diff --git a/changelog.d/tsk-arsogp-collate-changelog-idempotent.md b/changelog.d/tsk-arsogp-collate-changelog-idempotent.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5cfbe2244
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/tsk-arsogp-collate-changelog-idempotent.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+### Fixed
+- `scripts/collate_changelog.py` is now idempotent across partial failures: if a run dies between writing the new version section and unlinking consumed fragments, a rerun detects the existing `## [<version>]` header and skips the duplicate insert. Only leftover fragments whose content already reached `CHANGELOG.md` are consumed; a fragment that landed after the failed run is kept and the rerun exits non-zero naming it, instead of silently deleting a release note that was never folded.
diff --git a/docs/changelog-fragments.md b/docs/changelog-fragments.md
index e38d58347..7e3390196 100644
--- a/docs/changelog-fragments.md
+++ b/docs/changelog-fragments.md
@@ -46,3 +46,10 @@ which folds every fragment into a new `## [<version>] - <date>` section beneath
 `[Unreleased]`, groups them by section in Keep-a-Changelog order, and deletes the
 fragments in the same commit. `--dry-run` prints the section without touching
 anything.
+
+Reruns are safe: if the `## [<version>]` section already exists (a previous run
+died between writing the section and deleting the fragments), the collator does
+not insert a duplicate. It consumes only leftover fragments whose content is
+already present in `CHANGELOG.md`; a fragment that landed after the failed run
+is folded nowhere, so it is kept on disk and the rerun exits non-zero naming
+it — fold it by rerunning with the correct (next) target version.
diff --git a/scripts/collate_changelog.py b/scripts/collate_changelog.py
index a7da26837..68a629d67 100644
--- a/scripts/collate_changelog.py
+++ b/scripts/collate_changelog.py
@@ -106,6 +106,35 @@ def main(argv: list[str]) -> int:
     if UNRELEASED not in text:
         print(f"collate-changelog: {CHANGELOG.name} has no '{UNRELEASED}' anchor", file=sys.stderr)
         return 1
+
+    version_header = f"## [{args.version}]"
+    if version_header in text:
+        # Rerun after a partial failure: only consume fragments whose content
+        # already made it into the changelog. A fragment that landed AFTER the
+        # failed run is folded nowhere -- unlinking it would silently lose its
+        # release note, so keep it and refuse loudly instead.
+        print(f"collate-changelog: {args.version} section already present in {CHANGELOG.name}, consuming folded leftover fragments", file=sys.stderr)
+        # Match against ONLY the target version's section. A bullet that happens
+        # to also appear under an OLDER release must not count as folded --
+        # unlinking on a whole-file match would silently lose the new note,
+        # which is the exact class this branch exists to prevent.
+        start = text.index(version_header)
+        next_header = text.find("\n## [", start + len(version_header))
+        section_text = text[start:] if next_header == -1 else text[start:next_header]
+        unfolded: list[Path] = []
+        for path in consumed:
+            lines = [ln for section_lines in parse_fragment(path).values() for ln in section_lines]
+            if all(ln in section_text for ln in lines):
+                path.unlink()
+            else:
+                unfolded.append(path)
+        print(f"collate-changelog: consumed {len(consumed) - len(unfolded)} leftover fragment(s) for {args.version}")
+        if unfolded:
+            for path in unfolded:
+                print(f"collate-changelog: {path.name} is not folded into {CHANGELOG.name} -- kept; rerun with the correct target version", file=sys.stderr)
+            return 1
+        return 0
+
     # Insert directly BELOW [Unreleased] so Unreleased stays empty and on top,
     # which is what the release train expects on the next cycle.
     anchor = UNRELEASED + "\n"
diff --git a/tests/test_collate_changelog.py b/tests/test_collate_changelog.py
index 1c0475bfb..31f65838b 100644
--- a/tests/test_collate_changelog.py
+++ b/tests/test_collate_changelog.py
@@ -114,3 +114,119 @@ def test_missing_unreleased_anchor_fails_loudly_and_keeps_fragments(repo: Path):
     assert mod.main(["1.0.0-beta.47"]) == 1
     # The fragment survives a failed run so nothing is lost.
     assert (repo / "changelog.d" / "2295-z.md").exists()
+
+
+def test_rerun_after_partial_unlink_failure_is_idempotent(repo: Path, monkeypatch):
+    mod = _load(repo)
+    (repo / "changelog.d" / "2291-notes.md").write_text("- Notes area (#2291).\n", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    fail_once = True
+    import pathlib
+
+    _real_unlink = pathlib.Path.unlink
+
+    def fake_unlink(self):
+        nonlocal fail_once
+        if fail_once:
+            fail_once = False
+            raise OSError("simulated unlink failure")
+        _real_unlink(self)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(pathlib.Path, "unlink", fake_unlink)
+
+    # First run: writes the section, then fails on unlink (exception propagates).
+    with pytest.raises(OSError, match="simulated unlink failure"):
+        mod.main(["1.0.0-beta.47", "--date", "2026-08-05"])
+
+    # Second run: fragment is still present, so without idempotency the section
+    # would be inserted a second time.
+    assert mod.main(["1.0.0-beta.47", "--date", "2026-08-05"]) == 0
+
+    text = (repo / "CHANGELOG.md").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    assert text.count("## [1.0.0-beta.47]") == 1
+    assert "- Notes area (#2291)." in text
+    assert not (repo / "changelog.d" / "2291-notes.md").exists()
+
+
+def test_rerun_keeps_fragment_that_landed_after_the_partial_failure(repo: Path, monkeypatch):
+    """A fragment merged between the failed run and the rerun was never folded.
+
+    The rerun must not silently unlink it: its content exists nowhere in
+    CHANGELOG.md, so deleting it loses the release note. Stale (already
+    folded) leftovers are still consumed; the unfolded one is kept and the
+    rerun refuses loudly so the operator folds it under the right version.
+    """
+    mod = _load(repo)
+    (repo / "changelog.d" / "2291-notes.md").write_text("- Notes area (#2291).\n", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    fail_once = True
+    import pathlib
+
+    _real_unlink = pathlib.Path.unlink
+
+    def fake_unlink(self):
+        nonlocal fail_once
+        if fail_once:
+            fail_once = False
+            raise OSError("simulated unlink failure")
+        _real_unlink(self)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(pathlib.Path, "unlink", fake_unlink)
+
+    with pytest.raises(OSError, match="simulated unlink failure"):
+        mod.main(["1.0.0-beta.47", "--date", "2026-08-05"])
+
+    # A new PR merges its fragment between the failed run and the rerun.
+    (repo / "changelog.d" / "2299-new.md").write_text("- Brand new feature (#2299).\n", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    rc = mod.main(["1.0.0-beta.47", "--date", "2026-08-05"])
+    text = (repo / "CHANGELOG.md").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+
+    # The stale leftover was already folded by the first run: consumed.
+    assert not (repo / "changelog.d" / "2291-notes.md").exists()
+    # The unfolded fragment survives, its content is not lost and not
+    # half-inserted anywhere.
+    assert (repo / "changelog.d" / "2299-new.md").exists()
+    assert "- Brand new feature (#2299)." not in text
+    assert text.count("## [1.0.0-beta.47]") == 1
+    # And the rerun says NO loudly instead of pretending it consumed cleanly.
+    assert rc == 1
+
+
+def test_rerun_keeps_unfolded_fragment_whose_text_matches_an_older_release(repo: Path, monkeypatch):
+    """A late-landing fragment whose bullet also exists under an OLDER release.
+
+    The rerun's folded-check must scope its match to the target version's
+    section: a whole-file match sees the older release's identical bullet,
+    counts the fragment as folded, and unlinks it -- silently losing the new
+    release note.
+    """
+    mod = _load(repo)
+    (repo / "changelog.d" / "2291-notes.md").write_text("- Notes area (#2291).\n", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    fail_once = True
+    import pathlib
+
+    _real_unlink = pathlib.Path.unlink
+
+    def fake_unlink(self):
+        nonlocal fail_once
+        if fail_once:
+            fail_once = False
+            raise OSError("simulated unlink failure")
+        _real_unlink(self)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(pathlib.Path, "unlink", fake_unlink)
+
+    with pytest.raises(OSError, match="simulated unlink failure"):
+        mod.main(["1.0.0-beta.47", "--date", "2026-08-05"])
+
+    # A new PR merges a fragment whose text duplicates a bullet ALREADY present
+    # in the older 1.0.0-beta.46 section of the fixture changelog.
+    (repo / "changelog.d" / "2299-new.md").write_text("- older thing (#1).\n", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    rc = mod.main(["1.0.0-beta.47", "--date", "2026-08-05"])
+
+    # The unfolded fragment survives and the rerun refuses loudly.
+    assert (repo / "changelog.d" / "2299-new.md").exists()
+    assert rc == 1