diff --git a/projects/kit/offline/src/lib/offline-request-policy.spec.ts b/projects/kit/offline/src/lib/offline-request-policy.spec.ts
index 706fce8..6b1842e 100644
--- a/projects/kit/offline/src/lib/offline-request-policy.spec.ts
+++ b/projects/kit/offline/src/lib/offline-request-policy.spec.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,18 @@
-import { HttpRequest, HttpResponse } from '@angular/common/http';
+import { HttpHeaders, HttpRequest, HttpResponse } from '@angular/common/http';
 import { TestBed } from '@angular/core/testing';
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import { of } from 'rxjs';
 import { OfflineNetworkService } from './offline-network.service';
 import {
   OFFLINE_MUTATION_REQUEST_POLICIES,
+  OFFLINE_RESPONSE_COMPLETE_HEADER,
+  OFFLINE_RESPONSE_HEADER,
   OfflineMutationPolicyConflictError,
   type OfflineMutationRequestPlan,
   type OfflineMutationRequestPolicy,
   OfflineMutationRequestPolicyRegistry,
+  offlineReadEmission,
+  shouldCommitOfflineCollection,
 } from './offline-request-policy';
 import { offlineInterceptor } from './offline.interceptor';
 
@@ -55,6 +59,30 @@ describe('OfflineMutationRequestPolicyRegistry', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('offline read settlement', () => {
+  it('keeps an incomplete empty local collection from replacing usable state', () => {
+    const response = new HttpResponse({ headers: new HttpHeaders().set(OFFLINE_RESPONSE_HEADER, 'local') });
+
+    expect(shouldCommitOfflineCollection(offlineReadEmission(response, []))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('commits complete local and remote empty collections', () => {
+    const local = new HttpResponse({
+      headers: new HttpHeaders().set(OFFLINE_RESPONSE_HEADER, 'local').set(OFFLINE_RESPONSE_COMPLETE_HEADER, 'true'),
+    });
+    const remote = new HttpResponse();
+
+    expect(shouldCommitOfflineCollection(offlineReadEmission(local, []))).toBe(true);
+    expect(shouldCommitOfflineCollection(offlineReadEmission(remote, []))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('commits a nonempty local collection before settlement', () => {
+    const response = new HttpResponse({ headers: new HttpHeaders().set(OFFLINE_RESPONSE_HEADER, 'local') });
+
+    expect(shouldCommitOfflineCollection(offlineReadEmission(response, ['cached']))).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
+
 function createRegistry(policies: readonly OfflineMutationRequestPolicy[]): OfflineMutationRequestPolicyRegistry {
   TestBed.configureTestingModule({
     providers: [{ provide: OFFLINE_MUTATION_REQUEST_POLICIES, useValue: policies }],
diff --git a/projects/kit/offline/src/lib/offline-request-policy.ts b/projects/kit/offline/src/lib/offline-request-policy.ts
index 27114ad..a020c47 100644
--- a/projects/kit/offline/src/lib/offline-request-policy.ts
+++ b/projects/kit/offline/src/lib/offline-request-policy.ts
@@ -7,12 +7,41 @@ import { HttpContextToken } from '@angular/common/http';
 export const OFFLINE_BYPASS = new HttpContextToken<boolean>(() => false);
 /** Header attached to synthetic local or optimistic responses. */
 export const OFFLINE_RESPONSE_HEADER = 'X-Offline-Response';
+/** Header marking a local response as a complete collection snapshot. */
+export const OFFLINE_RESPONSE_COMPLETE_HEADER = 'X-Offline-Response-Complete';
 /** Origin of a synthetic offline response. */
 export type OfflineResponseSource = 'local' | 'optimistic';
 
 /** Source passed to a read policy's shared response projector. */
 export type OfflineReadResponseSource = 'remote' | 'local';
 
+/** Value emitted by a local-first read together with its settlement metadata. */
+export interface OfflineReadEmission<T> {
+  readonly value: T;
+  readonly source: OfflineReadResponseSource;
+  readonly complete?: boolean;
+}
+
+/** Reads the source attached by the offline interceptor. */
+export function offlineReadSource(response: HttpResponse<unknown>): OfflineReadResponseSource {
+  return response.headers.get(OFFLINE_RESPONSE_HEADER) === 'local' ? 'local' : 'remote';
+}
+
+/** Converts an HTTP response into the shared local-first read emission contract. */
+export function offlineReadEmission<T>(response: HttpResponse<unknown>, value: T): OfflineReadEmission<T> {
+  const source = offlineReadSource(response);
+  return {
+    value,
+    source,
+    complete: source === 'remote' || response.headers.get(OFFLINE_RESPONSE_COMPLETE_HEADER) === 'true',
+  };
+}
+
+/** Prevents an incomplete empty local collection from clearing usable UI state. */
+export function shouldCommitOfflineCollection<T>(emission: OfflineReadEmission<readonly T[]>): boolean {
+  return emission.source === 'remote' || emission.complete || emission.value.length > 0;
+}
+
 /** Controls GET emission order between local replica and remote transport. */
 export type OfflineReadStrategy = 'network-first' | 'local-first';