diff --git a/gateway/platforms/api_server.py b/gateway/platforms/api_server.py
index c33f64f960..6a5716906a 100644
--- a/gateway/platforms/api_server.py
+++ b/gateway/platforms/api_server.py
@@ -4048,7 +4048,7 @@ class APIServerAdapter(OpenAICompatRoutesMixin, BasePlatformAdapter):
         try:
             # Worker-scoped count rides along so the shutdown close gate still sees the thread
             # after this handler task is cancelled (#116535); released in the worker's finally.
-            return await loop.run_in_executor(None, _api_runs._track_api_worker(_run))
+            return await _api_runs._submit_api_worker(loop, _run)
         finally:
             self._inflight_agent_runs -= 1
 
diff --git a/gateway/platforms/api_server_runs.py b/gateway/platforms/api_server_runs.py
index 64b87582d5..732a48c3da 100644
--- a/gateway/platforms/api_server_runs.py
+++ b/gateway/platforms/api_server_runs.py
@@ -45,12 +45,14 @@ def api_worker_live_count() -> int:
         return _API_WORKER_LIVE
 
 
-def _track_api_worker(fn):
-    """Hold the worker-lifetime count for one ``run_in_executor`` submission.
+def _submit_api_worker(loop, fn):
+    """``loop.run_in_executor(None, fn)`` with the worker-lifetime count held for the submission.
 
     Increment on the submitting (handler) thread so the count is live before the worker can
     exit; decrement in the worker thread's own ``finally`` so handler cancellation cannot drop
-    it early. ``fn`` still runs entirely on the worker.
+    it early. When submission itself fails (default executor already shut down during quiesce
+    -> RuntimeError) the worker never runs, so the count is released here instead — a leaked
+    count would make the shutdown close gate skip the SessionDB close for the process lifetime.
     """
     global _API_WORKER_LIVE
     with _API_WORKER_LOCK:
@@ -64,7 +66,12 @@ def _track_api_worker(fn):
             with _API_WORKER_LOCK:
                 _API_WORKER_LIVE -= 1
 
-    return _counted
+    try:
+        return loop.run_in_executor(None, _counted)
+    except BaseException:
+        with _API_WORKER_LOCK:
+            _API_WORKER_LIVE -= 1
+        raise
 _ROOM_RETENTION_REQUEST_KEY = (
     RequestKey("hermes.room_run_retention_until", float) if RequestKey is not None
     else "hermes.room_run_retention_until")
@@ -905,9 +912,8 @@ async def _execute_run(self, run: _RunLaunch, *, _api_server) -> None:
                 interim_assistant_callback=_interim_cb, **run.agent_kwargs)
         self._active_run_agents[run_id] = agent
         approval_notify = _make_approval_notify(self, run, _api_server=_api_server)
-        result, usage, served_runtime = await loop.run_in_executor(
-            None, _track_api_worker(
-                lambda: _run_agent_sync(self, run, agent, approval_notify, _api_server=_api_server)))
+        result, usage, served_runtime = await _submit_api_worker(
+            loop, lambda: _run_agent_sync(self, run, agent, approval_notify, _api_server=_api_server))
         if not isinstance(result, dict):
             result = {}
         status, fields = terminal_run_status(result)
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_api_server_active_work_drain.py b/tests/gateway/test_api_server_active_work_drain.py
index 09d10e3d20..04b67bda05 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_api_server_active_work_drain.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_api_server_active_work_drain.py
@@ -726,3 +726,18 @@ class TestShutdownSettleWindow:
             _INTERRUPT_REASON_GATEWAY_SHUTDOWN,
         ]
 
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_failed_executor_submission_releases_the_worker_count():
+    """A request that reaches ``run_in_executor`` after ``shutdown_default_executor()`` raises
+    RuntimeError and never runs a worker; the worker-scoped count must not stay elevated for the
+    process lifetime, or the shutdown SessionDB-close gate skips the close forever (#116535)."""
+    baseline = _api_runs.api_worker_live_count()
+
+    class _ShutExecutorLoop:
+        def run_in_executor(self, executor, fn):
+            raise RuntimeError("Executor shutdown has been called")
+
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="Executor shutdown"):
+        _api_runs._submit_api_worker(_ShutExecutorLoop(), lambda: None)
+    assert _api_runs.api_worker_live_count() == baseline
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_shutdown_executor_quiesce.py b/tests/gateway/test_shutdown_executor_quiesce.py
index abb7fbd1d9..759d8c4225 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_shutdown_executor_quiesce.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_shutdown_executor_quiesce.py
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ async def test_cancelled_api_handler_worker_still_blocks_session_db_close(monkey
         # Same shape as the api_server call sites: the worker-scoped count is taken before
         # run_in_executor and released in the worker's own finally, so cancelling this task
         # drops the handler side while the thread keeps holding the worker side.
-        return await loop.run_in_executor(None, api_runs._track_api_worker(_blocked_turn))
+        return await api_runs._submit_api_worker(loop, _blocked_turn)
 
     task = asyncio.ensure_future(_handler())
     assert await loop.run_in_executor(None, worker_started.wait, 5.0), "worker never started"