diff --git a/graphify/build.py b/graphify/build.py
index 44e8c441..bfe8fe95 100644
--- a/graphify/build.py
+++ b/graphify/build.py
@@ -1041,6 +1041,137 @@ def deduplicate_by_label(nodes: list[dict], edges: list[dict]) -> tuple[list[dic
     return deduped_nodes, deduped_edges
 
 
+def _load_existing_graph(graph_path: Path) -> "tuple[list, list, list] | None":
+    """Load (nodes, edges, hyperedges) from an existing graph.json for an
+    incremental merge, accepting both the ``links`` and ``edges`` spellings.
+
+    Reads the JSON directly instead of going through node_link_graph().
+    The latter rebuilds an undirected nx.Graph and then enumerating
+    edges() yields endpoints based on node insertion order, which
+    silently flips directional edges (e.g. `calls`) when the callee
+    was inserted before the caller. The _src/_tgt direction-preserving
+    attrs are popped before saving in export.py, so going through the
+    NetworkX round-trip loses direction permanently (#760).
+
+    Returns None when the file does not exist. Raises RuntimeError when it
+    exists but cannot be parsed — callers must refuse to overwrite rather
+    than silently replace a possibly-recoverable graph.
+    """
+    if not graph_path.exists():
+        return None
+    from graphify.security import check_graph_file_size_cap
+    check_graph_file_size_cap(graph_path)
+    try:
+        data = json.loads(graph_path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    except (json.JSONDecodeError, OSError) as exc:
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            f"Cannot read {graph_path} for incremental merge: {exc}. "
+            "Delete the file and run a full rebuild."
+        ) from exc
+    links_key = "links" if "links" in data else "edges"
+    return (
+        list(data.get("nodes", [])),
+        list(data.get(links_key, [])),
+        list(data.get("hyperedges", [])),
+    )
+
+
+def merge_raw_extraction(
+    new: dict,
+    graph_path: str | Path,
+    prune_sources: "list[str] | None" = None,
+    root: "str | Path | None" = None,
+) -> dict:
+    """Merge the existing raw graph.json forward into a fresh raw extraction
+    (the ``extract --no-cluster`` incremental path, #2169).
+
+    Replace/prune semantics mirror :func:`build_merge` exactly, so the raw and
+    clustered incremental paths can't drift:
+
+    - sources re-extracted this run REPLACE their prior contribution — existing
+      nodes/edges/hyperedges owned by them are dropped, matched in both raw and
+      :func:`_norm_source_file` form (#1007);
+    - ``prune_sources`` (deleted / excluded / graph-stale files) are dropped,
+      with the ``_abs_identity`` third-form fallback (#2012), and "replace" wins
+      over a contradictory "delete" of a re-extracted source (#1796);
+    - everything else — nodes/edges/hyperedges owned by unchanged files — is
+      carried forward unchanged.
+
+    Survivors are PREPENDED to ``new``'s lists (existing-first), so the caller's
+    ``dedupe_nodes`` last-writer-wins keeps fresh attributes for re-extracted
+    nodes while ``dedupe_edges`` first-wins never resurrects a replaced edge
+    (replaced sources' edges were already dropped above). Token counters and
+    every other key of ``new`` are left untouched. Returns ``new``, mutated in
+    place. Raises RuntimeError (via :func:`_load_existing_graph`) when the
+    existing graph is present but unparseable — the caller must refuse to
+    overwrite it. No-op when ``graph_path`` does not exist.
+    """
+    graph_path = Path(graph_path)
+    loaded = _load_existing_graph(graph_path)
+    if loaded is None:
+        return new
+    existing_nodes, existing_edges, existing_hyperedges = loaded
+
+    _eff_root = (
+        str(Path(root).resolve()) if root is not None
+        else _infer_merge_root(graph_path)
+    )
+
+    new_sources: set[str] = set()
+    for n in new.get("nodes", []):
+        if not isinstance(n, dict):
+            continue
+        sf = n.get("source_file")
+        if not sf:
+            continue
+        new_sources.add(sf)
+        norm = _norm_source_file(sf, _eff_root)
+        if norm:
+            new_sources.add(norm)
+
+    prune_set: set[str] = set()
+    prune_abs: set[str] = set()
+    for p in (prune_sources or []):
+        if not p:
+            continue
+        prune_set.add(p)
+        norm = _norm_source_file(p, _eff_root)
+        if norm:
+            prune_set.add(norm)
+        a = _abs_identity(p, _eff_root)
+        if a:
+            prune_abs.add(a)
+    # "Replace" wins over a contradictory "delete" of the same source (#1796),
+    # in both string and absolute-identity space (#2012) — as in build_merge.
+    prune_set -= new_sources
+    new_abs = {_abs_identity(s, _eff_root) for s in new_sources}
+    new_abs.discard(None)
+    prune_abs -= new_abs
+
+    def _dropped(item: dict) -> bool:
+        if not isinstance(item, dict):
+            return True
+        sf = item.get("source_file")
+        if sf in new_sources or _norm_source_file(sf, _eff_root) in new_sources:
+            return True  # re-extracted this run — replaced by the new chunk
+        if not sf:
+            return False  # unowned — carry forward
+        if sf in prune_set:
+            return True
+        norm = _norm_source_file(sf, _eff_root)
+        if norm and norm in prune_set:
+            return True
+        a = _abs_identity(sf, _eff_root)
+        return bool(a) and a in prune_abs
+
+    new["nodes"] = [n for n in existing_nodes if not _dropped(n)] + list(new.get("nodes", []))
+    new["edges"] = [e for e in existing_edges if not _dropped(e)] + list(new.get("edges", []))
+    carried_hyper = [he for he in existing_hyperedges if not _dropped(he)]
+    if carried_hyper or new.get("hyperedges"):
+        new["hyperedges"] = carried_hyper + list(new.get("hyperedges", []))
+    return new
+
+
 def build_merge(
     new_chunks: list[dict],
     graph_path: str | Path | None = None,
@@ -1061,27 +1192,9 @@ def build_merge(
     root: if given, absolute source_file paths in new_chunks are made relative (#932).
     """
     graph_path = Path(graph_path if graph_path is not None else _default_graph_json())
-    if graph_path.exists():
-        # Read JSON directly instead of going through node_link_graph().
-        # The latter rebuilds an undirected nx.Graph and then enumerating
-        # edges() yields endpoints based on node insertion order, which
-        # silently flips directional edges (e.g. `calls`) when the callee
-        # was inserted before the caller. The _src/_tgt direction-preserving
-        # attrs are popped before saving in export.py, so going through the
-        # NetworkX round-trip loses direction permanently (#760).
-        from graphify.security import check_graph_file_size_cap
-        check_graph_file_size_cap(graph_path)
-        try:
-            data = json.loads(graph_path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
-        except (json.JSONDecodeError, OSError) as exc:
-            raise RuntimeError(
-                f"Cannot read {graph_path} for incremental merge: {exc}. "
-                "Delete the file and run a full rebuild."
-            ) from exc
-        links_key = "links" if "links" in data else "edges"
-        existing_nodes = list(data.get("nodes", []))
-        existing_edges = list(data.get(links_key, []))
-        existing_hyperedges = list(data.get("hyperedges", []))
+    _loaded = _load_existing_graph(graph_path)
+    if _loaded is not None:
+        existing_nodes, existing_edges, existing_hyperedges = _loaded
         had_graph = True
     else:
         existing_nodes = []
diff --git a/graphify/cli.py b/graphify/cli.py
index 91df0967..88f5b51e 100644
--- a/graphify/cli.py
+++ b/graphify/cli.py
@@ -3264,6 +3264,33 @@ def dispatch_command(cmd: str) -> None:
                 stages.total()
                 sys.exit(0)
 
+            if incremental_mode:
+                # #2169: this raw path used to write ONLY this run's extraction
+                # over graph.json — on an incremental run that is just the
+                # changed files, silently dropping every node/edge owned by an
+                # unchanged file. Merge the existing graph forward first, with
+                # the same replace/prune semantics as the clustered path's
+                # build_merge: re-extracted sources replaced, deleted +
+                # excluded + graph-stale sources pruned, everything else
+                # carried. Survivors are prepended, so the dedupe below keeps
+                # this run's fresh attributes for re-extracted nodes.
+                from graphify.build import merge_raw_extraction as _merge_raw_extraction
+                _raw_prune_sources: list[str] = list(deleted_files)
+                for _src in list(excluded_files) + graph_stale_sources:
+                    if _src not in _raw_prune_sources:
+                        _raw_prune_sources.append(_src)
+                try:
+                    merged = _merge_raw_extraction(
+                        merged,
+                        graph_path=existing_graph_path,
+                        prune_sources=_raw_prune_sources or None,
+                        root=target,
+                    )
+                except RuntimeError as exc:
+                    # Existing graph present but unparseable: refuse to
+                    # raw-dump this run's partial extraction over it.
+                    print(f"error: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
+                    sys.exit(1)
             merged["nodes"] = _dedupe_nodes(merged["nodes"])
             merged["edges"] = _dedupe_edges(merged["edges"])
             # Disambiguate colliding-basename file-node labels (#2032). This raw
diff --git a/graphify/extract.py b/graphify/extract.py
index 46924130..d548d9af 100644
--- a/graphify/extract.py
+++ b/graphify/extract.py
@@ -4657,7 +4657,47 @@ def extract(
     # barrel repoint below (#1983). Unlike prefix_remap this records ALL
     # in-root files, not just those whose prefix changed.
     stem_forms: dict[Path, tuple[str, list[str]]] = {}
-    for path in paths:
+    # Canonicalize edge-target files too, not just this batch's inputs (#2169).
+    # On an incremental run `paths` is only the CHANGED files, so a changed
+    # file's cross-file import/re-export edges keep absolute-path-derived
+    # target ids the remap below never learns — they match no node in the
+    # merged graph and silently dangle. The target_file stamp (set at edge
+    # emit time) names each resolved target, so registering id_remap /
+    # stem_forms for those in-root files as well lets the edge remap and the
+    # target_file-guided repoint pass fix them exactly as on a full scan.
+    remap_paths: list[Path] = list(paths)
+    _remap_seen: set[Path] = set()
+    for _p in paths:
+        try:
+            _remap_seen.add(_p.resolve())
+        except (OSError, RuntimeError):
+            pass
+    for _e in all_edges:
+        _tf = _e.get("target_file")
+        if not _tf:
+            continue
+        try:
+            _tp = Path(_tf).resolve()
+        except (OSError, RuntimeError):
+            continue
+        if _tp in _remap_seen:
+            continue
+        _remap_seen.add(_tp)
+        try:
+            _tp.relative_to(root)
+        except ValueError:
+            continue  # out-of-root target: leave its ids alone
+        try:
+            if not _tp.is_file():
+                # Speculatively-resolved target that doesn't exist (e.g. an
+                # import of a not-yet-created sibling): keep its raw id
+                # dangling, exactly as before, so no false canonical edge is
+                # fabricated toward a nonexistent file.
+                continue
+        except OSError:
+            continue
+        remap_paths.append(_tp)
+    for path in remap_paths:
         old_id = _make_id(str(path))
         try:
             rel = path.relative_to(root)
diff --git a/tests/test_incomplete_build_guard.py b/tests/test_incomplete_build_guard.py
index 8c05c39e..ced50bc3 100644
--- a/tests/test_incomplete_build_guard.py
+++ b/tests/test_incomplete_build_guard.py
@@ -146,8 +146,12 @@ def _arm_no_cluster(monkeypatch, tmp_path, *, extra_argv=()):
 
 
 def test_no_cluster_incomplete_build_refuses_to_shrink(tmp_path, monkeypatch, capsys):
+    # --force: the non-incremental raw-dump path, where the shrink guard is the
+    # only thing standing between a partial 1-node extraction and the existing
+    # complete 5-node graph. (Incremental runs merge the existing graph forward
+    # first — #2169 — so a partial run no longer shrinks there; see below.)
     import json
-    graph = _arm_no_cluster(monkeypatch, tmp_path)
+    graph = _arm_no_cluster(monkeypatch, tmp_path, extra_argv=["--force"])
 
     with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc:
         mainmod.main()
@@ -158,9 +162,29 @@ def test_no_cluster_incomplete_build_refuses_to_shrink(tmp_path, monkeypatch, ca
     assert len(json.loads(graph.read_text())["nodes"]) == 5
 
 
+def test_no_cluster_incremental_incomplete_build_carries_existing_nodes(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch
+):
+    """#2169: an INCREMENTAL --no-cluster run merges the existing graph forward,
+    so even an incomplete extraction does not shrink the graph — the existing
+    nodes are carried and this run's partial chunk is added, no guard refusal."""
+    import json
+    graph = _arm_no_cluster(monkeypatch, tmp_path)
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc:
+        mainmod.main()
+
+    assert exc.value.code == 0  # the raw --no-cluster path exits 0 on success
+    ids = {n["id"] for n in json.loads(graph.read_text())["nodes"]}
+    assert {f"keep{i}" for i in range(5)} <= ids, ids
+    assert "s1" in ids, ids
+
+
 def test_no_cluster_allow_partial_overwrites(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     import json
-    graph = _arm_no_cluster(monkeypatch, tmp_path, extra_argv=["--allow-partial"])
+    graph = _arm_no_cluster(
+        monkeypatch, tmp_path, extra_argv=["--force", "--allow-partial"]
+    )
 
     with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc:
         mainmod.main()
@@ -175,8 +199,10 @@ def test_no_cluster_incomplete_build_fails_closed_on_malformed_existing_graph(
     """A present-but-unparseable existing graph.json (corrupt or mid-write) could
     be hiding a complete graph, so an incomplete --no-cluster build must refuse
     to overwrite it — matching to_json's #479 fail-closed handling, not the
-    fail-open 'proceed when we can't count' path."""
-    graph = _arm_no_cluster(monkeypatch, tmp_path)
+    fail-open 'proceed when we can't count' path. --force: the non-incremental
+    raw-dump path (the incremental path fails even earlier, at the forward
+    merge — see the test below)."""
+    graph = _arm_no_cluster(monkeypatch, tmp_path, extra_argv=["--force"])
     graph.write_text("{corrupt json", encoding="utf-8")  # non-empty, unparseable
 
     with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc:
@@ -186,3 +212,21 @@ def test_no_cluster_incomplete_build_fails_closed_on_malformed_existing_graph(
     assert "unparseable" in capsys.readouterr().err
     # The corrupt file is left untouched rather than clobbered by the partial build.
     assert graph.read_text() == "{corrupt json"
+
+
+def test_no_cluster_incremental_malformed_existing_graph_refuses_merge(
+    tmp_path, monkeypatch, capsys
+):
+    """#2169: an incremental --no-cluster run must hard-fail on an unparseable
+    existing graph.json (build_merge's message) instead of raw-dumping this
+    run's chunks over it."""
+    graph = _arm_no_cluster(monkeypatch, tmp_path)
+    graph.write_text("{corrupt json", encoding="utf-8")  # non-empty, unparseable
+
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc:
+        mainmod.main()
+
+    assert exc.value.code == 1
+    assert "Cannot read" in capsys.readouterr().err
+    # The corrupt file is left untouched rather than clobbered.
+    assert graph.read_text() == "{corrupt json"
diff --git a/tests/test_incremental.py b/tests/test_incremental.py
index c1df58ac..91bf8e57 100644
--- a/tests/test_incremental.py
+++ b/tests/test_incremental.py
@@ -103,6 +103,114 @@ def _edges(graph_json: Path) -> list[dict]:
     return g.get("links", g.get("edges", []))
 
 
+def test_extract_no_cluster_incremental_changed_file_preserves_unchanged_files(tmp_path):
+    """#2169: an incremental --no-cluster extract of ONE changed file must merge
+    into the existing graph, not overwrite graph.json with just that file's
+    chunk — and the changed file's cross-file import edges must keep pointing at
+    the unchanged target file's canonical node ids, not dangling
+    absolute-path-derived ones."""
+    proj = tmp_path / "proj"
+    (proj / "app" / "add").mkdir(parents=True)
+    (proj / "src" / "components").mkdir(parents=True)
+    (proj / "src" / "components" / "ScanScreen.tsx").write_text(
+        "export function ScanScreen() {\n  return null;\n}\n", encoding="utf-8"
+    )
+    scan_tsx = proj / "app" / "add" / "scan.tsx"
+    scan_tsx.write_text(
+        "import {ScanScreen} from '../../src/components/ScanScreen';\n"
+        "export default ScanScreen;\n",
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+
+    first = _run(["extract", str(proj), "--code-only", "--no-cluster"], tmp_path)
+    assert first.returncode == 0, first.stderr
+    gj = proj / "graphify-out" / "graph.json"
+    base = json.loads(gj.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    base_ids = {n["id"] for n in base["nodes"]}
+    # Sanity: importer file, target file, and target symbol all present.
+    assert {
+        "app_add_scan",
+        "src_components_scanscreen",
+        "src_components_scanscreen_scanscreen",
+    } <= base_ids, base_ids
+
+    # Change ONLY scan.tsx (harmless comment), then re-run the same command.
+    scan_tsx.write_text(
+        scan_tsx.read_text(encoding="utf-8") + "\n// touched\n", encoding="utf-8"
+    )
+    second = _run(["extract", str(proj), "--code-only", "--no-cluster"], tmp_path)
+    assert second.returncode == 0, second.stderr
+    # Guard against a silent full rescan masking the merge bug.
+    assert "incremental scan" in second.stdout.lower(), second.stdout
+
+    after = json.loads(gj.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    after_ids = {n["id"] for n in after["nodes"]}
+    # The unchanged file's nodes must survive the incremental raw write.
+    assert after_ids == base_ids, (
+        f"incremental --no-cluster dropped/changed nodes: "
+        f"missing={base_ids - after_ids}, extra={after_ids - base_ids}"
+    )
+    after_edges = after.get("links", after.get("edges", []))
+    # The unchanged file's own edge survives.
+    assert any(
+        e.get("relation") == "contains"
+        and e.get("source") == "src_components_scanscreen"
+        and e.get("target") == "src_components_scanscreen_scanscreen"
+        for e in after_edges
+    ), after_edges
+    # No dangling endpoints on cross-file edges: the changed file's re-extracted
+    # imports/re-exports must resolve to the unchanged target's canonical ids,
+    # not absolute-path-derived ghosts (the extract.py half of #2169).
+    for e in after_edges:
+        if e.get("relation") in ("imports_from", "re_exports", "contains", "imports"):
+            assert e.get("source") in after_ids, f"dangling source: {e}"
+            assert e.get("target") in after_ids, f"dangling target: {e}"
+
+
+def test_extract_no_cluster_incremental_code_only_preserves_doc_nodes(tmp_path):
+    """#2169: an incremental --code-only --no-cluster run over a mixed corpus
+    must carry forward doc-sourced nodes it did not re-extract."""
+    proj = tmp_path / "proj"
+    proj.mkdir()
+    util = proj / "util.py"
+    util.write_text("def alpha():\n    return 1\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    (proj / "notes.md").write_text("# Notes\nSome prose.\n", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    first = _run(["extract", str(proj), "--code-only", "--no-cluster"], tmp_path)
+    assert first.returncode == 0, first.stderr
+    gj = proj / "graphify-out" / "graph.json"
+    g = json.loads(gj.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    assert g.get("nodes"), "first run should produce a non-empty code graph"
+
+    # Seed a doc-sourced node, as a prior (LLM-backed) run would have written.
+    g["nodes"].append({
+        "id": "notes",
+        "label": "notes.md",
+        "type": "document",
+        "source_file": "notes.md",
+    })
+    gj.write_text(json.dumps(g), encoding="utf-8")
+
+    # Change only the code file; the doc node must survive the incremental run.
+    util.write_text(
+        "def alpha():\n    return 1\n\ndef beta():\n    return 2\n",
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+    second = _run(["extract", str(proj), "--code-only", "--no-cluster"], tmp_path)
+    assert second.returncode == 0, second.stderr
+    assert "incremental scan" in second.stdout.lower(), second.stdout
+
+    after = json.loads(gj.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    after_by_id = {n["id"]: n for n in after["nodes"]}
+    assert "notes" in after_by_id, (
+        f"doc node dropped by incremental --code-only --no-cluster: "
+        f"{sorted(after_by_id)}"
+    )
+    assert after_by_id["notes"].get("source_file") == "notes.md"
+    # And the changed code file was actually re-extracted.
+    assert any("beta" in i for i in after_by_id), sorted(after_by_id)
+
+
 def test_update_prunes_a_removed_imports_edge(tmp_path):
     """#1521: when an import is deleted from a file, `graphify update` must prune
     the edge it produced — preserving it (keyed only on endpoint membership) left a