diff --git a/secrets b/secrets
index 6b18cfe..e4b86d3 100755
--- a/secrets
+++ b/secrets
@@ -2138,47 +2138,40 @@ _migrate_project() {
     info "Store is already format v2 — nothing to migrate."
     return 0
   fi
-  local manifest="$PWD/$SECRETS_JSON_NAME"
-  if [ ! -e "$manifest" ]; then
-    die "No $SECRETS_JSON_NAME in $PWD.
-  'secrets migrate' copy-forwards a project's v1 blobs to their v2 names and
-  reads the project manifest to do so. cd into a project that has a manifest,
-  then run 'secrets migrate'. (Store-wide 'secrets migrate --finalize' comes
-  after every project is migrated.)"
-  fi
-  _check_manifest_file "$manifest"
   local project; project=$(derive_project_name "")
   local pdir="$SECRETS_DIR/$project"
 
-  local moved=0 already=0 would=0 etype epath slug old new
-  while IFS=$'\t' read -r etype epath _; do
-    [ -n "$etype" ] || continue
-    # Only `properties` blobs change name in v2; dotenv and `file` are already
-    # in their v2 shape and never move.
-    [ "$etype" = "gradle-properties" ] || continue
-    slug=$(_secrets_files_slug "$epath")
-    old="$pdir/external/$slug.gradle-properties.age"
-    new="$pdir/external/$slug.properties.age"
-    [ -f "$old" ] || continue          # nothing pushed yet (or already dropped)
-    if [ -f "$new" ]; then             # idempotent: twin already exists
+  # Source of truth for the copy-forward is the STORE, not a project manifest.
+  # Every v1 properties blob is a `*.gradle-properties.age` file whose v2 twin
+  # is the same name with the `.properties.age` suffix (the only on-disk change
+  # v2 makes). Enumerating the store — exactly as `_migrate_finalize` does —
+  # means migrate twins precisely the blobs finalize will demand twins for, with
+  # no manifest dependency. This is why a legacy `.secrets-files`-only project
+  # (no `.secrets.json` yet) migrates cleanly instead of dead-ending, and why a
+  # store blob the manifest no longer declares still gets a twin.
+  local moved=0 already=0 would=0 f new
+  while IFS= read -r f; do
+    [ -f "$f" ] || continue
+    new="${f%.gradle-properties.age}.properties.age"
+    if [ -f "$new" ]; then
       already=$((already + 1))
       continue
     fi
     if [ "$dry_run" = true ]; then
-      echo "would migrate: $project/external/$slug.gradle-properties.age -> $slug.properties.age"
+      echo "would migrate: ${f#"$SECRETS_DIR"/} -> $(basename "$new")"
       would=$((would + 1))
     else
-      cp "$old" "$new"
+      cp "$f" "$new"
       moved=$((moved + 1))
     fi
-  done < <(_json_external_entries "$manifest")
+  done < <(find "$pdir/external" -type f -name '*.gradle-properties.age' 2>/dev/null)
 
   if [ "$dry_run" = true ]; then
     echo "migrate --dry-run: $would blob(s) would be copy-forwarded for '$project' (writes nothing); $already already present. v1 blobs are kept until 'secrets migrate --finalize'."
     return 0
   fi
   if [ "$moved" -eq 0 ] && [ "$already" -eq 0 ]; then
-    info "Nothing to migrate for '$project' (no v1 properties blobs)."
+    info "Nothing to migrate for '$project' — no v1 properties blobs in the store (already v2-shaped). If you expected one, run 'secrets push' first, then re-run 'secrets migrate'."
     return 0
   fi
   ensure_store_protections
diff --git a/test/migrate.bats b/test/migrate.bats
index 84f7ec9..cd7dd30 100644
--- a/test/migrate.bats
+++ b/test/migrate.bats
@@ -123,12 +123,29 @@ m_file_src()   { mkdir -p "$HOME/keystores"; printf 'KS\x00\x01\x02\xffDATA\n' >
   [ "$output" = "1" ]
 }
 
-@test "migrate with no manifest in cwd dies with a directed message" {
+@test "migrate copy-forwards a v1 properties blob with no .secrets.json (manifest-free)" {
+  # The EGB-710 repro: a legacy project has a v1 properties blob in the store
+  # but no .secrets.json (it predates the manifest). migrate must NOT dead-end.
+  make_v1_store
+  m_gradle_src $'beaconClerkPkTest=pk_test_abc\n'
+  create_project_dir nomanifestblob
+  printf 'gradle-properties ~/.gradle/gradle.properties beaconClerkPkTest\n' > .secrets-files
+  "$SECRETS_BIN" push nomanifestblob >/dev/null 2>&1
+  rm -f .secrets.json                       # simulate a pre-manifest project
+  run "$SECRETS_BIN" migrate
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  run bash -c "ls $SECRETS_DIR/nomanifestblob/external/*.properties.age"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]                        # v2 twin written despite no manifest
+  run bash -c "ls $SECRETS_DIR/nomanifestblob/external/*.gradle-properties.age"
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]                        # v1 kept (non-destructive)
+}
+
+@test "migrate in a project with no manifest and no store blobs is a clean no-op" {
   make_v1_store
   local dir="$WORK_DIR/nomanifest"; mkdir -p "$dir"; cd "$dir"
   run "$SECRETS_BIN" migrate
-  [ "$status" -eq 1 ]
-  [[ "$output" == *".secrets.json"* ]] || false
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+  [[ "$output" == *"no v1 properties blobs"* ]] || false
 }
 
 @test "migrate on an already-v2 store is a no-op" {