diff --git a/src/tests.rs b/src/tests.rs
index 771c4fd..62bdca3 100644
--- a/src/tests.rs
+++ b/src/tests.rs
@@ -302,14 +302,23 @@ fn test_reserve_increases_capacity() {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_reserve_is_unwind_safe() {
-    let mut erased = TypeErasedVec::new(vec![1_u8]);
+    let values = vec![1_u8];
+    let original_ptr = values.as_ptr();
+    let original_capacity = values.capacity();
+    let mut erased = TypeErasedVec::new(values);
 
     let result = panic::catch_unwind(panic::AssertUnwindSafe(|| {
         erased.reserve(usize::MAX);
     }));
 
     assert!(result.is_err());
-    assert!(erased.is_empty());
+    assert_erased_state(&erased, 1, Layout::new::<u8>());
+    assert_eq!(erased.capacity(), original_capacity);
+
+    // SAFETY: A failed reserve does not change the element type.
+    let guard = unsafe { erased.cast_type::<u8>() };
+    assert_eq!(guard.as_slice(), &[1]);
+    assert_eq!(guard.as_slice().as_ptr(), original_ptr);
 }
 
 #[test]
diff --git a/src/vtable.rs b/src/vtable.rs
index 6ac9c16..0fb127a 100644
--- a/src/vtable.rs
+++ b/src/vtable.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,48 @@
 use crate::VecParts;
+use std::mem::ManuallyDrop;
+
+/// Temporarily reconstructs a typed vector from erased raw parts and writes its
+/// latest raw parts back when dropped.
+///
+/// The guard keeps vtable operations unwind-safe while ensuring that the
+/// allocation descriptor always has exactly one owner.
+struct VecPartsRestoreGuard<'parts, T> {
+    parts: &'parts mut VecParts,
+    vec: ManuallyDrop<Vec<T>>,
+}
+
+impl<'parts, T> VecPartsRestoreGuard<'parts, T> {
+    unsafe fn new(parts: &'parts mut VecParts) -> Self {
+        let original_parts = std::mem::replace(parts, VecParts::from_vec(Vec::<T>::new()));
+
+        // SAFETY: The vtable selects T as the exact type that originally
+        // produced these raw parts, and ownership was transferred out of
+        // `parts` before reconstruction.
+        let vec = unsafe { original_parts.into_vec::<T>() };
+
+        Self {
+            parts,
+            vec: ManuallyDrop::new(vec),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn vec_mut(&mut self) -> &mut Vec<T> {
+        &mut self.vec
+    }
+
+    fn length(&self) -> usize {
+        self.vec.len()
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T> Drop for VecPartsRestoreGuard<'_, T> {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // SAFETY: `vec` is taken exactly once here and immediately converted
+        // back to the unique erased allocation descriptor.
+        let vec = unsafe { ManuallyDrop::take(&mut self.vec) };
+        *self.parts = VecParts::from_vec(vec);
+    }
+}
 
 pub(super) struct TypeErasedVecVtable {
     /// Function pointer to reserve additional capacity in the underlying Vec
@@ -37,19 +81,13 @@ impl TypeErasedVecVtable {
         }
 
         unsafe fn reserve_vec<T>(parts: &mut VecParts, additional: usize) {
-            let original_parts = std::mem::replace(parts, VecParts::from_vec(Vec::<T>::new()));
+            let original_len = parts.len;
 
-            // SAFETY: We transferred ownership of the original allocation out of
-            // `parts` before reconstructing the Vec. If `reserve` unwinds, the Vec
-            // owns and frees that allocation while `parts` remains a valid empty Vec.
-            unsafe {
-                let mut vec = original_parts.into_vec::<T>();
-                vec.reserve(additional);
-                let new_parts = VecParts::from_vec(vec);
-                debug_assert_eq!(new_parts.len, original_parts.len);
-
-                *parts = new_parts;
-            }
+            // SAFETY: This vtable function is selected only for raw parts that
+            // were produced by Vec<T>.
+            let mut restore_guard = unsafe { VecPartsRestoreGuard::<T>::new(parts) };
+            restore_guard.vec_mut().reserve(additional);
+            debug_assert_eq!(restore_guard.length(), original_len);
         }
 
         Self {