diff --git a/src/svrf/gate.py b/src/svrf/gate.py
index daa317d..81595af 100644
--- a/src/svrf/gate.py
+++ b/src/svrf/gate.py
@@ -99,7 +99,18 @@ def _prepare(self, slot: Path, commit: str) -> None:
             slot.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
             subprocess.run(["git", "-C", str(self.clone), "worktree", "prune"], capture_output=True)
             self._git("worktree", "add", "-q", "--detach", "-f", str(slot), commit)
-        self._git("checkout", "-q", "--detach", "-f", commit, cwd=slot)
+        else:
+            # A reused slot may carry flags that hide changed bytes. Clear each
+            # kind independently; skip-worktree also suppresses force-checkout.
+            entries = subprocess.run(["git", "-C", str(slot), "ls-files", "-v", "-z"],
+                                     check=True, capture_output=True).stdout.split(b"\0")
+            assumed = [e[2:] for e in entries if e[:1].islower()]
+            skipped = [e[2:] for e in entries if e[:1].upper() == b"S"]
+            for option, paths in (("--no-assume-unchanged", assumed), ("--no-skip-worktree", skipped)):
+                if paths:
+                    subprocess.run(["git", "-C", str(slot), "update-index", option, "-z", "--stdin"],
+                                   input=b"\0".join(paths) + b"\0", check=True, capture_output=True)
+            self._git("checkout", "-q", "--detach", "-f", commit, cwd=slot)
         self._git("clean", "-fdq", cwd=slot)
 
     def _step(self, command: str, cwd: Path, log: Path, env: dict) -> tuple[int, str, float]:
diff --git a/tests/test_gate_same_source.py b/tests/test_gate_same_source.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..11a7927
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_gate_same_source.py
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+"""Gate preparation materializes a new slot once and restores reused source."""
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+from unittest.mock import patch
+from fakes import git
+from svrf.gate import CommandGate
+
+
+class SameSourceGate(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_initial_preparation_does_not_repeat_worktree_materialization(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+            root = Path(tmp) / "repository"
+            root.mkdir()
+            git(root, "init", "-q", "-b", "main")
+            (root / "source.txt").write_text("source\n")
+            git(root, "add", ".")
+            git(root, "commit", "-qm", "source")
+            head = git(root, "rev-parse", "HEAD").strip()
+            gate = CommandGate(root, Path(tmp) / "slots", 1, ["true"], logs=Path(tmp) / "logs")
+            slot = Path(tmp) / "slots" / "slot-0"
+            original = gate._git
+            calls = []
+            def traced(*args, **kwargs):
+                calls.append(args)
+                return original(*args, **kwargs)
+            with patch.object(gate, "_git", side_effect=traced):
+                gate._prepare(slot, head)
+            self.assertEqual(sum(args[:2] == ("worktree", "add") for args in calls), 1)
+            self.assertFalse(any(args and args[0] == "checkout" for args in calls), calls)
+            calls.clear()
+            with patch.object(gate, "_git", side_effect=traced):
+                gate._prepare(slot, head)
+            self.assertEqual(sum(args and args[0] == "checkout" for args in calls), 1)
+            self.assertEqual((slot / "source.txt").read_text(), "source\n")
+
+    def test_dirty_tracked_source_is_restored_before_gate(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+            root = Path(tmp) / "repository"
+            root.mkdir()
+            git(root, "init", "-q", "-b", "main")
+            (root / "source.txt").write_text("source\n")
+            git(root, "add", ".")
+            git(root, "commit", "-qm", "source")
+            head = git(root, "rev-parse", "HEAD").strip()
+            gate = CommandGate(root, Path(tmp) / "slots", 1, ["true"], logs=Path(tmp) / "logs")
+            slot = Path(tmp) / "slots" / "slot-0"
+            gate._prepare(slot, head)
+            (slot / "source.txt").write_text("tamper\n")
+            gate._prepare(slot, head)
+            self.assertEqual((slot / "source.txt").read_text(), "source\n")
+
+    def test_index_flags_cannot_hide_changed_source_from_gate(self):
+        for flag in ("--assume-unchanged", "--skip-worktree"):
+            with self.subTest(flag=flag), tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+                root = Path(tmp) / "repository"
+                root.mkdir()
+                git(root, "init", "-q", "-b", "main")
+                (root / "source.txt").write_text("source\n")
+                git(root, "add", ".")
+                git(root, "commit", "-qm", "source")
+                head = git(root, "rev-parse", "HEAD").strip()
+                gate = CommandGate(root, Path(tmp) / "slots", 1,
+                                   ["test \"$(cat source.txt)\" = source"],
+                                   logs=Path(tmp) / "logs")
+                slot = Path(tmp) / "slots" / "slot-0"
+                gate._prepare(slot, head)
+                git(slot, "update-index", flag, "source.txt")
+                (slot / "source.txt").write_text("tamper\n")
+                self.assertEqual(git(slot, "status", "--porcelain"), "")
+                result = gate.run(head, head, flag)
+                self.assertTrue(result["green"], result)
+                self.assertEqual((slot / "source.txt").read_text(), "source\n")