diff --git a/agent-queue/agent-queue.sh b/agent-queue/agent-queue.sh
index dfd412e..cb3d8f8 100755
--- a/agent-queue/agent-queue.sh
+++ b/agent-queue/agent-queue.sh
@@ -129,18 +129,39 @@ _dur_to_secs() {
   fi
 }
 
-# busy_keys -> newline list of lock keys currently held by active workers.
-# A worker is active if its meta has no `ended=` and its pid is live (or the pid
-# has not been written yet, i.e. it was just launched and the slot is reserved).
-busy_keys() {
-  local f pid
+# _meta_active <metafile> -> 0 if the job is occupying a concurrency slot.
+# Active = no `ended=` AND (pid is live, OR pid not yet written but the meta was
+# created moments ago — the reserved-slot window between meta-write and launch).
+# The <30s guard prevents a meta orphaned mid-launch (daemon killed in the gap)
+# from pinning a slot forever.
+_meta_active() {
+  local f=$1 pid mt age
+  grep -q '^ended=' "$f" && return 1
+  pid=$(grep '^pid=' "$f" | head -1 | cut -d= -f2)
+  if [[ -n "$pid" ]]; then
+    kill -0 "$pid" 2>/dev/null
+    return $?
+  fi
+  mt=$(_mtime "$f"); age=$(( $(date +%s) - ${mt:-0} ))
+  [[ "$age" -lt 30 ]]
+}
+
+# active_workers -> count of jobs occupying a concurrency slot (reservation-aware).
+active_workers() {
+  local n=0 f
   for f in "$STATE"/*.meta; do
     [[ -e "$f" ]] || continue
-    grep -q '^ended=' "$f" && continue
-    pid=$(grep '^pid=' "$f" | head -1 | cut -d= -f2)
-    if [[ -z "$pid" ]] || kill -0 "$pid" 2>/dev/null; then
-      grep '^lock=' "$f" | head -1 | cut -d= -f2-
-    fi
+    _meta_active "$f" && n=$((n+1))
+  done
+  echo "$n"
+}
+
+# busy_keys -> newline list of lock keys currently held by active workers.
+busy_keys() {
+  local f
+  for f in "$STATE"/*.meta; do
+    [[ -e "$f" ]] || continue
+    _meta_active "$f" && grep '^lock=' "$f" | head -1 | cut -d= -f2-
   done
 }
 
@@ -271,18 +292,6 @@ run_worker() {
   fi
 }
 
-# count live workers by checking recorded pids
-live_workers() {
-  local n=0 f pid
-  for f in "$STATE"/*.meta; do
-    [[ -e "$f" ]] || continue
-    grep -q '^ended=' "$f" && continue
-    pid=$(grep '^pid=' "$f" | head -1 | cut -d= -f2)
-    [[ -n "$pid" ]] && kill -0 "$pid" 2>/dev/null && n=$((n+1))
-  done
-  echo "$n"
-}
-
 # ── Commands ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 cmd_init() { ensure_dirs; log "queue initialized at $C_BOLD$QUEUE_ROOT$C_RESET"; }
 
@@ -336,7 +345,7 @@ cmd_run() {
   log "run loop started (max=$MAX_CONCURRENCY, default engine=$DEFAULT_ENGINE). Ctrl-C to stop."
 
   while true; do
-    local running; running=$(live_workers)
+    local running; running=$(active_workers)
     # launch jobs while we have capacity and an eligible inbox file
     while [[ "$running" -lt "$MAX_CONCURRENCY" ]]; do
       # pick the oldest inbox file whose lock key is not currently busy, so two
@@ -372,11 +381,11 @@ cmd_run() {
       echo "pid=$!" >> "$STATE/$job.meta"
       log "▶ launching $C_BOLD$job$C_RESET (engine=$w_eng, lock=$w_key)"
       sleep 1
-      running=$(live_workers)
+      running=$(active_workers)
     done
 
     if $once; then
-      [[ "$(live_workers)" -eq 0 && -z "$(ls -1 "$INBOX"/*.md 2>/dev/null)" ]] && {
+      [[ "$(active_workers)" -eq 0 && -z "$(ls -1 "$INBOX"/*.md 2>/dev/null)" ]] && {
         log "drain complete — inbox empty, no workers running"; rm -f "$STATE/daemon.pid"; exit 0; }
     fi
     sleep "$POLL_SECONDS"