diff --git a/internal/agent/eventloop/eventloop.go b/internal/agent/eventloop/eventloop.go
index ee85dd4..0932426 100644
--- a/internal/agent/eventloop/eventloop.go
+++ b/internal/agent/eventloop/eventloop.go
@@ -743,8 +743,18 @@ func (a *EventLoopAgent) loop(ctx context.Context, needsAdvance bool) error {
 		// always processes what's queued. So e.g. a child_result(crashed) that
 		// lands as we're about to conclude pulls us back for one more turn to see
 		// it, which is intended.
-		nextStepCount, _ := a.env.Store.GetEventCount(ctx, a.env.RunID, a.cfg.SessionID,
+		nextStepCount, err := a.env.Store.GetEventCount(ctx, a.env.RunID, a.cfg.SessionID,
 			db.EventFilter{StartStep: &newStep})
+		if err != nil {
+			// A failed count is NOT a count of zero. Concluding here is terminal
+			// and unrecoverable (db.IsSpine excludes concluded, so RecoverRun
+			// skips the session), so an unreadable queue must never be treated as
+			// an empty one. recordFailure already routes both reachable causes
+			// correctly: a cancelled ctx (shutdown/cancel) returns without
+			// writing, leaving the status for recovery, and a db.ErrStore error
+			// leaves the session ongoing-but-dead for Recover.
+			return a.recordFailure(ctx, fmt.Errorf("count events arrived during generation: %w", err))
+		}
 		if nextStepCount > 0 {
 			a.logger.Debug("events arrived during generation, continuing")
 			continue
diff --git a/internal/agent/eventloop/shutdown_conclude_test.go b/internal/agent/eventloop/shutdown_conclude_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d084908
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/agent/eventloop/shutdown_conclude_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+// Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package eventloop
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+
+	"amplio/internal/db"
+	"amplio/internal/event"
+	"amplio/internal/llm"
+	"amplio/internal/session"
+	"amplio/internal/tool"
+	"amplio/internal/workspace/plain"
+)
+
+// cancelAtCheck cancels the session context once FinalizeStep commits, which is
+// the window shutdown opens: session.Registry.CancelAll ctx-cancels but leaves
+// DB status alone so RecoverRun can resume. The wrapped store is the real one
+// and no error is injected; only the timing of the cancel is forced.
+type cancelAtCheck struct {
+	db.Store
+	cancel    context.CancelFunc
+	runID     string
+	sessionID string
+	once      sync.Once
+}
+
+func (s *cancelAtCheck) FinalizeStep(ctx context.Context, runID, sessionID string, step int, evts []event.Event) error {
+	if err := s.Store.FinalizeStep(ctx, runID, sessionID, step, evts); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	s.once.Do(func() {
+		// current_step is already bumped here, so this lands at exactly the step
+		// the during-generation check looks at.
+		_, _ = s.Store.AppendEvent(context.Background(), s.runID, s.sessionID,
+			&event.ChildResultEvent{ChildSessionID: "child-1", Verdict: db.SessionCrashed})
+		s.cancel()
+	})
+	return nil
+}
+
+// failCount fails the during-generation count once, with the error shape
+// db.Tag produces at the store boundary. Injected, unlike cancelAtCheck: it
+// covers recordFailure's db.ErrStore branch, which the shutdown case does not
+// reach. The loop's only GetEventCount call site is that check.
+type failCount struct {
+	db.Store
+	once sync.Once
+}
+
+func (s *failCount) GetEventCount(ctx context.Context, runID, sessionID string, opts db.EventFilter) (int, error) {
+	first := false
+	s.once.Do(func() { first = true })
+	if first {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("%w: %w", db.ErrStore, errors.New("transient read failure"))
+	}
+	return s.Store.GetEventCount(ctx, runID, sessionID, opts)
+}
+
+// runTurn runs one bare no-tool turn (the shape that concludes an autonomous
+// agent) and reports the session's persisted status.
+func runTurn(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, store db.Store, runID string, reg *session.Registry) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	ag := newT(testCfg{
+		RunID: runID, SessionID: "main-agent", Task: "work",
+		SystemPrompt: "You are a helpful agent.",
+		LLM: &llm.MockProvider{Model: "test-model",
+			Responses: []llm.Response{{Content: "Done for now.", StopReason: "end_turn"}}},
+		Store: store, Registry: reg, Tools: []*tool.Tool{}, Workspace: plain.New("/tmp"),
+	})
+	_ = ag.Run(ctx)
+	sess, err := store.GetSession(context.Background(), runID, "main-agent")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	return sess.Status
+}
+
+// A shutdown landing on the during-generation check must not conclude the
+// session. Concluding is terminal: db.IsSpine excludes concluded, so RecoverRun
+// skips the session and the queued event is lost.
+func TestEventLoop_ShutdownAtConclusionCheckLeavesSessionRecoverable(t *testing.T) {
+	store, runID, reg := testSetup(t)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+	w := &cancelAtCheck{Store: store, cancel: cancel, runID: runID, sessionID: "main-agent"}
+
+	if got := runTurn(t, ctx, w, runID, reg); got != db.SessionOngoing {
+		t.Fatalf("status = %q, want %q: shutdown must leave the session recoverable", got, db.SessionOngoing)
+	}
+}
+
+// A failed event count is not a count of zero: an unreadable queue must leave
+// the session ongoing-but-dead for Recover rather than concluding.
+func TestEventLoop_StoreErrorAtConclusionCheckLeavesSessionRecoverable(t *testing.T) {
+	store, runID, reg := testSetup(t)
+	w := &failCount{Store: store}
+
+	if got := runTurn(t, context.Background(), w, runID, reg); got != db.SessionOngoing {
+		t.Fatalf("status = %q, want %q: a store error must not read as an empty queue", got, db.SessionOngoing)
+	}
+}