diff --git a/crates/tracedecay-agent-hosts/src/automation/scheduler.rs b/crates/tracedecay-agent-hosts/src/automation/scheduler.rs
index fd99797179..d151915c56 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay-agent-hosts/src/automation/scheduler.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay-agent-hosts/src/automation/scheduler.rs
@@ -725,11 +725,33 @@ async fn lock_is_stale(path: &Path, stale_after_secs: Option<u64>, now_secs: i64
         }
     }
     let Some(created_at) = lock_created_at(path).await? else {
-        return Ok(true);
+        // `lock_created_at` yields no timestamp when the lock vanished after
+        // the contender's `create_new` failed (the holder finished and
+        // released mid-check) or when no mtime is readable. Treating that as
+        // stale let the contender "reclaim" a released lock and run a second
+        // time (the Windows double-execution flake). Report stale only for a
+        // provably old on-disk lock; a vanished lock stays contended.
+        return Ok(lock_mtime_elapsed_secs(path, now_secs)
+            .await
+            .is_some_and(|elapsed| elapsed >= stale_after_secs));
     };
     Ok(elapsed_secs(created_at, now_secs) >= stale_after_secs)
 }
 
+/// Seconds since the lock file was last modified, or `None` when the file or
+/// its timestamps cannot be read (treated as not stale by the caller).
+async fn lock_mtime_elapsed_secs(path: &Path, now_secs: i64) -> Option<u64> {
+    let metadata = tokio::fs::symlink_metadata(path).await.ok()?;
+    let modified = metadata.modified().ok()?;
+    let modified_secs: i64 = modified
+        .duration_since(std::time::UNIX_EPOCH)
+        .ok()?
+        .as_secs()
+        .try_into()
+        .ok()?;
+    Some(elapsed_secs(modified_secs, now_secs))
+}
+
 async fn lock_pid(path: &Path) -> Result<Option<u32>> {
     let contents = match tokio::fs::read_to_string(path).await {
         Ok(contents) => contents,
diff --git a/tests/automation_runner_test/scheduler.rs b/tests/automation_runner_test/scheduler.rs
index bfcd269406..5d66b45b60 100644
--- a/tests/automation_runner_test/scheduler.rs
+++ b/tests/automation_runner_test/scheduler.rs
@@ -846,6 +846,72 @@ async fn task_lock_reclaims_stale_dead_pid_lock_file() {
     assert!(!lock_path.exists());
 }
 
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn task_lock_does_not_steal_fresh_empty_lock_file() {
+    use std::time::{SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
+
+    let temp = tempdir().unwrap();
+    let lock_dir = temp.path().join("automation_locks");
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&lock_dir).unwrap();
+    let lock_path = lock_dir.join("memory_curator.lock");
+    // A concurrent winner has created the lock file but not yet written its
+    // payload: the file exists and is empty. It must not be treated as stale.
+    std::fs::write(&lock_path, b"").unwrap();
+    let now_secs = i64::try_from(
+        SystemTime::now()
+            .duration_since(UNIX_EPOCH)
+            .unwrap()
+            .as_secs(),
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+
+    let lock = AutomationTaskLock::try_acquire(
+        temp.path(),
+        AgentTaskKind::MemoryCurator,
+        Some(3600),
+        now_secs,
+    )
+    .await
+    .unwrap();
+
+    assert!(lock.is_none());
+    assert!(lock_path.exists());
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn task_lock_reclaims_empty_lock_file_older_than_stale_window() {
+    use std::time::{SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
+
+    let temp = tempdir().unwrap();
+    let lock_dir = temp.path().join("automation_locks");
+    std::fs::create_dir_all(&lock_dir).unwrap();
+    let lock_path = lock_dir.join("skill_writer.lock");
+    // An empty lock whose mtime is far outside the stale window is a crash
+    // leftover and stays reclaimable.
+    std::fs::write(&lock_path, b"").unwrap();
+    let now_secs = i64::try_from(
+        SystemTime::now()
+            .duration_since(UNIX_EPOCH)
+            .unwrap()
+            .as_secs(),
+    )
+    .unwrap()
+        + 7200;
+
+    let lock = AutomationTaskLock::try_acquire(
+        temp.path(),
+        AgentTaskKind::SkillWriter,
+        Some(3600),
+        now_secs,
+    )
+    .await
+    .unwrap();
+
+    assert!(lock.is_some());
+    drop(lock);
+    assert!(!lock_path.exists());
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn task_lock_keeps_live_pid_lock_file() {
     let temp = tempdir().unwrap();