diff --git a/packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/daytona/README.md b/packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/daytona/README.md
index a7e0198f8c9..e8dbbc436f8 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/daytona/README.md
+++ b/packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/daytona/README.md
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ Notes:
 
 - The current published Daytona SDK package is `@daytonaio/sdk`.
 - The driver supports both `snapshot`-based and `image`-based sandbox creation. If both are set, validation rejects the config as ambiguous.
+- Each cold create uses a unique provider name and ownership labels. If creation fails after Daytona has allocated a sandbox, the driver looks up that exact name, checks every ownership label, and waits for deletion. Failed, missing, or timed-out lookups and failed deletions report unconfirmed cleanup with the provider name; they never return a usable lease. A missing lookup after an uncertain create is not proof that a delayed provider request cannot create a resource.
 - Reusable leases map to Daytona stop/start semantics. Non-reusable leases are deleted on release. A provider-resolved `target` does not change the identity of an existing sandbox. Release closes the same scoped lease that a later sentinel-verified resume reopens.
 - A sandbox record can survive the loss of its underlying container. Resume treats it as expired only when a fresh provider read confirms the exact missing-container error for that sandbox and marks it unrecoverable. Unknown errors and failed confirmation reads preserve the lease. The host still requires a verified native-runner backup before replacement.
 
diff --git a/packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/daytona/src/plugin.test.ts b/packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/daytona/src/plugin.test.ts
index d15bbe9814c..939ac0066fa 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/daytona/src/plugin.test.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/daytona/src/plugin.test.ts
@@ -523,6 +523,105 @@ describe("Daytona sandbox provider plugin", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe("failed sandbox creation cleanup", () => {
+    const params = {
+      driverKey: "daytona", companyId: "company-1", environmentId: "env-1", runId: "run-1",
+      config: { image: "node:20", timeoutMs: 300_000, reuseLease: false, livenessTimeoutMs: 100 },
+    };
+    const createError = new MockDaytonaTimeoutError("Failed to create and start sandbox within 300 seconds");
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      process.env.DAYTONA_API_KEY = "host-key";
+      mockCreate.mockRejectedValue(createError);
+    });
+
+    function ownedSandbox() {
+      const requested = mockCreate.mock.calls.at(-1)![0];
+      return { ...createMockSandbox(), name: requested.name, labels: { ...requested.labels } };
+    }
+
+    it("deletes the exact sandbox left behind when create times out, then preserves the create error", async () => {
+      let orphan: ReturnType<typeof ownedSandbox>;
+      mockGet.mockImplementation(async () => (orphan = ownedSandbox()));
+      await expect(plugin.definition.onEnvironmentAcquireLease?.(params)).rejects.toBe(createError);
+      expect(mockCreate.mock.calls[0][0].name).toMatch(/^paperclip-create-[0-9a-f-]{36}$/);
+      expect(mockGet).toHaveBeenCalledWith(mockCreate.mock.calls[0][0].name);
+      expect(orphan!.delete).toHaveBeenCalledWith(10, true);
+      expect(orphan!.process.executeCommand).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it.each(["paperclip-company-id", "paperclip-environment-id", "paperclip-run-id", "paperclip-create-attempt", "paperclip-provider"])("never deletes a sandbox with a mismatched %s", async (label) => {
+      let orphan: ReturnType<typeof ownedSandbox>;
+      mockGet.mockImplementation(async () => {
+        orphan = ownedSandbox(); orphan.labels[label] = "different-owner"; return orphan;
+      });
+      await expect(plugin.definition.onEnvironmentAcquireLease?.(params)).rejects.toThrow("cleanup could not be confirmed");
+      expect(orphan!.delete).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it("never deletes a sandbox returned for a different name", async () => {
+      const wrong = { ...createMockSandbox(), labels: {} };
+      mockGet.mockResolvedValue(wrong);
+      await expect(plugin.definition.onEnvironmentAcquireLease?.(params)).rejects.toThrow("cleanup could not be confirmed");
+      expect(wrong.delete).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it("does not treat a not-found lookup after uncertain creation as confirmed cleanup", async () => {
+      mockGet.mockRejectedValue(new MockDaytonaNotFoundError("missing"));
+      await expect(plugin.definition.onEnvironmentAcquireLease?.(params)).rejects.toThrow("cleanup could not be confirmed");
+      expect(mockGet).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+
+    it("reports unconfirmed cleanup when the provider lookup fails", async () => {
+      mockGet.mockRejectedValue(new Error("provider unavailable"));
+      await expect(plugin.definition.onEnvironmentAcquireLease?.(params)).rejects.toThrow("cleanup could not be confirmed");
+    });
+
+    it("reports unconfirmed cleanup when provider deletion fails", async () => {
+      mockGet.mockImplementation(async () => {
+        const orphan = ownedSandbox(); orphan.delete.mockRejectedValue(new Error("delete failed")); return orphan;
+      });
+      await expect(plugin.definition.onEnvironmentAcquireLease?.(params)).rejects.toThrow("cleanup could not be confirmed");
+    });
+
+    it("bounds a hung provider lookup and preserves both failure causes", async () => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers();
+      try {
+        mockGet.mockImplementation(() => new Promise(() => {}));
+        const result = plugin.definition.onEnvironmentAcquireLease!(params).catch((error: unknown) => error);
+        await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(10_001);
+        const error = await result;
+        expect(error).toBeInstanceOf(AggregateError);
+        expect((error as AggregateError).errors[0]).toBe(createError);
+        expect((error as Error).message).toContain(mockCreate.mock.calls[0][0].name);
+      } finally { vi.useRealTimers(); }
+    });
+
+    it("bounds a hung provider deletion without returning a lease", async () => {
+      vi.useFakeTimers();
+      try {
+        mockGet.mockImplementation(async () => {
+          const orphan = ownedSandbox(); orphan.delete.mockImplementation(() => new Promise(() => {})); return orphan;
+        });
+        const result = plugin.definition.onEnvironmentAcquireLease!(params).catch((error: unknown) => error);
+        await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(15_001);
+        expect(await result).toBeInstanceOf(AggregateError);
+      } finally { vi.useRealTimers(); }
+    });
+
+    it("uses distinct creation identities for concurrent attempts on the same run", async () => {
+      mockGet.mockRejectedValue(new MockDaytonaNotFoundError("missing"));
+      await Promise.allSettled([
+        plugin.definition.onEnvironmentAcquireLease?.(params),
+        plugin.definition.onEnvironmentAcquireLease?.(params),
+      ]);
+      const requests = mockCreate.mock.calls.map(([request]) => request);
+      expect(requests).toHaveLength(2);
+      expect(new Set(requests.map((r) => r.name)).size).toBe(2);
+      expect(new Set(requests.map((r) => r.labels["paperclip-create-attempt"])).size).toBe(2);
+    });
+  });
+
   it("rejects ambiguous or invalid config", async () => {
     await expect(plugin.definition.onEnvironmentValidateConfig?.({
       driverKey: "daytona",
diff --git a/packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/daytona/src/plugin.ts b/packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/daytona/src/plugin.ts
index a053af7e7c7..b7714494536 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/daytona/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/sandbox-providers/daytona/src/plugin.ts
@@ -942,18 +942,41 @@ async function createSandbox(
     throw new Error(resourceRequestError);
   }
   const client = createDaytonaClient(config);
-  const createParams = buildCreateParams(config, buildSandboxLabels({
+  // The SDK can create a sandbox and then throw while waiting for it to start.
+  // Keep an attempt-specific provider name so that failure cannot lose ownership.
+  const attemptId = randomUUID();
+  const name = `paperclip-create-${attemptId}`;
+  const labels = { ...buildSandboxLabels({
     companyId: params.companyId,
     environmentId: params.environmentId,
     runId: "runId" in params ? params.runId : undefined,
     setupSessionId: "sessionId" in params ? params.sessionId : undefined,
     purpose: options.purpose,
     reuseLease: config.reuseLease,
-  }));
-  const sandbox = await client.create(createParams, {
-    timeout: toTimeoutSeconds(config.timeoutMs),
-  });
-  return sandbox;
+  }), "paperclip-create-attempt": attemptId };
+  const createParams = { ...buildCreateParams(config, labels), name };
+  try {
+    return await client.create(createParams, {
+      timeout: toTimeoutSeconds(config.timeoutMs),
+    });
+  } catch (createError) {
+    try {
+      // A not-found lookup after an uncertain create is not a deletion receipt:
+      // the provider may still materialize the request. Keep the name in the
+      // error so cleanup can be reconciled rather than declaring success.
+      const orphan = await withLivenessTimeout("sandbox.failedCreateLookup", 10_000, () => client.get(name));
+      if (orphan.name !== name || Object.entries(labels).some(([key, value]) => orphan.labels?.[key] !== value)) {
+        throw new Error("Failed-create sandbox ownership does not match");
+      }
+      // Wait for provider deletion, rather than treating a deletion request as
+      // a cleanup receipt. Never run tools or install credentials in this sandbox.
+      await withLivenessTimeout("sandbox.failedCreateDelete", 15_000, () => orphan.delete(10, true));
+    } catch (cleanupError) {
+      throw new AggregateError([createError, cleanupError],
+        `Daytona sandbox creation failed; cleanup could not be confirmed for ${name}`);
+    }
+    throw createError;
+  }
 }
 
 // ─── Per-lease started-sandbox handle cache ──────────────────────────────────