diff --git a/cron/jobs.py b/cron/jobs.py
index 3cc13df1f7..2124340ba8 100644
--- a/cron/jobs.py
+++ b/cron/jobs.py
@@ -2227,23 +2227,6 @@ def trigger_job(job_id: str, extra_prompt: Optional[str] = None) -> Optional[Dic
     })
 
 
-def _claim_owner_is_dead(claim: Dict[str, Any]) -> bool:
-    """True when the claim's ``by`` names a process on THIS host that provably no longer exists.
-    ``_machine_id()`` stamps ``host:pid[:token]``; a foreign host, an explicit HERMES_MACHINE_ID,
-    or any liveness-probe failure returns False (fail safe: only a proven death shortens the TTL)."""
-    parts = str(claim.get("by") or "").split(":")
-    if len(parts) < 2 or not parts[1].isdigit():
-        return False
-    try:
-        import socket
-        if parts[0] != socket.gethostname():
-            return False
-        from gateway.status import _pid_exists
-        return not _pid_exists(int(parts[1]))
-    except Exception:
-        return False
-
-
 def _claim_is_live(claim: Any, now: datetime, ttl_seconds: float) -> bool:
     """True for a well-formed claim aged within ``[0, ttl)`` whose owner is not provably dead:
     future-dated (clock/TZ skew) or malformed claims count as stale so they can never wedge a
@@ -2255,6 +2238,7 @@ def _claim_is_live(claim: Any, now: datetime, ttl_seconds: float) -> bool:
     claimed_at = _parse_aware(claim["at"])
     if claimed_at is None or not (0 <= _elapsed_seconds(now, claimed_at) < ttl_seconds):
         return False
+    from cron.scheduler_ownership import _claim_owner_is_dead
     return not _claim_owner_is_dead(claim)
 
 
diff --git a/cron/scheduler_ownership.py b/cron/scheduler_ownership.py
index 3ace2a790f..cf8ff99825 100644
--- a/cron/scheduler_ownership.py
+++ b/cron/scheduler_ownership.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import threading
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Any, Optional, Union
+from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, Union
 
 from hermes_constants import get_hermes_home, hermes_home_key
 
@@ -135,3 +135,20 @@ def live_gateway_ticking(home: Optional[Union[Path, str]] = None) -> Optional[di
     except Exception:
         return None
     return record if record_serves_profile(record, home) else None
+
+
+def _claim_owner_is_dead(claim: Dict[str, Any]) -> bool:
+    """True when the claim's ``by`` names a process on THIS host that provably no longer exists.
+    ``_machine_id()`` stamps ``host:pid[:token]``; a foreign host, an explicit HERMES_MACHINE_ID,
+    or any liveness-probe failure returns False (fail safe: only a proven death shortens the TTL)."""
+    parts = str(claim.get("by") or "").split(":")
+    if len(parts) < 2 or not parts[1].isdigit():
+        return False
+    try:
+        import socket
+        if parts[0] != socket.gethostname():
+            return False
+        from gateway.status import _pid_exists
+        return not _pid_exists(int(parts[1]))
+    except Exception:
+        return False