diff --git a/tools/tht/internal/lifecycle/lock.go b/tools/tht/internal/lifecycle/lock.go
index 5ab8adc6..7d6299bb 100644
--- a/tools/tht/internal/lifecycle/lock.go
+++ b/tools/tht/internal/lifecycle/lock.go
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/aritmolab/thothii/tools/tht/internal/config"
-	"github.com/aritmolab/thothii/tools/tht/internal/safeio"
 )
 
 var (
@@ -50,36 +49,16 @@ type Transaction struct {
 // Acquire obtains the shared lock used by backup, restore, Pi lifecycle and product updates.
 func Acquire(installation config.Installation) (*Lock, error) {
 	directory := installation.ControlDirectory()
-	parent := filepath.Dir(directory)
-	// The lifecycle directory is also the restore staging parent. An existing Windows child
-	// must be protected before its parent: replacing the parent's inheritable ACL first can
-	// remove the child's inherited owner authority before the child receives its protected DACL.
-	// For a new installation the parent must instead exist before safe child creation.
-	controlInfo, controlErr := os.Lstat(directory)
-	if controlErr == nil {
-		if !controlInfo.IsDir() || controlInfo.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink != 0 {
-			return nil, errors.New("lifecycle control directory is not a regular directory")
-		}
-		if err := ensurePrivateLifecycleDirectory(directory); err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("protect lifecycle control directory: %w", err)
-		}
-		if err := ensurePrivateLifecycleDirectory(parent); err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("protect lifecycle control parent: %w", err)
-		}
-	} else if errors.Is(controlErr, os.ErrNotExist) {
-		if err := ensurePrivateLifecycleDirectory(parent); err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("protect lifecycle control parent: %w", err)
-		}
-		if err := ensurePrivateLifecycleDirectory(directory); err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("protect lifecycle control directory: %w", err)
-		}
-	} else {
-		return nil, errors.New("lifecycle control directory is unavailable")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(directory, 0o700); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("create lifecycle control directory: %w", err)
 	}
 	info, err := os.Lstat(directory)
 	if err != nil || !info.IsDir() || info.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink != 0 {
 		return nil, errors.New("lifecycle control directory is not a regular directory")
 	}
+	if err := os.Chmod(directory, 0o700); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("protect lifecycle control directory: %w", err)
+	}
 
 	tokenBytes := make([]byte, 16)
 	if _, err := rand.Read(tokenBytes); err != nil {
@@ -87,11 +66,11 @@ func Acquire(installation config.Installation) (*Lock, error) {
 	}
 	token := hex.EncodeToString(tokenBytes)
 	path := filepath.Join(directory, lockFileName)
-	file, err := safeio.CreateCanonicalNewPrivateFile(path)
+	file, err := os.OpenFile(path, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE|os.O_EXCL, 0o600)
+	if errors.Is(err, os.ErrExist) {
+		return nil, ErrLocked
+	}
 	if err != nil {
-		if _, statErr := os.Lstat(path); statErr == nil {
-			return nil, ErrLocked
-		}
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("acquire lifecycle lock: %w", err)
 	}
 	value := owner{Token: token, PID: os.Getpid(), CreatedAt: time.Now().UTC()}
@@ -107,25 +86,6 @@ func Acquire(installation config.Installation) (*Lock, error) {
 	return &Lock{path: path, token: token}, nil
 }
 
-// ensurePrivateLifecycleDirectory repairs an existing directory's protection or creates the
-// final missing component with the platform's owner-only primitive. It deliberately does not
-// use os.MkdirAll for the security-sensitive path: safeio validates every canonical ancestor.
-func ensurePrivateLifecycleDirectory(path string) error {
-	info, err := os.Lstat(path)
-	if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-		if err := safeio.EnsurePrivateDirectory(path); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	} else if err != nil || !info.IsDir() || info.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink != 0 {
-		return safeio.ErrUnsafeFile
-	} else {
-		if err := safeio.ProtectPrivateDirectory(path); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-	return safeio.ValidatePrivateDirectory(path)
-}
-
 // AcquireTransaction obtains a lifecycle lock and returns the capability required by callers
 // that perform nested work inside the same non-reentrant transaction.
 func AcquireTransaction(installation config.Installation) (*Transaction, error) {
diff --git a/tools/tht/internal/lifecycle/lock_test.go b/tools/tht/internal/lifecycle/lock_test.go
index d8eaaa89..2fb4babc 100644
--- a/tools/tht/internal/lifecycle/lock_test.go
+++ b/tools/tht/internal/lifecycle/lock_test.go
@@ -7,37 +7,15 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/aritmolab/thothii/tools/tht/internal/config"
-	"github.com/aritmolab/thothii/tools/tht/internal/safeio"
 )
 
 func TestLifecycleLockIsExclusivePerInstallationAndReusableAfterRelease(t *testing.T) {
-	root := lifecycleTestRoot(t)
-	installation := config.Installation{ProjectDirectory: root, Path: filepath.Join(root, "thothii-installation.yaml")}
-	if err := os.MkdirAll(installation.ControlDirectory(), 0o755); err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
+	installation := config.Installation{ProjectDirectory: t.TempDir(), Path: filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "thothii-installation.yaml")}
 	first, err := Acquire(installation)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = first.Release() })
-	for name, path := range map[string]string{
-		"lifecycle parent":    filepath.Dir(installation.ControlDirectory()),
-		"lifecycle directory": installation.ControlDirectory(),
-		"owner file":          first.Path(),
-	} {
-		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			var err error
-			if name == "owner file" {
-				err = safeio.ValidatePrivateRegular(path)
-			} else {
-				err = safeio.ValidatePrivateDirectory(path)
-			}
-			if err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("%s protection = %v", name, err)
-			}
-		})
-	}
 
 	if _, err := Acquire(installation); !errors.Is(err, ErrLocked) {
 		t.Fatalf("second Acquire() error = %v, want ErrLocked", err)
@@ -55,8 +33,7 @@ func TestLifecycleLockIsExclusivePerInstallationAndReusableAfterRelease(t *testi
 }
 
 func TestLifecycleLockReleaseDoesNotRemoveAnotherOwnersFile(t *testing.T) {
-	root := lifecycleTestRoot(t)
-	installation := config.Installation{ProjectDirectory: root, Path: filepath.Join(root, "thothii-installation.yaml")}
+	installation := config.Installation{ProjectDirectory: t.TempDir(), Path: filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "thothii-installation.yaml")}
 	lock, err := Acquire(installation)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -73,7 +50,7 @@ func TestLifecycleLockReleaseDoesNotRemoveAnotherOwnersFile(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestTransactionCapabilityIsInstallationBoundAndExpiresOnRelease(t *testing.T) {
-	root := lifecycleTestRoot(t)
+	root := t.TempDir()
 	installation := config.Installation{ProjectDirectory: root, Path: filepath.Join(root, "thothii-installation.yaml")}
 	transaction, err := AcquireTransaction(installation)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -83,7 +60,7 @@ func TestTransactionCapabilityIsInstallationBoundAndExpiresOnRelease(t *testing.
 		t.Fatalf("Verify() active capability error = %v", err)
 	}
 
-	otherRoot := lifecycleTestRoot(t)
+	otherRoot := t.TempDir()
 	other := config.Installation{ProjectDirectory: otherRoot, Path: filepath.Join(otherRoot, "thothii-installation.yaml")}
 	if err := transaction.Verify(other); !errors.Is(err, ErrTransactionInstallation) {
 		t.Fatalf("Verify() for another installation error = %v, want ErrTransactionInstallation", err)
@@ -95,12 +72,3 @@ func TestTransactionCapabilityIsInstallationBoundAndExpiresOnRelease(t *testing.
 		t.Fatalf("Verify() after Release() error = %v, want ErrTransactionInactive", err)
 	}
 }
-
-func lifecycleTestRoot(t *testing.T) string {
-	t.Helper()
-	root, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(t.TempDir())
-	if err != nil {
-		t.Fatal(err)
-	}
-	return root
-}