diff --git a/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/mod.rs b/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/mod.rs
index 6aa9749..55031d3 100644
--- a/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/mod.rs
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ pub async fn generate_catalog_manifests(
     reject_incomplete_publication(&options.manifests_dir)?;
     let selected = options.selection.select(&catalog)?;
     for game in &selected {
-        package::validate_package_version(
+        package::preflight_package_version(
             &options.packages_dir.join(&game.game_id),
             &game.game_version,
         )
@@ -820,6 +820,51 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn symlink_package_root_is_rejected_during_full_selection_preflight() {
+        use std::os::unix::fs::symlink;
+
+        let temp = TempDir::new();
+        let catalog_db = temp.0.join("game.db");
+        create_catalog(&catalog_db, &[("a", "20240101"), ("b", "20240102")]).await;
+        let a_package = simple_package(&temp, "a", "20240101");
+        fs::write(a_package.join("a.eti"), b"not an archive")
+            .expect("archive-shaped input should be written");
+        let outside = temp.0.join("outside-b");
+        fs::create_dir(&outside).expect("outside package should be created");
+        fs::write(outside.join("version.ini"), "20240102")
+            .expect("outside version should be written");
+        symlink(&outside, temp.0.join("packages/b"))
+            .expect("package root symlink should be created");
+        let manifests_dir = temp.0.join("manifests");
+        fs::create_dir(&manifests_dir).expect("manifest directory should be created");
+        let existing = manifests_dir.join("a.json");
+        fs::write(&existing, b"existing artifact").expect("existing artifact should be seeded");
+
+        let error = generate_catalog_manifests(&GenerateOptions {
+            catalog_db,
+            packages_dir: temp.0.join("packages"),
+            manifests_dir: manifests_dir.clone(),
+            unrar: PathBuf::from("missing-unrar"),
+            selection: CatalogSelection::All,
+        })
+        .await
+        .expect_err("package root links must fail during version preflight");
+        let rendered = format!("{error:#}");
+
+        assert!(rendered.contains("failed to preflight package version for b"));
+        assert!(rendered.contains("expected a regular non-link directory"));
+        assert_eq!(
+            fs::read(existing).expect("existing artifact should remain readable"),
+            b"existing artifact"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            !manifests_dir.join(CATALOG_PUBLICATION_MARKER_NAME).exists(),
+            "root validation must fail before archive work or publication"
+        );
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn incremental_generation_requires_an_existing_complete_indexed_corpus() {
         let temp = TempDir::new();
@@ -894,15 +939,23 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn package_version_mismatch_is_rejected() {
+        const OBSERVED: &str = "package-controlled-secret-20240101";
+
         let temp = TempDir::new();
-        let root = simple_package(&temp, "g", "20240101");
+        let root = simple_package(&temp, "g", OBSERVED);
         let game = CatalogGame {
             game_id: "g".to_owned(),
             game_version: "20240102".to_owned(),
         };
         let error = build_manifest_from_package(&game, &root, Path::new("missing-unrar"))
             .expect_err("version skew should fail");
-        assert!(error.to_string().contains("package version mismatch"));
+        let rendered = format!("{error:#}");
+        assert!(rendered.contains("package version mismatch"));
+        assert!(rendered.contains("game.db expects 20240102"));
+        assert!(
+            !rendered.contains(OBSERVED),
+            "package-controlled version contents must not enter diagnostics"
+        );
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/package.rs b/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/package.rs
index 85a4211..09828ed 100644
--- a/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/package.rs
+++ b/crates/lanspread-compat/src/catalog_publisher/package.rs
@@ -122,6 +122,14 @@ pub(super) fn validate_manifest_destination(path: &Path) -> eyre::Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+pub(super) fn preflight_package_version(
+    package_root: &Path,
+    expected: &str,
+) -> eyre::Result<()> {
+    validate_regular_directory(package_root)?;
+    validate_package_version(package_root, expected)
+}
+
 pub(super) fn validate_package_version(package_root: &Path, expected: &str) -> eyre::Result<()> {
     let path = package_root.join("version.ini");
     let bytes = read_bounded_regular_file(&path, MAX_VERSION_INI_BYTES)?;
@@ -129,9 +137,7 @@ pub(super) fn validate_package_version(package_root: &Path, expected: &str) -> e
         .wrap_err("version.ini is not valid UTF-8")?
         .trim();
     if version != expected {
-        eyre::bail!(
-            "package version mismatch: game.db expects {expected}, version.ini contains {version:?}"
-        );
+        eyre::bail!("package version mismatch: game.db expects {expected}");
     }
     Ok(())
 }