diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 7c00804..910a619 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ tmp/
 backups/
 dist-backups/
 .deploy-backups/
+recovery/
 cache/
 runners/*/node_modules/
 runners/codex-runner-backups/
diff --git a/src/agent-runner.test.ts b/src/agent-runner.test.ts
index 9ab63c3..8dc1178 100644
--- a/src/agent-runner.test.ts
+++ b/src/agent-runner.test.ts
@@ -474,6 +474,55 @@ describe('agent-runner timeout behavior', () => {
     expect(spawnEnv?.CODEX_HOME).toBe('/tmp/host-reviewer-session/.codex');
   });
 
+  it('releases the initial Codex auth lease when read-only session preparation fails', async () => {
+    vi.useRealTimers();
+    fakeProc = createFakeProcess();
+
+    const releaseLease = vi.fn();
+    const prepareGroupEnvironmentSpy = mockCodexLeaseEnvironment(releaseLease);
+    const readonlyError = new Error('Codex rotation pool unavailable');
+    const prepareReadonlySessionEnvironmentSpy = vi
+      .spyOn(agentRunnerEnvironment, 'prepareReadonlySessionEnvironment')
+      .mockImplementationOnce(() => {
+        throw readonlyError;
+      });
+    const codexGroup: RegisteredGroup = {
+      ...testGroup,
+      agentType: 'codex',
+    };
+
+    try {
+      await expect(
+        runAgentProcess(
+          codexGroup,
+          {
+            ...testInput,
+            roomRoleContext: {
+              serviceId: 'codex-review',
+              role: 'reviewer',
+              ownerServiceId: 'codex-main',
+              reviewerServiceId: 'codex-review',
+              failoverOwner: false,
+            },
+          },
+          () => {},
+          async () => {},
+          {
+            EJCLAW_UNSAFE_HOST_PAIRED_MODE: '1',
+            CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR: '/tmp/host-reviewer-session',
+            EJCLAW_WORK_DIR: '/tmp/paired/task-1/reviewer',
+          },
+        ),
+      ).rejects.toThrow(readonlyError);
+
+      expect(prepareReadonlySessionEnvironmentSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(releaseLease).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    } finally {
+      prepareReadonlySessionEnvironmentSpy.mockRestore();
+      prepareGroupEnvironmentSpy.mockRestore();
+    }
+  });
+
   it('serializes roomRoleContext into the runner stdin payload', async () => {
     vi.useRealTimers();
     fakeProc = createFakeProcess();
diff --git a/src/agent-runner.ts b/src/agent-runner.ts
index 3b7a7dd..0bf1cb0 100644
--- a/src/agent-runner.ts
+++ b/src/agent-runner.ts
@@ -157,21 +157,31 @@ export async function runAgentProcess(
     (input.roomRoleContext?.role === 'reviewer' ||
       input.roomRoleContext?.role === 'arbiter')
   ) {
-    const readonlySession = prepareReadonlySessionEnvironment({
-      sessionDir: envOverrides.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR,
-      chatJid: input.chatJid,
-      isMain: input.isMain,
-      groupFolder: group.folder,
-      agentType: group.agentType || 'claude-code',
-      memoryBriefing: input.memoryBriefing,
-      role: input.roomRoleContext.role,
-      ipcDir: env[EJCLAW_ENV.ipcDir],
-      hostIpcDir: env[EJCLAW_ENV.hostIpcDir],
-      workDir: envOverrides[EJCLAW_ENV.workDir] || env[EJCLAW_ENV.workDir],
-      skillOverrides,
-    });
-    if ((group.agentType || 'claude-code') === 'codex') {
-      releaseCodexAuthSession(codexSessionAuth);
+    const isCodexGroup = (group.agentType || 'claude-code') === 'codex';
+    const previousCodexSessionAuth = codexSessionAuth;
+    let readonlySession: ReturnType<typeof prepareReadonlySessionEnvironment>;
+    try {
+      readonlySession = prepareReadonlySessionEnvironment({
+        sessionDir: envOverrides.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR,
+        chatJid: input.chatJid,
+        isMain: input.isMain,
+        groupFolder: group.folder,
+        agentType: group.agentType || 'claude-code',
+        memoryBriefing: input.memoryBriefing,
+        role: input.roomRoleContext.role,
+        ipcDir: env[EJCLAW_ENV.ipcDir],
+        hostIpcDir: env[EJCLAW_ENV.hostIpcDir],
+        workDir: envOverrides[EJCLAW_ENV.workDir] || env[EJCLAW_ENV.workDir],
+        skillOverrides,
+      });
+    } catch (err) {
+      if (isCodexGroup) {
+        releaseCodexAuthSession(previousCodexSessionAuth);
+      }
+      throw err;
+    }
+    if (isCodexGroup) {
+      releaseCodexAuthSession(previousCodexSessionAuth);
       codexSessionAuth = readonlySession.codexSessionAuth;
       env.CODEX_HOME = path.join(envOverrides.CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR, '.codex');
       if (readonlySession.codexHomeDir) {