diff --git a/hands/rec/DESIGN.md b/hands/rec/DESIGN.md
index f67a7da..1e99bd4 100644
--- a/hands/rec/DESIGN.md
+++ b/hands/rec/DESIGN.md
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ Every part runs in the dev container, as ft-hands and Input Settings do. The hos
 - **A tracking ft-hands** gives feedback through the hands file: which hands are seen, the palm's distance, the index tip. If none is running, the session starts `ft-hands --no-gestures --status 0` (unit `frametop-handrec-hands.service`). An ft-hands already running is used as it is.
 - **A recording ft-hands** runs once per recording part: `ft-hands --record-only --record DIR --record-for SECONDS --record-hz 10 --status 0 --sides auto|0|1` (below, "Side cameras"). It runs as a plain child process of the session, ended with SIGTERM when the part ends. SIGTERM ends ft-hands' loop, and `Recorder` writes out its queue when it's destroyed. In step mode (below) a part is one step's countdown and hold, so a take has one part per step (about 40 in the hand poses); in auto mode a take is one part, plus one more after each pause. `--record-for` is only a safety net.
   - Why a process per part rather than one kept alive and paused: measured in the dev container with `ft-ringplay`'s ring (2026-10-02), `ft-hands --record-only` writes its first set 16-27 ms after it starts and ends 4-6 ms after SIGTERM, so a new part costs nothing the 3 s countdown doesn't cover. Every reader already takes parts in order (`takes.py`, `validate.py` through the export's single stream, the labeller's `fhl_io.py`, numbering `sets-10.bin` after `sets-9.bin`), ft-hands needs no new control, and nothing is written while a step waits. Before the hold starts the session checks that the part has written a set (`Recorder.has_data`, up to 3 s more), so the hold is recorded from its first frame.
-- **Side cameras.** ft-camd can name the two side cameras the wrong way round (hands/README.md, "Which camera is which"). The tracking ft-hands decides from the hands within about 2 s of them being in view (`HANDS_SWAP_SIDES=auto`, hands/track/sides.h) and publishes that in `/run/user/UID/frametop-hands/sides.json`. The session reads it (`sides.py`, `read_live`) and stores it in session.json `"sides"`. Each later part is recorded named right (`--sides 1` or `0`). Parts recorded before the decision use ft-camd's names (`--sides auto`; a record-only ft-hands can't tell), and readers rename them (`sides.py`). Each part's `names_swapped` goes into take.json `"parts"`. Without a tracking ft-hands nothing decides: `"swapped": null`, the names stay as recorded, and the maintainer's check (`hub_review check`, check_sides on a few sets per take) tells. `takes.py sides SESSION --set swapped|named` records a decision by hand.
+- **Side cameras.** ft-camd can name the two side cameras the wrong way round (hands/README.md, "Which camera is which"). The tracking ft-hands decides from the hands within about 2 s of them being in view (`HANDS_SWAP_SIDES=auto`, hands/track/sides.h) and publishes that in `/run/user/UID/frametop-hands/sides.json`. With `HANDS_SWAP_SIDES` forced to `0` or `1`, the hands still decide what's published once they disagree (state `"forced, disagrees"`; `read_live` also corrects an ft-hands built before that). The session reads it (`sides.py`, `read_live`) and stores it in session.json `"sides"`. Each later part is recorded named right (`--sides 1` or `0`). Parts recorded before the decision use ft-camd's names (`--sides auto`; a record-only ft-hands can't tell), and readers rename them (`sides.py`). Each part's `names_swapped` goes into take.json `"parts"`. Without a tracking ft-hands nothing decides: `"swapped": null`, the names stay as recorded, and the maintainer's check (`hub_review check`, check_sides on a few sets per take) tells. `takes.py sides SESSION --set swapped|named` records a decision by hand.
 - **ft-handpanel** runs as a child process with `--watch-stdin`. It shows the panel and logs poses during each take.
 - **The headset button's reader** is a thread of the session (`ButtonReader`, below), not a process.
 
diff --git a/hands/rec/session.py b/hands/rec/session.py
index dfae52a..1bf2a59 100755
--- a/hands/rec/session.py
+++ b/hands/rec/session.py
@@ -1575,6 +1575,9 @@ class Session:
         self._save_session()
         self._log("side cameras: %s (%s, %s)" % ("SWAPPED" if swapped else "as named", new["decided_by"],
                                                   json.dumps(new["evidence"])))
+        if new["state"] == "forced, disagrees":
+            self._log("side cameras: HANDS_SWAP_SIDES in ~/.config/frametop.conf forces names the hands say are "
+                      "backwards; the recording goes by the hands. Set HANDS_SWAP_SIDES=auto.")
 
     def _sides_swapped(self):
         """session.json's decision: True, False, or None (not known yet)."""
diff --git a/hands/rec/sides.py b/hands/rec/sides.py
index 5b91618..e4f4d59 100644
--- a/hands/rec/sides.py
+++ b/hands/rec/sides.py
@@ -125,4 +125,9 @@ def read_live(path=None, ring_path=None, now_ns=None):
                 return None
         except OSError:
             return None
+    if (s.get("state") == "forced, disagrees" and s.get("swapped") is not None
+            and bool(s["swapped"]) == bool(s.get("names_swapped"))):
+        # An ft-hands built before 2026-10-06 kept a forced HANDS_SWAP_SIDES as the truth even
+        # when the hands disagreed. The hands are right: the truth is the other way round.
+        s = dict(s, swapped=not s["swapped"], decided_by="auto")
     return s
diff --git a/hands/rec/tests/test_sides.py b/hands/rec/tests/test_sides.py
index bd36e8b..39fcc2e 100644
--- a/hands/rec/tests/test_sides.py
+++ b/hands/rec/tests/test_sides.py
@@ -91,6 +91,29 @@ class RulesTest(unittest.TestCase):
         finally:
             shutil.rmtree(d)
 
+    def test_read_live_forced(self):
+        """HANDS_SWAP_SIDES=0 forced and the hands disagree: the hands are the truth, whether
+        ft-hands published them (built after 2026-10-06) or kept the forced value (before)."""
+        d = tempfile.mkdtemp()
+        try:
+            path = os.path.join(d, "sides.json")
+
+            def live(**kw):
+                s = dict(pid=1, ring_ino=0, mode="0", names_swapped=False,
+                         updated_ns=time.clock_gettime_ns(time.CLOCK_MONOTONIC), **kw)
+                with open(path, "w") as f:
+                    json.dump(s, f)
+                return sides.read_live(path)
+
+            self.assertEqual(live(state="forced", swapped=False, decided_by="config")["swapped"], False)
+            self.assertEqual(live(state="forced, agrees", swapped=False, decided_by="config")["swapped"], False)
+            old = live(state="forced, disagrees", swapped=False, decided_by="config")
+            self.assertEqual((old["swapped"], old["decided_by"]), (True, "auto"))
+            new = live(state="forced, disagrees", swapped=True, decided_by="auto")
+            self.assertEqual((new["swapped"], new["decided_by"]), (True, "auto"))
+        finally:
+            shutil.rmtree(d)
+
 
 class TakesTest(unittest.TestCase):
     """A swapped session: one take's parts recorded before the decision (ft-camd's names) and
@@ -226,6 +249,22 @@ class SessionSidesTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertTrue(s._session_json["sides"]["reversed_from"]["swapped"])
         self.assertFalse(takes.read_json(os.path.join(self.tmp, "session.json"))["sides"]["swapped"])
 
+    def test_read_sides_forced(self):
+        """PR #4 on the dataset: HANDS_SWAP_SIDES=0 from the old example config, and the hands
+        disagree. The session takes the hands' answer, not the forced one."""
+        s = session.Session(os.path.join(self.tmp, "base"), {}, {}, "room", self.script, dry_run=True,
+                            hands_dir=self.tmp)
+        s.session_dir = self.tmp
+        s._session_json = {"sides": {"swapped": None}}
+        self.live(mode="0", state="forced", swapped=False, decided_by="config", names_swapped=False, evidence=None)
+        s._read_sides(force=True)
+        self.assertIs(s._sides_swapped(), False)
+        self.live(mode="0", state="forced, disagrees", swapped=False, decided_by="config", names_swapped=False)
+        s._read_sides(force=True)
+        self.assertIs(s._sides_swapped(), True)
+        self.assertEqual(s._session_json["sides"]["decided_by"], "auto")
+        self.assertEqual(s._session_json["sides"]["reversed_from"]["decided_by"], "config")
+
     def test_recorder_parts(self):
         calls = []
 
diff --git a/hands/track/main.cpp b/hands/track/main.cpp
index be21f21..db670be 100644
--- a/hands/track/main.cpp
+++ b/hands/track/main.cpp
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@
 // default) tells from the hands it tracks (track/sides.h): once it's sure, it exchanges the two
 // cameras if they're backwards (the tracked views move with their images), and checks once
 // more. 0 and 1 force the naming (1: exchanged; --swap-sides is --sides 1); it still checks,
-// and warns if the hands disagree. The decision is published in /run/user/UID/frametop-hands/sides.json (see
+// and if the hands disagree it warns and publishes what the hands say as the truth ("swapped"),
+// so recordings are labelled right while tracking keeps the forced names. The decision is published in /run/user/UID/frametop-hands/sides.json (see
 // write_sides below) and, for recordings, in DIR/sides.json. --record-only can't tell (it tracks
 // nothing): under auto it records the ring's names as they are.
 //
@@ -507,14 +508,16 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         const bool backwards = v == SideCheck::Swapped;   // relative to the names as they are now
         const double after = (now - start) / 1e9;
         const std::string ev = side_check.json(), text = side_check.summary();
-        if (sides_mode != "auto") {   // forced: only say so
+        if (sides_mode != "auto") {   // forced: the names stay; if the hands disagree, they're the truth
             const std::string what = (sides_from == "option" ? "--sides " : "HANDS_SWAP_SIDES=") + sides_mode;
             if (backwards)
                 std::printf("side cameras: %s looks WRONG: the hands say the side cameras are the other way round (%s). "
-                            "Use auto.\n", what.c_str(), text.c_str());
+                            "Tracking keeps the forced names; recordings are labelled by the hands. Use auto.\n",
+                            what.c_str(), text.c_str());
             else
                 std::printf("side cameras: %s agrees with the hands (%s)\n", what.c_str(), text.c_str());
             sides_state = backwards ? "forced, disagrees" : "forced, agrees";
+            if (backwards) truth = !names_swapped, decided_by = "auto", decided_after_s = after;
             decision_evidence = ev;
             checking = false;
         } else if (side_round == 0 || backwards) {