diff --git a/internal/api/v1/gems.go b/internal/api/v1/gems.go
index 3ce02b6..5d81de8 100644
--- a/internal/api/v1/gems.go
+++ b/internal/api/v1/gems.go
@@ -28,7 +28,10 @@ import (
 //   _index/<name>/<full>                    compact index /info line; gates visibility
 //   _yanked/<name>/<full>                   yank tombstone; blocks re-push of the version
 
-var gemsMaxPushBytes int64 = 256 << 20
+var (
+	gemsMaxPushBytes int64 = 256 << 20
+	gemsPushHook           = func() {}
+)
 
 const (
 	gemsIndexPrefix  = "_index/"
@@ -79,22 +82,30 @@ func (h *ProxyHandler) handleLocalPost(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	conflict := func() {
 		gemsText(w, http.StatusConflict, fmt.Sprintf("%s already exists; overwrites are not allowed", full))
 	}
-	yanked, err := h.db.GetLocalFile(r.Context(), remote.Name, gemsYankedPrefix+spec.Name+"/"+full)
-	if err != nil {
-		gemsText(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, err.Error())
-		return
-	}
-	if yanked != nil {
-		gemsText(w, http.StatusConflict, fmt.Sprintf("%s was yanked; re-pushing a yanked version is not allowed", full))
+	index := gemsIndexPrefix + spec.Name + "/" + full
+	paths := []string{index, "gems/" + full + ".gem", "quick/Marshal.4.8/" + full + ".gemspec.rz"}
+	yanked := func() bool {
+		f, err := h.db.GetLocalFile(r.Context(), remote.Name, gemsYankedPrefix+spec.Name+"/"+full)
+		if err != nil {
+			gemsText(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, err.Error())
+			return true
+		}
+		if f != nil {
+			gemsText(w, http.StatusConflict, fmt.Sprintf("%s was yanked; re-pushing a yanked version is not allowed", full))
+		}
+		return f != nil
+	}
+	if yanked() {
 		return
 	}
+	gemsPushHook()
 	// The index line gates visibility, so it is written last.
 	for _, f := range []struct {
 		path string
 		data []byte
 	}{
-		{"gems/" + full + ".gem", gem},
-		{"quick/Marshal.4.8/" + full + ".gemspec.rz", quick},
+		{paths[1], gem},
+		{paths[2], quick},
 	} {
 		ok, err := h.npmStoreImmutable(r.Context(), remote.Name, f.path, f.data, "application/octet-stream")
 		if err != nil {
@@ -107,7 +118,7 @@ func (h *ProxyHandler) handleLocalPost(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		}
 	}
 	line := gems.InfoLine(spec, gem)
-	if _, err := h.npmStore(r.Context(), remote.Name, gemsIndexPrefix+spec.Name+"/"+full, []byte(line), "text/plain", false); err != nil {
+	if _, err := h.npmStore(r.Context(), remote.Name, index, []byte(line), "text/plain", false); err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, database.ErrAlreadyExists) {
 			conflict()
 			return
@@ -115,6 +126,15 @@ func (h *ProxyHandler) handleLocalPost(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		gemsText(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, err.Error())
 		return
 	}
+	// A yank that raced this push tombstoned the version before or after its deletes ran; undo our writes.
+	if yanked() {
+		for _, p := range paths {
+			if err := h.db.DeleteLocalFile(r.Context(), remote.Name, p); err != nil {
+				slog.Error("gem push rollback failed", "repo", remote.Name, "path", p, "error", err)
+			}
+		}
+		return
+	}
 
 	slog.Info("local gem pushed", "repo", remote.Name, "gem", full)
 	gemsText(w, http.StatusOK, "Successfully registered gem: "+spec.Name+" ("+spec.Version+")")
diff --git a/internal/api/v1/gems_handler_test.go b/internal/api/v1/gems_handler_test.go
index fcbd6d6..1d56e9b 100644
--- a/internal/api/v1/gems_handler_test.go
+++ b/internal/api/v1/gems_handler_test.go
@@ -175,3 +175,29 @@ func TestGemsPushRejects(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("oversized push = %d, want 413", code)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestGemsPushRacingYank(t *testing.T) {
+	h, srv := npmTestServer(t)
+	repo := npmRepo(t, h, models.PackageGems)
+	base := srv.URL + "/api/v1/local/" + repo + "/"
+	g := testGemFile(t, "race", "1.0.0", "ruby")
+	if code, body := npmDo(t, http.MethodPost, base+"api/v1/gems", string(g)); code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("push = %d: %s", code, body)
+	}
+
+	gemsPushHook = func() {
+		gemsPushHook = func() {}
+		if code, body := npmDo(t, http.MethodDelete, base+"api/v1/gems/yank?gem_name=race&version=1.0.0", ""); code != http.StatusOK {
+			t.Errorf("yank = %d: %s", code, body)
+		}
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { gemsPushHook = func() {} })
+	if code, body := npmDo(t, http.MethodPost, base+"api/v1/gems", string(g)); code != http.StatusConflict || !strings.Contains(body, "yanked") {
+		t.Fatalf("push racing yank = %d %q, want 409", code, body)
+	}
+	for _, p := range []string{"info/race", "gems/race-1.0.0.gem", "quick/Marshal.4.8/race-1.0.0.gemspec.rz", "_index/race/race-1.0.0", "_yanked/race/race-1.0.0"} {
+		if code, _ := npmDo(t, http.MethodGet, base+p, ""); code != http.StatusNotFound {
+			t.Errorf("GET %s = %d, want 404", p, code)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/api/v1/proxy.go b/internal/api/v1/proxy.go
index 16ebc55..4c2f11f 100644
--- a/internal/api/v1/proxy.go
+++ b/internal/api/v1/proxy.go
@@ -257,9 +257,15 @@ func (h *ProxyHandler) handleLocal(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			return
 		}
 	}
-	if remote.PackageType == models.PackageGems && isGemsIndexPath(path) {
-		h.serveLocalGemsIndex(w, r, remote, path)
-		return
+	if remote.PackageType == models.PackageGems {
+		if isGemsIndexPath(path) {
+			h.serveLocalGemsIndex(w, r, remote, path)
+			return
+		}
+		if strings.HasPrefix(path, gemsIndexPrefix) || strings.HasPrefix(path, gemsYankedPrefix) {
+			http.Error(w, "not found", http.StatusNotFound)
+			return
+		}
 	}
 
 	prov, _ := provider.Get(remote.PackageType)