diff --git a/quantmind/knowledge/_tree.py b/quantmind/knowledge/_tree.py
index 6725528..8958a54 100644
--- a/quantmind/knowledge/_tree.py
+++ b/quantmind/knowledge/_tree.py
@@ -74,12 +74,24 @@ def walk_dfs(self) -> Iterator[TreeNode]:
             stack.extend(reversed(node.children_ids))
 
     def find_path(self, node_id: UUID) -> list[TreeNode]:
-        """Root-to-node path. Empty if `node_id` is not in the tree."""
+        """Root-to-node path.
+
+        Returns an empty list if ``node_id`` is not in the tree. If the
+        ancestor chain is malformed (a ``parent_id`` points outside the
+        node map, or the parents form a cycle), the walk stops early and
+        returns the best-effort partial path ending at ``node_id`` instead
+        of raising or looping forever. Node data may come from an LLM, so
+        ``parent_id`` carries no referential guarantee.
+        """
         if node_id not in self.nodes:
             return []
         path: list[TreeNode] = []
         cursor: UUID | None = node_id
-        while cursor is not None:
+        visited: set[UUID] = set()
+        while cursor is not None and cursor in self.nodes:
+            if cursor in visited:
+                break
+            visited.add(cursor)
             node = self.nodes[cursor]
             path.append(node)
             cursor = node.parent_id
diff --git a/tests/knowledge/test_tree.py b/tests/knowledge/test_tree.py
index 825b04b..a5265fd 100644
--- a/tests/knowledge/test_tree.py
+++ b/tests/knowledge/test_tree.py
@@ -143,6 +143,40 @@ def test_find_path_unknown(self):
         tree = _make_tree()
         self.assertEqual(tree.find_path(uuid4()), [])
 
+    def test_find_path_dangling_parent(self):
+        # A parent_id pointing outside the node map must not raise.
+        missing = uuid4()
+        child_id = uuid4()
+        child = TreeNode(
+            node_id=child_id,
+            parent_id=missing,
+            title="Child",
+            summary="orphan",
+        )
+        tree = _SampleTree(
+            as_of=_now(),
+            source=_src(),
+            root_node_id=child_id,
+            nodes={child_id: child},
+        )
+        path = tree.find_path(child_id)
+        self.assertEqual([n.title for n in path], ["Child"])
+
+    def test_find_path_cyclic_parent(self):
+        # A parent_id cycle must terminate, not loop forever.
+        a_id, b_id = uuid4(), uuid4()
+        a = TreeNode(node_id=a_id, parent_id=b_id, title="A", summary="a")
+        b = TreeNode(node_id=b_id, parent_id=a_id, title="B", summary="b")
+        tree = _SampleTree(
+            as_of=_now(),
+            source=_src(),
+            root_node_id=a_id,
+            nodes={a_id: a, b_id: b},
+        )
+        path = tree.find_path(a_id)
+        self.assertEqual({n.title for n in path}, {"A", "B"})
+        self.assertEqual(len(path), 2)
+
     def test_embedding_text_uses_root(self):
         tree = _make_tree()
         self.assertEqual(tree.embedding_text(), "Root\nroot summary")