diff --git a/docs/installation.md b/docs/installation.md
index af9a96bff3..987b07e30d 100644
--- a/docs/installation.md
+++ b/docs/installation.md
@@ -444,6 +444,9 @@ and other MCP servers. Purging removes REA's legacy cache and state under
 archives under `${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-~/.cache}/rea/hopper-releases`. Other cache
 namespaces remain intact. A caller-selected `REA_KUNA_CACHE_DIR` is retained
 and reported because REA cannot establish ownership of its entire contents.
+Lexically equivalent spellings of that default directory, including a trailing
+separator, a `.` segment, or a repeated separator, share its purge result.
+The comparison preserves POSIX `..` traversal and literal backslashes.
 A client configuration that is malformed, unreadable, or at an unsafe
 path stops the operation before anything is removed, and a client that fails
 while being updated stops the remaining removals. Uninstall reports each
diff --git a/src/application/Uninstall.ts b/src/application/Uninstall.ts
index 4b0a4fd64b..0befd7f2dc 100644
--- a/src/application/Uninstall.ts
+++ b/src/application/Uninstall.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@ import { copyFile, lstat, realpath, rm, rmdir } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { constants as fsConstants } from "node:fs";
 import { homeDirectoryFromEnvironment } from "../config/homeDirectory.js";
 import { basename, dirname } from "node:path";
-import { defaultKunaCacheDirectory } from "../config/kunaCacheDirectory.js";
+import {
+  defaultKunaCacheDirectory,
+  sameLexicalDirectory,
+} from "../config/kunaCacheDirectory.js";
 import { linuxHopperReleaseCacheDirectory } from "./LinuxHopperCacheDirectory.js";
 
 import { ClientConfigurationPublication } from "./ClientConfigurationPublication.js";
@@ -1029,17 +1032,20 @@ const purgeSelectedData = async (
   platform: NodeJS.Platform,
   fileSystem: UninstallFileSystem,
 ): Promise<readonly UninstallItem[]> => {
-  const items = [
-    ...(await purgeManagedData(appendCallerPath(home, ".rea"), fileSystem, [
-      "cache",
-      "state",
-    ])),
-  ];
+  const items: UninstallItem[] = [];
   const directories: string[] = [];
   if (platform === "darwin" || platform === "linux") {
-    directories.push(defaultKunaCacheDirectory(home, environment, platform));
+    const defaultCache = defaultKunaCacheDirectory(home, environment, platform);
+    directories.push(defaultCache);
     const custom = environment.REA_KUNA_CACHE_DIR;
-    if (custom !== undefined && custom !== directories[0])
+    // Lexical spellings identify the default namespace for reporting.
+    // Removal still uses the owned-path checks below. Other selections
+    // remain separately reported without resolving symbolic links.
+    if (
+      custom !== undefined &&
+      custom !== defaultCache &&
+      !sameLexicalDirectory(custom, defaultCache, platform)
+    )
       items.push(
         item(
           "kuna-custom-cache",
@@ -1053,6 +1059,14 @@ const purgeSelectedData = async (
     if (hopper.ok) directories.push(hopper.value);
     else items.push(item("hopper-releases", "failed", hopper.error.message));
   }
+  // Resolve selections before a managed namespace removal can delete cwd.
+  // Keep the existing result and removal order after planning those facts.
+  items.unshift(
+    ...(await purgeManagedData(appendCallerPath(home, ".rea"), fileSystem, [
+      "cache",
+      "state",
+    ])),
+  );
   for (const directory of directories)
     items.push(
       ...(await purgeManagedData(dirname(directory), fileSystem, [
diff --git a/src/config/kunaCacheDirectory.ts b/src/config/kunaCacheDirectory.ts
index 25a0f7f789..3418fb5fa1 100644
--- a/src/config/kunaCacheDirectory.ts
+++ b/src/config/kunaCacheDirectory.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
-import { isAbsolute } from "node:path";
-import { appendCallerPath } from "../filesystem/callerPath.js";
+import { isAbsolute, posix, win32 } from "node:path";
+import {
+  absoluteCallerPath,
+  appendCallerPath,
+} from "../filesystem/callerPath.js";
 
 /** Per-user cache directory that REA owns for Kuna on this host. */
 export const defaultKunaCacheDirectory = (
@@ -16,3 +19,28 @@ export const defaultKunaCacheDirectory = (
       : appendCallerPath(home, ".cache", platform);
   return appendCallerPath(root, "rea/kuna", platform);
 };
+
+/**
+ * Lexical directory identity. Keeps POSIX parent traversal distinct because
+ * collapsing it can change directory identity across symbolic links.
+ * On Darwin and Linux, `\` is a filename character, so only `/` is removed.
+ */
+export const sameLexicalDirectory = (
+  left: string,
+  right: string,
+  platform: NodeJS.Platform,
+): boolean =>
+  lexicalDirectory(left, platform) === lexicalDirectory(right, platform);
+
+const lexicalDirectory = (value: string, platform: NodeJS.Platform): string => {
+  const pathApi = platform === "win32" ? win32 : posix;
+  const normalized = absoluteCallerPath(value, { platform });
+  const root = pathApi.parse(normalized).root;
+  let end = normalized.length;
+  while (
+    end > root.length &&
+    normalized.charCodeAt(end - 1) === pathApi.sep.charCodeAt(0)
+  )
+    end -= 1;
+  return normalized.slice(0, end);
+};
diff --git a/src/filesystem/callerPath.ts b/src/filesystem/callerPath.ts
index fac1988bdc..a2ff309288 100644
--- a/src/filesystem/callerPath.ts
+++ b/src/filesystem/callerPath.ts
@@ -22,20 +22,22 @@ export const appendCallerPath = (
  * change the named file; every `..` is kept for the filesystem to resolve, and
  * a trailing `/` or `/.` keeps its directory requirement as one trailing `/`.
  * A relative `cwd` is made absolute the same way. Win32 resolves `..`
- * lexically, so normalizing there is exact.
+ * lexically, so normalizing there is exact. Absolute POSIX paths never need
+ * the ambient cwd, which may already have been removed during cleanup.
  */
 export const absoluteCallerPath = (
   path: string,
   {
-    cwd = process.cwd(),
+    cwd,
     platform = process.platform,
   }: { readonly cwd?: string; readonly platform?: NodeJS.Platform } = {},
 ): string => {
-  if (platform === "win32") return win32.resolve(cwd, path);
+  if (platform === "win32") return win32.resolve(cwd ?? process.cwd(), path);
   if (!posix.isAbsolute(path)) {
-    const base = posix.isAbsolute(cwd)
-      ? cwd
-      : absoluteCallerPath(cwd, { platform });
+    const selectedCwd = cwd ?? process.cwd();
+    const base = posix.isAbsolute(selectedCwd)
+      ? selectedCwd
+      : absoluteCallerPath(selectedCwd, { platform });
     return absoluteCallerPath(`${base}/${path}`, { platform });
   }
   const segments = path
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/setup/kunaCachePurgeCli.test.ts b/tests/acceptance/setup/kunaCachePurgeCli.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e0a6bfa55f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/acceptance/setup/kunaCachePurgeCli.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import { mkdir, readFile, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { expect } from "vitest";
+
+import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../../fixtures/temporaryDirectory.js";
+import { cliTest } from "../../support/cli/cliFixture.js";
+
+cliTest
+  .runIf(process.platform === "linux" || process.platform === "darwin")
+  .for([
+    { label: "default directory alias", suffix: "/", retained: false },
+    { label: "literal POSIX backslash", suffix: "\\", retained: true },
+  ])(
+  "reports actual Kuna purge effects for $label",
+  async ({ suffix, retained }, { cli }) => {
+    const home = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-kuna-purge-cli-");
+    const cacheRoot = join(
+      home,
+      process.platform === "darwin" ? "Library/Caches" : "cache",
+    );
+    const cache = join(cacheRoot, "rea", "kuna");
+    const custom = `${cache}${suffix}`;
+    await mkdir(cache, { recursive: true });
+    await mkdir(custom, { recursive: true });
+    await writeFile(join(cache, "owned"), "owned cache");
+    await writeFile(join(custom, "selected"), "caller evidence");
+    const sibling = join(cacheRoot, "rea", "caller-evidence");
+    await writeFile(sibling, "unrelated evidence");
+
+    const result = await cli.run({
+      arguments: ["uninstall", "--purge-data", "--format", "json"],
+      cwd: home,
+      environment: {
+        HOME: home,
+        XDG_CONFIG_HOME: join(home, ".config"),
+        XDG_CACHE_HOME: cacheRoot,
+        XDG_DATA_HOME: join(home, ".local/share"),
+        GEMINI_CLI_SYSTEM_SETTINGS_PATH: join(home, "system/gemini.json"),
+        GEMINI_CLI_SYSTEM_DEFAULTS_PATH: join(
+          home,
+          "system/gemini-defaults.json",
+        ),
+        GEMINI_CLI_TRUSTED_FOLDERS_PATH: join(home, ".gemini/trusted.json"),
+        REA_KUNA_CACHE_DIR: custom,
+      },
+    });
+    expect(result.exitCode, result.stdout + result.stderr).toBe(0);
+    expect(result.json).toMatchObject({
+      status: "complete",
+      items: expect.arrayContaining([
+        expect.objectContaining({ name: "kuna", status: "removed" }),
+      ]),
+    });
+    if (retained) {
+      expect(result.json).toMatchObject({
+        items: expect.arrayContaining([
+          expect.objectContaining({
+            name: "kuna-custom-cache",
+            status: "retained",
+            detail: expect.stringContaining(custom),
+          }),
+        ]),
+      });
+      expect(await readFile(join(custom, "selected"), "utf8")).toBe(
+        "caller evidence",
+      );
+    } else {
+      expect(result.json).not.toMatchObject({
+        items: expect.arrayContaining([
+          expect.objectContaining({ name: "kuna-custom-cache" }),
+        ]),
+      });
+      await expect(readFile(join(custom, "selected"))).rejects.toMatchObject({
+        code: "ENOENT",
+      });
+    }
+    await expect(readFile(join(cache, "owned"))).rejects.toMatchObject({
+      code: "ENOENT",
+    });
+    expect(await readFile(sibling, "utf8")).toBe("unrelated evidence");
+  },
+);
diff --git a/tests/boundary/filesystem/callerPath.test.ts b/tests/boundary/filesystem/callerPath.test.ts
index 57593c3ac3..25cc5eb35e 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/filesystem/callerPath.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/filesystem/callerPath.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,23 @@
-import { expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
 import { absoluteCallerPath } from "../../../src/filesystem/callerPath.js";
 
+it("resolves absolute POSIX paths independently of an unavailable cwd", () => {
+  const cwd = vi.spyOn(process, "cwd").mockImplementation(() => {
+    throw new Error("working directory was removed");
+  });
+  try {
+    expect(
+      absoluteCallerPath("/cache//rea/kuna/.", { platform: "linux" }),
+    ).toBe("/cache/rea/kuna/");
+    expect(
+      absoluteCallerPath("sample", { cwd: "/explicit", platform: "linux" }),
+    ).toBe("/explicit/sample");
+  } finally {
+    cwd.mockRestore();
+  }
+});
+
 it("keeps POSIX parent components for the filesystem to resolve", () => {
   const posix = { cwd: "/work", platform: "linux" } as const;
   expect(absoluteCallerPath("link/../sample", posix)).toBe(
diff --git a/tests/boundary/filesystem/managedDataPurge.test.ts b/tests/boundary/filesystem/managedDataPurge.test.ts
index 7fad45e752..5465247aeb 100644
--- a/tests/boundary/filesystem/managedDataPurge.test.ts
+++ b/tests/boundary/filesystem/managedDataPurge.test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,77 @@
-import { mkdir, readFile, symlink, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { lstat, mkdir, readFile, symlink, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { expect, it } from "vitest";
 
 import { systemUninstallHost } from "../../../src/application/Uninstall.js";
+import { execFileOutput } from "../../../src/process/ExecFileOutput.js";
 import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../../fixtures/temporaryDirectory.js";
 
+it.skipIf(process.platform === "win32").each([
+  { name: "cache", relative: false },
+  { name: "state", relative: false },
+  { name: "cache", relative: true },
+  { name: "state", relative: true },
+])(
+  "finishes purging after $name removes the working directory (relative selection: $relative)",
+  async ({ name, relative }) => {
+    const home = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-managed-cache-cwd-");
+    const cwd = join(home, ".rea", name);
+    const cacheRoot = join(home, "cache");
+    const cache = join(cacheRoot, "rea", "kuna");
+    await mkdir(cwd, { recursive: true });
+    await mkdir(cache, { recursive: true });
+    await writeFile(join(cache, "cached"), "owned cache");
+    const callerCache = join(home, "caller-cache");
+    await mkdir(callerCache);
+    await writeFile(join(callerCache, "evidence"), "caller evidence");
+    const selected = relative ? "../../caller-cache" : `${cache}/`;
+    const moduleUrl = new URL(
+      "../../../dist/application/Uninstall.js",
+      import.meta.url,
+    ).href;
+    const result = await execFileOutput(
+      process.execPath,
+      [
+        "--input-type=module",
+        "-e",
+        `import { systemUninstallHost } from ${JSON.stringify(moduleUrl)};
+const [home, cwd, cacheRoot, selected] = process.argv.slice(1);
+const host = systemUninstallHost(home, undefined, {
+  XDG_CACHE_HOME: cacheRoot, REA_KUNA_CACHE_DIR: selected,
+}, "linux");
+// Reset Node's cwd cache after module loading, before the real removal.
+process.chdir(cwd);
+try { console.log(JSON.stringify(await host.purgeData())); }
+finally { await host.close?.(); }`,
+        home,
+        cwd,
+        cacheRoot,
+        selected,
+      ],
+      { timeout: 10_000, maxBuffer: 64 * 1024, stopSignal: "SIGTERM" },
+    );
+    expect(JSON.parse(result.stdout)).toEqual(
+      expect.arrayContaining([
+        expect.objectContaining({ name, status: "removed" }),
+        expect.objectContaining({ name: "kuna", status: "removed" }),
+      ]),
+    );
+    await expect(lstat(cwd)).rejects.toMatchObject({ code: "ENOENT" });
+    await expect(lstat(cache)).rejects.toMatchObject({ code: "ENOENT" });
+    expect(await readFile(join(callerCache, "evidence"), "utf8")).toBe(
+      "caller evidence",
+    );
+    if (relative)
+      expect(JSON.parse(result.stdout)).toContainEqual(
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          name: "kuna-custom-cache",
+          status: "retained",
+          detail: expect.stringContaining(selected),
+        }),
+      );
+  },
+);
+
 it.each(["darwin", "linux"] as const)(
   "purges producer-owned default cache namespaces on %s and preserves their siblings",
   async (platform) => {
@@ -90,6 +157,53 @@ it("retains an arbitrary caller-selected Kuna cache and refuses a linked managed
   }
 });
 
+it.each([
+  {
+    label: "trailing separator",
+    spelling: (cache: string) => `${cache}/`,
+  },
+  {
+    label: "dot segment",
+    spelling: (cache: string) => `${cache}/.`,
+  },
+  {
+    label: "duplicate separator",
+    spelling: (cache: string) =>
+      `${cache.slice(0, cache.lastIndexOf("kuna"))}/${"kuna"}`,
+  },
+])(
+  "purges a default Kuna cache selected with a $label",
+  async ({ spelling }) => {
+    const home = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-managed-cache-spelling-");
+    const root = join(home, "Library/Caches");
+    const cache = join(root, "rea", "kuna");
+    await mkdir(cache, { recursive: true });
+    await writeFile(join(cache, "cached"), "REA cache");
+    const host = systemUninstallHost(
+      home,
+      undefined,
+      {
+        REA_KUNA_CACHE_DIR: spelling(cache),
+      },
+      "darwin",
+    );
+    try {
+      const result = await host.purgeData();
+      expect(result).not.toContainEqual(
+        expect.objectContaining({ name: "kuna-custom-cache" }),
+      );
+      expect(result).toContainEqual(
+        expect.objectContaining({ name: "kuna", status: "removed" }),
+      );
+      await expect(readFile(join(cache, "cached"))).rejects.toMatchObject({
+        code: "ENOENT",
+      });
+    } finally {
+      await host.close?.();
+    }
+  },
+);
+
 it("reports the Hopper producer's invalid cache selection rather than silently falling back", async () => {
   const home = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-managed-cache-invalid-");
   const fallback = join(home, ".cache", "rea", "hopper-releases");
@@ -114,3 +228,43 @@ it("reports the Hopper producer's invalid cache selection rather than silently f
     await host.close?.();
   }
 });
+
+it("reports a retained Kuna cache reached through symlink parent traversal", async () => {
+  const home = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-managed-cache-parent-");
+  const root = join(home, "cache");
+  const cache = join(root, "rea", "kuna");
+  const external = join(home, "external");
+  await mkdir(cache, { recursive: true });
+  await mkdir(join(external, "subdir"), { recursive: true });
+  await mkdir(join(external, "kuna"));
+  await writeFile(join(cache, "cached"), "owned cache");
+  await writeFile(join(external, "kuna", "evidence"), "caller evidence");
+  await symlink(join(external, "subdir"), join(root, "rea", "alias"), "dir");
+  const custom = `${root}/rea/alias/../kuna`;
+  const host = systemUninstallHost(
+    home,
+    undefined,
+    { XDG_CACHE_HOME: root, REA_KUNA_CACHE_DIR: custom },
+    "linux",
+  );
+  try {
+    const result = await host.purgeData();
+    expect(result).toContainEqual(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        name: "kuna-custom-cache",
+        status: "retained",
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(result).toContainEqual(
+      expect.objectContaining({ name: "kuna", status: "removed" }),
+    );
+    expect(await readFile(join(external, "kuna", "evidence"), "utf8")).toBe(
+      "caller evidence",
+    );
+    await expect(readFile(join(cache, "cached"))).rejects.toMatchObject({
+      code: "ENOENT",
+    });
+  } finally {
+    await host.close?.();
+  }
+});