diff --git a/agent/internal/packages/packages.go b/agent/internal/packages/packages.go
index fafcacc..a503223 100644
--- a/agent/internal/packages/packages.go
+++ b/agent/internal/packages/packages.go
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ func Collect() (OSRelease, []Package, error) {
 	switch {
 	case have("dpkg-query"):
 		out, err := run(ctx, "dpkg-query", "-W", "-f",
-			`${Package}\t${Version}\t${Architecture}\t${source:Package}\n`)
+			`${Package}\t${Version}\t${Architecture}\t${source:Package}\t${db:Status-Status}\n`)
 		if err != nil {
 			return osrel, nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/agent/internal/packages/parse.go b/agent/internal/packages/parse.go
index 41adf04..2365332 100644
--- a/agent/internal/packages/parse.go
+++ b/agent/internal/packages/parse.go
@@ -20,12 +20,20 @@ type Package struct {
 }
 
 // ParseDpkg reads tab-separated output of
-// dpkg-query -W -f '${Package}\t${Version}\t${Architecture}\t${source:Package}\n'
+// dpkg-query -W -f '${Package}\t${Version}\t${Architecture}\t${source:Package}\t${db:Status-Status}\n'
 //
 // SourceName is why the fourth column is requested at all: Debian and Ubuntu
 // advisories are keyed on the SOURCE package, so one CVE against "openssl"
 // covers the binaries libssl3, openssl and libssl-dev. Matching on binary name
 // alone finds one of the three.
+//
+// The fifth column is why "rc" packages do not appear. dpkg-query -W lists
+// every package dpkg knows about, including ones removed with their config
+// files left behind — a host that has upgraded its kernel a dozen times reports
+// a dozen old linux-modules versions that are not on disk, and the oldest of
+// them sorts first and reads as the installed version. Only "installed" is
+// installed. An empty status means dpkg did not understand the field, in which
+// case the line is kept rather than the whole inventory silently vanishing.
 func ParseDpkg(out string) []Package {
 	var pkgs []Package
 	for _, line := range strings.Split(out, "\n") {
@@ -36,6 +44,11 @@ func ParseDpkg(out string) []Package {
 		if len(f) < 3 {
 			continue
 		}
+		if len(f) > 4 {
+			if s := strings.TrimSpace(f[4]); s != "" && s != "installed" {
+				continue
+			}
+		}
 		p := Package{Name: f[0], Version: f[1], Arch: f[2]}
 		if len(f) > 3 && f[3] != "" {
 			p.SourceName = f[3]