diff --git a/packages/api/src/files/retention.spec.ts b/packages/api/src/files/retention.spec.ts
index b6b3ccc801..604a60d204 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/files/retention.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/files/retention.spec.ts
@@ -52,14 +52,41 @@ describe('retention helpers', () => {
     expect(dependencies.getConvo).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
-  it('returns expiry when retentionMode is EPHEMERAL', async () => {
+  it('returns a fresh expiry when retentionMode is EPHEMERAL and the conversation has no earlier deadline', async () => {
+    dependencies.getConvo.mockResolvedValue(null);
+
+    const result = await getRetentionExpiry(
+      request({ config: { interfaceConfig: { retentionMode: RetentionMode.EPHEMERAL } } }),
+      dependencies,
+    );
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({ expiredAt: expirationDate });
+    expect(dependencies.getConvo).toHaveBeenCalledWith('user-1', 'convo-1');
+  });
+
+  it('caps an ephemeral file to a parent conversation that expires sooner', async () => {
+    const soonerExpiry = new Date('2029-01-01T00:00:00.000Z');
+    dependencies.getConvo.mockResolvedValue({ expiredAt: soonerExpiry });
+
+    const result = await getRetentionExpiry(
+      request({ config: { interfaceConfig: { retentionMode: RetentionMode.EPHEMERAL } } }),
+      dependencies,
+    );
+
+    expect(result).toEqual({ expiredAt: soonerExpiry });
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the fresh window when an ephemeral parent expires later', async () => {
+    dependencies.getConvo.mockResolvedValue({
+      expiredAt: new Date('2031-01-01T00:00:00.000Z'),
+    });
+
     const result = await getRetentionExpiry(
       request({ config: { interfaceConfig: { retentionMode: RetentionMode.EPHEMERAL } } }),
       dependencies,
     );
 
     expect(result).toEqual({ expiredAt: expirationDate });
-    expect(dependencies.getConvo).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
   it('returns a fresh expiry when the conversation has an active expiration', async () => {
@@ -322,7 +349,7 @@ describe('retention helpers', () => {
     );
 
     expect(result).toEqual({ expiredAt: expirationDate });
-    expect(dependencies.getConvo).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(dependencies.getConvo).toHaveBeenCalledWith('user-1', 'convo-1');
     expect(dependencies.createExpirationDate).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/api/src/files/retention.ts b/packages/api/src/files/retention.ts
index 7487b2f5a0..d4a74b6a28 100644
--- a/packages/api/src/files/retention.ts
+++ b/packages/api/src/files/retention.ts
@@ -99,11 +99,50 @@ const getRetentionCacheKey = (req: RetentionRequest): string =>
     String(req.body?.isTemporary ?? ''),
   ].join('|');
 
+/**
+ * Resolves a forced (ephemeral) file deadline. The file is always retained, but capped to the
+ * minimum of a freshly created window and the parent conversation's active expiry, so a new
+ * attachment cannot linger in files/storage after the conversation and messages are TTL-deleted.
+ */
+async function computeForcedRetentionExpiry(
+  req: RetentionRequest | null | undefined,
+  dependencies: RetentionDependencies,
+): Promise<RetentionExpiry> {
+  const fresh = createRetentionExpiry(req, dependencies);
+  const conversationId = req?.body?.conversationId;
+  const userId = req?.user?.id;
+  if (!conversationId || !userId) {
+    return fresh;
+  }
+
+  try {
+    const convo = await dependencies.getConvo(userId, conversationId);
+    const conversationExpiredAt = getConversationExpirationDate(convo);
+    if (conversationExpiredAt == null) {
+      return fresh;
+    }
+    if (!isActiveExpirationDate(conversationExpiredAt)) {
+      return { expiredAt: conversationExpiredAt };
+    }
+    if (fresh.expiredAt != null && conversationExpiredAt < fresh.expiredAt) {
+      return { expiredAt: conversationExpiredAt };
+    }
+    return fresh;
+  } catch (err) {
+    dependencies.logger?.error('[getRetentionExpiry] Error checking conversation retention:', err);
+    return fresh;
+  }
+}
+
 async function computeRetentionExpiry(
   req: RetentionRequest | null | undefined,
   dependencies: RetentionDependencies,
 ): Promise<RetentionExpiry> {
-  if (isAllDataRetention(req?.config?.interfaceConfig?.retentionMode)) {
+  const retentionMode = req?.config?.interfaceConfig?.retentionMode;
+  if (retentionMode === RetentionMode.EPHEMERAL) {
+    return computeForcedRetentionExpiry(req, dependencies);
+  }
+  if (isAllDataRetention(retentionMode)) {
     return createRetentionExpiry(req, dependencies);
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/data-schemas/src/methods/message.spec.ts b/packages/data-schemas/src/methods/message.spec.ts
index e14fd1fee2..9f82adce53 100644
--- a/packages/data-schemas/src/methods/message.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/data-schemas/src/methods/message.spec.ts
@@ -837,6 +837,39 @@ describe('Message Operations', () => {
       }
     });
 
+    it('preserves a carried-over message that already expires sooner than the forced window', async () => {
+      const conversationId = uuidv4();
+      const soonerExpiry = new Date(Date.now() + 30 * 60 * 1000);
+      await Conversation().create({
+        conversationId,
+        user: 'user123',
+        endpoint: 'openAI',
+        title: 'Permanent chat with a sooner-expiring message',
+        isTemporary: false,
+      });
+      const soonerMessageId = uuidv4();
+      await Message.create({
+        messageId: soonerMessageId,
+        conversationId,
+        user: 'user123',
+        text: 'all-mode message with its own sooner TTL',
+        isTemporary: false,
+        expiredAt: soonerExpiry,
+      });
+
+      await saveMessage(
+        {
+          userId: 'user123',
+          interfaceConfig: { temporaryChatRetention: 24, retentionMode: RetentionMode.EPHEMERAL },
+        },
+        { messageId: uuidv4(), conversationId, text: 'follow-up', user: 'user123' },
+      );
+
+      const sooner = await Message.findOne({ messageId: soonerMessageId }).lean();
+      expect(sooner?.isTemporary).toBe(true);
+      expect(sooner?.expiredAt?.getTime()).toBe(soonerExpiry.getTime());
+    });
+
     it('re-caps an already temporary parent and its messages to a shorter ephemeral window', async () => {
       const conversationId = uuidv4();
       const longerExpiry = new Date(Date.now() + 365 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
diff --git a/packages/data-schemas/src/utils/retention.ts b/packages/data-schemas/src/utils/retention.ts
index 71aca59324..adc7961c2d 100644
--- a/packages/data-schemas/src/utils/retention.ts
+++ b/packages/data-schemas/src/utils/retention.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,11 @@ export const capForcedRetentionExpiry = (
  * whose `expiredAt` is later than a newly shortened window — that would otherwise outlive
  * the converted conversation. The gap filter pulls all of them onto the ephemeral schedule
  * and stays a no-op once a conversation already conforms.
+ *
+ * Each message keeps its own earlier deadline: a carried-over message whose per-message TTL
+ * already expires sooner than the forced window is marked temporary but its `expiredAt` is
+ * left untouched (`$min`), so converting the conversation never extends data that was already
+ * scheduled to expire sooner.
  */
 export const forceConversationMessagesTemporary = async (
   Message: Model<IMessage>,
@@ -103,7 +108,7 @@ export const forceConversationMessagesTemporary = async (
 ): Promise<void> => {
   await Message.updateMany(
     { conversationId, user: userId, ...forcedRetentionGapFilter<IMessage>(expiredAt) },
-    { $set: { isTemporary: true, expiredAt } },
+    [{ $set: { isTemporary: true, expiredAt: { $min: ['$expiredAt', expiredAt] } } }],
   );
 };
 
@@ -245,7 +250,7 @@ export const cascadeForcedRetentionByTag = async (
         conversationId: { $in: conversationIds },
         ...forcedRetentionGapFilter<IMessage>(expiredAt),
       },
-      { $set: { isTemporary: true, expiredAt } },
+      [{ $set: { isTemporary: true, expiredAt: { $min: ['$expiredAt', expiredAt] } } }],
     );
     await SharedLink.updateMany(
       {