diff --git a/nextcloud_mcp_server/vector/scanner.py b/nextcloud_mcp_server/vector/scanner.py
index 755fbf8a..2fbe2109 100644
--- a/nextcloud_mcp_server/vector/scanner.py
+++ b/nextcloud_mcp_server/vector/scanner.py
@@ -590,15 +590,16 @@ async def scan_user_documents(
                     elif existing_metadata is not None and not existing_metadata.get(
                         "is_placeholder", False
                     ):
-                        # Unchanged content (not re-queued) but the file may have
-                        # been renamed/moved: a rename keeps the fileid while
-                        # changing the path, and the dedup miss here means the
-                        # etag changed without a modified_at bump. Refresh the
-                        # stale path/title metadata without re-embedding. No-op
-                        # when the path is unchanged. Skip placeholders: reconcile
-                        # only touches real chunks, so a not-yet-indexed file would
-                        # just incur a 0-point set_payload (the real index writes
-                        # the current path anyway).
+                        # Reached only on the rename-with-stable-mtime path: a
+                        # fresh modified_at would have set needs_indexing, and an
+                        # etag dedup hit would have continued above -- so here the
+                        # content wasn't re-queued (modified_at stable) yet the
+                        # stored path may be stale from a rename/move (the fileid
+                        # is unchanged). Refresh path/title without re-embedding;
+                        # reconcile_document_path no-ops when the path matches.
+                        # Skip placeholders: reconcile only touches real chunks, so
+                        # a not-yet-indexed file would just incur a 0-point
+                        # set_payload (the real index writes the current path).
                         try:
                             await reconcile_document_path(
                                 file_id,
diff --git a/nextcloud_mcp_server/vector/sharing_state.py b/nextcloud_mcp_server/vector/sharing_state.py
index 190b91d2..df160e54 100644
--- a/nextcloud_mcp_server/vector/sharing_state.py
+++ b/nextcloud_mcp_server/vector/sharing_state.py
@@ -188,9 +188,11 @@ async def reconcile_document_path(
     rewrites ``file_path`` and the derived ``title`` on every real chunk via a
     single metadata-only ``set_payload`` (no re-fetch, no re-embed).
 
-    No-op (returns False) when the path is unchanged or no real points exist yet
-    (filter matches nothing). A legacy point with no stored ``file_path`` is
-    treated as changed, backfilling both fields.
+    Returns False (no write attempted) only when the path is unchanged or empty.
+    When the path differs it returns True after issuing the ``set_payload``; that
+    write is itself a Qdrant-side no-op if no real chunks exist yet (e.g. only a
+    placeholder), which the callers tolerate. A legacy point with no stored
+    ``file_path`` is treated as changed, backfilling both fields.
     """
     if not current_path or stored_path == current_path:
         return False