diff --git a/src/live-worktree.ts b/src/live-worktree.ts
index c7a688d4..7a142320 100644
--- a/src/live-worktree.ts
+++ b/src/live-worktree.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
  * @module live-worktree
  */
 
-import { promises as fs } from 'node:fs';
+import { constants, promises as fs } from 'node:fs';
 import { basename, dirname, join } from 'node:path';
 import { probePathKind } from './utils/bounded-path-probe.js';
 
@@ -67,10 +67,11 @@ async function classifyDotGit(dir: string): Promise<'worktree' | 'stop' | 'none'
   if (kind !== 'file') return 'stop';
   let handle: fs.FileHandle | undefined;
   try {
-    // lstat, so a `.git` that is a symlink or a FIFO is refused before anything opens it:
-    // opening a FIFO waits for a writer and would hold a threadpool worker for good.
-    if (!(await fs.lstat(dotGit)).isFile()) return 'stop';
-    handle = await fs.open(dotGit, 'r');
+    // The probe follows symlinks and the file can change after it, so the open itself refuses:
+    // O_NOFOLLOW a symlink, and O_NONBLOCK a FIFO, which would otherwise wait for a writer and
+    // hold a threadpool worker for good. Whatever it did open is then judged on the handle.
+    handle = await fs.open(dotGit, constants.O_RDONLY | constants.O_NOFOLLOW | constants.O_NONBLOCK);
+    if (!(await handle.stat()).isFile()) return 'stop';
     const { buffer, bytesRead } = await handle.read(Buffer.alloc(MAX_DOT_GIT_FILE_BYTES), 0, MAX_DOT_GIT_FILE_BYTES, 0);
     return isLinkedWorktreeGitFile(buffer.toString('utf8', 0, bytesRead)) ? 'worktree' : 'stop';
   } catch {
diff --git a/test/live-worktree.test.ts b/test/live-worktree.test.ts
index e3cfe071..ab29c206 100644
--- a/test/live-worktree.test.ts
+++ b/test/live-worktree.test.ts
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@
  * file. Runs against a real filesystem, and one case against a worktree real git made.
  */
 import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';
-import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync, symlinkSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { constants, mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, promises as fsPromises, rmSync, symlinkSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
 import { join } from 'node:path';
-import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import { findLiveWorktree, isLinkedWorktreeGitFile } from '../src/live-worktree.js';
 
 describe('isLinkedWorktreeGitFile', () => {
@@ -100,6 +100,28 @@ describe('findLiveWorktree', () => {
     expect(await findLiveWorktree(repo, piped)).toBeUndefined();
   });
 
+  it('refuses a FIFO swapped in after the probe, without waiting for a writer', async () => {
+    const swapped = join(repo, 'swapped');
+    mkdirSync(swapped);
+    execFileSync('mkfifo', [join(swapped, 'fifo')]);
+    const flagsSeen: unknown[] = [];
+    const realOpen = fsPromises.open.bind(fsPromises);
+    const spy = vi.spyOn(fsPromises, 'open').mockImplementationOnce((_path, flags) => {
+      flagsSeen.push(flags);
+      // The test's own open never blocks, so a change that loses the flag fails on the assert below.
+      return realOpen(join(swapped, 'fifo'), constants.O_RDONLY | constants.O_NONBLOCK);
+    });
+    try {
+      // The probe and the open disagree here, which is what a swap between the two looks like.
+      writeFileSync(join(swapped, '.git'), 'gitdir: /home/me/repo/.git/worktrees/swapped\n');
+      expect(await findLiveWorktree(repo, swapped)).toBeUndefined();
+    } finally {
+      spy.mockRestore();
+    }
+    expect(Number(flagsSeen[0]) & constants.O_NONBLOCK).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(Number(flagsSeen[0]) & constants.O_NOFOLLOW).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
   it('answers nothing without an absolute reading', async () => {
     expect(await findLiveWorktree(repo, undefined)).toBeUndefined();
     expect(await findLiveWorktree(repo, '')).toBeUndefined();