diff --git a/server/utils/comfy.ts b/server/utils/comfy.ts
index 8ac135d..175fd60 100644
--- a/server/utils/comfy.ts
+++ b/server/utils/comfy.ts
@@ -480,9 +480,11 @@ export async function isComfyPromptDropped(promptId: string) {
   if (queue.running > 0 || queue.pending > 0) return false
   const history = await fetchHistory(promptId)
   const entry = history?.[promptId] as { status?: { status_str?: string; completed?: boolean } } | undefined
-  if (!entry) return false
+  // Empty Comfy + no history for this id: wiped by restart/clear, or never accepted.
+  if (!entry) return true
   const inspected = inspectHistory(history, promptId)
   if (inspected.video) return false
+  if (extractAudio(history, promptId)) return false
   const status = entry.status?.status_str
   if (status === 'error' || status === 'interrupted') return true
   if (entry.status?.completed) return true
diff --git a/server/utils/studioQueue.ts b/server/utils/studioQueue.ts
index bac0935..ac533a5 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 } from '~/server/utils/comfy'
+import { fetchLiveQueue, isComfyPromptDropped } 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'
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@ export function summarizeStudioJob(job: StudioJob) {
 const QUEUED_GRACE_MS = 4 * 60 * 1000
 const SUBMIT_WINDOW_MS = 45 * 1000
 const PENDING_ORPHAN_MS = 2 * 60 * 1000
+const ZOMBIE_EMPTY_COMFY_MS = 90 * 1000
 
 function jobAgeMs(job: { startedAt: number }) {
   return Date.now() - job.startedAt
@@ -264,27 +265,67 @@ export function jobIsLocallySubmitting(job: Job) {
   return false
 }
 
+function failZombieLiveJob(job: Job, error: string) {
+  if (job.status === 'complete' || job.status === 'error' || job.status === 'cancelled') return
+  job.status = 'error'
+  job.error = error
+  emitJob(job, { type: 'error', error, message: error })
+  void onLiveVideoSettled(job).catch(() => null)
+}
+
 function sweepStaleLiveJobs() {
   const now = Date.now()
   for (const job of listJobs()) {
-    if (job.status !== 'queued') continue
-    if (job.promptId) continue
-    if (now - job.startedAt < QUEUED_GRACE_MS) continue
-    job.status = 'error'
-    job.error = job.error || 'Job never started'
+    if (job.saving) continue
+    if (job.status === 'queued' && !job.promptId && now - job.startedAt >= QUEUED_GRACE_MS) {
+      failZombieLiveJob(job, 'Job never started')
+      continue
+    }
+    if ((job.status === 'running' || job.status === 'uploading') && !job.promptId && now - job.startedAt >= QUEUED_GRACE_MS) {
+      failZombieLiveJob(job, 'Job never started on ComfyUI')
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+/** Kill live jobs that still say "running" after Comfy was restarted or cleared. */
+async function reapZombieLiveJobs() {
+  const queue = await fetchLiveQueue()
+  if (!queue) return
+  const comfyBusy = queue.running > 0 || queue.pending > 0
+  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
+    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)) {
+      failZombieLiveJob(job, 'ComfyUI lost this job (empty queue after a restart or clear). Generate again.')
+    }
   }
 }
 
 function liveJobOwnsGpu(job: Job) {
   if (job.library?.stopAfterCurrent) return false
   if (job.library?.chainContinuing) return true
-  if (job.status === 'uploading' || job.status === 'running') return true
+  if (job.saving) return true
+  if (job.status === 'uploading') return true
+  if (job.status === 'running') {
+    // Without a prompt id past the submit window, this is a zombie — do not block the queue.
+    if (!job.promptId && jobAgeMs(job) >= SUBMIT_WINDOW_MS) return false
+    return true
+  }
   if (job.status === 'queued') return Boolean(job.promptId) || jobAgeMs(job) < SUBMIT_WINDOW_MS
   return false
 }
 
 export async function videoJobsBusy() {
   sweepStaleLiveJobs()
+  await reapZombieLiveJobs()
   if (listJobs().some(jobIsLocallySubmitting)) return true
   // 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.
@@ -649,7 +690,17 @@ function repairStaleJobs(jobs: StudioJob[]) {
     const live = job.liveJobId ? getJob(job.liveJobId) : undefined
     const liveBusy = live && (live.status === 'queued' || live.status === 'uploading' || live.status === 'running')
     if (liveBusy || pendingAlive(job)) continue
+    const liveFailed = live && (live.status === 'error' || live.status === 'cancelled')
     const holdPause = job.pauseAfterCurrent === true || job.pausedByUser === true
+    if (liveFailed) {
+      job.status = live.status === 'cancelled' ? 'cancelled' : 'error'
+      job.liveJobId = undefined
+      job.lastError = live.error || job.lastError || 'Job failed'
+      job.cutIn = false
+      job.holdForCutIn = false
+      job.updatedAt = Date.now()
+      continue
+    }
     if (job.shotQueueId) {
       job.status = 'held'
       job.liveJobId = undefined