diff --git a/src/catalog_transaction.rs b/src/catalog_transaction.rs
index c5173358..130782a1 100644
--- a/src/catalog_transaction.rs
+++ b/src/catalog_transaction.rs
@@ -1812,7 +1812,9 @@ fn project_raw_current(root: &Path) -> Result<DeclarationProjection> {
     let mut files = BTreeMap::new();
     add_optional_regular(root, &root.join(crate::catalog::CONFIG_FILE), &mut files)?;
     let spec_paths = collect_canonical_specs(root, ProjectionSource::Current, &mut files)?;
-    let workspace_dirs = raw_workspace_dirs(root, &spec_paths)?;
+    // Invalid declarations cannot establish typed workspace facts; canonical runtime directories
+    // are excluded structurally by the shared bundle collector instead.
+    let workspace_dirs = BTreeSet::new();
     for spec in &spec_paths {
         let bundle = spec.parent().context("canonical spec has no bundle")?;
         collect_bundle_files(
@@ -1834,30 +1836,6 @@ fn project_raw_current(root: &Path) -> Result<DeclarationProjection> {
     })
 }
 
-fn raw_workspace_dirs(root: &Path, spec_paths: &[PathBuf]) -> Result<BTreeSet<String>> {
-    let mut workspace_dirs = BTreeSet::new();
-    for spec in spec_paths {
-        let bundle = spec.parent().context("canonical spec has no bundle")?;
-        let workspace = bundle.join(".workspace");
-        match fs::symlink_metadata(&workspace) {
-            Ok(metadata) => {
-                anyhow::ensure!(
-                    metadata.is_dir() && !metadata.file_type().is_symlink(),
-                    "canonical workspace fact is not a real directory: {}",
-                    workspace.display()
-                );
-                workspace_dirs.insert(normalized_relative(root, &workspace)?);
-            }
-            Err(error) if error.kind() == std::io::ErrorKind::NotFound => {}
-            Err(error) => {
-                return Err(error)
-                    .with_context(|| format!("inspect workspace fact {}", workspace.display()));
-            }
-        }
-    }
-    Ok(workspace_dirs)
-}
-
 fn project(
     root: &Path,
     source: ProjectionSource,
diff --git a/tests/catalog_apply.rs b/tests/catalog_apply.rs
index fc8a17a2..77e4e998 100644
--- a/tests/catalog_apply.rs
+++ b/tests/catalog_apply.rs
@@ -1901,6 +1901,12 @@ profile "dev.example.observe" {{
     )
     .unwrap();
     fs::write(agent.join("status"), "busy").unwrap();
+    fs::create_dir_all(agent.join(".workspace")).unwrap();
+    fs::write(
+        agent.join(".workspace/session.txt"),
+        "preserve live workspace",
+    )
+    .unwrap();
 
     let raw_capture_dir = temp.path().join("raw-capture-legacy");
     let captured = raw_snapshot(&catalog, &raw_capture_dir);
@@ -1914,6 +1920,7 @@ profile "dev.example.observe" {{
         fs::read_to_string(raw_capture_dir.join("catalog.kdl")).unwrap(),
         legacy_config
     );
+    assert!(!raw_capture_dir.join("agents/host/worker/.workspace").exists());
 
     let desired = temp.path().join("desired-component");
     write_agent(&desired, "worker", false);
@@ -1958,6 +1965,10 @@ profile "dev.example.observe" {{
         "preserve mutable context"
     );
     assert_eq!(fs::read_to_string(agent.join("status")).unwrap(), "busy");
+    assert_eq!(
+        fs::read_to_string(agent.join(".workspace/session.txt")).unwrap(),
+        "preserve live workspace"
+    );
     let applied = st2::catalog::load(&catalog).unwrap();
     assert_eq!(applied.pty_root.as_deref(), Some(pty_root));
     assert_eq!(