diff --git a/apps/api/src/routes/admin.ts b/apps/api/src/routes/admin.ts
index 5f50ca5..1f25f82 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/routes/admin.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/routes/admin.ts
@@ -241,34 +241,29 @@ adminRouter.put('/config/timezone', zValidator('json', timezoneSchema), async (c
 // explicit choice.
 //
 // Always returns 200 with { ok: true, seeded: <bool> }.
-// Does NOT use onDuplicateKeyUpdate — an explicit SELECT + conditional INSERT
-// ensures the existing value is never overwritten (D-03).
+// Uses a single INSERT IGNORE: when the household_timezone row already exists the
+// insert is silently ignored (existing value untouched — D-03 no-overwrite) and
+// cannot 500 on the PK constraint under a concurrent seed/PUT. `seeded` is derived
+// from the result's affectedRows so it reflects what the DB actually did, accurately
+// even under a genuine concurrent race (WR-02).
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 adminRouter.post('/config/timezone/seed', zValidator('json', timezoneSchema), async (c) => {
   const { timezone } = c.req.valid('json');
 
-  const [existing] = await db
-    .select({ value: appConfig.value })
-    .from(appConfig)
-    .where(eq(appConfig.key, 'household_timezone'))
-    .limit(1);
+  // WR-02: always run the INSERT and let the DB be the source of truth, instead of a
+  // pre-flight SELECT whose result could be stale under a concurrent race (two racers
+  // both observing an empty table and both returning seeded:true). INSERT IGNORE on
+  // MariaDB reports affectedRows === 1 for a real insert and 0 when the row already
+  // exists (ignored, value preserved — D-03), so deriving `seeded` from affectedRows
+  // is accurate: only the racer whose INSERT actually wrote the row gets seeded:true.
+  // `timezone` is interpolated via drizzle's parameterized sql template (bound param,
+  // not string concatenation) and is already validated as an IANA zone by timezoneSchema.
+  const result = (await db.execute(
+    sql`INSERT IGNORE INTO ${appConfig} (${sql.identifier('key')}, ${sql.identifier('value')}) VALUES ('household_timezone', ${timezone})`,
+  )) as unknown as [{ affectedRows: number }, unknown];
 
-  const alreadySet = existing?.value != null;
+  const seeded = result[0].affectedRows === 1;
 
-  // WR-02: Use onDuplicateKeyUpdate with a no-op (`set: { value: sql`value` }`)
-  // so a concurrent seed or a seed racing a PUT cannot 500 on the PK constraint.
-  // The no-op preserves the existing value (D-03 no-overwrite). We always INSERT
-  // here and let the DB determine whether a row was inserted or not; `seeded` still
-  // reflects the pre-flight SELECT so the caller gets the correct flag even in the
-  // concurrent race (the winner observes alreadySet=false → seeded:true; the loser
-  // observes alreadySet=true → seeded:false and the INSERT is a no-op).
-  if (!alreadySet) {
-    await db
-      .insert(appConfig)
-      .values({ key: 'household_timezone', value: timezone })
-      .onDuplicateKeyUpdate({ set: { value: sql`value` } });
-  }
-
-  return c.json({ ok: true, seeded: !alreadySet }, 200);
+  return c.json({ ok: true, seeded }, 200);
 });
diff --git a/apps/api/tests/routes/admin.test.ts b/apps/api/tests/routes/admin.test.ts
index ef58fc6..d972e05 100644
--- a/apps/api/tests/routes/admin.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/tests/routes/admin.test.ts
@@ -813,4 +813,35 @@ describe('admin timezone config', () => {
       .limit(1);
     expect(row?.value).toBe('America/New_York');
   });
+
+  // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  // POST seed — `seeded` flag is derived from what the DB actually did (WR-02)
+  // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+  it('POST seed reports seeded:false when a row was pre-inserted directly, not via the endpoint (WR-02 accurate flag)', async () => {
+    const adminId = await seedUser('tz-admin-seed-derived', true);
+    currentDevUserId = adminId;
+    const app = await getApp();
+
+    // Insert the row directly (bypassing the seed endpoint) so no request-scoped
+    // pre-flight SELECT could have observed "unset". A correct implementation must
+    // derive seeded from the INSERT result (affectedRows), so this returns false.
+    await db.insert(appConfig).values({ key: 'household_timezone', value: 'America/Denver' });
+
+    const res = await app.fetch(
+      jsonRequest('POST', '/api/admin/config/timezone/seed', { timezone: 'Asia/Tokyo' }),
+    );
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+    const body = (await res.json()) as { ok: boolean; seeded: boolean };
+    expect(body.ok).toBe(true);
+    expect(body.seeded).toBe(false);
+
+    // D-03 preserved: the directly-inserted value is untouched.
+    const [row] = await db
+      .select({ value: appConfig.value })
+      .from(appConfig)
+      .where(eq(appConfig.key, 'household_timezone'))
+      .limit(1);
+    expect(row?.value).toBe('America/Denver');
+  });
 });