diff --git a/lib/clean/project.sh b/lib/clean/project.sh
index db5bf8f..f91d2b8 100644
--- a/lib/clean/project.sh
+++ b/lib/clean/project.sh
@@ -226,6 +226,29 @@ load_purge_config() {
 # Initialize paths on script load.
 load_purge_config
 
+# Args: $1 - directory path
+# Determine whether a directory is a project root.
+# This is used to safely allow cleaning direct-child artifacts when
+# users configure a single project directory as a purge search path.
+is_purge_project_root() {
+    local dir="$1"
+    local indicator
+
+    for indicator in "${MONOREPO_INDICATORS[@]}"; do
+        if [[ -e "$dir/$indicator" ]]; then
+            return 0
+        fi
+    done
+
+    for indicator in "${PROJECT_INDICATORS[@]}"; do
+        if [[ -e "$dir/$indicator" ]]; then
+            return 0
+        fi
+    done
+
+    return 1
+}
+
 # Args: $1 - path to check
 # Safe cleanup requires the path be inside a project directory.
 is_safe_project_artifact() {
@@ -234,10 +257,20 @@ is_safe_project_artifact() {
     if [[ "$path" != /* ]]; then
         return 1
     fi
+
+    if [[ "$path" != "$search_path/"* ]]; then
+        return 1
+    fi
+
     # Must not be a direct child of the search root.
     local relative_path="${path#"$search_path"/}"
     local depth=$(echo "$relative_path" | LC_ALL=C tr -cd '/' | wc -c)
     if [[ $depth -lt 1 ]]; then
+        # Allow direct-child artifacts only when the search path is itself
+        # a project root (single-project mode).
+        if is_purge_project_root "$search_path"; then
+            return 0
+        fi
         return 1
     fi
     return 0
diff --git a/tests/purge.bats b/tests/purge.bats
index 31cf904..e1e6931 100644
--- a/tests/purge.bats
+++ b/tests/purge.bats
@@ -76,6 +76,22 @@ setup() {
     [[ "$result" == "ALLOWED" ]]
 }
 
+@test "is_safe_project_artifact: allows direct child when search path is project root" {
+    mkdir -p "$HOME/single-project/node_modules"
+    touch "$HOME/single-project/package.json"
+
+    result=$(bash -c "
+        source '$PROJECT_ROOT/lib/clean/project.sh'
+        if is_safe_project_artifact '$HOME/single-project/node_modules' '$HOME/single-project'; then
+            echo 'ALLOWED'
+        else
+            echo 'BLOCKED'
+        fi
+    ")
+
+    [[ "$result" == "ALLOWED" ]]
+}
+
 @test "filter_nested_artifacts: removes nested node_modules" {
     mkdir -p "$HOME/www/project/node_modules/package/node_modules"
 
@@ -434,6 +450,28 @@ EOF
     [[ "$result" == "SKIPPED" ]]
 }
 
+@test "scan_purge_targets: finds direct-child artifacts in project root with find mode" {
+    mkdir -p "$HOME/single-project/node_modules"
+    touch "$HOME/single-project/package.json"
+
+    local scan_output
+    scan_output="$(mktemp)"
+
+    result=$(bash -c "
+        source '$PROJECT_ROOT/lib/clean/project.sh'
+        MO_USE_FIND=1 scan_purge_targets '$HOME/single-project' '$scan_output'
+        if grep -q '$HOME/single-project/node_modules' '$scan_output'; then
+            echo 'FOUND'
+        else
+            echo 'MISSING'
+        fi
+    ")
+
+    rm -f "$scan_output"
+
+    [[ "$result" == "FOUND" ]]
+}
+
 @test "is_recently_modified: detects recent projects" {
     mkdir -p "$HOME/www/project/node_modules"
     touch "$HOME/www/project/package.json"