diff --git a/crates/tinyagents-session/src/port/memory/mod.rs b/crates/tinyagents-session/src/port/memory/mod.rs
index 97063030b..d36262cd9 100644
--- a/crates/tinyagents-session/src/port/memory/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/tinyagents-session/src/port/memory/mod.rs
@@ -336,6 +336,26 @@ impl TranscriptLocator for InMemoryTranscriptLocator {
             .map(|(_, history)| history as Arc<dyn TranscriptRead>)
     }
 
+    /// An exact lookup that never registers a stem. The trait default probes
+    /// through [`Self::open_stem`], which would leave an empty handle behind
+    /// for every generation asked about, and `begin_generation` would then
+    /// find its own successor "already exists". Only a written transcript
+    /// counts, as in the persistent locators.
+    fn read_session_transcript(&self, session: &SessionRef) -> Option<Arc<dyn TranscriptRead>> {
+        let stem = session_stem(session);
+        let history = self
+            .stems
+            .lock()
+            .unwrap_or_else(PoisonError::into_inner)
+            .iter()
+            .find(|(known, _, _)| known == &stem)
+            .map(|(_, _, history)| history.clone())?;
+        match history.read_session() {
+            Ok(Some(_)) => Some(history as Arc<dyn TranscriptRead>),
+            _ => None,
+        }
+    }
+
     fn open_stem(
         &self,
         stem: &str,
diff --git a/crates/tinyagents-session/src/port/memory/mod_tests.rs b/crates/tinyagents-session/src/port/memory/mod_tests.rs
index 8b60fac65..925b89584 100644
--- a/crates/tinyagents-session/src/port/memory/mod_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/tinyagents-session/src/port/memory/mod_tests.rs
@@ -271,6 +271,41 @@ fn an_unwritten_successor_is_reserved_until_written_or_dropped() {
     );
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn probing_for_the_head_generation_does_not_reserve_the_next_one() {
+    let locator = InMemoryTranscriptLocator::new("test");
+    let session = SessionRef::scoped("thread-probe", "planner");
+    let meta = test_meta("thread-probe");
+    let baseline = vec![TranscriptMessage::user("hello")];
+    locator
+        .open_session(&session, meta.clone())
+        .unwrap()
+        .append(baseline[0].clone())
+        .unwrap();
+
+    // Resuming asks for the head, which probes the successor generation.
+    assert_eq!(locator.head_generation(&session), session);
+    assert!(!locator.session_exists(&session.next_generation()));
+    assert!(locator.session_chain(&session).len() == 1);
+
+    let (successor, _) = locator
+        .begin_generation_from_baseline(&session, meta, &baseline)
+        .expect("a probe leaves no state for the next generation to collide with");
+    assert_eq!(successor, session.next_generation());
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn a_begun_generation_stays_reserved_after_probing_for_it() {
+    let locator = InMemoryTranscriptLocator::new("test");
+    let session = SessionRef::scoped("thread-probe-reserved", "planner");
+    let meta = test_meta("thread-probe-reserved");
+    let (successor, _) = locator.begin_generation(&session, meta.clone()).unwrap();
+
+    assert!(!locator.session_exists(&successor));
+    assert!(locator.read_session_transcript(&successor).is_none());
+    assert!(locator.begin_generation(&session, meta).is_err());
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn completed_retention_uses_completion_time() {
     let turns = InMemoryTurnStates::default();