diff --git a/src/application/decompileDirectory/exportResources.test.ts b/src/application/decompileDirectory/exportResources.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..36e83e7763
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/application/decompileDirectory/exportResources.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+import { lstat, readFile, readdir, rm, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../../../tests/fixtures/temporaryDirectory.js";
+import { ArtifactReaderFailure } from "../../artifacts/ArtifactReader.js";
+import { OwnedStagedOutput } from "../../filesystem/OwnedStagedOutput.js";
+import { ExportResources } from "./exportResources.js";
+
+it.each([false, true])(
+  "retains publication outcome and staging cleanup authority (conflict: %s)",
+  async (conflict) => {
+    const root = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-export-resources-");
+    const destination = join(root, "published");
+    if (conflict) await writeFile(destination, "existing");
+    const lease = { release: vi.fn(async () => undefined) };
+    const resources = new ExportResources(
+      root,
+      await lstat(root, { bigint: true }),
+      lease,
+      undefined,
+    );
+    const cleanupFailure = new Error("staging removal denied");
+    const close = vi.spyOn(OwnedStagedOutput.prototype, "close");
+    close.mockRejectedValueOnce(cleanupFailure);
+    try {
+      const cause: unknown = await resources
+        .publish("new", destination, "link")
+        .catch((failure: unknown) => failure);
+      expect(cause).toBeInstanceOf(ArtifactReaderFailure);
+      const failure = cause as ArtifactReaderFailure;
+      expect(failure.cleanup?.reason).toContain("staging removal denied");
+      expect(failure.cleanupLeases).toHaveLength(1);
+      if (conflict) {
+        expect(failure.message).toContain("EEXIST");
+        expect(failure.cause).toBeInstanceOf(ArtifactReaderFailure);
+      } else expect(failure.message).toBe("staging removal denied");
+      expect(await readFile(destination, "utf8")).toBe(
+        conflict ? "existing" : "new",
+      );
+      expect(
+        (await readdir(root)).some((name) =>
+          name.startsWith(".decompile-stage-"),
+        ),
+      ).toBe(true);
+      expect(lease.release).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      await expect(resources.close()).resolves.toEqual({
+        ok: true,
+        value: undefined,
+      });
+      expect(await readdir(root)).toEqual(["published"]);
+      expect(failure.cleanupLeases?.[0]?.released).toBe(true);
+      expect(lease.release).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    } finally {
+      close.mockRestore();
+      await resources.close();
+      await rm(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  },
+);
diff --git a/src/application/decompileDirectory/exportResources.ts b/src/application/decompileDirectory/exportResources.ts
index 2d83f38548..77474e4b0e 100644
--- a/src/application/decompileDirectory/exportResources.ts
+++ b/src/application/decompileDirectory/exportResources.ts
@@ -123,6 +123,11 @@ export class ExportResources {
       output: staging,
     };
     this.#files.retain(owner);
+    let outcome:
+      | { readonly kind: "completed" }
+      | { readonly kind: "failed"; readonly cause: unknown } = {
+      kind: "completed",
+    };
     try {
       const path = join(directory, "content");
       const handle = await open(path, "wx", 0o600);
@@ -136,10 +141,13 @@ export class ExportResources {
         await rename(path, destination);
         staging.recordPublishedRename();
       }
-    } finally {
-      const released = await this.#files.release(owner);
-      if (released.kind === "failed") throw released.cause;
+    } catch (cause: unknown) {
+      outcome = { kind: "failed", cause };
     }
+    const released = await this.#files.release(owner);
+    if (released.kind === "failed")
+      throw this.#files.cleanupFailure(outcome, [released]);
+    if (outcome.kind === "failed") throw outcome.cause;
   }
 
   /** Keep the lease through all initialization cleanup, including any retry. */