diff --git a/REBUILD.md b/REBUILD.md
index b40573e..e3c1a0f 100644
--- a/REBUILD.md
+++ b/REBUILD.md
@@ -242,6 +242,10 @@ It reads what's new an hour (`created_at`) at a time, its place kept after
 each, and merges only the sets held or matched by two releases or more; a
 file whose first 16 KiB and size more than 20 files share is a common one and
 matches nothing (LOG.md 2026-10-20 (85)).
+A set's file list is dropped once it can't merge anything more: complete (all
+its files in its holder), judged (every holder junk), or final (every holder
+inside a run of done ranges, those ranges' candidates probed, its hashes seen
+by the merger); `par2_sets` stays (LOG.md 2026-10-20 (87)).
 
 **Backlog: voyager 1's features not in voyager 2** (CONCEPT.md decisions;
 voyager 1's data exported to `/mnt/bulk/usenet-rebuild/v1-export/` on
diff --git a/app/services/batch_store.ts b/app/services/batch_store.ts
index a832c9b..de0cae5 100644
--- a/app/services/batch_store.ts
+++ b/app/services/batch_store.ts
@@ -316,6 +316,15 @@ class BatchStore {
         .ignore()
         .returning('id')
       out.candidates += added.length
+      // Files added to a settled release (a later range of its upload): the settler made its candidates claimable
+      // already and won't again (93,642 waited since 2026-10-13; LOG.md 2026-10-20 (87)).
+      if (added.length > 0) {
+        await trx.rawQuery(
+          `UPDATE probe_candidates pc SET ready = true, unreadable = NOT r.readable FROM releases r
+           WHERE pc.id = ANY(?) AND r.id = pc.release_id AND r.settled_at IS NOT NULL`,
+          [added.map((a: { id: string | number }) => String(a.id))]
+        )
+      }
     }
 
     return out
diff --git a/app/services/par2_merger.ts b/app/services/par2_merger.ts
index 5706433..b1bfa83 100644
--- a/app/services/par2_merger.ts
+++ b/app/services/par2_merger.ts
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ export class Par2Merger {
         if (!this.stopped && Date.now() - prunedAt >= PRUNE_EVERY_MS) {
           prunedAt = Date.now()
           const pruned = await new Par2Pruner().round(PRUNE_BUDGET_MS)
-          if (pruned.rows) logger.info(`Pruned ${pruned.rows} par2 file rows: ${pruned.complete} complete sets, ${pruned.judged} judged.`)
+          if (pruned.rows) logger.info(`Pruned ${pruned.rows} par2 file rows: ${pruned.complete} complete sets, ${pruned.judged} judged, ${pruned.final} final.`)
         }
         const round = await this.round()
         if (round.merges > 0) logger.info(`Merged ${round.releases} releases into ${round.merges} by par2 set (${round.sets} sets checked).`)
@@ -335,6 +335,12 @@ export class Par2Merger {
       for (const table of ['release_chunks', 'probe_candidates', 'release_inspections', 'file_hashes']) {
         await trx.rawQuery(`UPDATE ${table} SET release_id = ? WHERE release_id = ANY(?)`, [target.id, others])
       }
+      // An unsettled member's candidates into a settled target: the settler won't come by again to make them claimable.
+      await trx.rawQuery(
+        `UPDATE probe_candidates pc SET ready = true, unreadable = NOT r.readable FROM releases r
+         WHERE r.id = ? AND r.settled_at IS NOT NULL AND pc.release_id = r.id AND pc.status = 'waiting' AND NOT pc.ready`,
+        [target.id]
+      )
       // A set held by the target already, or by two of the others (a par2 and its repost), isn't held twice (every
       // round failed on the primary key from 20:28 UTC on 2026-10-12; LOG.md 2026-10-12 (30)).
       await trx.rawQuery(
diff --git a/app/services/par2_pruner.ts b/app/services/par2_pruner.ts
index 5e4423c..4d839ef 100644
--- a/app/services/par2_pruner.ts
+++ b/app/services/par2_pruner.ts
@@ -4,86 +4,98 @@ import db from '@adonisjs/lucid/services/db'
 const SETTLED_MS = 2 * 86400_000
 /** Sets per statement. */
 const BATCH = 20_000
-/** The complete pass's row in worker_cursors: the newest holder's created_at of the last set it looked at. */
+/** The sweep's row in worker_cursors: the last set_id it looked at (key); past the last set it starts over. */
 const CURSOR = 'par2-prune'
+/** The merger's row in worker_cursors: the end of its last whole window. */
+const MERGER = 'merger'
+/** The merger's windows look back this far (Par2Merger's OVERLAP_MS). */
+const MERGER_OVERLAP_MS = 60_000
 /** Verdicts whose releases needn't merge any more; locked isn't one (a password found takes it back). */
 const JUNK = ['dead', 'fake', 'repeated']
+/** Probe candidates whose results a merge reads: a file's hash (lone), a set's file list (par2). */
+const MERGE_KINDS = ['lone', 'par2']
 
 export interface PruneRound {
   complete: number
   judged: number
+  final: number
   rows: number
 }
 
 /**
- * Drops par2_files rows the merge can't use any more (LOG.md 2026-10-16 (60)): the table only grew, 35M rows and
- * 13.6 GB at 1.8M sets. A set's file list matches file hashes to releases and names an unreadable upload once; it's
- * done when
+ * Drops par2_files rows the merge can't use any more (LOG.md 2026-10-16 (60), 2026-10-20 (87)). A set's file list
+ * matches file hashes to releases and names an unreadable upload once; it's done when
  * - complete: SETTLED_MS after its last holder's par2, every file it describes has its hash in a release holding the
  *   set (all of it merged into one);
- * - judged: every release holding it has a junk verdict (dead, fake, repeated).
+ * - judged: every release holding it has a junk verdict (dead, fake, repeated);
+ * - final: SETTLED_MS after its last holder's par2, every holder is final (release_final: a run of done ranges holds
+ *   it with hours to spare, so no more of its upload will be read), the candidates of the ranges around it are probed,
+ *   and the merger has seen every hash of its files. A file still missing then is one no probe will hash: most sets
+ *   describe a readable upload's files, which aren't lone candidates (9 in 10 sets were kept for that, 19 GB).
  * par2_sets stays (the judge's unusable rule, the merge's holders). A set comes up again only with a new holder: its
  * par2 reposted, whose probe writes the rows again; without rows its merge finds no files and the count check holds.
+ * The sweep goes through the sets with rows by set_id and starts over at the end: a set kept now (a holder at the edge
+ * of a run, its ranges' probes not done yet) is looked at again on the next pass.
  */
 export class Par2Pruner {
   /** Sets per batch (BATCH; smaller in the tests). */
   constructor(private batch = BATCH) {}
 
   /**
-   * Batches until done or `budgetMs` is spent (the cursor is saved per batch, the next round goes on from it): run
-   * from the merger's loop, a first round over two days of sets held the merges back for hours (LOG.md 2026-10-17 (72)).
+   * Batches until a pass is done or `budgetMs` is spent (the cursor is saved per batch, the next round goes on from
+   * it): run from the merger's loop, a first round over two days of sets held the merges back for hours (LOG.md
+   * 2026-10-17 (72)).
    */
   async round(budgetMs = Infinity): Promise<PruneRound> {
     const deadline = Date.now() + budgetMs
-    const round: PruneRound = { complete: 0, judged: 0, rows: 0 }
-    // (created_at to the microsecond, set_id): one prober flush gives thousands of sets the same created_at, and a
-    // timestamp read back to the millisecond took the same batch again every round (LOG.md 2026-10-17 (73)).
-    const { rows: cursors } = await db.rawQuery(`SELECT at::text AS at, key FROM worker_cursors WHERE name = ?`, [CURSOR])
-    let since: string = cursors[0]?.at ?? '1970-01-01 00:00:00+00'
-    let sinceKey: string = cursors[0]?.key ?? ''
-    const until = new Date(Date.now() - SETTLED_MS)
+    const round: PruneRound = { complete: 0, judged: 0, final: 0, rows: 0 }
+    const { rows: cursors } = await db.rawQuery(`SELECT key FROM worker_cursors WHERE name = ?`, [CURSOR])
+    let after: string = cursors[0]?.key ?? ''
+    // Ranges done since the oldest merge-kind candidate still unprobed: their releases' hashes and file lists may be
+    // still to come. Hashes since the merger's last window: it hasn't matched them yet.
+    const { rows: marks } = await db.rawQuery(
+      `SELECT coalesce((SELECT min(created_at) FROM probe_candidates WHERE status IN ('waiting', 'taken') AND kind = ANY(?)), now()) AS probed,
+              coalesce((SELECT at FROM worker_cursors WHERE name = ?), to_timestamp(0)) - make_interval(secs => ?) AS merged,
+              now() - make_interval(secs => ?) AS settled`,
+      [MERGE_KINDS, MERGER, MERGER_OVERLAP_MS / 1000, SETTLED_MS / 1000]
+    )
+    const { probed, merged, settled } = marks[0]
     for (;;) {
       const { rows: sets } = await db.rawQuery(
-        `SELECT set_id, max(created_at)::text AS at FROM par2_sets GROUP BY set_id
-         HAVING (max(created_at), set_id::text) > (?::timestamptz, ?::text) AND max(created_at) <= ?
-         ORDER BY max(created_at), set_id LIMIT ?`,
-        [since, sinceKey, until, this.batch]
+        `WITH batch AS MATERIALIZED (SELECT DISTINCT set_id FROM par2_files WHERE set_id > ? ORDER BY set_id LIMIT ?),
+         recent AS MATERIALIZED (SELECT group_id, posted_low, posted_high FROM ranges WHERE status = 'done' AND done_at >= ?),
+         unseen AS MATERIALIZED (SELECT DISTINCT hash16k, size FROM file_hashes WHERE created_at >= ?)
+         SELECT b.set_id, CASE
+           WHEN NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM par2_sets s WHERE s.set_id = b.set_id AND s.created_at > ?)
+            AND NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM par2_files f WHERE f.set_id = b.set_id AND NOT EXISTS (
+                  SELECT 1 FROM file_hashes h JOIN par2_sets s ON s.release_id = h.release_id AND s.set_id = f.set_id
+                  WHERE h.hash16k = f.hash16k AND h.size = f.length)) THEN 'complete'
+           WHEN NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM par2_sets o LEFT JOIN release_verdicts v ON v.release_id = o.release_id AND v.rule = ANY(?)
+                  WHERE o.set_id = b.set_id AND v.release_id IS NULL) THEN 'judged'
+           WHEN NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM par2_sets s WHERE s.set_id = b.set_id AND s.created_at > ?)
+            AND NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM par2_sets s JOIN releases r ON r.id = s.release_id WHERE s.set_id = b.set_id AND (
+                  release_final(r.group_id, r.first_article, r.last_article, r.posted_at, r.last_posted_at, r.complete) IS NOT TRUE
+                  OR EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM recent x WHERE x.group_id = r.group_id
+                    AND x.posted_low <= coalesce(r.last_posted_at, r.posted_at) + interval '6 hours' AND x.posted_high >= r.posted_at - interval '6 hours')))
+            AND NOT EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM par2_files f JOIN unseen u ON u.hash16k = f.hash16k AND u.size = f.length WHERE f.set_id = b.set_id)
+           THEN 'final' END AS reason
+         FROM batch b ORDER BY b.set_id`,
+        [after, this.batch, probed, merged, settled, JUNK, settled]
       )
-      if (sets.length === 0) break
-      const ids = sets.map((s: { set_id: string }) => s.set_id)
-      const { rows: done } = await db.rawQuery(
-        `SELECT c.set_id FROM unnest(?::char(32)[]) AS c(set_id)
-         WHERE EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM par2_files f WHERE f.set_id = c.set_id)
-           AND NOT EXISTS (
-             SELECT 1 FROM par2_files f WHERE f.set_id = c.set_id AND NOT EXISTS (
-               SELECT 1 FROM file_hashes h JOIN par2_sets s ON s.release_id = h.release_id AND s.set_id = f.set_id
-               WHERE h.hash16k = f.hash16k AND h.size = f.length))`,
-        [ids]
-      )
-      round.complete += done.length
-      round.rows += await this.drop(done.map((s: { set_id: string }) => s.set_id))
-      since = sets.at(-1).at
-      sinceKey = sets.at(-1).set_id
+      const done = (reason: keyof PruneRound) => sets.filter((s: { reason: string }) => s.reason === reason).map((s: { set_id: string }) => s.set_id)
+      for (const reason of ['complete', 'judged', 'final'] as const) {
+        const ids = done(reason)
+        round[reason] += ids.length
+        round.rows += await this.drop(ids)
+      }
+      // Past the last set: the next batch starts the next pass.
+      after = sets.length < this.batch ? '' : sets.at(-1).set_id
       await db.rawQuery(
-        `INSERT INTO worker_cursors (name, at, key) VALUES (?, ?::timestamptz, ?) ON CONFLICT (name) DO UPDATE SET at = excluded.at, key = excluded.key`,
-        [CURSOR, since, sinceKey]
+        `INSERT INTO worker_cursors (name, at, key) VALUES (?, now(), ?) ON CONFLICT (name) DO UPDATE SET at = excluded.at, key = excluded.key`,
+        [CURSOR, after]
       )
-      if (sets.length < this.batch || Date.now() > deadline) break
+      if (after === '' || Date.now() > deadline) break
     }
-    if (Date.now() > deadline) return round
-    // Judged: no cursor (verdicts come and go); only sets with rows left.
-    const { rows: judged } = await db.rawQuery(
-      `SELECT DISTINCT s.set_id FROM release_verdicts v JOIN par2_sets s ON s.release_id = v.release_id
-       WHERE v.rule = ANY(?)
-         AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM par2_files f WHERE f.set_id = s.set_id)
-         AND NOT EXISTS (
-           SELECT 1 FROM par2_sets o LEFT JOIN release_verdicts ov ON ov.release_id = o.release_id AND ov.rule = ANY(?)
-           WHERE o.set_id = s.set_id AND ov.release_id IS NULL)`,
-      [JUNK, JUNK]
-    )
-    round.judged = judged.length
-    const judgedIds = judged.map((s: { set_id: string }) => s.set_id)
-    for (let i = 0; i < judgedIds.length; i += BATCH) round.rows += await this.drop(judgedIds.slice(i, i + BATCH))
     return round
   }
 
diff --git a/database/migrations/1770000005100_late_candidates_ready.ts b/database/migrations/1770000005100_late_candidates_ready.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c40174b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/database/migrations/1770000005100_late_candidates_ready.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+import { BaseSchema } from '@adonisjs/lucid/schema'
+
+/**
+ * Probe candidates added to a release after it settled (a later range of its upload, a merge into it) stayed not
+ * ready: the settler marks a release's candidates only when it settles it (LOG.md 2026-10-20 (87)). 93,642 waited
+ * since 2026-10-13 (17k lone, 31k par2, 45k archive). The batch store and the merge mark them now; these are made
+ * claimable once.
+ */
+export default class extends BaseSchema {
+  async up() {
+    this.schema.raw(`
+      UPDATE probe_candidates pc SET ready = true, unreadable = NOT r.readable FROM releases r
+      WHERE pc.status = 'waiting' AND NOT pc.ready AND r.id = pc.release_id AND r.settled_at IS NOT NULL`)
+  }
+
+  async down() {}
+}
diff --git a/tests/functional/batch_store.spec.ts b/tests/functional/batch_store.spec.ts
index 34e3691..0954d9c 100644
--- a/tests/functional/batch_store.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/functional/batch_store.spec.ts
@@ -120,6 +120,18 @@ test.group('BatchStore', (group) => {
     assert.equal(Number(chunks!.n), 4)
   })
 
+  test('candidates added to a settled release (a later range of its upload) are claimable at once', async ({ assert }) => {
+    await storeIn(GROUP, 1, upload(10, 'Some.Show.S01E02.1080p.mkv', 2, 'Some.Show.S01E02.1080p [1/2]', '2026-10-05T10:00:00Z'))
+    // Settled before the next range came (the settler marks only what it settles).
+    await db.from('releases').update({ settled_at: new Date() })
+    await db.from('probe_candidates').update({ ready: true })
+    await storeIn(GROUP, 100_001, upload(100_010, 'Some.Show.S01E02.1080p.par2', 1, 'Some.Show.S01E02.1080p [2/2]', '2026-10-05T10:20:00Z'))
+    const candidates = await db.from('probe_candidates').orderBy('id').select('kind', 'ready')
+    assert.deepEqual(candidates.map((c) => c.kind), ['par2'])
+    assert.isTrue(candidates.every((c) => c.ready))
+    assert.lengthOf(await releasesOf(), 1)
+  })
+
   test('the same upload in another group (multi-posted) is a release of its own', async ({ assert }) => {
     await storeIn(GROUP, 1, upload(10, 'Some.Show.S01E01.1080p.mkv', 2, 'Some.Show.S01E01.1080p [1/1]', '2026-10-05T10:00:00Z'))
     await storeIn('alt.binaries.other', 1, upload(10, 'Some.Show.S01E01.1080p.mkv', 2, 'Some.Show.S01E01.1080p [1/1]', '2026-10-05T10:01:00Z', 'alt.binaries.other'))
diff --git a/tests/functional/par2_pruner.spec.ts b/tests/functional/par2_pruner.spec.ts
index 8cafeae..ff80d0b 100644
--- a/tests/functional/par2_pruner.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/functional/par2_pruner.spec.ts
@@ -53,23 +53,53 @@ test.group('Par2Pruner', (group) => {
     const locked = await set('e', e, 2, null)
     await db.table('release_verdicts').insert({ release_id: e, rule: 'locked', rule_version: 1 })
 
-    // Out of budget: the complete pass's batch, not the judged pass (the next round goes on).
-    assert.deepEqual(await new Par2Pruner().round(0), { complete: 1, judged: 0, rows: 2 })
-    await db.from('worker_cursors').where('name', 'par2-prune').delete()
-    const round = await new Par2Pruner().round()
-    assert.deepEqual(round, { complete: 0, judged: 1, rows: 2 })
+    // Final: its holder held by a run of done ranges with hours to spare, nothing hashed (a readable upload's files).
+    const f = await release()
+    const final = await set('f', f, 2, null)
+    const posted = new Date('2024-03-01T12:00:00Z')
+    const [group] = await db.table('groups').insert({ name: 'alt.binaries.pruned', priority: 1 }).returning('id')
+    const groupId = Number(group.id)
+    await db.from('releases').where('id', f).update({ group_id: groupId, posted_at: posted, last_posted_at: posted, first_article: 5000, last_article: 5100 })
+    const [range] = await db
+      .table('ranges')
+      .insert({ group_id: groupId, start_id: 1, end_id: 10000, next_id: 10001, status: 'done', done_at: old, posted_low: new Date('2024-02-28T00:00:00Z'), posted_high: new Date('2024-03-03T00:00:00Z') })
+      .returning('id')
+    await db.table('range_blocks').insert({ group_id: groupId, start_id: 1, end_id: 10000, posted_low: new Date('2024-02-28T00:00:00Z'), posted_high: new Date('2024-03-03T00:00:00Z'), at_group_start: false })
+    // A lone candidate unprobed since before the range was done: its hash may still match. Kept.
+    await db.table('probe_candidates').insert({ id: 9001, release_id: b, kind: 'lone', message_id: '<9001@x>', file: 'x', status: 'waiting', created_at: new Date(old.getTime() - 3600_000) })
+
+    // Out of budget: one batch of two sets (a, b), the next round goes on.
+    assert.deepEqual(await new Par2Pruner(2).round(0), { complete: 1, judged: 0, final: 0, rows: 2 })
+    assert.deepEqual(await new Par2Pruner(2).round(), { complete: 0, judged: 1, final: 0, rows: 2 })
     assert.equal(await count(complete), 0)
     assert.equal(await count(apart), 2)
     assert.equal(await count(recent), 2)
     assert.equal(await count(dead), 0)
     assert.equal(await count(locked), 2)
-    assert.equal((await db.from('par2_sets').count('* as n'))[0].n, '5')
+    assert.equal(await count(final), 2)
 
-    // Again: the cursor is past them, nothing more.
-    assert.deepEqual(await new Par2Pruner().round(), { complete: 0, judged: 0, rows: 0 })
+    // Probed: final. The next pass starts over from the first set.
+    await db.from('probe_candidates').where('id', 9001).update({ status: 'done' })
+    assert.deepEqual(await new Par2Pruner(2).round(), { complete: 0, judged: 0, final: 1, rows: 2 })
+    assert.equal(await count(final), 0)
+    assert.equal((await db.from('par2_sets').count('* as n'))[0].n, '6')
+
+    // A hash of its files since the merger's last window: the merger hasn't matched it yet. Kept.
+    const g = await release()
+    const unseen = await set('g', g, 1, null)
+    await db.from('releases').where('id', g).update({ group_id: groupId, posted_at: posted, last_posted_at: posted, first_article: 6000, last_article: 6100 })
+    await db.table('worker_cursors').insert({ name: 'merger', at: new Date(Date.now() - 3600_000) })
+    await db.table('probe_candidates').insert({ id: 9002, release_id: await release(), kind: 'lone', message_id: '<9002@x>', file: 'x', status: 'done' })
+    await db.table('file_hashes').insert({ candidate_id: 9002, release_id: 1, hash16k: 'g0'.padEnd(32, '0'), size: 1000 })
+    assert.equal((await new Par2Pruner().round()).final, 0)
+    // Past the hash by more than the merger's overlap.
+    await db.from('worker_cursors').where('name', 'merger').update({ at: new Date(Date.now() + 120_000) })
+    assert.equal((await new Par2Pruner().round()).final, 1)
+    assert.equal(await count(unseen), 0)
+    assert.isNotNull(range)
   })
 
-  test('more sets of one created_at than a batch holds: each batch goes on past the last one', async ({ assert }) => {
+  test('sets of one created_at, a batch each: every one looked at', async ({ assert }) => {
     // One prober flush gives thousands of sets the same created_at (to the microsecond).
     const flush = new Date('2026-10-15T14:38:39.883Z')
     let candidate = 7000
@@ -88,6 +118,7 @@ test.group('Par2Pruner', (group) => {
     const round = await new Par2Pruner(1).round()
     assert.equal(round.complete, 3)
     assert.equal((await db.from('par2_files').whereIn('set_id', ['p'.repeat(32), 'q'.repeat(32), 'r'.repeat(32)]).count('* as n'))[0].n, '0')
-    assert.equal((await db.from('worker_cursors').where('name', 'par2-prune').firstOrFail()).key, 'r'.repeat(32))
+    // The pass ended: the next one starts from the first set.
+    assert.equal((await db.from('worker_cursors').where('name', 'par2-prune').firstOrFail()).key, '')
   })
 })