diff --git a/docs/TODO.md b/docs/TODO.md
index 8d583a3..9eb62bc 100644
--- a/docs/TODO.md
+++ b/docs/TODO.md
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ Small, specific, independently actionable. Remove only when actually done.
     file, and compare steps and token use.
 
 ## Known issues
+- [ ] Admin merge does not merge colliding children recursively; colliding children stay under the tombstoned parent.
 - [ ] Matching: a shared parent resolved without external IDs or position (title/year reuse in
   `packages/core/src/matching.ts`) has no unique key, so concurrent matches can create it twice.
 - [ ] `bun run typecheck` fails with TS18003 until source files exist under `apps/`, `packages/` or `plugins/`.
diff --git a/packages/core/src/matching.ts b/packages/core/src/matching.ts
index 3cf5a52..ac78f7b 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/matching.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/matching.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import type { Db } from "@sttracker/db/db";
 import { newId, nowIso } from "@sttracker/db/ids";
 import {
   createWorkIn,
+  finalWorkId,
   findWorkByExternalIdsIn,
   normalizePosition,
   resolveAliasIn,
@@ -85,12 +86,13 @@ async function resolve(k: K, userId: string | null, hint: WorkHint, actor: strin
       .select("id")
       .where("parent_id", "=", parentId)
       .where("position", "=", position)
-      .where("merged_into_id", "is", null)
       .where("owner_user_id", "is", null)
       .executeTakeFirst();
     if (child) {
-      await updateWorkFromHintIn(k, child.id, hint, actor);
-      return { workId: child.id, created: false, draft: false };
+      // A merged tombstone still holds its (parent_id, position) slot: follow it to the surviving work.
+      const workId = await finalWorkId(k, child.id);
+      await updateWorkFromHintIn(k, workId, hint, actor);
+      return { workId, created: false, draft: false };
     }
     return { workId: await createWorkIn(k, { hint, parentId }, actor), created: true, draft: false };
   }
diff --git a/packages/core/test/matching.test.ts b/packages/core/test/matching.test.ts
index b47c09e..c80f4bb 100644
--- a/packages/core/test/matching.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/test/matching.test.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import type { Db } from "@sttracker/db/db";
 import { newId, nowIso } from "@sttracker/db/ids";
 import { forEachDialect } from "@sttracker/db/testing";
 import { fuzzyScore, matchWork } from "../src/matching.ts";
-import { createWork, getWork } from "../src/works.ts";
+import { adminMergeWorks, createWork, getWork } from "../src/works.ts";
 
 async function addUser(db: Db): Promise<string> {
   const id = newId();
@@ -145,4 +145,19 @@ forEachDialect("matching", (getDb) => {
     await db.k.insertInto("work_aliases").values({ id: newId(), user_id: u, from_work_id: shared, to_work_id: priv }).execute();
     expect(await matchWork(db, u, { title: "Dune", mediaType: "book", externalIds: { isbn13: "1" } }, "p")).toEqual({ workId: priv, created: false, draft: true });
   });
+
+  test("position lookup follows a merged tombstone instead of colliding with it", async () => {
+    const db = getDb();
+    const u = await addUser(db);
+    await db.k.updateTable("users").set({ role: "admin" }).where("id", "=", u).execute();
+    const e1 = await matchWork(db, u, chain(), "p");
+    const h2 = chain();
+    h2.title = "Episode 2";
+    h2.position = { season: 1, episode: 2 };
+    const e2 = await matchWork(db, u, h2, "p");
+    await adminMergeWorks(db, u, e1.workId, e2.workId);
+    const before = (await db.k.selectFrom("works").select("id").execute()).length;
+    expect(await matchWork(db, u, chain(), "p")).toEqual({ workId: e2.workId, created: false, draft: false });
+    expect(await db.k.selectFrom("works").select("id").execute()).toHaveLength(before);
+  });
 });