diff --git a/packages/data-schemas/src/methods/message.spec.ts b/packages/data-schemas/src/methods/message.spec.ts
index 26a2991838..f3b215c956 100644
--- a/packages/data-schemas/src/methods/message.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/data-schemas/src/methods/message.spec.ts
@@ -929,6 +929,47 @@ describe('Message Operations', () => {
       expect(saved?.expiredAt?.getTime()).toBeLessThanOrEqual(convo?.expiredAt?.getTime() ?? 0);
     });
 
+    it('caps a message-only save to an all-mode parent expiring sooner without extending it', async () => {
+      const conversationId = uuidv4();
+      const parentExpiry = new Date(Date.now() + 60 * 60 * 1000);
+      await Conversation().create({
+        conversationId,
+        user: 'user123',
+        endpoint: 'openAI',
+        title: 'All-mode chat expiring soon',
+        isTemporary: false,
+        expiredAt: parentExpiry,
+      });
+      const olderMessageId = uuidv4();
+      await Message.create({
+        messageId: olderMessageId,
+        conversationId,
+        user: 'user123',
+        text: 'older retained message',
+        isTemporary: false,
+        expiredAt: parentExpiry,
+      });
+
+      const saved = await saveMessage(
+        {
+          userId: 'user123',
+          interfaceConfig: { temporaryChatRetention: 24, retentionMode: RetentionMode.EPHEMERAL },
+        },
+        { messageId: uuidv4(), conversationId, text: 'branch', user: 'user123' },
+        { context: 'branch', capExpiryToConversation: true },
+      );
+
+      expect(saved?.expiredAt?.getTime()).toBe(parentExpiry.getTime());
+
+      const convo = await Conversation().findOne({ conversationId }).lean();
+      expect(convo?.isTemporary).toBe(true);
+      expect(convo?.expiredAt?.getTime()).toBe(parentExpiry.getTime());
+
+      const older = await Message.findOne({ messageId: olderMessageId }).lean();
+      expect(older?.isTemporary).toBe(true);
+      expect(older?.expiredAt?.getTime()).toBe(parentExpiry.getTime());
+    });
+
     it('backfills lagging messages when the parent already expires sooner', async () => {
       const conversationId = uuidv4();
       const parentExpiry = new Date(Date.now() + 60 * 60 * 1000);
diff --git a/packages/data-schemas/src/methods/message.ts b/packages/data-schemas/src/methods/message.ts
index ce225b8aa1..f44e3d4c20 100644
--- a/packages/data-schemas/src/methods/message.ts
+++ b/packages/data-schemas/src/methods/message.ts
@@ -214,7 +214,8 @@ export function createMessageMethods(mongoose: typeof import('mongoose')): Messa
         message.isTemporary = false;
       }
 
-      if (isForcedRetention && forcedExpiredAt instanceof Date) {
+      const cascadeExpiredAt = update.expiredAt;
+      if (isForcedRetention && cascadeExpiredAt instanceof Date) {
         const Conversation = mongoose.models.Conversation as Model<IConversation>;
         const SharedLink = mongoose.models.SharedLink as Model<ISharedLink>;
         await cascadeForcedConversationRetention(
@@ -223,7 +224,7 @@ export function createMessageMethods(mongoose: typeof import('mongoose')): Messa
           SharedLink,
           userId,
           conversationId,
-          forcedExpiredAt,
+          cascadeExpiredAt,
         );
       }
 
diff --git a/packages/data-schemas/src/utils/retention.ts b/packages/data-schemas/src/utils/retention.ts
index ce96414049..804adfbffd 100644
--- a/packages/data-schemas/src/utils/retention.ts
+++ b/packages/data-schemas/src/utils/retention.ts
@@ -121,6 +121,10 @@ export const capConversationSharedLinks = async (
  * an already-conforming parent untouched, so older `expiredAt: null`/later messages would
  * otherwise survive the parent's TTL. Returns the forced window unchanged when no earlier
  * parent deadline applies.
+ *
+ * Any active earlier deadline is honored regardless of `isTemporary`: an `all`-mode parent
+ * carried over with a sooner `expiredAt` must not be extended to the fresh window just
+ * because it is not yet temporary — the cascade converts it afterward using this deadline.
  */
 export const capForcedRetentionToParent = async (
   Conversation: Model<IConversation>,
@@ -130,15 +134,10 @@ export const capForcedRetentionToParent = async (
   conversationId: string,
   forcedExpiredAt: Date,
 ): Promise<Date> => {
-  const parent = await Conversation.findOne(
-    { conversationId, user: userId },
-    'isTemporary expiredAt',
-  ).lean<{ isTemporary?: boolean | null; expiredAt?: Date | null } | null>();
-  if (
-    parent?.isTemporary === true &&
-    parent.expiredAt instanceof Date &&
-    parent.expiredAt.getTime() < forcedExpiredAt.getTime()
-  ) {
+  const parent = await Conversation.findOne({ conversationId, user: userId }, 'expiredAt').lean<{
+    expiredAt?: Date | null;
+  } | null>();
+  if (parent?.expiredAt instanceof Date && parent.expiredAt.getTime() < forcedExpiredAt.getTime()) {
     await forceConversationMessagesTemporary(Message, userId, conversationId, parent.expiredAt);
     await capConversationSharedLinks(SharedLink, userId, conversationId, parent.expiredAt);
     return parent.expiredAt;