diff --git a/cron/executions.py b/cron/executions.py
index b6afa0d379..32a5ce4728 100644
--- a/cron/executions.py
+++ b/cron/executions.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ to match the claim-time fingerprint is not proof of death. Terminal states are i
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import logging
 import math
 import os
 import sqlite3
@@ -23,6 +24,8 @@ from hermes_time import now as _hermes_now
 from cron.constants import CLAIM_TTL_INACTIVITY_HEADROOM
 from hermes_cli.observability.shared_metrics_gateway import record_cron_finish
 
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
 # Optional test override. Production resolves the path at transaction time so dashboard operations
 # that temporarily enter another profile cannot leak that profile's records into the import-time
 # home.
@@ -319,6 +322,16 @@ _OWNER_WEDGED_REASON = (
 )
 
 
+def settle_unstarted_execution(execution_id: str, job_id: str, error: str) -> None:
+    """Close the receipt of a run that never started: a ``claimed`` row never resolves. Best-effort
+    so a ledger write cannot mask the failure the caller logs or re-raises."""
+    try:
+        finish_execution(execution_id, success=False, error=error)
+    except (sqlite3.Error, OSError) as record_err:
+        logger.error("Job '%s': failed to close execution receipt %s (%s): %s",
+                     job_id, execution_id, error, record_err)
+
+
 def recover_interrupted_executions() -> int:
     """Mark abandoned attempts unknown without scheduling retries: rows whose owner is provably
     dead, plus rows whose live owner holds a claim older than the derived stale bound (the
diff --git a/cron/scheduler.py b/cron/scheduler.py
index 99669e60ea..1e204111e5 100644
--- a/cron/scheduler.py
+++ b/cron/scheduler.py
@@ -519,7 +519,7 @@ from cron.execution_identity import enter_cron_execution, exit_cron_execution
 from cron.executions import (
     _TERMINAL_STATES, HANDOFF_ADOPTION_GRACE_SECONDS, create_execution, finish_execution,
     get_execution, mark_execution_handoff_pending, mark_execution_running,
-    recover_interrupted_executions, terminalize_dead_owner)
+    recover_interrupted_executions, settle_unstarted_execution, terminalize_dead_owner)
 
 # Response marker that suppresses delivery (output is still saved locally for audit).
 SILENT_MARKER = "[SILENT]"
@@ -4269,6 +4269,10 @@ def _process_due_job(job: dict, adapters, loop, verbose: bool) -> bool:
         finish_execution(
             job["execution_id"], success=False, error=f"Cron store unwritable; not started: {exc}")
         return False
+    except BaseException as exc:  # settle first, then surface the real error
+        settle_unstarted_execution(
+            job["execution_id"], job["id"], f"Fire claim failed: {type(exc).__name__}: {exc}")
+        raise
     if not claimed:
         finish_execution(
             job["execution_id"], success=False, error="Fire claim lost; execution was not started.")
@@ -4334,6 +4338,7 @@ def _submit_with_guard(job: dict, pool: concurrent.futures.ThreadPoolExecutor, p
     # discard the LAUNCH home's key and leak every secondary profile's claim.
     _claim_home = _get_hermes_home()
     # Record the attempt before dispatch; recovery marks abandoned rows unknown (no retry).
+    execution = None
     try:
         execution = create_execution(
             job_id, source="builtin", scheduled_instant=job.get("_scheduled_instant"))
@@ -4344,6 +4349,9 @@ def _submit_with_guard(job: dict, pool: concurrent.futures.ThreadPoolExecutor, p
         # Release the claim so the next tick retries instead of wedging "already running".
         release_running_job(job_id, home=_claim_home, owner=registration_owner)
         _clear_run_claim_best_effort()
+        if execution is not None:  # the receipt was persisted; a later step failed
+            settle_unstarted_execution(execution["id"], job_id, (
+                f"Dispatch preparation failed: {type(execution_err).__name__}: {execution_err}"))
         logger.exception(
             "Job '%s' not dispatched: execution creation failed: %s", job_label, execution_err)
         return None
diff --git a/tests/cron/test_due_scan_save_failure.py b/tests/cron/test_due_scan_save_failure.py
index 9f2a87bff2..90193bfa80 100644
--- a/tests/cron/test_due_scan_save_failure.py
+++ b/tests/cron/test_due_scan_save_failure.py
@@ -126,3 +126,25 @@ def test_tick_on_unwritable_store_returns_cleanly_without_dispatch(cron_store, m
         assert row["status"] == "failed" and "Cron store unwritable" in row["error"]
     else:
         assert row is None
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("site", ["claim_job_for_fire", "note_cron_execution"])
+def test_dispatch_failure_after_receipt_never_leaves_it_claimed(cron_store, monkeypatch, site):
+    """A non-OSError fire-claim failure, or a failure after create_execution in _submit_with_guard,
+    must settle the receipt: a ``claimed`` row never resolves and reads forever as in flight."""
+    from cron import executions, scheduler
+
+    def boom(*_a, **_k):
+        raise RuntimeError("boom")
+
+    save_jobs([_due_job()])
+    monkeypatch.setattr(executions, "EXECUTIONS_FILE", cron_store / "cron" / "executions.db")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(scheduler, "run_one_job", lambda job, **k: True)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(scheduler, "_should_yield_tick_to_fresh_gateway", lambda: None)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(scheduler, site, boom)
+    try:
+        scheduler.tick(verbose=False, sync=True)
+    except RuntimeError:
+        pass  # a claim failure may still surface; the receipt is what must be terminal
+    row = executions.latest_execution("due-job")
+    assert row is not None and row["status"] == "failed"