diff --git a/packages/objectql/src/engine.ts b/packages/objectql/src/engine.ts
index 9cd8bdbe88..252aed9f49 100644
--- a/packages/objectql/src/engine.ts
+++ b/packages/objectql/src/engine.ts
@@ -9106,7 +9106,9 @@ export class ObjectQL implements IObjectQLEngine {
       //                     by `targets(objectName)` inside the handler)
       //   * `service-storage` file-reference-lifecycle before+afterDelete
       //                     (filters by `activeFileFields(object)` inside)
-      //   * `plugin-audit`  captureBefore / writeAudit before+afterDelete,
+      //   * `plugin-audit`  writeAudit  afterDelete only — #6656 retired
+      //                     `captureBefore`, which was its `beforeDelete` half,
+      //                     so it holds term 2 open and no longer term 1;
       //                     global MINUS `excludeObjects: AUDIT_EXCLUDED_OBJECTS`
       //                     (#5860) — the one that narrows at the ENGINE face,
       //                     so `hookMatchesObject` can subtract it and an
diff --git a/packages/objectql/src/plugin.ts b/packages/objectql/src/plugin.ts
index 966b48d7d2..90d859619e 100644
--- a/packages/objectql/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/objectql/src/plugin.ts
@@ -981,7 +981,8 @@ export class ObjectQLPlugin implements Plugin {
       // read. Two of the three were engine reads through the full read pipeline
       // (middleware, RLS, field masking) and neither consulted any demand gate.
       // This change removes one and makes the engine's the single producer;
-      // `captureBefore`'s now-redundant read is the identity lane's follow-up.
+      // `captureBefore`'s now-redundant read followed it out in #6656, which
+      // leaves the engine's gated read as the only producer on this path.
       //
       // ⛔ RETIRED — `sys_fetch_previous_delete` (#5929, ADR-0049
       // enforce-or-remove). Do not reintroduce it.