diff --git a/backend/src/workspaces/runtime-config-lease.ts b/backend/src/workspaces/runtime-config-lease.ts
index 6bb79776..2cffe6d3 100644
--- a/backend/src/workspaces/runtime-config-lease.ts
+++ b/backend/src/workspaces/runtime-config-lease.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   writeFileSync,
 } from "node:fs";
 import { dirname, isAbsolute, join, relative, resolve } from "node:path";
+import { readFile as readFileAsync } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { parse, parseAllDocuments, stringify } from "yaml";
 import { resolveRuntimeBindings, type RuntimeBindings } from "./bindings.js";
 import { GitWorkspaceRepository } from "./git-repository.js";
@@ -336,14 +337,19 @@ export async function renderActiveWorkspaceRuntime(options: {
   secretRoots: readonly string[];
   semanticRuntime: SemanticRuntimeConfig;
 }): Promise<ActiveRenderedWorkspaceRuntime> {
-  const { workspace, revision } = await options.registry.read(options.workspaceId);
+  const { revision } = await options.registry.read(options.workspaceId);
   const repository = new GitWorkspaceRepository(options.registryConfig);
   await repository.ensureLayout();
+  // The persisted active state may reference host-side snapshot paths (written by another
+  // process or installation). The operator always resolves the immutable snapshot beneath its
+  // own configured registry root so the path is correct inside the container and on the host.
+  const snapshotPath = options.registry.snapshotPath(revision.commit, revision.id);
+  const workspace = parseWorkspaceYaml(await readFileAsync(snapshotPath, "utf8"));
   const rendered = renderWorkspaceRuntimeFromWorkspace({
     workspace,
     workspaceId: revision.id,
     workspaceRevision: revision.commit,
-    revisionContentRoot: dirname(revision.snapshotPath),
+    revisionContentRoot: dirname(snapshotPath),
     harnessDir: options.harnessDir,
     configPath: options.configPath,
     dataRoot: options.dataRoot,
@@ -352,7 +358,7 @@ export async function renderActiveWorkspaceRuntime(options: {
   });
   return {
     ...rendered,
-    snapshotPath: revision.snapshotPath,
+    snapshotPath,
     descriptorBlob: revision.blob,
     catalogBlob: (await repository.catalogBlob(revision.commit)).trim(),
   };