diff --git a/packages/util/retention/src/index.ts b/packages/util/retention/src/index.ts
index bf754e2a8b..91f6412691 100644
--- a/packages/util/retention/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/util/retention/src/index.ts
@@ -391,21 +391,22 @@ export class TextRetainer {
     const omitted = this.omittedAt(this.total)
     const truncated = omitted > 0
 
-    // A cut exists at the prefix end only if content followed it (moved to the
-    // suffix or omitted); likewise the suffix start is a cut only if content
-    // preceded it. When the whole stream fits in one side, pass bytes through
-    // untrimmed so valid output is never altered.
-    let prefix = concat(this.prefixChunks)
-    if (suffixLen > 0 || omitted > 0) prefix = trimTrailingPartialUtf8(prefix)
+    const prefix = concat(this.prefixChunks) // exactly prefixLen bytes (prefixHeld === prefixLen)
+    const suffix = concat(this.suffixChunks).subarray(this.suffixHeld - suffixLen)
 
-    const suffixBuf = concat(this.suffixChunks)
-    let suffix = suffixBuf.subarray(this.suffixHeld - suffixLen)
-    if (prefixLen > 0 || omitted > 0) suffix = trimLeadingContinuationUtf8(suffix)
+    // With nothing omitted, prefix and suffix are ADJACENT slices of one stream
+    // (prefixLen + suffixLen === total), so the head|tail split is artificial: a
+    // codepoint may span it. Decode the contiguous whole as one buffer — trimming
+    // or decoding the halves separately here would corrupt a boundary-spanning
+    // codepoint though no content was actually dropped. Only a real omitted gap
+    // makes each side a true cut: trim each to a UTF-8 boundary and decode
+    // separately so a codepoint is never reconstructed across the gap.
+    const text = truncated
+      ? decoder.decode(trimTrailingPartialUtf8(prefix)) + decoder.decode(trimLeadingContinuationUtf8(suffix))
+      : decoder.decode(concat([prefix, suffix]))
 
     return {
-      // Decode the two sides separately so a codepoint is never reconstructed
-      // across the omitted middle.
-      text: decoder.decode(prefix) + decoder.decode(suffix),
+      text,
       truncated,
       omittedBytes: truncated
         ? { kind: this.allowStop ? 'atLeast' : 'exact', count: omitted }
diff --git a/packages/util/retention/tests/retention.spec.ts b/packages/util/retention/tests/retention.spec.ts
index b3401cf50a..fd512508be 100644
--- a/packages/util/retention/tests/retention.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/util/retention/tests/retention.spec.ts
@@ -156,6 +156,32 @@ describe('TextRetainer — headTail (prefix + suffix, omit the middle)', () => {
     expect(result.truncated).toBe(false)
     expect(result.omittedBytes).toEqual<Omitted>({ kind: 'none' })
   })
+
+  it('does not drop a codepoint that spans the head|tail split when nothing is omitted', () => {
+    // Regression: with head+tail covering the whole stream, the split is
+    // artificial — a multibyte codepoint may straddle it. 'éab' is C3 A9 61 62
+    // (4 bytes); headBytes 1 + tailBytes 3 covers all 4 with omitted === 0, but
+    // the split falls INSIDE 'é'. The bytes are contiguous, so the full 'éab'
+    // must survive — not be trimmed to 'ab'.
+    const r = new TextRetainer({ kind: 'headTail', headBytes: 1, tailBytes: 3 })
+    r.push('éab')
+    const result = r.finish()
+    expect(result.text).toBe('éab')
+    expect(result.truncated).toBe(false)
+    expect(result.omittedBytes).toEqual<Omitted>({ kind: 'none' })
+  })
+
+  it('still trims boundary partials once a real middle is omitted', () => {
+    // With a genuine gap the two sides ARE true cuts: '€' (3 bytes) split across
+    // the omitted middle must not resurface as a replacement char on either side.
+    const r = new TextRetainer({ kind: 'headTail', headBytes: 2, tailBytes: 2 })
+    r.push('a€€b') // 8 bytes; head 'a'+partial, tail partial+'b', middle omitted
+    const result = r.finish()
+    expect(result.truncated).toBe(true)
+    expect(result.text).not.toContain('�')
+    expect(result.text.startsWith('a')).toBe(true)
+    expect(result.text.endsWith('b')).toBe(true)
+  })
 })
 
 describe('TextRetainer — zero budgets', () => {