diff --git a/.github/workflows/bulldozer-serialization-compat.yaml b/.github/workflows/bulldozer-serialization-compat.yaml
index 2c821d30d..331fc3919 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/bulldozer-serialization-compat.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/bulldozer-serialization-compat.yaml
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ name: Bulldozer serialization compat
 # makes an older build unable to read data the new code writes, which matters for rollbacks) would
 # corrupt or lose data. This workflow proves both directions by having each code version read a dump
 # written by the other. The per-version golden-fixture unit test (serialization-compat.test.ts) is the
-# first line of defence; this cross-version job is the belt-and-suspenders check.
+# first line of defence; the two cross-version jobs below (backward-compat and forward-compat) are the
+# belt-and-suspenders check. They are split into separate jobs on purpose: backward compat (upgrade)
+# must always hold, whereas forward compat (rollback) may legitimately break on a non-additive format
+# change — keeping them separate makes a forward-compat failure explicit without masking backward compat.
 
 on:
   push:
@@ -64,8 +67,11 @@ jobs:
             echo "changed=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
           fi
 
-  cross-version:
-    name: Cross-version read (base ↔ current)
+  # Backward compatibility (production UPGRADE): the new code must read data the old code wrote.
+  # This is the direction that must ALWAYS hold — if it fails, deploying the new code would break
+  # reads of already-persisted production data.
+  backward-compat:
+    name: Backward compat (new code reads old data)
     needs: check-changed
     if: needs.check-changed.outputs.changed == 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -115,20 +121,71 @@ jobs:
           pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
           pnpm exec turbo run build --filter=@hexclave/shared
 
-      - name: Emit dump with current code
-        working-directory: current
-        run: pnpm -C apps/bulldozer-js exec tsx "$HARNESS_REL" emit "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/new.json"
-
       - name: Emit dump with base code
         working-directory: base
         run: pnpm -C apps/bulldozer-js exec tsx "$HARNESS_REL" emit "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/old.json"
 
-      # Backward compatibility (production upgrade): the new code must read what the old code wrote.
       - name: Current code reads base-written dump
         working-directory: current
         run: pnpm -C apps/bulldozer-js exec tsx "$HARNESS_REL" verify "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/old.json"
 
-      # Forward compatibility (production rollback): the old code must read what the new code wrote.
+  # Forward compatibility (production ROLLBACK): the old code must read data the new code wrote.
+  # This can legitimately fail when a change makes the new format unreadable by older builds (e.g. a
+  # non-additive format change). It runs as its OWN job so that such a failure is explicit and
+  # actionable, and does NOT mask the backward-compat result above.
+  forward-compat:
+    name: Forward compat (old code reads new data)
+    needs: check-changed
+    if: needs.check-changed.outputs.changed == 'true'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout current branch
+        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+          path: current
+
+      - name: Checkout base branch (${{ needs.check-changed.outputs.base_branch }})
+        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+          ref: ${{ needs.check-changed.outputs.base_branch }}
+          path: base
+
+      # See the backward-compat job: the harness is new, so overlay it onto the base checkout.
+      - name: Overlay harness onto base checkout
+        run: |
+          rm -rf "base/$DATA_STRUCTURES_DIR/__fixtures__"
+          cp -r "current/$DATA_STRUCTURES_DIR/__fixtures__" "base/$DATA_STRUCTURES_DIR/__fixtures__"
+
+      - name: Setup Node.js
+        uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6
+        with:
+          node-version: 22.x
+
+      - name: Setup pnpm
+        uses: pnpm/action-setup@b906affcce14559ad1aafd4ab0e942779e9f58b1 # v4
+        with:
+          # Both checkouts live in subdirectories, so there's no package.json at the workspace root;
+          # read the pnpm version from the current checkout's package.json (`packageManager`).
+          package_json_file: current/package.json
+
+      - name: Install and build @hexclave/shared (current)
+        working-directory: current
+        run: |
+          pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
+          pnpm exec turbo run build --filter=@hexclave/shared
+
+      - name: Install and build @hexclave/shared (base)
+        working-directory: base
+        run: |
+          pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
+          pnpm exec turbo run build --filter=@hexclave/shared
+
+      - name: Emit dump with current code
+        working-directory: current
+        run: pnpm -C apps/bulldozer-js exec tsx "$HARNESS_REL" emit "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/new.json"
+
       - name: Base code reads current-written dump
         working-directory: base
         run: pnpm -C apps/bulldozer-js exec tsx "$HARNESS_REL" verify "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/new.json"