diff --git a/src/hooks/compaction-context-injector/index.test.ts b/src/hooks/compaction-context-injector/index.test.ts
index ad4972f06..fc74ea00b 100644
--- a/src/hooks/compaction-context-injector/index.test.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/compaction-context-injector/index.test.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,23 @@ import type { BackgroundManager } from "../../features/background-agent"
 import { TaskHistory } from "../../features/background-agent/task-history"
 import { setCompactionAgentConfigCheckpoint } from "../../shared/compaction-agent-config-checkpoint"
 
+type PromptAsyncInput = {
+  path: { id: string }
+  body: {
+    noReply?: boolean
+    agent?: string
+    model?: { providerID: string; modelID: string }
+    tools?: Record<string, boolean | "allow" | "deny" | "ask">
+    parts: Array<{
+      type: "text"
+      text: string
+      synthetic?: true
+      metadata?: { compaction_continue?: true }
+    }>
+  }
+  query?: { directory: string }
+}
+
 function createMockContext(
   messageResponses: Array<Array<{ info?: Record<string, unknown> }>>,
   promptAsyncMock = mock(async () => ({})),
@@ -148,7 +165,7 @@ describe("createCompactionContextInjector", () => {
   describe("agent checkpoint recovery", () => {
     it("re-injects checkpointed agent config after compaction when latest agent is lost", async () => {
       //#given
-      const promptAsyncMock = mock(async () => ({}))
+      const promptAsyncMock = mock(async (_input: PromptAsyncInput) => ({}))
       const ctx = createMockContext(
         [
           [
@@ -201,27 +218,22 @@ describe("createCompactionContextInjector", () => {
       })
 
       //#then
-      expect(promptAsyncMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
-        path: { id: "ses_checkpoint" },
-        body: {
-          noReply: true,
-          agent: "atlas",
-          model: { providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5" },
-          tools: { bash: true },
-          parts: [
-            {
-              type: "text",
-              text: expect.stringContaining("restore checkpointed session agent configuration"),
-            },
-          ],
-        },
-        query: { directory: "/tmp/test" },
-      })
+      const recoveryCall = promptAsyncMock.mock.calls[0]?.[0]
+      expect(recoveryCall?.path).toEqual({ id: "ses_checkpoint" })
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.noReply).toBe(true)
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.agent).toBe("atlas")
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.model).toEqual({ providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5" })
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.tools).toEqual({ bash: true })
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.parts[0]?.type).toBe("text")
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.parts[0]?.text).toContain("restore checkpointed session agent configuration")
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.parts[0]?.synthetic).toBe(true)
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.parts[0]?.metadata).toEqual({ compaction_continue: true })
+      expect(recoveryCall?.query).toEqual({ directory: "/tmp/test" })
     })
 
     it("re-injects checkpointed agent config during autocontinue before synthetic continue", async () => {
       //#given
-      const promptAsyncMock = mock(async () => ({}))
+      const promptAsyncMock = mock(async (_input: PromptAsyncInput) => ({}))
       const ctx = createMockContext(
         [
           [
@@ -273,22 +285,17 @@ describe("createCompactionContextInjector", () => {
 
       //#then
       expect(restored).toBe(true)
-      expect(promptAsyncMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
-        path: { id: "ses_autocontinue_checkpoint" },
-        body: {
-          noReply: true,
-          agent: "atlas",
-          model: { providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5" },
-          tools: { bash: true },
-          parts: [
-            {
-              type: "text",
-              text: expect.stringContaining("restore checkpointed session agent configuration"),
-            },
-          ],
-        },
-        query: { directory: "/tmp/test" },
-      })
+      const recoveryCall = promptAsyncMock.mock.calls[0]?.[0]
+      expect(recoveryCall?.path).toEqual({ id: "ses_autocontinue_checkpoint" })
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.noReply).toBe(true)
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.agent).toBe("atlas")
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.model).toEqual({ providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5" })
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.tools).toEqual({ bash: true })
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.parts[0]?.type).toBe("text")
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.parts[0]?.text).toContain("restore checkpointed session agent configuration")
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.parts[0]?.synthetic).toBe(true)
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.parts[0]?.metadata).toEqual({ compaction_continue: true })
+      expect(recoveryCall?.query).toEqual({ directory: "/tmp/test" })
     })
 
     it("clears stale checkpoint when the next compaction capture has no prompt config", async () => {
@@ -314,7 +321,7 @@ describe("createCompactionContextInjector", () => {
 
     it("recovers after five consecutive assistant messages with no text", async () => {
       //#given
-      const promptAsyncMock = mock(async () => ({}))
+      const promptAsyncMock = mock(async (_input: PromptAsyncInput) => ({}))
       const ctx = createMockContext(
         [
           [
@@ -375,15 +382,10 @@ describe("createCompactionContextInjector", () => {
 
       //#then
       expect(promptAsyncMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
-      expect(promptAsyncMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-        expect.objectContaining({
-          path: { id: "ses_no_text_tail" },
-          body: expect.objectContaining({
-            noReply: true,
-            agent: "atlas",
-          }),
-        }),
-      )
+      const recoveryCall = promptAsyncMock.mock.calls[0]?.[0]
+      expect(recoveryCall?.path).toEqual({ id: "ses_no_text_tail" })
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.noReply).toBe(true)
+      expect(recoveryCall?.body.agent).toBe("atlas")
     })
   })
 })
diff --git a/src/hooks/compaction-context-injector/recovery.test.ts b/src/hooks/compaction-context-injector/recovery.test.ts
index 3642a40c4..0119fdfde 100644
--- a/src/hooks/compaction-context-injector/recovery.test.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/compaction-context-injector/recovery.test.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,12 @@ type PromptAsyncInput = {
     agent?: string
     model?: { providerID: string; modelID: string }
     tools?: Record<string, boolean>
-    parts: Array<{ type: "text"; text: string }>
+    parts: Array<{
+      type: "text"
+      text: string
+      synthetic?: true
+      metadata?: { compaction_continue?: true }
+    }>
   }
   query?: { directory: string }
 }
@@ -96,46 +101,31 @@ describe("createCompactionContextInjector recovery", () => {
   it("re-injects after compaction when agent and model match but tools are missing", async () => {
     //#given
     const promptAsyncRecorder = createPromptAsyncRecorder()
+    const checkpointedPromptConfig = [
+      {
+        info: {
+          role: "user",
+          agent: "atlas",
+          model: { providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5" },
+          tools: { bash: true },
+        },
+      },
+    ]
+    const incompletePromptConfig = [
+      {
+        info: {
+          role: "user",
+          agent: "atlas",
+          model: { providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5" },
+        },
+      },
+    ]
     const ctx = createMockContext(
       [
-        [
-          {
-            info: {
-              role: "user",
-              agent: "atlas",
-              model: { providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5" },
-              tools: { bash: true },
-            },
-          },
-        ],
-        [
-          {
-            info: {
-              role: "user",
-              agent: "atlas",
-              model: { providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5" },
-            },
-          },
-        ],
-        [
-          {
-            info: {
-              role: "user",
-              agent: "atlas",
-              model: { providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5" },
-            },
-          },
-        ],
-        [
-          {
-            info: {
-              role: "user",
-              agent: "atlas",
-              model: { providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5" },
-              tools: { bash: true },
-            },
-          },
-        ],
+        checkpointedPromptConfig,
+        incompletePromptConfig,
+        incompletePromptConfig,
+        checkpointedPromptConfig,
       ],
       promptAsyncRecorder.promptAsync,
     )
@@ -157,6 +147,55 @@ describe("createCompactionContextInjector recovery", () => {
     expect(promptAsyncRecorder.calls[0]?.body.tools).toEqual({ bash: true })
   })
 
+  it("marks the recovery prompt as synthetic compaction continuation", async () => {
+    //#given
+    const promptAsyncRecorder = createPromptAsyncRecorder()
+    const incompletePromptConfig = [
+      {
+        info: {
+          role: "user",
+          agent: "atlas",
+          model: { providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5" },
+        },
+      },
+    ]
+    const recoveredPromptConfig = [
+      {
+        info: {
+          role: "user",
+          agent: "atlas",
+          model: { providerID: "openai", modelID: "gpt-5" },
+          tools: { bash: true },
+        },
+      },
+    ]
+    const ctx = createMockContext(
+      [
+        recoveredPromptConfig,
+        incompletePromptConfig,
+        incompletePromptConfig,
+        recoveredPromptConfig,
+      ],
+      promptAsyncRecorder.promptAsync,
+    )
+    const injector = createCompactionContextInjector({ ctx })
+
+    //#when
+    await injector.capture("ses_synthetic_recovery")
+    await injector.event({
+      event: {
+        type: "session.compacted",
+        properties: { sessionID: "ses_synthetic_recovery" },
+      },
+    })
+
+    //#then
+    expect(promptAsyncRecorder.calls.length).toBe(1)
+    const recoveryPart = promptAsyncRecorder.calls[0]?.body.parts[0]
+    expect(recoveryPart?.synthetic).toBe(true)
+    expect(recoveryPart?.metadata).toEqual({ compaction_continue: true })
+  })
+
   it("retries recovery when the recovered prompt config still mismatches expected model or tools", async () => {
     //#given
     const promptAsyncRecorder = createPromptAsyncRecorder()
diff --git a/src/hooks/compaction-context-injector/recovery.ts b/src/hooks/compaction-context-injector/recovery.ts
index ab8331e44..ed69bf0e0 100644
--- a/src/hooks/compaction-context-injector/recovery.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/compaction-context-injector/recovery.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import {
 import {
   getCompactionAgentConfigCheckpoint,
 } from "../../shared/compaction-agent-config-checkpoint"
-import { createInternalAgentTextPart } from "../../shared/internal-initiator-marker"
+import { createInternalAgentContinuationTextPart } from "../../shared/internal-initiator-marker"
 import { log } from "../../shared/logger"
 import { setSessionModel } from "../../shared/session-model-state"
 import { setSessionTools } from "../../shared/session-tools-store"
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ export function createRecoveryLogic(
           agent: launchAgent ?? expectedPromptConfig.agent,
           ...(model ? { model } : {}),
           ...(tools ? { tools } : {}),
-          parts: [createInternalAgentTextPart(AGENT_RECOVERY_PROMPT)],
+          parts: [createInternalAgentContinuationTextPart(AGENT_RECOVERY_PROMPT)],
         },
         query: { directory: ctx.directory },
       })
diff --git a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/iteration-commit-ownership.test.ts b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/iteration-commit-ownership.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5d8050c69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/iteration-commit-ownership.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+/// <reference path="../../../bun-test.d.ts" />
+
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test"
+import { createRalphLoopEventHandler } from "./ralph-loop-event-handler"
+import type { IterationCommitExpectation, RalphLoopState } from "./types"
+
+describe("ralph-loop iteration commit ownership", () => {
+	test("#given reset strategy creates a new session #when dispatch commits #then CAS expects the new owner", async () => {
+		// given
+		const commitExpectations: IterationCommitExpectation[] = []
+		let state: RalphLoopState | null = {
+			active: true,
+			iteration: 1,
+			max_iterations: 5,
+			completion_promise: "DONE",
+			started_at: new Date().toISOString(),
+			prompt: "Keep working",
+			session_id: "session-old",
+			strategy: "reset",
+		}
+		const handler = createRalphLoopEventHandler({
+			directory: "/tmp/ralph-loop-iteration-commit-ownership",
+			client: {
+				session: {
+					messages: async () => ({ data: [] }),
+					create: async () => ({ data: { id: "session-new" } }),
+					promptAsync: async () => ({}),
+				},
+				tui: {
+					showToast: async () => ({}),
+					selectSession: async () => ({}),
+				},
+			},
+		} as never, {
+			directory: "/tmp/ralph-loop-iteration-commit-ownership",
+			apiTimeoutMs: 5000,
+			idleSettleMs: 0,
+			getTranscriptPath: () => undefined,
+			loopState: {
+				getState: () => state,
+				clear: () => {
+					state = null
+					return true
+				},
+				setSessionID: (sessionID: string) => {
+					if (!state) return null
+					state = { ...state, session_id: sessionID }
+					return state
+				},
+				incrementIteration: (expected?: IterationCommitExpectation) => {
+					if (expected) {
+						commitExpectations.push(expected)
+					}
+					if (!state) return null
+					state = { ...state, iteration: state.iteration + 1 }
+					return state
+				},
+				markVerificationPending: () => state,
+				setVerificationSessionID: () => state,
+				restartAfterFailedVerification: () => state,
+				clearVerificationState: () => state,
+			},
+		})
+
+		// when
+		await handler({
+			event: { type: "session.idle", properties: { sessionID: "session-old" } },
+		})
+
+		// then
+		expect(commitExpectations).toEqual([
+			{ iteration: 1, sessionID: "session-new" },
+		])
+		expect(state?.iteration).toBe(2)
+		expect(state?.session_id).toBe("session-new")
+	})
+})
diff --git a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/iteration-continuation.ts b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/iteration-continuation.ts
index 00c5c878b..fd3d2741d 100644
--- a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/iteration-continuation.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/iteration-continuation.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ type ContinuationOptions = {
 }
 
 export type ContinuationResult =
-  | { status: "dispatched" }
+  | { status: "dispatched"; sessionID: string }
   | { status: "session_creation_rejected" }
   | { status: "dispatch_rejected"; error: unknown }
 
@@ -61,10 +61,10 @@ export async function continueIteration(
         previousSessionID: options.previousSessionID,
         newSessionID,
       })
-      return { status: "dispatched" }
+      return { status: "dispatch_rejected", error: "state commit failed after reset dispatch" }
     }
 
-    return { status: "dispatched" }
+    return { status: "dispatched", sessionID: newSessionID }
   }
 
   try {
@@ -81,5 +81,5 @@ export async function continueIteration(
     return { status: "dispatch_rejected", error }
   }
 
-  return { status: "dispatched" }
+  return { status: "dispatched", sessionID: options.previousSessionID }
 }
diff --git a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/loop-state-controller.ts b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/loop-state-controller.ts
index 7ff1ea01d..bd7fffcf0 100644
--- a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/loop-state-controller.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/loop-state-controller.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { RalphLoopOptions, RalphLoopState } from "./types"
+import type { IterationCommitExpectation, RalphLoopOptions, RalphLoopState } from "./types"
 import {
 	DEFAULT_COMPLETION_PROMISE,
 	DEFAULT_MAX_ITERATIONS,
@@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ export function createLoopStateController(options: {
 			return clearState(directory, stateDir)
 		},
 
-		incrementIteration(): RalphLoopState | null {
-			return incrementIteration(directory, stateDir)
+		incrementIteration(expected?: IterationCommitExpectation): RalphLoopState | null {
+			return incrementIteration(directory, stateDir, expected)
 		},
 
 		setSessionID(sessionID: string): RalphLoopState | null {
diff --git a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/pending-verification-handler.ts b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/pending-verification-handler.ts
index 1976ec9aa..78f970550 100644
--- a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/pending-verification-handler.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/pending-verification-handler.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { extractOracleSessionID, isOracleVerified } from "./oracle-verification-
 import type { RalphLoopState } from "./types"
 import { handleFailedVerification } from "./verification-failure-handler"
 import { withTimeout } from "./with-timeout"
+import type { IterationCommitExpectation } from "./types"
 
 type OpenCodeSessionMessage = {
 	info?: { role?: string }
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ async function detectOracleVerificationFromParentSession(
 type LoopStateController = {
 	restartAfterFailedVerification: (sessionID: string, messageCountAtStart?: number) => RalphLoopState | null
 	clearVerificationState: (sessionID: string, messageCountAtStart?: number) => RalphLoopState | null
-	incrementIteration: () => RalphLoopState | null
+	incrementIteration: (expected?: IterationCommitExpectation) => RalphLoopState | null
 	clear: () => boolean
 	setVerificationSessionID: (sessionID: string, verificationSessionID: string) => RalphLoopState | null
 }
diff --git a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/ralph-loop-event-handler.ts b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/ralph-loop-event-handler.ts
index cd27c117e..0e832a9ef 100644
--- a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/ralph-loop-event-handler.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/ralph-loop-event-handler.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import type { PluginInput } from "@opencode-ai/plugin"
 import { log } from "../../shared/logger"
 import { resolveMessageEventSessionID, resolveSessionEventID } from "../../shared/event-session-id"
 import { isSessionActive } from "../shared/session-idle-settle"
-import type { RalphLoopOptions, RalphLoopState } from "./types"
+import type { IterationCommitExpectation, RalphLoopOptions, RalphLoopState } from "./types"
 import { HOOK_NAME } from "./constants"
 import { handleDetectedCompletion } from "./completion-handler"
 import {
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ const RAPID_IDLE_DEDUP_MS = 500
 type LoopStateController = {
 	getState: () => RalphLoopState | null
 	clear: () => boolean
-	incrementIteration: () => RalphLoopState | null
+	incrementIteration: (expected?: IterationCommitExpectation) => RalphLoopState | null
 	setSessionID: (sessionID: string) => RalphLoopState | null
 	markVerificationPending: (sessionID: string) => RalphLoopState | null
 	setVerificationSessionID: (sessionID: string, verificationSessionID: string) => RalphLoopState | null
@@ -377,11 +377,21 @@ export function createRalphLoopEventHandler(
 						return
 					}
 
-					const committed = options.loopState.incrementIteration()
+					const committed = options.loopState.incrementIteration({
+						iteration: stateBeforeCommit.iteration,
+						sessionID: result.sessionID,
+					})
 					if (committed) {
 						showIterationToast(ctx, committed)
 					} else {
 						log(`[${HOOK_NAME}] Dispatch succeeded but iteration commit failed`, { sessionID })
+						options.loopState.clear()
+						showToastBestEffort(ctx, {
+							title: "Ralph Loop Failed",
+							message: "Dispatch succeeded but iteration commit failed",
+							variant: "warning",
+							duration: 5000,
+						})
 					}
 					return
 				}
@@ -532,12 +542,22 @@ export function createRalphLoopEventHandler(
 						return
 					}
 
-					const committed = options.loopState.incrementIteration()
+					const committed = options.loopState.incrementIteration({
+						iteration: stateBeforeCommit.iteration,
+						sessionID: result.sessionID,
+					})
 					if (committed) {
 						showIterationToast(ctx, committed)
 						runtimeErrorRetriedSessions.set(sessionID, committed.iteration)
 					} else {
 						log(`[${HOOK_NAME}] Dispatch succeeded but iteration commit failed after runtime error`, { sessionID })
+						options.loopState.clear()
+						showToastBestEffort(ctx, {
+							title: "Ralph Loop Failed",
+							message: "Dispatch succeeded but iteration commit failed",
+							variant: "warning",
+							duration: 5000,
+						})
 					}
 					return
 				}
diff --git a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/storage.ts b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/storage.ts
index 309151a43..f5ca06fe2 100644
--- a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/storage.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/storage.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { existsSync, readFileSync, writeFileSync, unlinkSync, mkdirSync } from "node:fs"
 import { dirname, join } from "node:path"
 import { parseFrontmatter } from "../../shared/frontmatter"
-import type { RalphLoopState } from "./types"
+import type { IterationCommitExpectation, RalphLoopState } from "./types"
 import { DEFAULT_STATE_FILE, DEFAULT_COMPLETION_PROMISE, DEFAULT_MAX_ITERATIONS } from "./constants"
 
 export function getStateFilePath(directory: string, customPath?: string): string {
@@ -151,10 +151,17 @@ export function clearState(directory: string, customPath?: string): boolean {
 
 export function incrementIteration(
   directory: string,
-  customPath?: string
+  customPath?: string,
+  expected?: IterationCommitExpectation,
 ): RalphLoopState | null {
   const state = readState(directory, customPath)
   if (!state) return null
+  if (
+    expected
+    && (state.iteration !== expected.iteration || state.session_id !== expected.sessionID)
+  ) {
+    return null
+  }
 
   state.iteration += 1
   if (writeState(directory, state, customPath)) {
diff --git a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/types.ts b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/types.ts
index af864ccbc..8c0106b05 100644
--- a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/types.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/types.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ export interface RalphLoopState {
   strategy?: "reset" | "continue"
 }
 
+export interface IterationCommitExpectation {
+  iteration: number
+  sessionID: string
+}
+
 export interface RalphLoopOptions {
   config?: RalphLoopConfig
   getTranscriptPath?: (sessionId: string) => string
diff --git a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/verification-failure-handler.ts b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/verification-failure-handler.ts
index a14ccc846..760ea950c 100644
--- a/src/hooks/ralph-loop/verification-failure-handler.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/ralph-loop/verification-failure-handler.ts
@@ -3,14 +3,14 @@ import { log } from "../../shared/logger"
 import { buildVerificationFailurePrompt } from "./continuation-prompt-builder"
 import { HOOK_NAME } from "./constants"
 import { injectContinuationPrompt } from "./continuation-prompt-injector"
-import type { RalphLoopState } from "./types"
+import type { IterationCommitExpectation, RalphLoopState } from "./types"
 
 type LoopStateController = {
 	clearVerificationState: (
 		sessionID: string,
 		messageCountAtStart?: number,
 	) => RalphLoopState | null
-	incrementIteration: () => RalphLoopState | null
+	incrementIteration: (expected?: IterationCommitExpectation) => RalphLoopState | null
 	clear: () => boolean
 }