diff --git a/crates/distribution/src/node.rs b/crates/distribution/src/node.rs
index a11d18c..3d7d87b 100644
--- a/crates/distribution/src/node.rs
+++ b/crates/distribution/src/node.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ use crate::kademlia::repair::{RepairQueue, RepublishTracker};
 use crate::kademlia::routing_table::RoutingTable;
 use crate::registry::{
     pack_combined_piggyback, unpack_combined_piggyback, ClusterRegistry, RegistryConfig,
-    RegistryEvent,
+    RegistryEntry, RegistryEvent,
 };
 use crate::swim::node::{NodeAction, SwimNode};
 use crate::swim::probe::SwimConfig;
@@ -157,24 +157,30 @@ impl DistributedNode {
     // ─── SWIM message handling (delegate to SwimNode) ───────────────────
 
     pub fn handle_ping(&mut self, from: NodeId, from_addr: SocketAddr, sequence: u64, piggyback: &[u8]) -> Vec<NodeAction> {
-        let membership_bytes = self.extract_registry_piggyback(piggyback);
+        let (membership_bytes, registry_entries) = unpack_combined_piggyback(piggyback);
         let actions = self.swim.handle_ping(from, from_addr, sequence, &membership_bytes);
+        // Process membership BEFORE merging registry — otherwise a death
+        // notification in this same piggyback would immediately tombstone
+        // freshly received registry entries instead of pre-existing ones.
         self.process_membership_changes(&actions);
+        self.merge_registry_entries(registry_entries);
         self.maybe_update_routing_table(from, from_addr);
         self.inject_registry_piggyback(actions)
     }
 
     pub fn handle_ack(&mut self, from: NodeId, sequence: u64, piggyback: &[u8]) -> Vec<NodeAction> {
-        let membership_bytes = self.extract_registry_piggyback(piggyback);
+        let (membership_bytes, registry_entries) = unpack_combined_piggyback(piggyback);
         let actions = self.swim.handle_ack(from, sequence, &membership_bytes);
         self.process_membership_changes(&actions);
+        self.merge_registry_entries(registry_entries);
         self.inject_registry_piggyback(actions)
     }
 
     pub fn handle_ping_req(&mut self, from: NodeId, target: NodeId, target_addr: SocketAddr, sequence: u64, piggyback: &[u8]) -> Vec<NodeAction> {
-        let membership_bytes = self.extract_registry_piggyback(piggyback);
+        let (membership_bytes, registry_entries) = unpack_combined_piggyback(piggyback);
         let actions = self.swim.handle_ping_req(from, target, target_addr, sequence, &membership_bytes);
         self.process_membership_changes(&actions);
+        self.merge_registry_entries(registry_entries);
         self.inject_registry_piggyback(actions)
     }
 
@@ -362,13 +368,11 @@ impl DistributedNode {
             .collect()
     }
 
-    /// Extract registry entries from incoming piggyback, merge them, return membership-only bytes.
-    fn extract_registry_piggyback(&mut self, bytes: &[u8]) -> Vec<u8> {
-        let (membership_bytes, registry_entries) = unpack_combined_piggyback(bytes);
-        if !registry_entries.is_empty() {
-            self.registry.merge_batch(registry_entries, self.cluster_size());
+    /// Merge registry entries received from a piggyback payload.
+    fn merge_registry_entries(&mut self, entries: Vec<RegistryEntry>) {
+        if !entries.is_empty() {
+            self.registry.merge_batch(entries, self.cluster_size());
         }
-        membership_bytes
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/crates/distribution/src/swim/node.rs b/crates/distribution/src/swim/node.rs
index 27696bc..6abffc6 100644
--- a/crates/distribution/src/swim/node.rs
+++ b/crates/distribution/src/swim/node.rs
@@ -272,14 +272,14 @@ impl SwimNode {
         for pa in probe_actions {
             match pa {
                 SwimAction::SendPing { to, to_addr, sequence } => {
-                    // If the target is dead, re-enqueue the death declaration
+                    // If the target is suspect or dead, re-enqueue its state
                     // so it piggybacks on this message. This is the key mechanism
-                    // for partition-heal recovery: the dead node learns it was
-                    // declared dead and refutes by bumping its incarnation.
+                    // for partition-heal recovery: the target learns it was
+                    // suspected/declared dead and refutes by bumping its incarnation.
                     if let Some(entry) = self.members.get(&to) {
-                        if entry.state == MemberState::Dead {
+                        if entry.state == MemberState::Dead || entry.state == MemberState::Suspect {
                             self.dissemination.enqueue(
-                                membership_update(to, to_addr, MemberState::Dead, entry.incarnation),
+                                membership_update(to, to_addr, entry.state, entry.incarnation),
                                 self.cluster_size(),
                             );
                         }