diff --git a/tests/test_admin_chart_accounts_api.py b/tests/test_admin_chart_accounts_api.py
index 1f574f9..023835f 100644
--- a/tests/test_admin_chart_accounts_api.py
+++ b/tests/test_admin_chart_accounts_api.py
@@ -93,6 +93,32 @@ async def test_add_chart_account_duplicate_returns_409(
     assert "already exists" in second.json().get("detail", "").lower()
 
 
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_add_chart_account_recovers_ledger_only_account(
+    client, super_user_headers,
+):
+    """An account present in the ledger but absent from libra's DB (prior sync
+    failure / out-of-band edit) is recovered (synced), not 409'd — otherwise it
+    would be permanently un-grantable with no path back.
+
+    Reproduce the ledger-only state by creating normally (so Fava parses the
+    Open) then deleting only the libra-DB row — appending to the ledger file
+    directly would race Fava's parse cache."""
+    from ..crud import db  # the same singleton the app uses
+
+    name = _unique("Expenses:Recover")
+    first = await add_chart_account(client, super_user_headers=super_user_headers, name=name)
+    assert first.status_code == 201, f"setup create failed: {first.status_code} {first.text}"
+
+    await db.execute("DELETE FROM accounts WHERE name = :name", {"name": name})
+
+    r = await add_chart_account(client, super_user_headers=super_user_headers, name=name)
+    assert r.status_code == 201, f"expected 201 recovery, got {r.status_code}: {r.text}"
+    body = r.json()
+    assert body.get("already_existed") is True, body
+    assert body["synced_to_libra_db"] is True, body
+
+
 @pytest.mark.anyio
 async def test_add_chart_account_invalid_prefix_returns_400(
     client, super_user_headers, fava_ledger_path,
diff --git a/views_api.py b/views_api.py
index 3e8647a..1b3149a 100644
--- a/views_api.py
+++ b/views_api.py
@@ -3750,14 +3750,31 @@ async def api_admin_add_chart_account(
         metadata=metadata,
     )
 
+    from .account_sync import sync_single_account_from_beancount
+
     if result.get("already_existed"):
-        raise HTTPException(
-            status_code=HTTPStatus.CONFLICT,
-            detail=f"Account {payload.name} already exists",
-        )
+        # The Open directive is already in the ledger. If it's also already
+        # mirrored into libra's DB, it's a true duplicate → 409. If not (a prior
+        # sync failed — there's no cross-DB atomicity — or it was opened out of
+        # band), mirror it now so it becomes grantable instead of being stranded
+        # with no recovery path.
+        from .crud import get_account_by_name
+
+        if await get_account_by_name(payload.name) is not None:
+            raise HTTPException(
+                status_code=HTTPStatus.CONFLICT,
+                detail=f"Account {payload.name} already exists",
+            )
+
+        synced = await sync_single_account_from_beancount(payload.name)
+        return {
+            "success": True,
+            "account_name": payload.name,
+            "synced_to_libra_db": synced,
+            "already_existed": True,
+        }
 
     # Mirror into libra DB so permissions / metadata layer sees it.
-    from .account_sync import sync_single_account_from_beancount
     synced = await sync_single_account_from_beancount(payload.name)
 
     return {