diff --git a/server/src/services/heartbeat-github-launchers.test.ts b/server/src/services/heartbeat-github-launchers.test.ts
index 012ab7d771a..4d8771bc896 100644
--- a/server/src/services/heartbeat-github-launchers.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/heartbeat-github-launchers.test.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,31 @@ describe("heartbeat GitHub launcher lifetime", () => {
     expect(second.cleanupLocation).toBeNull();
     expect(first.env).toMatchObject({ GH_TOKEN: "", PAPERCLIP_GITHUB_BROKER_TOKEN: "", PAPERCLIP_GITHUB_BROKER_URL: "" });
   });
+  it.each([false, true])("cleans partial run-scoped staging and preserves its error (cleanup fails: %s)", async (cleanupFails) => {
+    const stagingError = new Error("remote launcher staging failed");
+    const prepareLaunchers = vi.fn(async () => { throw stagingError; });
+    const cleanupLaunchers = vi.fn(async () => {
+      if (cleanupFails) throw new Error("cleanup unavailable");
+    });
+    await expect(prepareHeartbeatGitHubLaunchers({
+      native: true, githubConfigured: true, agentId: "agent-a", target,
+      runId: "failed-run", cwd: "/workspace", env: {}, brokerUrl: "https://paperclip.test",
+      createBrokerToken: () => "current-run-secret",
+    }, prepareLaunchers, cleanupLaunchers)).rejects.toBe(stagingError);
+    expect(cleanupLaunchers).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith({ runId: "failed-run", target });
+  });
+
+  it("does not remove shared anonymous wrappers when staging a later run fails", async () => {
+    const stagingError = new Error("remote launcher staging failed");
+    const cleanupLaunchers = vi.fn(async () => undefined);
+    await expect(prepareHeartbeatGitHubLaunchers({
+      native: true, githubConfigured: false, agentId: "agent-a", target,
+      runId: "failed-run", cwd: "/workspace", env: {}, brokerUrl: "https://paperclip.test",
+      createBrokerToken: () => { throw new Error("must not mint a capability"); },
+    }, async () => { throw stagingError; }, cleanupLaunchers)).rejects.toBe(stagingError);
+    expect(cleanupLaunchers).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it.each([
     { native: true, githubConfigured: true, target },
     { native: false, githubConfigured: false, target },
diff --git a/server/src/services/heartbeat-github-launchers.ts b/server/src/services/heartbeat-github-launchers.ts
index 8978ef81916..5295c1f4564 100644
--- a/server/src/services/heartbeat-github-launchers.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/heartbeat-github-launchers.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { createHash } from "node:crypto";
 import { githubBrokerEnvironment } from "@paperclipai/adapter-utils/github-launcher";
-import { prepareGitHubOperationLaunchers } from "@paperclipai/adapter-utils/execution-target";
+import { cleanupGitHubOperationLaunchers, prepareGitHubOperationLaunchers } from "@paperclipai/adapter-utils/execution-target";
 
 type LauncherInput = Parameters<typeof prepareGitHubOperationLaunchers>[0];
 
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export async function prepareHeartbeatGitHubLaunchers(
     createBrokerToken: () => string;
   },
   prepareLaunchers = prepareGitHubOperationLaunchers,
+  cleanupLaunchers = cleanupGitHubOperationLaunchers,
 ) {
   // An unconfigured sandbox has no managed GitHub identity to broker. Its
   // token-free wrappers still isolate image credentials, but may live as long
@@ -30,5 +31,16 @@ export async function prepareHeartbeatGitHubLaunchers(
     url: anonymous ? "" : input.brokerUrl,
     token: anonymous ? "" : input.createBrokerToken(),
   });
-  return { env: await prepareLaunchers({ ...location, cwd: input.cwd, env }), cleanupLocation: anonymous ? null : location };
+  try {
+    return {
+      env: await prepareLaunchers({ ...location, cwd: input.cwd, env }),
+      cleanupLocation: anonymous ? null : location,
+    };
+  } catch (error) {
+    // The caller cannot retain a cleanup location until staging returns. Clean
+    // partial run-specific files here, preserving the original staging failure.
+    // Anonymous files may still belong to a live warm provider; never delete them.
+    if (!anonymous) await cleanupLaunchers(location).catch(() => undefined);
+    throw error;
+  }
 }