diff --git a/src/features/housekeeping/domains/system/services/mutations.ts b/src/features/housekeeping/domains/system/services/mutations.ts
index 667ac6d5..5587a5be 100644
--- a/src/features/housekeeping/domains/system/services/mutations.ts
+++ b/src/features/housekeeping/domains/system/services/mutations.ts
@@ -293,6 +293,9 @@ function synchronizationData(
 ) {
 	return {
 		...extra,
+		...(intent.kind === "set-rank"
+			? { userId: intent.userId, rank: intent.rank }
+			: {}),
 		operation: intent.operation,
 		recoveryId,
 		synchronization,
@@ -306,10 +309,45 @@ function synchronizationData(
 
 async function executeExternalSynchronization(
 	intent: SystemExternalSyncIntent,
-): Promise<boolean> {
-	return intent.kind === "set-rank"
-		? rcon.setRank(intent.userId, intent.rank)
-		: rcon.send("updatepermissions");
+): Promise<{
+	readonly intent: SystemExternalSyncIntent;
+	readonly synchronized: boolean;
+}> {
+	if (intent.kind !== "set-rank") {
+		return {
+			intent,
+			synchronized: await rcon.send("updatepermissions"),
+		};
+	}
+
+	return db.transaction(async (tx) => {
+		const [target] = await tx
+			.select({ rank: User.rank })
+			.from(User)
+			.where(eq(User.id, intent.userId))
+			.for("update");
+		if (!target) {
+			throw new SystemMutationFailure(
+				"NOT_FOUND",
+				"errors.housekeeping.system.userNotFound",
+			);
+		}
+
+		const currentIntent = {
+			...intent,
+			rank: positiveInteger(target.rank),
+		} as const satisfies SystemExternalSyncIntent;
+		let synchronized = false;
+		try {
+			synchronized = await rcon.setRank(
+				currentIntent.userId,
+				currentIntent.rank,
+			);
+		} catch {
+			// Preserve the resolved current intent for a later convergent retry.
+		}
+		return { intent: currentIntent, synchronized };
+	});
 }
 
 async function completeExternalSynchronization(
@@ -318,32 +356,39 @@ async function completeExternalSynchronization(
 	recoveryId = context.correlationId,
 	extra: Readonly<Record<string, unknown>> = {},
 ): Promise<unknown> {
+	let currentIntent = intent;
 	let synchronized = false;
 	try {
-		synchronized = await executeExternalSynchronization(intent);
-	} catch {
-		// The committed intent below remains the retry source of truth.
+		const execution = await executeExternalSynchronization(intent);
+		currentIntent = execution.intent;
+		synchronized = execution.synchronized;
+	} catch (error) {
+		if (error instanceof SystemMutationFailure) throw error;
 	}
 
 	if (!synchronized) {
 		try {
-			await logAudit(syncAuditEntry(intent, context, recoveryId, "partial"));
+			await logAudit(
+				syncAuditEntry(currentIntent, context, recoveryId, "partial"),
+			);
 		} catch {
 			// The transactionally persisted intent is sufficient for recovery.
 		}
 		throw new SystemCommittedExternalFailure(
-			synchronizationData(intent, recoveryId, "pending", extra),
+			synchronizationData(currentIntent, recoveryId, "pending", extra),
 			"failed",
 			"persisted",
 		);
 	}
 
 	try {
-		await logAudit(syncAuditEntry(intent, context, recoveryId, "success"));
+		await logAudit(
+			syncAuditEntry(currentIntent, context, recoveryId, "success"),
+		);
 	} catch {
 		throw new SystemCommittedExternalFailure(
 			{
-				...synchronizationData(intent, recoveryId, "completed", extra),
+				...synchronizationData(currentIntent, recoveryId, "completed", extra),
 				pending: ["completion-audit"],
 			},
 			"completed",
@@ -351,7 +396,7 @@ async function completeExternalSynchronization(
 		);
 	}
 
-	return synchronizationData(intent, recoveryId, "completed", extra);
+	return synchronizationData(currentIntent, recoveryId, "completed", extra);
 }
 
 function parseExternalSyncIntent(
@@ -525,6 +570,22 @@ async function executeAccessMutation(
 			rankId: id,
 		} as const satisfies SystemExternalSyncIntent;
 		await db.transaction(async (tx) => {
+			let rankRows: { id: number }[] = [];
+			try {
+				const [rows] = await tx.execute(
+					sql`SELECT id FROM permission_ranks WHERE id = ${id} LIMIT 1 FOR UPDATE`,
+				);
+				rankRows = rows as unknown as { id: number }[];
+			} catch {
+				rankRows = [];
+			}
+			if (rankRows.length === 0) {
+				throw new SystemMutationFailure(
+					"NOT_FOUND",
+					"errors.housekeeping.system.rankNotFound",
+				);
+			}
+
 			const [userCount] = await tx
 				.select({ total: count() })
 				.from(User)
@@ -918,17 +979,6 @@ async function executeRconMutation(
 				rank,
 			} as const satisfies SystemExternalSyncIntent;
 			await db.transaction(async (tx) => {
-				const [target] = await tx
-					.select({ rank: User.rank })
-					.from(User)
-					.where(eq(User.id, userId))
-					.for("update");
-				if (!target) {
-					throw new SystemMutationFailure(
-						"NOT_FOUND",
-						"errors.housekeeping.system.userNotFound",
-					);
-				}
 				let rankRows: { id: number }[] = [];
 				try {
 					const [rows] = await tx.execute(
@@ -944,6 +994,17 @@ async function executeRconMutation(
 						"errors.housekeeping.system.rankNotFound",
 					);
 				}
+				const [target] = await tx
+					.select({ rank: User.rank })
+					.from(User)
+					.where(eq(User.id, userId))
+					.for("update");
+				if (!target) {
+					throw new SystemMutationFailure(
+						"NOT_FOUND",
+						"errors.housekeeping.system.userNotFound",
+					);
+				}
 				if (!context.capability.isSuperAdmin) {
 					const actorRank = context.capability.actor.rank;
 					if (target.rank >= actorRank) {
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 f2957abd..1b7b7012 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
@@ -257,6 +257,7 @@ describe("durable rank synchronization", () => {
 			"access.rank.delete",
 			{ id: 7 },
 			() => {
+				doubles.dbExecute.mockResolvedValueOnce([[{ id: 7 }]]);
 				doubles.dbSelect
 					.mockImplementationOnce(() => plainSelection([{ total: 0 }]))
 					.mockImplementationOnce(() => limitedSelection([]));
@@ -312,11 +313,24 @@ 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 }]]);
+	it("locks the target rank before the user when committing a set-rank intent", async () => {
+		const lockOrder: string[] = [];
+		doubles.dbSelect
+			.mockImplementationOnce(() => ({
+				from: () => ({
+					where: () => ({
+						for: async () => {
+							lockOrder.push("user");
+							return [{ rank: 3 }];
+						},
+					}),
+				}),
+			}))
+			.mockImplementationOnce(() => limitedSelection([{ rank: 4 }]));
+		doubles.dbExecute.mockImplementationOnce(async () => {
+			lockOrder.push("rank");
+			return [[{ id: 4 }]];
+		});
 		doubles.rconSetRank.mockResolvedValue(true);
 
 		const result = await systemMutationService.execute(
@@ -326,13 +340,37 @@ describe("durable rank synchronization", () => {
 		);
 
 		expect(result).toMatchObject({ ok: true });
-		expect(doubles.dbForUpdate).toHaveBeenCalledWith("update");
+		expect(lockOrder.slice(0, 2)).toEqual(["rank", "user"]);
+	});
+
+	it("locks a rank before checking whether users still reference it", async () => {
+		const lockOrder: string[] = [];
+		doubles.dbExecute.mockImplementationOnce(async () => {
+			lockOrder.push("rank");
+			return [[{ id: 7 }]];
+		});
+		doubles.dbSelect
+			.mockImplementationOnce(() => {
+				lockOrder.push("users");
+				return plainSelection([{ total: 0 }]);
+			})
+			.mockImplementationOnce(() => limitedSelection([]));
+		doubles.rconSend.mockResolvedValue(true);
+
+		const result = await systemMutationService.execute(
+			serviceContext(PERMS.PERMISSIONS_MANAGE),
+			"access.rank.delete",
+			{ id: 7 },
+		);
+
+		expect(result).toMatchObject({ ok: true });
+		expect(lockOrder.slice(0, 2)).toEqual(["rank", "users"]);
 	});
 
 	it("returns the durable recovery key when set-rank RCON fails after commit", async () => {
-		doubles.dbSelect.mockImplementationOnce(() =>
-			limitedSelection([{ rank: 3 }]),
-		);
+		doubles.dbSelect
+			.mockImplementationOnce(() => limitedSelection([{ rank: 3 }]))
+			.mockImplementationOnce(() => limitedSelection([{ rank: 4 }]));
 		doubles.dbExecute.mockResolvedValue([[{ id: 4 }]]);
 		doubles.rconSetRank.mockResolvedValue(false);
 
@@ -382,7 +420,7 @@ describe("durable rank synchronization", () => {
 		expect(doubles.updateEmulatorRank).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 	});
 
-	it("retries set-rank from its committed desired-state intent without another database mutation", async () => {
+	it("retries set-rank using the current committed database rank", async () => {
 		doubles.dbExecute.mockResolvedValueOnce([
 			[
 				{
@@ -396,6 +434,9 @@ describe("durable rank synchronization", () => {
 				},
 			],
 		]);
+		doubles.dbSelect.mockImplementationOnce(() =>
+			limitedSelection([{ rank: 5 }]),
+		);
 		doubles.rconSetRank.mockResolvedValue(true);
 
 		const result = await systemMutationService.execute(
@@ -411,10 +452,39 @@ describe("durable rank synchronization", () => {
 				synchronization: "completed",
 			},
 		});
-		expect(doubles.rconSetRank).toHaveBeenCalledWith(8, 4);
+		expect(doubles.rconSetRank).toHaveBeenCalledWith(8, 5);
 		expect(doubles.dbUpdate).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 	});
 
+	it("holds the user-row transaction lock while delivering set-rank to RCON", async () => {
+		let activeTransactions = 0;
+		let activeTransactionsDuringRcon = 0;
+		doubles.dbTransaction.mockImplementation(async (run) => {
+			activeTransactions += 1;
+			try {
+				return await run(transactionToken);
+			} finally {
+				activeTransactions -= 1;
+			}
+		});
+		doubles.dbSelect
+			.mockImplementationOnce(() => limitedSelection([{ rank: 3 }]))
+			.mockImplementationOnce(() => limitedSelection([{ rank: 4 }]));
+		doubles.dbExecute.mockResolvedValue([[{ id: 4 }]]);
+		doubles.rconSetRank.mockImplementation(async () => {
+			activeTransactionsDuringRcon = activeTransactions;
+			return true;
+		});
+
+		const result = await systemMutationService.execute(
+			serviceContext(PERMS.RCON_EXECUTE),
+			"rcon.set-rank",
+			{ userId: 8, rank: 4 },
+		);
+
+		expect(result).toMatchObject({ ok: true });
+		expect(activeTransactionsDuringRcon).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+	});
 	it("does not repeat an already completed external synchronization", async () => {
 		doubles.dbExecute.mockResolvedValueOnce([
 			[