diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7898961..d5b29e9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ still refuses and the app page still says so.
   household's folders come through `${USERDATA_PATH}`. Every catalog bind already uses `${HDD_PATH}/appdata/…`.
   Known limit, stated: one app can still name ANOTHER app's `appdata/<name>` (paperless-ngx's folder is `paperless`,
   so a per-app rule needs a name map) — filed. Red-proved (`P2/redproof-security-review-round3.txt`).
+- **Found live on demo-hp 9201 with rc.4:** the first sync refused every app NOT installed (sabnzbd, sonarr, …): on
+  the box the placeholder roots do not exist, so the symlink resolve could not resolve the ROOT and nothing matched. A
+  root is now resolved through its nearest existing ancestor too, and the placeholder check (no app env) resolves no
+  symlinks at all. `TestAdmit_RootsThatDoNotExistYet`, red-proved (`P2/redproof-live-root-resolve.txt`).
 
 ## v0.327.1 — files.<domain> reaches FileBrowser again: a file route by name, not Docker labels (2026-10-17)
 
diff --git a/controller/internal/privpolicy/privpolicy.go b/controller/internal/privpolicy/privpolicy.go
index adf7976..9939ed3 100644
--- a/controller/internal/privpolicy/privpolicy.go
+++ b/controller/internal/privpolicy/privpolicy.go
@@ -548,8 +548,9 @@ func (c *checker) underRoot(p string) bool {
 		return false
 	}
 	for _, r := range c.roots {
-		rr, rerr := c.p.Resolve(r)
-		if rerr == nil && within(rp, rr) {
+		// A root is resolved the same way (nearest existing ancestor): a drive folder not created yet must not make
+		// every bind under it "outside" (found live on 9201 with rc.4: every not-installed app refused).
+		if rr, ok := c.resolveExisting(r); ok && within(rp, rr) {
 			return true
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/controller/internal/privpolicy/privpolicy_test.go b/controller/internal/privpolicy/privpolicy_test.go
index 955e02b..6db5885 100644
--- a/controller/internal/privpolicy/privpolicy_test.go
+++ b/controller/internal/privpolicy/privpolicy_test.go
@@ -417,3 +417,24 @@ func TestAdmit_HDDPathRootIsAppdataOnly(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// Found live on 9201 (rc.4): with Resolve set, roots that do not exist yet (a drive folder not created, or the
+// placeholder env) made every bind "outside". A root is resolved through its nearest existing ancestor too.
+func TestAdmit_RootsThatDoNotExistYet(t *testing.T) {
+	root := t.TempDir()
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(root, "mnt", "felhom-drives"), 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	resolve := func(s string) (string, error) {
+		r, err := filepath.EvalSymlinks(filepath.Join(root, s))
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", err
+		}
+		rel, _ := filepath.Rel(root, r)
+		return "/" + rel, nil
+	}
+	c := "services:\n  app:\n    image: x/y:1\n    volumes:\n      - ${USERDATA_PATH}/media:/m\n      - ${HDD_PATH}/appdata/app:/c\n"
+	if err := Admit("app", []byte(c), PlaceholderEnv(), Policy{Resolve: resolve}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("binds under roots that do not exist yet were refused: %v", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/controller/internal/stacks/allowlist.go b/controller/internal/stacks/allowlist.go
index e9360aa..8fe6483 100644
--- a/controller/internal/stacks/allowlist.go
+++ b/controller/internal/stacks/allowlist.go
@@ -50,11 +50,14 @@ func (m *Manager) policyEnv(env map[string]string) map[string]string {
 // app's refusal line.
 func (m *Manager) admitCompose(name string, data []byte, env map[string]string) error {
 	e := privpolicy.PlaceholderEnv()
+	pol := privpolicy.Policy{SystemDataPath: m.sysDataPath}
 	if env != nil {
 		e = m.policyEnv(env)
+		// Resolve (real paths only — the placeholder env names no real folder): a bind source that is a symlink out
+		// of its data root is outside; it is judged where it points.
+		pol.Resolve = filepath.EvalSymlinks
 	}
-	// Resolve: a bind source that is a symlink out of its data root is outside (it is judged where it points).
-	err := privpolicy.Admit(name, data, e, privpolicy.Policy{SystemDataPath: m.sysDataPath, Resolve: filepath.EvalSymlinks})
+	err := privpolicy.Admit(name, data, e, pol)
 	m.noteAdmission(name, data, err)
 	return err
 }