diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8540b1f3..9c43d3a9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [v0.51.651] — 2026-06-25 — Release XG (force update no longer aborts on undeletable Windows files)
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **Force update no longer fails when the working tree contains a file git can't delete (Windows reserved device names).** On Windows, a file named after a reserved device (`nul`, `con`, `prn`, `aux`, `com1`–`com9`, `lpt1`–`lpt9`) can end up in the working tree — for example when a shell command redirects to `> nul` under Git Bash, which treats it as a literal filename — and git cannot remove it through the normal Win32 path. That made `git clean -fd` exit non-zero, and the force-update flow treated it as fatal ("Failed to remove untracked files before force reset"), leaving the user permanently unable to force-update. The clean step is now best-effort: a failure is logged for diagnostics but no longer aborts, because the subsequent `git reset --hard` applies the update regardless (overwriting any tracked-file collisions, and the residual undeletable untracked file is harmless). A genuine reset failure still aborts as before. Thanks @rodboev for the report and root-cause. (#4914)
+
 ## [v0.51.650] — 2026-06-25 — Release XF (table cells with a pipe inside inline code render correctly)
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/api/updates.py b/api/updates.py
index f8ed3dab..5c1c0f70 100644
--- a/api/updates.py
+++ b/api/updates.py
@@ -1292,12 +1292,23 @@ def apply_force_update(target: str) -> dict:
         # Discard local modifications and untracked colliders before resetting.
         # Do not use -x: ignored build/cache artifacts should survive force update.
         _run_git(['checkout', '.'], path)
-        _, clean_ok = _run_git(['clean', '-fd'], path)
+        # Best-effort clean: a `git clean -fd` failure is NOT fatal. The
+        # following `reset --hard` overwrites any tracked-file collisions
+        # regardless, and residual untracked files that git can't delete are
+        # harmless. In particular, on Windows a file named after a reserved
+        # device name (nul, con, prn, aux, com1-9, lpt1-9) — which can appear
+        # in the working tree when a shell command redirects to `> nul` under
+        # Git Bash — cannot be removed via the normal Win32 path that git uses,
+        # so `clean` exits non-zero. Aborting the whole force update over that
+        # left users stuck (issue #4914). Log the stderr for diagnostics and
+        # proceed to the reset, which is what actually applies the update.
+        clean_out, clean_ok = _run_git(['clean', '-fd'], path)
         if not clean_ok:
-            return {
-                'ok': False,
-                'message': 'Failed to remove untracked files before force reset',
-            }
+            logger.warning(
+                'force_apply_update: `git clean -fd` failed (non-fatal, '
+                'continuing to reset --hard): %s',
+                clean_out,
+            )
         _, ok = _run_git(['reset', '--hard', compare_ref], path)
         if not ok:
             return {'ok': False, 'message': f'Force reset to {compare_ref} failed'}
diff --git a/tests/test_update_banner_fixes.py b/tests/test_update_banner_fixes.py
index a86c2a9c..39de83ae 100644
--- a/tests/test_update_banner_fixes.py
+++ b/tests/test_update_banner_fixes.py
@@ -736,6 +736,53 @@ class TestApplyForceUpdate:
         assert 'reset' in git_cmds, "force update must call git reset --hard"
         assert 'checkout' in git_cmds, "force update must call git checkout . to clear conflicts"
 
+    def test_apply_force_update_proceeds_when_clean_fails(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        """#4914 — a `git clean -fd` failure must NOT abort the force update.
+
+        On Windows a reserved-device-name file (nul/con/prn/aux/com1-9/lpt1-9)
+        can land in the working tree (e.g. `> nul` under Git Bash) and git can't
+        delete it, so `clean -fd` exits non-zero. The reset --hard still applies
+        the update, so clean failure must be non-fatal.
+        """
+        import api.updates as upd
+
+        (tmp_path / '.git').mkdir()
+        ran = []
+
+        def fake_run(args, cwd, timeout=10):
+            ran.append(args)
+            if args[0] == 'fetch':
+                return '', True
+            if args[:2] == ['rev-parse', '--abbrev-ref']:
+                return 'origin/master', True
+            if args[0] == 'checkout':
+                return '', True
+            if args[0] == 'clean':
+                # Simulate the Windows reserved-name failure.
+                return "warning: failed to remove nul: Invalid argument", False
+            if args[0] == 'reset':
+                return '', True
+            return '', True
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(upd, '_run_git', fake_run)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(upd, 'REPO_ROOT', tmp_path)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(upd, '_AGENT_DIR', tmp_path)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(upd, '_schedule_restart', lambda delay=2.0: None)
+
+        result = upd.apply_force_update('webui')
+
+        # Clean failed, but reset --hard succeeded → the force update must STILL
+        # succeed (clean failure is non-fatal, #4914).
+        assert result['ok'] is True, (
+            f"force update must not abort on git clean failure (#4914): {result}"
+        )
+        assert result.get('restart_scheduled') is True
+        git_cmds = [r[0] for r in ran]
+        assert 'clean' in git_cmds, "force update should still attempt git clean"
+        assert 'reset' in git_cmds, (
+            "force update must proceed to git reset --hard even after clean failed"
+        )
+
     def test_apply_force_update_rejects_unknown_target(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
         import api.updates as upd
         monkeypatch.setattr(upd, 'REPO_ROOT', tmp_path)
diff --git a/tests/test_update_stash_recovery.py b/tests/test_update_stash_recovery.py
index 6047e19f..76b2be5a 100644
--- a/tests/test_update_stash_recovery.py
+++ b/tests/test_update_stash_recovery.py
@@ -79,8 +79,11 @@ def test_apply_force_update_removes_untracked_files_before_reset(tmp_path):
     assert len(restart_calls) == 1
 
 
-def test_apply_force_update_stops_when_clean_fails(tmp_path):
-    """A failed git clean must not be hidden behind a reset success."""
+def test_apply_force_update_proceeds_when_clean_fails(tmp_path):
+    """A failed `git clean -fd` is NON-FATAL: the reset --hard still applies the
+    update (#4914). On Windows a reserved-device-name file (nul/con/prn/…) can
+    land in the tree and git can't delete it, so `clean` exits non-zero — but
+    that residue is harmless and must not block the force update."""
     (tmp_path / '.git').mkdir()
     call_log = []
 
@@ -91,7 +94,9 @@ def test_apply_force_update_stops_when_clean_fails(tmp_path):
         if args == ['checkout', '.']:
             return '', True
         if args == ['clean', '-fd']:
-            return 'permission denied', False
+            return 'warning: failed to remove nul: Invalid argument', False
+        if args == ['reset', '--hard', 'origin/master']:
+            return '', True
         raise AssertionError(f'unexpected git args: {args!r}')
 
     restart_calls = []
@@ -104,11 +109,13 @@ def test_apply_force_update_stops_when_clean_fails(tmp_path):
     ):
         result = updates.apply_force_update('webui')
 
-    assert result['ok'] is False
-    assert 'untracked files' in result['message']
+    # Clean failed, but reset --hard succeeded → force update must SUCCEED.
+    assert result['ok'] is True, result
     assert ['clean', '-fd'] in call_log
-    assert ['reset', '--hard', 'origin/master'] not in call_log
-    assert len(restart_calls) == 0
+    assert ['reset', '--hard', 'origin/master'] in call_log, (
+        'reset --hard must still run even though clean -fd failed (#4914)'
+    )
+    assert len(restart_calls) == 1
 
 
 def test_stash_apply_conflict_preserves_stash(tmp_path):