diff --git a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/worker-release-close-error.ts b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/worker-release-close-error.ts
index d03737f3220..e0a6ac82066 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/worker-release-close-error.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/worker-release-close-error.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,18 @@
 function isTransientWorkerTerminalCloseError(reason: string): boolean {
-  return /disposed|not connected|unavailable/i.test(reason)
+  return /not connected|unavailable/i.test(reason)
 }
 
 /** The close found nothing to close. Against a host-certified exit that is the goal state, not new
  *  doubt: a retry only aims the same dead handle at the same absent terminal, forever. */
 function isMissingWorkerTerminalCloseError(reason: string): boolean {
-  return /handle_stale|stale handle|disposed|not found|no such terminal/i.test(reason)
+  return /handle_stale|stale handle|not found|no such terminal/i.test(reason)
+}
+
+/** A disposed endpoint is genuinely both: nothing is left to close, and it may return on
+ *  reconnect. Only the host observation can say which, so it is named once here instead of
+ *  being spelled into two predicates that then read as if they were disjoint. */
+function isDisposedWorkerTerminalCloseError(reason: string): boolean {
+  return /disposed/i.test(reason)
 }
 
 export function classifyWorkerTerminalCloseError(error: unknown): {
@@ -14,10 +21,11 @@ export function classifyWorkerTerminalCloseError(error: unknown): {
   alreadyGone: boolean
 } {
   const reason = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)
+  const disposed = isDisposedWorkerTerminalCloseError(reason)
   return {
     reason,
-    transient: isTransientWorkerTerminalCloseError(reason),
-    alreadyGone: isMissingWorkerTerminalCloseError(reason)
+    transient: disposed || isTransientWorkerTerminalCloseError(reason),
+    alreadyGone: disposed || isMissingWorkerTerminalCloseError(reason)
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/worker-release-recovery.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/worker-release-recovery.test.ts
index b9e80cf16e9..792656025b9 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/worker-release-recovery.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/worker-release-recovery.test.ts
@@ -212,6 +212,17 @@ describe('orchestration worker release recovery', () => {
     expect(runtime.closeTerminal).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
+  it('settles a disposed endpoint as released once the host certified the exit', async () => {
+    setup()
+    const { dispatchId } = await startSettledWorker()
+    vi.spyOn(runtime, 'getTerminalLivenessVerdict').mockReturnValue({ status: 'exited' })
+    vi.mocked(runtime.closeTerminal).mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('Multiplexer disposed'))
+
+    await expect(
+      call('orchestration.workerRelease', { dispatch: dispatchId })
+    ).resolves.toMatchObject({ state: 'released', processAction: 'closed_exited_terminal' })
+  })
+
   it('defers instead of settling unknown while inventory is incomplete', async () => {
     setup()
     const { dispatchId } = await startSettledWorker()