Record the stored size of a blob a backup finds already stored (closes #300)

When a finished blob already existed at the destination, the upload was
skipped but the blob row, and so the manifest, kept the size of the
local copy. That copy can differ from the stored object when
compression_level or the recipients changed since it was written, and
then shallow and deep verify failed on a good snapshot. Marking a blob
uploaded now records the size of the object in storage: for an existing
blob, the size Stat reports.

Judgement call: the test adds a recipient rather than changing the
compression level, because an extra age recipient always makes the
local copy larger, while two zstd levels need not compress the test
data differently.

Model: opus-5-5

README.md

@@ -286,7 +286,9 @@ needed.
   remove orphaned blobs from remote storage. By default keeps only the latest
   snapshot per name; use `--keep-newer-than` for a rolling window.
 * `--keep-newer-than <duration>`: With `--prune`, keep snapshots newer than
-  this duration instead of only the latest (e.g. `4w`, `30d`, `6mo`, `1y`)
+  this duration instead of only the latest (e.g. `4w`, `30d`, `6mo`, `1y`).
+  Without `--prune`, or with a value that is not a valid duration, the
+  command fails before the backup starts.
 
 **`snapshot list`**: Show every snapshot known to this host — the union
 of the local index and the backup destination store — with timestamps
@@ -401,7 +403,9 @@ orphaned blob figures are reported as unknown; `--json` gives them as
 `null`, lists the remote key of each unreadable manifest in
 `unreadable_manifests` and counts the manifests under skipped names in
 `skipped_manifest_count`. An unreadable manifest also leaves its
-snapshot's blob count and blob size unknown, `null` in `--json`.
+snapshot's blob count and blob size unknown, `null` in `--json`. A file
+under `blobs/` whose name is not a blob hash is not counted as a blob,
+since `prune` never deletes it.
 * `--json`: Output as JSON
 
 **`remote nuke`**: Delete every snapshot's metadata and every blob from the

TODO.md

@@ -22,6 +22,14 @@ the tag exists and is exercised; what is left is merging `next` to
 
 # Completed Steps
 
+- 2026-10-13: Stopped `remote info` counting a file under `blobs/` that
+  is not a blob as an orphaned blob
+  ([issue #295](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/295)). A stray
+  file such as `.DS_Store` was reported as an orphaned blob and the
+  report advised running `prune`, which skips such a file and deleted
+  nothing. `remote info` now takes its blob list from the same listing
+  `prune` uses, in the table and in `--json`.
+
 - 2026-10-13: Made `snapshot remove` fail for a snapshot that does not
   exist ([issue #293](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/vaultik/issues/293)).
   The command never checked the ID: it reported the snapshot removed

docs/DATAMODEL.md

@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ Stores information about packed, compressed, and encrypted blob files.
 - `created_ts` (INTEGER NOT NULL) - Creation timestamp
 - `finished_ts` (INTEGER) - Finalization timestamp (NULL if in progress)
 - `uncompressed_size` (INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0) - Total size of chunks before compression
-- `compressed_size` (INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0) - Size after compression and encryption
+- `compressed_size` (INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0) - Size after compression and encryption. Once uploaded, the size of the object in storage: when the blob was already stored, under another compression level or other recipients, this can differ from the size of the local copy
 - `uploaded_ts` (INTEGER) - Upload completion timestamp (NULL if not uploaded)
 
 **Purpose:** Tracks blob lifecycle from creation through upload. The UUID primary key allows immediate association of chunks with blobs.
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ Tracks blob upload metrics.
    - `UPDATE blobs SET blob_hash = ?, finished_ts = ?` - Finalize blob after packing
 
 4. **Upload**
-   - `UPDATE blobs SET uploaded_ts = ?` - Mark blob as uploaded
+   - `UPDATE blobs SET uploaded_ts = ?, compressed_size = ?` - Mark blob as uploaded, with the size of the object in storage (the upload is skipped when the blob is already stored)
    - `INSERT INTO uploads` - Record upload metrics with snapshot_id
    - `INSERT INTO snapshot_blobs` - Associate blob with snapshot
 

internal/cli/entry_snapshot_create_prune_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+package cli //nolint:testpackage // shares runEntry and the hermetic config helpers
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// Flags of `snapshot create` used to build argument vectors below.
+const (
+	flagPrune         = "--prune"
+	flagKeepNewerThan = "--keep-newer-than"
+)
+
+// TestEntrySnapshotCreateRejectsKeepNewerThanBeforeBackup checks that a
+// --keep-newer-than the post-backup prune could not use stops `snapshot
+// create` before the backup: the command fails and the destination
+// store stays empty. It used to be read only by the prune, after the
+// snapshot was uploaded, and without --prune it was ignored.
+//
+//nolint:paralleltest // replaces os.Args, os.Stdout, os.Stderr and the xdg globals
+func TestEntrySnapshotCreateRejectsKeepNewerThanBeforeBackup(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, testCase := range []struct {
+		name string
+		args []string
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "decimal in a day count",
+			args: []string{flagPrune, flagKeepNewerThan, "1.5d"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "unknown unit",
+			args: []string{flagPrune, flagKeepNewerThan, "4x"},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "without --prune",
+			args: []string{flagKeepNewerThan, "4w"},
+		},
+	} {
+		t.Run(testCase.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			configPath, storeDir := writeBackupConfig(t)
+
+			code, _, _ := runEntry(t, append(
+				[]string{flagConfig, configPath, cmdSnapshot, cmdCreate},
+				testCase.args...)...)
+
+			assert.Equal(t, 1, code)
+
+			stored, err := os.ReadDir(storeDir)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Empty(t, stored, "nothing may be uploaded")
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestEntrySnapshotCreateReportsPostBackupPruneFailure makes the
+// post-backup prune fail after a good backup, by planting a manifest
+// that cannot be decoded, and checks that the failure is reported as the
+// prune's and not as a failed snapshot creation.
+//
+//nolint:paralleltest // replaces os.Args, os.Stdout, os.Stderr and the xdg globals
+func TestEntrySnapshotCreateReportsPostBackupPruneFailure(t *testing.T) {
+	configPath, storeDir := writeBackupConfig(t)
+
+	// A remote key is 64 lowercase hex characters. The prune reads every
+	// manifest on the store and fails on one it cannot decode.
+	plantedDir := filepath.Join(storeDir, "metadata", strings.Repeat("a", 64))
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(plantedDir, 0o750))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(
+		filepath.Join(plantedDir, "manifest.json.zst"),
+		[]byte("not a valid manifest"), 0o600))
+
+	code, _, stderr := runEntry(t,
+		flagConfig, configPath, cmdSnapshot, cmdCreate, flagPrune)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, code)
+	assert.Contains(t, stderr, "Backup completed, but post-backup prune failed")
+	assert.NotContains(t, stderr, "Snapshot creation failed")
+
+	snapshots, err := os.ReadDir(filepath.Join(storeDir, "metadata"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Len(t, snapshots, 2,
+		"the new snapshot is on the store beside the planted one")
+}
+
+// writeBackupConfig builds a hermetic config with one small file in its
+// source directory and an empty destination store directory. Returns the
+// config path and the store directory.
+func writeBackupConfig(t *testing.T) (string, string) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	configPath := writeHermeticPruneConfig(t, false)
+
+	// writeHermeticPruneConfig puts the source and store directories
+	// beside the config file.
+	dir := filepath.Dir(configPath)
+	sourceDir := filepath.Join(dir, "source")
+
+	require.NoError(t, os.Mkdir(sourceDir, 0o750))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(
+		filepath.Join(sourceDir, "file.txt"), []byte("hello"), 0o600))
+
+	return configPath, filepath.Join(dir, "store")
+}

internal/cli/snapshot.go

@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ otherwise from the platform config directory (~/.config/vaultik/config.yml
 on Linux), then /etc/vaultik/config.yml.`,
 		Args: cobra.ArbitraryArgs,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
+			err := opts.Validate()
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+
 			// Pass snapshot names from args
 			opts.Snapshots = args
 			// --skip-errors is a global flag on the root command.
@@ -97,6 +102,13 @@ on Linux), then /etc/vaultik/config.yml.`,
 			}, func(v *vaultik.Vaultik) error {
 				return v.CreateSnapshot(opts)
 			}, func(err error) {
+				if errors.Is(err, vaultik.ErrPostBackupPruneFailed) {
+					log.Error("Post-backup prune failed", "error", err)
+					ReportErrorf("Backup completed, but %v", err)
+
+					return
+				}
+
 				log.Error("Snapshot creation failed", "error", err)
 				ReportErrorf("Snapshot creation failed: %v", err)
 			})

internal/database/blobs.go

@@ -159,13 +159,16 @@ func (r *BlobRepository) UpdateFinished(
 	return nil
 }
 
-// UpdateUploaded marks a blob as uploaded
+// UpdateUploaded marks a blob as uploaded and records the size of the
+// stored object as its compressed size. That size can differ from the
+// local copy's when an identical blob was already stored with another
+// compression level or other recipients.
 func (r *BlobRepository) UpdateUploaded(
-	ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx, id string,
+	ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx, id string, storedSize int64,
 ) error {
 	query := `
-		UPDATE blobs 
+		UPDATE blobs
-		SET uploaded_ts = ?
+		SET uploaded_ts = ?, compressed_size = ?
 		WHERE id = ?
 	`
 
@@ -173,9 +176,9 @@ func (r *BlobRepository) UpdateUploaded(
 
 	var err error
 	if tx != nil {
-		_, err = tx.ExecContext(ctx, query, now, id)
+		_, err = tx.ExecContext(ctx, query, now, storedSize, id)
 	} else {
-		_, err = r.db.ExecWithLog(ctx, query, now, id)
+		_, err = r.db.ExecWithLog(ctx, query, now, storedSize, id)
 	}
 
 	if err != nil {

internal/database/blobs_test.go

@@ -122,8 +122,8 @@ func TestBlobRepositoryUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("expected compressed size 500, got %d", updated.CompressedSize)
 	}
 
-	// Test UpdateUploaded
+	// Test UpdateUploaded, with a stored object larger than the local copy
-	err = repo.UpdateUploaded(ctx, nil, blob.ID.String())
+	err = repo.UpdateUploaded(ctx, nil, blob.ID.String(), 600)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("failed to update blob as uploaded: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -141,6 +141,10 @@ func TestBlobRepositoryUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 	if uploaded.UploadedTS.Before(now.Add(-1 * time.Second)) {
 		t.Error("uploaded timestamp should be around test time")
 	}
+
+	if uploaded.CompressedSize != 600 {
+		t.Errorf("expected the stored size 600, got %d", uploaded.CompressedSize)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestBlobRepositoryDuplicate(t *testing.T) {

internal/snapshot/scanner.go

@@ -1509,7 +1509,8 @@ func (s *Scanner) finalizeProcessPhase(ctx context.Context, result *ScanResult)
 			// snapshot references has uploaded_ts set, so deduplication and
 			// interrupted-run repair treat these blobs as trustworthy.
 			err = s.repos.WithTx(ctx, func(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx) error {
-				err := s.repos.Blobs.UpdateUploaded(ctx, tx, b.ID)
+				err := s.repos.Blobs.UpdateUploaded(
+					ctx, tx, b.ID, b.Compressed)
 				if err != nil {
 					return fmt.Errorf("marking blob uploaded: %w", err)
 				}
@@ -1545,7 +1546,7 @@ func (s *Scanner) handleBlobReady(
 	blobPath := fmt.Sprintf("blobs/%s/%s/%s",
 		finishedBlob.Hash[:2], finishedBlob.Hash[2:4], finishedBlob.Hash)
 
-	blobExists, err := s.uploadBlobIfNeeded(
+	storedSize, blobExists, err := s.uploadBlobIfNeeded(
 		ctx, blobPath, blobWithReader, startTime, result)
 	if err != nil {
 		s.cleanupBlobTempFile(blobWithReader)
@@ -1553,7 +1554,8 @@ func (s *Scanner) handleBlobReady(
 		return fmt.Errorf("uploading blob %s: %w", finishedBlob.Hash, err)
 	}
 
-	err = s.recordBlobMetadata(ctx, finishedBlob, blobExists, startTime)
+	err = s.recordBlobMetadata(
+		ctx, finishedBlob, storedSize, blobExists, startTime)
 	if err != nil {
 		s.cleanupBlobTempFile(blobWithReader)
 
@@ -1575,20 +1577,22 @@ func (s *Scanner) handleBlobReady(
 }
 
 // uploadBlobIfNeeded uploads the blob to storage if it doesn't already
-// exist, returns whether it existed
+// exist. It returns the size of the object in storage, which for an
+// existing object can differ from the local copy's, and whether it
+// already existed.
 func (s *Scanner) uploadBlobIfNeeded(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	blobPath string,
 	blobWithReader *blob.WithReader,
 	startTime time.Time,
 	result *ScanResult,
-) (bool, error) {
+) (int64, bool, error) {
 	finishedBlob := blobWithReader.FinishedBlob
 
 	// Check if blob already exists (deduplication after restart)
 	destination := s.storage.Info().Location
 
-	_, err := s.storage.Stat(ctx, blobPath)
+	stored, err := s.storage.Stat(ctx, blobPath)
 	if err == nil {
 		log.Info("Blob already exists in storage, skipping upload",
 			"hash", finishedBlob.Hash,
@@ -1597,7 +1601,7 @@ func (s *Scanner) uploadBlobIfNeeded(
 			s.ui.Hex(finishedBlob.Hash), s.ui.Size(finishedBlob.Compressed),
 			s.ui.Path(destination))
 
-		return true, nil
+		return stored.Size, true, nil
 	}
 
 	s.ui.Beginf("Uploading blob %s (%s) to %s.",
@@ -1611,7 +1615,7 @@ func (s *Scanner) uploadBlobIfNeeded(
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Error("Failed to upload blob", "hash", finishedBlob.Hash, "error", err)
 
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("uploading blob to storage: %w", err)
+		return 0, false, fmt.Errorf("uploading blob to storage: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	uploadDuration := time.Since(startTime)
@@ -1642,7 +1646,7 @@ func (s *Scanner) uploadBlobIfNeeded(
 		stats.BytesUploaded.Add(finishedBlob.Compressed)
 	}
 
-	return false, nil
+	return finishedBlob.Compressed, false, nil
 }
 
 // makeUploadProgressCallback creates a progress callback for blob uploads.
@@ -1712,6 +1716,7 @@ func (s *Scanner) makeUploadProgressCallback(
 func (s *Scanner) recordBlobMetadata(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	finishedBlob *blob.FinishedBlob,
+	storedSize int64,
 	blobExists bool,
 	startTime time.Time,
 ) error {
@@ -1723,7 +1728,8 @@ func (s *Scanner) recordBlobMetadata(
 	uploadDuration := time.Since(startTime)
 
 	return s.repos.WithTx(ctx, func(txCtx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx) error {
-		err := s.repos.Blobs.UpdateUploaded(txCtx, tx, finishedBlob.ID)
+		err := s.repos.Blobs.UpdateUploaded(
+			txCtx, tx, finishedBlob.ID, storedSize)
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("updating blob upload timestamp: %w", err)
 		}

internal/vaultik/info.go

@@ -167,10 +167,6 @@ const (
 	// metadataKeyParts is the minimum "/"-separated segment count of a
 	// metadata object key (metadata/<snapshot-id>/<filename>).
 	metadataKeyParts = 3
-
-	// blobKeyParts is the minimum "/"-separated segment count of a blob
-	// object key (blobs/<aa>/<bb>/<hash>).
-	blobKeyParts = 4
 )
 
 // SnapshotMetadataInfo contains information about a single snapshot's metadata
@@ -454,23 +450,16 @@ func (v *Vaultik) scanRemoteBlobStorage(
 		v.stdoutf("Scanning blobs...\n")
 	}
 
-	blobCh := v.Storage.ListStream(v.ctx, "blobs/")
+	// Use prune's listing, so a file under blobs/ that prune would never
-	allBlobs := make(map[string]int64)
+	// delete is not counted as a blob, and so not as an orphaned one.
+	allBlobs, err := v.listAllRemoteBlobs()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
-	for obj := range blobCh {
+	for _, size := range allBlobs {
-		if obj.Err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("listing blobs: %w", obj.Err)
-		}
-
-		parts := strings.Split(obj.Key, "/")
-		if len(parts) < blobKeyParts {
-			continue
-		}
-
-		hash := parts[3]
-		allBlobs[hash] = obj.Size
 		result.TotalBlobCount++
-		result.TotalBlobSize += obj.Size
+		result.TotalBlobSize += size
 	}
 
 	// A blob named only by a manifest that could not be read, or by one

internal/vaultik/prune.go

@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ var errNukeRequiresForce = errors.New(
 // metadata.
 const metadataDirName = "metadata"
 
+// blobKeyParts is the "/"-separated segment count of a blob object key
+// (blobs/<aa>/<bb>/<hash>).
+const blobKeyParts = 4
+
 // NukeRemote deletes every snapshot's metadata and every blob from remote
 // storage, along with any object an upload cut off part-way left under a
 // temporary `.partial` name. After this returns successfully the bucket

internal/vaultik/remote_info_test.go

@@ -185,6 +185,39 @@ func TestRemoteInfo_SkipsNonConformingMetadataName(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NotContains(t, doc, "unreadable_manifests")
 }
 
+// TestRemoteInfo_DoesNotCountNonBlobFileUnderBlobs checks that a file
+// under blobs/ whose name is not a blob hash is not counted as a blob.
+// prune never deletes such a file, so counting it as an orphaned blob
+// would advise a prune that removes nothing.
+func TestRemoteInfo_DoesNotCountNonBlobFileUnderBlobs(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	env := newListEnv(t)
+	env.addRemote(t, listRemoteID, time.Date(2026, 3, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC))
+	addBlob(t, env.store.testStorer, testBlobHashA)
+	require.NoError(t, env.store.Put(context.Background(),
+		"blobs/"+testBlobHashA[:2]+"/"+testBlobHashA[2:4]+"/.DS_Store",
+		bytes.NewReader([]byte("junk"))))
+
+	require.NoError(t, env.v.RemoteInfo(false))
+
+	text := env.stdout.String()
+	assert.Contains(t, text, "Total blobs on remote:      1 (")
+	assert.Contains(t, text, "Orphaned (unreferenced):    0 (")
+	assert.NotContains(t, text, "vaultik prune")
+
+	env.stdout.Reset()
+	require.NoError(t, env.v.RemoteInfo(true))
+
+	var doc map[string]any
+
+	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(env.stdout.Bytes(), &doc))
+	assert.InDelta(t, 1, doc["total_blob_count"], 0)
+	assert.InDelta(t, 0, doc["orphaned_blob_count"], 0)
+	assert.InDelta(t, 0, doc["orphaned_blob_size"], 0)
+}
+
 // TestRemoteInfo_DirectoryWithoutManifestLeavesOrphansKnown checks that
 // a directory under metadata/ holding no manifest.json.zst, such as one
 // left by a backup interrupted before its manifest upload, leaves the

internal/vaultik/reused_blob_verify_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+package vaultik_test
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"io"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"filippo.io/age"
+	"github.com/spf13/afero"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/log"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/ui"
+	"sneak.berlin/go/vaultik/internal/vaultik"
+)
+
+// TestVerifyPassesWhenBackupReusesStoredBlob backs up a file, then backs it
+// up again from an empty local index, as after `database delete`, with an
+// extra age recipient. The second backup builds the same blob, finds it
+// already stored and skips the upload, but its own copy is larger, because
+// age writes a header entry for each recipient. The second snapshot must
+// record the size of the stored object, so shallow and deep verify pass.
+func TestVerifyPassesWhenBackupReusesStoredBlob(t *testing.T) {
+	log.Initialize(log.Config{})
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	fs := afero.NewOsFs()
+	tempDir := t.TempDir()
+
+	dataDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "source")
+	storeDir := filepath.Join(tempDir, "remote")
+	secondDBPath := filepath.Join(tempDir, "second.sqlite")
+
+	chunkSize := int64(64 * 1024)
+	maxBlobSize := int64(512 * 1024)
+
+	require.NoError(t, fs.MkdirAll(dataDir, 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, afero.WriteFile(fs,
+		filepath.Join(dataDir, "data.bin"),
+		bytesPattern("reuse-", int(chunkSize*3)), 0o644))
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	runFileStorageBackup(ctx, t, fs, dataDir, storeDir,
+		filepath.Join(tempDir, "first.sqlite"), chunkSize, maxBlobSize)
+
+	env := setupDedupBackupEnv(
+		ctx, t, fs, storeDir, secondDBPath, chunkSize, maxBlobSize)
+
+	defer func() { _ = env.db.Close() }()
+
+	extra, err := age.GenerateX25519Identity()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	env.cfg.AgeRecipients = append(env.cfg.AgeRecipients,
+		extra.Recipient().String())
+
+	snapshotID, result := runDedupSnapshot(ctx, t, env.sm, env.makeScanner(),
+		env.cfg.Hostname, "second", dataDir, secondDBPath)
+	require.Positive(t, result.BlobsCreated)
+	require.Zero(t, result.BlobsUploaded,
+		"the second backup should find every blob already stored")
+
+	require.NoError(t, env.db.Close())
+
+	verifier := &vaultik.Vaultik{
+		Config:  env.cfg,
+		Storage: env.storer,
+		Fs:      fs,
+		Stdout:  io.Discard,
+		Stderr:  io.Discard,
+		UI:      ui.NewWithColor(io.Discard, false),
+	}
+	verifier.SetContext(ctx)
+
+	require.NoError(t,
+		verifier.VerifySnapshotWithOptions(snapshotID, &vaultik.VerifyOptions{}),
+		"shallow verify should pass")
+	require.NoError(t,
+		verifier.VerifySnapshotWithOptions(snapshotID,
+			&vaultik.VerifyOptions{Deep: true}),
+		"deep verify should pass")
+}

internal/vaultik/snapshot.go

@@ -28,8 +28,14 @@ var (
 	errNoAgeRecipients      = errors.New(
 		"creating a snapshot needs at least one public key in " +
 			"age_recipients (generate a keypair with: age-keygen)")
+	errKeepNewerThanNeedsPrune = errors.New("--keep-newer-than requires --prune")
 )
 
+// ErrPostBackupPruneFailed wraps a failure of the post-backup prune,
+// which runs only after every snapshot was created and uploaded, so the
+// caller can report it apart from a failed backup.
+var ErrPostBackupPruneFailed = errors.New("post-backup prune failed")
+
 // listRecentLimit caps how many snapshot rows are fetched from the
 // local index for listing and purge operations.
 const listRecentLimit = 10000
@@ -45,6 +51,26 @@ type SnapshotCreateOptions struct {
 	Snapshots     []string // Optional list of snapshot names to process (empty = all)
 }
 
+// Validate fails when KeepNewerThan is set without Prune or is not a
+// valid duration. Only the post-backup prune reads KeepNewerThan, after
+// the backup, so the caller checks it before starting one.
+func (opts *SnapshotCreateOptions) Validate() error {
+	if opts.KeepNewerThan == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	if !opts.Prune {
+		return errKeepNewerThanNeedsPrune
+	}
+
+	_, err := parseDuration(opts.KeepNewerThan)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("--keep-newer-than: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // CreateSnapshot executes the snapshot creation operation
 func (v *Vaultik) CreateSnapshot(opts *SnapshotCreateOptions) error {
 	// config.Load accepts an empty list, since listing, verifying and
@@ -123,7 +149,7 @@ func (v *Vaultik) CreateSnapshot(opts *SnapshotCreateOptions) error {
 	if opts.Prune {
 		err = v.runPostBackupPrune(snapshotNames, opts.KeepNewerThan)
 		if err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("post-backup prune: %w", err)
+			return fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", ErrPostBackupPruneFailed, err)
 		}
 	}