diff --git a/internal/cli/entry_snapshot_purge_test.go b/internal/cli/entry_snapshot_purge_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..64d7a81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cli/entry_snapshot_purge_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+package cli //nolint:testpackage // shares runEntry and the hermetic config helpers
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/database"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/snapshot"
+)
+
+// Words and flags of `snapshot purge` used to build argument vectors
+// below.
+const (
+	cmdPurge      = "purge"
+	flagOlderThan = "--older-than"
+	flagForce     = "--force"
+)
+
+// TestEntrySnapshotPurgeKeepsMetadataWhenLocalIndexDeleteFails makes
+// the local index refuse to delete an old snapshot and checks that
+// `snapshot purge` exits non-zero and leaves that snapshot's metadata on
+// the destination store. It used to log the error, delete the metadata
+// and exit 0.
+//
+// `snapshot create --prune` runs the same purge, but cannot be driven
+// this way: the refusal also breaks the backup's metadata export, which
+// deletes the other snapshots from its copy of the local index.
+//
+//nolint:paralleltest // replaces os.Args, os.Stdout, os.Stderr and the xdg globals
+func TestEntrySnapshotPurgeKeepsMetadataWhenLocalIndexDeleteFails(t *testing.T) {
+	configPath := writeHermeticPruneConfig(t, false)
+	dir := filepath.Dir(configPath)
+	indexPath := filepath.Join(dir, "index.sqlite")
+
+	// seedStaleSnapshotRecord writes an old snapshot to the local index
+	// only; the manifest planted here puts it on the destination store
+	// too, so the purge selects it rather than dropping it as stale.
+	seedStaleSnapshotRecord(t, indexPath)
+
+	manifestDir := filepath.Join(dir, "store", "metadata",
+		snapshot.RemoteSnapshotKey(stalePruneSnapshotID))
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(manifestDir, 0o750))
+
+	manifestPath := filepath.Join(manifestDir, "manifest.json.zst")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(manifestPath, []byte("stub"), 0o600))
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	db, err := database.New(ctx, indexPath)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	_, err = db.Conn().ExecContext(ctx, `
+		CREATE TRIGGER refuse_snapshot_delete BEFORE DELETE ON snapshots
+		BEGIN SELECT RAISE(ABORT, 'simulated index error'); END`)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, db.Close())
+
+	code, _, _ := runEntry(t, flagConfig, configPath,
+		cmdSnapshot, cmdPurge, flagOlderThan, "30d", flagForce)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, code)
+	assert.FileExists(t, manifestPath,
+		"the snapshot is still in the local index, so its metadata must stay")
+}
diff --git a/internal/vaultik/snapshot.go b/internal/vaultik/snapshot.go
index 630e2ba..cef9cbf 100644
--- a/internal/vaultik/snapshot.go
+++ b/internal/vaultik/snapshot.go
@@ -669,10 +669,11 @@ func (v *Vaultik) confirmAndExecutePurge(
 		snapshotID := snap.ID.String()
 		log.Info("Deleting snapshot", "id", snapshotID)
 
+		// Stop before the remote delete, so a snapshot still in the local
+		// index keeps its metadata on the destination store.
 		err := v.deleteSnapshotFromLocalDB(snapshotID)
 		if err != nil {
-			log.Error("Failed to delete from local database",
-				"snapshot_id", snapshotID, "error", err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("deleting snapshot %s from local index: %w", snapshotID, err)
 		}
 
 		_, err = v.deleteRemoteSnapshotByKey(snapshot.RemoteSnapshotKey(snapshotID))