diff --git a/backend/tests/test_delivery.py b/backend/tests/test_delivery.py
index b47b279..af35f17 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_delivery.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_delivery.py
@@ -392,6 +392,7 @@ def postgres_recovery_settings_shape():
     values = recovery_identity.recovery_settings()
     rows = [{"name": key, "setting": value, "unit": None} for key, value in values.items()]
     normalized = {
+        "archive_command": ("(disabled)", None),
         "shared_buffers": ("8192", "8kB"),
         "work_mem": ("1024", "kB"),
         "maintenance_work_mem": ("32768", "kB"),
@@ -416,6 +417,7 @@ def test_postgres_recovery_readback_compares_effective_units_instead_of_cli_stri
     recovered = recovery_identity.check_settings(rows)
     assert recovered["listen_addresses"]["setting"] == ""
     assert recovered["unix_socket_permissions"]["setting"] == "0700"
+    assert recovered["archive_command"]["setting"] == "(disabled)"
     for row in rows:
         if row["name"] == "shared_buffers":
             row["setting"] = "16384"
@@ -423,6 +425,24 @@ def test_postgres_recovery_readback_compares_effective_units_instead_of_cli_stri
         recovery_identity.check_settings(rows)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("name", "setting"),
+    [
+        ("archive_mode", "on"),
+        ("archive_library", "unapproved_library"),
+        ("archive_command", "/bin/true"),
+        ("archive_command", ""),
+    ],
+)
+def test_postgres_recovery_disabled_display_requires_disabled_archiving(name, setting):
+    rows = postgres_recovery_settings_shape()
+    for row in rows:
+        if row["name"] == name:
+            row["setting"] = setting
+    with pytest.raises(policy.DeliveryError):
+        recovery_identity.check_settings(rows)
+
+
 def recovery_receipts_shape():
     # Pure closed-contract example; no PG connection, Root or Linux acceptance.
     prepared = {
diff --git a/scripts/release/recovery_database.py b/scripts/release/recovery_database.py
index e487064..9d89dfa 100644
--- a/scripts/release/recovery_database.py
+++ b/scripts/release/recovery_database.py
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ def recover_locked(recovery_id: str, data_sha: str, password_file: Path, passwor
         "RestrictAddressFamilies": "AF_UNIX",
         "RuntimeDirectory": recovery_identity.RUNTIME.name,
         "RuntimeDirectoryMode": "0700",
-        "ReadWritePaths": str(dependency_initialize.DATA),
+        "ReadWritePaths": str(dependency_initialize.DATA.parent),
     }.items():
         command.append("--property=" + key + "=" + setting)
     command += [
diff --git a/scripts/release/recovery_identity.py b/scripts/release/recovery_identity.py
index f1ca3e5..00a3b82 100644
--- a/scripts/release/recovery_identity.py
+++ b/scripts/release/recovery_identity.py
@@ -180,6 +180,14 @@ def check_settings(rows) -> dict:
             good = unit is None and int(value, 8 if value.startswith("0") else 10) == 0o700
         elif key == "temp_file_limit":
             good = unit == "kB" and value == expected
+        elif key == "archive_command":
+            # PostgreSQL's show hook masks the empty command while archiving is off.
+            good = (
+                unit is None
+                and value == "(disabled)"
+                and actual["archive_mode"] == ("off", None)
+                and actual["archive_library"] == ("", None)
+            )
         else:
             good = unit is None and value == expected
         if not good: