diff --git a/src/app/api/admin/sync-from-prod/route.ts b/src/app/api/admin/sync-from-prod/route.ts
index 0ff57e0..323b844 100644
--- a/src/app/api/admin/sync-from-prod/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/admin/sync-from-prod/route.ts
@@ -50,10 +50,9 @@ export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
   try {
     fs.writeFileSync(tmp, dump, 'utf-8');
     const tableCount = (dump.match(/CREATE TABLE/g) || []).length;
-    // Wipe existing DB so PKs don't collide on re-sync (atomic replace)
-    for (const suffix of ['', '-wal', '-shm']) {
-      try { fs.unlinkSync(dbPath + suffix); } catch {}
-    }
+    // Keep the same SQLite file inode so the running app's connection stays valid.
+    // Clear tables (foreign_keys off) then re-import dump into the same file.
+    spawnSync('sqlite3', [dbPath, "PRAGMA foreign_keys=OFF; DELETE FROM time_entries; DELETE FROM employees; DELETE FROM companies; DELETE FROM audit_log; DELETE FROM __drizzle_migrations; DELETE FROM sqlite_sequence;"], { encoding: 'utf-8' });
     const restore = spawnSync('sh', ['-c', `sqlite3 "${dbPath}" < "${tmp}"`], { encoding: 'utf-8', maxBuffer: 10 * 1024 * 1024 });
     if (restore.status !== 0) {
       return NextResponse.json(err('restore failed: ' + (restore.stderr || restore.stdout || '').slice(0, 1500)), { status: 500 });