diff --git a/src/game/engine/scenes/headless/claude_player_main.gd b/src/game/engine/scenes/headless/claude_player_main.gd
index 57be72b3..1298e44a 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/scenes/headless/claude_player_main.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/scenes/headless/claude_player_main.gd
@@ -187,12 +187,19 @@ func _apply_runtime_units_catalog(gs: RefCounted) -> void:
 			if f != null:
 				var raw: String = f.get_as_text()
 				f.close()
-				# Per-unit file is a single object — wrap all into one
-				# array to ship in one call. Rust loader accepts both
-				# object and array shapes; we always send an array.
-				var parsed: Dictionary = JSON.parse_string(raw) as Dictionary
-				if parsed != null and not parsed.is_empty():
-					entries.append(parsed)
+				# Per-unit file is either a single object or a single-element
+				# array (canonical post-data-architecture migration is array-
+				# rooted; pre-migration is object-rooted). Accept both shapes.
+				# Rust loader accepts an array; we always ship one.
+				var parsed_arr: Array = JSON.parse_string(raw) as Array
+				if parsed_arr != null:
+					for item: Dictionary in parsed_arr:
+						if not item.is_empty():
+							entries.append(item)
+				else:
+					var parsed_obj: Dictionary = JSON.parse_string(raw) as Dictionary
+					if parsed_obj != null and not parsed_obj.is_empty():
+						entries.append(parsed_obj)
 		fname = dir.get_next()
 	dir.list_dir_end()
 	if entries.is_empty():