diff --git a/crates/core/src/private_file.rs b/crates/core/src/private_file.rs
index 76b170e..248a182 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/private_file.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/private_file.rs
@@ -20,9 +20,12 @@ pub(crate) fn open_private_lock(path: &Path, create: bool) -> std::io::Result<Fi
     Ok(file)
 }
 
+/// Read access is requested alongside append because callers lock the returned
+/// handle, and Windows `LockFileEx` fails with `ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED` on a handle
+/// opened for append only.
 pub(crate) fn open_private_append(path: &Path) -> std::io::Result<File> {
     let mut options = OpenOptions::new();
-    options.create(true).append(true);
+    options.read(true).create(true).append(true);
     configure_unix(&mut options, 0o600);
     let file = options.open(path)?;
     validate_private_regular(&file)?;
@@ -299,3 +302,7 @@ pub(super) fn permission_denied(message: &'static str) -> std::io::Error {
 #[cfg(test)]
 #[path = "private_file_tests.rs"]
 mod tests;
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+#[path = "private_file_lock_tests.rs"]
+mod lock_tests;
diff --git a/crates/core/src/private_file_lock_tests.rs b/crates/core/src/private_file_lock_tests.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d5e5d69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/core/src/private_file_lock_tests.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+use super::*;
+
+fn scratch_dir(name: &str) -> PathBuf {
+    let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!(
+        "agent-desktop-{name}-{}-{}",
+        std::process::id(),
+        crate::refs::new_snapshot_id()
+    ));
+    crate::private_file_parent::ensure_private(&dir).expect("private scratch directory");
+    dir
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn appended_private_files_are_lockable() {
+    let path = scratch_dir("append-lock").join("trace.jsonl");
+
+    let file = open_private_append(&path).expect("append handle");
+    file.lock()
+        .expect("append handles must be lockable on every platform");
+    file.unlock().expect("unlock");
+
+    drop(file);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&path);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn append_handles_reopen_and_relock_after_close() {
+    let path = scratch_dir("append-relock").join("trace.jsonl");
+
+    for _ in 0..2 {
+        let file = open_private_append(&path).expect("append handle");
+        file.lock().expect("lock");
+        file.unlock().expect("unlock");
+    }
+
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&path);
+}
diff --git a/crates/core/src/refs_lock.rs b/crates/core/src/refs_lock.rs
index f5a90f9..d68bc56 100644
--- a/crates/core/src/refs_lock.rs
+++ b/crates/core/src/refs_lock.rs
@@ -32,11 +32,13 @@ mod tests {
     use super::*;
 
     fn lock_path(name: &str) -> std::path::PathBuf {
-        std::env::temp_dir().join(format!(
-            "agent-desktop-{name}-{}-{}.lock",
-            std::process::id(),
-            crate::refs::new_snapshot_id()
-        ))
+        std::env::temp_dir()
+            .join(format!(
+                "agent-desktop-{name}-{}-{}",
+                std::process::id(),
+                crate::refs::new_snapshot_id()
+            ))
+            .join("store.lock")
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/crates/ffi/src/adapter.rs b/crates/ffi/src/adapter.rs
index 8f5c183..8c7aef8 100644
--- a/crates/ffi/src/adapter.rs
+++ b/crates/ffi/src/adapter.rs
@@ -81,9 +81,9 @@ pub(crate) use acquire_adapter;
 ///
 /// Every method delegates to the `PlatformAdapter` trait defaults, all of
 /// which return `not_supported()` errors. `permission_report()` returns
-/// `Denied` via the trait default, so `ad_check_permissions` yields
-/// `ErrPermDenied` on a stub build — the expected signal for a CI runner
-/// that has no OS accessibility permission.
+/// `Unknown` via the trait default, so `ad_check_permissions` yields
+/// `ErrPlatformNotSupported` on a stub build — the honest signal that the
+/// adapter never probed permissions, rather than that one was denied.
 #[cfg(feature = "stub-adapter")]
 struct StubAdapter;
 
diff --git a/crates/ffi/tests/c_abi_passthrough.rs b/crates/ffi/tests/c_abi_passthrough.rs
index 361dea5..f4b31b5 100644
--- a/crates/ffi/tests/c_abi_passthrough.rs
+++ b/crates/ffi/tests/c_abi_passthrough.rs
@@ -93,27 +93,27 @@ fn stub_ad_version_always_succeeds() {
     }
 }
 
-/// `ad_check_permissions` maps the stub adapter's `Denied` permission state
-/// to `ErrPermDenied (-1)`, not `ErrPlatformNotSupported (-8)`. This is the
-/// documented exception. Cross-platform callers must treat both codes as
-/// "adapter not operational here".
+/// `ad_check_permissions` reports `ErrPlatformNotSupported (-8)` on an adapter
+/// that never probes permissions. Not having measured a permission is a
+/// different fact from a user having denied one, and `ErrPermDenied (-1)` sends
+/// callers looking for a grant that does not exist on that platform.
 #[cfg(feature = "stub-adapter")]
 #[test]
-fn stub_ad_check_permissions_returns_err_perm_denied() {
+fn stub_ad_check_permissions_returns_err_platform_not_supported() {
     with_adapter(|adapter| unsafe {
         let rc = ad_check_permissions(adapter);
         assert_eq!(
             rc,
-            AdResult::ErrPermDenied,
-            "stub adapter permission_report() returns Denied → ErrPermDenied (-1), \
-             not ErrPlatformNotSupported (-8). Both mean the adapter is not operational."
+            AdResult::ErrPlatformNotSupported,
+            "an adapter that does not probe permissions reports Unknown, which must \
+             surface as ErrPlatformNotSupported (-8), never ErrPermDenied (-1)."
         );
         let msg = ad_last_error_message();
         assert!(
             !msg.is_null(),
-            "last-error message must be set on ErrPermDenied"
+            "last-error message must be set on ErrPlatformNotSupported"
         );
-        assert_eq!(ad_last_error_code(), AdResult::ErrPermDenied);
+        assert_eq!(ad_last_error_code(), AdResult::ErrPlatformNotSupported);
     });
 }