src/client/client_manifest.c

@@ -495,6 +495,7 @@ int send_dry_run_remote(Config* config) {
   protocol_session_bind(&session);
 
   int ret = 1;
+  bool partial = false;
   time_t dry_start = time(NULL);
   ReceiverStats dry_stats;
   memset(&dry_stats, 0, sizeof(dry_stats));
@@ -653,8 +654,14 @@ int send_dry_run_remote(Config* config) {
     if (!receive_status(client->file_descriptor, &status))
       goto dry_fail;
   }
-  if (status != STATUS_OK)
+  /* A per-entry receiver failure is rsync's PARTIAL transfer (exit 23), not a
+     hard failure: a dry run transfers nothing, but keep the verdict consistent
+     with the normal path instead of treating it as a protocol error. */
+  if (status == STATUS_PARTIAL) {
+    partial = true;
+  } else if (status != STATUS_OK) {
     goto dry_fail;
+  }
   if (!config->quiet) {
     if (config->human_readable)
       printf("Total: %d files, %s\n", file_count,
@@ -672,7 +679,7 @@ int send_dry_run_remote(Config* config) {
     dry_transfer.literal_data = total_bytes;
     report_transfer_stats(config, &dry_transfer, dry_start, &dry_stats);
   }
-  ret = io_error ? 1 : 0;
+  ret = io_error ? 1 : (partial ? 23 : 0);
 
 dry_fail:
   if (dry_manifest)

src/client/client_report.c

@@ -1213,8 +1213,11 @@ static ArrayList* client_msg_queue = NULL; /* owns char* */
 static size_t client_msg_bytes = 0;
 /* True only while a live transfer session exists: before the connection is up
    (or after it drops) the sink declines so log_message falls back to local
-   output, matching rsync's documented fallback. */
+   output, matching rsync's documented fallback.  Written by the sender thread
-static bool client_msg_active = false;
+   (client_messages_activate) and read by scanner worker threads in
+   client_msg_enqueue, so it must be atomic: the queue itself stays guarded by
+   client_msg_mutex, but the flag is polled before taking that lock. */
+static _Atomic bool client_msg_active = false;
 
 static void client_msg_mutex_init(void) {
   mtx_init(&client_msg_mutex, mtx_plain);
@@ -1229,20 +1232,26 @@ void client_messages_install(void) {
   mtx_lock(&client_msg_mutex);
   if (!client_msg_queue)
     client_msg_queue = array_list_create(free);
+  bool ready = client_msg_queue != NULL;
   mtx_unlock(&client_msg_mutex);
-  log_set_client_msg_sink(client_msg_enqueue);
+  /* Only arm the sink once the queue exists; on allocation failure leave the
+     sink uninstalled so log_message keeps writing locally instead of handing
+     messages to a sink that would silently drop them. */
+  if (ready)
+    log_set_client_msg_sink(client_msg_enqueue);
 }
 
 void client_messages_activate(bool active) {
-  client_msg_active = active;
+  atomic_store(&client_msg_active, active);
 }
 
 /* log_message sink: takes ownership (queues) the message when a session is
  * live; returns false otherwise so the caller writes it locally. */
 static bool client_msg_enqueue(const char* message) {
+  bool active = atomic_load(&client_msg_active);
   if (!message || message[0] == '\0')
-    return client_msg_active;
+    return active;
-  if (!client_msg_active)
+  if (!active)
     return false;
   size_t len = strlen(message);
   call_once(&client_msg_mutex_once, client_msg_mutex_init);
@@ -1273,8 +1282,19 @@ void client_flush_client_messages(int fd) {
   call_once(&client_msg_mutex_once, client_msg_mutex_init);
   mtx_lock(&client_msg_mutex);
   ArrayList* pending = client_msg_queue;
-  client_msg_queue = array_list_create(free);
+  if (pending) {
-  client_msg_bytes = 0;
+    ArrayList* fresh = array_list_create(free);
+    if (fresh) {
+      client_msg_queue = fresh;
+    } else {
+      /* No memory for a replacement queue: stop queuing new diagnostics (they
+         fall back to local output) and drain this batch below so nothing is
+         silently dropped. */
+      client_msg_queue = NULL;
+      log_set_client_msg_sink(NULL);
+    }
+    client_msg_bytes = 0;
+  }
   mtx_unlock(&client_msg_mutex);
   if (!pending)
     return;
@@ -1289,7 +1309,7 @@ void client_flush_client_messages(int fd) {
 /* Tear down the sink after a transfer and free anything still queued. */
 void client_messages_end(void) {
   log_set_client_msg_sink(NULL);
-  client_msg_active = false;
+  atomic_store(&client_msg_active, false);
   call_once(&client_msg_mutex_once, client_msg_mutex_init);
   mtx_lock(&client_msg_mutex);
   ArrayList* pending = client_msg_queue;

src/client/client_send.c

@@ -255,8 +255,18 @@ static bool finalize_transfer(Client* client, const Config* config, ArrayList* r
     *delete_limit_out = false;
   if (partial_out)
     *partial_out = false;
+  /* --stderr=client: the receiver consumes frames until it reads
+     STATUS_FINISHED, after which it no longer reads.  Flush every diagnostic
+     queued during the transfer here -- the last frame boundary at which the
+     peer is still reading -- so nothing is stranded in the queue. */
+  client_flush_client_messages(client->file_descriptor);
   if (!send_status(client->file_descriptor, STATUS_FINISHED))
     return false;
+  /* Past STATUS_FINISHED the receiver has stopped reading, so any diagnostic
+     logged from here on (notably the STATUS_PARTIAL warning below) can no
+     longer be forwarded.  Deactivate the channel so those messages fall back
+     to local output instead of being queued for a closed peer and lost. */
+  client_messages_activate(false);
   /* The receiver emits its optional wire-stats frame (protocol 2.25.0) FIRST,
      then any per-file --remove-source-files acks, then the terminal status. */
   Status status;
@@ -899,6 +909,13 @@ static int send_chunk_with_removal(Client* client, Chunk* chunk, Config* config,
       if (chunk->items[i] == NULL)
         continue;
       transfer_stats_note_entry(stats, chunk->items[i]);
+      /* Output parity: probe each entry's ancestor directories' destination
+         state before emitting its itemize line, exactly as the non-serialized
+         loop does.  Without this, dest_state.known stays false and -i/-P
+         renders an existing dir/symlink as created instead of `.d..t...` (or
+         suppressing it). */
+      if (!client_change_probe_ancestors(config, chunk->items[i], client->file_descriptor))
+        return -1;
       /* The chunk-serialization path emits no --progress name lines, so only
          feed -i/--out-format its ancestor directory lines here. */
       if (config->itemize_changes || config->out_format != NULL)

src/server/receiver.c

@@ -341,7 +341,13 @@ static bool receiver_note_status(const struct timespec* session_start,
 }
 
 int receiver_process(Config* config, int file_descriptor, const ReceiverSink* sink) {
-  return receiver_process_pending(config, file_descriptor, sink, NULL, NULL);
+  return receiver_process_pending_ctx(config, file_descriptor, sink, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+}
+
+int receiver_process_pending(Config* config, int file_descriptor, const ReceiverSink* sink,
+                             DeleteManifest** pending_manifest, DeletePlanSession** pending_plans) {
+  return receiver_process_pending_ctx(config, file_descriptor, sink, pending_manifest,
+                                      pending_plans, NULL);
 }
 
 /* Per-connection state threaded through the status handlers below.  The parked
@@ -363,8 +369,10 @@ typedef struct {
      *pending_plans so the -m caller commits after its disk writer drained. */
   DeletePlanSession* plan_session;
   /* Observer context for the per-directory delete session, which outlives the
-     frame handler; must stay alive until the session commits. */
+     frame handler; must stay alive until the session commits.  For a session
-  ReceiverDeleteContext delete_ctx;
+     handed to the caller (pending_plans) this points at a caller-owned
+     long-lived context; otherwise it points at an internal stack context. */
+  ReceiverDeleteContext* delete_ctx;
   bool early_delete;
   bool per_dir_delete;
   bool delete_limit_noted;
@@ -386,18 +394,16 @@ static ReceiverStep receiver_handle_keepalive(ReceiverPendingState* state) {
 }
 
 /* rsync --stderr=client: a client diagnostic forwarded over the wire.  Read the
- * bounded string and write it to the server's stderr (respecting the server log
+ * bounded string and log it through the normal destination/level gate.  The
- * destination).  The body is peer-controlled text, so it is logged verbatim
+ * body is peer-controlled text: log_client_message() escapes every
- * (log_client_message adds the standard prefix); trailing newlines are stripped
+ * non-printable byte (newlines, CR, ANSI ESC, ...) before writing, so a hostile
- * so a message cannot inject a blank line.  A malformed string (over-long or
+ * client cannot forge log lines or inject terminal control sequences.  A
- * embedded NUL) is a framing error and tears the connection down. */
+ * malformed string (over-long or embedded NUL) is a framing error and tears the
+ * connection down. */
 static ReceiverStep receiver_handle_client_msg(ReceiverPendingState* state) {
   char* message = receive_str(state->fd);
   if (!message)
     return RECEIVER_STEP_FAIL;
-  size_t len = strlen(message);
-  while (len > 0 && (message[len - 1] == '\n' || message[len - 1] == '\r'))
-    message[--len] = '\0';
   if (message[0] != '\0')
     log_client_message(message);
   free(message);
@@ -652,7 +658,7 @@ static ReceiverStep receiver_handle_delete_plan(ReceiverPendingState* state) {
     state->plan_session = delete_plan_session_create(config);
     if (state->plan_session && (sink->stats || sink->deleted_paths))
       delete_plan_session_set_delete_observer(state->plan_session, receiver_record_deleted_path,
-                                              &state->delete_ctx);
+                                              state->delete_ctx);
   }
   if (!state->plan_session || delete_plan_session_receive(state->plan_session, config, fd) != 0)
     return RECEIVER_STEP_FAIL;
@@ -735,8 +741,10 @@ static void receiver_drop_pending(ReceiverPendingState* state) {
    delete-during plan mode (no manifest at all).  See the per-frame handlers
    above for how the -m receiver defers that commit until its disk writer has
    drained. */
-int receiver_process_pending(Config* config, int file_descriptor, const ReceiverSink* sink,
+int receiver_process_pending_ctx(Config* config, int file_descriptor, const ReceiverSink* sink,
-                             DeleteManifest** pending_manifest, DeletePlanSession** pending_plans) {
+                                 DeleteManifest** pending_manifest,
+                                 DeletePlanSession** pending_plans,
+                                 ReceiverDeleteContext* observer_ctx) {
   Status status;
   if (!receive_status(file_descriptor, &status))
     return -1;
@@ -749,6 +757,13 @@ int receiver_process_pending(Config* config, int file_descriptor, const Receiver
   last_progress = session_start;
   if (!receiver_note_status(&session_start, &last_progress, status, file_descriptor, sink))
     return -1;
+  /* A per-directory delete session handed to the caller outlives this stack
+     frame, so its observer context must be caller-owned (observer_ctx); only
+     the default inline-commit case may use the stack context. */
+  ReceiverDeleteContext local_ctx;
+  ReceiverDeleteContext* delete_ctx = observer_ctx ? observer_ctx : &local_ctx;
+  delete_ctx->stats = sink ? sink->stats : NULL;
+  delete_ctx->deleted_paths = sink ? sink->deleted_paths : NULL;
   ReceiverPendingState state = {
       .config = config,
       .fd = file_descriptor,
@@ -757,7 +772,7 @@ int receiver_process_pending(Config* config, int file_descriptor, const Receiver
       .pending_plans = pending_plans,
       .deferred_manifest = NULL,
       .plan_session = NULL,
-      .delete_ctx = {sink ? sink->stats : NULL, sink ? sink->deleted_paths : NULL},
+      .delete_ctx = delete_ctx,
       .early_delete = config_delete_timing_early(config),
       .per_dir_delete = config_delete_timing_per_dir(config),
       .delete_limit_noted = false,
@@ -797,9 +812,9 @@ int receiver_process_pending(Config* config, int file_descriptor, const Receiver
       state.deferred_manifest = NULL;
     } else {
       size_t deleted = 0;
-      DeletePathObserver observer = receiver_delete_observer(sink, &state.delete_ctx);
+      DeletePathObserver observer = receiver_delete_observer(sink, state.delete_ctx);
       DeleteCommitResult deletion = manifest_delete_all_observed(
-          config, state.deferred_manifest, &deleted, observer, &state.delete_ctx);
+          config, state.deferred_manifest, &deleted, observer, state.delete_ctx);
       receiver_tally_deleted(sink, deleted);
       delete_manifest_free(state.deferred_manifest);
       state.deferred_manifest = NULL;
@@ -819,7 +834,7 @@ int receiver_process_pending(Config* config, int file_descriptor, const Receiver
   if (state.plan_session) {
     if (sink->stats || sink->deleted_paths)
       delete_plan_session_set_delete_observer(state.plan_session, receiver_record_deleted_path,
-                                              &state.delete_ctx);
+                                              state.delete_ctx);
     if (state.pending_plans) {
       *state.pending_plans = state.plan_session;
       state.plan_session = NULL;

src/server/receiver.h

@@ -93,6 +93,17 @@ int receiver_process(Config* config, int file_descriptor, const ReceiverSink* si
    for either to keep the default behaviour (delete before the success frame). */
 int receiver_process_pending(Config* config, int file_descriptor, const ReceiverSink* sink,
                              DeleteManifest** pending_manifest, DeletePlanSession** pending_plans);
+/* receiver_process_pending() with an explicit observer context for a
+   per-directory delete session that is handed to the caller via
+   `pending_plans`.  The session outlives this call (the -m pipeline commits it
+   after joining its disk writer), so its observer context must too: pass a
+   long-lived object such as PipelineContextReceiver.delete_ctx.  When
+   `delete_ctx` is NULL an internal stack context is used, which is only safe
+   when the session is committed before returning (the default behaviour). */
+int receiver_process_pending_ctx(Config* config, int file_descriptor, const ReceiverSink* sink,
+                                 DeleteManifest** pending_manifest,
+                                 DeletePlanSession** pending_plans,
+                                 ReceiverDeleteContext* delete_ctx);
 int receiver_receive_files(Config* config, int file_descriptor);
 
 /* ---- Connection time bounds (anti-slowloris) ----

src/server/receiver_pipeline.c

@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ PipelineContextReceiver* pipeline_context_receiver_create(Config* config, Queue*
   context->max_queue_bytes = 0;
   context->deferred_manifest = NULL;
   context->deferred_plans = NULL;
+  context->delete_ctx.stats = NULL;
+  context->delete_ctx.deleted_paths = NULL;
   context->delete_limit_reached = false;
   context->failed_entries = 0;
   memset(&context->stats, 0, sizeof(context->stats));
@@ -205,8 +207,9 @@ int receive_thread(void* pipeline_context) {
                        &context->stats,
                        context->would_delete,
                        context->deleted_paths};
-  if (receiver_process_pending((Config*)config, file_descriptor, &sink, &context->deferred_manifest,
+  if (receiver_process_pending_ctx((Config*)config, file_descriptor, &sink,
-                               &context->deferred_plans) != 0) {
+                                   &context->deferred_manifest, &context->deferred_plans,
+                                   &context->delete_ctx) != 0) {
     receiver_thread_fail(context);
     protocol_session_unbind();
     return thrd_error;

src/server/receiver_pipeline.h

@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ typedef struct PipelineContextReceiver {
      committing while the disk writer may still be draining; server.c commits it
      after both threads joined.  NULL for every other timing. */
   DeletePlanSession* deferred_plans;
+  /* Observer context for `deferred_plans`.  It must outlive the receive thread
+     (the session is committed by server.c after both threads join), so it lives
+     here rather than on receiver_process_pending()'s stack; receive_thread
+     installs it on the session. */
+  ReceiverDeleteContext delete_ctx;
   /* Set by server.c when the deferred delete commit hit the --max-delete
      budget; the terminal success frame then carries STATUS_DELETE_LIMIT
      (rsync exit 25) while the transfer itself still succeeds. */

src/server/server.c

@@ -1011,11 +1011,9 @@ static void server_run_mt_receiver(ServerSession* state) {
        --delete-during already applied its plans on the receive thread. */
     if (context->deferred_plans) {
       /* Defence in depth (the enclosing block already excludes dry-run): a
-         -n run never commits a deletion. */
+         -n run never commits a deletion.  The session's observer context was
-      ReceiverDeleteContext delctx = {&context->stats, context->deleted_paths};
+         installed by receive_thread from context->delete_ctx, which outlives
-      if (delctx.stats || delctx.deleted_paths)
+         both threads, so no stack context is needed here. */
-        delete_plan_session_set_delete_observer(context->deferred_plans,
-                                                receiver_record_deleted_path, &delctx);
       DeleteCommitResult deletion =
           config->dry_run ? DELETE_COMMIT_OK
                           : delete_plan_session_commit(context->deferred_plans, config);

src/shared/log.c

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include "log.h"
+#include "utils.h"
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
@@ -155,15 +156,21 @@ static void emit_log_line(FILE* console, const char* line) {
 void log_client_message(const char* message) {
   if (!message)
     return;
-  time_t now = time(NULL);
+  /* The body is peer-controlled: escape every non-printable byte (newlines,
-  struct tm t;
+     CR, ANSI ESC, ...) so a hostile client cannot forge log lines or inject
-  if (!localtime_r(&now, &t))
+     terminal control sequences.  output_escape() is the codebase's canonical
+     escaper and leaves printable text untouched. */
+  char* escaped = output_escape(message, log_get_8_bit_output());
+  if (!escaped)
     return;
-  char* line = format_log_line_from_body(LOG_LEVEL_INFO, &t, message);
+  /* Route through the ordinary log level / destination gate (log_message):
-  if (!line)
+     this respects --log-file, the configured stderr mode and the level
-    return;
+     threshold instead of always writing to stderr.  The wire body carries no
-  emit_log_line(stderr, line);
+     severity, so the forwarded diagnostic is emitted as a warning -- the
-  free(line);
+     lowest level the default gate admits, which keeps the peer's messages
+     visible without bypassing --quiet. */
+  log_message(LOG_LEVEL_WARNING, "%s", escaped);
+  free(escaped);
 }
 
 void log_message(LogLevel log_level, const char* format, ...) {

tests/integration/test_features.py

@@ -2893,6 +2893,37 @@ class TestItemizeChanges:
         result, _ = run_client(SOURCE_DIR, DEST_DIR, flags=["-i", "--dry-run"])
         assert result.returncode == 0, f"dry-run -i failed: {result.stderr[:200]}"
 
+    def test_chunk_serialization_probes_ancestor_dir_state(self, shared_server):
+        """#314: --chunk-serialization + -i must probe ancestor directory state
+        so a pre-existing directory with a changed mtime itemizes as an
+        attribute change (`.d..t......`) instead of being rendered as created
+        (`cd+++++++++`)."""
+        source = os.path.join(TEST_DATA_DIR, "itemize_chunk_serial_src")
+        dest = os.path.join(TEST_DATA_DIR, "itemize_chunk_serial_dst")
+        clean_dir(source)
+        clean_dir(dest)
+        subdir = os.path.join(source, "sub")
+        os.makedirs(subdir)
+        with open(os.path.join(subdir, "file.txt"), "wb") as fh:
+            fh.write(b"payload\n")
+
+        result, _ = run_client(source, dest, flags=["--preserve"], port=shared_server.port)
+        assert result.returncode == 0, f"seed sync failed: {result.stderr[:200]}"
+
+        # Change only the source directory's mtime; its contents stay identical
+        # so only the directory's time attribute differs on the rerun.
+        os.utime(subdir, (1_000_000_000, 1_000_000_000))
+
+        result, _ = run_client(source, dest,
+                               flags=["--preserve", "-i", "--chunk-serialization"],
+                               port=shared_server.port)
+        assert result.returncode == 0, f"chunk-serialization -i failed: {result.stderr[:200]}"
+        dir_lines = [line for line in result.stdout.splitlines() if line.endswith(" sub/")]
+        assert dir_lines == [".d..t...... sub/"], (
+            f"expected an attribute-change dir line, got {dir_lines!r}; "
+            f"full stdout={result.stdout!r}"
+        )
+
     def test_changed_file_on_second_incremental_run_prints_exactly_one_line(self, shared_server):
         """A changed file itemizes exactly once on an incremental rerun while
         unchanged files print nothing (no double emission)."""

tests/test_log.c

@@ -309,6 +309,48 @@ static void test_log_set_file_null_before_fclose(void) {
   EXPECT_TRUE(true);
 }
 
+/* The server's client-message channel logs a peer-controlled body: it must be
+ * escaped so an interior newline/CR/ANSI escape cannot forge a log line or
+ * move the terminal cursor.  With the default stderr mode a forwarded message
+ * is emitted as a warning on stdout. */
+static void test_log_client_message_sanitized(void) {
+  int pipe_fds[2];
+  EXPECT_EQ_INT(pipe(pipe_fds), 0);
+  /* Drain anything earlier tests buffered on stdout before redirecting, so the
+     capture holds only this test's single log line. */
+  fflush(stdout);
+  int saved_stdout = dup(STDOUT_FILENO);
+  EXPECT_TRUE(saved_stdout >= 0);
+  EXPECT_TRUE(dup2(pipe_fds[1], STDOUT_FILENO) >= 0);
+  close(pipe_fds[1]);
+
+  set_log_level(LOG_LEVEL_WARNING);
+  log_set_stderr_mode(LOG_STDERR_ERRORS);
+  log_client_message("forged\n2026-01-01 [ERROR]: fake\x1b[31mred");
+  fflush(stdout);
+
+  EXPECT_TRUE(dup2(saved_stdout, STDOUT_FILENO) >= 0);
+  close(saved_stdout);
+  char output[512] = {0};
+  ssize_t length = read(pipe_fds[0], output, sizeof(output) - 1);
+  close(pipe_fds[0]);
+  EXPECT_TRUE(length > 0);
+  /* The interior newline became an escaped octal, so the body stays on one
+     physical line: exactly one '\n' (the log terminator) is present. */
+  int newlines = 0;
+  for (ssize_t i = 0; i < length; i++) {
+    if (output[i] == '\n')
+      newlines++;
+  }
+  EXPECT_EQ_INT(newlines, 1);
+  /* The ESC introducer is escaped too, so no raw ANSI sequence reaches the
+     terminal. */
+  EXPECT_TRUE(strchr(output, '\x1b') == NULL);
+  EXPECT_TRUE(strstr(output, "forged") != NULL);
+  EXPECT_TRUE(strstr(output, "fake") != NULL);
+  log_set_stderr_mode(LOG_STDERR_ERRORS);
+}
+
 void test_log() {
   test_log_message_debug();
   test_log_message_info();
@@ -320,6 +362,7 @@ void test_log() {
   test_log_filtering();
   test_log_stderr_mode_all();
   test_log_stderr_mode_client();
+  test_log_client_message_sanitized();
   test_log_message_formats();
   test_log_debug_enabled_matches_gate();
   test_log_concurrent_no_torn_lines();