diff --git a/src/features/housekeeping/domains/system/services/mutations.ts b/src/features/housekeeping/domains/system/services/mutations.ts
index 33a2dabf..667ac6d5 100644
--- a/src/features/housekeeping/domains/system/services/mutations.ts
+++ b/src/features/housekeeping/domains/system/services/mutations.ts
@@ -922,7 +922,7 @@ async function executeRconMutation(
 					.select({ rank: User.rank })
 					.from(User)
 					.where(eq(User.id, userId))
-					.limit(1);
+					.for("update");
 				if (!target) {
 					throw new SystemMutationFailure(
 						"NOT_FOUND",
diff --git a/src/features/housekeeping/domains/system/services/rank-mutations-production.test.ts b/src/features/housekeeping/domains/system/services/rank-mutations-production.test.ts
index f97c0984..f2957abd 100644
--- a/src/features/housekeeping/domains/system/services/rank-mutations-production.test.ts
+++ b/src/features/housekeeping/domains/system/services/rank-mutations-production.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const doubles = vi.hoisted(() => ({
 	createEmulatorRankInTransaction: vi.fn(),
 	dbDelete: vi.fn(),
 	dbExecute: vi.fn(),
+	dbForUpdate: vi.fn(),
 	dbInsert: vi.fn(),
 	dbSelect: vi.fn(),
 	dbTransaction: vi.fn(),
@@ -117,10 +118,11 @@ function updateChain(result: Promise<unknown> = Promise.resolve(undefined)) {
 }
 
 function limitedSelection(rows: readonly unknown[]) {
+	doubles.dbForUpdate.mockResolvedValueOnce(rows);
 	return {
 		from: () => ({
 			where: () => ({
-				for: () => Promise.resolve(rows),
+				for: doubles.dbForUpdate,
 				limit: () => Promise.resolve(rows),
 			}),
 		}),
@@ -310,6 +312,23 @@ describe("durable rank synchronization", () => {
 		expect(doubles.rconSetRank).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 	});
 
+	it("locks the user row before committing a set-rank intent", async () => {
+		doubles.dbSelect.mockImplementationOnce(() =>
+			limitedSelection([{ rank: 3 }]),
+		);
+		doubles.dbExecute.mockResolvedValue([[{ id: 4 }]]);
+		doubles.rconSetRank.mockResolvedValue(true);
+
+		const result = await systemMutationService.execute(
+			serviceContext(PERMS.RCON_EXECUTE),
+			"rcon.set-rank",
+			{ userId: 8, rank: 4 },
+		);
+
+		expect(result).toMatchObject({ ok: true });
+		expect(doubles.dbForUpdate).toHaveBeenCalledWith("update");
+	});
+
 	it("returns the durable recovery key when set-rank RCON fails after commit", async () => {
 		doubles.dbSelect.mockImplementationOnce(() =>
 			limitedSelection([{ rank: 3 }]),