diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index dc78085..e0f2aff 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -13,12 +13,12 @@ and emit; their records flow into the handlers `log_setup` wired.
 ## Install
 
 ```
-log_setup @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/log_setup.git@v0.6.1
+log_setup @ git+ssh://git@git.rethinkstudios.io/rethink-public/log_setup.git@v0.6.2
 ```
 
 No dependencies — stdlib only.
 
-Drop the `@v0.6.1` suffix from the line above to install the latest unpinned.
+Drop the `@v0.6.2` suffix from the line above to install the latest unpinned.
 
 ## Quick start
 
@@ -248,6 +248,12 @@ setup_logging(name="run", queue=True)
   documented (keeps that many rolled files). This does not change `"daily"`/`"on_start"`,
   where `backup_count=0` still means "roll, but don't prune the rolled files" (unbounded
   `log_dir` growth) — that is a separate, pre-existing knob, not this fix's scope.
+- **`"daily"` regression fixed (v0.6.2).** v0.5.1's `rotate="size"` fix above shared its
+  rotator with `"daily"`, so a `rotate="daily", backup_count=0` roll was incorrectly
+  deleted at every midnight rollover instead of just landing unpruned. The rotator is now
+  rotate-mode aware: the zero-retention delete only ever fires for `"size"`, matching the
+  contract in the bullet above — `"daily"`/`"on_start"` with `backup_count=0` were always
+  meant to roll without pruning and now do again.
 - **Gzip writes are crash-safe (v0.5.1+).** `_gzip_file` now writes to a `.tmp` sibling and
   atomically `os.replace`s it onto the final `.gz` path, so a crash/OOM/power-loss mid-write
   can never leave a truncated `.gz` at the path retention logic trusts. Tiered retention's
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 6b9d56e..1b7f8d0 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "hatchling.build"
 
 [project]
 name = "log_setup"
-version = "0.6.1"
+version = "0.6.2"
 description = "stdlib app-entry-point logging setup: live run.log, rotation, gzip, retention, consistent format"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
 dependencies = []
diff --git a/src/log_setup/__init__.py b/src/log_setup/__init__.py
index bdd73c0..9d74e04 100644
--- a/src/log_setup/__init__.py
+++ b/src/log_setup/__init__.py
@@ -13,4 +13,4 @@ from .setup import setup_logging
 
 __all__ = ["setup_logging"]
 
-__version__ = "0.6.1"
+__version__ = "0.6.2"
diff --git a/src/log_setup/rotation.py b/src/log_setup/rotation.py
index 7dcd2a6..87c6903 100644
--- a/src/log_setup/rotation.py
+++ b/src/log_setup/rotation.py
@@ -143,16 +143,20 @@ def make_rotator(
     compress: bool, log_dir: Optional[str] = None,
     prune_stem: Optional[str] = None, backup_count: int = 0,
     keep_uncompressed: Optional[int] = None, keep_compressed: Optional[int] = None,
+    rotate_mode: Optional[str] = None,
 ) -> Callable[[str, str], None]:
     """rotator: move (or gzip) the source live file to the destination rolled path
 
     legacy mode (default): gzip on roll when `compress`, then prune `log_dir` to
     `backup_count` newest rolled files - the stdlib handler's own retention only scans
     the live file's directory, so it never sees files redirected into `log_dir`; pruning
-    here is what bounds retention for daily/size. FOOTGUN: `backup_count <= 0` means
-    "keep no rolled history", but `prune()` itself no-ops at `<= 0` (its own sentinel for
-    "don't touch history") - so a zero-retention roll is deleted by the rotator directly
-    right after landing, rather than relying on prune to do it.
+    here is what bounds retention for daily/size. FOOTGUN: for `rotate_mode="size"`,
+    `backup_count <= 0` means "keep no rolled history", but `prune()` itself no-ops at
+    `<= 0` (its own sentinel for "don't touch history") - so a zero-retention roll is
+    deleted by the rotator directly right after landing, rather than relying on prune to
+    do it. `rotate_mode` gates this delete-on-land branch to `"size"` only - `"daily"`
+    (and any other non-size mode) with `backup_count <= 0` still rolls without pruning,
+    matching the documented contract that only `size` always bounds the live file.
 
     tiered mode (when `keep_uncompressed`/`keep_compressed` are given): land the rolled
     file PLAIN and re-tier `log_dir` - newest `keep_uncompressed` stay uncompressed, next
@@ -176,10 +180,11 @@ def make_rotator(
         else:
             _move(source, dest)
         if backup_count <= 0:
-            try:
-                os.remove(dest)
-            except OSError:
-                pass
+            if rotate_mode == "size":
+                try:
+                    os.remove(dest)
+                except OSError:
+                    pass
         elif log_dir is not None and prune_stem is not None:
             prune(log_dir, prune_stem, backup_count)
     return rotator
@@ -359,7 +364,7 @@ def attach_rolling(
     handler, log_dir: str, compress: bool,
     prune_stem: Optional[str] = None, backup_count: int = 0,
     keep_uncompressed: Optional[int] = None, keep_compressed: Optional[int] = None,
-    tiered: bool = False,
+    tiered: bool = False, rotate_mode: Optional[str] = None,
 ) -> Tuple[Callable, Callable]:
     """wire the custom namer + rotator onto a rotating handler; return them
 
@@ -372,13 +377,16 @@ def attach_rolling(
     pass `prune_stem`/`backup_count` so the rotator prunes `log_dir` after each roll
     (the handler's own retention can't see the redirected files). pass
     `keep_uncompressed`/`keep_compressed` for tiered retention instead (see
-    make_rotator); `tiered=True` lands rolls plain (retier compresses).
+    make_rotator); `tiered=True` lands rolls plain (retier compresses). `rotate_mode`
+    ("size"/"daily") is forwarded to `make_rotator` so the zero-retention delete-on-land
+    branch only ever fires for `"size"`.
     """
     namer = make_history_namer(
         os.path.basename(prune_stem or ""), log_dir, compress, plain=tiered,
     )
     rotator = make_rotator(
         compress, log_dir, prune_stem, backup_count, keep_uncompressed, keep_compressed,
+        rotate_mode=rotate_mode,
     )
     handler.namer = namer
     handler.rotator = rotator
diff --git a/src/log_setup/setup.py b/src/log_setup/setup.py
index 3a64f23..c30a1ab 100644
--- a/src/log_setup/setup.py
+++ b/src/log_setup/setup.py
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ def _file_handler(
         attach_rolling(
             handler, log_dir, compress, prune_stem=history_stem, backup_count=backup_count,
             keep_uncompressed=keep_uncompressed, keep_compressed=keep_compressed,
-            tiered=tiered,
+            tiered=tiered, rotate_mode=rotate,
         )
     elif rotate == "daily":
         handler = logging.handlers.TimedRotatingFileHandler(
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ def _file_handler(
         attach_rolling(
             handler, log_dir, compress, prune_stem=history_stem, backup_count=backup_count,
             keep_uncompressed=keep_uncompressed, keep_compressed=keep_compressed,
-            tiered=tiered,
+            tiered=tiered, rotate_mode=rotate,
         )
     else:
         if rotate == "on_start":