diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-issue-liveness-escalation.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-issue-liveness-escalation.test.ts
index 369bb05c2b7..10ad103cd44 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-issue-liveness-escalation.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-issue-liveness-escalation.test.ts
@@ -289,10 +289,23 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("heartbeat issue graph liveness escalation", () => {
     const heartbeat = heartbeatService(db);
 
     const first = await heartbeat.reconcileIssueGraphLiveness();
-    const second = await heartbeat.reconcileIssueGraphLiveness();
 
     expect(first.escalationsCreated).toBe(1);
+    const [sourceAfterFirst] = await db
+      .select({ updatedAt: issues.updatedAt })
+      .from(issues)
+      .where(eq(issues.id, blockedIssueId));
+    const eventsAfterFirst = await db.select().from(activityLog).where(eq(activityLog.companyId, companyId));
+    expect(eventsAfterFirst.filter((event) => event.action === "issue.blockers.updated")).toHaveLength(1);
+
+    const second = await heartbeat.reconcileIssueGraphLiveness();
+
     expect(second.escalationsCreated).toBe(0);
+    const [sourceAfterSecond] = await db
+      .select({ updatedAt: issues.updatedAt })
+      .from(issues)
+      .where(eq(issues.id, blockedIssueId));
+    expect(sourceAfterSecond?.updatedAt.getTime()).toBe(sourceAfterFirst?.updatedAt.getTime());
 
     const escalations = await db
       .select()
@@ -345,7 +358,7 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("heartbeat issue graph liveness escalation", () => {
         projectWorkspaceSourceIssueId: blockerIssueId,
       },
     });
-    expect(events.some((event) => event.action === "issue.blockers.updated")).toBe(true);
+    expect(events.filter((event) => event.action === "issue.blockers.updated")).toHaveLength(1);
   });
 
   it("skips budget-blocked direct owners and assigns recovery to the manager fallback", async () => {
diff --git a/server/src/services/recovery/service.ts b/server/src/services/recovery/service.ts
index f544f4085fa..9ccc66ed376 100644
--- a/server/src/services/recovery/service.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/recovery/service.ts
@@ -2250,10 +2250,16 @@ export function recoveryService(db: Db, deps: { enqueueWakeup: RecoveryWakeup })
   }) {
     const blockerIds = await existingBlockerIssueIds(input.issue.companyId, input.issue.id);
     const nextBlockerIds = [...new Set([...blockerIds, input.escalationIssueId])];
+    const isAlreadyBlockedByEscalation = blockerIds.includes(input.escalationIssueId);
+    const isAlreadyBlocked = input.issue.status === "blocked";
+    if (isAlreadyBlockedByEscalation && isAlreadyBlocked) {
+      return input.issue;
+    }
+
     const update: Partial<typeof issues.$inferInsert> & { blockedByIssueIds: string[] } = {
       blockedByIssueIds: nextBlockerIds,
     };
-    if (input.issue.status !== "blocked") {
+    if (!isAlreadyBlocked) {
       update.status = "blocked";
     }