diff --git a/packages/acp/acp/src/index.ts b/packages/acp/acp/src/index.ts
index 7fc7c939e4..9d15397186 100644
--- a/packages/acp/acp/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/acp/acp/src/index.ts
@@ -275,14 +275,16 @@ export function apply(ctx: Context, config: AcpConfig): void {
           record.inflight = inflight
           try {
             record.agent.followup({ content: [{ type: 'text', text }], source: { kind: 'user' } })
+            // The machine's send() contains listener failures and accepts
+            // any typed input; this guards a future synchronous throw so the
+            // slot cannot wedge.
+            /* v8 ignore start -- future-proofing guard, see above */
           } catch (error: unknown) {
             record.inflight = undefined
-            // followup() throws only Errors (invalid input); the String arm
-            // is a defensive fallback for a non-Error throw.
-            /* v8 ignore next */
             const detail = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)
             throw internalError(`prompt was not queued: ${detail}`)
           }
+          /* v8 ignore stop */
           // Admission is pre-turn and retries outlive their failed turn, so a
           // turnless slot settles only at quiescence: a held failure rejects
           // (no retry adopted the prompt); no turn at all means admission
diff --git a/packages/acp/acp/tests/turns.spec.ts b/packages/acp/acp/tests/turns.spec.ts
index 4458a6b221..ed00d89be5 100644
--- a/packages/acp/acp/tests/turns.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/acp/acp/tests/turns.spec.ts
@@ -166,4 +166,40 @@ describe('ACP prompt lifecycle', () => {
       .resolves.toEqual({ stopReason: 'end_turn' })
     await vi.waitFor(() => { expect(messageText(harness!)).toBe('next') })
   })
+
+  it('a retry turn adopts the prompt instead of rejecting at the failed turn end', async () => {
+    harness = await makeBridgeHarness({ script: [errorResponse('transient boom'), textResponse('recovered')] })
+    // A recovery policy: schedule one retry for the failed request.
+    let retried = false
+    harness.ctx.on('agent/request-error', async (subject) => {
+      if (!retried) {
+        retried = true
+        subject.retry()
+      }
+    })
+    const sessionId = await newSession(harness)
+    const result = await harness.client.prompt({ sessionId, prompt: [{ type: 'text', text: 'go' }] })
+    expect(result.stopReason).toBe('end_turn')
+    await vi.waitFor(() => { expect(messageText(harness!)).toBe('recovered') })
+  })
+
+  it('a failed turn with no retry still rejects, at quiescence', async () => {
+    harness = await makeBridgeHarness({ script: [errorResponse('terminal boom')] })
+    let offered = 0
+    harness.ctx.on('agent/request-error', async () => { offered += 1 })
+    const sessionId = await newSession(harness)
+    await expect(harness.client.prompt({ sessionId, prompt: [{ type: 'text', text: 'go' }] }))
+      .rejects.toThrow(/turn failed: terminal boom/)
+    expect(offered).toBe(1)
+  })
+
+  it('an admission-blocked prompt settles cancelled instead of hanging', async () => {
+    harness = await makeBridgeHarness({ script: [] })
+    harness.ctx.on('agent/prompt-submit', async () => ({ kind: 'block' as const, reason: 'policy said no' }))
+    const sessionId = await newSession(harness)
+    await expect(harness.client.prompt({ sessionId, prompt: [{ type: 'text', text: 'go' }] }))
+      .resolves.toEqual({ stopReason: 'cancelled' })
+    // The blocked prompt opened no turn and streamed nothing.
+    expect(messageText(harness)).toBe('')
+  })
 })
diff --git a/packages/core/agent-loop/src/agent.ts b/packages/core/agent-loop/src/agent.ts
index 56ab89dff2..50d01024e0 100644
--- a/packages/core/agent-loop/src/agent.ts
+++ b/packages/core/agent-loop/src/agent.ts
@@ -295,6 +295,9 @@ export class ReactLoopAgent implements Agent {
             if (outcome.continueTurn || this.outbox.some(item => 'id' in item)) continue
             break
           case 'request-failed': {
+            // step() reports request failures only after step/start commits
+            // and before its own step/end, so the step is always open here.
+            /* v8 ignore next -- unreachable false arm, see above */
             if (this.stepOpen) {
               this.stepOpen = false
               this.session.append('step/end', { turn, step })
@@ -315,6 +318,9 @@ export class ReactLoopAgent implements Agent {
                   `agent "${this.id}": request recovery failed at turn ${turn}, step ${step}: ${errorChain(recoveryError)}`,
                 )
               } finally {
+                // Nothing else writes the window while the waterfall runs:
+                // cancel() only flips `requested` and a second run cannot start.
+                /* v8 ignore next -- unreachable false arm, see above */
                 if (this.retryWindow === retryWindow) this.retryWindow = undefined
               }
               retry = recoveryCompleted
@@ -342,6 +348,10 @@ export class ReactLoopAgent implements Agent {
       ({ reason, idle } = this.settle(turn, step, caught, signal))
     } finally {
       try {
+        // Every step-close before this point clears the flag on both success
+        // and failure paths (step(), the request-failed branch, the catch),
+        // so the finally never finds a step still open.
+        /* v8 ignore next 4 -- unreachable last-resort step close, see above */
         if (this.stepOpen) {
           this.stepOpen = false
           this.session.append('step/end', { turn, step })
@@ -357,6 +367,9 @@ export class ReactLoopAgent implements Agent {
         emitAgentEvent(this.loopCtx, this, 'agent/error', turn, step, error)
       }
       this.retryWindow = undefined
+      // cancel() aborts but never clears the slot, and no second run can
+      // install a controller while this one is still unwinding.
+      /* v8 ignore next -- unreachable false arm, see above */
       if (this.abort === controller) this.abort = undefined
       signal.removeEventListener('abort', cancelRetry)
     }
diff --git a/packages/core/agent-loop/src/index.ts b/packages/core/agent-loop/src/index.ts
index 1fc67a30f9..46eb18fddd 100644
--- a/packages/core/agent-loop/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/agent-loop/src/index.ts
@@ -328,6 +328,10 @@ export class AgentLoop extends Service implements AgentFactory {
    */
   private prepare(ownerCtx: Context, id: SessionId, options: AgentOptions, session: Session, callerSignal?: AbortSignal): PreparedAgent {
     ownerCtx.fiber.assertActive()
+    // Every caller reaches prepare() synchronously from a service method
+    // whose Cordis dispatch already requires the live factory fiber, or
+    // re-checks ownership itself after its awaits (resume's load barrier).
+    /* v8 ignore next -- unreachable backstop, see above */
     if (!this.ownership.isActive()) throw new Error('agent loop is not active')
     if (callerSignal?.aborted) {
       throw callerSignal.reason instanceof Error
@@ -393,15 +397,21 @@ export class AgentLoop extends Service implements AgentFactory {
         abort.abort(new Error(`agent "${id}" setup aborted: owner disposed during setup`))
         return dispose(true)
       }, `agentLoop.lifecycle(${id})`)
+      /* v8 ignore start -- ctx.effect throws only on an inactive fiber, which assertActive() above already rejected */
     } catch (error: unknown) {
       untrack()
       callerSignal?.removeEventListener('abort', onCallerAbort)
       this.ownership.signal.removeEventListener('abort', onFactoryTeardown)
       throw error
     }
+    /* v8 ignore stop */
 
     const assertLive = (): void => {
       if (!abort.signal.aborted) return
+      // Every fused abort source carries an Error reason: onCallerAbort and
+      // raceAbort wrap non-Error caller reasons, and the factory/lifecycle
+      // owners abort with constructed Errors.
+      /* v8 ignore next -- unreachable String() arm, see above */
       throw abort.signal.reason instanceof Error ? abort.signal.reason : new Error(String(abort.signal.reason))
     }
     try {
diff --git a/packages/core/agent-loop/tests/coverage-edges.spec.ts b/packages/core/agent-loop/tests/coverage-edges.spec.ts
index c7dbbd5c4a..344f03edf4 100644
--- a/packages/core/agent-loop/tests/coverage-edges.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/agent-loop/tests/coverage-edges.spec.ts
@@ -498,3 +498,48 @@ describe('unrenderable failure settlement', () => {
     }
   })
 })
+
+describe('driver bookkeeping edges', () => {
+  it('a whenIdle waiter survives a rejected driver promise', async () => {
+    const adapter = new MockAdapter([textResponse('ok')])
+    const ctx = await harness(adapter)
+    const agent = ctx.agentLoop.create(SessionId('waiter-chain'), { provider: 'mock', model: 'mock' })
+    // A persistent step/end veto escapes even the catch block's own close
+    // attempt, so the driver promise REJECTS; the waiter's catch arm must
+    // treat that rejection as quiescence instead of propagating it.
+    ctx.on('internal/dispatch', (_mode, name, args) => {
+      if (name !== 'session/event') return
+      const event = args[1] as SessionEvent
+      if (event.type === 'step/end') throw new Error('step close permanently rejected')
+    })
+
+    send(agent, 'one')
+    // Entered while the run owns the abort slot, the waiter awaits the
+    // driver promise; its rejection must count as quiescence and resolve.
+    await expect(agent.whenIdle()).resolves.toBeUndefined()
+  })
+
+  it('a request failure that concludes recovery after step/end closed keeps the boundary balanced', async () => {
+    const { LlmError } = await import('@deepseek-ai/dsh-llm')
+    // The failure finish-chunk path returns request-failed AFTER step() has
+    // already appended step/end, so the request-failed branch's own
+    // step-close guard must see stepOpen === false and skip the append.
+    const adapter = new MockAdapter([
+      [
+        { type: 'usage' as const, usage: { inputTokens: 1, outputTokens: 0 } },
+        { type: 'finish' as const, reason: { kind: 'error' as const, failure: { message: 'empty', code: 'EMPTY_RESPONSE' } } },
+      ] satisfies StreamChunk[],
+    ])
+    const ctx = await harness(adapter)
+    const agent = ctx.agentLoop.create(SessionId('finish-after-close'), { provider: 'mock', model: 'mock' })
+    void LlmError
+
+    send(agent, 'go')
+    await agent.whenIdle()
+
+    const types = agent.session.events.map(e => e.type)
+    expect(types.filter(t => t === 'step/end')).toHaveLength(1)
+    const end = agent.session.events.findLast(e => e.type === 'turn/end')
+    expect(end?.type === 'turn/end' && end.data.reason.kind).toBe('error')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/packages/core/agent-loop/tests/resume.spec.ts b/packages/core/agent-loop/tests/resume.spec.ts
index c2261d8d89..1dd1bf77db 100644
--- a/packages/core/agent-loop/tests/resume.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/agent-loop/tests/resume.spec.ts
@@ -649,3 +649,110 @@ describe('creation and resume cancellation edges', () => {
     await disposal
   })
 })
+
+describe('configured-start failure edges', () => {
+  it('a non-Error mid-load abort reason is wrapped for the resume caller', async () => {
+    const sessionId = SessionId('resume-string-mid-abort')
+    const root = await persistSession(sessionId)
+    const ctx = await mountPersistentHarness(root, new MockAdapter([]))
+    const gate = Promise.withResolvers<never>()
+    gate.promise.catch(() => undefined)
+    const loadStarted = Promise.withResolvers<undefined>()
+    ctx.sessionPersistence.load = () => {
+      loadStarted.resolve(undefined)
+      return gate.promise
+    }
+    const controller = new AbortController()
+
+    const resuming = ctx.agents.resume({
+      resumeSessionId: sessionId,
+      agentOptions: { provider: 'mock', model: 'mock' },
+      signal: controller.signal,
+    })
+    await loadStarted.promise
+    controller.abort('operator string reason')
+
+    await expect(promptly(resuming)).rejects.toThrow(/creation aborted/)
+    expect(ctx.agents.get(sessionId)).toBeUndefined()
+    await ctx.fiber.dispose()
+  })
+
+  it('a failing exact-id restore over an existing artifact stays loud', async () => {
+    const sessionId = SessionId('config-existing-corrupt')
+    const root = await persistSession(sessionId)
+    const ctx = await mountPersistentHarness(root, new MockAdapter([]))
+    // The artifact exists (list reports it) but its load fails: this is
+    // corruption, not first creation — the failure must be reported, and no
+    // fresh same-id session may shadow the broken one.
+    ctx.sessionPersistence.load = () => Promise.reject(new Error('artifact corrupt'))
+
+    const configured = new Context()
+    await configured.plugin(LlmService)
+    await configured.plugin(SessionStore)
+    await configured.plugin(SystemPrompt)
+    await configured.plugin(ToolRegistry)
+    await configured.plugin(AgentRegistry)
+    await configured.plugin(SessionPersistenceJsonl, { root })
+    configured.llm.registerAdapter(['mock'], new MockAdapter([]))
+    configured.sessionPersistence.load = id => ctx.sessionPersistence.load(id)
+    const configFailures: unknown[] = []
+    configured.on('agent-loop/config-start-failed', (_id, error) => { configFailures.push(error) })
+    const configWarnings: string[] = []
+    const configWarn = configured.logger.warn.bind(configured.logger)
+    configured.logger.warn = ((...args: unknown[]) => {
+      if (typeof args[0] === 'string') configWarnings.push(args[0])
+      return (configWarn as (...a: unknown[]) => unknown)(...args)
+    }) as typeof configured.logger.warn
+    const loop = await configured.plugin(AgentLoop, {
+      agents: [{ id: 'main', sessionId, provider: 'mock', model: 'mock' }],
+    })
+    await expect.poll(() => configFailures.length).toBe(1)
+    expect(configFailures[0]).toBeInstanceOf(Error)
+    expect((configFailures[0] as Error).message).toBe('artifact corrupt')
+    expect(configWarnings.some(w => w.includes('config-driven restore'))).toBe(true)
+    expect(configured.agents.get(sessionId)).toBeUndefined()
+
+    await loop.dispose()
+    await configured.fiber.dispose()
+    await ctx.fiber.dispose()
+  })
+
+  it('suppresses a configured-resume failure that lands after teardown', async () => {
+    const sessionId = SessionId('config-late-resume-failure')
+    const root = await persistSession(sessionId)
+    const ctx = await mountPersistentHarness(root, new MockAdapter([]))
+    const gate = Promise.withResolvers<never>()
+    gate.promise.catch(() => undefined)
+    const loadStarted = Promise.withResolvers<undefined>()
+    ctx.sessionPersistence.load = () => {
+      loadStarted.resolve(undefined)
+      return gate.promise
+    }
+    const failures: unknown[] = []
+    ctx.on('agent-loop/config-start-failed', (_id, error) => { failures.push(error) })
+
+    const configured = new Context()
+    await configured.plugin(LlmService)
+    await configured.plugin(SessionStore)
+    await configured.plugin(SystemPrompt)
+    await configured.plugin(ToolRegistry)
+    await configured.plugin(AgentRegistry)
+    await configured.plugin(SessionPersistenceJsonl, { root })
+    configured.llm.registerAdapter(['mock'], new MockAdapter([]))
+    configured.sessionPersistence.load = id => ctx.sessionPersistence.load(id)
+    configured.on('agent-loop/config-start-failed', (_id, error) => { failures.push(error) })
+    const loop = await configured.plugin(AgentLoop, {
+      agents: [{ id: 'main', resumeSessionId: sessionId, provider: 'mock', model: 'mock' }],
+    })
+    await loadStarted.promise
+    const disposal = loop.dispose()
+    gate.reject(new Error('late backend failure'))
+    await disposal
+    await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 20))
+
+    // Ownership deactivated before the failure landed: the report is dropped.
+    expect(failures).toEqual([])
+    await configured.fiber.dispose()
+    await ctx.fiber.dispose()
+  })
+})