diff --git a/internal/storagehealth/topology.go b/internal/storagehealth/topology.go
index c8c6b3dde..25b61af35 100644
--- a/internal/storagehealth/topology.go
+++ b/internal/storagehealth/topology.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/rcourtman/pulse-go-rewrite/internal/models"
+	unraidstatus "github.com/rcourtman/pulse-go-rewrite/internal/unraid"
 )
 
 func AssessHostRAIDArray(array models.HostRAIDArray) Assessment {
@@ -346,13 +347,16 @@ func unraidDiskStateCounts(storage models.HostUnraidStorage) (disabled, invalid,
 func isUnraidEmptySlot(disk models.HostUnraidDisk) bool {
 	rawStatus := strings.ToUpper(strings.TrimSpace(disk.RawStatus))
 	status := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(disk.Status))
+	if unraidstatus.IsExplicitMissingMember(rawStatus) {
+		return false
+	}
 	if !strings.Contains(rawStatus, "DISK_NP") && status != "missing" {
 		return false
 	}
 	return strings.TrimSpace(disk.Device) == "" &&
 		strings.TrimSpace(disk.Model) == "" &&
 		strings.TrimSpace(disk.Serial) == "" &&
-		strings.TrimSpace(disk.Filesystem) == "" &&
+		!unraidstatus.HasMeaningfulFilesystem(disk.Filesystem) &&
 		disk.SizeBytes == 0
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/storagehealth/topology_test.go b/internal/storagehealth/topology_test.go
index 9352106c1..e61c095a1 100644
--- a/internal/storagehealth/topology_test.go
+++ b/internal/storagehealth/topology_test.go
@@ -237,7 +237,8 @@ func TestAssessUnraidStorageTreatsEmptyNoPresentSlotsAsUnprotected(t *testing.T)
 			{Name: "parity", Role: "parity", Status: "missing", RawStatus: "DISK_NP_DSBL"},
 			{Name: "md1p1", Device: "/dev/sde", Status: "online", RawStatus: "DISK_OK", SizeBytes: 5860522532},
 			{Name: "disk5", Role: "data", Status: "missing", RawStatus: "DISK_NP", Slot: 5},
-			{Name: "parity2", Role: "parity", Status: "missing", RawStatus: "DISK_NP_DSBL", Slot: 29},
+			{Name: "disk6", Role: "data", Status: "missing", RawStatus: "DISK_NP", Filesystem: "auto", Slot: 6},
+			{Name: "parity2", Role: "parity", Status: "missing", RawStatus: "DISK_NP_DSBL", Filesystem: "auto", Slot: 29},
 		},
 	})
 
@@ -281,6 +282,27 @@ func TestAssessUnraidStorageUsesDiskStatusesOverAggregateCounters(t *testing.T)
 	}
 }
 
+func TestAssessUnraidStoragePreservesExplicitMissingMemberWithoutIdentity(t *testing.T) {
+	assessment := AssessUnraidStorage(models.HostUnraidStorage{
+		ArrayStarted: true,
+		Disks: []models.HostUnraidDisk{
+			{Name: "parity", Role: "parity", Status: "online"},
+			{Name: "disk1", Role: "data", Status: "online"},
+			{Name: "disk2", Role: "data", Status: "missing", RawStatus: "DISK_NP_MISSING", Filesystem: "auto"},
+		},
+	})
+
+	if assessment.Level != RiskCritical {
+		t.Fatalf("Level = %q, want %q", assessment.Level, RiskCritical)
+	}
+	for _, reason := range assessment.Reasons {
+		if reason.Code == "unraid_missing_disks" {
+			return
+		}
+	}
+	t.Fatalf("explicit missing member without identity was not preserved: %+v", assessment.Reasons)
+}
+
 func TestAssessUnraidStoragePreservesGenuineStructuredMissingDisk(t *testing.T) {
 	assessment := AssessUnraidStorage(models.HostUnraidStorage{
 		ArrayStarted: true,