diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/agent-instruction-working-copies.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/agent-instruction-working-copies.test.ts
index 0cfcb03cde7..2f20b344d16 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/agent-instruction-working-copies.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/agent-instruction-working-copies.test.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const execFile = promisify(execFileCallback);
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
 import { randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
-import { afterAll, beforeAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { afterAll, beforeAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { eq } from "drizzle-orm";
 import { agents, companies, authUsers, companyMemberships, principalPermissionGrants, heartbeatRuns, agentInstructionWorkingCopies, createDb } from "@paperclipai/db";
 import { startEmbeddedPostgresTestDatabase } from "./helpers/embedded-postgres.js";
@@ -122,6 +122,36 @@ describe("registered run instruction copies", () => {
     expect((await revisions.readCurrent(target(), board()))?.content).toBe("board change");
   });
 
+  it.each(["before replacement", "after replacement"])("preserves the completed receipt when retry staging fails %s", async (point) => {
+    const copy = await run();
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(copy.localRoot, entryFile), "completed turn");
+    const saved = (await copies.collectStopped({ companyId, runId: copy.runId }))!;
+    expect(saved.state).toBe("saved");
+    const prior = (await revisions.readCurrent(target(), board()))!;
+    const current = await revisions.commit({ ...target(), entryFile, baseRevisionId: prior.revision.id, content: "new board instructions", source: "api" }, board());
+    const originalMkdir = fs.mkdir.bind(fs);
+    const originalChmod = fs.chmod.bind(fs);
+    const mkdir = vi.spyOn(fs, "mkdir").mockImplementation(async (...args: Parameters<typeof fs.mkdir>) => {
+      if (point === "before replacement" && args[0] === copy.localRoot) throw new Error("retry staging failed");
+      return originalMkdir(...args);
+    });
+    const chmod = vi.spyOn(fs, "chmod").mockImplementation(async (...args) => {
+      if (point === "after replacement" && args[0] === path.join(copy.localRoot, entryFile)) throw new Error("retry staging failed");
+      return originalChmod(...args);
+    });
+    try {
+      await expect(copies.prepare({ ...target(), runId: copy.runId, cwd: home })).rejects.toThrow("retry staging failed");
+    } finally { mkdir.mockRestore(); chmod.mockRestore(); }
+    expect(await copies.get(companyId, copy.runId)).toEqual(saved);
+    copies = agentInstructionWorkingCopyService(db);
+    await copies.recoverStopped();
+    expect(await copies.get(companyId, copy.runId)).toEqual(saved);
+    expect((await revisions.readCurrent(target(), board()))?.revision.id).toBe(current.revision.id);
+    const retried = (await copies.prepare({ ...target(), runId: copy.runId, cwd: home }))!;
+    expect(retried).toMatchObject({ state: "prepared", baseRevisionId: current.revision.id, processStoppedAt: null });
+    expect(await fs.readFile(path.join(retried.localRoot, entryFile), "utf8")).toBe(current.content);
+  });
+
   it("reads an existing canonical runtime snapshot without seeding or changing instruction bytes", async () => {
     expect(await revisions.readCommittedForRuntime(target())).toBeNull();
     const copy = await run();
diff --git a/server/src/services/agent-instruction-working-copies.ts b/server/src/services/agent-instruction-working-copies.ts
index c127950784a..3659a4111a6 100644
--- a/server/src/services/agent-instruction-working-copies.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/agent-instruction-working-copies.ts
@@ -110,6 +110,14 @@ export function agentInstructionWorkingCopyService(db: Db) {
         // Refresh only bytes whose previous lifecycle is complete. A changed
         // private file must keep its old CAS fence; never silently rebase edits.
         refreshStoppedCopy = privateBytes === null || hash(privateBytes) === (existing.candidateHash ?? existing.baseHash);
+        if (!refreshStoppedCopy && privateBytes !== null) {
+          // A failed staging attempt can already have replaced the file before
+          // the completed row advances. Exact current canonical bytes are also
+          // accounted for; any other private edit still keeps its old fence.
+          const current = await revisions.readCommittedForRuntime({ companyId: input.companyId, agentId: input.agentId });
+          refreshStoppedCopy = current?.revision.entryFile === existing.entryFile
+            && current.revision.contentHash === hash(privateBytes);
+        }
       }
       if (!refreshStoppedCopy) {
         if (completed.has(existing.state) || existing.state === "unchanged_turn") {
@@ -144,12 +152,7 @@ export function agentInstructionWorkingCopyService(db: Db) {
         localRoot, executionRoot, location, state: "preparing",
       });
     }
-    let row = (await get(input.companyId, input.runId))!;
-    if (refreshStoppedCopy) {
-      row = await patch(row, { state: "preparing", entryFile, baseRevisionId: baseline.revision.id,
-        baseHash: hash(content), candidateBase64: null, candidateHash: null, receipt: null,
-        processStoppedAt: null, attempts: 0, nextAttemptAt: null, errorCode: null, errorMessage: null });
-    }
+    const row = (await get(input.companyId, input.runId))!;
     await assertInstructionPathSafe(localRoot, entryFile);
     await execFile(process.execPath, ["-e", instructionGitExcludeProgram, workspace], { timeout: 15_000 });
     await fs.mkdir(localRoot, { recursive: true, mode: 0o700 });
@@ -173,7 +176,14 @@ export function agentInstructionWorkingCopyService(db: Db) {
         `node -e ${quote(instructionGitExcludeProgram)} ${quote(target.remoteCwd)}`, { cwd: target.remoteCwd, env: {}, timeoutSec: 15 });
       if (excluded.exitCode !== 0 || excluded.timedOut) throw new Error("Could not exclude private instructions from Git staging");
     }
-    const prepared = await patch(row, { state: "prepared" });
+    // A refresh does not supersede the completed turn until every local and
+    // remote staging step succeeds. Keep its receipt and stop evidence intact
+    // if preparation throws or the controller stops midway through staging.
+    const prepared = await patch(row, { state: "prepared", ...(refreshStoppedCopy ? {
+      entryFile, baseRevisionId: baseline.revision.id, baseHash: hash(content),
+      candidateBase64: null, candidateHash: null, receipt: null, processStoppedAt: null,
+      attempts: 0, nextAttemptAt: null, errorCode: null, errorMessage: null,
+    } : {}) });
     if (input.target) liveTargets.set(targetKey(input.companyId, input.runId), input.target);
     return prepared;
   }