diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 3b56b66..ef0f603 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,19 @@ Versions before 0.8.0 are in the [git tags](https://github.com/WireCatLabs/cli-b
 Every entry says what changed as a caller sees it, why, and what to watch for — the rules are
 [`docs/dev/CONVENTIONS.md`](docs/dev/CONVENTIONS.md#the-changelog).
 
+## 0.47.5 — 21.10.2026
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **On Linux the OS keyring now means the Secret Service, never the kernel keyring.** `@napi-rs/keyring` silently
+  fell back to the in-memory kernel keyring when the Secret Service did not answer (gnome-keyring locked, D-Bus
+  timeout): reads of stored secrets came back empty with no hint why, and writes went to memory that a reboot
+  clears. `systemKeyring` now pins every entry to the Secret Service, so such a failure throws and `Credentials`
+  in `auto` mode warns once and uses its file. What to watch for: a machine with no Secret Service but a working
+  kernel keyring now gets the credentials file instead; a secret written to the kernel keyring by an earlier
+  version is no longer read and has to be stored again. The warning now reads "could not reach the OS keyring — it
+  may be locked, or no keyring service is running (…); using <file> instead, readable only by you".
+
 ## 0.47.4 — 20.10.2026
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 759942d..beb6c5e 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@wirecat/cli-base",
-  "version": "0.47.4",
+  "version": "0.47.5",
   "description": "The parts every command line tool needs: output modes, terminal rendering, error model, exit codes, credentials, clocks",
   "license": "Apache-2.0",
   "author": "Viacheslav Ptsarev",
diff --git a/src/credentials.test.ts b/src/credentials.test.ts
index b6dd210..3f4a029 100644
--- a/src/credentials.test.ts
+++ b/src/credentials.test.ts
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ describe("Credentials", () => {
     expect(credentials.write("default", "s3cret")).toBe("file")
     expect(credentials.read("default")).toEqual({ secret: "s3cret", source: "file" })
     expect(warnings).toHaveLength(1)
-    expect(warnings[0]).toMatch(/keyring is unavailable/)
+    expect(warnings[0]).toMatch(/could not reach the OS keyring — it may be locked/)
   })
 
   it("writes the fallback file with owner-only permissions", () => {
diff --git a/src/credentials.ts b/src/credentials.ts
index c106706..058a3a7 100644
--- a/src/credentials.ts
+++ b/src/credentials.ts
@@ -160,8 +160,9 @@ export class Credentials {
       if (!this.#warned) {
         this.#warned = true
         this.#warn(
-          `the OS keyring is unavailable (${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)}); ` +
-            `storing in ${this.#path()} instead, readable only by you`,
+          `could not reach the OS keyring — it may be locked, or no keyring service is running ` +
+            `(${error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)}); ` +
+            `using ${this.#path()} instead, readable only by you`,
         )
       }
       return undefined
diff --git a/src/keyring.test.ts b/src/keyring.test.ts
index 99404f7..740a12a 100644
--- a/src/keyring.test.ts
+++ b/src/keyring.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
-import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest"
+import { mkdtempSync } from "node:fs"
+import { createRequire } from "node:module"
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os"
+import { join } from "node:path"
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest"
 import { brokenKeyring, memoryKeyring, systemKeyring } from "./keyring.js"
 
 describe("memoryKeyring", () => {
@@ -42,3 +46,60 @@ describe("systemKeyring", () => {
     expect(() => systemKeyring.delete("cli-base-test", "default")).toThrow(/real OS keyring/)
   })
 })
+
+describe("systemKeyring with the binding replaced", () => {
+  const require = createRequire(import.meta.url)
+  const path = require.resolve("@napi-rs/keyring")
+  const guard = require.cache[path]
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    require.cache[path] = guard
+  })
+
+  const withBinding = async (Entry: unknown) => {
+    require.cache[path] = { ...guard, exports: { Entry } } as NodeJS.Module
+    vi.resetModules()
+    return import("./keyring.js")
+  }
+
+  it("pins every entry to the Secret Service, so a locked keyring throws instead of using kernel memory", async () => {
+    const seen: unknown[] = []
+    class RecordingEntry {
+      constructor(_service: string, _account: string, options: unknown) {
+        seen.push(options)
+      }
+      getPassword = () => null
+      setPassword = () => {}
+      deletePassword = () => false
+    }
+    const { systemKeyring: keyring } = await withBinding(RecordingEntry)
+
+    expect(keyring.get("cli-base-test", "default")).toBeNull()
+    keyring.set("cli-base-test", "default", "x")
+    keyring.delete("cli-base-test", "default")
+
+    expect(seen).toEqual(Array(3).fill({ linux: { store: "secret-service" } }))
+  })
+
+  it("lets Credentials warn and use its file when the pinned Secret Service does not answer", async () => {
+    class LockedEntry {
+      constructor() {
+        throw new Error("DBus error: Did not receive a reply")
+      }
+    }
+    const { systemKeyring: keyring } = await withBinding(LockedEntry)
+    const { Credentials } = await import("./credentials.js")
+    const warnings: string[] = []
+    const credentials = new Credentials({
+      configDir: mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "cli-base-keyring-")),
+      service: "cli-base-test",
+      keyring,
+      env: {},
+      warn: (message) => warnings.push(message),
+    })
+
+    expect(credentials.write("default", "s3cret")).toBe("file")
+    expect(credentials.read("default")).toEqual({ secret: "s3cret", source: "file" })
+    expect(warnings).toEqual([expect.stringMatching(/could not reach the OS keyring .*Did not receive a reply/)])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/keyring.ts b/src/keyring.ts
index 8767a25..da696d2 100644
--- a/src/keyring.ts
+++ b/src/keyring.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,16 @@ interface Entry {
   deletePassword(): boolean
 }
 
-type EntryConstructor = new (service: string, account: string) => Entry
+type EntryConstructor = new (
+  service: string,
+  account: string,
+  options?: { linux?: { store?: "secret-service" | "keyutils" } },
+) => Entry
+
+// Without a pinned store the binding silently falls back to the kernel keyring when the Secret
+// Service fails (locked, not running): reads miss every stored secret and writes are lost on
+// reboot, and nothing throws, so `Credentials` never falls back to its file. Ignored off Linux.
+const ENTRY_OPTIONS = { linux: { store: "secret-service" } } as const
 
 const require = createRequire(import.meta.url)
 let cached: EntryConstructor | undefined
@@ -38,14 +47,16 @@ const entryClass = (): EntryConstructor => {
   return cached
 }
 
+const entry = (service: string, account: string): Entry => new (entryClass())(service, account, ENTRY_OPTIONS)
+
 export const systemKeyring: KeyringStore = {
   // Returns null for an absent entry rather than throwing — measured against @napi-rs/keyring
   // on 2026-09-13, and the difference matters: a throw here means the keychain is unusable.
-  get: (service, account) => new (entryClass())(service, account).getPassword(),
+  get: (service, account) => entry(service, account).getPassword(),
   set: (service, account, secret) => {
-    ;new (entryClass())(service, account).setPassword(secret)
+    entry(service, account).setPassword(secret)
   },
-  delete: (service, account) => new (entryClass())(service, account).deletePassword(),
+  delete: (service, account) => entry(service, account).deletePassword(),
 }
 
 /** An in-memory stand-in. Every test uses this; none can reach the real keychain. */