diff --git a/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/identity/resolver.go b/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/identity/resolver.go
index 4433c2e9..1e29c150 100644
--- a/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/identity/resolver.go
+++ b/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/identity/resolver.go
@@ -612,6 +612,13 @@ func (r *MySQLResolver) enrichResolvedJT808SourceMetadata(ctx context.Context, e
 func (r *MySQLResolver) lookupJT808Registration(ctx context.Context, phone string) (vin string, deviceID string, plate string, cacheStatus string, err error) {
 	phone = normalizePhone(phone)
 	now := time.Now()
+	// The immutable snapshot is the authoritative vehicle binding. Registration
+	// and authentication frames can create a short-lived local session whose VIN
+	// is still "unknown"; letting that session win would permanently mask a known
+	// snapshot because every location frame refreshes the session TTL.
+	if snapshot, ok := r.snapshotRegistration(phone); ok && snapshot.canResolveVehicle() {
+		return snapshot.vin, snapshot.deviceID, snapshot.plate, "snapshot", nil
+	}
 	var stale registrationCacheEntry
 	hasStale := false
 	r.lookupMu.Lock()
@@ -659,6 +666,11 @@ func (r *MySQLResolver) lookupJT808Registration(ctx context.Context, phone strin
 	return entry.vin, entry.deviceID, entry.plate, "", nil
 }
 
+func (e registrationCacheEntry) canResolveVehicle() bool {
+	vin := strings.TrimSpace(e.vin)
+	return (vin != "" && !strings.EqualFold(vin, "unknown")) || strings.TrimSpace(e.plate) != ""
+}
+
 func addIdentityMetadata(parsed map[string]any, source string, value string) {
 	if parsed == nil {
 		return
diff --git a/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/identity/snapshot_test.go b/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/identity/snapshot_test.go
index 558d974b..a0f7de32 100644
--- a/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/identity/snapshot_test.go
+++ b/go/vehicle-gateway/internal/identity/snapshot_test.go
@@ -74,6 +74,62 @@ func TestSnapshotOnlyResolverMissDoesNotQueryMySQL(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestKnownSnapshotRecoversAfterUnknownJT808SessionCache(t *testing.T) {
+	db, mock := newMockDB(t)
+	defer db.Close()
+
+	resolver := NewMySQLResolverWithOptions(db, "vehicle_identity_binding", MySQLResolverOptions{
+		SnapshotOnlyLookups:       true,
+		DisableRegistrationWrites: true,
+		LookupCacheTTL:            10 * time.Minute,
+	})
+	resolver.snapshot.Store(&identitySnapshot{
+		bindings:    map[string]string{},
+		identifiers: map[string]vehicleIdentifierMatch{},
+		registrations: map[string]registrationCacheEntry{
+			"64100005824": {vin: "LB9A32A2XR0LS1401", plate: "粤AGP9713"},
+		},
+		sources: map[string]sourceMetadata{},
+	})
+
+	// A reconnect normally authenticates before the first location report. The
+	// authentication frame has no VIN and therefore creates an unknown session.
+	if _, err := resolver.Resolve(context.Background(), envelope.FrameEnvelope{
+		Protocol:  envelope.ProtocolJT808,
+		MessageID: JT808AuthMessageID,
+		Phone:     "64100005824",
+		Parsed:    map[string]any{},
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("resolve authentication frame: %v", err)
+	}
+	if entry := resolver.registrationCache["64100005824"]; entry.vin != "unknown" {
+		t.Fatalf("authentication session vin = %q, want unknown setup", entry.vin)
+	}
+
+	resolved, err := resolver.Resolve(context.Background(), envelope.FrameEnvelope{
+		Protocol:  envelope.ProtocolJT808,
+		MessageID: "0x0200",
+		Phone:     "64100005824",
+		Parsed:    map[string]any{},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("resolve location frame: %v", err)
+	}
+	if resolved.VIN != "LB9A32A2XR0LS1401" || resolved.Plate != "粤AGP9713" {
+		t.Fatalf("resolved identity = vin:%q plate:%q", resolved.VIN, resolved.Plate)
+	}
+	identityMetadata, _ := resolved.Parsed["identity"].(map[string]any)
+	if identityMetadata["cache_status"] != "snapshot" {
+		t.Fatalf("identity metadata = %#v, want authoritative snapshot", identityMetadata)
+	}
+	if entry := resolver.registrationCache["64100005824"]; entry.vin != "LB9A32A2XR0LS1401" {
+		t.Fatalf("location frame did not heal session cache: %+v", entry)
+	}
+	if err := mock.ExpectationsWereMet(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("snapshot-only recovery should not query mysql: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRefreshSnapshotFailureKeepsLastKnownGoodSnapshot(t *testing.T) {
 	db, mock := newMockDB(t)
 	defer db.Close()