diff --git a/src/agents/main-session-recovery-state.test.ts b/src/agents/main-session-recovery-state.test.ts
index 4fdef80631d..1fc0d11c869 100644
--- a/src/agents/main-session-recovery-state.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/main-session-recovery-state.test.ts
@@ -204,6 +204,53 @@ describe("main session recovery state", () => {
     expect(entry).toEqual(before);
   });
 
+  it("clears orphaned lifecycle fences before healthy foreground admission", () => {
+    const entry = interruptedEntry({
+      abortedLastRun: false,
+      mainRestartRecovery: undefined,
+      restartRecoveryRuns: [{ runId: "stale-run", lifecycleGeneration: "stale-generation" }],
+    });
+
+    expect(
+      transitionMainSessionRecovery(entry, {
+        kind: "claim_foreground",
+        cycleId: "unused",
+        lifecycleGeneration: "generation-1",
+        sessionId: "session-1",
+        sessionKey,
+        claimId: "foreground-1",
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({ kind: "applied" });
+    expect(entry).toMatchObject({
+      status: "running",
+      abortedLastRun: false,
+    });
+    expect(entry.restartRecoveryRuns).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(entry.mainRestartRecovery).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("keeps lifecycle fences while a recovery delivery owner remains", () => {
+    const entry = interruptedEntry({
+      abortedLastRun: false,
+      mainRestartRecovery: undefined,
+      restartRecoveryDeliveryRunId: "active-recovery",
+      restartRecoveryRuns: [{ runId: "active-recovery", lifecycleGeneration: "generation-1" }],
+    });
+    const before = structuredClone(entry);
+
+    expect(
+      transitionMainSessionRecovery(entry, {
+        kind: "claim_foreground",
+        cycleId: "unused",
+        lifecycleGeneration: "generation-1",
+        sessionId: "session-1",
+        sessionKey,
+        claimId: "foreground-1",
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({ kind: "no_change" });
+    expect(entry).toEqual(before);
+  });
+
   it("retires a stale reservation before granting foreground ownership", () => {
     const entry = interruptedEntry({
       mainRestartRecovery: recoveryState({
diff --git a/src/agents/main-session-recovery-state.ts b/src/agents/main-session-recovery-state.ts
index 3ca9f4d9295..dc0ce103989 100644
--- a/src/agents/main-session-recovery-state.ts
+++ b/src/agents/main-session-recovery-state.ts
@@ -155,6 +155,19 @@ export function isMainRestartRecoveryCandidate(entry: SessionEntry, sessionKey:
   );
 }
 
+// A healthy session can retain lifecycle fences after its final recovery owner
+// clears. With no active delivery or aggregate, those fences no longer own work.
+function hasOrphanedMainRestartRecoveryFences(entry: SessionEntry, sessionKey: string): boolean {
+  return (
+    entry.status === "running" &&
+    entry.abortedLastRun !== true &&
+    entry.restartRecoveryRuns !== undefined &&
+    entry.mainRestartRecovery === undefined &&
+    entry.restartRecoveryDeliveryRunId === undefined &&
+    isMainRestartRecoveryCandidate(entry, sessionKey)
+  );
+}
+
 function inspectMainSessionRecovery(params: {
   entry: SessionEntry;
   lifecycleGeneration: string;
@@ -444,6 +457,13 @@ export function transitionMainSessionRecovery(
       return { kind: "applied" };
     }
     case "claim_foreground": {
+      if (
+        entry.sessionId === command.sessionId &&
+        hasOrphanedMainRestartRecoveryFences(entry, command.sessionKey)
+      ) {
+        Object.assign(entry, buildMainSessionRecoveryClearPatch(entry));
+        return { kind: "applied" };
+      }
       if (
         entry.sessionId !== command.sessionId ||
         entry.status !== "running" ||
diff --git a/src/agents/main-session-recovery-store.test.ts b/src/agents/main-session-recovery-store.test.ts
index 9e3c1ce499b..704aafb8720 100644
--- a/src/agents/main-session-recovery-store.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/main-session-recovery-store.test.ts
@@ -366,6 +366,31 @@ describe("main session recovery store", () => {
     expect(accessorSpy.mock.calls[0]?.[0]).toMatchObject({ sessionKeys: [sessionKey] });
   });
 
+  it("atomically clears orphaned lifecycle fences from a healthy row", async () => {
+    await write(
+      interruptedEntry({
+        abortedLastRun: false,
+        mainRestartRecovery: undefined,
+        restartRecoveryRuns: [{ runId: "stale-run", lifecycleGeneration: "stale-generation" }],
+      }),
+    );
+
+    await expect(
+      claimMainSessionRecoveryOwner({
+        lifecycleGeneration,
+        sessionId: "session-1",
+        target: { sessionKey, storePath },
+      }),
+    ).resolves.toEqual({ kind: "not_required" });
+    expect(read()).toMatchObject({
+      sessionId: "session-1",
+      status: "running",
+      abortedLastRun: false,
+    });
+    expect(read().restartRecoveryRuns).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(read().mainRestartRecovery).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
   it("binds a foreground claim to its lifecycle run", async () => {
     await write(interruptedEntry());
 
diff --git a/src/auto-reply/reply/reply-turn-admission.test.ts b/src/auto-reply/reply/reply-turn-admission.test.ts
index 8d6b6f200b5..7416a5bb3db 100644
--- a/src/auto-reply/reply/reply-turn-admission.test.ts
+++ b/src/auto-reply/reply/reply-turn-admission.test.ts
@@ -425,6 +425,36 @@ describe("reply turn admission", () => {
     },
   );
 
+  it("admits a visible turn after clearing orphaned restart-recovery fences", async () => {
+    const sessionKey = "agent:main:telegram:topic:orphaned-recovery-fence";
+    const sessionId = "healthy-session";
+    const storePath = createSessionStore({
+      [sessionKey]: {
+        sessionId,
+        updatedAt: 100,
+        status: "running",
+        abortedLastRun: false,
+        restartRecoveryRuns: [{ runId: "stale-run", lifecycleGeneration: "stale-generation" }],
+      },
+    });
+
+    const admission = await admitReplyTurn({
+      sessionKey,
+      sessionId,
+      expectedSessionId: sessionId,
+      storePath,
+      kind: "visible",
+      resetTriggered: false,
+    });
+    expect(admission.status).toBe("owned");
+    const persisted = await readSessionEntry(storePath, sessionKey);
+    expect(persisted?.restartRecoveryRuns).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(persisted?.mainRestartRecovery).toBeUndefined();
+    if (admission.status === "owned") {
+      admission.operation.complete();
+    }
+  });
+
   it("drops a queued followup for an admitted recovery fence", async () => {
     const sessionKey = "agent:main:telegram:topic:admitted-recovery";
     const sessionId = "admitted-recovery-session";