diff --git a/server/src/db/mod.rs b/server/src/db/mod.rs
index d1c005c7..cbfe1479 100644
--- a/server/src/db/mod.rs
+++ b/server/src/db/mod.rs
@@ -18,13 +18,17 @@ pub mod content_store;
 /// Write operations for the pipeline — content, stage transitions, and deletions.
 pub mod ops;
 /// Recovery for half-written pipeline items (bug 1001 backfill).
+///
+/// No public MCP surface — kept as an in-process library for future incident
+/// response.  Re-expose via diagnostics::tool_recover_half_written_items if
+/// the bug ever resurfaces.
+#[allow(dead_code)]
 pub mod recover;
 /// Background shadow-write task — persists pipeline items to SQLite asynchronously.
 pub mod shadow_write;
 
 pub use content_store::{ContentKey, all_content_ids, delete_content, read_content, write_content};
 pub use ops::{ItemMeta, delete_item, move_item_stage, next_item_number, write_item_with_content};
-pub use recover::{find_half_written_items, recover_half_written_items};
 pub use shadow_write::init;
 
 #[cfg(test)]
diff --git a/server/src/http/mcp/diagnostics/mod.rs b/server/src/http/mcp/diagnostics/mod.rs
index cb251eb6..ad013c38 100644
--- a/server/src/http/mcp/diagnostics/mod.rs
+++ b/server/src/http/mcp/diagnostics/mod.rs
@@ -115,62 +115,6 @@ pub(crate) fn tool_dump_crdt(args: &Value) -> Result<String, String> {
     .map_err(|e| format!("Serialization error: {e}"))
 }
 
-/// MCP tool: discover or recover half-written pipeline items (bug 1001).
-///
-/// A half-written item is one whose content row is in the content store /
-/// SQLite shadow but whose CRDT entry is absent or tombstoned.  Such items
-/// are invisible to every CRDT-driven read path and to `delete_story` /
-/// `purge_story`, so they need explicit recovery.
-///
-/// With `dry_run = true` (default), returns the list of discovered half-
-/// writes without mutating anything.  With `dry_run = false`, lifts each
-/// orphan onto a fresh non-tombstoned id and returns the old→new mapping.
-pub(crate) fn tool_recover_half_written_items(args: &Value) -> Result<String, String> {
-    let dry_run = args
-        .get("dry_run")
-        .and_then(|v| v.as_bool())
-        .unwrap_or(true);
-
-    // Optional id filter — when provided, recovery (or the dry-run report) is
-    // restricted to these ids.  This is the safe choice for live systems
-    // where the orphan set may include many historic purged stories that
-    // should stay dead.
-    let only: Option<Vec<String>> = args.get("story_ids").and_then(|v| {
-        v.as_array().map(|arr| {
-            arr.iter()
-                .filter_map(|x| x.as_str().map(str::to_string))
-                .collect()
-        })
-    });
-
-    if dry_run {
-        let mut half = crate::db::find_half_written_items();
-        if let Some(filter) = &only {
-            half.retain(|h| filter.iter().any(|f| f == &h.story_id));
-        }
-        let count = half.len();
-        return serde_json::to_string_pretty(&json!({
-            "dry_run": true,
-            "found": half,
-            "count": count,
-            "message": format!(
-                "Discovered {count} half-written item(s){scope}. Re-run with dry_run=false to recover them.",
-                scope = if only.is_some() { " matching the filter" } else { "" },
-            ),
-        }))
-        .map_err(|e| format!("Serialization error: {e}"));
-    }
-
-    let results = crate::db::recover_half_written_items(only.as_deref());
-    serde_json::to_string_pretty(&json!({
-        "dry_run": false,
-        "recovered": results,
-        "count": results.len(),
-        "message": format!("Recovered {} half-written item(s).", results.len()),
-    }))
-    .map_err(|e| format!("Serialization error: {e}"))
-}
-
 /// MCP tool: return the server version, build hash, and running port.
 pub(crate) fn tool_get_version(ctx: &AppContext) -> Result<String, String> {
     let build_hash =
diff --git a/server/src/http/mcp/dispatch.rs b/server/src/http/mcp/dispatch.rs
index 62bb1e73..ad5cecf6 100644
--- a/server/src/http/mcp/dispatch.rs
+++ b/server/src/http/mcp/dispatch.rs
@@ -93,8 +93,6 @@ pub async fn dispatch_tool_call(
         "purge_story" => story_tools::tool_purge_story(&args, ctx),
         // Debug CRDT dump (story 515)
         "dump_crdt" => diagnostics::tool_dump_crdt(&args),
-        // Recover half-written pipeline items (bug 1001)
-        "recover_half_written_items" => diagnostics::tool_recover_half_written_items(&args),
         // Read-only peer mesh diagnostics (story 720)
         "mesh_status" => diagnostics::tool_mesh_status(&args),
         // Arbitrary pipeline movement
diff --git a/server/src/http/mcp/tools_list/mod.rs b/server/src/http/mcp/tools_list/mod.rs
index 971492a9..3234c9ab 100644
--- a/server/src/http/mcp/tools_list/mod.rs
+++ b/server/src/http/mcp/tools_list/mod.rs
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(names.contains(&"status"));
         assert!(names.contains(&"loc_file"));
         assert!(names.contains(&"dump_crdt"));
-        assert!(names.contains(&"recover_half_written_items"));
         assert!(names.contains(&"get_version"));
         assert!(names.contains(&"remove_criterion"));
         assert!(names.contains(&"mesh_status"));
@@ -107,7 +106,7 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(names.contains(&"show_epic"));
         assert!(names.contains(&"freeze_story"));
         assert!(names.contains(&"unfreeze_story"));
-        assert_eq!(tools.len(), 75);
+        assert_eq!(tools.len(), 74);
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/server/src/http/mcp/tools_list/system_tools.rs b/server/src/http/mcp/tools_list/system_tools.rs
index 1d02b8dc..7e0f09d5 100644
--- a/server/src/http/mcp/tools_list/system_tools.rs
+++ b/server/src/http/mcp/tools_list/system_tools.rs
@@ -288,25 +288,6 @@ pub(super) fn system_tools() -> Vec<Value> {
                 "required": []
             }
         }),
-        json!({
-            "name": "recover_half_written_items",
-            "description": "Discover (and optionally recover) half-written pipeline items — rows whose content is in the SQLite shadow and content store but whose CRDT entry is absent or tombstoned. These are invisible to every CRDT-driven read path and can't be cleaned up by delete_story / purge_story. Recovery moves each orphan's content onto a fresh non-tombstoned id and reports the old→new mapping. Defaults to dry_run=true so you can see what would change before mutating. Use story_ids to restrict the operation to a specific list of ids — strongly recommended on live systems where the orphan set may include historic purged stories that should stay dead.",
-            "inputSchema": {
-                "type": "object",
-                "properties": {
-                    "dry_run": {
-                        "type": "boolean",
-                        "description": "When true (default), only discover half-written items and report them. When false, perform the recovery."
-                    },
-                    "story_ids": {
-                        "type": "array",
-                        "items": { "type": "string" },
-                        "description": "Optional: restrict the operation (discovery in dry-run, recovery otherwise) to these story_ids. Anything else in the orphan set is left untouched. Strongly recommended for live recovery so you don't resurrect historic purged items."
-                    }
-                },
-                "required": []
-            }
-        }),
         json!({
             "name": "wizard_status",
             "description": "Return the current setup wizard state: which step is active, and which are done/skipped/pending. Use this to inspect progress before calling wizard_generate, wizard_confirm, wizard_skip, or wizard_retry.",