diff --git a/src/freeroute/route/grid_router.py b/src/freeroute/route/grid_router.py
index 28529ff..a227a4f 100644
--- a/src/freeroute/route/grid_router.py
+++ b/src/freeroute/route/grid_router.py
@@ -854,11 +854,14 @@ class GridRouter:
                         )
         return None
 
-    def _tree_ends(self, conn: _Connection, group) -> dict[Node, int]:
-        """Copper its net has already routed on ``group``'s side of ``conn``,
-        each node mapped to the connection that laid it: a route may start or
-        end anywhere on it. Empty for plane nets, which keep their drops to
-        the plane, and when tree routing is off."""
+    def _tree_ends(self, conn: _Connection, group) -> dict[Node, frozenset[int]]:
+        """Copper its net has already routed on ``group``'s side of ``conn``: a
+        route may start or end anywhere on it. Each node maps to what a route
+        ending there relies on: the connection that laid the copper and every
+        one between it and ``group`` (routed connections of a net form a
+        forest, so that path is unique). Ripping any of them would cut the
+        route off. Empty for plane nets, which keep their drops to the plane,
+        and when tree routing is off."""
         if not self.tree or conn.net_no in self._plane_nets:
             return {}
         adjacent: dict[int, list[tuple[int, _Connection]]] = {}
@@ -868,18 +871,21 @@ class GridRouter:
             a, b = id(c.a_group), id(c.b_group)
             adjacent.setdefault(a, []).append((b, c))
             adjacent.setdefault(b, []).append((a, c))
-        owners: dict[Node, int] = {}
-        seen = {id(group)}
+        owners: dict[Node, frozenset[int]] = {}
+        path_to: dict[int, frozenset[int]] = {id(group): frozenset()}
         stack = [id(group)]
         while stack:
-            for other, c in adjacent.get(stack.pop(), ()):
+            here = stack.pop()
+            for other, c in adjacent.get(here, ()):
+                if other in path_to:
+                    continue
+                path = path_to[here] | {c.index}
+                path_to[other] = path
+                stack.append(other)
                 for node in c.copper:
                     # a walled cell's via moved into the pad: no copper there
                     if node not in self._keepout and node not in self._via_only:
-                        owners.setdefault(node, c.index)
-                if other not in seen:
-                    seen.add(other)
-                    stack.append(other)
+                        owners.setdefault(node, path)
         return owners
 
     def _with_dependents(self, victims: list[_Connection], conns: list[_Connection]) -> list[_Connection]:
@@ -1943,12 +1949,13 @@ def _first(items):
 
 
 def _anchors(path, starts, goals, a_tree, b_tree) -> frozenset[int]:
-    """The connections whose copper a found path starts or ends on."""
-    found = set()
+    """What a found path relies on: the connections between the copper it
+    starts or ends on and its own groups."""
+    found: set[int] = set()
     if starts.get(path[0]) is None and path[0] in a_tree:
-        found.add(a_tree[path[0]])
+        found |= a_tree[path[0]]
     if goals.get(path[-1]) is None and path[-1] in b_tree:
-        found.add(b_tree[path[-1]])
+        found |= b_tree[path[-1]]
     return frozenset(found)
 
 
diff --git a/tests/route/test_tree_nets.py b/tests/route/test_tree_nets.py
index 0fdf6f2..74c197a 100644
--- a/tests/route/test_tree_nets.py
+++ b/tests/route/test_tree_nets.py
@@ -139,3 +139,32 @@ def test_occupancy_stays_honest(tree_nets):
     for anchor, hanging in router._dependents.items():
         for i in hanging:
             assert conns[i].routed and conns[anchor].routed
+
+
+# P1-P2 along the top, P3 far off to the lower right, P4 just under the
+# middle of the P1-P2 leg.
+CHAIN_TEE = TEE.replace(
+    """      (place P3 100000 -70000 front 0)
+""",
+    """      (place P3 190000 -90000 front 0)
+      (place P4 100000 -40000 front 0)
+""",
+).replace("(pins P1-1 P2-1 P3-1)", "(pins P1-1 P2-1 P3-1 P4-1)")
+
+
+def test_a_tee_depends_on_every_connection_back_to_its_group():
+    """Joined as P1-P2, P2-P3, P3-P4, P4's connection tees onto P1-P2 copper,
+    which reaches P3's group only through P2-P3. Ripping P2-P3 must take the T
+    too, or it would be counted routed while cut off from P3."""
+    router = _router(text=CHAIN_TEE)
+    conns = router._conns = router._build_connections()
+    groups = {c.a.component_ref: c.a_group for c in conns}
+    groups.update({c.b.component_ref: c.b_group for c in conns})
+    for conn, (a, b) in zip(conns, (("P1", "P2"), ("P2", "P3"), ("P3", "P4")), strict=True):
+        conn.a_group, conn.b_group = groups[a], groups[b]
+    for conn in conns:
+        assert router._try_route(conn, conns)
+    first, second, third = conns
+    assert third.path[0] in first.copper  # the T lands on the far leg
+    assert third.anchors == {first.index, second.index}
+    assert router._with_dependents([second], conns) == [second, third]