diff --git a/extensions/tlon/src/monitor/index.ts b/extensions/tlon/src/monitor/index.ts
index 1dbbbf1c7be..a111d2122df 100644
--- a/extensions/tlon/src/monitor/index.ts
+++ b/extensions/tlon/src/monitor/index.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import {
   applyTlonSettingsOverrides,
   buildTlonSettingsMigrations,
   mergeUniqueStrings,
+  shouldMigrateTlonSetting,
 } from "./settings-helpers.js";
 import {
   extractMessageText,
@@ -180,13 +181,7 @@ export async function monitorTlonProvider(opts: MonitorTlonOpts = {}): Promise<v
     const migrations = buildTlonSettingsMigrations(account, currentSettings);
 
     for (const { key, fileValue, settingsValue } of migrations) {
-      // Only migrate if file has a value and settings store doesn't
-      const hasFileValue = Array.isArray(fileValue) ? fileValue.length > 0 : fileValue != null;
-      const hasSettingsValue = Array.isArray(settingsValue)
-        ? settingsValue.length > 0
-        : settingsValue != null;
-
-      if (hasFileValue && !hasSettingsValue) {
+      if (shouldMigrateTlonSetting(fileValue, settingsValue)) {
         try {
           await api!.poke({
             app: "settings",
diff --git a/extensions/tlon/src/monitor/settings-helpers.test.ts b/extensions/tlon/src/monitor/settings-helpers.test.ts
index 7580909397d..246aaa9809d 100644
--- a/extensions/tlon/src/monitor/settings-helpers.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/tlon/src/monitor/settings-helpers.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import type { TlonResolvedAccount } from "../types.js";
-import { applyTlonSettingsOverrides } from "./settings-helpers.js";
+import {
+  applyTlonSettingsOverrides,
+  buildTlonSettingsMigrations,
+  shouldMigrateTlonSetting,
+} from "./settings-helpers.js";
 
 const baseAccount: TlonResolvedAccount = {
   accountId: "default",
@@ -22,6 +26,58 @@ const baseAccount: TlonResolvedAccount = {
   ownerShip: "~marzod",
 };
 
+describe("shouldMigrateTlonSetting", () => {
+  it("does not rehydrate explicit empty-array revocations during startup migration", () => {
+    const migrations = buildTlonSettingsMigrations(baseAccount, {
+      dmAllowlist: [],
+      groupInviteAllowlist: [],
+      defaultAuthorizedShips: [],
+    });
+
+    expect(
+      Object.fromEntries(
+        migrations
+          .filter((migration) =>
+            ["dmAllowlist", "groupInviteAllowlist", "defaultAuthorizedShips"].includes(
+              migration.key,
+            ),
+          )
+          .map((migration) => [
+            migration.key,
+            shouldMigrateTlonSetting(migration.fileValue, migration.settingsValue),
+          ]),
+      ),
+    ).toEqual({
+      dmAllowlist: false,
+      groupInviteAllowlist: false,
+      defaultAuthorizedShips: false,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("still seeds file-config allowlists on first run when settings are missing", () => {
+    const migrations = buildTlonSettingsMigrations(baseAccount, {});
+
+    expect(
+      Object.fromEntries(
+        migrations
+          .filter((migration) =>
+            ["dmAllowlist", "groupInviteAllowlist", "defaultAuthorizedShips"].includes(
+              migration.key,
+            ),
+          )
+          .map((migration) => [
+            migration.key,
+            shouldMigrateTlonSetting(migration.fileValue, migration.settingsValue),
+          ]),
+      ),
+    ).toEqual({
+      dmAllowlist: true,
+      groupInviteAllowlist: true,
+      defaultAuthorizedShips: true,
+    });
+  });
+});
+
 describe("applyTlonSettingsOverrides", () => {
   it("treats explicit empty settings allowlists as authoritative deny-all", () => {
     const result = applyTlonSettingsOverrides({
diff --git a/extensions/tlon/src/monitor/settings-helpers.ts b/extensions/tlon/src/monitor/settings-helpers.ts
index ea92be76531..8df6c38e318 100644
--- a/extensions/tlon/src/monitor/settings-helpers.ts
+++ b/extensions/tlon/src/monitor/settings-helpers.ts
@@ -62,6 +62,12 @@ export function buildTlonSettingsMigrations(
   ];
 }
 
+export function shouldMigrateTlonSetting(fileValue: unknown, settingsValue: unknown): boolean {
+  const hasFileValue = Array.isArray(fileValue) ? fileValue.length > 0 : fileValue != null;
+  const hasSettingsValue = settingsValue != null;
+  return hasFileValue && !hasSettingsValue;
+}
+
 export function applyTlonSettingsOverrides(params: {
   account: TlonResolvedAccount;
   currentSettings: TlonSettingsStore;