diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-issue-liveness-escalation.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-issue-liveness-escalation.test.ts
index 369bb05c2b7..58dfee3d9fd 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-issue-liveness-escalation.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-issue-liveness-escalation.test.ts
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("heartbeat issue graph liveness escalation", () => {
     });
   }
 
-  async function seedBlockedChain(opts: { outsideLookback?: boolean } = {}) {
+  async function seedBlockedChain(opts: { outsideLookback?: boolean; freshUpdateOutsideLookback?: boolean } = {}) {
     const companyId = randomUUID();
     const managerId = randomUUID();
     const coderId = randomUUID();
@@ -161,6 +161,9 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("heartbeat issue graph liveness escalation", () => {
     const issueTimestamp = opts.outsideLookback === true
       ? new Date(Date.now() - 25 * 60 * 60 * 1000)
       : new Date(Date.now() - 60 * 60 * 1000);
+    const updatedAt = opts.freshUpdateOutsideLookback === true
+      ? new Date(Date.now() - 60 * 60 * 1000)
+      : issueTimestamp;
     await db.insert(issues).values([
       {
         id: blockedIssueId,
@@ -172,7 +175,7 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("heartbeat issue graph liveness escalation", () => {
         issueNumber: 1,
         identifier: `${issuePrefix}-1`,
         createdAt: issueTimestamp,
-        updatedAt: issueTimestamp,
+        updatedAt,
       },
       {
         id: blockerIssueId,
@@ -183,7 +186,7 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("heartbeat issue graph liveness escalation", () => {
         issueNumber: 2,
         identifier: `${issuePrefix}-2`,
         createdAt: issueTimestamp,
-        updatedAt: issueTimestamp,
+        updatedAt,
       },
     ]);
 
@@ -236,6 +239,27 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("heartbeat issue graph liveness escalation", () => {
     expect(escalations).toHaveLength(0);
   });
 
+  it("does not create recovery issues for old legacy findings that were only updated recently", async () => {
+    await enableAutoRecovery();
+    const { companyId } = await seedBlockedChain({
+      outsideLookback: true,
+      freshUpdateOutsideLookback: true,
+    });
+    const heartbeat = heartbeatService(db);
+
+    const result = await heartbeat.reconcileIssueGraphLiveness();
+
+    expect(result.findings).toBe(1);
+    expect(result.escalationsCreated).toBe(0);
+    expect(result.skippedOutsideLookback).toBe(1);
+
+    const escalations = await db
+      .select()
+      .from(issues)
+      .where(and(eq(issues.companyId, companyId), eq(issues.originKind, "harness_liveness_escalation")));
+    expect(escalations).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
   it("suppresses liveness escalation when the source issue is under an active pause hold", async () => {
     await enableAutoRecovery();
     const { companyId, blockedIssueId } = await seedBlockedChain();
diff --git a/server/src/services/recovery/service.ts b/server/src/services/recovery/service.ts
index 8be5b31997d..d8ca5db63ac 100644
--- a/server/src/services/recovery/service.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/recovery/service.ts
@@ -2414,31 +2414,36 @@ export function recoveryService(db: Db, deps: { enqueueWakeup: RecoveryWakeup })
     return `${companyId}:${issueId}`;
   }
 
-  async function loadLivenessDependencyUpdatedAtByIssue(findings: IssueLivenessFinding[]) {
+  type LivenessDependencyTimestamps = {
+    createdAt: Date;
+    updatedAt: Date;
+  };
+
+  async function loadLivenessDependencyTimestampsByIssue(findings: IssueLivenessFinding[]) {
     const issueIds = [
       ...new Set(
         findings.flatMap((finding) => finding.dependencyPath.map((entry) => entry.issueId)),
       ),
     ];
-    if (issueIds.length === 0) return new Map<string, Date>();
+    if (issueIds.length === 0) return new Map<string, LivenessDependencyTimestamps>();
     const rows = await db
-      .select({ id: issues.id, companyId: issues.companyId, updatedAt: issues.updatedAt })
+      .select({ id: issues.id, companyId: issues.companyId, createdAt: issues.createdAt, updatedAt: issues.updatedAt })
       .from(issues)
       .where(inArray(issues.id, issueIds));
     return new Map(rows.map((row) => [
       livenessDependencyIssueKey(row.companyId, row.id),
-      row.updatedAt,
+      { createdAt: row.createdAt, updatedAt: row.updatedAt },
     ]));
   }
 
   function latestDependencyUpdatedAtForLivenessFinding(
     finding: IssueLivenessFinding,
-    updatedAtByIssueKey: Map<string, Date>,
+    timestampsByIssueKey: Map<string, LivenessDependencyTimestamps>,
   ) {
     const dependencyIssueIds = [...new Set(finding.dependencyPath.map((entry) => entry.issueId))];
     if (dependencyIssueIds.length === 0) return null;
     const timestamps = dependencyIssueIds.map((issueId) =>
-      updatedAtByIssueKey.get(livenessDependencyIssueKey(finding.companyId, issueId)) ?? null
+      timestampsByIssueKey.get(livenessDependencyIssueKey(finding.companyId, issueId))?.updatedAt ?? null
     );
     if (timestamps.some((timestamp) => !timestamp)) return null;
     const [firstTimestamp, ...remainingTimestamps] = timestamps as Date[];
@@ -2447,13 +2452,22 @@ export function recoveryService(db: Db, deps: { enqueueWakeup: RecoveryWakeup })
     firstTimestamp!);
   }
 
+  function recoveryIssueCreatedAtForLivenessFinding(
+    finding: IssueLivenessFinding,
+    timestampsByIssueKey: Map<string, LivenessDependencyTimestamps>,
+  ) {
+    return timestampsByIssueKey.get(
+      livenessDependencyIssueKey(finding.companyId, finding.recoveryIssueId),
+    )?.createdAt ?? null;
+  }
+
   function isLivenessFindingInsideAutoRecoveryLookback(
     finding: IssueLivenessFinding,
     cutoff: Date,
-    updatedAtByIssueKey: Map<string, Date>,
+    timestampsByIssueKey: Map<string, LivenessDependencyTimestamps>,
   ) {
-    const latestUpdatedAt = latestDependencyUpdatedAtForLivenessFinding(finding, updatedAtByIssueKey);
-    return Boolean(latestUpdatedAt && latestUpdatedAt >= cutoff);
+    const recoveryIssueCreatedAt = recoveryIssueCreatedAtForLivenessFinding(finding, timestampsByIssueKey);
+    return Boolean(recoveryIssueCreatedAt && recoveryIssueCreatedAt >= cutoff);
   }
 
   async function buildIssueGraphLivenessAutoRecoveryPreview(
@@ -2463,7 +2477,7 @@ export function recoveryService(db: Db, deps: { enqueueWakeup: RecoveryWakeup })
     const lookbackHours = normalizeIssueGraphLivenessAutoRecoveryLookbackHours(opts?.lookbackHours);
     const cutoff = new Date(now.getTime() - lookbackHours * 60 * 60 * 1000);
     const findings = await collectIssueGraphLivenessFindings();
-    const updatedAtByIssueKey = await loadLivenessDependencyUpdatedAtByIssue(findings);
+    const timestampsByIssueKey = await loadLivenessDependencyTimestampsByIssue(findings);
     const issueIds = [...new Set(findings.map((finding) => finding.recoveryIssueId))];
     const recoveryRows = issueIds.length > 0
       ? await db
@@ -2478,9 +2492,12 @@ export function recoveryService(db: Db, deps: { enqueueWakeup: RecoveryWakeup })
     for (const finding of findings) {
       const latestDependencyUpdatedAt = latestDependencyUpdatedAtForLivenessFinding(
         finding,
-        updatedAtByIssueKey,
+        timestampsByIssueKey,
       );
-      if (!latestDependencyUpdatedAt || latestDependencyUpdatedAt < cutoff) {
+      if (
+        !latestDependencyUpdatedAt ||
+        !isLivenessFindingInsideAutoRecoveryLookback(finding, cutoff, timestampsByIssueKey)
+      ) {
         skippedOutsideLookback += 1;
         continue;
       }
@@ -2790,7 +2807,7 @@ export function recoveryService(db: Db, deps: { enqueueWakeup: RecoveryWakeup })
     const now = new Date();
     const cutoff = new Date(now.getTime() - lookbackHours * 60 * 60 * 1000);
     const obsoleteRecoveryCleanup = await retireObsoleteLivenessRecoveryIssues(findings);
-    const updatedAtByIssueKey = await loadLivenessDependencyUpdatedAtByIssue(findings);
+    const timestampsByIssueKey = await loadLivenessDependencyTimestampsByIssue(findings);
     const result = {
       findings: findings.length,
       autoRecoveryEnabled,
@@ -2815,7 +2832,7 @@ export function recoveryService(db: Db, deps: { enqueueWakeup: RecoveryWakeup })
     }
 
     for (const finding of findings) {
-      if (!isLivenessFindingInsideAutoRecoveryLookback(finding, cutoff, updatedAtByIssueKey)) {
+      if (!isLivenessFindingInsideAutoRecoveryLookback(finding, cutoff, timestampsByIssueKey)) {
         result.skippedOutsideLookback += 1;
         result.skipped += 1;
         continue;