diff --git a/record-bin/src/utils/lambdaLessCapture.test.ts b/record-bin/src/utils/lambdaLessCapture.test.ts
index b8c05943..468b0345 100644
--- a/record-bin/src/utils/lambdaLessCapture.test.ts
+++ b/record-bin/src/utils/lambdaLessCapture.test.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ type Request = {
   queryParams?: {
     filter: { ids: string };
     nested: boolean;
+    version?: string;
     page: { limit: number; offset: number };
   };
   body?: { data: ReturnType<typeof source> };
@@ -63,8 +64,13 @@ function setup(
       batches.push({ count: ids.length, nested: queryParams.nested });
       expect(queryParams.page.limit).toBe(ids.length);
       expect(queryParams.page.offset).toBe(0);
+      // Mirror the legacy list default, which omits never-published records.
+      const visibleIds =
+        queryParams.version === 'current'
+          ? ids
+          : ids.filter((id) => !id.startsWith('draft-'));
       return {
-        data: ids
+        data: visibleIds
           .map((id) =>
             overrides.read
               ? overrides.read(id, queryParams.nested)
@@ -180,6 +186,12 @@ describe('pre-deletion capture', () => {
       allowDeletion: false,
     });
   });
+  it('captures never-published records on projects listing published versions by default', async () => {
+    const mock = setup();
+    const result = await run(['draft-1']);
+    expect(result.allowDeletion).toBe(true);
+    expect(mock.archive).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
   it('rejects sources without version metadata', async () => {
     setup({ read: (id) => ({ ...source(id), meta: {} }) });
     expect((await run(['one'])).allowDeletion).toBe(false);
diff --git a/record-bin/src/utils/lambdaLessCapture.ts b/record-bin/src/utils/lambdaLessCapture.ts
index f46bc930..678ea628 100644
--- a/record-bin/src/utils/lambdaLessCapture.ts
+++ b/record-bin/src/utils/lambdaLessCapture.ts
@@ -186,6 +186,8 @@ class CaptureOperation {
       queryParams: {
         filter: { ids: batch.join(',') },
         nested,
+        // Projects without the improved items listing default to `published`, omitting drafts.
+        version: 'current',
         page: { limit: batch.length, offset: 0 },
       },
     });