diff --git a/internal/engine/apply.go b/internal/engine/apply.go
index 16ef5f3..6f84612 100644
--- a/internal/engine/apply.go
+++ b/internal/engine/apply.go
@@ -58,17 +58,22 @@ func NewRecordingApplier(inner Applier, sink *[]ChildID) *RecordingApplier {
 	return &RecordingApplier{inner: inner, applied: sink}
 }
 
-// Apply records obj's final identity, then delegates to inner and returns its
-// result. The name is already final at this point (QualifyingApplier renames
+// Apply delegates to inner and then records obj's final identity and returns its result.
+// The name is already final at this point (QualifyingApplier renames
 // before delegating to its inner), so recording before delegating is correct.
 func (r *RecordingApplier) Apply(ctx context.Context, obj *unstructured.Unstructured) (*unstructured.Unstructured, error) {
+	observed, err := r.inner.Apply(ctx, obj)
+	if err != nil {
+		return observed, err
+	}
+
 	*r.applied = append(*r.applied, ChildID{
-		GVK:       obj.GroupVersionKind(),
-		Namespace: obj.GetNamespace(),
-		Name:      obj.GetName(),
+		GVK:       observed.GroupVersionKind(),
+		Namespace: observed.GetNamespace(),
+		Name:      observed.GetName(),
 	})
 
-	return r.inner.Apply(ctx, obj)
+	return observed, nil
 }
 
 // SSAApplier applies objects into one workspace via server-side apply using a
diff --git a/internal/engine/apply_test.go b/internal/engine/apply_test.go
index 9afbd39..fc6c7e6 100644
--- a/internal/engine/apply_test.go
+++ b/internal/engine/apply_test.go
@@ -160,6 +160,37 @@ func TestRecordingApplier_RecordsFinalIdentity(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRecordingApplier_RecordsServerObservedIdentity(t *testing.T) {
+	inner := &fakeApplier{mutate: func(o *unstructured.Unstructured) {
+		o.SetNamespace("default") // server-side namespace defaulting
+	}}
+	var sink []ChildID
+	rec := NewRecordingApplier(inner, &sink)
+
+	desired := &unstructured.Unstructured{Object: map[string]any{
+		"apiVersion": "v1", "kind": "ConfigMap",
+		"metadata": map[string]any{"name": "cfg"}, // no namespace set
+	}}
+	observed, err := rec.Apply(context.Background(), desired)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("apply: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(sink) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("recorded %d ChildIDs, want 1", len(sink))
+	}
+	// keep-set entry must match what pruneChildren's List returns: the server object.
+	want := ChildID{
+		GVK:       observed.GroupVersionKind(),
+		Namespace: observed.GetNamespace(),
+		Name:      observed.GetName(),
+	}
+	if sink[0] != want {
+		t.Fatalf("recorded ChildID = %+v, want server-observed %+v; "+
+			"prune keep-set built from desired identity will not match the listed child",
+			sink[0], want)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestOwnerRefApplier_StampsInstanceOwner(t *testing.T) {
 	inner := &fakeApplier{}
 	owner := &unstructured.Unstructured{Object: map[string]any{