diff --git a/tools/tht/internal/safeio/claim_windows_test.go b/tools/tht/internal/safeio/claim_windows_test.go
index a847bdd5..276f30c2 100644
--- a/tools/tht/internal/safeio/claim_windows_test.go
+++ b/tools/tht/internal/safeio/claim_windows_test.go
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ func TestCanonicalPrivateClaimConsumeHasOneConcurrentWinner(t *testing.T) {
 
 		type result struct {
 			found bool
+			stage string
 			err   error
 		}
 		results := make(chan result, 2)
@@ -211,20 +212,20 @@ func TestCanonicalPrivateClaimConsumeHasOneConcurrentWinner(t *testing.T) {
 				defer group.Done()
 				claimed, err := ClaimCanonicalPrivateRegular(source, claim)
 				if err != nil || !claimed {
-					results <- result{err: err}
+					results <- result{stage: "claim", err: err}
 					return
 				}
 				contents, found, err := ReadCanonicalPrivateClaim(source, claim, 32)
 				if err != nil || !found || string(contents) != "state" {
-					results <- result{err: err}
+					results <- result{stage: "read", err: err}
 					return
 				}
 				removed, err := RemoveCanonicalPrivateClaim(source, claim)
 				if err != nil || !removed {
-					results <- result{err: err}
+					results <- result{stage: "remove", err: err}
 					return
 				}
-				results <- result{found: true}
+				results <- result{found: true, stage: "complete"}
 			}()
 		}
 		group.Wait()
@@ -233,7 +234,7 @@ func TestCanonicalPrivateClaimConsumeHasOneConcurrentWinner(t *testing.T) {
 		winners := 0
 		for got := range results {
 			if got.err != nil {
-				t.Fatalf("iteration %d concurrent consume error = %v", iteration, got.err)
+				t.Fatalf("iteration %d concurrent consume %s error = %v", iteration, got.stage, got.err)
 			}
 			if got.found {
 				winners++
diff --git a/tools/tht/internal/safeio/private_root_windows.go b/tools/tht/internal/safeio/private_root_windows.go
index 1135643d..84f95b42 100644
--- a/tools/tht/internal/safeio/private_root_windows.go
+++ b/tools/tht/internal/safeio/private_root_windows.go
@@ -1108,7 +1108,14 @@ func (directory *windowsPrivateDirectory) RemoveClaim(source, claim string) (boo
 		claimed.Close,
 		func() error { return closeAndDeleteWindowsPrivateRegular(value) },
 		func() error {
-			remaining, remainingErr := openWindowsPrivateRegularAt(directory.handle, claim, windows.FILE_GENERIC_READ|windows.DELETE, 1)
+			// A concurrent loser can briefly hold the orphan observation read-only after
+			// source deletion. Preserve no-delete sharing and wait only for that close.
+			remaining, remainingErr := openWindowsPrivateClaimRegular(
+				directory.handle,
+				claim,
+				windows.FILE_GENERIC_READ|windows.DELETE,
+				1,
+			)
 			if remainingErr != nil {
 				return ErrUnsafeFile
 			}