diff --git a/sync/bme-db.js b/sync/bme-db.js
index d70533a..ba72860 100644
--- a/sync/bme-db.js
+++ b/sync/bme-db.js
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 import { createEmptyGraph, deserializeGraph } from "../graph/graph.js";
+import { normalizeMemoryScope } from "../graph/memory-scope.js";
+import {
+  normalizeStoryTime,
+  normalizeStoryTimeSpan,
+} from "../graph/story-timeline.js";
 import {
   buildVectorCollectionId,
   cloneGraphPersistDirtyState,
@@ -508,6 +513,49 @@ function cloneHydrateSnapshotEdgeRecords(records = []) {
   return output;
 }
 
+function isNormalizedSnapshotNodeRecord(record = null) {
+  if (!record || typeof record !== "object" || Array.isArray(record)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (!Array.isArray(record.seqRange) || record.seqRange.length < 2) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (!Array.isArray(record.childIds) || !Array.isArray(record.clusters)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (normalizeMemoryScope(record.scope) !== record.scope) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (normalizeStoryTime(record.storyTime) !== record.storyTime) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (normalizeStoryTimeSpan(record.storyTimeSpan) !== record.storyTimeSpan) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
+function isNormalizedSnapshotEdgeRecord(record = null) {
+  if (!record || typeof record !== "object" || Array.isArray(record)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return normalizeMemoryScope(record.scope) === record.scope;
+}
+
+function areSnapshotRecordsNormalized(snapshotView = {}) {
+  for (const node of toArray(snapshotView?.nodes)) {
+    if (!isNormalizedSnapshotNodeRecord(node)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+  for (const edge of toArray(snapshotView?.edges)) {
+    if (!isNormalizedSnapshotEdgeRecord(edge)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+  return true;
+}
+
 function toMetaMap(rows = []) {
   const output = {};
   for (const row of rows) {
@@ -2906,7 +2954,8 @@ export function buildGraphFromSnapshot(snapshot, options = {}) {
     {},
   );
   const snapshotRecordsNormalized =
-    snapshotMeta?.[BME_RUNTIME_RECORDS_NORMALIZED_META_KEY] === true;
+    snapshotMeta?.[BME_RUNTIME_RECORDS_NORMALIZED_META_KEY] === true &&
+    areSnapshotRecordsNormalized(snapshotView);
   const nativeHydrateGate =
     options?.useNativeHydrate === true
       ? evaluateNativeHydrateGate(snapshotView, options)
diff --git a/tests/indexeddb-persistence.mjs b/tests/indexeddb-persistence.mjs
index a5876fd..71a82b7 100644
--- a/tests/indexeddb-persistence.mjs
+++ b/tests/indexeddb-persistence.mjs
@@ -734,6 +734,16 @@ async function testGraphSnapshotConverters() {
   const rebuiltLegacyCompatible = buildGraphFromSnapshot(legacyCompatibleSnapshot, {
     chatId: "chat-a",
   });
+  const malformedButFlaggedSnapshot = {
+    ...legacyCompatibleSnapshot,
+    meta: {
+      ...legacyCompatibleSnapshot.meta,
+      [BME_RUNTIME_RECORDS_NORMALIZED_META_KEY]: true,
+    },
+  };
+  const rebuiltMalformedButFlagged = buildGraphFromSnapshot(malformedButFlaggedSnapshot, {
+    chatId: "chat-a",
+  });
   assert.equal(rebuilt.historyState.lastProcessedAssistantFloor, 9);
   assert.equal(rebuilt.historyState.extractionCount, 4);
   assert.equal(rebuilt.nodes.length, 1);
@@ -751,6 +761,9 @@ async function testGraphSnapshotConverters() {
   assert.equal(rebuiltLegacyCompatible.nodes[0].scope?.layer, "objective");
   assert.equal(rebuiltLegacyCompatible.nodes[0].storyTime?.tense, "unknown");
   assert.equal(rebuiltLegacyCompatible.nodes[0].storyTimeSpan?.mixed, false);
+  assert.equal(rebuiltMalformedButFlagged.nodes[0].scope?.layer, "objective");
+  assert.equal(rebuiltMalformedButFlagged.nodes[0].storyTime?.tense, "unknown");
+  assert.equal(rebuiltMalformedButFlagged.nodes[0].storyTimeSpan?.mixed, false);
 
   rebuilt.nodes[0].fields.title = "Mutated Converter Node";
   rebuilt.nodes[0].embedding[0] = 99;
diff --git a/vector/vector-index.js b/vector/vector-index.js
index b7fde57..fd0b19f 100644
--- a/vector/vector-index.js
+++ b/vector/vector-index.js
@@ -302,14 +302,18 @@ export function buildNodeVectorText(node) {
 
   const scope = normalizeMemoryScope(node?.scope);
   const scopeText = describeMemoryScope(scope);
+  const regionPath = Array.isArray(scope?.regionPath) ? scope.regionPath : [];
+  const regionSecondary = Array.isArray(scope?.regionSecondary)
+    ? scope.regionSecondary
+    : [];
   if (scopeText) {
     parts.push(`memory_scope: ${scopeText}`);
   }
-  if (scope.regionPath.length > 0) {
-    parts.push(`memory_region_path: ${scope.regionPath.join(" / ")}`);
+  if (regionPath.length > 0) {
+    parts.push(`memory_region_path: ${regionPath.join(" / ")}`);
   }
-  if (scope.regionSecondary.length > 0) {
-    parts.push(`memory_region_secondary: ${scope.regionSecondary.join(", ")}`);
+  if (regionSecondary.length > 0) {
+    parts.push(`memory_region_secondary: ${regionSecondary.join(", ")}`);
   }
 
   return parts.join(" | ").trim();