diff --git a/store.go b/store.go
index a0494ba..c18aab8 100644
--- a/store.go
+++ b/store.go
@@ -146,7 +146,6 @@ func NewConfigured(config StoreConfig) (*Store, error) {
 	}
 
 	storeInstance.startBackgroundPurge()
-	storeInstance.discardRecoveredOrphans(defaultWorkspaceStateDirectory)
 	return storeInstance, nil
 }
 
@@ -162,7 +161,6 @@ func New(databasePath string, options ...StoreOption) (*Store, error) {
 		}
 	}
 	storeInstance.startBackgroundPurge()
-	storeInstance.discardRecoveredOrphans(defaultWorkspaceStateDirectory)
 	return storeInstance, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/workspace.go b/workspace.go
index 00d9075..8c0df1b 100644
--- a/workspace.go
+++ b/workspace.go
@@ -169,17 +169,6 @@ func (storeInstance *Store) RecoverOrphans(stateDirectory string) []*Workspace {
 	return orphanWorkspaces
 }
 
-func (storeInstance *Store) discardRecoveredOrphans(stateDirectory string) {
-	if storeInstance == nil {
-		return
-	}
-
-	for _, orphanWorkspace := range storeInstance.RecoverOrphans(stateDirectory) {
-		_ = orphanWorkspace.Aggregate()
-		orphanWorkspace.Discard()
-	}
-}
-
 // Usage example: `err := workspace.Put("like", map[string]any{"user": "@alice", "post": "video_123"})`
 func (workspace *Workspace) Put(kind string, data map[string]any) error {
 	if err := workspace.ensureReady("store.Workspace.Put"); err != nil {
diff --git a/workspace_test.go b/workspace_test.go
index 2b9aedd..4c129bb 100644
--- a/workspace_test.go
+++ b/workspace_test.go
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ func TestWorkspace_RecoverOrphans_Good(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.False(t, testFilesystem().Exists(workspaceFilePath(stateDirectory, "orphan-session")))
 }
 
-func TestWorkspace_New_Good_CleansUpOrphanedWorkspaces(t *testing.T) {
+func TestWorkspace_New_Good_PreservesOrphanedWorkspacesUntilRecovered(t *testing.T) {
 	stateDirectory := useWorkspaceStateDirectory(t)
 	requireCoreOK(t, testFilesystem().EnsureDir(stateDirectory))
 
@@ -197,7 +197,11 @@ func TestWorkspace_New_Good_CleansUpOrphanedWorkspaces(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	defer storeInstance.Close()
 
+	assert.True(t, testFilesystem().Exists(orphanDatabasePath))
+
+	orphans := storeInstance.RecoverOrphans(stateDirectory)
+	require.Len(t, orphans, 1)
+	orphans[0].Discard()
+
 	assert.False(t, testFilesystem().Exists(orphanDatabasePath))
-	assert.False(t, testFilesystem().Exists(orphanDatabasePath+"-wal"))
-	assert.False(t, testFilesystem().Exists(orphanDatabasePath+"-shm"))
 }