diff --git a/packages/client/ui-slots/src/deferred.ts b/packages/client/ui-slots/src/deferred.ts
index af85c27f97..9b68c4d206 100644
--- a/packages/client/ui-slots/src/deferred.ts
+++ b/packages/client/ui-slots/src/deferred.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ export interface DeferredRegistration {
  * @param component - the component whose ledger presence marks "registered".
  * @param register - performs the actual registration; returns its disposer.
  * @returns the deferral handle (dispose in the owning effect's disposer).
+ * @throws the immediate registration's failure, after removing the
+ * just-installed subscription — a throwing construction leaves nothing live.
  */
 export function deferRegistration(
   registry: DeferralRegistry,
@@ -51,7 +53,15 @@ export function deferRegistration(
     dispose = register()
   }
   const unsubscribe = registry.subscribe(name, () => { tryRegister() })
-  tryRegister()
+  try {
+    tryRegister()
+  } catch (error) {
+    // A synchronous registration failure (the declared slot is already
+    // occupied) must not leave the just-installed subscription behind: the
+    // caller receives no handle to dispose it through.
+    unsubscribe()
+    throw error
+  }
   return {
     refresh() {
       dispose?.()
diff --git a/packages/client/ui-slots/tests/deferred.spec.ts b/packages/client/ui-slots/tests/deferred.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2153e52181
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/client/ui-slots/tests/deferred.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+// deferRegistration lifecycle: declaration-aware registration, HMR
+// re-registration, and — the failure contract — no subscription survives a
+// construction that throws synchronously (an already-occupied single slot).
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { deferRegistration, SlotCore } from '@deepseek-ai/dsh-client-ui-slots'
+
+// Shares the merges declared by core.spec.ts (same program); reuse its keys.
+const HOLE = 'test.single' as const
+
+function declared(): SlotCore {
+  const core = new SlotCore()
+  core.register({ name: 'root', children: { [HOLE]: { kind: 'single', scope: 'root' } } } as never, (() => null) as never)
+  return core
+}
+
+describe('deferRegistration', () => {
+  it('registers immediately under an existing declaration and disposes cleanly', () => {
+    const core = declared()
+    const component = (): null => null
+    const handle = deferRegistration(core, HOLE, component, () =>
+      core.register({ name: HOLE } as never, component as never))
+    expect(core.entries(HOLE)).toHaveLength(1)
+    handle.dispose()
+    expect(core.entries(HOLE)).toHaveLength(0)
+  })
+
+  it('drops its subscription when the immediate registration throws', async () => {
+    const core = declared()
+    const foreign = (): null => null
+    const disposeForeign = core.register({ name: HOLE } as never, foreign as never)
+    const component = (): null => null
+    const register = vi.fn(() => core.register({ name: HOLE } as never, component as never))
+    // The single hole is occupied: the immediate attempt throws out of the
+    // constructor, and the caller never receives a handle to dispose.
+    expect(() => deferRegistration(core, HOLE, component, register)).toThrow(/already has a registration/)
+    expect(register).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+    // The subscription rolled back with it: freeing the hole flushes a
+    // notification that must not resurrect the failed registration.
+    disposeForeign()
+    await Promise.resolve()
+    expect(register).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+    expect(core.entries(HOLE)).toHaveLength(0)
+  })
+})