diff --git a/Projects/UOContent.Tests/Tests/Items/TreasureChests/TreasureMapChestGuardianTests.cs b/Projects/UOContent.Tests/Tests/Items/TreasureChests/TreasureMapChestGuardianTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..633025042
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Projects/UOContent.Tests/Tests/Items/TreasureChests/TreasureMapChestGuardianTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Reflection;
+using Server;
+using Server.Items;
+using Server.Mobiles;
+using Server.Tests;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace UOContent.Tests;
+
+[Collection("Sequential UOContent Tests")]
+public class TreasureMapChestGuardianTests
+{
+    // A treasure.cfg chest site with room to dig the chest up and spawn its guardians.
+    private const int SiteX = 2643;
+    private const int SiteY = 851;
+
+    // The guardian list starts null and is created by the first guardian added. A level 0 chest
+    // stays shut to players until its guardians are dead.
+    [Fact]
+    public void AddToGuardians_OnNewChest_KeepsLevelZeroChestShut()
+    {
+        var map = Map.Felucca;
+        var location = new Point3D(5000, 610, 0);
+        var player = CreatePlayerMobile(map, location);
+        var guardian = new Mobile(World.NewMobile);
+        guardian.DefaultMobileInit();
+        var chest = new TreasureMapChest(0);
+
+        try
+        {
+            Assert.Null(chest.Guardians);
+
+            chest.AddToGuardians(guardian);
+
+            Assert.Same(guardian, Assert.Single(chest.Guardians));
+            Assert.True(chest.CheckLocked(player));
+
+            guardian.Delete();
+
+            Assert.False(chest.CheckLocked(player));
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            chest.Delete();
+            guardian.Delete();
+            player.Delete();
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Drives the real dig, one DigTimer tick per call, until the chest surfaces and its guardians
+    // spawn. Levels 0 and 2+ spawn guardians; level 1 spawns none.
+    [SkippableTheory]
+    [InlineData(0)]
+    [InlineData(2)]
+    public void Dig_AddsSpawnedGuardiansToTheChest(int level)
+    {
+        TileDataRequirement.SkipIfMissing();
+
+        var map = Map.Felucca;
+        var site = new Point3D(SiteX, SiteY, map.GetAverageZ(SiteX, SiteY));
+        var player = CreatePlayerMobile(map, new Point3D(site.X + 1, site.Y, site.Z));
+        var treasureMap = new TreasureMap(level, map);
+
+        try
+        {
+            Assert.True(map.CanFit(site.X, site.Y, site.Z, 16, true));
+            Assert.True(player.BeginAction<TreasureMap>());
+
+            var timerType = typeof(TreasureMap).GetNestedType("DigTimer", BindingFlags.NonPublic)!;
+            var onTick = timerType.GetMethod("OnTick", BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Instance)!;
+            var digTimer = Activator.CreateInstance(timerType, player, treasureMap, site, map);
+
+            for (var i = 0; i < 30 && !treasureMap.Completed; i++)
+            {
+                onTick.Invoke(digTimer, BindingFlags.DoNotWrapExceptions, null, null, null);
+            }
+
+            var chest = FindChest(map, site);
+
+            Assert.True(treasureMap.Completed);
+            Assert.NotNull(chest);
+            Assert.NotNull(chest.Guardians);
+            Assert.NotEmpty(chest.Guardians);
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            Cleanup(map, site);
+            treasureMap.Delete();
+            player.Delete();
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static TreasureMapChest FindChest(Map map, Point3D site)
+    {
+        foreach (var chest in map.GetItemsInRange<TreasureMapChest>(site, 0))
+        {
+            return chest;
+        }
+
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    // Sweeps the site rather than trusting references, so a dig that throws partway still leaves
+    // nothing behind for the next case: the chest, both dirt piles and any guardian spawned so far.
+    private static void Cleanup(Map map, Point3D site)
+    {
+        var leftovers = new List<IEntity>();
+
+        foreach (var m in map.GetMobilesInRange<BaseCreature>(site, 3))
+        {
+            leftovers.Add(m);
+        }
+
+        foreach (var item in map.GetItemsInRange<TreasureMapChest>(site, 1))
+        {
+            leftovers.Add(item);
+        }
+
+        foreach (var item in map.GetItemsInRange<TreasureChestDirt>(site, 1))
+        {
+            leftovers.Add(item);
+        }
+
+        foreach (var entity in leftovers)
+        {
+            entity.Delete();
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static PlayerMobile CreatePlayerMobile(Map map, Point3D location)
+    {
+        var mobile = new PlayerMobile(World.NewMobile);
+        mobile.DefaultMobileInit();
+        mobile.MoveToWorld(location, map);
+        return mobile;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Projects/UOContent/Items/Maps/TreasureMap.cs b/Projects/UOContent/Items/Maps/TreasureMap.cs
index 25711e120..fd2a9d75d 100644
--- a/Projects/UOContent/Items/Maps/TreasureMap.cs
+++ b/Projects/UOContent/Items/Maps/TreasureMap.cs
@@ -806,7 +806,7 @@ public partial class TreasureMap : MapItem
 
                     if (bc != null)
                     {
-                        m_Chest.Guardians.Add(bc);
+                        m_Chest.AddToGuardians(bc);
                     }
                 }
             }