diff --git a/cmd/orchestra-worker/main.go b/cmd/orchestra-worker/main.go
index 3130f74..79c966d 100644
--- a/cmd/orchestra-worker/main.go
+++ b/cmd/orchestra-worker/main.go
@@ -260,6 +260,16 @@ func (w *worker) once(ctx context.Context) error {
 			w.cursor = e.Seq
 		}
 	}
+	// A coordinator restart can restore its task snapshot without retaining
+	// the in-memory event tail. In that state a worker with a persisted cursor
+	// receives an empty page even though a lease is currently assigned to it.
+	// Reconcile the authoritative projection before treating an empty page as
+	// "nothing to do"; otherwise the lease remains invisible until expiry.
+	if len(es) == 0 {
+		if err := w.reconcileLeases(ctx); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
 	// State is only a cache. If a lease survived but its TaskCreated event is
 	// older than the worker's cursor (or the event has been compacted), hydrate
 	// the authoritative task projection before deciding whether to start.
@@ -294,6 +304,29 @@ func (w *worker) once(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return w.api.Ack(ctx, w.cursor)
 }
 
+func (w *worker) reconcileLeases(ctx context.Context) error {
+	tasks, err := w.api.Tasks(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("reconcile leased tasks: %w", err)
+	}
+	active := make(map[string]lease)
+	for _, task := range tasks {
+		w.tasks[task.ID] = task
+		if task.State == domain.StateLeased && task.Lease != nil && task.Lease.HarnessID == w.harnessID {
+			active[task.ID] = lease{HandoffRef: task.HandoffRef}
+		}
+	}
+	for taskID := range w.leases {
+		if _, ok := active[taskID]; !ok {
+			delete(w.leases, taskID)
+		}
+	}
+	for taskID, l := range active {
+		w.leases[taskID] = l
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // reRegisterAfterCoordinatorRestart restores the coordinator's in-memory
 // worker registry. A worker must survive a server restart without operator
 // intervention; its persisted cursor and sessions remain valid.
diff --git a/cmd/orchestra-worker/main_test.go b/cmd/orchestra-worker/main_test.go
index 839839a..95730ee 100644
--- a/cmd/orchestra-worker/main_test.go
+++ b/cmd/orchestra-worker/main_test.go
@@ -83,6 +83,29 @@ func TestWorkerHydratesLeaseMissingTaskCache(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestWorkerReconcilesLeaseAfterEmptyEventReplay(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":42,"events":[]}`))
+		case "/v1/tasks":
+			_, _ = w.Write([]byte(`[{"id":"t","source":"s","external_id":"x","project":"p","state":"leased","lease":{"harness_id":"h"}}]`))
+		case "/v1/federation/events/ack":
+			w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
+		default:
+			t.Fatalf("unexpected %s", r.URL.Path)
+		}
+	}))
+	defer s.Close()
+	w := &worker{api: federation.Client{BaseURL: s.URL, WorkerID: "h", Token: "t"}, harnessID: "h", cursor: 42, tasks: map[string]domain.Task{}, sessions: map[string]herdr.Session{"t": {}}, leases: map[string]lease{}, statePath: t.TempDir() + "/state.json", hard: .75}
+	if err := w.once(context.Background()); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, ok := w.leases["t"]; !ok {
+		t.Fatal("empty event replay did not recover current lease")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestWorkerStartsRouterIssuedLeaseInLocalGitWorktree(t *testing.T) {
 	remote := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "remote.git")
 	if out, err := exec.Command("git", "init", "--bare", remote).CombinedOutput(); err != nil {