diff --git a/tests/funcs/filter.sh b/tests/funcs/filter.sh
index 1016b8ef..6ada9c04 100644
--- a/tests/funcs/filter.sh
+++ b/tests/funcs/filter.sh
@@ -171,6 +171,9 @@ t_filter_dmesg()
 	# orphan log trees reclaim is handled, not an error
 	re="$re|scoutfs .* reclaiming orphan log trees"
 
+	# recompute-xattr-total logs every corrective delta it applies
+	re="$re|scoutfs .* warning: totl recompute applying delta .*"
+
 	# fencing tests force unmounts and trigger timeouts
 	re="$re|scoutfs .* forcing unmount"
 	re="$re|scoutfs .* reconnect timed out"
diff --git a/tests/golden/totl-recompute b/tests/golden/totl-recompute
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0f90a445
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/golden/totl-recompute
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+== setup three files contributing to totl 8888.0.0
+== merge baseline into fs_root
+8888.0.0 = 42, 3
+== recompute on a clean baseline is a no-op
+8888.0.0 = 42, 3
+== inject (+128, +2) corrupts totl 8888.0.0
+8888.0.0 = 170, 5
+== recompute restores 8888.0.0
+totl recompute applying delta total=-128 count=-2 to key 12.8888.0.0.0.0 (was total=170 count=5, recomputed total=42 count=3)
+8888.0.0 = 42, 3
+== inject (-50, +1) corrupts totl 8888.0.0 again
+8888.0.0 = -8, 4
+== recompute restores 8888.0.0
+totl recompute applying delta total=50 count=-1 to key 12.8888.0.0.0.0 (was total=-8 count=4, recomputed total=42 count=3)
+8888.0.0 = 42, 3
+== recompute on an unused key is a no-op
+8888.0.0 = 42, 3
+== inject (+7, +1) at unused key 8888.1.1 then recompute clears it
+8888.0.0 = 42, 3
+8888.1.1 = 7, 1
+totl recompute applying delta total=-7 count=-1 to key 12.8888.0.1.1.0 (was total=7 count=1, recomputed total=0 count=0)
+8888.0.0 = 42, 3
+== cleanup
diff --git a/tests/sequence b/tests/sequence
index d2ac6a0d..2e613719 100644
--- a/tests/sequence
+++ b/tests/sequence
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ basic-xattr-indx.sh
 quota.sh
 totl-merge-read.sh
 totl-delta-inject.sh
+totl-recompute.sh
 lock-refleak.sh
 lock-shrink-consistency.sh
 lock-shrink-read-race.sh
diff --git a/tests/tests/totl-recompute.sh b/tests/tests/totl-recompute.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a12abbb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tests/totl-recompute.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+#
+# Exercise scoutfs recompute-xattr-total.  Uses totl-delta-inject(1) to seed
+# corruption.
+#
+
+t_require_commands setfattr scoutfs sync rm touch totl-delta-inject
+
+# force a log merge then read-xattr-totals filtered to our own keys
+read_totals()
+{
+	t_force_log_merge
+	sync
+	echo 1 > $(t_debugfs_path)/drop_weak_item_cache
+	scoutfs read-xattr-totals -p "$T_M0" | \
+		grep -E '^8888\.' || true
+}
+
+# Print recompute warnings emitted since the last snapshot, with the
+# volatile timestamp/fsid/rid prefix stripped, for golden comparison.
+DMESG_SNAP="$T_TMPDIR/dmesg.recompute.snap"
+dmesg > "$DMESG_SNAP"
+
+recompute_warn()
+{
+	local cur="$T_TMPDIR/dmesg.recompute.cur"
+
+	dmesg > "$cur"
+	diff "$DMESG_SNAP" "$cur" | \
+		sed -n 's/^> \[ *[0-9.]\+\] scoutfs [^ ]\+ warning: \(totl recompute applying delta .*\)$/\1/p'
+	mv "$cur" "$DMESG_SNAP"
+}
+
+echo "== setup three files contributing to totl 8888.0.0"
+touch "$T_D0/f1" "$T_D0/f2" "$T_D0/f3"
+setfattr -n scoutfs.totl.inj.8888.0.0 -v 2  "$T_D0/f1"
+setfattr -n scoutfs.totl.inj.8888.0.0 -v 8  "$T_D0/f2"
+setfattr -n scoutfs.totl.inj.8888.0.0 -v 32 "$T_D0/f3"
+
+echo "== merge baseline into fs_root"
+read_totals
+
+echo "== recompute on a clean baseline is a no-op"
+scoutfs recompute-xattr-total -p "$T_M0" 8888.0.0
+recompute_warn
+read_totals
+
+echo "== inject (+128, +2) corrupts totl 8888.0.0"
+totl-delta-inject "$T_M0" 8888.0.0 128 2
+read_totals
+
+echo "== recompute restores 8888.0.0"
+scoutfs recompute-xattr-total -p "$T_M0" 8888.0.0
+recompute_warn
+read_totals
+
+echo "== inject (-50, +1) corrupts totl 8888.0.0 again"
+totl-delta-inject "$T_M0" 8888.0.0 -50 1
+read_totals
+
+echo "== recompute restores 8888.0.0"
+scoutfs recompute-xattr-total -p "$T_M0" 8888.0.0
+recompute_warn
+read_totals
+
+echo "== recompute on an unused key is a no-op"
+scoutfs recompute-xattr-total -p "$T_M0" 8888.1.1
+recompute_warn
+read_totals
+
+echo "== inject (+7, +1) at unused key 8888.1.1 then recompute clears it"
+totl-delta-inject "$T_M0" 8888.1.1 7 1
+read_totals
+scoutfs recompute-xattr-total -p "$T_M0" 8888.1.1
+recompute_warn
+read_totals
+
+echo "== cleanup"
+rm -f "$T_D0/f1" "$T_D0/f2" "$T_D0/f3"
+read_totals
+
+t_pass