diff --git a/client/src/components/Files/fileActions.test.ts b/client/src/components/Files/fileActions.test.ts
index 0de70ac24..2b3bac87a 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Files/fileActions.test.ts
+++ b/client/src/components/Files/fileActions.test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,16 @@
-// FE-FILES-ACTIONS-001 to FE-FILES-ACTIONS-010: the paste and link rules the desktop file
-// manager and the phone's files tab and link sheet share.
+// FE-FILES-ACTIONS-001 to FE-FILES-ACTIONS-012: the paste and link rules the desktop file
+// manager and the phone's files tab and link sheet share, with the id reading each keeps.
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 
 import { buildTripFile } from '../../../tests/helpers/factories';
 import { filesApi } from '../../api/client';
-import { filesFromClipboard, planFileLinkToggle, runFileLinkRecordStep, toggleFileLink } from './fileActions';
+import {
+  PHONE_FILE_LINK_RULES,
+  filesFromClipboard,
+  planFileLinkToggle,
+  runFileLinkRecordStep,
+  toggleFileLink,
+} from './fileActions';
 
 function clipboard(items: { kind: string; file: File | null }[]): DataTransfer {
   return { items: items.map((i) => ({ kind: i.kind, getAsFile: () => i.file })) } as unknown as DataTransfer;
@@ -54,6 +60,12 @@ describe('planFileLinkToggle', () => {
     expect(planFileLinkToggle(file, 'place_id', 5)).toEqual({ kind: 'removeLink' });
     expect(planFileLinkToggle(file, 'reservation_id', 7)).toEqual({ kind: 'removeLink' });
   });
+
+  it('FE-FILES-ACTIONS-011: a zero column is free on desktop and taken on the phone', () => {
+    const file = buildTripFile({ place_id: 0 });
+    expect(planFileLinkToggle(file, 'place_id', 5)).toEqual({ kind: 'update', data: { place_id: 5 } });
+    expect(planFileLinkToggle(file, 'place_id', 5, PHONE_FILE_LINK_RULES)).toEqual({ kind: 'addLink' });
+  });
 });
 
 describe('running a link toggle', () => {
@@ -80,9 +92,9 @@ describe('running a link toggle', () => {
     expect(filesApi.addLink).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, 1, 9, { reservation_id: 7 });
   });
 
-  it('FE-FILES-ACTIONS-008: removing a record looks it up by the target, numeric or not', async () => {
-    await runFileLinkRecordStep(1, 9, 'place_id', 5, 'removeLink');
-    await runFileLinkRecordStep(1, 9, 'reservation_id', 7, 'removeLink');
+  it('FE-FILES-ACTIONS-008: on the phone a record is looked up by the numeric target', async () => {
+    await runFileLinkRecordStep(1, 9, 'place_id', 5, 'removeLink', PHONE_FILE_LINK_RULES);
+    await runFileLinkRecordStep(1, 9, 'reservation_id', 7, 'removeLink', PHONE_FILE_LINK_RULES);
     expect(filesApi.getLinks).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1, 9);
     expect(filesApi.removeLink).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, 1, 9, 50);
     expect(filesApi.removeLink).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, 1, 9, 70);
@@ -95,13 +107,31 @@ describe('running a link toggle', () => {
     expect(filesApi.removeLink).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it('FE-FILES-ACTIONS-012: on desktop a record is looked up by the target as it comes', async () => {
+    await runFileLinkRecordStep(1, 9, 'place_id', 5, 'removeLink');
+    await runFileLinkRecordStep(1, 9, 'reservation_id', 7, 'removeLink');
+    expect(filesApi.removeLink).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(filesApi.removeLink).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1, 9, 70);
+  });
+
   it('FE-FILES-ACTIONS-010: toggleFileLink writes the column or the record, and rethrows', async () => {
-    await toggleFileLink(1, buildTripFile({ id: 9, place_id: null }), 'place_id', 5);
+    await toggleFileLink(1, buildTripFile({ id: 9, place_id: null }), 'place_id', 5, PHONE_FILE_LINK_RULES);
     expect(filesApi.update).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1, 9, { place_id: 5 });
 
-    await toggleFileLink(1, buildTripFile({ id: 9, place_id: 1 }), 'place_id', 5);
+    await toggleFileLink(1, buildTripFile({ id: 9, place_id: 1 }), 'place_id', 5, PHONE_FILE_LINK_RULES);
     expect(filesApi.addLink).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1, 9, { place_id: 5 });
 
+    await toggleFileLink(1, buildTripFile({ id: 9, place_id: 1, linked_place_ids: [5] }), 'place_id', 5);
+    expect(filesApi.removeLink).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    await toggleFileLink(
+      1,
+      buildTripFile({ id: 9, place_id: 1, linked_place_ids: [5] }),
+      'place_id',
+      5,
+      PHONE_FILE_LINK_RULES
+    );
+    expect(filesApi.removeLink).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1, 9, 50);
+
     vi.mocked(filesApi.update).mockRejectedValue(new Error('nope'));
     await expect(toggleFileLink(1, buildTripFile({ id: 9, reservation_id: 7 }), 'reservation_id', 7)).rejects.toThrow(
       'nope'
diff --git a/client/src/components/Files/fileActions.ts b/client/src/components/Files/fileActions.ts
index 6f1df531c..1705dc03a 100644
--- a/client/src/components/Files/fileActions.ts
+++ b/client/src/components/Files/fileActions.ts
@@ -30,19 +30,37 @@ export type FileLinkStep =
   | { kind: 'addLink' }
   | { kind: 'removeLink' };
 
+/**
+ * How a caller reads the ids, which differs between the views. The phone link sheet treats
+ * only a null column as free and finds a link record by the numeric value of its id; the
+ * desktop manager treats any empty column as free and compares the record id as it comes.
+ */
+export interface FileLinkRules {
+  freeOnlyWhenNull?: boolean;
+  matchRecordsByNumber?: boolean;
+}
+
+export const PHONE_FILE_LINK_RULES: FileLinkRules = { freeOnlyWhenNull: true, matchRecordsByNumber: true };
+
 function linkedIds(file: TripFile, field: FileLinkField): number[] {
   const own = file[field];
   const extra = field === 'place_id' ? file.linked_place_ids : file.linked_reservation_ids;
   return [...(own != null ? [own] : []), ...(extra || []).filter((id) => id != null)];
 }
 
-export function planFileLinkToggle(file: TripFile, field: FileLinkField, targetId: number): FileLinkStep {
+export function planFileLinkToggle(
+  file: TripFile,
+  field: FileLinkField,
+  targetId: number,
+  rules: FileLinkRules = {}
+): FileLinkStep {
   const column = (value: number | null) => (field === 'place_id' ? { place_id: value } : { reservation_id: value });
   if (linkedIds(file, field).includes(targetId)) {
     if (file[field] === targetId) return { kind: 'update', data: column(null) };
     return { kind: 'removeLink' };
   }
-  if (!file[field]) return { kind: 'update', data: column(targetId) };
+  const free = rules.freeOnlyWhenNull ? file[field] == null : !file[field];
+  if (free) return { kind: 'update', data: column(targetId) };
   return { kind: 'addLink' };
 }
 
@@ -58,7 +76,8 @@ export async function runFileLinkRecordStep(
   fileId: number,
   field: FileLinkField,
   targetId: number,
-  step: 'addLink' | 'removeLink'
+  step: 'addLink' | 'removeLink',
+  rules: FileLinkRules = {}
 ): Promise<void> {
   if (step === 'addLink') {
     await filesApi.addLink(
@@ -69,7 +88,9 @@ export async function runFileLinkRecordStep(
     return;
   }
   const linksRes = (await filesApi.getLinks(tripId, fileId)) as { links?: FileLinkRecord[] };
-  const link = (linksRes.links || []).find((l) => Number(l[field]) === targetId);
+  const link = (linksRes.links || []).find((l) =>
+    rules.matchRecordsByNumber ? Number(l[field]) === targetId : l[field] === targetId
+  );
   if (link) await filesApi.removeLink(tripId, fileId, link.id);
 }
 
@@ -78,9 +99,10 @@ export async function toggleFileLink(
   tripId: number,
   file: TripFile,
   field: FileLinkField,
-  targetId: number
+  targetId: number,
+  rules: FileLinkRules = {}
 ): Promise<void> {
-  const step = planFileLinkToggle(file, field, targetId);
+  const step = planFileLinkToggle(file, field, targetId, rules);
   if (step.kind === 'update') await filesApi.update(tripId, file.id, step.data);
-  else await runFileLinkRecordStep(tripId, file.id, field, targetId, step.kind);
+  else await runFileLinkRecordStep(tripId, file.id, field, targetId, step.kind, rules);
 }
diff --git a/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/tabs/MFileLinkSheet.tsx b/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/tabs/MFileLinkSheet.tsx
index 8200d3ceb..4d623e4e6 100644
--- a/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/tabs/MFileLinkSheet.tsx
+++ b/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/tabs/MFileLinkSheet.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import { Check, Link2, Loader2, MapPin, Ticket, TrainFront } from 'lucide-react'
 import type { LucideIcon } from 'lucide-react'
 import MSheet from '../../../components/MSheet'
-import { toggleFileLink, type FileLinkField } from '../../../../components/Files/fileActions'
+import { PHONE_FILE_LINK_RULES, toggleFileLink, type FileLinkField } from '../../../../components/Files/fileActions'
 import type { TripFile } from '../../../../types'
 import type { TripPlanner } from '../MTripShell'
 import { Eyebrow, TileHeader } from '../sheets/MTripSheetUi'
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ export default function MFileLinkSheet({ planner, file, onClose }: MFileLinkShee
     const key = `${field === 'place_id' ? 'p' : 'r'}${targetId}`
     setBusyKey(key)
     try {
-      await toggleFileLink(tripId, shown, field, targetId)
+      await toggleFileLink(tripId, shown, field, targetId, PHONE_FILE_LINK_RULES)
       refresh()
     } catch {
       toast.error(t('files.toast.assignError'))