diff --git a/service.go b/service.go
index c500d23..8f21320 100644
--- a/service.go
+++ b/service.go
@@ -509,9 +509,7 @@ func (s *Service) evictInboxOverflow(dir string) {
 		slog.Debug("inbox evict: readdir", "dir", dir, "err", err)
 		return
 	}
-	if len(entries) <= maxFiles {
-		return
-	}
+	// Filter out subdirectories — they consume no inbox capacity.
 	type aged struct {
 		name string
 		mod  time.Time
diff --git a/zz_service_errors_test.go b/zz_service_errors_test.go
index 42beb64..12a9a06 100644
--- a/zz_service_errors_test.go
+++ b/zz_service_errors_test.go
@@ -212,9 +212,8 @@ func TestService_Stop_CtxCancelled(t *testing.T) {
 // (`len(files) <= cap`) correctly short-circuits so no real file is wrongly
 // evicted just because a subdirectory inflated the entry count.
 //
-// REMOVE THIS COMMENT WHEN PILOT-183 LANDS: the fix will move the
-// IsDir() filter ABOVE the first early-return so both checks operate on
-// the same population.
+// PILOT-183 FIX LANDED: the IsDir() filter now runs before the
+// early-return check, so both guards operate on file-only entries.
 func TestEvictInboxOverflow_PILOT183_SubdirMixedWithFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	tmp := t.TempDir()