diff --git a/hermes_cli/update_pause_record.py b/hermes_cli/update_pause_record.py
index 03c6edf250..c5a22b68fb 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/update_pause_record.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/update_pause_record.py
@@ -647,6 +647,21 @@ def _has_work(token: dict) -> bool:
 
 
 def _resume_claimed(claim_path: Path, body: dict) -> None:
+    """Resume under the checkout lock, so no update mutates the tree between the gate and the
+    verified start; an update that took the checkout after our claim gets the set back untouched."""
+    from hermes_cli.update_lock import UpdateLock
+    fence = UpdateLock()
+    if not fence.acquire_checkout(install_root()):
+        with suppress(OSError), _mutex():
+            _atomic_write(claim_path, {**(read(claim_path) or body), "claimer": UNOWNED})
+        return
+    try:
+        _resume_fenced(claim_path, body)
+    finally:
+        fence.release()
+
+
+def _resume_fenced(claim_path: Path, body: dict) -> None:
     with _mutex():
         # A live consumer may have checkpointed after claim() returned its snapshot.
         body = read(claim_path) or body
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_update_pause_record.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_update_pause_record.py
index 05f2fd3b25..4df57760cb 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_update_pause_record.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_update_pause_record.py
@@ -183,6 +183,36 @@ def test_a_launch_killed_mid_recovery_leaves_the_set_to_the_next_launch(tmp_path
     assert out.strip() == "done", f"a resumed set was resumed again: {out}"
 
 
+# An update takes the checkout right after this launch claimed the set (the race window).
+_UPDATE_AFTER_CLAIM = """
+    import subprocess, sys
+    from hermes_cli import update_pause_record as r
+    hold = ("import time; from hermes_cli import update_lock as l; from hermes_cli.update_pause_record import install_root;"
+            "print(l.UpdateLock().acquire_checkout(install_root()), flush=True); time.sleep(120)")
+    real_claim, updates = r.claim, []
+    def claim(src):
+        won = real_claim(src)
+        updates.append(subprocess.Popen([sys.executable, "-c", hold], stdout=subprocess.PIPE, text=True))
+        assert updates[-1].stdout.readline().strip() == "True"
+        return won
+    r.claim = claim
+""" + _RECOVER + """
+    for update in updates:
+        update.kill()
+        update.wait()
+"""
+
+
+@pytest.mark.live_system_guard_bypass
+def test_recovery_never_starts_gateways_under_an_update_that_took_the_checkout(tmp_path):
+    _orphan(tmp_path, {"default": 4242})
+    env = {"HERMES_HOME": str(tmp_path)}
+    out, _ = _child(_UPDATE_AFTER_CLAIM, "ok", env=env).communicate(timeout=60)
+    assert out.strip() == "done", f"gateways restarted while an update owned the checkout: {out}"
+    out, _ = _child(_RECOVER, "ok", env=env).communicate(timeout=60)
+    assert out.splitlines()[:1] == ["resume ['default']"], f"the handed-back set was stranded: {out}"
+
+
 _HOLDER = """
     import subprocess, sys, time
     from hermes_cli.update_lock import UpdateLock