diff --git a/manage-amis.ts b/manage-amis.ts
index 7c2716e..7af323f 100644
--- a/manage-amis.ts
+++ b/manage-amis.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Options:
   --name <name>                  AMI project tag (default: nixos-zfs-ec2)
   --architecture <arm64|x86_64>  Filter by architecture
   --runtime-state-bucket <name>  S3 bucket with qx-deploy registry objects
-  --force                        Delete even when registry deployments reference the AMI
+  --force                        Delete even when active registry deployments reference the AMI
   -h, --help                     Show this help
 `;
 
@@ -211,6 +211,11 @@ const deploymentRegistry = (state) => {
   return records;
 };
 
+const deploymentReferenceLabel = (record) =>
+  `${record.id}${record.status ? `:${record.status}` : ""}`;
+
+const isDestroyedDeployment = (record) => record.status === "destroyed";
+
 const listArtifacts = (state) => {
   const registry = deploymentRegistry(state);
   const references = new Map();
@@ -220,7 +225,7 @@ const listArtifacts = (state) => {
       continue;
     }
     const entries = references.get(amiId) ?? [];
-    entries.push(record.id);
+    entries.push(deploymentReferenceLabel(record));
     references.set(amiId, entries);
   }
 
@@ -246,11 +251,12 @@ const deleteArtifact = (state) => {
   }
 
   const registry = deploymentRegistry(state);
-  const refs = registry
+  const activeRefs = registry
     .filter((record) => record.config?.amiId === state.amiId)
-    .map((record) => record.id);
-  if (refs.length > 0 && !state.force) {
-    throw new Error(`Refusing to delete ${state.amiId}; referenced by deployments: ${refs.join(", ")}\nPass --force after those deployments are destroyed or intentionally orphaned.`);
+    .filter((record) => !isDestroyedDeployment(record))
+    .map(deploymentReferenceLabel);
+  if (activeRefs.length > 0 && !state.force) {
+    throw new Error(`Refusing to delete ${state.amiId}; referenced by active deployments: ${activeRefs.join(", ")}\nDestroy those deployments first, or pass --force if they are intentionally orphaned.`);
   }
 
   const result = awsJson([