diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/chat-flow.test.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/chat-flow.test.ts
index bbe41379f84..f6ef2e024ed 100644
--- a/tests/runner-e2e/chat-flow.test.ts
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/chat-flow.test.ts
@@ -307,6 +307,19 @@ If you only have the club name, audience, and tone, that is enough to begin; I c
       await expect(collectChatRunEvidence({ get }, { ...suppressed, ...patch })).rejects.toThrow("Run log not found");
     }
   });
+  it("retains a wake retired by a terminal issue before admission without requesting a log it never had", async () => {
+    const get = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([{ seq: 1, eventType: "lifecycle" }]);
+    const retired = { ...run, status: "cancelled", errorCode: "issue_terminal_status", startedAt: null, logStore: null, logRef: null };
+    expect(await collectChatRunEvidence({ get }, retired)).toMatchObject({
+      runId: run.id, log: null, logOmissionReason: "issue_terminal_before_start", events: [{ seq: 1, eventType: "lifecycle" }],
+    });
+    expect(get.mock.calls).toEqual([[`/api/heartbeat-runs/${run.id}/events?afterSeq=0&limit=1000`]]);
+    get.mockRejectedValue(new Error("Run log not found"));
+    for (const patch of [{ startedAt: "2026-10-26T10:00:15Z" }, { startedAt: undefined }, { status: "failed" },
+      { errorCode: "cancelled" }, { logStore: "local_file" }, { logRef: "recorded-log" }]) {
+      await expect(collectChatRunEvidence({ get }, { ...retired, ...patch })).rejects.toThrow("Run log not found");
+    }
+  });
   it("records legitimate pre-provider log absence only with explicit bootstrap and storage evidence", async () => {
     const stopped = { ...run, status: "interrupted", runtimeMode: "legacy", runtimeModeResolvedAt: null, logStore: null, logRef: null,
       resultJson: { executionRecovery: { kind: "bootstrap", providerWorkStarted: false } } };
diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/chat-flow.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/chat-flow.ts
index fb521b002e7..2e2c7daf7a2 100644
--- a/tests/runner-e2e/chat-flow.ts
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/chat-flow.ts
@@ -319,12 +319,16 @@ export async function collectChatRunEvidence(
     run.logStore === null && run.logRef === null && ["failed", "interrupted"].includes(run.status) &&
     recovery?.kind === "bootstrap" && recovery.providerWorkStarted === false;
   const reassignedBeforeStart = isReassignedUnstartedWake(run);
+  const terminalBeforeStart = run.status === "cancelled" && run.errorCode === "issue_terminal_status" &&
+    run.startedAt === null && run.logStore === null && run.logRef === null;
   return {
     runId: run.id,
     ...(providerNeverStarted ? { logOmissionReason: "provider_not_started" } : {}),
     ...(admissionWait ? { logOmissionReason: "pre_dispatch_execution_wait" } : {}),
     ...(reassignedBeforeStart ? { logOmissionReason: "assignee_changed_before_start" } : {}),
+    ...(terminalBeforeStart ? { logOmissionReason: "issue_terminal_before_start" } : {}),
     log: isResetRun(run) || isBlockedUnstartedWake({ ...run }) || providerNeverStarted || admissionWait || reassignedBeforeStart
+      || terminalBeforeStart
       ? null
       : await api.get(`/api/heartbeat-runs/${run.id}/log?limitBytes=1048576`),
     events: admissionEvents ?? await collectRunEvents((afterSeq, limit) =>