diff --git a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime/Scripts/FlowTraceCollector.cs b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime/Scripts/FlowTraceCollector.cs
index 46a92f1b..101b561e 100644
--- a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime/Scripts/FlowTraceCollector.cs
+++ b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime/Scripts/FlowTraceCollector.cs
@@ -72,7 +72,11 @@ public sealed class FlowTraceCollector
     /// <summary>Current event count.</summary>
     public int Count { get { lock (_gate) return _events.Count; } }
 
-    /// <summary>Copies the collected events in emission order.</summary>
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Copies the collected events in emission order WITHOUT closing the collector — a diagnostic /
+    /// test-only peek. A reply path must use <see cref="Complete"/>, otherwise an un-awaited call
+    /// finishing after the reply could mutate the list the reply was built from.
+    /// </summary>
     public IReadOnlyList<AuditEvent> Snapshot()
     {
         lock (_gate) return _events.ToArray();
diff --git a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime/Scripts/ScriptRunLauncher.cs b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime/Scripts/ScriptRunLauncher.cs
index f5a2b297..77b46ef1 100644
--- a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime/Scripts/ScriptRunLauncher.cs
+++ b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime/Scripts/ScriptRunLauncher.cs
@@ -243,9 +243,11 @@ internal static class ScriptRunLauncher
         ScriptTraceExtra? triggerExtra = null)
     {
         IServiceScope? serviceScope = null;
-        // Flow Debugger (design §5.4): the inline sink exists only for a traced run; the
+        // Flow Debugger (design §5.4): the inline sink exists only for a traced run that has a
+        // caller to reply to — a trace-armed trigger run (replyTo == Nobody) writes every row to the
+        // audit writer for PullTraceEvents and would only keep a never-read list alive. The
         // ScriptRun row itself is emitted below on every exit path of a traced run.
-        var collector = trace ? new FlowTraceCollector() : null;
+        var collector = trace && !replyTo.IsNobody() ? new FlowTraceCollector() : null;
         var startedUtc = DateTime.UtcNow;
         ScriptRuntimeContext? context = null;
         IAuditWriter? auditWriter = null;
diff --git a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime/Scripts/ScriptRuntimeContext.cs b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime/Scripts/ScriptRuntimeContext.cs
index 04a773b8..425ea5ae 100644
--- a/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime/Scripts/ScriptRuntimeContext.cs
+++ b/src/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime/Scripts/ScriptRuntimeContext.cs
@@ -306,7 +306,39 @@ public class ScriptRuntimeContext
     /// outbound rows the helpers emit — passes through here; a no-op when untraced or once
     /// the launcher has <see cref="FlowTraceCollector.Complete"/>d the run.
     /// </summary>
-    private void Collect(AuditEvent evt) => _traceCollector?.Add(evt);
+    private void Collect(AuditEvent evt)
+    {
+        try
+        {
+            _traceCollector?.Add(evt);
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            // The collector is a debug-only observer: it must never fail a script call, and it
+            // must never keep the durable audit row from reaching the writer (review, 2026-09-06).
+            _logger.LogWarning(ex, "Flow trace collector rejected {Action} ({EventId})", evt.Action, evt.EventId);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Wraps a trace sink so a throwing observer can neither fail the script call nor skip the
+    /// durable audit write that follows it. Null in, null out — an untraced run allocates nothing.
+    /// </summary>
+    internal static Action<AuditEvent>? GuardTraceSink(Action<AuditEvent>? sink, ILogger logger)
+    {
+        if (sink is null) return null;
+        return evt =>
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                sink(evt);
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                logger.LogWarning(ex, "Flow trace sink rejected {Action} ({EventId})", evt.Action, evt.EventId);
+            }
+        };
+    }
 
     /// <summary>Flow Debugger (design 2026-09-05 §5.2): whether this run emits <c>ScriptTrace</c> rows.</summary>
     public bool IsTraced => _isTraced;
@@ -1146,7 +1178,7 @@ public class ScriptRuntimeContext
             _cachedForwarder = cachedForwarder;
             _parentExecutionId = parentExecutionId;
             _sourceNode = sourceNode;
-            _traceSink = traceSink;
+            _traceSink = GuardTraceSink(traceSink, logger);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -1850,7 +1882,7 @@ public class ScriptRuntimeContext
             _cachedForwarder = cachedForwarder;
             _parentExecutionId = parentExecutionId;
             _sourceNode = sourceNode;
-            _traceSink = traceSink;
+            _traceSink = GuardTraceSink(traceSink, logger);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -2279,7 +2311,7 @@ public class ScriptRuntimeContext
             _auditWriter = auditWriter;
             _parentExecutionId = parentExecutionId;
             _sourceNode = sourceNode;
-            _traceSink = traceSink;
+            _traceSink = GuardTraceSink(traceSink, logger);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -2455,7 +2487,7 @@ public class ScriptRuntimeContext
             _auditWriter = auditWriter;
             _parentExecutionId = parentExecutionId;
             _sourceNode = sourceNode;
-            _traceSink = traceSink;
+            _traceSink = GuardTraceSink(traceSink, logger);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
diff --git a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime.Tests/Scripts/FlowTraceCollectorTests.cs b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime.Tests/Scripts/FlowTraceCollectorTests.cs
index c5a18319..a9b56210 100644
--- a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime.Tests/Scripts/FlowTraceCollectorTests.cs
+++ b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime.Tests/Scripts/FlowTraceCollectorTests.cs
@@ -64,4 +64,34 @@ public class FlowTraceCollectorTests
         Assert.Equal(500, FlowTraceCollector.DefaultMaxEvents);
         Assert.Throws<ArgumentOutOfRangeException>(() => new FlowTraceCollector(0));
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void Complete_ClosesTheCollector_LaterAddsAreIgnored_AndNeverTruncate()
+    {
+        var c = new FlowTraceCollector(maxEvents: 2);
+        var first = NewEvent();
+        c.Add(first);
+        Assert.False(c.Completed);
+
+        var snapshot = c.Complete();
+
+        Assert.True(c.Completed);
+        Assert.Same(first, Assert.Single(snapshot));
+        c.Add(NewEvent());
+        c.Add(NewEvent());
+        c.Add(NewEvent());
+        Assert.Equal(1, c.Count);
+        Assert.False(c.Truncated);
+        Assert.Equal(snapshot, c.Complete()); // idempotent
+    }
+
+    private static AuditEvent NewEvent() => new()
+    {
+        EventId = Guid.NewGuid(),
+        OccurredAtUtc = DateTimeOffset.UtcNow,
+        Actor = "t",
+        Action = "ScriptTrace.ScriptRun",
+        Outcome = AuditOutcome.Success,
+        DetailsJson = "{}",
+    };
 }
diff --git a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime.Tests/Scripts/ScriptRuntimeContextTraceEmissionTests.cs b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime.Tests/Scripts/ScriptRuntimeContextTraceEmissionTests.cs
index 409b99c8..718abd7a 100644
--- a/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime.Tests/Scripts/ScriptRuntimeContextTraceEmissionTests.cs
+++ b/tests/ZB.MOM.WW.ScadaBridge.SiteRuntime.Tests/Scripts/ScriptRuntimeContextTraceEmissionTests.cs
@@ -507,4 +507,20 @@ public class ScriptRuntimeContextTraceEmissionTests : TestKit
             writer.Events.Select(e => Row(e).Kind));
         Assert.Equal(AuditKind.CachedSubmit, Row(Assert.Single(forwarder.Telemetry).Audit).Kind);
     }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task ThrowingTraceSink_NeverFailsTheCall_AndTheWriterStillGetsTheRow()
+    {
+        var writer = new CapturingAuditWriter();
+        var helper = new ScriptRuntimeContext.ExternalSystemHelper(
+            SyncClient(new ExternalCallResult(true, "{}", null)).Object, InstanceName, NullLogger.Instance, Guid.NewGuid(),
+            auditWriter: writer, siteId: "site-a", sourceScript: "S",
+            traceSink: _ => throw new InvalidOperationException("observer broke"));
+
+        var result = await helper.Call("ERP", "GetOrder");
+
+        Assert.True(result.Success);
+        var written = Assert.Single(writer.Events);
+        Assert.Equal(AuditKind.ApiCall, Row(written).Kind);
+    }
 }