From 0dd26c96a937ea698fd683ef479281edf9858e83 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Harjot Gill <harjot@coderabbit.ai>
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:49:11 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] fix: route checkpoint controls through host

---
 crates/celld/js/harness.js | 12 ++++++++-
 crates/celld/runtime.rs    | 53 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
 2 files changed, 62 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/crates/celld/js/harness.js b/crates/celld/js/harness.js
index a05d6e2c9..0c591e3b5 100644
--- a/crates/celld/js/harness.js
+++ b/crates/celld/js/harness.js
@@ -3026,9 +3026,19 @@ class DurableObjectNamespace {
         const headersJson = req._headersJson !== undefined
           ? req._headersJson
           : JSON.stringify(Array.from(req.headers));
+        // A response control header (checkpoint publication today, and other
+        // host-owned transitions in the future) must cross the host dispatcher:
+        // that is where celld consumes the instruction and replaces it with the
+        // verified result headers. The owned fast path deliberately bypasses
+        // that boundary, so callers opt this rare operation out without slowing
+        // ordinary resident-cell traffic. Header names have already been
+        // normalized by Request/Headers; a quoted value cannot spoof this JSON
+        // token because JSON escapes its quotes.
+        const hostDispatch = headersJson.includes(
+          '"x-celld-host-dispatch"');
         // Fast path: this isolate owns the target cell — run the DO
         // in-isolate, avoiding the __do_call host round trip.
-        if (__cell.owned[scope]) {
+        if (__cell.owned[scope] && !hostDispatch) {
           return await invoke(() => __dispatchTo(
             scope, req.url, req.method, body_,
             headersJson,
diff --git a/crates/celld/runtime.rs b/crates/celld/runtime.rs
index fcce16b74..a5674c8e6 100644
--- a/crates/celld/runtime.rs
+++ b/crates/celld/runtime.rs
@@ -209,6 +209,25 @@ impl CellInitializationReservation {
             cell: cell.to_string(),
         })
     }
+
+    fn acquire_if_inactive(
+        cells: &Arc<Mutex<CellRegistry>>,
+        cell: &str,
+    ) -> anyhow::Result<Option<Self>> {
+        let mut registry = cells.lock().expect("cell registry poisoned");
+        if registry.starting.contains_key(cell)
+            || registry.published.contains_key(cell)
+            || registry.initializing.contains(cell)
+        {
+            return Ok(None);
+        }
+        registry.reserve_initialization(cell)?;
+        drop(registry);
+        Ok(Some(Self {
+            cells: cells.clone(),
+            cell: cell.to_string(),
+        }))
+    }
 }
 
 impl Drop for CellInitializationReservation {
@@ -469,11 +488,22 @@ impl RuntimeManager {
         checkpoint_id: &str,
         target_cell: &str,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<crate::ltx_repl::ForkSeedManifest> {
-        let _target_reservation = CellInitializationReservation::acquire(&self.cells, target_cell)?;
+        // A retry after activation must verify the immutable seed and succeed;
+        // reserving first used to reject that exact retry merely because the
+        // target runtime now existed. A never-seen target remains reserved across
+        // publication so activation cannot race the final ready manifest.
+        let target_reservation =
+            CellInitializationReservation::acquire_if_inactive(&self.cells, target_cell)?;
+        let target_active = target_reservation.is_none();
         self.replication
             .as_ref()
             .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("forking requires durable replication"))?
-            .publish_fork_seed_from_checkpoint(source_cell, checkpoint_id, target_cell, false)
+            .publish_fork_seed_from_checkpoint(
+                source_cell,
+                checkpoint_id,
+                target_cell,
+                target_active,
+            )
             .await
     }
 
@@ -2099,4 +2129,23 @@ mod tests {
         CellInitializationReservation::acquire(&cells, "Class:target")
             .expect("reservation is released after publication");
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn retry_reservation_distinguishes_an_existing_target() {
+        let cells = Arc::new(Mutex::new(CellRegistry::default()));
+        let first = CellInitializationReservation::acquire_if_inactive(&cells, "Class:target")
+            .expect("reserve unused target")
+            .expect("unused target is reserved");
+        assert!(
+            CellInitializationReservation::acquire_if_inactive(&cells, "Class:target")
+                .expect("recognize existing target")
+                .is_none()
+        );
+        drop(first);
+        assert!(
+            CellInitializationReservation::acquire_if_inactive(&cells, "Class:target")
+                .expect("reserve released target")
+                .is_some()
+        );
+    }
 }