diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index acf5429..f57af6e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -20,10 +20,12 @@ Released with 2meet-data-optimizer 1.2.0 (hardening 2.2).
 - With a persistent object cache (`wp_using_ext_object_cache()`), the
   transient filter keeps HivePress's per-post transient pairs in the
   `tmdo_hp_transient` cache group instead of `wp_options`, where they piled
-  up (1.15 M pairs on dev36). Reads fall back to `wp_options` for values
-  written before; deletes clear both. Without an object cache nothing changes.
-  After upgrading, remove the rows left behind with core's
-  `wp tmdo cleanup-hp-transients --options --confirm`.
+  up (1.15 M pairs on dev36). The cache is then the only store: rows written
+  before are neither read nor deleted (HivePress rebuilds those caches once),
+  because a `get_option()` miss adds the name to WordPress's `notoptions` for
+  good and a hit keeps the old row in the `options` cache group with no expiry.
+  Without an object cache nothing changes. After upgrading, remove the rows
+  left behind with core's `wp tmdo cleanup-hp-transients --options --confirm`.
 
 ### Fixed
 
diff --git a/includes/class-tmdo-hivepress-transient-filter.php b/includes/class-tmdo-hivepress-transient-filter.php
index 1deadff..8adb2d5 100644
--- a/includes/class-tmdo-hivepress-transient-filter.php
+++ b/includes/class-tmdo-hivepress-transient-filter.php
@@ -167,9 +167,14 @@ final class TMDO_Hivepress_Transient_Filter {
 		// HivePress cache layer reads the timeout *first*, then decides whether
 		// to read the value. We must preserve raw stored values until HivePress
 		// itself orders deletion.
-		$value = wp_using_ext_object_cache() ? wp_cache_get( $option_name, self::CACHE_GROUP ) : false;
-		if ( false === $value ) {
-			// wp_options: where values went before an object cache was used.
+		if ( wp_using_ext_object_cache() ) {
+			// The object cache is the only store. Rows left in wp_options from
+			// before are not read (`wp tmdo cleanup-hp-transients --options`
+			// removes them): a get_option() miss would add the name to
+			// `notoptions` for good, as later writes never reach wp_options.
+			$value = wp_cache_get( $option_name, self::CACHE_GROUP );
+			$value = false === $value ? null : $value;
+		} else {
 			$value = get_option( $option_name, null );
 		}
 
@@ -248,6 +253,7 @@ final class TMDO_Hivepress_Transient_Filter {
 
 		if ( wp_using_ext_object_cache() ) {
 			wp_cache_delete( $option_name, self::CACHE_GROUP );
+			return true;
 		}
 		delete_option( $option_name );
 		return true;
diff --git a/tests/integration/HivepressTransientFilterTest.php b/tests/integration/HivepressTransientFilterTest.php
index 41e2f9a..3547f20 100644
--- a/tests/integration/HivepressTransientFilterTest.php
+++ b/tests/integration/HivepressTransientFilterTest.php
@@ -213,16 +213,18 @@ class HivepressTransientFilterTest extends TestCase {
 		$this->assertSame( array( '99999999' ), WPDO_Hivepress_Transient_Filter::on_read( null, 100, '_transient_timeout_hp_models/cat/v1', true ) );
 	}
 
-	public function test_with_an_object_cache_a_value_left_in_wp_options_still_reads(): void {
+	public function test_with_an_object_cache_a_value_left_in_wp_options_is_not_read(): void {
+		// A miss must not fall back to get_option(): the option is absent after
+		// cleanup and WordPress would add its name to `notoptions` for good.
 		$key        = '_transient_hp_models/cat/v1';
 		$translated = WPDO_Hivepress_Transient_Filter::translate_key( 100, $key );
 		update_option( '_transient_' . $translated, 'from-before' );
 		$GLOBALS['_wp_using_ext_object_cache'] = true;
 
-		$this->assertSame( array( 'from-before' ), WPDO_Hivepress_Transient_Filter::on_read( null, 100, $key, true ) );
+		$this->assertNull( WPDO_Hivepress_Transient_Filter::on_read( null, 100, $key, true ) );
 	}
 
-	public function test_with_an_object_cache_delete_clears_both_stores(): void {
+	public function test_with_an_object_cache_delete_leaves_wp_options_alone(): void {
 		$key        = '_transient_hp_models/cat/v1';
 		$translated = WPDO_Hivepress_Transient_Filter::translate_key( 100, $key );
 		update_option( '_transient_' . $translated, 'from-before' );
@@ -232,7 +234,7 @@ class HivepressTransientFilterTest extends TestCase {
 		WPDO_Hivepress_Transient_Filter::on_delete( null, 100, $key, '', false );
 
 		$this->assertNull( WPDO_Hivepress_Transient_Filter::on_read( null, 100, $key, true ) );
-		$this->assertFalse( get_option( '_transient_' . $translated ) );
+		$this->assertSame( 'from-before', get_option( '_transient_' . $translated ), 'left for cleanup-hp-transients --options' );
 	}
 
 	// ── count/purge legacy ──────────────────────────────────────────────────