diff --git a/weed/s3api/s3tables/vector_namespace.go b/weed/s3api/s3tables/vector_namespace.go
index 028518683b..f07ffa9794 100644
--- a/weed/s3api/s3tables/vector_namespace.go
+++ b/weed/s3api/s3tables/vector_namespace.go
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/pb/filer_pb"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
 )
 
 // VectorIndexNamespace holds a vector bucket's indexes. Only the S3 Vectors
@@ -53,9 +54,9 @@ func (h *S3TablesHandler) checkVectorNamespaceWrite(ctx context.Context, filerCl
 
 // fenceVectorNamespace returns a fence for an untrusted write naming the
 // vector namespace of a LANCE bucket. The request still runs, so the
-// operation's own checks answer everything short of a write and an ungranted
-// caller gets its usual denial. A CreateTable of an index that already exists
-// is the vector engine's declare and passes unfenced.
+// operation's own checks answer everything short of a write: an ungranted
+// caller gets its usual denial, and a CreateTable that finds the index already
+// there (the vector engine's declare) succeeds.
 func (h *S3TablesHandler) fenceVectorNamespace(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, filerClient FilerClient, operation string) *vectorNamespaceFence {
 	if h.trusted || strings.HasPrefix(operation, "Get") || strings.HasPrefix(operation, "List") {
 		return nil
@@ -69,7 +70,6 @@ func (h *S3TablesHandler) fenceVectorNamespace(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Re
 		SourceNamespace []string `json:"sourceNamespace"`
 		DestNamespace   []string `json:"destNamespace"`
 		ResourceARN     string   `json:"resourceArn"`
-		Name            string   `json:"name"`
 	}
 	// Like the handler's own decode, this keeps going past a mistyped field.
 	_ = json.Unmarshal(body, &req)
@@ -83,34 +83,13 @@ func (h *S3TablesHandler) fenceVectorNamespace(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Re
 		targets = append(targets, target{bucket, []string{namespace}})
 	}
 	for _, t := range targets {
-		if t.bucket == "" || h.checkVectorNamespaceWrite(r.Context(), filerClient, t.bucket, t.namespace) == nil {
-			continue
+		if t.bucket != "" && h.checkVectorNamespaceWrite(r.Context(), filerClient, t.bucket, t.namespace) != nil {
+			return &vectorNamespaceFence{ResponseWriter: w, h: h, filer: filerClient}
 		}
-		if operation == "CreateTable" && isVectorIndexNamespace(req.Namespace) && h.vectorIndexExists(r.Context(), filerClient, bucketName, req.Name) {
-			return nil
-		}
-		return &vectorNamespaceFence{ResponseWriter: w, h: h, filer: filerClient}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (h *S3TablesHandler) vectorIndexExists(ctx context.Context, filerClient FilerClient, bucketName, name string) bool {
-	if _, err := validateTableName(name); err != nil {
-		return false
-	}
-	exists := false
-	_ = filerClient.WithFilerClient(false, func(client filer_pb.SeaweedFilerClient) error {
-		entry, err := h.lookupEntry(ctx, client, GetTablePath(bucketName, VectorIndexNamespace, name))
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		_, hasMetadata := entry.Extended[ExtendedKeyMetadata]
-		exists = hasMetadata && !isUnfinishedCreate(entry.Extended) && EntryType(entry.Extended) == EntryTypeTable
-		return nil
-	})
-	return exists
-}
-
 // vectorNamespaceFence passes reads, refuses filer writes, and answers the
 // request as read-only once a write was refused. Handlers write only after
 // their permission check, so an ungranted caller never sees that answer.
@@ -169,7 +148,16 @@ func (c readOnlyFilerClient) CreateEntry(context.Context, *filer_pb.CreateEntryR
 	return nil, c.refuse()
 }
 
-func (c readOnlyFilerClient) UpdateEntry(context.Context, *filer_pb.UpdateEntryRequest, ...grpc.CallOption) (*filer_pb.UpdateEntryResponse, error) {
+// UpdateEntry answers a rewrite that leaves the entry exactly as stored
+// without writing, so an idempotent path that repairs state already in place
+// still passes.
+func (c readOnlyFilerClient) UpdateEntry(ctx context.Context, req *filer_pb.UpdateEntryRequest, opts ...grpc.CallOption) (*filer_pb.UpdateEntryResponse, error) {
+	if req.GetEntry() != nil {
+		resp, err := c.SeaweedFilerClient.LookupDirectoryEntry(ctx, &filer_pb.LookupDirectoryEntryRequest{Directory: req.Directory, Name: req.Entry.Name}, opts...)
+		if err == nil && proto.Equal(resp.GetEntry(), req.Entry) {
+			return &filer_pb.UpdateEntryResponse{}, nil
+		}
+	}
 	return nil, c.refuse()
 }
 
diff --git a/weed/s3api/s3tables/vector_namespace_test.go b/weed/s3api/s3tables/vector_namespace_test.go
index 4f43aada37..46bd0e6102 100644
--- a/weed/s3api/s3tables/vector_namespace_test.go
+++ b/weed/s3api/s3tables/vector_namespace_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/pb/filer_pb"
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/s3api/s3_constants"
 	"github.com/seaweedfs/seaweedfs/weed/s3api/s3tables/s3tablestest"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -264,24 +265,26 @@ func TestAuthorizeCreateTableRefusesVectorNamespace(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, untrustedManager().AuthorizeCreateTable(ctx, NewManagerClient(icebergFS.Client), req, "reader"))
 }
 
-// Only a CreateTable that finds a finished index passes unfenced, so the
-// declare keeps working even where the idempotent path writes.
-func TestVectorNamespaceFenceSparesOnlyExistingIndexCreate(t *testing.T) {
+// Behind the fence a rewrite that leaves the entry as stored, as an
+// idempotent repair does, passes without writing; any real change is refused.
+func TestVectorNamespaceFencePassesOnlyNoOpUpdates(t *testing.T) {
 	fs := s3tablestest.Start(t)
 	seedVectorBucket(t, fs, FormatLance)
-	fs.Put(GetNamespacePath(vectorTestBucket, VectorIndexNamespace), "pending", map[string][]byte{
-		ExtendedKeyMetadata: []byte(`{"name":"pending","format":"LANCE"}`),
-		ExtendedKeyDeleting: []byte(createClaim),
-	})
 	h := untrustedManager().handler
+	fence := &vectorNamespaceFence{h: h, filer: NewManagerClient(fs.Client)}
+	idxPath := GetTablePath(vectorTestBucket, VectorIndexNamespace, "idx")
+	stored := fs.Get(GetNamespacePath(vectorTestBucket, VectorIndexNamespace), "idx").Extended[ExtendedKeyMetadata]
 
-	for name, fenced := range map[string]bool{"idx": false, "fresh": true, "pending": true} {
-		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			body := `{"tableBucketARN":"` + vectorTestARN(t) + `","namespace":["vector"],"name":"` + name + `","format":"LANCE"}`
-			req, err := newManagerRequest(context.Background(), "CreateTable", []byte(body), "reader")
-			require.NoError(t, err)
-			got := h.fenceVectorNamespace(nil, req, NewManagerClient(fs.Client), "CreateTable")
-			assert.Equal(t, fenced, got != nil)
-		})
-	}
+	err := fence.WithFilerClient(false, func(client filer_pb.SeaweedFilerClient) error {
+		return h.setExtendedAttribute(context.Background(), client, idxPath, ExtendedKeyMetadata, stored)
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, fence.tripped.Load())
+
+	err = fence.WithFilerClient(false, func(client filer_pb.SeaweedFilerClient) error {
+		return h.setExtendedAttribute(context.Background(), client, idxPath, ExtendedKeyMetadata, []byte(`{}`))
+	})
+	assert.ErrorIs(t, err, errVectorNamespaceReadOnly)
+	assert.True(t, fence.tripped.Load())
+	assert.Equal(t, stored, fs.Get(GetNamespacePath(vectorTestBucket, VectorIndexNamespace), "idx").Extended[ExtendedKeyMetadata])
 }