diff --git a/src/agent_capacity/cli.py b/src/agent_capacity/cli.py
index 9aeb89d..02de228 100755
--- a/src/agent_capacity/cli.py
+++ b/src/agent_capacity/cli.py
@@ -1444,6 +1444,10 @@ def cleanup_stale() -> dict[str, Any]:
                 continue
             worker_pid = int(job.get("worker_pid", 0))
             process_pid = int(job.get("process_pid", 0))
+            # Older/imported waiting records may not carry process evidence.
+            # Absence of evidence is not evidence that a managed worker died.
+            if worker_pid <= 0 and process_pid <= 0:
+                continue
             if pid_alive(worker_pid) or pid_alive(process_pid):
                 continue
             job["state"] = "failed"
@@ -1864,6 +1868,7 @@ def public_local_job(job: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
 
 def run_local_job_action(job: dict[str, Any], action: str) -> int:
     if action == "status":
+        cleanup_stale()
         current = find_job(job["id"]) or job
         print_json({"job": public_local_job(current)})
         return 0
@@ -2178,6 +2183,11 @@ def job_summary(job: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
 
 
 def queue_snapshot(history_limit: int = 20) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    # Queue is an operational truth surface, not a passive dump of the ledger.
+    # A managed local worker can disappear between polls (host shutdown, disk
+    # exhaustion, SIGKILL). Reconcile that state before reporting capacity so a
+    # dead job cannot continue to look active or hold admission hostage.
+    cleanup_stale()
     with locked_jobs() as (job_data, _):
         jobs = [dict(job) for job in job_data.get("jobs", [])]
     with locked_state() as (lease_data, _):
@@ -3249,6 +3259,7 @@ def main() -> int:
 
     if args.command == "acquire":
         validate_count_and_ttl(args.count, args.ttl)
+        cleanup_stale()
         code, value = acquire(args.workload, args.count, args.owner, args.ttl)
         print_json(value)
         return code
@@ -3273,6 +3284,7 @@ def main() -> int:
             command = command[1:]
         if not command:
             raise SystemExit("run requires a command after --")
+        cleanup_stale()
         code, value = acquire(args.workload, args.count, args.owner, args.ttl)
         if code:
             if args.queue:
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 5dee451..df31dd4 100755
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -386,6 +386,36 @@ def main() -> None:
         assert stale_cleanup["jobs"][0]["memory_mb"] == 2500
         assert stale_cleanup["released_reservations"] == ["stale-job-token"]
 
+        auto_directory = Path(directory) / "auto-stale"
+        auto_directory.mkdir()
+        auto_state = auto_directory / "leases.json"
+        auto_jobs = auto_directory / "jobs.json"
+        auto_state.write_text(json.dumps({
+            "version": 1, "leases": [{
+                "token": "auto-stale-token", "owner": "test:auto-stale", "owner_pid": 99999999,
+                "workload": "build", "count": 1, "reserved_mb": 4200,
+                "created_at": int(time.time()) - 120, "expires_at": int(time.time()) + 600,
+            }],
+        }))
+        auto_jobs.write_text(json.dumps({
+            "version": 1, "jobs": [{
+                "id": "auto-stale", "provider": "local", "state": "running",
+                "owner": "test:auto-stale", "workload": "build", "count": 1,
+                "worker_pid": 99999998, "process_pid": 99999999,
+                "lease_token": "auto-stale-token", "created_at": int(time.time()) - 120,
+            }],
+        }))
+        _, reconciled_queue = call(auto_state, "queue", "--json", level=80, host_metrics=host_metrics)
+        assert reconciled_queue["counts"]["local_running"] == 0
+        assert reconciled_queue["counts"]["reservations"] == 0
+        assert reconciled_queue["history"][0]["id"] == "auto-stale"
+        assert reconciled_queue["history"][0]["state"] == "failed"
+        _, auto_readmitted = call(
+            auto_state, "acquire", "--workload", "build", "--owner", "test:auto-readmitted",
+            level=80, host_metrics=host_metrics,
+        )
+        assert auto_readmitted["allowed"] is True
+
         parsed_swap = parse_swap_usage("vm.swapusage: total = 8.00G  used = 7.27G  free = 747.12M")
         assert parsed_swap["swap_known"] is True
         assert parsed_swap["swap_total_mb"] == 8192