diff --git a/ui/src/components/IssueBlockedNotice.test.tsx b/ui/src/components/IssueBlockedNotice.test.tsx
index 2bf0ba84435..1f34d64226b 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/IssueBlockedNotice.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/IssueBlockedNotice.test.tsx
@@ -223,6 +223,43 @@ describe("IssueBlockedNotice", () => {
     expect(node.textContent).toBe("");
   });
 
+  it("renders live-next-step copy for blocked issues needing attention with no unresolved blockers", () => {
+    const node = render(
+      <IssueBlockedNotice
+        issueStatus="blocked"
+        blockers={[]}
+        blockerAttention={{
+          state: "needs_attention",
+          reason: "attention_required",
+          unresolvedBlockerCount: 0,
+          coveredBlockerCount: 0,
+          stalledBlockerCount: 0,
+          attentionBlockerCount: 0,
+          sampleBlockerIdentifier: null,
+          sampleStalledBlockerIdentifier: null,
+        }}
+      />,
+    );
+
+    expect(node.textContent).toContain("This task is blocked but the system has no live next step.");
+    expect(node.textContent).toContain("Earlier blockers resolved, and no recovery path or scheduled retry is active.");
+    expect(node.textContent).not.toContain("Work on this task is blocked until it is moved back to todo.");
+    expect(node.querySelector('[data-blocker-attention-state="needs_attention_no_blockers"]')).not.toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the moved-back-to-todo fallback for manually parked blocked issues", () => {
+    const node = render(
+      <IssueBlockedNotice
+        issueStatus="blocked"
+        blockers={[]}
+        blockerAttention={null}
+      />,
+    );
+
+    expect(node.textContent).toContain("Work on this task is blocked until it is moved back to todo.");
+    expect(node.textContent).not.toContain("This task is blocked but the system has no live next step.");
+  });
+
   it("renders a recovery indicator on a blocker chip when the blocker has an active recovery action", () => {
     const node = render(
       <IssueBlockedNotice
diff --git a/ui/src/components/IssueBlockedNotice.tsx b/ui/src/components/IssueBlockedNotice.tsx
index b24eed7c4e9..ec7bc8fad61 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/IssueBlockedNotice.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/IssueBlockedNotice.tsx
@@ -157,6 +157,8 @@ export function IssueBlockedNotice({
     return collected;
   })();
   const showParkedRow = parkedBlockers.length > 0;
+  const showNeedsAttentionNoBlockers =
+    blockerAttention?.state === "needs_attention" && blockers.length === 0 && issueStatus === "blocked";
   const stalledLeafIdentifier =
     blockerAttention?.sampleStalledBlockerIdentifier ?? blockerAttention?.sampleBlockerIdentifier ?? null;
   const stalledLeafBlockers = (() => {
@@ -199,7 +201,9 @@ export function IssueBlockedNotice({
 
   return (
     <div
-      data-blocker-attention-state={blockerAttention?.state}
+      data-blocker-attention-state={
+        showNeedsAttentionNoBlockers ? "needs_attention_no_blockers" : blockerAttention?.state
+      }
       data-successful-run-handoff={showSuccessfulRunHandoff ? "required" : undefined}
       className="mb-3 rounded-md border border-amber-300/70 bg-amber-50/90 px-3 py-2.5 text-sm text-amber-950 shadow-sm dark:border-amber-500/40 dark:bg-amber-500/10 dark:text-amber-100"
     >
@@ -257,15 +261,37 @@ export function IssueBlockedNotice({
           ) : null}
           {blockers.length > 0 || issueStatus === "blocked" ? (
             <>
-              <p className="leading-5">
-                {blockers.length > 0
-                  ? isStalled
-                    ? stalledLeafBlockers.length > 1
-                      ? <>Work on this task is blocked by {blockerLabel}, but the chain is stalled in review without a clear next step. Resolve the stalled reviews below or remove them as blockers.</>
-                      : <>Work on this task is blocked by {blockerLabel}, but the chain is stalled in review without a clear next step. Resolve the stalled review below or remove it as a blocker.</>
-                    : <>Work on this task is blocked by {blockerLabel} until {blockers.length === 1 ? "it is" : "they are"} complete. Comments still wake the assignee for questions or triage.</>
-                  : <>Work on this task is blocked until it is moved back to todo. Comments still wake the assignee for questions or triage.</>}
-              </p>
+              {showNeedsAttentionNoBlockers ? (
+                <>
+                  <p className="font-medium leading-5">
+                    This task is blocked but the system has no live next step.
+                  </p>
+                  <p className="leading-5">
+                    Earlier blockers resolved, and no recovery path or scheduled retry is active. The assignee
+                    needs to either move it back to{" "}
+                    <code className="rounded bg-amber-100 px-1 py-0.5 text-[12px] dark:bg-amber-400/15">
+                      todo
+                    </code>{" "}
+                    so a fresh run is queued, or add a real blocker if work genuinely can't proceed.
+                  </p>
+                  {blockerAttention.coveredBlockerCount > 0 ? (
+                    <p className="text-xs leading-5 text-amber-800 dark:text-amber-200">
+                      Some ancestor blockers are still covered by active work — see the "Ultimately waiting on" row
+                      below.
+                    </p>
+                  ) : null}
+                </>
+              ) : (
+                <p className="leading-5">
+                  {blockers.length > 0
+                    ? isStalled
+                      ? stalledLeafBlockers.length > 1
+                        ? <>Work on this task is blocked by {blockerLabel}, but the chain is stalled in review without a clear next step. Resolve the stalled reviews below or remove them as blockers.</>
+                        : <>Work on this task is blocked by {blockerLabel}, but the chain is stalled in review without a clear next step. Resolve the stalled review below or remove it as a blocker.</>
+                      : <>Work on this task is blocked by {blockerLabel} until {blockers.length === 1 ? "it is" : "they are"} complete. Comments still wake the assignee for questions or triage.</>
+                    : <>Work on this task is blocked until it is moved back to todo. Comments still wake the assignee for questions or triage.</>}
+                </p>
+              )}
               {blockers.length > 0 ? (
                 <div className="flex flex-wrap gap-1.5">
                   {blockers.map(renderBlockerChip)}
diff --git a/ui/src/components/StatusIcon.test.tsx b/ui/src/components/StatusIcon.test.tsx
index 7ad5c09443a..6129891c874 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/StatusIcon.test.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/StatusIcon.test.tsx
@@ -77,6 +77,28 @@ describe("StatusIcon", () => {
     expect(html).not.toContain("border-dashed");
   });
 
+  it("labels attention-required blocked issues with no unresolved blockers as needing assignee action", () => {
+    const html = renderToStaticMarkup(
+      <StatusIcon
+        status="blocked"
+        blockerAttention={{
+          state: "needs_attention",
+          reason: "attention_required",
+          unresolvedBlockerCount: 0,
+          coveredBlockerCount: 0,
+          stalledBlockerCount: 0,
+          attentionBlockerCount: 0,
+          sampleBlockerIdentifier: null,
+          sampleStalledBlockerIdentifier: null,
+        }}
+      />,
+    );
+
+    expect(html).toContain('data-blocker-attention-state="needs_attention"');
+    expect(html).toContain('aria-label="Blocked · no live continuation path — assignee needs to act"');
+    expect(html).toContain("border-red-600");
+  });
+
   it("shows active covered work on mixed attention-required blockers", () => {
     const html = renderToStaticMarkup(
       <StatusIcon
diff --git a/ui/src/components/StatusIcon.tsx b/ui/src/components/StatusIcon.tsx
index 151c690532e..a0cbf4ca71e 100644
--- a/ui/src/components/StatusIcon.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/components/StatusIcon.tsx
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ function blockedAttentionLabel(blockerAttention: IssueBlockerAttention | null |
   }
 
   if (blockerAttention.reason === "attention_required") {
+    if (blockerAttention.unresolvedBlockerCount === 0) {
+      return "Blocked · no live continuation path — assignee needs to act";
+    }
     const count = blockerAttention.attentionBlockerCount || blockerAttention.unresolvedBlockerCount;
     const attentionCopy = `${count} ${count === 1 ? "blocker needs" : "blockers need"} attention`;
     const coveredCount = blockerAttention.coveredBlockerCount;
diff --git a/ui/storybook/stories/status-language.stories.tsx b/ui/storybook/stories/status-language.stories.tsx
index 4358becfb84..62bbd573080 100644
--- a/ui/storybook/stories/status-language.stories.tsx
+++ b/ui/storybook/stories/status-language.stories.tsx
@@ -175,6 +175,18 @@ const coveredBlockedMatrix: CoveredBlockedCell[] = [
     expectedVisual: "solid red ring",
     expectedCopy: "Blocked · 1 unresolved blocker needs attention",
   },
+  {
+    label: "Needs attention (no unresolved blockers)",
+    status: "blocked",
+    blockerAttention: attention({
+      state: "needs_attention",
+      reason: "attention_required",
+      unresolvedBlockerCount: 0,
+      attentionBlockerCount: 0,
+    }),
+    expectedVisual: "solid red ring",
+    expectedCopy: "Blocked · no live continuation path — assignee needs to act",
+  },
   {
     label: "Non-blocked with prop ignored",
     status: "in_progress",
@@ -220,7 +232,8 @@ function summaryBlocker(
 type BlockedNoticeStateLabel =
   | "Default covered"
   | "Stalled (single leaf)"
-  | "Stalled (multiple leaves)";
+  | "Stalled (multiple leaves)"
+  | "Needs attention (no blockers)";
 
 type BlockedNoticeFixture = {
   label: BlockedNoticeStateLabel;
@@ -318,6 +331,18 @@ const blockedNoticeFixtures: BlockedNoticeFixture[] = [
       sampleStalledBlockerIdentifier: "PAP-2284",
     }),
   },
+  {
+    label: "Needs attention (no blockers)",
+    caption: "Earlier blockers resolved, but no live run, recovery path, or scheduled retry remains.",
+    blockers: [],
+    blockerAttention: attention({
+      state: "needs_attention",
+      reason: "attention_required",
+      unresolvedBlockerCount: 0,
+      coveredBlockerCount: 0,
+      attentionBlockerCount: 0,
+    }),
+  },
 ];
 
 function BlockedNoticeSurface({
@@ -340,7 +365,7 @@ function BlockedNoticeSurface({
             {size} · {mode}
           </span>
         </div>
-        <div className={isMobile ? "max-w-[358px] px-3 py-3" : "min-w-[620px] px-4 py-3"}>
+        <div className={isMobile ? "max-w-[358px] px-3 py-3" : "max-w-[620px] px-4 py-3"}>
           <IssueBlockedNotice
             issueStatus="blocked"
             blockers={fixture.blockers}