diff --git a/agent/terminal_approval_batch.py b/agent/terminal_approval_batch.py
index cc39eff17b..da46a77dee 100644
--- a/agent/terminal_approval_batch.py
+++ b/agent/terminal_approval_batch.py
@@ -310,7 +310,12 @@ def terminal_approval_batch(agent, calls, messages, task_id):
                 batch.start()
             except (_CancelledPreparation, TimeoutError) as exc:
                 batch.close()
-                agent.interrupt(str(exc))
+                # A cancellation means a stop is already published (or our own
+                # close() ran): re-interrupting would overwrite the user's queued
+                # message/redirect. A timeout is a system stop: attribute it via
+                # tool_reason with no message, which callers re-queue as a user turn.
+                if isinstance(exc, TimeoutError):
+                    agent.interrupt(tool_reason="terminal batch preparation timeout")
                 # The sequential path must still persist a result for every
                 # assistant tool call, even if preparation never finished.
         yield
diff --git a/tests/agent/test_interrupt_issuer_attribution.py b/tests/agent/test_interrupt_issuer_attribution.py
index 6c35433bdb..00f619d8cd 100644
--- a/tests/agent/test_interrupt_issuer_attribution.py
+++ b/tests/agent/test_interrupt_issuer_attribution.py
@@ -149,5 +149,52 @@ def test_soft_interrupt_with_tool_reason_is_attributed_to_the_system():
         assert interrupt_issuer(agent) is None
         assert agent._interrupt_message == "fix the login bug"
         assert agent._pending_redirect == "use the staging db"
+
+        # Desktop batch PREPARATION has the same two exits: a user stop that cancels it keeps the
+        # user's message/redirect, and a preparation timeout is a system stop with no message.
+        import agent.terminal_approval_batch as tab
+
+        def _prepare(exc, during=lambda: None):
+            class _Batch:
+                def __init__(self, *_a):
+                    pass
+
+                def start(self):
+                    during()
+                    raise exc
+
+                def close(self):
+                    pass
+
+            ids = iter(["p1", "p2"])
+
+            def _parse(*_a, **_k):
+                call_id = next(ids)
+                return SimpleNamespace(name="terminal", parse_error=None, ref=lambda _t: SimpleNamespace(call_id=call_id))
+
+            with (
+                patch.object(tab, "_TerminalBatch", _Batch),
+                patch("gateway.session_context.get_session_env", return_value="desktop"),
+                patch("tools.approval._gateway_notify_cb", lambda _k: object()),
+                patch.object(te, "_parse_tool_call", _parse),
+                tab.terminal_approval_batch(agent, [1, 2], [], "t"),
+            ):
+                pass
+
+        def _user_stop():
+            agent.interrupt("fix the login bug")
+            agent._pending_redirect = "use the staging db"
+
+        set_interrupt(False)
+        agent.clear_interrupt()
+        _prepare(tab._CancelledPreparation("Terminal approval preparation cancelled; command was not started"), _user_stop)
+        assert interrupt_issuer(agent) is None
+        assert agent._interrupt_message == "fix the login bug"
+        assert agent._pending_redirect == "use the staging db"
+        set_interrupt(False)
+        agent.clear_interrupt()
+        _prepare(TimeoutError("Terminal approval preparation timed out; commands were not started"))
+        assert interrupt_issuer(agent) == "terminal_batch_preparation_timeout"
+        assert agent._interrupt_message is None
     finally:
         set_interrupt(False)