diff --git a/scripts/verify-keyed-archive.mjs b/scripts/verify-keyed-archive.mjs
index d8670964e..b9f9aa480 100644
--- a/scripts/verify-keyed-archive.mjs
+++ b/scripts/verify-keyed-archive.mjs
@@ -117,8 +117,41 @@ try {
     ).length < 2
   )
     throw new Error("Real shared object identity was not preserved");
+  const uidRoot = join(root, "uid-root.plist");
+  await promisify(execFile)("/usr/bin/xcrun", [
+    "swift",
+    "-module-cache-path",
+    join(root, "modules"),
+    fileURLToPath(
+      new URL(
+        "../tests/conformance/native/keyed-archive-uid-root.swift",
+        import.meta.url,
+      ),
+    ),
+    uidRoot,
+  ]);
+  const uidRootXml = join(root, "uid-root.xml.plist");
+  await promisify(execFile)("/usr/bin/plutil", [
+    "-convert",
+    "xml1",
+    "-o",
+    uidRootXml,
+    uidRoot,
+  ]);
+  for (const path of [uidRoot, uidRootXml]) {
+    const uidGraph = await artifactCli("inspect-keyed-archive", path);
+    assert.deepEqual(
+      uidGraph.references.map(({ source, path, target, status }) => ({
+        source,
+        path,
+        target,
+        status,
+      })),
+      [{ source: null, path: ["UID"], target: 1, status: "resolved" }],
+    );
+  }
   process.stdout.write(
-    `${JSON.stringify({ ok: true, mocked: false, cli: true, stdio_mcp: true, xml_golden: true, format: graph.archive_format, objects: graph.total_objects, references: graph.total_references, shared_identity: true, cyclic_identity: true, target_classes_instantiated_by_reader: false })}\n`,
+    `${JSON.stringify({ ok: true, mocked: false, cli: true, stdio_mcp: true, xml_golden: true, uid_named_root: true, format: graph.archive_format, objects: graph.total_objects, references: graph.total_references, shared_identity: true, cyclic_identity: true, target_classes_instantiated_by_reader: false })}\n`,
   );
 } finally {
   await rm(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
diff --git a/src/artifacts/KeyedArchiveReader.test.ts b/src/artifacts/KeyedArchiveReader.test.ts
index 7dbf5e681..52fa72ef0 100644
--- a/src/artifacts/KeyedArchiveReader.test.ts
+++ b/src/artifacts/KeyedArchiveReader.test.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,41 @@ describe("inert keyed archive decoding", () => {
       expect.objectContaining({ source: 1, target: 2, status: "resolved" }),
     );
   });
+  it.each([
+    ["binary", { UID: 1 }],
+    ["XML", { CF$UID: 1 }],
+  ] as const)(
+    "resolves a %s root encoded under a UID-named key",
+    (format, reference) => {
+      const named = {
+        ...archive,
+        $objects: ["$null", "payload"],
+        $top: { UID: reference, CF$UID: reference },
+      };
+      const graph = decodeKeyedArchiveBytes(
+        Buffer.from(format === "binary" ? buildBinary(named) : build(named)),
+        { offset: 0, limit: 2 },
+      );
+      expect(
+        graph.references.map(({ source, path, target, status }) => ({
+          source,
+          path,
+          target,
+          status,
+        })),
+      ).toEqual([
+        { source: null, path: ["CF$UID"], target: 1, status: "resolved" },
+        { source: null, path: ["UID"], target: 1, status: "resolved" },
+      ]);
+      const selected = decodeKeyedArchiveBytes(
+        Buffer.from(format === "binary" ? buildBinary(named) : build(named)),
+        { root: "UID", offset: 0, limit: 2 },
+      );
+      expect(selected.references).toEqual([
+        expect.objectContaining({ path: ["UID"], target: 1 }),
+      ]);
+    },
+  );
   it("rejects missing roots, malformed plist, and non-keyed archives", () => {
     expect(() =>
       decodeKeyedArchiveBytes(Buffer.from("bplist00bad"), {
diff --git a/src/domain/keyedArchive.ts b/src/domain/keyedArchive.ts
index 47acd0cbd..32e855f18 100644
--- a/src/domain/keyedArchive.ts
+++ b/src/domain/keyedArchive.ts
@@ -54,11 +54,17 @@ const record = (
   value !== null && typeof value === "object" && !Array.isArray(value)
     ? value
     : undefined;
-const uid = (value: JsonValue | undefined): JsonValue | undefined => {
+/**
+ * A UID decodes as a one-key `UID` (binary) or `CF$UID` (XML) dictionary with
+ * a numeric value. Any other value means an ordinary dictionary, such as a
+ * `$top` that holds a root encoded under the key `UID`.
+ */
+const uid = (value: JsonValue | undefined): number | undefined => {
   const object = record(value);
   if (object === undefined || Object.keys(object).length !== 1)
     return undefined;
-  return Object.hasOwn(object, "UID") ? object.UID : object["CF$UID"];
+  const marker = Object.hasOwn(object, "UID") ? object.UID : object["CF$UID"];
+  return typeof marker === "number" ? marker : undefined;
 };
 
 /** Interpret serialized Foundation references without instantiating archive classes. */
@@ -99,11 +105,8 @@ export const projectKeyedArchive = (
         );
       const target = uid(item.value);
       if (target !== undefined) {
-        const valid =
-          typeof target === "number" &&
-          Number.isSafeInteger(target) &&
-          target >= 0;
-        const index = valid ? target : null;
+        const index =
+          Number.isSafeInteger(target) && target >= 0 ? target : null;
         references.push({
           source,
           path: item.path,
@@ -143,9 +146,7 @@ export const projectKeyedArchive = (
     const fields = record(value);
     const classUid = uid(fields?.$class);
     const classId =
-      typeof classUid === "number" &&
-      Number.isSafeInteger(classUid) &&
-      classUid >= 0
+      classUid !== undefined && Number.isSafeInteger(classUid) && classUid >= 0
         ? classUid
         : null;
     const descriptor = classId === null ? undefined : record(table[classId]);
diff --git a/tests/conformance/native/keyed-archive-uid-root.swift b/tests/conformance/native/keyed-archive-uid-root.swift
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..743f2dec4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/conformance/native/keyed-archive-uid-root.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+import Foundation
+
+// Encode the root under a key that matches the UID marker spelling.
+let archiver = NSKeyedArchiver(requiringSecureCoding: false)
+archiver.encode("payload" as NSString, forKey: "UID")
+archiver.finishEncoding()
+try archiver.encodedData.write(to: URL(fileURLWithPath: CommandLine.arguments[1]))