diff --git a/scripts/patch-folds.mjs b/scripts/patch-folds.mjs
index 59ad91b7e..37c20240d 100644
--- a/scripts/patch-folds.mjs
+++ b/scripts/patch-folds.mjs
@@ -4,28 +4,56 @@ import { join, dirname } from 'path';
 
 const __dirname = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
 const foldsPath = join(__dirname, '../node_modules/folds/dist/index.js');
+const foldsPkgPath = join(__dirname, '../node_modules/folds/package.json');
+
+// Context lines around the target, not just the single `children: src(filled)`
+// expression, so a coincidental match elsewhere in the bundle (e.g. some other
+// `src(filled)` call) can't be mistaken for the Icon component we're patching.
+// This is still string matching, not an AST edit, but the extra context makes
+// an accidental match far less likely (Gitea #55).
+const original = ['      ...props,', '      ref,', '      children: src(filled)', '    }'].join(
+  '\n',
+);
+const patched = [
+  '      ...props,',
+  '      ref,',
+  '      children: typeof src === "function" ? src(filled) : null',
+  '    }',
+].join('\n');
+
+function foldsVersion() {
+  try {
+    return JSON.parse(readFileSync(foldsPkgPath, 'utf8')).version ?? 'unknown';
+  } catch {
+    return 'unknown';
+  }
+}
 
 try {
-  let content = readFileSync(foldsPath, 'utf8');
-
-  // Defensive guard: if src is not a function, render null instead of crashing
-  const original = 'children: src(filled)';
-  const patched = 'children: typeof src === "function" ? src(filled) : null';
+  const content = readFileSync(foldsPath, 'utf8');
 
   if (content.includes(patched)) {
+    // Already patched (e.g. re-running postinstall, or a fresh checkout that
+    // already has a patched node_modules cache) — no-op, exit 0.
     console.log('folds patch already applied.');
   } else if (content.includes(original)) {
-    content = content.replace(original, patched);
-    writeFileSync(foldsPath, content, 'utf8');
+    writeFileSync(foldsPath, content.replace(original, patched), 'utf8');
     console.log('Applied defensive Icon src guard to folds.');
   } else {
-    // Genuine "patch could not be applied" case: the target string is gone
-    // (folds renamed/restructured it) AND it isn't already patched. Fail hard
-    // so the postinstall hook / CI breaks loudly instead of silently shipping
-    // an unpatched folds (which crashes at render with "src is not a function").
+    // Genuine "patch could not be applied" case: neither the original nor the
+    // patched form was found, meaning folds changed the Icon implementation.
+    // Fail loudly so the postinstall hook / CI breaks instead of silently
+    // shipping an unpatched folds (which crashes at render with "src is not a
+    // function"). See LOTUS_TODO.md "Dependencies / Build / Hygiene" for
+    // context on why this is a direct node_modules patch rather than
+    // patch-package.
+    console.error('ERROR: folds Icon patch target not found.');
+    console.error(`  folds version installed: ${foldsVersion()}`);
+    console.error(`  Expected to find (surrounding context):\n${original}`);
     console.error(
-      'ERROR: folds Icon patch target not found - folds may have updated. ' +
-        'Update the patch target string in scripts/patch-folds.mjs before building.',
+      '  folds likely changed its Icon implementation. Update the patch target ' +
+        'in scripts/patch-folds.mjs (see LOTUS_TODO -> "Dependencies / Build / Hygiene" ' +
+        '-> patch-folds.mjs entry) before building.',
     );
     process.exit(1);
   }
diff --git a/scripts/syncDecorations.mjs b/scripts/syncDecorations.mjs
index ba1e0afdf..7cde014ee 100644
--- a/scripts/syncDecorations.mjs
+++ b/scripts/syncDecorations.mjs
@@ -103,9 +103,38 @@ missing.forEach((r) => console.log(`  Removing (HTTP ${r.status}): ${r.slug}`));
 const missingSet = new Set(missing.map((r) => r.slug));
 
 // Remove individual entries for missing slugs
-let updated = catalog.replace(/^[ \t]*\{ slug: '([^']+)', name: .+\},?\r?\n/gm, (match, slug) =>
-  missingSet.has(slug) ? '' : match,
-);
+const removedSlugs = new Set();
+let updated = catalog.replace(/^[ \t]*\{ slug: '([^']+)', name: .+\},?\r?\n/gm, (match, slug) => {
+  if (!missingSet.has(slug)) return match;
+  removedSlugs.add(slug);
+  return '';
+});
+
+// Regex-based removal is brittle: if the catalog is reformatted (different
+// indentation, line-wrapped entries, etc.) the pattern above can silently
+// match zero entries while HTTP probing still reports slugs missing. Verify
+// every slug we intended to remove actually got matched — otherwise abort
+// without writing, so a formatting change fails loudly instead of leaving
+// stale/dead entries in the catalog (see Gitea #88).
+const unmatched = [...missingSet].filter((slug) => !removedSlugs.has(slug));
+if (unmatched.length > 0) {
+  console.error(
+    `Aborting: expected to remove ${missingSet.size} entr${missingSet.size === 1 ? 'y' : 'ies'} ` +
+      `but only matched ${removedSlugs.size}. The catalog's formatting may have changed and the ` +
+      `parser in scripts/syncDecorations.mjs needs updating. Refusing to write a partial result.`,
+  );
+  console.error(`  Unmatched slugs: ${unmatched.join(', ')}`);
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+if (removedSlugs.size === 0) {
+  // We already exited above when `missing.length === 0`, so reaching here
+  // with zero removals despite `missing.length > 0` means the diff between
+  // "expected" and "actual" itself is broken — fail rather than proceed.
+  console.error(
+    'Aborting: no entries were matched for removal despite missing slugs. Refusing to write.',
+  );
+  process.exit(1);
+}
 
 // Drop category blocks that now have an empty decorations array
 updated = updated.replace(
@@ -118,6 +147,6 @@ updated = updated.replace(/\n{3,}/g, '\n\n');
 
 writeFileSync(catalogPath, updated, 'utf8');
 console.log(
-  `\nDone. Removed ${missing.length} entr${missing.length === 1 ? 'y' : 'ies'} from the catalog.`,
+  `\nDone. Removed ${removedSlugs.size} entr${removedSlugs.size === 1 ? 'y' : 'ies'} from the catalog.`,
 );
 console.log('Review with: git diff src/app/features/lotus/avatarDecorations.ts');