diff --git a/.beads/interactions.jsonl b/.beads/interactions.jsonl
index 9911bb3..787814c 100644
--- a/.beads/interactions.jsonl
+++ b/.beads/interactions.jsonl
@@ -87,3 +87,4 @@
 {"id":"int-d47b701c216df2d75a8351144aa4e648","kind":"field_change","created_at":"2026-08-05T13:28:54.108148Z","actor":"dawn","issue_id":"hydrant-0gg","extra":{"field":"status","new_value":"closed","old_value":"in_progress","reason":"Implemented and fully validated on the final working tree."}}
 {"id":"int-a476263d50fdc6414edb9ac747ba69b6","kind":"field_change","created_at":"2026-08-05T13:28:54.314066Z","actor":"dawn","issue_id":"hydrant-4hr","extra":{"field":"status","new_value":"closed","old_value":"in_progress","reason":"Implemented and fully validated on the final working tree."}}
 {"id":"int-ccc4d70168c95b110d3b7e29fcf40451","kind":"field_change","created_at":"2026-08-10T22:32:35.356361Z","actor":"dawn","issue_id":"hydrant-dom","extra":{"field":"status","new_value":"closed","old_value":"in_progress","reason":"Closed"}}
+{"id":"int-1981f331f8b8daf93820df3650c16c6a","kind":"field_change","created_at":"2026-08-13T14:45:08.148441Z","actor":"dawn","issue_id":"hydrant-5dn","extra":{"field":"status","new_value":"closed","old_value":"in_progress","reason":"Persisted transition_repo state in the transaction; regression exercises BackfillFinished and rereads Synced from db.repos."}}
diff --git a/src/ingest/indexer/shard.rs b/src/ingest/indexer/shard.rs
index 4dafc2f..da001bf 100644
--- a/src/ingest/indexer/shard.rs
+++ b/src/ingest/indexer/shard.rs
@@ -625,7 +625,76 @@ mod tests {
     };
 
     use super::*;
-    use crate::ingest::stream::{Datetime, RepoOp, RepoOpAction};
+    use crate::{
+        config::Config,
+        ingest::stream::{Datetime, RepoOp, RepoOpAction},
+    };
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn backfill_finished_persists_synced_repo_status() -> Result<()> {
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().into_diagnostic()?;
+        let config = Config {
+            database_path: tmp.path().to_path_buf(),
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        let state = Arc::new(AppState::new(&config)?);
+        let did = Did::new("did:plc:backfillfinishedstatus")
+            .into_diagnostic()?
+            .into_static();
+        let index_id = 7;
+        let pending_key = keys::pending_key(index_id);
+
+        let mut batch = state.db.inner.batch();
+        batch.insert(
+            &state.db.repos,
+            keys::repo_key(&did),
+            db::ser_repo_state(&RepoState::backfilling())?,
+        );
+        batch.insert(
+            &state.db.repo_metadata,
+            keys::repo_metadata_key(&did),
+            ser_repo_meta(&RepoMetadata::backfilling(index_id))?,
+        );
+        batch.insert(&state.db.indexer.pending, pending_key, keys::repo_key(&did));
+        batch.commit().into_diagnostic()?;
+
+        let (tx, mut worker) = FirehoseWorker::new(state.clone(), 1);
+        let rx = worker.rxs.pop().expect("single shard receiver");
+        let shard_state = state.clone();
+        let runtime = TokioHandle::current();
+        let shard = std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            FirehoseWorker::shard(0, rx, shard_state, runtime);
+        });
+
+        tx.send(IndexerMessage::BackfillFinished(did.clone()))
+            .await
+            .into_diagnostic()?;
+        drop(tx);
+        shard
+            .join()
+            .map_err(|_| miette::miette!("indexer shard panicked"))?;
+
+        let state_bytes = state
+            .db
+            .repos
+            .get(keys::repo_key(&did))
+            .into_diagnostic()?
+            .expect("repository state");
+        let repo_state = db::deser_repo_state(&state_bytes)?;
+        assert_eq!(repo_state.status, RepoStatus::Synced);
+        assert!(repo_state.active);
+        assert!(
+            state
+                .db
+                .indexer
+                .pending
+                .get(pending_key)
+                .into_diagnostic()?
+                .is_none()
+        );
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
 
     #[test]
     fn resync_buffer_commit_msgpack_round_trip_preserves_path() {
diff --git a/src/ops.rs b/src/ops.rs
index 22a8c6f..cd2ac2e 100644
--- a/src/ops.rs
+++ b/src/ops.rs
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ pub fn transition_repo<'s>(
     repo_state.active = matches!(new_status, RepoStatus::Synced | RepoStatus::Error(_));
     repo_state.status = new_status;
     repo_state.touch();
+    batch.insert(&db.repos, repo_key, db::ser_repo_state(&repo_state)?);
 
     Ok(repo_state)
 }