diff --git a/bin/fm-backend.sh b/bin/fm-backend.sh
index e505b99f75..50be95f499 100644
--- a/bin/fm-backend.sh
+++ b/bin/fm-backend.sh
@@ -452,10 +452,10 @@ fm_backend_validate_task_endpoint() {  # <meta-file> <task-id>
       fi
       ;;
     herdr)
-      [ "$binding" = "$id" ] || {
-        echo "REFUSED: legacy Herdr endpoint metadata for task $id lacks an exact task binding; preserving task state." >&2
+      if [ -n "$binding" ] && [ "$binding" != "$id" ]; then
+        echo "REFUSED: Herdr endpoint metadata is bound to task $binding, not $id; preserving task state." >&2
         return 1
-      }
+      fi
       recorded_session=$(fm_backend_meta_exact_value "$meta" herdr_session) || recorded_session=
       workspace=$(fm_backend_meta_exact_value "$meta" herdr_workspace_id) || workspace=
       tab=$(fm_backend_meta_exact_value "$meta" herdr_tab_id) || tab=
@@ -471,10 +471,10 @@ fm_backend_validate_task_endpoint() {  # <meta-file> <task-id>
       fi
       ;;
     zellij)
-      [ "$binding" = "$id" ] || {
-        echo "REFUSED: legacy Zellij endpoint metadata for task $id lacks an exact task binding; preserving task state." >&2
+      if [ -n "$binding" ] && [ "$binding" != "$id" ]; then
+        echo "REFUSED: Zellij endpoint metadata is bound to task $binding, not $id; preserving task state." >&2
         return 1
-      }
+      fi
       recorded_session=$(fm_backend_meta_exact_value "$meta" zellij_session) || recorded_session=
       tab=$(fm_backend_meta_exact_value "$meta" zellij_tab_id) || tab=
       pane=$(fm_backend_meta_exact_value "$meta" zellij_pane_id) || pane=
@@ -487,10 +487,10 @@ fm_backend_validate_task_endpoint() {  # <meta-file> <task-id>
       fi
       ;;
     orca)
-      [ "$binding" = "$id" ] || {
-        echo "REFUSED: legacy Orca endpoint metadata for task $id lacks an exact task binding; preserving task state." >&2
+      if [ -n "$binding" ] && [ "$binding" != "$id" ]; then
+        echo "REFUSED: Orca endpoint metadata is bound to task $binding, not $id; preserving task state." >&2
         return 1
-      }
+      fi
       terminal=$(fm_backend_meta_exact_value "$meta" terminal) || terminal=
       worktree_id=$(fm_backend_meta_exact_value "$meta" orca_worktree_id) || worktree_id=
       [ -n "$terminal" ] || {
@@ -510,10 +510,10 @@ fm_backend_validate_task_endpoint() {  # <meta-file> <task-id>
       window=$terminal
       ;;
     cmux)
-      [ "$binding" = "$id" ] || {
-        echo "REFUSED: legacy cmux endpoint metadata for task $id lacks an exact task binding; preserving task state." >&2
+      if [ -n "$binding" ] && [ "$binding" != "$id" ]; then
+        echo "REFUSED: cmux endpoint metadata is bound to task $binding, not $id; preserving task state." >&2
         return 1
-      }
+      fi
       workspace=$(fm_backend_meta_exact_value "$meta" cmux_workspace_id) || workspace=
       surface=$(fm_backend_meta_exact_value "$meta" cmux_surface_id) || surface=
       if [ -z "$workspace" ] || [ -z "$surface" ] || [ "$window" != "$workspace:$surface" ] \
diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index 7b90f8ec15..0133d2a40f 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ Only metadata-routed task selectors carry secondmate-marker and Codex-harness co
 These five sentences are the single owner of the task-selector vocabulary; backend guides and other documents point here instead of restating the resolution order.
 `fm-teardown.sh <id>` takes a task id directly and validates the complete metadata-only endpoint identity before any runtime dispatch or cleanup mutation.
 Missing, empty, duplicate, malformed, backend-inconsistent, or task-mismatched endpoint records are preserved and refused.
-Legacy tmux metadata remains cleanup-compatible when its exact window name is `fm-<id>`; opaque non-tmux endpoints require their recorded `endpoint_task_id=` binding.
+Legacy tmux metadata remains cleanup-compatible when its exact window name is `fm-<id>`; opaque non-tmux endpoints refuse only when a recorded `endpoint_task_id=` binding is present and mismatches the task id, so legacy metadata predating that field also stays cleanup-compatible.
 `FM_HOME` determines Herdr's home label: the primary home uses `firstmate`, and a secondmate home marked by `.fm-secondmate-home` uses `2ndmate-<secondmate-id>`.
 [`herdr-backend.md`](herdr-backend.md#watching-and-task-containers) owns launcher-bound workspace placement, the label-only fallback, collision handling, and recovery behavior.
 The optional local `config/herdr-presentation-spaces` presence flag instead enables Herdr's default-off disposable single-task visual projection; [Optional presentation spaces](herdr-backend.md#optional-presentation-spaces) owns its behavior, safety limits, recovery contract, and narrow locked session-start cleanup of exact restored idle-shell children.
diff --git a/tests/fm-teardown-endpoint-safety.test.sh b/tests/fm-teardown-endpoint-safety.test.sh
index 5786102cd3..4f417e260c 100755
--- a/tests/fm-teardown-endpoint-safety.test.sh
+++ b/tests/fm-teardown-endpoint-safety.test.sh
@@ -136,6 +136,36 @@ test_supported_backend_endpoint_records_validate() {
     "backend=cmux" "cmux_workspace_id=workspace-1" "cmux_surface_id=surface-2"
   fm_backend_validate_task_endpoint "$dir/home/state/$id.meta" "$id" || fail "valid cmux endpoint refused"
 
+  id=herdr-legacy
+  fm_write_meta "$dir/home/state/$id.meta" \
+    "window=lab:w1:p2" "worktree=$dir/worktree" "project=$dir/project" \
+    "backend=herdr" "herdr_session=lab" "herdr_workspace_id=w1" "herdr_tab_id=w1:t2" "herdr_pane_id=w1:p2"
+  fm_backend_validate_task_endpoint "$dir/home/state/$id.meta" "$id" || fail "legacy Herdr endpoint (no binding) refused"
+  [ "$FM_BACKEND_VALIDATED_BACKEND" = herdr ] || fail "legacy Herdr did not select its backend"
+  [ "$FM_BACKEND_VALIDATED_TARGET" = "lab:w1:p2" ] || fail "legacy Herdr target mismatch"
+
+  id=zellij-legacy
+  fm_write_meta "$dir/home/state/$id.meta" \
+    "window=lab:7" "worktree=$dir/worktree" "project=$dir/project" \
+    "backend=zellij" "zellij_session=lab" "zellij_tab_id=3" "zellij_pane_id=7"
+  fm_backend_validate_task_endpoint "$dir/home/state/$id.meta" "$id" || fail "legacy Zellij endpoint (no binding) refused"
+  [ "$FM_BACKEND_VALIDATED_BACKEND" = zellij ] || fail "legacy Zellij did not select its backend"
+
+  id=orca-legacy
+  fm_write_meta "$dir/home/state/$id.meta" \
+    "window=fm-$id" "terminal=term-7" \
+    "worktree=$dir/worktree" "project=$dir/project" "backend=orca" "orca_worktree_id=worktree-9"
+  fm_backend_validate_task_endpoint "$dir/home/state/$id.meta" "$id" || fail "legacy Orca endpoint (no binding) refused"
+  [ "$FM_BACKEND_VALIDATED_BACKEND" = orca ] || fail "legacy Orca did not select its backend"
+  [ "$FM_BACKEND_VALIDATED_TARGET" = term-7 ] || fail "legacy Orca did not select its terminal"
+
+  id=cmux-legacy
+  fm_write_meta "$dir/home/state/$id.meta" \
+    "window=workspace-1:surface-2" "worktree=$dir/worktree" "project=$dir/project" \
+    "backend=cmux" "cmux_workspace_id=workspace-1" "cmux_surface_id=surface-2"
+  fm_backend_validate_task_endpoint "$dir/home/state/$id.meta" "$id" || fail "legacy cmux endpoint (no binding) refused"
+  [ "$FM_BACKEND_VALIDATED_BACKEND" = cmux ] || fail "legacy cmux did not select its backend"
+
   for backend in tmux herdr zellij orca cmux; do
     set +e
     fm_backend_kill "$backend" "" >/dev/null 2>&1
@@ -143,7 +173,7 @@ test_supported_backend_endpoint_records_validate() {
     set -e
     [ "$target" -ne 0 ] || fail "$backend generic kill accepted an empty target"
   done
-  pass "cleanup identity: valid tmux, Herdr, Zellij, Orca, and cmux records validate while every empty backend target refuses"
+  pass "cleanup identity: valid and legacy tmux, Herdr, Zellij, Orca, and cmux records validate while every empty backend target refuses"
 }
 
 test_tmux_empty_target_refuses_without_invocation() {