
+the older exclusions, and report-merge of the joined row names that pair. The paths
 that join rows after ingest apply the same decision: `applyManualLinks`
 skips a link between a node row and an agent row split after it, and the
 presentation filter (`ListForPresentation` and the broadcast) keeps such
diff --git a/internal/unifiedresources/proxmox_node_links.go b/internal/unifiedresources/proxmox_node_links.go
index a290abd831..72cb6bbe72 100644
--- a/internal/unifiedresources/proxmox_node_links.go
+++ b/internal/unifiedresources/proxmox_node_links.go
@@ -202,22 +202,23 @@ func pinBelongsToAgent(pin ResourceIdentityPin, agent ResourceIdentity) bool {
 	return true
 }
 
-// joinedPairOwnsIDLocked reports whether id is an ID one side of a joined
-// Proxmox node+agent row holds on its own: the node's (derived from the
-// row's Proxmox facet, not its merged identity, whose first hostname can be
-// the agent's) or the agent's source-specific ID, which an agent reporting
-// no machine key holds when split.
-func (rr *ResourceRegistry) joinedPairOwnsIDLocked(joined *Resource, id string) bool {
+// joinedPairSideLocked reports whether id is an ID one side of a joined
+// Proxmox node+agent row holds on its own, and that side's source: the
+// node's own IDs (derived from the row's Proxmox facet, not its merged
+// identity, whose first hostname can be the agent's) or the agent's
+// source-specific ID, which an agent reporting no machine key holds when
+// split.
+func (rr *ResourceRegistry) joinedPairSideLocked(joined *Resource, id string) (DataSource, bool) {
 	if joined == nil || joined.Proxmox == nil || joined.Agent == nil || CanonicalResourceType(joined.Type) != ResourceTypeAgent {
-		return false
+		return "", false
 	}
 	id = CanonicalResourceID(id)
 	if agentID := normalizeSourceID(joined.Agent.AgentID); agentID != "" && id == rr.sourceSpecificID(ResourceTypeAgent, SourceAgent, agentID) {
-		return true
+		return SourceAgent, true
 	}
 	sourceID := normalizeSourceID(joined.Proxmox.SourceID)
 	if sourceID == "" {
-		return false
+		return "", false
 	}
 	_, identity := resourceFromProxmoxNode(models.Node{
 		ID:                sourceID,
@@ -226,7 +227,7 @@ func (rr *ResourceRegistry) joinedPairOwnsIDLocked(joined *Resource, id string)
 		Instance:          joined.Proxmox.Instance,
 		ClusterName:       joined.Proxmox.ClusterName,
 	}, nil)
-	return slices.Contains(rr.proxmoxNodeOwnIDs(sourceID, identity), id)
+	return SourceProxmox, slices.Contains(rr.proxmoxNodeOwnIDs(sourceID, identity), id)
 }
 
 // nodeAgentRowsSplit reports whether two listed rows are a Proxmox node and
diff --git a/internal/unifiedresources/registry.go b/internal/unifiedresources/registry.go
index 4e61ce3275..02afc812ef 100644
--- a/internal/unifiedresources/registry.go
+++ b/internal/unifiedresources/registry.go
@@ -4950,16 +4950,17 @@ func (rr *ResourceRegistry) applyManualLinks(thresholds map[DataSource]time.Dura
 			otherID = link.ResourceA
 		}
 		other := rr.resources[otherID]
-		if other == nil && otherID != primaryID && rr.joinedPairOwnsIDLocked(primary, otherID) {
-			// A relink of a split node and its agent names the two rows,
-			// and the declared link folds one of them into the other's ID
-			// once the relink rejoins them. Treat the ID as folded by this
-			// link so pin succession keeps the link rather than re-keying
-			// it onto the joined ID, which would let the split decide again.
-			if rr.linkMergedIDs == nil {
-				rr.linkMergedIDs = make(map[string]struct{})
+		if other == nil && otherID != primaryID {
+			if source, ok := rr.joinedPairSideLocked(primary, otherID); ok {
+				// A relink of a split node and its agent names the two rows,
+				// and the declared link folds one of them into the other's
+				// ID once the relink rejoins them. Record the fold so pin
+				// succession keeps the link rather than re-keying it onto
+				// the joined ID, which would let the split decide again,
+				// and so report-merge of the joined row names this pair.
+				recordManualLinkFold(primary, primaryID, &Resource{Sources: []DataSource{source}}, otherID)
+				rr.indexLinkFoldsLocked(primary)
 			}
-			rr.linkMergedIDs[otherID] = struct{}{}
 		}
 		if other == nil || otherID == primaryID {
 			continue
diff --git a/internal/unifiedresources/registry_merge_policy_test.go b/internal/unifiedresources/registry_merge_policy_test.go
index 16ac30efd7..c43930d1a8 100644
--- a/internal/unifiedresources/registry_merge_policy_test.go
+++ b/internal/unifiedresources/registry_merge_policy_test.go
@@ -350,6 +350,19 @@ func TestOperatorSplitOverridesProxmoxNodeAgentLink(t *testing.T) {
 					t.Fatal(err)
 				}
 				assertViews("after relink", 2, nodeAgentRows{joined: merged.joined})
+				// The joined row records the relinked row it took in, so a
+				// report-merge of it names the relink's own pair.
+				folded := want.node
+				if folded == merged.joined {
+					folded = want.agent
+				}
+				recorded := false
+				for _, fold := range adapter.currentRegistry().ManualLinkFolds(merged.joined) {
+					recorded = recorded || (fold.HolderID == merged.joined && fold.FoldedID == folded)
+				}
+				if !recorded {
+					t.Fatalf("joined %s records no fold of relinked %s: %+v", merged.joined, folded, adapter.currentRegistry().ManualLinkFolds(merged.joined))
+				}
 				// A rebuild that meets the agent first orders the joined row's
 				// hostnames the agent's way; persisting its pins must not
 				// re-key the relink onto the joined ID either.