diff --git a/apps/figcraft-server/src/disk.rs b/apps/figcraft-server/src/disk.rs
index f58f25b2..af6e0f99 100644
--- a/apps/figcraft-server/src/disk.rs
+++ b/apps/figcraft-server/src/disk.rs
@@ -8,8 +8,10 @@
 //!   length (u32 LE), CRC-32 (u32 LE), one [`Journal`] entry in the wire encoding.
 //!
 //! Compaction writes the next generation's snapshot, then an empty log of that generation. A log
-//! whose generation isn't the snapshot's is from before a compaction that was cut short: what it
-//! holds is in the snapshot already. A log ends at its first damaged record (a write cut short).
+//! whose generation isn't the snapshot's is usually from before a compaction that was cut short
+//! (what it holds is in the snapshot already), but no checksum covers either generation, so the
+//! store replays such a log anyway and reports any change the snapshot lacked. A log ends at its
+//! first damaged record (a write cut short).
 
 use std::fs::{self, File};
 use std::io::{self, Read, Write};
diff --git a/apps/figcraft-server/src/store.rs b/apps/figcraft-server/src/store.rs
index 538adeff..ea9bc626 100644
--- a/apps/figcraft-server/src/store.rs
+++ b/apps/figcraft-server/src/store.rs
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ impl Store {
             && let Ok(log) = disk::read_log(&bytes)
             && log.generation != generation
         {
-            log::info!("file at {}: its log predates the last compaction; it is ignored", path.display());
+            log::info!("file at {}: its log isn't of its snapshot's generation; it is replayed over it when the file opens", path.display());
         }
         let bytes = [SNAPSHOT, LOG].iter().filter_map(|n| fs::metadata(path.join(n)).ok()).map(|m| m.len()).sum();
         Ok(Entry { meta, links, log: None, bytes, forced: 0 })
@@ -1126,8 +1126,32 @@ impl Store {
                     fresh_log = true;
                 }
             }
-            // From before a compaction that was cut short: the snapshot has it all.
-            Ok(_) => {}
+            // From before a compaction that was cut short, the snapshot has it all; or a generation
+            // field damaged, which no checksum covers. Replaying tells them apart without trusting
+            // it: entries the snapshot holds are skipped, so only edits it lacks change anything.
+            Ok(log) => {
+                let before = server.seq();
+                let mut stopped = None;
+                for entry in log.entries {
+                    if let Err(e) = server.replay(entry) {
+                        stopped = Some(e);
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+                let (snap, found, recovered) = (generation, log.generation, server.seq().saturating_sub(before));
+                if recovered > 0 {
+                    issues.push(format!(
+                        "file {file}: its log's generation ({found}) doesn't match its snapshot's ({snap}), but it held \
+                         {recovered} changes the snapshot didn't; they were recovered"
+                    ));
+                }
+                if let Some(e) = stopped {
+                    issues.push(format!(
+                        "file {file}: its log's generation ({found}) doesn't match its snapshot's ({snap}) and it stops \
+                         making sense after {recovered} newer changes ({e}); the rest was dropped"
+                    ));
+                }
+            }
             Err(why) => issues.push(format!("file {file}: {why}; starting a new log")),
         }
         for i in issues {
diff --git a/apps/figcraft-server/tests/header_recovery.rs b/apps/figcraft-server/tests/header_recovery.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d728908d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/figcraft-server/tests/header_recovery.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+//! A generation field damaged after an abrupt stop must not make the server drop a log that still
+//! holds confirmed edits (#408): the log is replayed over the snapshot, which only the changes the
+//! snapshot lacks survive, and the damage is reported. A genuine leftover of a compaction cut short
+//! still restores silently.
+#![allow(clippy::unwrap_used, clippy::expect_used, clippy::panic)]
+
+use figcraft_collab::message::{Access, ClientMsg};
+use figcraft_collab::{Client, Outgoing, Replica, Server};
+use figcraft_collab_net::hub::Backend;
+use figcraft_doc::Document;
+use figcraft_server::config::Config;
+use figcraft_server::disk::{self, LOG, SNAPSHOT};
+use figcraft_server::store::{FILES, Store};
+use std::fs;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+
+struct Fixture(PathBuf);
+
+impl Fixture {
+    fn new() -> Self {
+        let path = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("figcraft-header-recovery-{}", figcraft_collab_net::token::file_id().unwrap()));
+        fs::create_dir(&path).unwrap();
+        Self(path)
+    }
+}
+
+impl Drop for Fixture {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        let _ = fs::remove_dir_all(&self.0);
+    }
+}
+
+fn page_name(server: &Server) -> String {
+    let doc = server.document();
+    doc.node(doc.first_page().unwrap()).unwrap().name.clone()
+}
+
+/// A published file whose first page was renamed "Kept", flushed to its log (not compacted), then
+/// the store dropped without stopping (an abrupt stop). Returns the file id and the final state.
+fn renamed_and_stopped(data: &Path) -> (String, Server) {
+    let mut store = Store::open(data, Config::default().store()).unwrap();
+    let snapshot = Replica::new(Document::new("Fixture")).snapshot().unwrap();
+    let (info, _, _) = store.publish("Fixture", &snapshot).unwrap();
+    let id = info.id;
+    let mut server = store.open(&id).unwrap();
+    let ClientMsg::Hello(hello) = Client::hello("f", "", "Editor", "#FF8800") else { panic!("not a hello") };
+    let (_, messages) = server.join_as(hello, Access::Edit).unwrap();
+    let Some(Outgoing::To(_, welcome)) = messages.into_iter().next() else { panic!("no welcome") };
+    let mut client = Client::join(welcome).unwrap();
+    store.changed(&id, &mut server);
+    let mut edited = client.document().clone();
+    let page = edited.first_page().unwrap();
+    edited.node_mut(page).unwrap().name = "Kept".into();
+    let change = client.edit(&edited).unwrap().unwrap();
+    assert!(!server.receive(client.id(), change).is_empty());
+    store.changed(&id, &mut server);
+    assert!(store.flush().is_empty(), "the edit must reach disk");
+    assert_eq!(page_name(&server), "Kept");
+    let dir = data.join(FILES).join(&id);
+    assert!(!disk::read_log(&fs::read(dir.join(LOG)).unwrap()).unwrap().entries.is_empty());
+    assert_eq!(disk::decode_snapshot(&fs::read(dir.join(SNAPSHOT)).unwrap()).unwrap().1.seq, 0, "the rename is only in the log");
+    drop(store);
+    (id, server)
+}
+
+/// Reopen the data directory: the file's first page name and the problems reported.
+fn reopen(data: &Path, id: &str) -> (String, Vec<String>) {
+    let mut store = Store::open(data, Config::default().store()).unwrap();
+    let server = store.open(id).unwrap();
+    (page_name(&server), store.problems().to_vec())
+}
+
+fn flip(path: &Path, at: usize) {
+    let mut bytes = fs::read(path).unwrap();
+    bytes[at] ^= 1;
+    fs::write(path, bytes).unwrap();
+}
+
+/// The generation field's first byte in both headers (after the magic and the format byte).
+const GENERATION_AT: usize = 5;
+
+#[test]
+fn an_intact_log_restores_its_edits_without_a_report() {
+    let fixture = Fixture::new();
+    let (id, _) = renamed_and_stopped(&fixture.0);
+    let (name, problems) = reopen(&fixture.0, &id);
+    assert_eq!(name, "Kept");
+    assert!(problems.is_empty(), "{problems:?}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn a_damaged_log_generation_keeps_the_edits_and_is_reported() {
+    let fixture = Fixture::new();
+    let (id, _) = renamed_and_stopped(&fixture.0);
+    let log = fixture.0.join(FILES).join(&id).join(LOG);
+    flip(&log, GENERATION_AT);
+    // The records themselves still read: only the header's generation changed.
+    let read = disk::read_log(&fs::read(&log).unwrap()).unwrap();
+    assert!(read.damaged.is_none() && !read.entries.is_empty());
+    let (name, problems) = reopen(&fixture.0, &id);
+    assert_eq!(name, "Kept", "the flushed rename must survive");
+    assert!(problems.iter().any(|p| p.contains(&id) && p.contains("generation")), "{problems:?}");
+    // And it stays: the recovered edit is now in the file's snapshot.
+    assert_eq!(reopen(&fixture.0, &id).0, "Kept");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn a_damaged_snapshot_generation_keeps_the_edits_and_is_reported() {
+    let fixture = Fixture::new();
+    let (id, _) = renamed_and_stopped(&fixture.0);
+    let snapshot = fixture.0.join(FILES).join(&id).join(SNAPSHOT);
+    flip(&snapshot, GENERATION_AT);
+    assert!(disk::check_snapshot(&fs::read(&snapshot).unwrap()).is_ok(), "the generation is outside the checksum");
+    let (name, problems) = reopen(&fixture.0, &id);
+    assert_eq!(name, "Kept", "the flushed rename must survive");
+    assert!(problems.iter().any(|p| p.contains(&id) && p.contains("generation")), "{problems:?}");
+    assert_eq!(reopen(&fixture.0, &id).0, "Kept");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn a_damaged_log_format_is_still_reported() {
+    let fixture = Fixture::new();
+    let (id, _) = renamed_and_stopped(&fixture.0);
+    flip(&fixture.0.join(FILES).join(&id).join(LOG), 4);
+    let (_, problems) = reopen(&fixture.0, &id);
+    assert!(problems.iter().any(|p| p.contains(&id) && p.contains("format")), "{problems:?}");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn a_log_left_by_a_compaction_cut_short_restores_without_a_report() {
+    let fixture = Fixture::new();
+    let (id, server) = renamed_and_stopped(&fixture.0);
+    // The next snapshot was written (it holds the rename); the old log wasn't replaced yet.
+    let bytes = disk::encode_snapshot(2, &server.state().unwrap()).unwrap();
+    fs::write(fixture.0.join(FILES).join(&id).join(SNAPSHOT), bytes).unwrap();
+    let (name, problems) = reopen(&fixture.0, &id);
+    assert_eq!(name, "Kept");
+    assert!(problems.is_empty(), "a leftover log is expected, not damage: {problems:?}");
+}
diff --git a/docs/server.md b/docs/server.md
index f2e4820c..021d0e3f 100644
--- a/docs/server.md
+++ b/docs/server.md
@@ -337,8 +337,9 @@ the address it came from and when it was last opened (for expiry).
   before the server tells anyone about the change.
 - **Compaction** writes the file's state as the next snapshot and starts an empty log, after
   `compact_after` entries or `compact_mb` of log, when the last person leaves, and when the server
-  stops. A log left over from a compaction cut short is recognised and ignored (the snapshot holds
-  it all).
+  stops. A log left over from a compaction cut short is replayed over the snapshot, which already
+  holds it all, so nothing changes. If a damaged generation field made a current log look like such
+  a leftover, its edits the snapshot lacks are recovered the same way and the damage is reported.
 - **Damage is skipped and reported, never deleted.** At startup a folder whose description, links
   or snapshot can't be read is left out and logged; a log that ends in a cut-short or damaged
   record loses only that end (logged when the file opens). Leftover temporary files are removed.