diff --git a/server/utils/studioQueue.ts b/server/utils/studioQueue.ts
index c1f5c41..11c19bc 100644
--- a/server/utils/studioQueue.ts
+++ b/server/utils/studioQueue.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { join } from 'node:path'
 import { getJob, listJobs, emitJob, type Job } from '~/server/utils/jobs'
 import { listPendingJobs, patchPendingJob, readPendingJob, deletePendingJob } from '~/server/utils/pending'
 import { getShotQueue, pendingSegmentCount } from '~/server/utils/shotQueue'
-import { fetchLiveQueue, isComfyPromptDropped } from '~/server/utils/comfy'
+import { fetchLiveQueue } from '~/server/utils/comfy'
 import { isLtxWorkflow, isTextToVideo, isXaigenStudio, LTX_DISABLED_MESSAGE, ltxWorkflowEnabled, parseVideoWorkflow, type VideoWorkflowId } from '~/utils/videoModels'
 import { persistLoraFields } from '~/server/utils/loras'
 import { resolveLoraStack } from '~/utils/loras'
@@ -291,21 +291,35 @@ function sweepStaleLiveJobs() {
 async function reapZombieLiveJobs() {
   const queue = await fetchLiveQueue()
   if (!queue) return
-  const comfyBusy = queue.running > 0 || queue.pending > 0
+  if (queue.running > 0 || queue.pending > 0) return
+  const { fetchHistory } = await import('~/server/utils/comfy')
   for (const job of listJobs()) {
     if (job.saving) continue
     if (job.status !== 'running' && job.status !== 'uploading' && job.status !== 'queued') continue
     if (jobIsLocallySubmitting(job)) continue
     if (job.library?.chainContinuing) continue
-    if (jobAgeMs(job) < ZOMBIE_EMPTY_COMFY_MS) continue
+    const zombieMs = (job.kind === 'edit' || job.kind === 'music') ? 45_000 : ZOMBIE_EMPTY_COMFY_MS
+    if (jobAgeMs(job) < zombieMs) continue
     if (!job.promptId) {
       if (jobAgeMs(job) >= QUEUED_GRACE_MS) failZombieLiveJob(job, 'Job never started on ComfyUI')
       continue
     }
-    if (comfyBusy) continue
-    if (await isComfyPromptDropped(job.promptId)) {
+    const history = await fetchHistory(job.promptId).catch(() => null)
+    const entry = history?.[job.promptId] as { status?: { status_str?: string; completed?: boolean } } | undefined
+    if (!entry) {
       failZombieLiveJob(job, 'ComfyUI lost this job (empty queue after a restart or clear). Generate again.')
+      continue
     }
+    const status = entry.status?.status_str
+    if (status === 'error' || status === 'interrupted') {
+      failZombieLiveJob(job, job.error || `ComfyUI ${status}`)
+      continue
+    }
+    // History still present + Comfy idle: waiter never settled (common for image jobs).
+    // Mark complete and advance the studio queue so waiting items can run.
+    job.status = 'complete'
+    job.error = undefined
+    await onLiveVideoSettled(job).catch(() => null)
   }
 }
 
@@ -330,7 +344,16 @@ export async function videoJobsBusy() {
   // An empty Comfy queue is not idle: the 3s buffer + last-frame extract between
   // shots leaves Comfy empty while the current video still owns the GPU.
   if (listJobs().some(liveJobOwnsGpu)) return true
-  if (listOwnersWithStudioQueues().some(owner => listStudioJobs(owner).some(job => job.status === 'running'))) return true
+  // Studio "running" only blocks when a live job still owns the GPU, or a fresh
+  // pending file exists. Orphan disk rows used to block the whole queue forever.
+  if (listOwnersWithStudioQueues().some(owner => listStudioJobs(owner).some((job) => {
+    if (job.status !== 'running') return false
+    if (job.liveJobId) {
+      const live = getJob(job.liveJobId)
+      if (live && liveJobOwnsGpu(live)) return true
+    }
+    return pendingAlive(job)
+  }))) return true
   const queue = await fetchLiveQueue()
   if (queue) return queue.running > 0 || queue.pending > 0
   return listPendingJobs().some((pending) => {
@@ -746,12 +769,17 @@ function scheduleKickRetry() {
 }
 
 function pendingAlive(job: StudioJob) {
-  if (job.liveJobId && readPendingJob(job.liveJobId)?.promptId) return true
+  const freshEnough = (startedAt: number) => Date.now() - startedAt < PENDING_ORPHAN_MS
+  if (job.liveJobId) {
+    const pending = readPendingJob(job.liveJobId)
+    if (pending?.promptId && freshEnough(pending.startedAt)) return true
+  }
   if (!job.shotQueueId) return false
   return listPendingJobs().some(pending => (
     pending.ownerKey === job.ownerKey
     && pending.queueId === job.shotQueueId
     && Boolean(pending.promptId)
+    && freshEnough(pending.startedAt)
   ))
 }
 
@@ -775,6 +803,16 @@ function repairStaleJobs(jobs: StudioJob[]) {
       job.updatedAt = Date.now()
       continue
     }
+    // Image/music never use shot queues — held without one is a deadlock leftover.
+    if (job.status === 'held' && !job.shotQueueId) {
+      job.status = 'complete'
+      job.liveJobId = undefined
+      job.holdForCutIn = false
+      job.pauseAfterCurrent = false
+      job.pausedByUser = false
+      job.updatedAt = Date.now()
+      continue
+    }
     if (job.status !== 'running') continue
     const live = job.liveJobId ? getJob(job.liveJobId) : undefined
     const liveBusy = live && (live.status === 'queued' || live.status === 'uploading' || live.status === 'running')
@@ -803,12 +841,12 @@ function repairStaleJobs(jobs: StudioJob[]) {
       }
       job.updatedAt = Date.now()
     } else {
-      job.status = holdPause ? 'held' : 'complete'
+      // No shot queue (image/music): never park as held — that blocked waiting jobs.
+      job.status = 'complete'
       job.liveJobId = undefined
-      if (holdPause) {
-        job.pausedByUser = true
-        job.pauseAfterCurrent = false
-      }
+      job.pauseAfterCurrent = false
+      job.pausedByUser = false
+      job.holdForCutIn = false
       job.updatedAt = Date.now()
     }
   }
@@ -816,7 +854,11 @@ function repairStaleJobs(jobs: StudioJob[]) {
 
 async function dispatchStudioQueue() {
   sweepStaleLiveJobs()
-  for (const owner of listOwnersWithStudioQueues()) {
+  // Repair every owner first. videoJobsBusy() looks at all owners — fixing only the
+  // current owner left a stuck "running" row on a later owner blocking the GPU forever.
+  const owners = listOwnersWithStudioQueues()
+  const stores = new Map<string, StudioQueueStore>()
+  for (const owner of owners) {
     const store = await mutateStore(owner, (current) => {
       migrateGlobalPause(current)
       repairStaleJobs(current.jobs)
@@ -828,12 +870,16 @@ async function dispatchStudioQueue() {
         jobs: current.jobs.map(item => structuredClone(item))
       }
     })
-    if (await videoJobsBusy()) {
-      if (listOwnersWithStudioQueues().some(owner => readJobs(owner).some(job => job.status === 'waiting'))) {
-        scheduleKickRetry()
-      }
-      return
+    stores.set(owner, store)
+  }
+  if (await videoJobsBusy()) {
+    if (owners.some(owner => readJobs(owner).some(job => job.status === 'waiting'))) {
+      scheduleKickRetry()
     }
+    return
+  }
+  for (const owner of owners) {
+    const store = stores.get(owner) || readStore(owner)
     const cutIn = pickCutIn(store.jobs)
     if (cutIn) {
       await startStudioJob(cutIn)
@@ -1368,6 +1414,9 @@ function remainingStudioShots(job: Job) {
     const queue = getShotQueue(library.ownerKey, library.queueId)
     if (queue) return pendingSegmentCount(queue)
   }
+  // Image/music are one studio slot (multi-pass runs inside the live job). Parking them
+  // as held without a shot-queue id blocked every waiting item behind them.
+  if (job.kind !== 'video') return 0
   return Math.max(0, (library.chainTotal || 1) - (library.chainStep || 1))
 }