diff --git a/packages/provider-limrun/src/request-cancellation.test.ts b/packages/provider-limrun/src/request-cancellation.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d48927cca1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/provider-limrun/src/request-cancellation.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import { expect, test } from 'vitest';
+import { createLimrunRequestOperationDrain } from './request-cancellation.ts';
+
+test('releases a settled operation from the drain', async () => {
+  const drain = createLimrunRequestOperationDrain();
+  await expect(drain.wait(Promise.resolve('provider line'))).resolves.toBe('provider line');
+  await expect(drain[Symbol.asyncDispose]()).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+});
+
+test('propagates a provider rejection and still releases the drain', async () => {
+  const drain = createLimrunRequestOperationDrain();
+  await expect(drain.wait(Promise.reject(new Error('socket closed')))).rejects.toThrow(
+    'socket closed',
+  );
+  await expect(drain[Symbol.asyncDispose]()).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+});
+
+test('keeps an aborted operation owned until its provider source settles', async () => {
+  const drain = createLimrunRequestOperationDrain();
+  let settleSource!: (value: string) => void;
+  const source = new Promise<string>((resolve) => {
+    settleSource = resolve;
+  });
+  const controller = new AbortController();
+  const waiting = drain.wait(source, controller.signal, 'limrun operation aborted');
+  const reason = new Error('release the instance');
+
+  controller.abort(reason);
+  await expect(waiting).rejects.toBe(reason);
+
+  let released = false;
+  const disposing = drain[Symbol.asyncDispose]().then(() => {
+    released = true;
+  });
+  await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 5));
+  expect(released).toBe(false);
+
+  settleSource('late provider line');
+  await expect(disposing).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+  expect(released).toBe(true);
+});
diff --git a/packages/provider-limrun/src/request-cancellation.ts b/packages/provider-limrun/src/request-cancellation.ts
index d2d8a17133..d377dcf3c9 100644
--- a/packages/provider-limrun/src/request-cancellation.ts
+++ b/packages/provider-limrun/src/request-cancellation.ts
@@ -62,10 +62,12 @@ export function createLimrunRequestOperationDrain(): LimrunRequestOperationDrain
     wait: async <Value>(source: Promise<Value>, signal?: AbortSignal, abortMessage?: string) => {
       let settled!: () => void;
       const completion = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
-        settled = resolve;
+        settled = () => {
+          pending.delete(completion);
+          resolve();
+        };
       });
       pending.add(completion);
-      void completion.then(() => pending.delete(completion));
       return await awaitLimrunOperation(source, signal, abortMessage, settled);
     },
     [Symbol.asyncDispose]: async () => {
diff --git a/src/daemon/managed-device-allocation/lease-admission.ts b/src/daemon/managed-device-allocation/lease-admission.ts
index a56bd0daf1..7fad72f5df 100644
--- a/src/daemon/managed-device-allocation/lease-admission.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/managed-device-allocation/lease-admission.ts
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ export function createManagedLeaseAdmission(params: {
         pending,
         horizon.deadline,
         AbortSignal.any([signal, fenced.signal]),
+        (error) => stop('authority-unconfirmed', normalizeError(error)),
       );
       if (stopped) return stopped;
       if (abandoned) return abandoned;
@@ -199,6 +200,7 @@ function waitForRenewal(
   work: Promise<void>,
   deadline: Deadline,
   signal: AbortSignal,
+  onRejection: (error: unknown) => void,
 ): Promise<ManagedLeaseAdmissionFailure | undefined> {
   return new Promise((resolve) => {
     const timer = setTimeout(() => finish({ status: 'deadline-exceeded' }), deadline.remainingMs());
@@ -208,6 +210,14 @@ function waitForRenewal(
       listener[Symbol.dispose]();
       resolve(result);
     }
-    void work.then(() => finish());
+    // A settled renewal only means "re-check the horizon"; a rejected one is unconfirmed
+    // authority, so it must fence instead of re-arming renewal work in a tight loop.
+    void work.then(
+      () => finish(),
+      (error) => {
+        onRejection(error);
+        finish();
+      },
+    );
   });
 }
diff --git a/src/platform-runtime-screen-recording-apple-simulator-host.test.ts b/src/platform-runtime-screen-recording-apple-simulator-host.test.ts
index f7149b154b..5e82b868a1 100644
--- a/src/platform-runtime-screen-recording-apple-simulator-host.test.ts
+++ b/src/platform-runtime-screen-recording-apple-simulator-host.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
-import { beforeEach, expect, test, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { beforeEach, expect, onTestFinished, test, vi } from 'vitest';
 import { normalizeError } from '@agent-device/kernel/errors';
 import { mkdtempForTestSync } from './__tests__/test-utils/tmp-dir.ts';
 import { createAppleScreenRecordingHost } from './platform-runtime-screen-recording-apple-host.ts';
@@ -196,6 +196,43 @@ test('late provider acquisition after abort is rolled back exactly once', async
   expect(late.kill).toHaveBeenCalledWith('SIGINT');
 });
 
+test.each([
+  { label: 'before the acquisition is observed', abortedInStart: true },
+  { label: 'while the transport imports settle', abortedInStart: false },
+])(
+  'discards a transport rejection that arrives when the start was aborted %s',
+  async ({ abortedInStart }) => {
+    const root = mkdtempForTestSync('agent-device-recording-rejected-start-');
+    const controller = new AbortController();
+    const reason = new Error('cancel simulator transport start');
+    let rejectStart: ((error: unknown) => void) | undefined;
+    const start = vi.fn(() => {
+      if (abortedInStart) controller.abort(reason);
+      return new Promise<ReturnType<typeof background>['process']>((_resolve, reject) => {
+        rejectStart = reject;
+      });
+    });
+
+    const rejection = observeUnhandledRejections();
+    const starting = withAppleSimulatorScreenRecordingTransport(
+      { available: true, mode: 'transport-composed', start },
+      async () =>
+        await startAppleSimulatorRecording(
+          simulator,
+          path.join(root, 'capture.mp4'),
+          controller.signal,
+        ),
+    );
+    const rejected = expect(starting).rejects.toBe(reason);
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(rejectStart).toBeTypeOf('function'));
+    if (!abortedInStart) controller.abort(reason);
+    rejectStart?.(controller.signal.reason);
+
+    await rejected;
+    await expect(rejection.settle()).resolves.toEqual([]);
+  },
+);
+
 test('resolved provider acquisition aborted before publication removes partial output and settles', async () => {
   const root = mkdtempForTestSync('agent-device-recording-acquired-abort-');
   const outputPath = path.join(root, 'capture.mp4');
@@ -319,6 +356,7 @@ test.each([
 });
 
 test('pidless provider process is killed and settled before start fails', async () => {
+  const rejection = observeUnhandledRejections();
   const running = background(undefined);
   await expect(
     withTransport(
@@ -326,7 +364,8 @@ test('pidless provider process is killed and settled before start fails', async
       async () => await startAppleSimulatorRecording(simulator, '/tmp/pidless.mp4'),
     ),
   ).rejects.toThrow('complete process identity');
-  expect(running.kill).toHaveBeenCalledWith('SIGINT');
+  expect(running.kill.mock.calls).toEqual([['SIGINT']]);
+  await expect(rejection.settle()).resolves.toEqual([]);
 });
 
 test('unpublished recorder cleanup gives SIGINT a grace window before forcing exit', async () => {
@@ -352,6 +391,25 @@ test('unpublished recorder cleanup gives SIGINT a grace window before forcing ex
   }
 });
 
+function observeUnhandledRejections() {
+  const messages: string[] = [];
+  const listener = (reason: unknown) => {
+    messages.push(reason instanceof Error ? reason.message : String(reason));
+  };
+  process.on('unhandledRejection', listener);
+  onTestFinished(() => {
+    process.off('unhandledRejection', listener);
+  });
+  return {
+    settle: async () => {
+      for (let turn = 0; turn < 2; turn += 1) {
+        await new Promise((resolve) => setImmediate(resolve));
+      }
+      return messages;
+    },
+  };
+}
+
 function background(pid: number | undefined, command?: string) {
   let settle: ((result: { stdout: string; stderr: string; exitCode: number }) => void) | undefined;
   const wait = new Promise<{ stdout: string; stderr: string; exitCode: number }>((resolve) => {
diff --git a/src/platform-runtime-screen-recording-apple-simulator-host.ts b/src/platform-runtime-screen-recording-apple-simulator-host.ts
index b24c25c384..8620762c65 100644
--- a/src/platform-runtime-screen-recording-apple-simulator-host.ts
+++ b/src/platform-runtime-screen-recording-apple-simulator-host.ts
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ async function acquireSimulatorProcess(
     if ('child' in acquisition) {
       await rollbackAcquiredSimulatorProcess(acquisition);
     } else {
-      void started.then(rollbackAcquiredSimulatorProcess);
+      void started.then(rollbackAcquiredSimulatorProcess).catch(() => undefined);
     }
     throw signal.reason;
   }
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ async function acquireSimulatorProcess(
     return await Promise.race([started, aborted]);
   } catch (error) {
     if (!signal.aborted) throw error;
-    void started.then(rollbackAcquiredSimulatorProcess);
+    void started.then(rollbackAcquiredSimulatorProcess).catch(() => undefined);
     throw signal.reason;
   } finally {
     removeAbort();