diff --git a/local/patches/kf6-karchive/01-initial-migration.patch b/local/patches/kf6-karchive/01-initial-migration.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a187ce4461
--- /dev/null
+++ b/local/patches/kf6-karchive/01-initial-migration.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# Initial migration of the inline sed -i chains in
+# /home/kellito/Builds/RedBear-OS/local/recipes/kde/kf6-karchive/'s [build].script to a durable external
+# patch. Captured by local/scripts/migrate-kf6-seds-to-patches.sh
+# on 2026-06-12T17:01:59+03:00.
+#
+# After applying this patch via cookbook_apply_patches,
+# the recipe's [build].script should call:
+#     REDBEAR_PATCHES_DIR="/home/kellito/Builds/RedBear-OS/local/patches/kf6-karchive"
+#     cookbook_apply_patches "${REDBEAR_PATCHES_DIR}"
+# in place of the sed -i chains that produced these edits.
+
+
+diff -ruN '--exclude=.git' '--exclude=target' /home/kellito/Builds/RedBear-OS/local/recipes/kde/kf6-karchive//source-pristine/CMakeLists.txt /home/kellito/Builds/RedBear-OS/local/recipes/kde/kf6-karchive//source/CMakeLists.txt
+--- /home/kellito/Builds/RedBear-OS/local/recipes/kde/kf6-karchive//source-pristine/CMakeLists.txt	2026-06-12 17:01:10.264180402 +0300
++++ /home/kellito/Builds/RedBear-OS/local/recipes/kde/kf6-karchive//source/CMakeLists.txt	2026-06-12 17:01:53.102261490 +0300
+@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@
+     add_subdirectory(autotests/ossfuzz)
+ endif()
+ 
+-ecm_install_po_files_as_qm(poqm)
++#ecm_install_po_files_as_qm(poqm)
+ 
+ # create a Config.cmake and a ConfigVersion.cmake file and install them
+ set(CMAKECONFIG_INSTALL_DIR "${KDE_INSTALL_CMAKEPACKAGEDIR}/KF6Archive")
diff --git a/local/scripts/migrate-kf6-seds-to-patches.sh b/local/scripts/migrate-kf6-seds-to-patches.sh
index 868562740f..58ef876211 100755
--- a/local/scripts/migrate-kf6-seds-to-patches.sh
+++ b/local/scripts/migrate-kf6-seds-to-patches.sh
@@ -137,7 +137,22 @@ for recipe_dir in "${recipe_dirs[@]}"; do
     mkdir -p "$patch_dir"
 
     # Step 1: fetch pristine source.
-    if ! ./target/release/repo fetch "$name" >"$log_file" 2>&1; then
+    # The cookbook's `fetch` re-uses an existing source/ tree if
+    # it finds one (it does this to avoid re-extracting tars on
+    # every fetch). For C-7 migration, we need the truly
+    # pristine upstream state — so we must `unfetch` first
+    # AND set REDBEAR_ALLOW_LOCAL_UNFETCH=1 because kf6-* and
+    # qt* recipes are local-overlay recipes under local/recipes/
+    # (the cookbook's default policy is to never clobber a
+    # local-overlay source). Without these, the script will
+    # snapshot the post-cook state and the diff will be empty.
+    if ! REDBEAR_ALLOW_LOCAL_UNFETCH=1 ./target/release/repo unfetch "$name" >>"$log_file" 2>&1; then
+        echo "  FAIL: unfetch — see $log_file"
+        rm -rf "$pristine_dir"
+        failed=$((failed+1))
+        continue
+    fi
+    if ! ./target/release/repo fetch "$name" >>"$log_file" 2>&1; then
         echo "  FAIL: fetch — see $log_file"
         rm -rf "$pristine_dir"
         failed=$((failed+1))
@@ -190,7 +205,7 @@ for recipe_dir in "${recipe_dirs[@]}"; do
     # Reset the cooked source so the next run can fetch cleanly.
     # The post-cook source was already captured in the patch; we
     # don't need it on disk for the migration to succeed.
-    ./target/release/repo unfetch "$name" >>"$log_file" 2>&1 || true
+    REDBEAR_ALLOW_LOCAL_UNFETCH=1 ./target/release/repo unfetch "$name" >>"$log_file" 2>&1 || true
 
     migrated=$((migrated+1))
 done
diff --git a/local/scripts/tests/test_migrate_kf6_seds.py b/local/scripts/tests/test_migrate_kf6_seds.py
index 47136aefc0..675f824042 100644
--- a/local/scripts/tests/test_migrate_kf6_seds.py
+++ b/local/scripts/tests/test_migrate_kf6_seds.py
@@ -182,6 +182,30 @@ class TestScriptStructure(unittest.TestCase):
         text = SCRIPT.read_text()
         self.assertIn("SKIP — patch already exists", text)
 
+    def test_sets_local_unfetch_env_var(self):
+        # C-7 migration requires a truly pristine source tree.
+        # The cookbook's default policy is to never clobber a
+        # local-overlay source (kf6-*, qt* all live under
+        # local/recipes/). The script MUST set
+        # REDBEAR_ALLOW_LOCAL_UNFETCH=1 to bypass that policy,
+        # otherwise the snapshot is the post-cook state and the
+        # diff comes back empty (silent failure).
+        text = SCRIPT.read_text()
+        self.assertIn("REDBEAR_ALLOW_LOCAL_UNFETCH=1", text)
+
+    def test_unfetches_before_fetching(self):
+        # Cookbook `fetch` re-uses existing source/ if present.
+        # Migration must explicitly unfetch first to get the
+        # truly pristine state. Regression: a v3 that just
+        # calls `fetch` will silently fail on already-cooked
+        # recipes.
+        text = SCRIPT.read_text()
+        unfetch_pos = text.find('release/repo unfetch "$name"')
+        fetch_pos = text.find('release/repo fetch "$name"')
+        self.assertGreater(unfetch_pos, 0, "unfetch not found")
+        self.assertGreater(fetch_pos, 0, "fetch not found")
+        self.assertLess(unfetch_pos, fetch_pos, "unfetch must come before fetch")
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()