[v26.1.x] ct/l0/gc: collect stranded L0 objects after all cloud topics deleted

src/v/cloud_topics/level_zero/gc/level_zero_gc.cc

@@ -356,7 +356,20 @@ l0::gc::epoch_source::max_gc_eligible_epoch(seastar::abort_source* as) {
         co_return std::unexpected(partitions.error());
     }
     if (partitions.value().partitions.empty()) {
-        co_return std::nullopt;
+        // No cloud topic partitions currently exist, so no partition can
+        // hold back the collectible epoch. Use the snapshot revision as
+        // the watermark so that we can still collect stranded L0 objects
+        // from previously deleted topics.
+        auto result = partitions.value().snap_revision;
+        vlog(
+          cd_log.debug,
+          "Empty partition snapshot, max GC eligible epoch is snapshot "
+          "epoch {}",
+          result);
+        if (probe_) {
+            probe_->set_min_partition_gc_epoch(result);
+        }
+        co_return result;
     }
 
     /*

src/v/cloud_topics/level_zero/gc/tests/level_zero_gc_tests.cc

@@ -527,15 +527,20 @@ class LevelZeroGCMaxEpochTest : public testing::Test {
 };
 
 TEST_F(LevelZeroGCMaxEpochTest, EmptySnapshot) {
-    // no error
+    // An empty snapshot means no cloud topic partitions currently exist.
+    // The watermark falls through to `snap_revision`: this is the
+    // zero-iteration case of the min-reduce. Stranded L0 objects left over
+    // from previously deleted topics remain epoch-eligible.
+    snapshot().snap_revision = cloud_topics::cluster_epoch(42);
     ASSERT_TRUE(max_gc().has_value());
-    // no result
-    ASSERT_FALSE(max_gc().value().has_value());
+    ASSERT_TRUE(max_gc().value().has_value());
+    ASSERT_EQ(max_gc().value().value(), cloud_topics::cluster_epoch(42));
 }
 
 namespace {
 model::topic_namespace tpns0(model::ns("ns0"), model::topic("t0"));
-}
+model::topic_namespace tpns1(model::ns("ns1"), model::topic("t1"));
+} // namespace
 
 TEST_F(LevelZeroGCMaxEpochTest, EmptyGcEpochReport) {
     // here we have a non-empty snapshot, but no reported epochs from individual
@@ -572,10 +577,28 @@ TEST_F(LevelZeroGCMaxEpochTest, MinReduce) {
 }
 
 TEST_F(LevelZeroGCMaxEpochTest, EmptySnapshotNonEmptyReport) {
+    // With an empty snapshot, no partition can hold the watermark back:
+    // the topic table is the source of truth for liveness, so report
+    // entries without a matching snapshot entry are ignored regardless
+    // of value. This handles two races between the health report and
+    // snapshot collection points:
+    //   (1) topic created after the snapshot - reported epoch is
+    //       > snap_revision, so its L0 data is out of range for this
+    //       pass anyway.
+    //   (2) topic deleted before the snapshot - reported epoch is
+    //       <= snap_revision; ignoring it prevents regressing the
+    //       watermark below the snapshot and preserving the objects
+    //       this pass is meant to reap.
+    snapshot().snap_revision = cloud_topics::cluster_epoch(100);
+    // case (1): report entry from a topic created after the snapshot
     get_partitions_max_gc_epoch_value[tpns0][model::partition_id(0)]
       = cloud_topics::cluster_epoch(200);
+    // case (2): stale report entry from a topic deleted before the snapshot
+    get_partitions_max_gc_epoch_value[tpns1][model::partition_id(0)]
+      = cloud_topics::cluster_epoch(50);
     ASSERT_TRUE(max_gc().has_value());
-    ASSERT_FALSE(max_gc().value().has_value());
+    ASSERT_TRUE(max_gc().value().has_value());
+    ASSERT_EQ(max_gc().value().value(), cloud_topics::cluster_epoch(100));
 }
 
 class LevelZeroGCScaleOutTest : public LevelZeroGCTest {

tests/rptest/tests/cloud_topics/l0_gc_test.py

@@ -1195,3 +1195,84 @@ def _blocked_rounds_stable():
             backoff_sec=2,
             retry_on_exc=True,
         )
+
+
+class CloudTopicsL0GCAllTopicsDeletedTest(CloudTopicsL0GCAdminBase):
+    """
+    Integration: when every cloud topic is deleted while L0 objects still
+    exist in the bucket, GC must still clean them up.
+
+    Regression test for: `l0::gc::epoch_source::max_gc_eligible_epoch`
+    returned `std::nullopt` when the partition snapshot was empty (no
+    cloud topic partitions existed). `try_to_collect` then listed L0
+    objects but refused to delete any of them, returning
+    `no_collectible_epoch`. The worker loop backed off and retried
+    forever without making progress, so objects remained in the bucket
+    indefinitely.
+    """
+
+    L0_PREFIX = "level_zero/data/"
+
+    def _count_l0_objects(self) -> int:
+        objects = self.redpanda.get_objects_from_si()
+        keys = [o.key for o in objects if o.key.startswith(self.L0_PREFIX)]
+        self.logger.debug(f"Found {len(keys)} L0 objects")
+        return len(keys)
+
+    @cluster(num_nodes=4)
+    @matrix(
+        cloud_storage_type=get_cloud_storage_type(applies_only_on=[CloudStorageType.S3])
+    )
+    def test_gc_completes_after_all_topics_deleted(
+        self, cloud_storage_type: CloudStorageType
+    ):
+        topic = TopicSpec(partition_count=2, replication_factor=3)
+        self.topics = [topic]
+        self.create_topics(self.topics)
+
+        # Pause GC cluster-wide so L0 objects accumulate in the bucket
+        # while we produce.
+        self.gc_pause()
+        self.wait_for_status(status=GcStatus.L0_GC_STATUS_PAUSED)
+
+        # Produce long enough that reconciliation advances the epoch and
+        # L0 objects exist to be collected.
+        self.produce_some(topics=[topic.name])
+
+        wait_until(
+            lambda: self._count_l0_objects() > 0,
+            timeout_sec=60,
+            backoff_sec=2,
+            err_msg="Expected L0 objects to exist in the bucket after produce",
+        )
+        l0_before = self._count_l0_objects()
+        self.logger.info(f"Accumulated {l0_before} L0 objects with GC paused")
+
+        # Delete the only cloud topic and wait for the deletion to be
+        # applied cluster-wide.
+        rpk = RpkTool(self.redpanda)
+        self.logger.info(f"Deleting topic {topic.name}")
+        rpk.delete_topic(topic.name)
+        wait_until(
+            lambda: topic.name not in rpk.list_topics(),
+            timeout_sec=30,
+            backoff_sec=1,
+            err_msg=f"Topic {topic.name} still visible after delete",
+        )
+
+        # Resume GC and allow plenty of time for multiple GC rounds to finish.
+        # NOTE: Grace period is 10s.
+        # (see cloud_topics_short_term_gc_minimum_object_age in the base class).
+        self.gc_start()
+        self.wait_all_running()
+
+        wait_until(
+            lambda: self._count_l0_objects() == 0,
+            timeout_sec=120,
+            backoff_sec=5,
+            err_msg=lambda: (
+                f"L0 objects not cleaned up after deleting all cloud topics: "
+                f"{self._count_l0_objects()} remain (started with {l0_before})"
+            ),
+        )
+        self.logger.info("All L0 objects cleaned up after topic deletion")