diff --git a/app/services/image_generation_commands.py b/app/services/image_generation_commands.py
index b4ffe871..2eb43118 100644
--- a/app/services/image_generation_commands.py
+++ b/app/services/image_generation_commands.py
@@ -187,7 +187,14 @@ def restore_recovery(self, workspaces):
     def _restore_recovery(self, workspaces):
         active = set(self.active_job_ids())
         for workspace in workspaces:
-            registry = self._registry(workspace)
+            try:
+                registry = self._registry(workspace)
+            except HTTPException as error:
+                # `_list_workspaces` includes every outputs/ subdirectory.
+                # A backup folder such as "old copy" must not 422 list/resume/discard.
+                if error.status_code == 422:
+                    continue
+                raise
             for entry in registry.command_recovery_candidates():
                 task = registry.get(entry["task_id"])
                 if not task or task["status"] != "interrupted" or task["backend_job_id"] in active:
diff --git a/tests/test_image_generation_commands.py b/tests/test_image_generation_commands.py
index 692888b8..a033e334 100644
--- a/tests/test_image_generation_commands.py
+++ b/tests/test_image_generation_commands.py
@@ -442,6 +442,22 @@ def test_restart_marks_queued_task_interrupted_and_projects_recovery_without_sta
     assert receipt["task"]["status"] == "interrupted"
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("invalid", ["old copy", "backup.old", "café", "../outside"])
+def test_invalid_listed_workspace_does_not_block_recovery_restore(tmp_path, invalid):
+    native = FakeNative(tmp_path)
+    command = _command("listed-invalid-workspace")
+    first = _run(native.service().submit(command))
+    backend_id = first["receipt"]["result"]["job_id"]
+
+    restarted = FakeNative(tmp_path, interrupt_stale=True)
+    service = restarted.service()
+    service.restore_recovery([invalid, "workspace-a"])
+
+    assert restarted.dispatch_calls == []
+    assert restarted.persisted[backend_id]["status"] == "interrupted"
+    assert service.filter_recovery([restarted.persisted[backend_id]]) == [restarted.persisted[backend_id]]
+
+
 def _queue_record(job_id, workspace, *, capability, command_id=None, params=None):
     provenance = {"capability": capability}
     if command_id is not None:
@@ -496,15 +512,16 @@ def test_malformed_leftover_metadata_does_not_block_valid_legacy_rows(tmp_path,
     service.discard_recovery([malformed, legacy])
 
 
-def _recovery_http_app(service, queue):
+def _recovery_http_app(service, queue, workspaces=None):
     """Execute the actual route so storage failure cannot fall through to discard."""
     source = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1] / "app" / "_launch_runtime.py"
     tree = ast.parse(source.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
     names = {"_recovery_job_summary", "get_generation_queue_recovery", "discard_generation_queue"}
     app = FastAPI()
+    listed = workspaces if workspaces is not None else [{"name": "workspace-a"}]
     namespace = {"api": app, "_queue_recovery_lock": threading.Lock(), "_jobs": {},
                  "_image_generation_commands": service, "_durable_generation_queue": queue,
-                 "_list_workspaces": lambda: [{"name": "workspace-a"}]}
+                 "_list_workspaces": lambda: listed}
     selected = ast.Module(body=[node for node in tree.body if isinstance(node, ast.FunctionDef) and node.name in names],
                           type_ignores=[])
     exec(compile(selected, str(source), "exec"), namespace)
@@ -542,6 +559,29 @@ def unavailable(_intent):
             assert registry.get(accepted["receipt"]["taskIds"][0])["status"] == "interrupted"
 
 
+def test_recovery_http_skips_invalid_listed_workspaces_and_keeps_valid_leftovers(tmp_path):
+    from services.durable_generation_queue import DurableGenerationQueue
+
+    native = FakeNative(tmp_path)
+    accepted = _run(native.service().submit(_command("listed-folder-recovery")))
+    restarted = FakeNative(tmp_path, interrupt_stale=True)
+    service = restarted.service()
+    service.restore_recovery(["workspace-a"])
+    queue = DurableGenerationQueue(str(tmp_path / "queue.json"))
+    for record in restarted.persisted.values():
+        queue.upsert(record)
+    listed = [{"name": "old copy"}, {"name": "workspace-a"}, {"name": "backup.old"}]
+    with TestClient(_recovery_http_app(service, queue, listed)) as client:
+        response = client.get("/api/v1/jobs/recovery")
+        assert response.status_code == 200
+        assert response.json()["jobs"][0]["job_id"] == accepted["receipt"]["result"]["job_id"]
+        discarded = client.post("/api/v1/jobs/recovery/discard")
+        assert discarded.status_code == 200
+        assert discarded.json()["discarded"]
+        assert queue.list() == []
+        assert restarted.registry("workspace-a").get(accepted["receipt"]["taskIds"][0])["status"] == "cancelled"
+
+
 def test_queued_admission_is_not_a_recovery_candidate_while_dispatch_is_pending(tmp_path):
     native = FakeNative(tmp_path)
     service, registry, _entry = _seed_undispatched(native, _command("queued-not-recovery"))