We elaborate on the role of higher-derivative curvature invariants as a quantum selection mechanism of regular spacetimes in the framework of the Lorentzian path integral approach to quantum gravity. We show that for a large class of black hole metrics prominently regular there are higher-derivative curvature invariants associated with a singular term in the action. Therefore, according to the finite action principle applied to a general higher-derivative gravity model, not only singular spacetimes but also some of the regular ones seem to not contribute to the path integral.
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