diff --git a/src/specify_cli/workflows/_commands.py b/src/specify_cli/workflows/_commands.py
index f42587830..dd42d2f5c 100644
--- a/src/specify_cli/workflows/_commands.py
+++ b/src/specify_cli/workflows/_commands.py
@@ -1122,6 +1122,11 @@ def workflow_remove(
         )
         raise typer.Exit(1)
 
+    # Captured before the registry write so a subsequent directory-removal
+    # failure can restore it verbatim (bypassing add(), which would stamp a
+    # new updated_at), mirroring workflow_step_remove's same restore pattern.
+    registry_metadata = registry.get(workflow_id)
+
     # Persist the registry removal before touching any files: if save()
     # fails, WorkflowRegistry.remove() rolls back its in-memory state and
     # raises, so the workflow stays fully installed (files + registry) rather
@@ -1140,6 +1145,18 @@ def workflow_remove(
         try:
             shutil.rmtree(workflow_dir)
         except OSError as exc:
+            # The registry removal already succeeded; restore the original
+            # entry verbatim so the registry doesn't claim this workflow is
+            # uninstalled while its directory is still sitting on disk.
+            try:
+                if registry_metadata is not None:
+                    registry.data["workflows"][workflow_id] = registry_metadata
+                    registry.save()
+            except Exception as restore_exc:  # noqa: BLE001
+                console.print(
+                    f"[yellow]Warning:[/yellow] Failed to restore registry entry "
+                    f"for '{safe_id}' after directory removal failure: {restore_exc}"
+                )
             console.print(
                 f"[red]Error:[/red] Failed to remove workflow directory {workflow_dir}: {exc}"
             )
diff --git a/tests/test_workflows.py b/tests/test_workflows.py
index 67a0554f9..2908f3f7d 100644
--- a/tests/test_workflows.py
+++ b/tests/test_workflows.py
@@ -5935,6 +5935,48 @@ class TestWorkflowRemoveGuard:
         # The on-disk registry must still claim the workflow installed.
         assert WorkflowRegistry(project_dir).is_installed("test-wf")
 
+    def test_remove_directory_failure_restores_registry_entry_verbatim(
+        self, project_dir, monkeypatch
+    ):
+        """If the registry removal already persisted successfully but the
+        subsequent shutil.rmtree fails, the directory was never actually
+        deleted (rmtree raised before removing anything usable), so the
+        registry must not be left claiming the workflow uninstalled. The
+        restored entry must be byte-for-byte the original (same
+        installed_at/updated_at) -- calling add() again would stamp a new
+        updated_at, which is why workflow_step_remove restores directly via
+        registry.data and save() instead of add()."""
+        from typer.testing import CliRunner
+        from specify_cli import app
+        from specify_cli.workflows.catalog import WorkflowRegistry
+
+        registry = WorkflowRegistry(project_dir)
+        registry.add("test-wf", {"name": "Test", "version": "1.0.0"})
+        workflow_dir = project_dir / ".specify" / "workflows" / "test-wf"
+        workflow_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        (workflow_dir / "workflow.yml").write_text("keep-me", encoding="utf-8")
+
+        original_entry = WorkflowRegistry(project_dir).get("test-wf")
+
+        def boom(*args, **kwargs):
+            raise OSError("permission denied")
+
+        monkeypatch.chdir(project_dir)
+        with pytest.MonkeyPatch.context() as mp:
+            mp.setattr("shutil.rmtree", boom)
+            result = CliRunner().invoke(app, ["workflow", "remove", "test-wf"])
+
+        assert result.exit_code != 0
+        assert result.exception is None or isinstance(result.exception, SystemExit)
+        assert "Failed to remove workflow directory" in result.output
+        # rmtree raised, so nothing was actually deleted.
+        assert workflow_dir.exists()
+        assert (workflow_dir / "workflow.yml").read_text(encoding="utf-8") == "keep-me"
+        # The registry entry must come back exactly as it was, not re-added.
+        restored = WorkflowRegistry(project_dir).get("test-wf")
+        assert restored == original_entry
+        assert WorkflowRegistry(project_dir).is_installed("test-wf")
+
 
 class TestWorkflowAddSymlinkGuard:
     def test_add_malformed_ipv6_url_exits_cleanly(self, temp_dir, monkeypatch):