diff --git a/backend/__tests__/integration/adminArchives.restoreCategories.test.js b/backend/__tests__/integration/adminArchives.restoreCategories.test.js
index 723efc9f..cac9982a 100644
--- a/backend/__tests__/integration/adminArchives.restoreCategories.test.js
+++ b/backend/__tests__/integration/adminArchives.restoreCategories.test.js
@@ -141,6 +141,27 @@ describe('archive restore restores categories (flat archives included)', () => {
     expect(await categoryOf('b.jpg')).toBe('Ceremony');
   });
 
+  it('stores a real timestamp on restored photos, not "[object Object]"', async () => {
+    // The jest+sqlite landmine: a Date handed to knex inside jest stores as
+    // the literal string "[object Object]". Production writes ms-numbers and
+    // is unaffected, so this only ever corrupts what tests read back — which
+    // is how it survives unnoticed.
+    const archiveRelPath = await writeArchive('timestamp.zip', {
+      'individual/STAMPED.jpg': PIXEL,
+      'photos_manifest.json': Buffer.from(JSON.stringify([
+        { filename: 'STAMPED.jpg', original_filename: 'STAMPED.jpg', category_name: 'Ceremony' },
+      ]), 'utf8'),
+    });
+    const eventId = await seedArchivedEvent(archiveRelPath, 'timestamp-event');
+
+    const res = await request(app).post(`/admin/archives/${eventId}/restore`).send({});
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+
+    const photo = await db('photos').where({ event_id: eventId, filename: 'STAMPED.jpg' }).first();
+    expect(String(photo.uploaded_at)).not.toBe('[object Object]');
+    expect(Number.isNaN(new Date(photo.uploaded_at).getTime())).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it('reuses an existing category row instead of creating a duplicate', async () => {
     const archiveRelPath = await writeArchive('reuse.zip', {
       'c.jpg': PIXEL,
diff --git a/backend/src/routes/adminArchives.js b/backend/src/routes/adminArchives.js
index ebdf81c0..4b92668b 100644
--- a/backend/src/routes/adminArchives.js
+++ b/backend/src/routes/adminArchives.js
@@ -464,7 +464,13 @@ router.post('/:id/restore', adminAuth, requirePermission('archives.restore'), re
                 type: path.extname(filename).substring(1).toLowerCase(),
                 size_bytes: stats.size,
                 category_id: categoryId,
-                uploaded_at: new Date()
+                // .toISOString(), not a Date: inside jest the sqlite3 binding's
+                // type dispatch misses sandbox-created Dates and stores the
+                // literal string "[object Object]", so every restored photo
+                // gets a garbage timestamp that any test reading it would
+                // believe. Production stores Dates as ms-numbers and is
+                // unaffected — which is exactly why this survives unnoticed.
+                uploaded_at: new Date().toISOString()
               });
             }
           } catch (statError) {