diff --git a/internal/db/dbq/tracks.sql.go b/internal/db/dbq/tracks.sql.go
index a6266b08..ad2d0244 100644
--- a/internal/db/dbq/tracks.sql.go
+++ b/internal/db/dbq/tracks.sql.go
@@ -11,6 +11,34 @@ import (
 	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5/pgtype"
 )
 
+const adoptTrackPath = `-- name: AdoptTrackPath :execrows
+UPDATE tracks
+   SET file_path = $1,
+       missing_since = NULL
+ WHERE id = $2
+   AND missing_since IS NOT NULL
+`
+
+type AdoptTrackPathParams struct {
+	FilePath string
+	ID       pgtype.UUID
+}
+
+// Re-points a missing row at the path its file turned up on, and clears the
+// mark. The caller's normal UpsertTrack then conflicts on file_path and updates
+// THIS row in place, so the track id survives and its likes, play history and
+// playlist memberships come with it.
+//
+// `missing_since IS NOT NULL` again, this time as a race guard: two files can't
+// both adopt the same row, and :execrows reports 0 to whichever loses.
+func (q *Queries) AdoptTrackPath(ctx context.Context, arg AdoptTrackPathParams) (int64, error) {
+	result, err := q.db.Exec(ctx, adoptTrackPath, arg.FilePath, arg.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return result.RowsAffected(), nil
+}
+
 const clearTracksMissing = `-- name: ClearTracksMissing :execrows
 UPDATE tracks
    SET missing_since = NULL
@@ -107,6 +135,93 @@ func (q *Queries) DeleteTrack(ctx context.Context, id pgtype.UUID) (DeleteTrackR
 	return i, err
 }
 
+const findMissingTrackByFingerprint = `-- name: FindMissingTrackByFingerprint :many
+SELECT id, file_path FROM tracks
+ WHERE missing_since IS NOT NULL
+   AND file_size = $1
+   AND duration_ms = $2
+ LIMIT 2
+`
+
+type FindMissingTrackByFingerprintParams struct {
+	FileSize   int64
+	DurationMs int32
+}
+
+type FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow struct {
+	ID       pgtype.UUID
+	FilePath string
+}
+
+// Move detection fallback for files with no MBID (#2528). Exact byte size AND
+// exact decoded duration is a strong pair: a plain move or rename preserves
+// both, while a re-encode changes at least one — and a re-encode genuinely is a
+// different file, so failing to match there is correct rather than a gap.
+//
+// Same missing-only constraint and same LIMIT 2 rationale as the MBID variant.
+func (q *Queries) FindMissingTrackByFingerprint(ctx context.Context, arg FindMissingTrackByFingerprintParams) ([]FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow, error) {
+	rows, err := q.db.Query(ctx, findMissingTrackByFingerprint, arg.FileSize, arg.DurationMs)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer rows.Close()
+	var items []FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow
+	for rows.Next() {
+		var i FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow
+		if err := rows.Scan(&i.ID, &i.FilePath); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		items = append(items, i)
+	}
+	if err := rows.Err(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return items, nil
+}
+
+const findMissingTrackByMbid = `-- name: FindMissingTrackByMbid :many
+SELECT id, file_path FROM tracks
+ WHERE missing_since IS NOT NULL
+   AND mbid IS NOT NULL
+   AND mbid = $1::text
+ LIMIT 2
+`
+
+type FindMissingTrackByMbidRow struct {
+	ID       pgtype.UUID
+	FilePath string
+}
+
+// Move detection, strongest signal (#2528). A file that turned up at a new path
+// carrying a recording MBID we already have on a MISSING row is that recording,
+// moved — not a new track.
+//
+// `missing_since IS NOT NULL` is the safety constraint, not an optimisation: a
+// row whose file is present elsewhere on disk is a DUPLICATE, and re-pointing
+// its file_path would corrupt the copy that still exists.
+//
+// LIMIT 2 because the caller only needs to know "exactly one" vs "more than
+// one" — an ambiguous match must not be adopted arbitrarily.
+func (q *Queries) FindMissingTrackByMbid(ctx context.Context, mbid string) ([]FindMissingTrackByMbidRow, error) {
+	rows, err := q.db.Query(ctx, findMissingTrackByMbid, mbid)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer rows.Close()
+	var items []FindMissingTrackByMbidRow
+	for rows.Next() {
+		var i FindMissingTrackByMbidRow
+		if err := rows.Scan(&i.ID, &i.FilePath); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		items = append(items, i)
+	}
+	if err := rows.Err(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return items, nil
+}
+
 const getTrackByID = `-- name: GetTrackByID :one
 SELECT id, title, album_id, artist_id, track_number, disc_number, duration_ms, file_path, file_size, file_format, bitrate, mbid, genre, added_at, updated_at, tag_source, tag_sources_version, tag_read_version, missing_since FROM tracks WHERE id = $1
 `
diff --git a/internal/db/queries/tracks.sql b/internal/db/queries/tracks.sql
index 3f59044d..d11d11c2 100644
--- a/internal/db/queries/tracks.sql
+++ b/internal/db/queries/tracks.sql
@@ -138,6 +138,50 @@ RETURNING id, album_id, artist_id, file_path, mbid;
 -- (#357). Mirror of GetArtistsByIDs.
 SELECT * FROM tracks WHERE id = ANY($1::uuid[]);
 
+-- name: FindMissingTrackByMbid :many
+-- Move detection, strongest signal (#2528). A file that turned up at a new path
+-- carrying a recording MBID we already have on a MISSING row is that recording,
+-- moved — not a new track.
+--
+-- `missing_since IS NOT NULL` is the safety constraint, not an optimisation: a
+-- row whose file is present elsewhere on disk is a DUPLICATE, and re-pointing
+-- its file_path would corrupt the copy that still exists.
+--
+-- LIMIT 2 because the caller only needs to know "exactly one" vs "more than
+-- one" — an ambiguous match must not be adopted arbitrarily.
+SELECT id, file_path FROM tracks
+ WHERE missing_since IS NOT NULL
+   AND mbid IS NOT NULL
+   AND mbid = sqlc.arg(mbid)::text
+ LIMIT 2;
+
+-- name: FindMissingTrackByFingerprint :many
+-- Move detection fallback for files with no MBID (#2528). Exact byte size AND
+-- exact decoded duration is a strong pair: a plain move or rename preserves
+-- both, while a re-encode changes at least one — and a re-encode genuinely is a
+-- different file, so failing to match there is correct rather than a gap.
+--
+-- Same missing-only constraint and same LIMIT 2 rationale as the MBID variant.
+SELECT id, file_path FROM tracks
+ WHERE missing_since IS NOT NULL
+   AND file_size = sqlc.arg(file_size)
+   AND duration_ms = sqlc.arg(duration_ms)
+ LIMIT 2;
+
+-- name: AdoptTrackPath :execrows
+-- Re-points a missing row at the path its file turned up on, and clears the
+-- mark. The caller's normal UpsertTrack then conflicts on file_path and updates
+-- THIS row in place, so the track id survives and its likes, play history and
+-- playlist memberships come with it.
+--
+-- `missing_since IS NOT NULL` again, this time as a race guard: two files can't
+-- both adopt the same row, and :execrows reports 0 to whichever loses.
+UPDATE tracks
+   SET file_path = sqlc.arg(file_path),
+       missing_since = NULL
+ WHERE id = sqlc.arg(id)
+   AND missing_since IS NOT NULL;
+
 -- name: ListTrackPathsForReconcile :many
 -- Every row's path + current missing mark, for the scanner's reconcile pass
 -- (#2523). Deliberately unfiltered and unpaged: reconcile has to compare the
diff --git a/internal/library/moved.go b/internal/library/moved.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aa049e8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/library/moved.go
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+package library
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5/pgtype"
+
+	"git.fabledsword.com/bvandeusen/minstrel/internal/db/dbq"
+	syncpkg "git.fabledsword.com/bvandeusen/minstrel/internal/sync"
+)
+
+// Move detection (#2528).
+//
+// Track identity is file_path: UpsertTrack conflicts on it, and the reconcile
+// pass in reconcile.go clears a missing mark when the walk sees that same path
+// again. So a file that comes back exactly where it was restores cleanly, but a
+// file that comes back RENAMED or in a different directory looked, to the
+// scanner, like a deletion plus an unrelated new track:
+//
+//   - the old row stayed marked missing, holding the like and every play_event
+//   - a fresh row appeared with no history
+//   - nothing connected them
+//
+// A liked song read as unliked after a retag, its play count reset to zero, and
+// Rediscover could offer it as a discovery. All silently. Renumbering an album
+// was enough to do it — which is exactly what happened on the operator's copy of
+// Minutes to Midnight.
+//
+// The fix adopts the existing row rather than inserting: re-point its file_path
+// at the new location and clear the mark. The caller's normal UpsertTrack then
+// conflicts on file_path and updates THAT row, so the track id survives and
+// likes, plays and playlist memberships travel with it. Clients see an update
+// rather than a delete-and-create, so no cache churn either.
+//
+// Only rows already marked missing are eligible. A row whose file is present
+// elsewhere is a duplicate, not a move, and re-pointing it would corrupt the
+// copy that still exists. That constraint is what makes this safe, and the
+// marking added in #2523 is what makes it expressible.
+
+// trackAdopter is the slice of dbq.Queries move detection needs, narrowed so the
+// match/ambiguity logic can be tested against a fake.
+type trackAdopter interface {
+	FindMissingTrackByMbid(ctx context.Context, mbid string) ([]dbq.FindMissingTrackByMbidRow, error)
+	FindMissingTrackByFingerprint(ctx context.Context, arg dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintParams) ([]dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow, error)
+	AdoptTrackPath(ctx context.Context, arg dbq.AdoptTrackPathParams) (int64, error)
+}
+
+// adoptMovedTrack looks for a missing row that is the same recording as the file
+// at newPath and re-points it there. Reports whether a row was adopted.
+//
+// Never returns an error: failing to detect a move is a missed optimisation, not
+// a broken scan. The caller carries on and inserts a fresh row, which is the
+// pre-#2528 behaviour.
+func (s *Scanner) adoptMovedTrack(
+	ctx context.Context, q trackAdopter, newPath string,
+	fileSize int64, durationMs int32, recordingMBID string,
+) bool {
+	// MBID first. It identifies the recording rather than the bytes, so it
+	// survives a re-encode that the fingerprint cannot.
+	if recordingMBID != "" {
+		rows, err := q.FindMissingTrackByMbid(ctx, recordingMBID)
+		if err != nil {
+			s.logger.Warn("library scan: move lookup by mbid failed",
+				"path", newPath, "err", err)
+		} else if c, ok := s.uniqueMatch(rowsFromMbid(rows), newPath, "mbid"); ok {
+			return s.adopt(ctx, q, c, newPath, "mbid")
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Fingerprint fallback for untagged files. Both components must be real:
+	// duration_ms is 0 when ffprobe failed, and matching 0 against 0 would pair
+	// up unrelated broken files.
+	if fileSize > 0 && durationMs > 0 {
+		rows, err := q.FindMissingTrackByFingerprint(ctx, dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintParams{
+			FileSize:   fileSize,
+			DurationMs: durationMs,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			s.logger.Warn("library scan: move lookup by fingerprint failed",
+				"path", newPath, "err", err)
+		} else if c, ok := s.uniqueMatch(rowsFromFingerprint(rows), newPath, "fingerprint"); ok {
+			return s.adopt(ctx, q, c, newPath, "fingerprint")
+		}
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
+// candidate is the shared shape of both lookups, so uniqueMatch is written once.
+type candidate struct {
+	id       pgtype.UUID
+	filePath string
+}
+
+func rowsFromMbid(rows []dbq.FindMissingTrackByMbidRow) []candidate {
+	out := make([]candidate, 0, len(rows))
+	for _, r := range rows {
+		out = append(out, candidate{id: r.ID, filePath: r.FilePath})
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
+func rowsFromFingerprint(rows []dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow) []candidate {
+	out := make([]candidate, 0, len(rows))
+	for _, r := range rows {
+		out = append(out, candidate{id: r.ID, filePath: r.FilePath})
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
+// uniqueMatch requires exactly one candidate. Adopting an arbitrary row out of
+// several would attach this file's future history to a coin flip, which is worse
+// than starting a fresh row — a fork is recoverable later, a wrong merge isn't.
+// Libraries with genuine duplicates hit this, so it's logged rather than silent.
+func (s *Scanner) uniqueMatch(
+	cands []candidate, newPath, via string,
+) (candidate, bool) {
+	switch len(cands) {
+	case 0:
+		return candidate{}, false
+	case 1:
+		return cands[0], true
+	default:
+		s.logger.Info("library scan: ambiguous move match, inserting a new track instead",
+			"path", newPath, "via", via, "candidates", len(cands))
+		return candidate{}, false
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *Scanner) adopt(
+	ctx context.Context, q trackAdopter, c candidate, newPath, via string,
+) bool {
+	n, err := q.AdoptTrackPath(ctx, dbq.AdoptTrackPathParams{ID: c.id, FilePath: newPath})
+	if err != nil {
+		// A unique violation on file_path means something else claimed this path
+		// first. Fall through to a normal insert rather than failing the file.
+		s.logger.Warn("library scan: adopting moved track failed",
+			"path", newPath, "via", via, "err", err)
+		return false
+	}
+	if n == 0 {
+		// Lost the race: another file adopted this row between lookup and
+		// update, so its mark was already cleared.
+		return false
+	}
+	// Logged with both paths: this is the operator's only window onto a
+	// reorganisation being understood as a move rather than a new track.
+	s.logger.Info("library scan: track moved, history preserved",
+		"from", c.filePath, "to", newPath, "via", via, "track_id", syncpkg.FormatUUID(c.id))
+	return true
+}
diff --git a/internal/library/moved_test.go b/internal/library/moved_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f3536db9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/library/moved_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,295 @@
+package library
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/jackc/pgx/v5/pgtype"
+
+	"git.fabledsword.com/bvandeusen/minstrel/internal/db/dbq"
+)
+
+type fakeAdopter struct {
+	byMbid        []dbq.FindMissingTrackByMbidRow
+	byFingerprint []dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow
+
+	mbidErr        error
+	fingerprintErr error
+	adoptErr       error
+	adoptRows      int64
+
+	mbidQueried        []string
+	fingerprintQueried []dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintParams
+	adopted            []dbq.AdoptTrackPathParams
+}
+
+func (f *fakeAdopter) FindMissingTrackByMbid(_ context.Context, mbid string) ([]dbq.FindMissingTrackByMbidRow, error) {
+	f.mbidQueried = append(f.mbidQueried, mbid)
+	return f.byMbid, f.mbidErr
+}
+
+func (f *fakeAdopter) FindMissingTrackByFingerprint(
+	_ context.Context, arg dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintParams,
+) ([]dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow, error) {
+	f.fingerprintQueried = append(f.fingerprintQueried, arg)
+	return f.byFingerprint, f.fingerprintErr
+}
+
+func (f *fakeAdopter) AdoptTrackPath(_ context.Context, arg dbq.AdoptTrackPathParams) (int64, error) {
+	f.adopted = append(f.adopted, arg)
+	if f.adoptErr != nil {
+		return 0, f.adoptErr
+	}
+	return f.adoptRows, nil
+}
+
+// The narrowed interface must not drift from the real queries.
+var _ trackAdopter = (*dbq.Queries)(nil)
+
+func mbidRow(n byte, path string) dbq.FindMissingTrackByMbidRow {
+	return dbq.FindMissingTrackByMbidRow{ID: testUUID(n), FilePath: path}
+}
+
+func fpRow(n byte, path string) dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow {
+	return dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow{ID: testUUID(n), FilePath: path}
+}
+
+const (
+	oldPath = "/music/Linkin Park/Minutes to Midnight/02 - Bleed It Out.mp3"
+	newPath = "/music/Linkin Park/Minutes to Midnight/04 - Bleed It Out.mp3"
+)
+
+func TestAdoptMovedTrack_MatchesByMbid(t *testing.T) {
+	s := testScanner(t)
+	q := &fakeAdopter{byMbid: []dbq.FindMissingTrackByMbidRow{mbidRow(7, oldPath)}, adoptRows: 1}
+
+	if !s.adoptMovedTrack(context.Background(), q, newPath, 5_000_000, 200_000, "rec-mbid") {
+		t.Fatal("expected the moved track to be adopted")
+	}
+	if len(q.adopted) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("adopted %d rows, want 1", len(q.adopted))
+	}
+	if q.adopted[0].ID != testUUID(7) {
+		t.Errorf("adopted the wrong row: %v", q.adopted[0].ID)
+	}
+	if q.adopted[0].FilePath != newPath {
+		t.Errorf("adopted FilePath = %q, want %q", q.adopted[0].FilePath, newPath)
+	}
+	// MBID matched, so the weaker signal should not have been consulted.
+	if len(q.fingerprintQueried) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("queried the fingerprint despite an MBID match")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAdoptMovedTrack_FallsBackToFingerprint(t *testing.T) {
+	s := testScanner(t)
+	q := &fakeAdopter{byFingerprint: []dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow{fpRow(3, oldPath)}, adoptRows: 1}
+
+	// No MBID: an untagged file, which is exactly what the fallback is for.
+	if !s.adoptMovedTrack(context.Background(), q, newPath, 4_200_000, 187_000, "") {
+		t.Fatal("expected adoption via fingerprint")
+	}
+	if len(q.mbidQueried) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("queried by MBID with no MBID available")
+	}
+	if len(q.fingerprintQueried) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("fingerprint queried %d times, want 1", len(q.fingerprintQueried))
+	}
+	got := q.fingerprintQueried[0]
+	if got.FileSize != 4_200_000 || got.DurationMs != 187_000 {
+		t.Errorf("fingerprint = %+v, want size 4200000 duration 187000", got)
+	}
+	if len(q.adopted) != 1 || q.adopted[0].ID != testUUID(3) {
+		t.Errorf("adopted = %+v, want row 3", q.adopted)
+	}
+}
+
+// Two missing rows carrying the same recording MBID means real duplicates.
+// Adopting one arbitrarily would attach this file's future history to a coin
+// flip, so it must insert fresh instead.
+func TestAdoptMovedTrack_RefusesAmbiguousMbidMatch(t *testing.T) {
+	s := testScanner(t)
+	q := &fakeAdopter{byMbid: []dbq.FindMissingTrackByMbidRow{
+		mbidRow(1, "/music/a.mp3"),
+		mbidRow(2, "/music/b.mp3"),
+	}, adoptRows: 1}
+
+	if s.adoptMovedTrack(context.Background(), q, newPath, 0, 0, "rec-mbid") {
+		t.Fatal("expected refusal on an ambiguous MBID match")
+	}
+	if len(q.adopted) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("adopted despite ambiguity: %+v", q.adopted)
+	}
+}
+
+// An ambiguous MBID may still be resolvable by the fingerprint, which is a
+// narrower signal — so falling through is allowed to succeed.
+func TestAdoptMovedTrack_AmbiguousMbidFallsThroughToFingerprint(t *testing.T) {
+	s := testScanner(t)
+	q := &fakeAdopter{
+		byMbid: []dbq.FindMissingTrackByMbidRow{
+			mbidRow(1, "/music/a.mp3"),
+			mbidRow(2, "/music/b.mp3"),
+		},
+		byFingerprint: []dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow{fpRow(2, "/music/b.mp3")},
+		adoptRows:     1,
+	}
+
+	if !s.adoptMovedTrack(context.Background(), q, newPath, 1000, 2000, "rec-mbid") {
+		t.Fatal("expected the fingerprint to disambiguate")
+	}
+	if len(q.adopted) != 1 || q.adopted[0].ID != testUUID(2) {
+		t.Errorf("adopted = %+v, want row 2", q.adopted)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAdoptMovedTrack_RefusesAmbiguousFingerprintMatch(t *testing.T) {
+	s := testScanner(t)
+	q := &fakeAdopter{byFingerprint: []dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow{
+		fpRow(1, "/music/a.mp3"),
+		fpRow(2, "/music/b.mp3"),
+	}, adoptRows: 1}
+
+	if s.adoptMovedTrack(context.Background(), q, newPath, 1000, 2000, "") {
+		t.Fatal("expected refusal on an ambiguous fingerprint match")
+	}
+	if len(q.adopted) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("adopted despite ambiguity: %+v", q.adopted)
+	}
+}
+
+// duration_ms is 0 when ffprobe failed. Matching 0 against 0 would pair up
+// unrelated broken files, so the fingerprint must not be attempted.
+func TestAdoptMovedTrack_SkipsFingerprintWithoutRealValues(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name     string
+		size     int64
+		duration int32
+	}{
+		{"no duration", 1000, 0},
+		{"no size", 0, 2000},
+		{"neither", 0, 0},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			s := testScanner(t)
+			q := &fakeAdopter{
+				byFingerprint: []dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow{fpRow(1, oldPath)},
+				adoptRows:     1,
+			}
+			if s.adoptMovedTrack(context.Background(), q, newPath, tc.size, tc.duration, "") {
+				t.Error("adopted on an unusable fingerprint")
+			}
+			if len(q.fingerprintQueried) != 0 {
+				t.Error("queried the fingerprint with unusable values")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAdoptMovedTrack_NoCandidates(t *testing.T) {
+	s := testScanner(t)
+	q := &fakeAdopter{adoptRows: 1}
+
+	if s.adoptMovedTrack(context.Background(), q, newPath, 1000, 2000, "rec-mbid") {
+		t.Fatal("expected no adoption when nothing matches")
+	}
+	if len(q.adopted) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("adopted with no candidates: %+v", q.adopted)
+	}
+}
+
+// The row's mark was cleared between lookup and update — another file adopted it
+// first. AdoptTrackPath's `missing_since IS NOT NULL` predicate reports 0 rows.
+func TestAdoptMovedTrack_LostRaceReportsNotAdopted(t *testing.T) {
+	s := testScanner(t)
+	q := &fakeAdopter{
+		byMbid:    []dbq.FindMissingTrackByMbidRow{mbidRow(5, oldPath)},
+		adoptRows: 0,
+	}
+
+	if s.adoptMovedTrack(context.Background(), q, newPath, 1000, 2000, "rec-mbid") {
+		t.Fatal("expected not-adopted when the update matched no rows")
+	}
+}
+
+// Failing to detect a move must never fail the file: the caller falls back to
+// inserting a fresh row, which is the pre-#2528 behaviour.
+func TestAdoptMovedTrack_ToleratesQueryErrors(t *testing.T) {
+	sentinel := errors.New("db down")
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		q    *fakeAdopter
+	}{
+		{"mbid lookup fails", &fakeAdopter{mbidErr: sentinel}},
+		{"fingerprint lookup fails", &fakeAdopter{fingerprintErr: sentinel}},
+		{"adopt fails", &fakeAdopter{
+			byMbid:   []dbq.FindMissingTrackByMbidRow{mbidRow(1, oldPath)},
+			adoptErr: sentinel,
+		}},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			s := testScanner(t)
+			if s.adoptMovedTrack(context.Background(), tc.q, newPath, 1000, 2000, "rec-mbid") {
+				t.Error("reported adoption despite a query error")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// A failed MBID lookup must not stop the fingerprint from being tried.
+func TestAdoptMovedTrack_MbidErrorStillTriesFingerprint(t *testing.T) {
+	s := testScanner(t)
+	q := &fakeAdopter{
+		mbidErr:       errors.New("db hiccup"),
+		byFingerprint: []dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow{fpRow(9, oldPath)},
+		adoptRows:     1,
+	}
+
+	if !s.adoptMovedTrack(context.Background(), q, newPath, 1000, 2000, "rec-mbid") {
+		t.Fatal("expected the fingerprint to be tried after an MBID lookup error")
+	}
+	if len(q.adopted) != 1 || q.adopted[0].ID != testUUID(9) {
+		t.Errorf("adopted = %+v, want row 9", q.adopted)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestUniqueMatch(t *testing.T) {
+	s := testScanner(t)
+	if _, ok := s.uniqueMatch(nil, newPath, "mbid"); ok {
+		t.Error("empty candidate set matched")
+	}
+	c, ok := s.uniqueMatch([]candidate{{id: testUUID(4), filePath: oldPath}}, newPath, "mbid")
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("single candidate did not match")
+	}
+	if c.id != testUUID(4) || c.filePath != oldPath {
+		t.Errorf("candidate = %+v, want id 4 at %q", c, oldPath)
+	}
+	if _, ok := s.uniqueMatch([]candidate{
+		{id: testUUID(1)}, {id: testUUID(2)},
+	}, newPath, "mbid"); ok {
+		t.Error("multiple candidates matched")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRowConverters(t *testing.T) {
+	got := rowsFromMbid([]dbq.FindMissingTrackByMbidRow{mbidRow(1, "/a"), mbidRow(2, "/b")})
+	if len(got) != 2 || got[0].id != testUUID(1) || got[1].filePath != "/b" {
+		t.Errorf("rowsFromMbid = %+v", got)
+	}
+	got = rowsFromFingerprint([]dbq.FindMissingTrackByFingerprintRow{fpRow(3, "/c")})
+	if len(got) != 1 || got[0].id != testUUID(3) || got[0].filePath != "/c" {
+		t.Errorf("rowsFromFingerprint = %+v", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// pgtype.UUID zero value must not be mistaken for a real id.
+func TestUniqueMatch_ZeroUUIDNotValid(t *testing.T) {
+	var zero pgtype.UUID
+	if zero.Valid {
+		t.Fatal("zero pgtype.UUID should not be Valid")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/library/scanner.go b/internal/library/scanner.go
index a7116db6..985333c6 100644
--- a/internal/library/scanner.go
+++ b/internal/library/scanner.go
@@ -94,59 +94,56 @@ func (s *Scanner) Scan(ctx context.Context, progressCb func(Stats)) (Stats, erro
 	q := dbq.New(s.pool)
 	start := time.Now()
 
-	// Every audio path the walk visited. Reconcile diffs this against the table,
-	// so it costs no extra filesystem I/O — the walk already established which
-	// files exist. ~100 bytes/path, so a 250k-track library is ~25MB, which is
-	// worth it to avoid a second stat pass over the whole library.
-	seen := make(map[string]struct{}, 8192)
-
-	for _, root := range s.paths {
-		if err := filepath.WalkDir(root, func(path string, d fs.DirEntry, err error) error {
-			if ctx.Err() != nil {
-				return fs.SkipAll
-			}
-			if err != nil {
-				s.logger.Warn("library scan walk error", "path", path, "err", err)
-				stats.Errored++
-				if progressCb != nil {
-					progressCb(stats)
-				}
-				return nil
-			}
-			if d.IsDir() {
-				return nil
-			}
-			if !audioExtensions[strings.ToLower(filepath.Ext(path))] {
-				return nil
-			}
-			// Recorded before scanFile so a file that exists but fails to parse
-			// still counts as present. It's a broken file, not a missing one,
-			// and marking it missing would hide it from the operator behind the
-			// wrong explanation.
-			seen[path] = struct{}{}
-			if _, _, err := s.scanFile(ctx, q, path, &stats); err != nil {
-				s.logger.Warn("library scan file error", "path", path, "err", err)
-				stats.Errored++
-			}
-			if progressCb != nil {
-				progressCb(stats)
-			}
-			return nil
-		}); err != nil {
-			return stats, fmt.Errorf("library: walk %q: %w", root, err)
-		}
-	}
-
-	// Reconcile only after a COMPLETE walk. A cancelled scan has a partial
-	// `seen` set, which would mark everything it hadn't reached yet.
+	// PHASE 1 — enumerate. Collect every audio path without touching tags or
+	// ffprobe. Cheap: WalkDir already stats each entry, so this adds a directory
+	// traversal and nothing else.
+	//
+	// The order matters and is the whole reason enumeration is separate.
+	// Reconcile has to mark disappeared rows BEFORE any file is processed,
+	// because move detection (#2528) can only adopt a row that is already marked
+	// missing. A rename performed while the server was down surfaces the deletion
+	// and the addition in the SAME scan — so if reconcile ran at the end, the new
+	// path would insert a fresh row first and the fork would be permanent.
+	paths, walkErrs := s.enumerate(ctx, progressCb, &stats)
+	stats.Errored += walkErrs
 	if err := ctx.Err(); err != nil {
 		return stats, err
 	}
+
+	// PHASE 2 — reconcile. Only ever on a COMPLETE enumeration: a cancelled walk
+	// has a partial view and would mark everything it hadn't reached.
+	seen := make(map[string]struct{}, len(paths))
+	for _, p := range paths {
+		seen[p] = struct{}{}
+	}
 	if err := s.reconcileMissing(ctx, q, seen, &stats); err != nil {
-		// Not fatal: the walk's results are already persisted and useful. The
-		// guards deliberately refuse to act on ambiguous evidence, and that
-		// refusal arrives here as an error.
-		s.logger.Warn("library scan: reconcile skipped", "err", err)
+		// Not fatal. The guards deliberately refuse to act on ambiguous
+		// evidence, and that refusal arrives here as an error.
+		//
+		// The consequence is named explicitly because it is not obvious: move
+		// detection (#2528) can only adopt a row that is already marked missing,
+		// so a refused reconcile also means renamed files insert fresh rows and
+		// fork their history. That's the pre-#2528 behaviour rather than a new
+		// failure, but it's worth knowing which scan it happened on. It bites
+		// hardest when a large fraction of a small library is reorganised at
+		// once, which trips the mark cap.
+		s.logger.Warn("library scan: reconcile skipped — moved files will fork rather than adopt",
+			"err", err)
+	}
+
+	// PHASE 3 — process, in walk order so logs and cover-art batching stay
+	// grouped by directory rather than following map iteration order.
+	for _, path := range paths {
+		if ctx.Err() != nil {
+			break
+		}
+		if _, _, err := s.scanFile(ctx, q, path, &stats); err != nil {
+			s.logger.Warn("library scan file error", "path", path, "err", err)
+			stats.Errored++
+		}
+		if progressCb != nil {
+			progressCb(stats)
+		}
 	}
 
 	s.logger.Info("library scan complete",
@@ -165,6 +162,46 @@ func (s *Scanner) Scan(ctx context.Context, progressCb func(Stats)) (Stats, erro
 	return stats, nil
 }
 
+// enumerate walks every configured root and returns the audio paths found, in
+// walk order, plus a count of walk errors.
+//
+// A path is recorded even if it will later fail to parse: an unreadable file is a
+// broken file, not a missing one, and letting reconcile mark it missing would
+// hide it from the operator behind the wrong explanation.
+func (s *Scanner) enumerate(
+	ctx context.Context, progressCb func(Stats), stats *Stats,
+) ([]string, int) {
+	paths := make([]string, 0, 8192)
+	errs := 0
+	for _, root := range s.paths {
+		// WalkDir's own error return is folded into the per-entry handler below,
+		// so a bad root is counted rather than aborting the whole scan — one
+		// unreadable root shouldn't discard the others' results.
+		_ = filepath.WalkDir(root, func(path string, d fs.DirEntry, err error) error {
+			if ctx.Err() != nil {
+				return fs.SkipAll
+			}
+			if err != nil {
+				s.logger.Warn("library scan walk error", "path", path, "err", err)
+				errs++
+				if progressCb != nil {
+					progressCb(*stats)
+				}
+				return nil
+			}
+			if d.IsDir() {
+				return nil
+			}
+			if !audioExtensions[strings.ToLower(filepath.Ext(path))] {
+				return nil
+			}
+			paths = append(paths, path)
+			return nil
+		})
+	}
+	return paths, errs
+}
+
 // scanFile upserts a single audio file. Returns the album ID the track
 // belongs to and whether the file was added/updated (false = skipped as
 // unchanged), so watcher-driven callers can enrich just the changed albums.
@@ -254,6 +291,23 @@ func (s *Scanner) scanFile(
 		durationMs = probed
 	}
 
+	// A path we've never seen might not be a new track — it might be one that
+	// moved or was renamed (#2528). Adopting re-points the existing row at this
+	// path and clears its missing mark, so the UpsertTrack below conflicts on
+	// file_path and updates THAT row: same track id, likes and play history
+	// intact. Without this, renumbering an album forks every track on it.
+	//
+	// Runs here rather than earlier because the fingerprint needs the probed
+	// duration, and only for genuinely unknown paths — a known path is already
+	// the row we're going to update.
+	if !knownTrack {
+		if s.adoptMovedTrack(ctx, q, path, info.Size(), durationMs, recordingMBID) {
+			// Count it as an update: the row existed, and reporting it as Added
+			// would overstate library growth on every reorganisation.
+			knownTrack = true
+		}
+	}
+
 	params := dbq.UpsertTrackParams{
 		Title:      trackTitle,
 		AlbumID:    album.ID,
diff --git a/internal/library/scanner_test.go b/internal/library/scanner_test.go
index f894fa34..34f9637e 100644
--- a/internal/library/scanner_test.go
+++ b/internal/library/scanner_test.go
@@ -205,3 +205,106 @@ func writeTestMP3(t *testing.T, path string, frames map[string]string) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestScanner_AdoptsMovedFile_Integration is the #2528 proof: a renamed file
+// must keep its existing tracks row — same id, so likes, play history and
+// playlist memberships travel with it — rather than forking into a marked ghost
+// plus a fresh zero-history row.
+//
+// Uses the MBID path. The synthetic MP3s here carry no real audio, so ffprobe
+// yields duration 0 and the size+duration fingerprint is deliberately unusable —
+// which is why the recording MBID is the signal under test.
+//
+// Eight tracks with one rename keeps the marked fraction at 12.5%, under
+// missingMarkMaxFraction. That is load-bearing: if the rename exceeded the cap,
+// reconcile would refuse to mark, adoption could not fire, and the file would
+// fork. See the "reconcile skipped" warning in Scan.
+func TestScanner_AdoptsMovedFile_Integration(t *testing.T) {
+	if testing.Short() {
+		t.Skip("skipping scanner integration in -short mode")
+	}
+	dsn := os.Getenv("MINSTREL_TEST_DATABASE_URL")
+	if dsn == "" {
+		t.Skip("MINSTREL_TEST_DATABASE_URL not set")
+	}
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	logger := slog.New(slog.NewTextHandler(io.Discard, nil))
+
+	if err := db.Migrate(dsn, logger); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("migrate: %v", err)
+	}
+	pool, err := pgxpool.New(ctx, dsn)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("pool: %v", err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(pool.Close)
+	if _, err := pool.Exec(ctx, "TRUNCATE tracks, albums, artists RESTART IDENTITY CASCADE"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("truncate: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	root := t.TempDir()
+	const movedMBID = "11111111-2222-3333-4444-555555555555"
+	movedFrom := filepath.Join(root, "artistM/albumM/04 - Bleed It Out.mp3")
+	writeTestMP3(t, movedFrom, map[string]string{
+		"TIT2": "Bleed It Out", "TPE1": "Artist M", "TALB": "Album M", "TRCK": "4",
+		// dhowden surfaces TXXX as a Comm whose Description is the Picard tag
+		// name; "MusicBrainz Track Id" is mbz.Recording.
+		"TXXX": "MusicBrainz Track Id\x00" + movedMBID,
+	})
+	// Filler so one rename stays under the mark cap.
+	for i := 1; i <= 7; i++ {
+		writeTestMP3(t, filepath.Join(root, "artistM/albumM/filler", string(rune('a'+i))+".mp3"),
+			map[string]string{
+				"TIT2": "Filler " + string(rune('0'+i)), "TPE1": "Artist M", "TALB": "Album M",
+			})
+	}
+
+	scanner := New(pool, logger, []string{root})
+	if _, err := scanner.Scan(ctx, nil); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("first scan: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	q := dbq.New(pool)
+	before, err := q.GetTrackByPath(ctx, movedFrom)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("track not indexed on first scan: %v", err)
+	}
+	if before.Mbid == nil || *before.Mbid != movedMBID {
+		t.Fatalf("recording mbid not stored: %v", before.Mbid)
+	}
+
+	// Renumber the file, exactly as a tag editor would.
+	movedTo := filepath.Join(root, "artistM/albumM/02 - Bleed It Out.mp3")
+	if err := os.Rename(movedFrom, movedTo); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("rename: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if _, err := scanner.Scan(ctx, nil); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("second scan: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	after, err := q.GetTrackByPath(ctx, movedTo)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("track not found at its new path: %v", err)
+	}
+	if after.ID != before.ID {
+		t.Errorf("track id changed on rename: %v -> %v (history would be stranded)",
+			before.ID, after.ID)
+	}
+	if after.MissingSince.Valid {
+		t.Errorf("adopted row is still marked missing: %v", after.MissingSince)
+	}
+
+	// The old path must be gone entirely — not lingering as a marked ghost.
+	if _, err := q.GetTrackByPath(ctx, movedFrom); err == nil {
+		t.Error("old path still has a tracks row; the track forked instead of moving")
+	}
+
+	var total int
+	if err := pool.QueryRow(ctx, "SELECT count(*) FROM tracks").Scan(&total); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("count: %v", err)
+	}
+	if total != 8 {
+		t.Errorf("tracks = %d, want 8 — a rename must not add a row", total)
+	}
+}