diff --git a/boot.tests/ShareAttributionTests.cs b/boot.tests/ShareAttributionTests.cs
index 0e7f92a..391255b 100644
--- a/boot.tests/ShareAttributionTests.cs
+++ b/boot.tests/ShareAttributionTests.cs
@@ -1477,6 +1477,23 @@ public void FullReserveImportAllowsOneSnapshotContextPerBoundedProof()
         Assert.IsTrue(BootProtocolStateService.GetMaxImportedSnapshotContextCount(config) >= 396);
     }
 
+    [TestMethod]
+    public void FreshProductionPlaceholderDoesNotEnterSiblingReconciliation()
+    {
+        Assert.IsFalse(BootProtocolStateService.ShouldReconcileSnapshotFamily(
+            hasLocalActiveFamily: true,
+            localStateIsEmpty: true,
+            allowEmptySnapshotBootstrap: false));
+        Assert.IsTrue(BootProtocolStateService.ShouldReconcileSnapshotFamily(
+            hasLocalActiveFamily: true,
+            localStateIsEmpty: false,
+            allowEmptySnapshotBootstrap: false));
+        Assert.IsTrue(BootProtocolStateService.ShouldReconcileSnapshotFamily(
+            hasLocalActiveFamily: true,
+            localStateIsEmpty: true,
+            allowEmptySnapshotBootstrap: true));
+    }
+
     [TestMethod]
     public async Task RegtestSiblingImportAcceptsProofRecordedAgainstExplicitEmptyBootstrapSnapshotAsync()
     {
diff --git a/boot_portal/Services/BootProtocolStateService.cs b/boot_portal/Services/BootProtocolStateService.cs
index c733322..35e85e3 100644
--- a/boot_portal/Services/BootProtocolStateService.cs
+++ b/boot_portal/Services/BootProtocolStateService.cs
@@ -4659,8 +4659,10 @@ public async Task<bool> TryAdoptCurrentStateAsync(BootStateBundle bundle, string
         }
         if (GetActiveConsensusVersion() >= BootProtocolVersions.ConsensusVersion &&
             bundle.SnapshotFamilyMember != null &&
-            hasLocalActiveFamily &&
-            (!localStateIsEmpty || _poolConfig.AllowEmptySnapshotBootstrap))
+            ShouldReconcileSnapshotFamily(
+                hasLocalActiveFamily,
+                localStateIsEmpty,
+                _poolConfig.AllowEmptySnapshotBootstrap))
         {
             return await TryReconcileSiblingSnapshotAsync(
                 bundle,
@@ -6370,6 +6372,14 @@ internal static int GetMaxImportedSnapshotContextCount(PoolConfig config)
         return config.SnapshotProofSlotCount + config.WorkSetReserveLimit + 2;
     }
 
+    internal static bool ShouldReconcileSnapshotFamily(
+        bool hasLocalActiveFamily,
+        bool localStateIsEmpty,
+        bool allowEmptySnapshotBootstrap)
+    {
+        return hasLocalActiveFamily && (!localStateIsEmpty || allowEmptySnapshotBootstrap);
+    }
+
     private int RepairMissingWorkSetSnapshotContextsNoLock(DateTime nowUtc)
     {
         HashSet<string> existingContextIds = _state.SnapshotContexts