diff --git a/agent-queue/agent-queue.sh b/agent-queue/agent-queue.sh
index a583558..f450fea 100755
--- a/agent-queue/agent-queue.sh
+++ b/agent-queue/agent-queue.sh
@@ -971,7 +971,6 @@ run_worker() {
       echo "verify_exit=$vrc" >> "$metaf"
       if [[ $vrc -eq 0 ]]; then
         mv "$review_file" "$TESTING/" 2>/dev/null
-        _meta_end "$metaf" "testing" "$started"
         echo "VERIFY PASSED — promoted to testing (QA): $(date)" >> "$logf"
         # PR mode (§PR): work passed verify — commit/push the job branch, open a PR,
         # record the URL in the meta, and push it onto the coordinator run.
@@ -995,14 +994,22 @@ run_worker() {
         # is enabled, the factory's verify gate IS the test phase — advance
         # testing -> shipped (closing the testing->shipped gap autonomously). Default
         # off leaves the job resting at `testing` for the human review gate / ship.
+        local _ship_done=0
         if fleet_enabled && _fleet_is_job "$job"; then
           fleet_report "$job" testing
           if [[ "${AQ_FLEET_AUTOSHIP:-0}" == 1 ]] && fleet_report "$job" shipped; then
             mv "$TESTING/$job.md" "$SHIPPED/" 2>/dev/null
-            _meta_end "$metaf" "shipped" "$started"
+            _meta_end "$metaf" "shipped" "$started"; _ship_done=1
             echo "FLEET AUTOSHIP — testing -> shipped: $(date)" >> "$logf"
           fi
         fi
+        # Mark the concurrency slot done LAST — only after the PR open/merge + the
+        # coordinator reports above. Writing `ended=` here (not right after the
+        # testing/ move) keeps the worker counted as active until that work is
+        # complete, so `run --once` cannot drain-exit and a caller cannot observe
+        # the job as finished before the PR is actually opened/merged. Fixes a
+        # flaky race where the PR/report steps ran after the slot was freed.
+        [[ "$_ship_done" == 1 ]] || _meta_end "$metaf" "testing" "$started"
       else
         echo "VERIFY FAILED (rc=$vrc): $(date)" >> "$logf"
         # verify ran on the review_file; retry policy may requeue it.