diff --git a/cmd/orchestra-worker/main.go b/cmd/orchestra-worker/main.go
index 8be65be..f4477de 100644
--- a/cmd/orchestra-worker/main.go
+++ b/cmd/orchestra-worker/main.go
@@ -1291,12 +1291,28 @@ func (w *worker) once(ctx context.Context) error {
 				TransactionID string `json:"transaction_id"`
 				AnchorSHA     string `json:"anchor_sha"`
 			}
-			if json.Unmarshal(e.Payload, &p) == nil && p.HarnessID == w.harnessID {
-				var until struct {
-					UntilNS int64 `json:"until_ns"`
+			if json.Unmarshal(e.Payload, &p) == nil {
+				if p.HarnessID == w.harnessID {
+					var until struct {
+						UntilNS int64 `json:"until_ns"`
+					}
+					_ = json.Unmarshal(e.Payload, &until)
+					w.leases[e.TaskID] = lease{Epoch: p.Epoch, HandoffRef: p.HandoffRef, TransactionID: p.TransactionID, AnchorSHA: p.AnchorSHA, Version: e.Version, Until: time.Unix(0, until.UntilNS)}
+				}
+				// A release transaction is superseded the moment the task is
+				// leased under a different transaction, our own re-lease
+				// included. Its anchor can never commit: the late-handoff path
+				// fences on the epoch that expired, and the owner has moved on
+				// twice since. Retrying forever pins the session, ActiveTask
+				// and the single last_error slot, which is where run 10's task
+				// spent seven hours.
+				if tx, releasing := w.releases[e.TaskID]; releasing && tx.ID != p.TransactionID {
+					delete(w.releases, e.TaskID)
+					w.recordError(fmt.Errorf("release %s superseded by lease %s: abandoning transaction %s", e.TaskID, p.Epoch, tx.ID))
+					if session, active := w.sessions[e.TaskID]; active {
+						w.quarantine(ctx, e.TaskID, session)
+					}
 				}
-				_ = json.Unmarshal(e.Payload, &until)
-				w.leases[e.TaskID] = lease{Epoch: p.Epoch, HandoffRef: p.HandoffRef, TransactionID: p.TransactionID, AnchorSHA: p.AnchorSHA, Version: e.Version, Until: time.Unix(0, until.UntilNS)}
 			}
 		}
 		if e.Type == "TaskLeaseRenewed" {
diff --git a/cmd/orchestra-worker/main_test.go b/cmd/orchestra-worker/main_test.go
index d9a7d49..8b9b861 100644
--- a/cmd/orchestra-worker/main_test.go
+++ b/cmd/orchestra-worker/main_test.go
@@ -1160,3 +1160,78 @@ func TestExpiredReleaseStillCommitsWithTheTransactionEpoch(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("phase %q, want event_committed", got)
 	}
 }
+
+// Proven live at 19:01:30Z on 2026-08-28: the lease expired while the anchor
+// was pushing, a successor took the task, and the coordinator refused the late
+// commit. That refusal is correct and permanent, so the worker must stop
+// asking. Without this it retried every five seconds forever, holding the pane
+// and pinning the single last_error slot.
+func TestSupersededReleaseIsAbandonedNotRetriedForever(t *testing.T) {
+	s := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		switch r.URL.Path {
+		case "/v1/federation/events":
+			_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`{"cursor":0,"events":[{"seq":1,"id":"l","type":"TaskLeased","task_id":"t","version":9,` +
+				`"payload":{"harness_id":"other","lease_epoch":"e2"},"surface":"system"}]}`))
+		default:
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
+		}
+	}))
+	defer s.Close()
+	w := &worker{
+		api:         federation.Client{BaseURL: s.URL, WorkerID: "h", Token: "t"},
+		harnessID:   "h",
+		backend:     deadTmuxBackend(t),
+		tasks:       map[string]domain.Task{"t": {ID: "t"}},
+		sessions:    map[string]herdr.Session{"t": {PaneID: "pane"}},
+		leases:      map[string]lease{},
+		releases:    map[string]releaseTransaction{"t": {ID: "tx", Phase: "anchor_pushed", Ref: "sha256:abc", AnchorSHA: "abc", LeaseEpoch: "e1"}},
+		quarantined: map[string]bool{},
+		statePath:   t.TempDir() + "/state.json",
+		hard:        .75,
+	}
+	if err := w.once(context.Background()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if len(w.sessions) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("session still pinned: %v", w.sessions)
+	}
+	if _, still := w.releases["t"]; still {
+		t.Fatalf("superseded transaction retained: %v", w.releases)
+	}
+	if got := w.health(context.Background()).ActiveTask; got != "" {
+		t.Fatalf("ActiveTask=%q, worker still advertises the dead release", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// The successor pickup carries the predecessor's own transaction id. That
+// lease is the handoff completing, not a supersession, and dropping it there
+// would destroy the recoverable predecessor F30 exists to protect.
+func TestOwnPickupLeaseKeepsTheReleaseTransaction(t *testing.T) {
+	s := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		switch r.URL.Path {
+		case "/v1/federation/events":
+			_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`{"cursor":0,"events":[{"seq":1,"id":"l","type":"TaskLeased","task_id":"t","version":9,` +
+				`"payload":{"harness_id":"h","lease_epoch":"e2","transaction_id":"tx","handoff_ref":"sha256:abc"},"surface":"system"}]}`))
+		default:
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
+		}
+	}))
+	defer s.Close()
+	w := &worker{
+		api:         federation.Client{BaseURL: s.URL, WorkerID: "h", Token: "t"},
+		harnessID:   "h",
+		tasks:       map[string]domain.Task{"t": {ID: "t"}},
+		sessions:    map[string]herdr.Session{"t": {PaneID: "pane"}},
+		leases:      map[string]lease{},
+		releases:    map[string]releaseTransaction{"t": {ID: "tx", Phase: "event_committed", Ref: "sha256:abc", AnchorSHA: "abc", LeaseEpoch: "e1"}},
+		quarantined: map[string]bool{},
+		statePath:   t.TempDir() + "/state.json",
+		hard:        .75,
+	}
+	if err := w.once(context.Background()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, ok := w.releases["t"]; !ok {
+		t.Fatal("pickup lease dropped its own release transaction")
+	}
+}