diff --git a/graphify/detect.py b/graphify/detect.py
index f76a4259f6..4817796272 100644
--- a/graphify/detect.py
+++ b/graphify/detect.py
@@ -2070,20 +2070,33 @@ def _normalise_entry(entry):
         mtime, h = hashed[f]
         key = _nfc(f)
         prev = _normalise_entry(existing.get(key, {})) or {}
-        # seen: when this row was written. If the file's mtime sits inside the
-        # same filesystem tick, a later same-length edit can land in that tick
-        # without moving mtime, so the mtime-unchanged fastpath cannot prove
-        # the content is still current and detect_incremental re-hashes.
-        entry: dict = {"mtime": mtime, "seen": time.time()}
         if kind in ("ast", "both"):
-            entry["ast_hash"] = h
+            ast_h = h
         else:
-            entry["ast_hash"] = prev.get("ast_hash", "")
+            ast_h = prev.get("ast_hash", "")
         if kind in ("semantic", "both"):
-            entry["semantic_hash"] = h
+            sem_h = h
         else:
             # Preserve semantic_hash only when content is unchanged
-            entry["semantic_hash"] = prev.get("semantic_hash", "") if h == prev.get("ast_hash", "") else ""
+            sem_h = prev.get("semantic_hash", "") if h == prev.get("ast_hash", "") else ""
+
+        # Preserve previous seen timestamp if the entry's mtime and target hash(es)
+        # are genuinely unchanged and no clear was requested for this file.
+        prev_seen = prev.get("seen")
+        is_unchanged = (
+            isinstance(prev_seen, (int, float))
+            and mtime == prev.get("mtime")
+            and (ast_h == prev.get("ast_hash", "") if kind in ("ast", "both") else True)
+            and (sem_h == prev.get("semantic_hash", "") if kind in ("semantic", "both") else True)
+            and not _in_clear_ast(f)
+            and not _in_clear(f)
+        )
+        entry: dict = {
+            "mtime": mtime,
+            "seen": prev_seen if is_unchanged else time.time(),
+            "ast_hash": ast_h,
+            "semantic_hash": sem_h,
+        }
         manifest[key] = entry
     if root is not None:
         # Persist in portable form: forward-slash relative paths. Keys outside
@@ -2095,6 +2108,17 @@ def _normalise_entry(entry):
         manifest = {_nfc(_to_relative_for_storage(k, root)): v for k, v in manifest.items()}
     else:
         manifest = {_nfc(k): v for k, v in manifest.items()}
+
+    # Avoid rewriting manifest.json when the serialized payload is identical (#2838).
+    manifest_p = Path(manifest_path)
+    if manifest_p.is_file():
+        try:
+            disk_raw = json.loads(manifest_p.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+            if isinstance(disk_raw, dict) and disk_raw == manifest:
+                return
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+
     from graphify.paths import write_json_atomic
     # Atomic write: a crash mid-write must not leave a truncated manifest that
     # detect_incremental then fails to parse.
diff --git a/tests/test_detect.py b/tests/test_detect.py
index 972955297f..9e3d276df9 100644
--- a/tests/test_detect.py
+++ b/tests/test_detect.py
@@ -2989,6 +2989,68 @@ def test_detect_incremental_exclusion_stable_across_runs(tmp_path):
     assert inc2["excluded_files"] == []
 
 
+# ── #2838: manifest seen timestamps preserved for unchanged entries ──
+
+def test_save_manifest_unchanged_file_preserves_seen(tmp_path):
+    """#2838: save_manifest preserves existing seen timestamp for unchanged entries."""
+    import json
+    a = tmp_path / "a.py"
+    a.write_text("x = 1\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    manifest_path = str(tmp_path / "graphify-out" / "manifest.json")
+
+    save_manifest({"code": [str(a)]}, manifest_path, root=tmp_path)
+    raw1 = json.loads(Path(manifest_path).read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    seen_1 = raw1["a.py"]["seen"]
+    assert isinstance(seen_1, (int, float))
+
+    # Second save on unchanged file must keep identical seen value
+    save_manifest({"code": [str(a)]}, manifest_path, root=tmp_path)
+    raw2 = json.loads(Path(manifest_path).read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    assert raw2["a.py"]["seen"] == seen_1
+    assert raw2["a.py"]["ast_hash"] == raw1["a.py"]["ast_hash"]
+    assert raw2["a.py"]["mtime"] == raw1["a.py"]["mtime"]
+
+
+def test_save_manifest_changed_file_updates_seen(tmp_path):
+    """#2838: save_manifest assigns a new seen timestamp when file content changes."""
+    import json
+    import time
+    a = tmp_path / "a.py"
+    a.write_text("x = 1\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    manifest_path = str(tmp_path / "graphify-out" / "manifest.json")
+
+    save_manifest({"code": [str(a)]}, manifest_path, root=tmp_path)
+    raw1 = json.loads(Path(manifest_path).read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    seen_1 = raw1["a.py"]["seen"]
+
+    # Modify file content (new hash)
+    time.sleep(0.01)
+    a.write_text("x = 2\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    save_manifest({"code": [str(a)]}, manifest_path, root=tmp_path)
+    raw2 = json.loads(Path(manifest_path).read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+
+    assert raw2["a.py"]["seen"] >= seen_1
+    assert raw2["a.py"]["ast_hash"] != raw1["a.py"]["ast_hash"]
+
+
+def test_save_manifest_noop_skips_disk_write(tmp_path):
+    """#2838: save_manifest does not rewrite manifest.json when payload is identical."""
+    a = tmp_path / "a.py"
+    a.write_text("x = 1\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    manifest_path = Path(tmp_path / "graphify-out" / "manifest.json")
+
+    save_manifest({"code": [str(a)]}, str(manifest_path), root=tmp_path)
+    mtime_1 = manifest_path.stat().st_mtime_ns
+    bytes_1 = manifest_path.read_bytes()
+
+    save_manifest({"code": [str(a)]}, str(manifest_path), root=tmp_path)
+    mtime_2 = manifest_path.stat().st_mtime_ns
+    bytes_2 = manifest_path.read_bytes()
+
+    assert bytes_1 == bytes_2
+    assert mtime_1 == mtime_2
+
+
 # ── #2106: sensitive-filter over-match (prose/source rescued, real secrets kept) ──
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("path", [