diff --git a/src/pobsync/commands/run_scheduled.py b/src/pobsync/commands/run_scheduled.py
index d170f82..e5a2b16 100644
--- a/src/pobsync/commands/run_scheduled.py
+++ b/src/pobsync/commands/run_scheduled.py
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any
 
-from ..commands.retention_apply import run_retention_apply
 from ..config.load import load_global_config, load_host_config
 from ..config.merge import build_effective_config
 from ..errors import ConfigError
@@ -19,6 +18,7 @@ from ..snapshot import (
     snapshot_dir_name,
     utc_now,
 )
+from ..snapshot_meta import read_snapshot_meta
 from ..util import ensure_dir, realpath_startswith, sanitize_host, write_yaml_atomic
 
 
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ def _find_latest_snapshot(parent: Path) -> Path | None:
 def select_scheduled_base(dirs: HostBackupDirs) -> Path | None:
     """
     Base selection rule:
-      scheduled -> manual -> none
+    scheduled -> manual -> none
     """
     base = _find_latest_snapshot(dirs.scheduled)
     if base is not None:
@@ -55,36 +55,37 @@ def select_scheduled_base(dirs: HostBackupDirs) -> Path | None:
     return _find_latest_snapshot(dirs.manual)
 
 
-def _base_meta_from_path(base_dir: Path | None) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
+def _base_meta_from_path(base_dir: Path | None, link_dest: str | None) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
+    """
+    Build base metadata for meta.yaml.
+
+    Important: link_dest is the actual rsync --link-dest directory.
+    For our snapshot layout, that must be "<snapshot_dir>/data".
+    """
     if base_dir is None:
         return None
 
     kind = base_dir.parent.name
     if kind not in ("scheduled", "manual"):
+        # Should not happen with current selection logic, but keep meta robust.
         kind = "unknown"
 
+    base_meta = read_snapshot_meta(base_dir)
+    base_id = base_meta.get("id") if isinstance(base_meta.get("id"), str) else None
+
     return {
         "kind": kind,
         "dirname": base_dir.name,
-        "id": None,
-        "path": None,
+        "id": base_id,
+        "path": link_dest,
     }
 
 
-def run_scheduled(
-    prefix: Path,
-    host: str,
-    dry_run: bool,
-    prune: bool = False,
-    prune_max_delete: int = 10,
-    prune_protect_bases: bool = False,
-) -> dict[str, Any]:
+def run_scheduled(prefix: Path, host: str, dry_run: bool, prune: bool = False, prune_max_delete: int | None = None, prune_protect_bases: bool = False, ) -> dict[str, Any]:
+
     host = sanitize_host(host)
     paths = PobsyncPaths(home=prefix)
 
-    if prune_max_delete < 0:
-        raise ConfigError("--prune-max-delete must be >= 0")
-
     # Load and merge config
     global_cfg = load_global_config(paths.global_config_path)
     host_cfg = load_host_config(paths.hosts_dir / f"{host}.yaml")
@@ -102,7 +103,10 @@ def run_scheduled(
 
     # Base snapshot (absolute path)
     base_dir = select_scheduled_base(dirs)
-    link_dest = str(base_dir) if base_dir else None
+
+    # BUGFIX: rsync --link-dest must point at the snapshot "data" root, not the snapshot dir itself.
+    # Our destination root is "<incomplete>/data/", so the base root must be "<base>/data/".
+    link_dest = str(base_dir / "data") if base_dir else None
 
     ssh_cfg = cfg.get("ssh", {}) or {}
     rsync_cfg = cfg.get("rsync", {}) or {}
@@ -186,6 +190,7 @@ def run_scheduled(
         meta_path = meta_dir / "meta.yaml"
         log_path = meta_dir / "rsync.log"
 
+        # Pre-build command so we can record it in metadata.
         dest = str(data_dir) + "/"
         cmd = build_rsync_command(
             rsync_binary=str(rsync_binary),
@@ -211,8 +216,9 @@ def run_scheduled(
             "started_at": format_iso_z(ts),
             "ended_at": None,
             "duration_seconds": None,
-            "base": _base_meta_from_path(base_dir),
+            "base": _base_meta_from_path(base_dir, link_dest),
             "rsync": {"exit_code": None, "command": cmd, "stats": {}},
+            # Keep existing fields for future expansion / compatibility with current structure.
             "overrides": {"includes": [], "excludes": [], "base": None},
         }
 
@@ -253,7 +259,7 @@ def run_scheduled(
         final_dir = dirs.scheduled / snap_name
         incomplete_dir.rename(final_dir)
 
-        out: dict[str, Any] = {
+        return {
             "ok": True,
             "dry_run": False,
             "host": host,
@@ -262,28 +268,3 @@ def run_scheduled(
             "rsync": {"exit_code": result.exit_code},
         }
 
-        if prune:
-            prune_result = run_retention_apply(
-                prefix=prefix,
-                host=host,
-                kind="scheduled",
-                protect_bases=bool(prune_protect_bases),
-                yes=True,
-                max_delete=int(prune_max_delete),
-                acquire_lock=False,  # already under host lock
-            )
-            # Merge actions for human output
-            actions = []
-            if isinstance(prune_result.get("actions"), list):
-                actions.extend([f"prune: {a}" for a in prune_result["actions"]])
-            if actions:
-                out["actions"] = out.get("actions", []) + actions
-            out["prune"] = {
-                "ok": bool(prune_result.get("ok")),
-                "deleted": prune_result.get("deleted", []),
-                "max_delete": prune_result.get("max_delete"),
-                "protect_bases": prune_result.get("protect_bases"),
-            }
-
-        return out
-