diff --git a/src/features/housekeeping/foundation/commands/audit-envelope.test.ts b/src/features/housekeeping/foundation/commands/audit-envelope.test.ts
index 14e165085c..38b534fcff 100644
--- a/src/features/housekeeping/foundation/commands/audit-envelope.test.ts
+++ b/src/features/housekeeping/foundation/commands/audit-envelope.test.ts
@@ -96,4 +96,37 @@ describe("audit command envelope", () => {
 			undefined,
 		);
 	});
+	it("preserves the original operation error when failure evidence rejects", async () => {
+		const original = new Error("operation failed");
+		const auditFailure = new Error("audit failure");
+		const writer: HousekeepingAuditWriter = {
+			write: vi
+				.fn()
+				.mockResolvedValueOnce(undefined)
+				.mockRejectedValueOnce(auditFailure),
+		};
+		await expect(
+			runWithAuditIntent(writer, auditEntry, () => Promise.reject(original)),
+		).rejects.toBe(original);
+		expect(
+			(original as Error & { auditOutcomeError?: unknown }).auditOutcomeError,
+		).toBe(auditFailure);
+	});
+
+	it("throws a completed-operation error when success evidence rejects", async () => {
+		const auditFailure = new Error("audit failure");
+		const writer: HousekeepingAuditWriter = {
+			write: vi
+				.fn()
+				.mockResolvedValueOnce(undefined)
+				.mockRejectedValueOnce(auditFailure),
+		};
+		await expect(
+			runWithAuditIntent(writer, auditEntry, () => Promise.resolve("done")),
+		).rejects.toMatchObject({
+			operationCompleted: true,
+			operationResult: "done",
+			auditOutcomeError: auditFailure,
+		});
+	});
 });
diff --git a/src/features/housekeeping/foundation/commands/audit-envelope.ts b/src/features/housekeeping/foundation/commands/audit-envelope.ts
index c2780ec1f6..fdf08dfbdd 100644
--- a/src/features/housekeeping/foundation/commands/audit-envelope.ts
+++ b/src/features/housekeeping/foundation/commands/audit-envelope.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,17 @@ import type {
 } from "@/lib/services/audit";
 
 type AuditOutcome = Exclude<NonNullable<AuditEntry["outcome"]>, "intent">;
+export class AuditOutcomePersistenceError<T> extends Error {
+	readonly operationCompleted = true;
+
+	constructor(
+		readonly operationResult: T,
+		readonly auditOutcomeError: unknown,
+	) {
+		super("Operation completed but audit outcome could not be persisted");
+		this.name = "AuditOutcomePersistenceError";
+	}
+}
 
 export async function writeIntent(
 	writer: HousekeepingAuditWriter,
@@ -35,10 +46,23 @@ export async function runWithAuditIntent<T>(
 	try {
 		result = await operation();
 	} catch (error) {
-		await writeOutcome(writer, entry, "failure", transaction);
+		try {
+			await writeOutcome(writer, entry, "failure", transaction);
+		} catch (auditOutcomeError) {
+			if (error instanceof Error) {
+				Object.defineProperty(error, "auditOutcomeError", {
+					value: auditOutcomeError,
+					configurable: true,
+				});
+			}
+		}
 		throw error;
 	}
 
-	await writeOutcome(writer, entry, "success", transaction);
+	try {
+		await writeOutcome(writer, entry, "success", transaction);
+	} catch (auditOutcomeError) {
+		throw new AuditOutcomePersistenceError(result, auditOutcomeError);
+	}
 	return result;
 }
diff --git a/src/lib/services/audit.test.ts b/src/lib/services/audit.test.ts
index 5ed9fb75d1..b8a7e45352 100644
--- a/src/lib/services/audit.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/services/audit.test.ts
@@ -237,4 +237,21 @@ describe("getAuditLogs", () => {
 		const result = await getAuditLogs();
 		expect(result.rows[0].username).toBe("User #99");
 	});
+	it("fails closed beyond the redaction depth cap without mutating the input", async () => {
+		const sentinel = "raw-depth-secret";
+		const deep = {
+			a: { b: { c: { d: { e: { f: { g: { secret: sentinel } } } } } } },
+		};
+		insertValues.mockResolvedValue({ id: 1 });
+		await logAudit({
+			userId: 1,
+			action: "update",
+			target: "user",
+			before: { deep, state: "before" },
+			after: { deep, state: "after" },
+		});
+		const data = insertValues.mock.calls[0][0];
+		expect(`${data.before}${data.after}${data.diff}`).not.toContain(sentinel);
+		expect(deep.a.b.c.d.e.f.g.secret).toBe(sentinel);
+	});
 });
diff --git a/src/lib/services/audit.ts b/src/lib/services/audit.ts
index b33148920c..488e37b54b 100644
--- a/src/lib/services/audit.ts
+++ b/src/lib/services/audit.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ const SENSITIVE_KEY_RE =
 const REDACTED = "[Redacted]";
 
 function sanitizeAuditPayload(value: unknown, depth = 0): unknown {
-	if (depth > 6 || value == null) return value;
+	if (depth > 6) return REDACTED;
+	if (value == null) return value;
 	if (Array.isArray(value))
 		return value.map((v) => sanitizeAuditPayload(v, depth + 1));
 	if (typeof value !== "object") return value;
@@ -108,8 +109,8 @@ export async function getAuditLogs(options: GetLogsOptions = {}) {
 
 	const where = search
 		? or(
-				like(AdminAuditLog.action, `%${search}%`),
-				like(AdminAuditLog.target, `%${search}%`),
+				like(AdminAuditLog.action, `%$search%`),
+				like(AdminAuditLog.target, `%$search%`),
 			)
 		: undefined;