diff --git a/src/infra/safe-open-sync.test.ts b/src/infra/safe-open-sync.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..62199e8b1e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/infra/safe-open-sync.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { openVerifiedFileSync } from "./safe-open-sync.js";
+
+type TestIoFs = NonNullable<Parameters<typeof openVerifiedFileSync>[0]["ioFs"]>;
+
+function createStats(params: {
+  dev: number | bigint;
+  ino: number | bigint;
+  nlink?: number;
+  size?: number;
+  file?: boolean;
+  symlink?: boolean;
+}): fs.Stats {
+  return {
+    dev: params.dev,
+    ino: params.ino,
+    nlink: params.nlink ?? 1,
+    size: params.size ?? 16,
+    isFile: () => params.file ?? true,
+    isSymbolicLink: () => params.symlink ?? false,
+  } as unknown as fs.Stats;
+}
+
+function createIoFs(params: { realPath?: string; lstat: fs.Stats; fstat: fs.Stats }): {
+  ioFs: TestIoFs;
+  mocks: {
+    lstatSync: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+    realpathSync: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+    openSync: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+    fstatSync: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+    closeSync: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+  };
+} {
+  const realPath = params.realPath ?? "C:/tmp/demo.json";
+  const lstatSync = vi.fn(() => params.lstat);
+  const realpathSync = vi.fn(() => realPath);
+  const openSync = vi.fn(() => 42);
+  const fstatSync = vi.fn(() => params.fstat);
+  const closeSync = vi.fn(() => undefined);
+
+  const ioFs = {
+    constants: { O_RDONLY: 0, O_NOFOLLOW: 0 },
+    lstatSync,
+    realpathSync,
+    openSync,
+    fstatSync,
+    closeSync,
+  } as unknown as TestIoFs;
+
+  return {
+    ioFs,
+    mocks: {
+      lstatSync,
+      realpathSync,
+      openSync,
+      fstatSync,
+      closeSync,
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+describe("openVerifiedFileSync", () => {
+  it("rejects identity mismatch on non-windows", () => {
+    const preOpen = createStats({ dev: 1, ino: 100 });
+    const opened = createStats({ dev: 2, ino: 200 });
+    const { ioFs, mocks } = createIoFs({ lstat: preOpen, fstat: opened });
+
+    const result = openVerifiedFileSync({
+      filePath: "C:/tmp/demo.json",
+      ioFs,
+      platform: "linux",
+    });
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({ ok: false, reason: "validation" });
+    expect(mocks.openSync).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(mocks.closeSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(42);
+  });
+
+  it("allows win32 identity mismatch for regular non-hardlinked files", () => {
+    const preOpen = createStats({ dev: 1, ino: 100, nlink: 1 });
+    const opened = createStats({ dev: 2, ino: 200, nlink: 1 });
+    const { ioFs, mocks } = createIoFs({ lstat: preOpen, fstat: opened });
+
+    const result = openVerifiedFileSync({
+      filePath: "C:/tmp/demo.json",
+      ioFs,
+      platform: "win32",
+      rejectHardlinks: true,
+    });
+
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(true);
+    if (!result.ok) {
+      throw new Error("expected open result");
+    }
+    expect(result.path).toBe("C:/tmp/demo.json");
+    expect(result.fd).toBe(42);
+    expect(mocks.closeSync).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("still rejects win32 files when hardlink guard fails", () => {
+    const preOpen = createStats({ dev: 1, ino: 100, nlink: 1 });
+    const opened = createStats({ dev: 2, ino: 200, nlink: 2 });
+    const { ioFs, mocks } = createIoFs({ lstat: preOpen, fstat: opened });
+
+    const result = openVerifiedFileSync({
+      filePath: "C:/tmp/demo.json",
+      ioFs,
+      platform: "win32",
+      rejectHardlinks: true,
+    });
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({ ok: false, reason: "validation" });
+    expect(mocks.closeSync).toHaveBeenCalledWith(42);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/infra/safe-open-sync.ts b/src/infra/safe-open-sync.ts
index b502b04e90b..e290c82f8cb 100644
--- a/src/infra/safe-open-sync.ts
+++ b/src/infra/safe-open-sync.ts
@@ -18,8 +18,23 @@ function isExpectedPathError(error: unknown): boolean {
   return code === "ENOENT" || code === "ENOTDIR" || code === "ELOOP";
 }
 
-export function sameFileIdentity(left: fs.Stats, right: fs.Stats): boolean {
-  return hasSameFileIdentity(left, right);
+function shouldBypassWin32IdentityMismatch(params: {
+  platform: NodeJS.Platform;
+  preOpenStat: fs.Stats;
+  openedStat: fs.Stats;
+}): boolean {
+  if (params.platform !== "win32") {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return params.preOpenStat.nlink <= 1 && params.openedStat.nlink <= 1;
+}
+
+export function sameFileIdentity(
+  left: fs.Stats,
+  right: fs.Stats,
+  platform: NodeJS.Platform = process.platform,
+): boolean {
+  return hasSameFileIdentity(left, right, platform);
 }
 
 export function openVerifiedFileSync(params: {
@@ -29,8 +44,10 @@ export function openVerifiedFileSync(params: {
   rejectHardlinks?: boolean;
   maxBytes?: number;
   ioFs?: SafeOpenSyncFs;
+  platform?: NodeJS.Platform;
 }): SafeOpenSyncResult {
   const ioFs = params.ioFs ?? fs;
+  const platform = params.platform ?? process.platform;
   const openReadFlags =
     ioFs.constants.O_RDONLY |
     (typeof ioFs.constants.O_NOFOLLOW === "number" ? ioFs.constants.O_NOFOLLOW : 0);
@@ -66,7 +83,15 @@ export function openVerifiedFileSync(params: {
     if (params.maxBytes !== undefined && openedStat.size > params.maxBytes) {
       return { ok: false, reason: "validation" };
     }
-    if (!sameFileIdentity(preOpenStat, openedStat)) {
+
+    if (
+      !sameFileIdentity(preOpenStat, openedStat, platform) &&
+      !shouldBypassWin32IdentityMismatch({
+        platform,
+        preOpenStat,
+        openedStat,
+      })
+    ) {
       return { ok: false, reason: "validation" };
     }