diff --git a/bin/omarchy-system-factory-reset b/bin/omarchy-system-factory-reset
index 7f266648..22c789fd 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-system-factory-reset
+++ b/bin/omarchy-system-factory-reset
@@ -29,17 +29,25 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 
 PROVISIONING_DIR=/var/lib/omarchy/provisioning
+PACKAGED_PATH=/usr/bin/omarchy-system-factory-reset
 OMARCHY_PATH="${OMARCHY_PATH:-/usr/share/omarchy}"
 TOP_MNT=/run/omarchy-system-factory-reset/top
 NEXT_NAME=@omarchy-reset-next
 LOG_FILE=/var/log/omarchy-system-factory-reset.log
 
+# Never replace a newer checkout reset with a different installed implementation.
+if ! /usr/bin/cmp -s -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" "$PACKAGED_PATH"; then
+  echo "Factory reset differs from the installed command. Install the matching Omarchy package before resetting." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 # Self-elevate so the menu entry (and a bare shell invocation) need no sudo
 # prefix. The caller's gum theme vars are forwarded as `env` arguments rather
 # than via `sudo -E`, so styling survives even under an env_reset sudoers.
+# Always elevate the packaged copy, including when invoked from a dev checkout.
 if (( EUID != 0 )); then
   mapfile -t gum_env < <(env | grep '^GUM_' || true)
-  exec sudo env "${gum_env[@]}" "$0" "$@"
+  exec sudo env "${gum_env[@]}" "$PACKAGED_PATH" "$@"
 fi
 
 export PATH="$OMARCHY_PATH/bin:$PATH"
diff --git a/docs/file-layout.md b/docs/file-layout.md
index 1bf34747..4abb6745 100644
--- a/docs/file-layout.md
+++ b/docs/file-layout.md
@@ -198,6 +198,8 @@ yet and silently runs the packaged copy of one it has. The drop-in is validated
 with `visudo -c` before install and removed by `omarchy-dev-unlink`; unlike
 `/etc/omarchy.conf`, it takes effect without a reboot.
 
+Factory reset is an exception: it always self-elevates through `/usr/bin/omarchy-system-factory-reset` and refuses a checkout copy that differs from the installed command, including when invoked with `sudo`. Install the matching package before resetting so a newer checkout cannot silently hand off to older account-scrubbing code.
+
 ## Runtime finalization (`omarchy-provision-user`)
 
 Runs once per user. It does **not** copy `~/.config/**`, `~/.bashrc`,
diff --git a/test/shell.d/factory-reset-elevation-test.sh b/test/shell.d/factory-reset-elevation-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..da47d88f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/shell.d/factory-reset-elevation-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -euo pipefail
+source "$(dirname "$0")/base-test.sh"
+
+if (( EUID == 0 )); then
+  skip "factory-reset self-elevation requires an unprivileged caller"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+tmp=$(mktemp -d)
+trap 'rm -rf "$tmp"' EXIT
+mkdir -p "$tmp/bin" "$tmp/checkout with spaces"
+
+# Exercise the real startup, but never include the destructive reset body.
+awk '
+  /^export PATH=/ { found = 1; print "exit 99"; exit }
+  { print }
+  END { if (!found) exit 1 }
+' "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-system-factory-reset" >"$tmp/checkout with spaces/reset"
+grep -Fxq 'PACKAGED_PATH=/usr/bin/omarchy-system-factory-reset' "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-system-factory-reset" || fail "factory reset pins the packaged path"
+sed -i "s|^PACKAGED_PATH=.*|PACKAGED_PATH=\"$tmp/packaged-reset\"|" "$tmp/checkout with spaces/reset"
+cp "$tmp/checkout with spaces/reset" "$tmp/packaged-reset"
+chmod +x "$tmp/checkout with spaces/reset" "$tmp/packaged-reset"
+ln -s "$tmp/checkout with spaces/reset" "$tmp/reset-link"
+
+cat >"$tmp/bin/sudo" <<'SH'
+#!/bin/bash
+printf '%s\0' "$@" >"$CALL_LOG"
+exit "${SUDO_STATUS:-0}"
+SH
+chmod +x "$tmp/bin/sudo"
+
+args=('argument with spaces' '' '--flag' '$(touch should-not-run)' $'two\nlines')
+expected=(env 'GUM_INPUT_PROMPT=Reset this computer? ' "$tmp/packaged-reset" "${args[@]}")
+for invocation in "$tmp/checkout with spaces/reset" './checkout with spaces/reset' "$tmp/reset-link" "$tmp/packaged-reset" reset; do
+  for status in 0 1 127; do
+    actual_status=0
+    (cd "$tmp" && env -i HOME="$tmp" PATH="$tmp/bin:$tmp/checkout with spaces:/usr/bin:/bin" \
+      OMARCHY_PATH="$tmp/checkout with spaces" PACKAGED_PATH="$tmp/wrong-target" \
+      GUM_INPUT_PROMPT='Reset this computer? ' CALL_LOG="$tmp/call" SUDO_STATUS="$status" \
+      "$invocation" "${args[@]}") || actual_status=$?
+    (( actual_status == status )) || fail "elevation status is preserved for $invocation"
+    mapfile -d '' -t actual <"$tmp/call"
+    (( ${#actual[@]} == ${#expected[@]} )) || fail "elevation argument count is preserved"
+    for i in "${!expected[@]}"; do
+      [[ ${actual[i]} == "${expected[i]}" ]] || fail "elevation argument $i is preserved for $invocation"
+    done
+    [[ ! -e $tmp/should-not-run ]] || fail "caller arguments were executed"
+  done
+  pass "factory reset pins $invocation to the packaged command and preserves arguments, styling and status"
+done
+
+if unshare -Ur true >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  status=0
+  unshare -Ur "$tmp/packaged-reset" || status=$?
+  (( status == 99 )) || fail "matching root invocation did not reach the guarded body"
+  pass "matching packaged root invocation reaches the reset body"
+else
+  skip "user namespaces unavailable; root invocation coverage"
+fi
+
+# A checkout must not hand off to older installed code, even with explicit sudo.
+printf '\n# older packaged copy\n' >>"$tmp/packaged-reset"
+rm -f "$tmp/call"
+if CALL_LOG="$tmp/call" PATH="$tmp/bin:/usr/bin:/bin" "$tmp/reset-link" >"$tmp/mismatch" 2>&1; then
+  fail "mismatched reset implementation was accepted"
+fi
+[[ ! -e $tmp/call ]] || fail "mismatched reset requested elevation"
+grep -Fq 'Install the matching Omarchy package' "$tmp/mismatch" || fail "mismatch explains recovery"
+if unshare -Ur true >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  status=0
+  unshare -Ur "$tmp/reset-link" >"$tmp/root-mismatch" 2>&1 || status=$?
+  (( status == 1 )) || fail "root invocation did not refuse mismatch before the reset body"
+  pass "root checkout invocation refuses a mismatched packaged reset"
+fi
+pass "mismatched checkout refuses before elevation"