diff --git a/scripts/decisions_validate.py b/scripts/decisions_validate.py
index c96243e97..0800fa128 100644
--- a/scripts/decisions_validate.py
+++ b/scripts/decisions_validate.py
@@ -432,7 +432,13 @@ def record_wing_files(records_dir: Path | None = None, archive_dir: Path | None
     if records_dir.exists():
         files += sorted(records_dir.rglob("*.md"))
     if archive_dir.exists():
-        files += sorted(archive_dir.glob("*/*.md"))  # area-nested only — see docstring
+        # rglob + "not directly in archive/", NOT glob("*/*.md"). Both exempt the top-level
+        # stripped legacy files, but a one-level glob would ALSO skip anything nested deeper —
+        # letting a record at `archive/<area>/<sub>/x.md` escape the check entirely. Silently
+        # skipping a path is the exact failure mode this function exists to close, so the
+        # exemption is expressed as the precise condition (depth-1 file) rather than a shape that
+        # happens to match today's layout.
+        files += sorted(p for p in archive_dir.rglob("*.md") if p.parent != archive_dir)
     return [p for p in files if p.name not in dl._NON_DECISION_FILES]
 
 
diff --git a/scripts/tests/test_decisions_validate.py b/scripts/tests/test_decisions_validate.py
index 565c761e6..90cc1a7d0 100644
--- a/scripts/tests/test_decisions_validate.py
+++ b/scripts/tests/test_decisions_validate.py
@@ -818,3 +818,19 @@ def test_real_repo_record_wings_are_all_parseable():
     files = dv.record_wing_files()
     assert len(files) > 100, f"record wings look empty ({len(files)} files) — check is vacuous"
     assert dv.record_wing_faults() == []
+
+
+def test_wing_faults_sees_a_DEEPER_nested_archive_record(tmp_path):
+    """A one-level `archive/*/*.md` glob would exempt the top-level stripped files correctly but
+    silently skip anything nested deeper — a path escaping the check, which is the very failure
+    mode this guard exists to close. The exemption must be 'directly in archive/', not 'exactly
+    one level down'."""
+    records, archive = _wing(tmp_path)
+    (records / "ci" / "good.md").write_text(_GOOD)
+    (archive / "api.md").write_text("# api\n\n## Records formerly in this file\n")   # still exempt
+    deep = archive / "ci" / "sub"
+    deep.mkdir(parents=True)
+    (deep / "broken.md").write_text("# not a record\n")
+
+    faults = dv.record_wing_faults(records, archive)
+    assert len(faults) == 1 and "broken.md" in faults[0], faults