diff --git a/scripts/hooks/hookify-loader.js b/scripts/hooks/hookify-loader.js
index 451ed967d..5e4e1fe7c 100644
--- a/scripts/hooks/hookify-loader.js
+++ b/scripts/hooks/hookify-loader.js
@@ -355,6 +355,31 @@ function loadRuleFile({
   const filePath = path.join(claudeDir, fileName);
   let fileDescriptor;
   try {
+    const noFollow = fs.constants.O_NOFOLLOW || 0;
+    try {
+      fileDescriptor = fs.openSync(filePath, fs.constants.O_RDONLY | noFollow);
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (
+        error &&
+        ['ELOOP', 'EMLINK', 'ENOENT', 'ENOTDIR'].includes(error.code)
+      ) {
+        return {
+          rule: null,
+          diagnostic: diagnostic('HOOKIFY_RULE_FILE_UNSAFE', fileName, 'not a regular file'),
+          bytesRead: 0,
+        };
+      }
+      throw error;
+    }
+    const fileStat = fs.fstatSync(fileDescriptor);
+    if (!fileStat.isFile()) {
+      return {
+        rule: null,
+        diagnostic: diagnostic('HOOKIFY_RULE_FILE_UNSAFE', fileName, 'not a regular file'),
+        bytesRead: 0,
+      };
+    }
+
     const linkStat = fs.lstatSync(filePath);
     if (linkStat.isSymbolicLink() || !linkStat.isFile()) {
       return {
@@ -363,6 +388,23 @@ function loadRuleFile({
         bytesRead: 0,
       };
     }
+    if (
+      fileStat.dev !== linkStat.dev ||
+      fileStat.ino !== linkStat.ino ||
+      fileStat.mode !== linkStat.mode ||
+      fileStat.size !== linkStat.size ||
+      fileStat.mtimeMs !== linkStat.mtimeMs
+    ) {
+      return {
+        rule: null,
+        diagnostic: diagnostic(
+          'HOOKIFY_RULE_FILE_UNSAFE',
+          fileName,
+          'rule identity changed during evaluation'
+        ),
+        bytesRead: 0,
+      };
+    }
 
     const realDirectory = fs.realpathSync(claudeDir);
     if (expectedRealDirectory && realDirectory !== expectedRealDirectory) {
@@ -380,55 +422,17 @@ function loadRuleFile({
     if (
       path.dirname(realFile) !== realDirectory ||
       realFile !== path.join(realDirectory, fileName)
-    ) {
-      return {
-        rule: null,
-        diagnostic: diagnostic('HOOKIFY_RULE_FILE_UNSAFE', fileName, 'resolved outside project .claude'),
-        bytesRead: 0,
-      };
-    }
-
-    const noFollow = fs.constants.O_NOFOLLOW || 0;
-    fileDescriptor = fs.openSync(filePath, fs.constants.O_RDONLY | noFollow);
-    const fileStat = fs.fstatSync(fileDescriptor);
-    if (
-      fileStat.dev !== linkStat.dev ||
-      fileStat.ino !== linkStat.ino ||
-      fileStat.mode !== linkStat.mode ||
-      fileStat.size !== linkStat.size ||
-      fileStat.mtimeMs !== linkStat.mtimeMs
     ) {
       return {
         rule: null,
         diagnostic: diagnostic(
           'HOOKIFY_RULE_FILE_UNSAFE',
           fileName,
-          'rule identity changed during evaluation'
+          'resolved outside project .claude'
         ),
         bytesRead: 0,
       };
     }
-    if (
-      fs.realpathSync(claudeDir) !== realDirectory ||
-      fs.realpathSync(filePath) !== realFile
-    ) {
-      return {
-        rule: null,
-        diagnostic: diagnostic(
-          'HOOKIFY_RULE_FILE_UNSAFE',
-          fileName,
-          'rule path changed during evaluation'
-        ),
-        bytesRead: 0,
-      };
-    }
-    if (!fileStat.isFile()) {
-      return {
-        rule: null,
-        diagnostic: diagnostic('HOOKIFY_RULE_FILE_UNSAFE', fileName, 'not a regular file'),
-        bytesRead: 0,
-      };
-    }
     if (fileStat.size > LIMITS.maxFileBytes) {
       return {
         rule: null,
diff --git a/tests/hooks/hookify-loader.test.js b/tests/hooks/hookify-loader.test.js
index 372ed815c..ad8d88545 100644
--- a/tests/hooks/hookify-loader.test.js
+++ b/tests/hooks/hookify-loader.test.js
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ function runTests() {
     });
   })) passed++; else failed++;
 
-  if (test('rejects a rule path swapped through a symlink while the file is opened', () => {
+  if (test('opens a rule descriptor before path inspection and rejects a later symlink swap', () => {
     withProject(({ projectRoot, claudeDir }) => {
       const fileName = 'hookify.race.local.md';
       const rulePath = path.join(claudeDir, fileName);
@@ -231,19 +231,28 @@ function runTests() {
         'This outside rule must never be loaded.',
       ].join('\n'));
 
-      const originalOpenSync = fs.openSync;
+      const originalFstatSync = fs.fstatSync;
+      const originalLstatSync = fs.lstatSync;
+      let descriptorOpened = false;
+      let inspectedBeforeOpen = false;
       let swapped = false;
-      fs.openSync = function openWithSwap(target, flags, ...args) {
-        if (!swapped && target === rulePath) {
+      fs.fstatSync = function markDescriptorOpen(descriptor, ...args) {
+        descriptorOpened = true;
+        return originalFstatSync.call(fs, descriptor, ...args);
+      };
+      fs.lstatSync = function inspectWithSwap(target, ...args) {
+        if (target === rulePath && !descriptorOpened) {
+          inspectedBeforeOpen = true;
+        } else if (!swapped && target === rulePath) {
           swapped = true;
           fs.renameSync(rulePath, backupPath);
           fs.symlinkSync(outsidePath, rulePath);
-          const descriptor = originalOpenSync.call(fs, target, fs.constants.O_RDONLY, ...args);
+          const linkStat = originalLstatSync.call(fs, target, ...args);
           fs.unlinkSync(rulePath);
           fs.renameSync(backupPath, rulePath);
-          return descriptor;
+          return linkStat;
         }
-        return originalOpenSync.call(fs, target, flags, ...args);
+        return originalLstatSync.call(fs, target, ...args);
       };
 
       try {
@@ -255,8 +264,11 @@ function runTests() {
         });
         assert.strictEqual(result.rule, null);
         assert.strictEqual(result.diagnostic.code, 'HOOKIFY_RULE_FILE_UNSAFE');
+        assert.strictEqual(inspectedBeforeOpen, false);
+        assert.strictEqual(swapped, true);
       } finally {
-        fs.openSync = originalOpenSync;
+        fs.fstatSync = originalFstatSync;
+        fs.lstatSync = originalLstatSync;
         if (fs.existsSync(backupPath) && !fs.existsSync(rulePath)) {
           fs.renameSync(backupPath, rulePath);
         }