diff --git a/hosts/by-name/servo/services/export/sftpgo/default.nix b/hosts/by-name/servo/services/export/sftpgo/default.nix
index 6f574f42c..4a6e01afd 100644
--- a/hosts/by-name/servo/services/export/sftpgo/default.nix
+++ b/hosts/by-name/servo/services/export/sftpgo/default.nix
@@ -65,9 +65,17 @@ in
         # ftp LIST operation returns entries over-the-wire like:
         # - dgrwxrwxr-x 1 ftp ftp            9 Apr  9 15:05 Videos
         # however not all clients understand all mode bits (like that `g`, indicating SGID / group sticky bit).
+        # - e.g. Kodi will sliently not display entries with `g`.
         # instead, only send mode bits which are well-understood.
         # the full set of bits, from which i filter, is found here: <https://pkg.go.dev/io/fs#FileMode>
-        ./safe_fileinfo.patch
+        #
+        # PATCH NOTES:
+        # - i *think* os.FileInfo contains the bad mode bits, and anything that goes through `vfs.NewFileInfo` gets those bits stripped (good).
+        # - for readdir, `patternDirLister` is just an easily accessible interface which causes the os.FileInfo's to be converted through `vfs.NewFileInfo`.
+        # - if patched incorrectly, sftpgo may return absolute paths for operations like `ls foo/bar/` (breaks rclone)
+        ./safe_fileinfo_readdir.patch
+        # XXX(2025-09-20): nothing seems to break in Kodi when i leave `Stat` unpatched
+        # ./safe_fileinfo_stat.patch
       ];
     });
 
diff --git a/hosts/by-name/servo/services/export/sftpgo/safe_fileinfo.patch b/hosts/by-name/servo/services/export/sftpgo/safe_fileinfo_readdir.patch
similarity index 58%
rename from hosts/by-name/servo/services/export/sftpgo/safe_fileinfo.patch
rename to hosts/by-name/servo/services/export/sftpgo/safe_fileinfo_readdir.patch
index 15a9a4f81..64fe0edfe 100644
--- a/hosts/by-name/servo/services/export/sftpgo/safe_fileinfo.patch
+++ b/hosts/by-name/servo/services/export/sftpgo/safe_fileinfo_readdir.patch
@@ -2,29 +2,21 @@ diff --git a/internal/ftpd/handler.go b/internal/ftpd/handler.go
 index 036c3977..33211261 100644
 --- a/internal/ftpd/handler.go
 +++ b/internal/ftpd/handler.go
-@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ func (c *Connection) Stat(name string) (os.FileInfo, error) {
- 		}
- 		return nil, err
- 	}
--	return fi, nil
-+	return vfs.NewFileInfo(name, fi.IsDir(), fi.Size(), fi.ModTime(), false), nil
- }
-
- // Name returns the name of this connection
-@@ -315,7 +315,17 @@ func (c *Connection) ReadDir(name string) (ftpserver.DirLister, error) {
+@@ -315,7 +315,18 @@ func (c *Connection) ReadDir(name string) (ftpserver.DirLister, error) {
  		}, nil
  	}
 
 -	return c.ListDir(name)
++	c.clientContext.SetListPath(name)  //< MIGHT not be required
 +	lister, err := c.ListDir(name)
 +	if err != nil {
 +		return nil, err
 +	}
-+	return &patternDirLister{
++	return &patternDirLister{  // this idiom is copied from 10 lines up ^
 +		DirLister:      lister,
 +		pattern:        "*",
 +		lastCommand:    c.clientContext.GetLastCommand(),
-+		dirName:        name,
++		dirName:        "",  //< or set to `c.clientContext.Path()`? returned paths are relative to this dirName.
 +		connectionPath: c.clientContext.Path(),
 +	}, nil
  }
diff --git a/hosts/by-name/servo/services/export/sftpgo/safe_fileinfo_stat.patch b/hosts/by-name/servo/services/export/sftpgo/safe_fileinfo_stat.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..be1ee5618
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hosts/by-name/servo/services/export/sftpgo/safe_fileinfo_stat.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+diff --git a/internal/ftpd/handler.go b/internal/ftpd/handler.go
+index 036c3977..33211261 100644
+--- a/internal/ftpd/handler.go
++++ b/internal/ftpd/handler.go
+@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ func (c *Connection) Stat(name string) (os.FileInfo, error) {
+ 		}
+ 		return nil, err
+ 	}
+-	return fi, nil
++	return vfs.NewFileInfo(name, fi.IsDir(), fi.Size(), fi.ModTime(), false), nil
+ }
+
+ // Name returns the name of this connection