diff --git a/__tests__/schemaless-db-not-initialized.test.ts b/__tests__/schemaless-db-not-initialized.test.ts
index dc960934b..484f49616 100644
--- a/__tests__/schemaless-db-not-initialized.test.ts
+++ b/__tests__/schemaless-db-not-initialized.test.ts
@@ -178,4 +178,33 @@ describe('a schema-less codegraph.db is not an initialized project (#1895)', ()
     db.close();
     expect(row.c).toBe(1);
   });
+
+  it('(d) an empty file is repaired too; a file that is not SQLite is refused with guidance and left alone', () => {
+    plantBrokenDb(parent, 'empty');
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(parent, 'a.py'), 'def alpha():\n    return 1\n');
+    const empty = run(parent, ['init', '--yes']);
+    expect(empty.status).toBe(0);
+    expect(empty.out).toContain('without the codegraph schema');
+    expect(isInitialized(parent)).toBe(true);
+
+    for (const bytes of ['x'.repeat(4096), 'hello']) {
+      const dir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'codegraph-1895-foreign-'));
+      try {
+        const cgDir = path.join(dir, '.codegraph');
+        fs.mkdirSync(cgDir);
+        const dbPath = path.join(cgDir, 'codegraph.db');
+        fs.writeFileSync(dbPath, bytes);
+        fs.writeFileSync(path.join(dir, 'a.py'), 'def alpha():\n    return 1\n');
+        const r = run(dir, ['init', '--yes']);
+        expect(r.status).toBe(1);
+        expect(r.out).toContain('is not a SQLite database');
+        expect(r.out).not.toContain('rebuilding');
+        expect(r.out).not.toContain('file is not a database');
+        // Nothing is deleted or rewritten behind the user's back.
+        expect(fs.readFileSync(dbPath, 'utf-8')).toBe(bytes);
+      } finally {
+        fs.rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+      }
+    }
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/bin/codegraph.ts b/src/bin/codegraph.ts
index 4729cb60d..7ecc3503a 100644
--- a/src/bin/codegraph.ts
+++ b/src/bin/codegraph.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ try {
 import { Command } from 'commander';
 import * as path from 'path';
 import * as fs from 'fs';
-import { getCodeGraphDir, isInitialized, hasSchemalessDb, unsafeIndexRootReason, findNearestCodeGraphRoot, planFrontload, hasStructuralKeyword, extractCodeTokens, capPromptHookInjection } from '../directory';
+import { getCodeGraphDir, isInitialized, hasSchemalessDb, hasForeignDbFile, unsafeIndexRootReason, findNearestCodeGraphRoot, planFrontload, hasStructuralKeyword, extractCodeTokens, capPromptHookInjection } from '../directory';
 import { extractProseCandidates } from '../search/identifier-segments';
 import { detectWorktreeIndexMismatch, worktreeMismatchWarning } from '../sync/worktree';
 import { createShimmerProgress } from '../ui/shimmer-progress';
@@ -697,6 +697,14 @@ async function runInit(
       return;
     }
 
+    if (hasForeignDbFile(projectPath)) {
+      const dbFile = path.join(getCodeGraphDir(projectPath), 'codegraph.db');
+      clack.log.error(`${dbFile} is not a SQLite database, so it cannot be rebuilt in place.`);
+      clack.log.info('Move or delete that file, then run "codegraph init" again.');
+      clack.outro('');
+      process.exitCode = 1;
+      return;
+    }
     if (hasSchemalessDb(projectPath)) {
       clack.log.warn(`Found a codegraph.db without the codegraph schema in ${getCodeGraphDir(projectPath)} (left by an interrupted init?) — rebuilding it.`);
     }
diff --git a/src/directory.ts b/src/directory.ts
index f065821a0..e1a7cf7f6 100644
--- a/src/directory.ts
+++ b/src/directory.ts
@@ -119,10 +119,31 @@ export function isInitialized(projectRoot: string): boolean {
   return hasCodeGraphSchema(dbPath, st);
 }
 
-/** `codegraph.db` exists at `projectRoot` but does not carry the schema (#1895). */
+/**
+ * `codegraph.db` exists at `projectRoot` but does not carry the schema, and
+ * `init` can add it in place: an empty file, or a SQLite database without the
+ * codegraph tables (#1895). A file that is not SQLite at all is NOT this case —
+ * see {@link hasForeignDbFile}.
+ */
 export function hasSchemalessDb(projectRoot: string): boolean {
   const dbPath = path.join(getCodeGraphDir(projectRoot), 'codegraph.db');
-  return fs.existsSync(dbPath) && !isInitialized(projectRoot);
+  let st: fs.Stats;
+  try { st = fs.statSync(dbPath); } catch { return false; }
+  if (!st.isFile() || isInitialized(projectRoot)) return false;
+  return st.size === 0 || readsAsSqlite(dbPath);
+}
+
+/**
+ * `codegraph.db` exists at `projectRoot` and is not a SQLite database (no
+ * header magic): SQLite refuses to open it, so `init` cannot rebuild it in
+ * place. The caller must say so rather than promise a repair; nothing here
+ * deletes the file.
+ */
+export function hasForeignDbFile(projectRoot: string): boolean {
+  const dbPath = path.join(getCodeGraphDir(projectRoot), 'codegraph.db');
+  let st: fs.Stats;
+  try { st = fs.statSync(dbPath); } catch { return false; }
+  return st.isFile() && st.size > 0 && !readsAsSqlite(dbPath);
 }
 
 const SQLITE_MAGIC = Buffer.from('SQLite format 3\0', 'latin1');