diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows-recovery.yml b/.github/workflows/windows-recovery.yml
index 91de576062..fd8703f5f6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows-recovery.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows-recovery.yml
@@ -67,6 +67,21 @@ jobs:
             exit 1
           }
 
+      - name: Verify root initialization replacement race
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          node.exe --test --test-reporter=tap --test-concurrency=1 `
+            --test-name-pattern="rejects replacement before opening the temporary marker" `
+            packages/storage/dist/__tests__/root-authority.test.js `
+            2>&1 | Tee-Object -FilePath "$env:RUNNER_TEMP/root-initialization-race.tap"
+          $exitCode = $LASTEXITCODE
+          if ($exitCode -ne 0) { exit $exitCode }
+          $output = Get-Content "$env:RUNNER_TEMP/root-initialization-race.tap"
+          if ($output -notcontains '# tests 1' -or $output -notcontains '# pass 1' -or $output -notcontains '# skipped 0') {
+            Write-Error 'Root initialization race gate did not run exactly one passing Windows test'
+            exit 1
+          }
+
       - name: Verify Runtime Host Local IPC trust boundary
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
diff --git a/packages/storage/src/__tests__/fixtures/root-initialization-race.ts b/packages/storage/src/__tests__/fixtures/root-initialization-race.ts
index 9234c1d756..34c4bdfaa5 100644
--- a/packages/storage/src/__tests__/fixtures/root-initialization-race.ts
+++ b/packages/storage/src/__tests__/fixtures/root-initialization-race.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
  */
 
 import fs from 'node:fs';
-import { join } from 'node:path';
+import { basename } from 'node:path';
 
 const [rootArgument, markerFile] = process.argv.slice(2);
 if (!rootArgument || !markerFile || !process.send) {
@@ -26,16 +26,18 @@ if (!rootArgument || !markerFile || !process.send) {
 }
 
 const root = fs.realpathSync(rootArgument);
-const markerTempPrefix = join(root, `${markerFile}.`);
+const markerTempPrefix = `${markerFile}.`;
 const originalOpen = fs.promises.open;
 let intercepted = false;
 
 fs.promises.open = (async (path, flags, mode) => {
+  // This child initializes one root. Match its unique marker basename so the
+  // cut does not depend on Windows long/short, namespaced, or case spelling.
   if (
     !intercepted &&
     typeof path === 'string' &&
-    path.startsWith(markerTempPrefix) &&
-    path.endsWith('.tmp')
+    basename(path).startsWith(markerTempPrefix) &&
+    basename(path).endsWith('.tmp')
   ) {
     intercepted = true;
     await send({ type: 'marker_open_pending' });
diff --git a/scripts/ci-test-plan.test.mjs b/scripts/ci-test-plan.test.mjs
index e0e9e9c852..8a85a6e490 100644
--- a/scripts/ci-test-plan.test.mjs
+++ b/scripts/ci-test-plan.test.mjs
@@ -464,6 +464,20 @@ test('Windows recovery executes the exact managed dependency ADS regressions', (
   assert.match(recovery, /# skipped 0/u);
 });
 
+test('Windows recovery executes the root initialization replacement race', () => {
+  const recovery = readWorkflow('windows-recovery.yml');
+
+  assert.match(recovery, /name: Verify root initialization replacement race/u);
+  assert.match(
+    recovery,
+    /--test-name-pattern="rejects replacement before opening the temporary marker"/u,
+  );
+  assert.match(recovery, /packages\/storage\/dist\/__tests__\/root-authority\.test\.js/u);
+  assert.match(recovery, /# tests 1/u);
+  assert.match(recovery, /# pass 1/u);
+  assert.match(recovery, /# skipped 0/u);
+});
+
 test('workflows never persist the job credential into the checkout', () => {
   for (const name of readdirSync(WORKFLOW_DIR)) {
     for (const step of checkoutSteps(name)) {