diff --git a/.changeset/clarify-local-write-status.md b/.changeset/clarify-local-write-status.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2eb8087e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/clarify-local-write-status.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@tanstack/db': patch
+---
+
+Clarify local write status documentation for `$synced` and `isPersisted.promise`, and add core coverage for queued ambiguous server-key sync while optimistic temp-key inserts are pending.
diff --git a/packages/db/src/collection/state.ts b/packages/db/src/collection/state.ts
index 5f4449c3b..0f7b3b868 100644
--- a/packages/db/src/collection/state.ts
+++ b/packages/db/src/collection/state.ts
@@ -154,7 +154,12 @@ export class CollectionStateManager<
   }
 
   /**
-   * Checks if a row has pending optimistic mutations (not yet confirmed by sync).
+   * Checks whether this row currently has no pending local optimistic writes.
+   *
+   * This is local mutation status, not backend confirmation: `true` means the
+   * row is not currently affected by an optimistic transaction in this
+   * collection's visible state.
+   *
    * Used to compute the $synced virtual property.
    */
   public isRowSynced(key: TKey): boolean {
diff --git a/packages/db/src/transactions.ts b/packages/db/src/transactions.ts
index 84cbbcfe5..4a3e2f80f 100644
--- a/packages/db/src/transactions.ts
+++ b/packages/db/src/transactions.ts
@@ -211,6 +211,18 @@ class Transaction<T extends object = Record<string, unknown>> {
   public state: TransactionState
   public mutationFn: MutationFn<T>
   public mutations: Array<PendingMutation<T>>
+  /**
+   * Deferred that settles when this transaction settles.
+   *
+   * Await `isPersisted.promise`, not `isPersisted` itself. The promise resolves
+   * when the transaction completes successfully and rejects if the transaction
+   * fails or is rolled back.
+   *
+   * For non-empty commits, the mutation function is the normal settlement
+   * boundary. This does not inherently prove that a backend has uploaded,
+   * confirmed, or read back the write unless the mutation function waits for
+   * that backend observation before returning.
+   */
   public isPersisted: Deferred<Transaction<T>>
   public autoCommit: boolean
   public createdAt: Date
diff --git a/packages/db/src/virtual-props.ts b/packages/db/src/virtual-props.ts
index 3205d31c2..ef285821f 100644
--- a/packages/db/src/virtual-props.ts
+++ b/packages/db/src/virtual-props.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ export type VirtualOrigin = 'local' | 'remote'
  * // Accessing virtual properties on a row
  * const user = collection.get('user-1')
  * if (user.$synced) {
- *   console.log('Confirmed by backend')
+ *   console.log('No pending local optimistic writes for this row')
  * }
  * if (user.$origin === 'local') {
  *   console.log('Created/modified locally')
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ export type VirtualOrigin = 'local' | 'remote'
  * @example
  * ```typescript
  * // Using virtual properties in queries
- * const confirmedOrders = createLiveQueryCollection({
+ * const ordersWithoutLocalWrites = createLiveQueryCollection({
  *   query: (q) => q
  *     .from({ order: orders })
  *     .where(({ order }) => eq(order.$synced, true))
@@ -58,10 +58,15 @@ export interface VirtualRowProps<
   TKey extends string | number = string | number,
 > {
   /**
-   * Whether this row reflects confirmed state from the backend.
+   * Whether this row currently has no pending local optimistic writes.
    *
-   * - `true`: Row is confirmed by the backend (no pending optimistic mutations)
-   * - `false`: Row has pending optimistic mutations that haven't been confirmed
+   * - `true`: No pending local optimistic mutation currently affects this row
+   * - `false`: One or more pending local optimistic mutations currently affect this row
+   *
+   * This is local mutation status. It does not prove that a backend has uploaded,
+   * confirmed, or read back the row. If you need backend-confirmed status, keep
+   * your mutation function pending until that backend observation has happened,
+   * or expose adapter-specific status.
    *
    * For local-only collections (no sync), this is always `true`.
    * For live query collections, this is passed through from the source collection.
diff --git a/packages/db/tests/collection.test.ts b/packages/db/tests/collection.test.ts
index c204b89af..e96994db6 100644
--- a/packages/db/tests/collection.test.ts
+++ b/packages/db/tests/collection.test.ts
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ describe(`Collection`, () => {
     ).toThrow(DuplicateKeySyncError)
   })
 
-  it(`removes optimistic insert when sync confirms with a different server-generated key`, async () => {
+  it(`keeps ambiguous server-key sync queued while a temp-key optimistic insert is pending`, async () => {
     const options = mockSyncCollectionOptionsNoInitialState<{
       id: number
       text: string
@@ -102,6 +102,11 @@ describe(`Collection`, () => {
     options.utils.commit()
 
     // The sync commit is held while the local insert transaction is persisting.
+    // Without an explicit temp-key -> server-key mapping, core cannot know
+    // whether key 24 is this optimistic insert's server echo or an unrelated
+    // row, so it must not expose both rows at the same time.
+    expect(tx.isPersisted.isPending()).toBe(true)
+    expect(collection.has(24)).toBe(false)
     expect(getStateEntries(collection)).toEqual([
       [4733, { id: 4733, text: `two` }],
     ])