diff --git a/cloud/apps/relay/src/app.ts b/cloud/apps/relay/src/app.ts
index d7a114d680b..bdbd3f03d39 100644
--- a/cloud/apps/relay/src/app.ts
+++ b/cloud/apps/relay/src/app.ts
@@ -481,7 +481,11 @@ export function createRelayApp(
         })
       } catch (error) {
         if (!(error instanceof ReservePaceError)) throw error
-        plan = { kind: 'retry', retryAfterSeconds: error.retryAfterSeconds, reason: 'paced' }
+        plan = {
+          kind: 'retry',
+          retryAfterSeconds: error.retryAfterSeconds,
+          reason: error.drained ? 'paced-drained' : 'paced'
+        }
       }
       if (plan.kind === 'answer') {
         operations.recordAssignmentAdmission?.(plan.lane === 'sticky' ? 'sticky' : 'placement')
@@ -495,13 +499,7 @@ export function createRelayApp(
       }
       if (plan.kind === 'retry') {
         operations.recordRegionSelection?.({ targetRegion, fallback: false })
-        operations.recordAssignmentUnavailable?.(
-          plan.reason === 'map-incomplete'
-            ? 'reserve-map-incomplete'
-            : plan.reason === 'database'
-              ? 'reserve-database'
-              : 'reserve-paced'
-        )
+        operations.recordAssignmentUnavailable?.(RESERVE_RETRY_CAUSE[plan.reason])
         context.header('Retry-After', String(plan.retryAfterSeconds))
         return context.json({ error: 'assignment_temporarily_unavailable' }, 503)
       }
@@ -643,7 +641,7 @@ export function createRelayApp(
     } catch (error) {
       if (error instanceof ReservePaceError) {
         operations.recordRegionSelection?.({ targetRegion, fallback: false })
-        operations.recordAssignmentUnavailable?.('reserve-paced')
+        operations.recordAssignmentUnavailable?.(error.drained ? 'reserve-paced-drained' : 'reserve-paced')
         context.header('Retry-After', String(error.retryAfterSeconds))
         return context.json({ error: 'assignment_temporarily_unavailable' }, 503)
       }
@@ -1025,7 +1023,8 @@ export function createRelayApp(
       return context.json({ error: 'regional_rehome_trust_not_configured' }, 409)
     }
     try {
-      const source = await operations.assignments.cellDeploymentStatus(
+      // Runtime rows only, which a reserve-mode cell heartbeats as a database one does.
+      const { status: source } = await operations.assignments.reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus(
         body.data.sourceCellId
       )
       // Any cell that can be drained can be a rehome source, in either
@@ -1792,8 +1791,23 @@ export function createRelayApp(
     const body = AdminCellStatusSchema.safeParse(await context.req.json().catch(() => null))
     if (!body.success) return context.json({ error: 'invalid_request' }, 400)
     try {
-      const status = await operations.assignments.cellDeploymentStatus(body.data.cellId)
-      return context.json({ v: 1, status })
+      // Without the opt-in a reserve-mode cell stays a 404, so an older script never reads its
+      // mirror rows as host counts.
+      if (body.data.view !== 'reserve-aware') {
+        const status = await operations.assignments.cellDeploymentStatus(body.data.cellId)
+        return context.json({ v: 1, status })
+      }
+      const result = await operations.assignments.reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus(body.data.cellId)
+      if (result.admitMode === 'db') return context.json({ v: 1, status: { ...result.status, reserve: null } })
+      const view = operations.reservePlacement?.cellStatus(
+        body.data.cellId,
+        result.status.runtime?.cellIncarnation
+      ) ?? { ok: false, reason: 'placement-off' }
+      if (!view.ok) {
+        context.header('Retry-After', String(config.publicAssignmentRetryAfterSeconds))
+        return context.json({ error: 'reserve_status_unavailable', reason: view.reason }, 503)
+      }
+      return context.json({ v: 1, status: { ...result.status, perHost: null, reserve: view.reserve } })
     } catch (error) {
       return rejectAdminOperation(context, error, 404)
     }
@@ -1801,6 +1815,13 @@ export function createRelayApp(
   return app
 }
 
+const RESERVE_RETRY_CAUSE = {
+  'map-incomplete': 'reserve-map-incomplete',
+  database: 'reserve-database',
+  paced: 'reserve-paced',
+  'paced-drained': 'reserve-paced-drained'
+} as const satisfies Record<(ReservePlan & { kind: 'retry' })['reason'], AssignmentUnavailableCause>
+
 const AdminHostWhereaboutsSchema = z
   .object({
     v: z.literal(1),
@@ -2357,7 +2378,12 @@ const RegionalHostDrainSchema = z
   .strict()
 
 const AdminCellStatusSchema = z
-  .object({ v: z.literal(1), cellId: z.string().min(1).max(128) })
+  .object({
+    v: z.literal(1),
+    cellId: z.string().min(1).max(128),
+    // Opt-in: a director without it answers 400, which tells a script to keep today's refusal.
+    view: z.literal('reserve-aware').optional()
+  })
   .strict()
 
 function cellFenceAttemptEvidence(
diff --git a/cloud/apps/relay/src/assignment-deployment-status-postgres.test.ts b/cloud/apps/relay/src/assignment-deployment-status-postgres.test.ts
index 9e8e3b85bd9..8f045a0930d 100644
--- a/cloud/apps/relay/src/assignment-deployment-status-postgres.test.ts
+++ b/cloud/apps/relay/src/assignment-deployment-status-postgres.test.ts
@@ -84,4 +84,27 @@ describePostgres('PostgreSQL deployment status', () => {
       restartBlockingReservedRequests: -1
     })
   })
+
+  it('reads the same counts through the reserve-aware status, and none for a reserve-mode cell', async () => {
+    const store = new RelayAssignmentStore(database!, () => 100)
+    const reserveCell = { ...cell, id: `${cell.id}-reserve`, url: 'https://deployment-status-reserve.example.com' }
+    await store.reconcileCells([cell, reserveCell])
+    await store.assign({ userId: 'aware-user', relayHostId: 'd1e2f3a4b5c6' })
+    expect(await store.reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus(cell.id)).toEqual({
+      admitMode: 'db',
+      status: await store.cellDeploymentStatus(cell.id)
+    })
+
+    await store.setCellAdmitMode(reserveCell.id, 'reserve')
+    await expect(store.cellDeploymentStatus(reserveCell.id)).rejects.toThrow('cell_in_reserve_mode')
+    const reserve = await store.reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus(reserveCell.id)
+    expect(reserve).toMatchObject({
+      admitMode: 'reserve',
+      status: { cellId: reserveCell.id, cellUrl: reserveCell.url, enabled: true, capacityRequests: 20 }
+    })
+    for (const field of ['assignments', 'activityLeases', 'reservedRequests', 'restartBlockingReservedRequests']) {
+      expect(reserve.status).not.toHaveProperty(field)
+    }
+    await expect(store.reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus('missing-cell')).rejects.toThrow('cell_not_found')
+  })
 })
diff --git a/cloud/apps/relay/src/assignment-store.ts b/cloud/apps/relay/src/assignment-store.ts
index 3eab00da52c..8427b0a3e72 100644
--- a/cloud/apps/relay/src/assignment-store.ts
+++ b/cloud/apps/relay/src/assignment-store.ts
@@ -296,22 +296,14 @@ export type CellEvacuationCapacity = {
   availableTargetUnits: number
 }
 
-export type CellDeploymentStatus = {
+// Rows the cell heartbeats itself: true in either admit mode.
+export type CellDeploymentBaseStatus = {
   cellId: string
   cellUrl: string
   region: RelayRegion
   enabled: boolean
   admissionState: CellAdmissionState
   capacityRequests: number
-  reservedRequests: number
-  assignments: number
-  activityLeases: number
-  activityRequestUnits: number
-  restartBlockingActivityLeases: number
-  restartBlockingActivityRequestUnits: number
-  restartBlockingReservedRequests: number
-  outgoingMigrations: number
-  incomingMigrations: number
   connectionCapacity: null | {
     hardCap: number
     controlRebindReserve: number
@@ -337,6 +329,25 @@ export type CellDeploymentStatus = {
   }
 }
 
+// Per-host rows: a reserve-mode cell's are a lagging mirror, so they are never reported for one.
+export type CellPerHostCounts = {
+  reservedRequests: number
+  assignments: number
+  activityLeases: number
+  activityRequestUnits: number
+  restartBlockingActivityLeases: number
+  restartBlockingActivityRequestUnits: number
+  restartBlockingReservedRequests: number
+  outgoingMigrations: number
+  incomingMigrations: number
+}
+
+export type CellDeploymentStatus = CellDeploymentBaseStatus & CellPerHostCounts
+
+export type ReserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus =
+  | { admitMode: 'db'; status: CellDeploymentStatus }
+  | { admitMode: 'reserve'; status: CellDeploymentBaseStatus }
+
 export type CellFenceAttemptEvidence = {
   attemptId: string
   environment: 'staging' | 'production'
@@ -3935,63 +3946,41 @@ export class RelayAssignmentStore {
   // Its host counts here are stale for a reserve-mode cell, so tooling must not read it as empty.
   async cellDeploymentStatus(cellId: string): Promise<CellDeploymentStatus> {
     await this.refuseReserveCell(cellId)
+    const base = await this.cellDeploymentBaseStatus(cellId)
+    return { ...base, ...(await this.cellPerHostCounts(cellId)) }
+  }
+
+  // For tooling that knows a reserve-mode cell: it gets no per-host counts, rather than stale ones.
+  async reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus(cellId: string): Promise<ReserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus> {
+    const reserveCells = await this.reserveModeCells()
+    if (reserveCells === null) throw new RelayCellInReserveModeError(null)
+    const base = await this.cellDeploymentBaseStatus(cellId)
+    if (reserveCells.has(cellId)) return { admitMode: 'reserve', status: base }
+    return { admitMode: 'db', status: { ...base, ...(await this.cellPerHostCounts(cellId)) } }
+  }
+
+  private async cellDeploymentBaseStatus(cellId: string): Promise<CellDeploymentBaseStatus> {
     const cellRow = (
       await this.database.query(
-        `WITH activity AS (
-           SELECT COUNT(*) AS activity_lease_count,
-             COALESCE(SUM(request_units), 0) AS activity_request_units,
-             COALESCE(SUM(CASE WHEN activity_kind = 'control'
-                                    AND activity_id LIKE 'control-pending:%'
-                                    AND request_units = 1
-                               THEN 1 ELSE 0 END), 0) AS pending_control_units
-           FROM relay_assignment_activity_leases WHERE cell_id = ?
-         )
-         SELECT cell.*, runtime.cell_url AS runtime_cell_url,
+        `SELECT cell.*, runtime.cell_url AS runtime_cell_url,
            admission.admission_state,
            runtime.cell_incarnation AS runtime_cell_incarnation,
            runtime.started_at AS runtime_started_at, runtime.ready AS runtime_ready,
            runtime.observed_requests AS runtime_observed_requests,
            runtime.last_heartbeat_at AS runtime_last_heartbeat_at,
            COALESCE(capabilities.regional_rehome_protocol, 0)
-             AS runtime_regional_rehome_protocol,
-           activity.activity_lease_count, activity.activity_request_units,
-           activity.activity_lease_count - activity.pending_control_units
-             AS restart_blocking_activity_leases,
-           activity.activity_request_units - activity.pending_control_units
-             AS restart_blocking_activity_request_units,
-           cell.reserved_requests - activity.pending_control_units
-             AS restart_blocking_reserved_requests
+             AS runtime_regional_rehome_protocol
          FROM relay_cells cell
-         CROSS JOIN activity
          LEFT JOIN relay_cell_admission admission ON admission.cell_id = cell.cell_id
          LEFT JOIN relay_cell_runtime runtime ON runtime.cell_id = cell.cell_id
          LEFT JOIN relay_cell_capabilities capabilities
            ON capabilities.cell_id = runtime.cell_id
           AND capabilities.cell_incarnation = runtime.cell_incarnation
          WHERE cell.cell_id = ?`,
-        [cellId, cellId]
+        [cellId]
       )
     )[0]
     if (!cellRow) throw new Error('cell_not_found')
-    const assignmentRow = (
-      await this.database.query(
-        `SELECT COUNT(*) AS assignment_count FROM relay_assignments WHERE cell_id = ?`,
-        [cellId]
-      )
-    )[0]!
-    const migrationRow = (
-      await this.database.query(
-        `SELECT
-           COALESCE(SUM(CASE WHEN source_cell_id = ? THEN 1 ELSE 0 END), 0)
-             AS outgoing_migrations,
-           COALESCE(SUM(CASE WHEN target_cell_id = ? THEN 1 ELSE 0 END), 0)
-             AS incoming_migrations
-         FROM relay_assignment_migrations
-         WHERE completed_at IS NULL AND aborted_at IS NULL
-           AND (source_cell_id = ? OR target_cell_id = ?)`,
-        [cellId, cellId, cellId, cellId]
-      )
-    )[0]!
     const connectionRow = (
       await this.database.query(
         `SELECT limits.hard_cap, limits.unobserved_bound,
@@ -4025,24 +4014,6 @@ export class RelayAssignmentStore {
       enabled: integer(cellRow, 'enabled') === 1,
       admissionState: parseCellAdmissionState(text(cellRow, 'admission_state')),
       capacityRequests: integer(cellRow, 'capacity_requests'),
-      reservedRequests: integer(cellRow, 'reserved_requests'),
-      assignments: integer(assignmentRow, 'assignment_count'),
-      activityLeases: integer(cellRow, 'activity_lease_count'),
-      activityRequestUnits: integer(cellRow, 'activity_request_units'),
-      restartBlockingActivityLeases: integer(
-        cellRow,
-        'restart_blocking_activity_leases'
-      ),
-      restartBlockingActivityRequestUnits: integer(
-        cellRow,
-        'restart_blocking_activity_request_units'
-      ),
-      restartBlockingReservedRequests: integer(
-        cellRow,
-        'restart_blocking_reserved_requests'
-      ),
-      outgoingMigrations: integer(migrationRow, 'outgoing_migrations'),
-      incomingMigrations: integer(migrationRow, 'incoming_migrations'),
       connectionCapacity: connectionRow
           ? {
             hardCap: integer(connectionRow, 'hard_cap'),
@@ -4093,6 +4064,74 @@ export class RelayAssignmentStore {
     }
   }
 
+  private async cellPerHostCounts(cellId: string): Promise<CellPerHostCounts> {
+    const activityRow = (
+      await this.database.query(
+        `WITH activity AS (
+           SELECT COUNT(*) AS activity_lease_count,
+             COALESCE(SUM(request_units), 0) AS activity_request_units,
+             COALESCE(SUM(CASE WHEN activity_kind = 'control'
+                                    AND activity_id LIKE 'control-pending:%'
+                                    AND request_units = 1
+                               THEN 1 ELSE 0 END), 0) AS pending_control_units
+           FROM relay_assignment_activity_leases WHERE cell_id = ?
+         )
+         SELECT cell.reserved_requests,
+           activity.activity_lease_count, activity.activity_request_units,
+           activity.activity_lease_count - activity.pending_control_units
+             AS restart_blocking_activity_leases,
+           activity.activity_request_units - activity.pending_control_units
+             AS restart_blocking_activity_request_units,
+           cell.reserved_requests - activity.pending_control_units
+             AS restart_blocking_reserved_requests
+         FROM relay_cells cell
+         CROSS JOIN activity
+         WHERE cell.cell_id = ?`,
+        [cellId, cellId]
+      )
+    )[0]
+    if (!activityRow) throw new Error('cell_not_found')
+    const assignmentRow = (
+      await this.database.query(
+        `SELECT COUNT(*) AS assignment_count FROM relay_assignments WHERE cell_id = ?`,
+        [cellId]
+      )
+    )[0]!
+    const migrationRow = (
+      await this.database.query(
+        `SELECT
+           COALESCE(SUM(CASE WHEN source_cell_id = ? THEN 1 ELSE 0 END), 0)
+             AS outgoing_migrations,
+           COALESCE(SUM(CASE WHEN target_cell_id = ? THEN 1 ELSE 0 END), 0)
+             AS incoming_migrations
+         FROM relay_assignment_migrations
+         WHERE completed_at IS NULL AND aborted_at IS NULL
+           AND (source_cell_id = ? OR target_cell_id = ?)`,
+        [cellId, cellId, cellId, cellId]
+      )
+    )[0]!
+    return {
+      reservedRequests: integer(activityRow, 'reserved_requests'),
+      assignments: integer(assignmentRow, 'assignment_count'),
+      activityLeases: integer(activityRow, 'activity_lease_count'),
+      activityRequestUnits: integer(activityRow, 'activity_request_units'),
+      restartBlockingActivityLeases: integer(
+        activityRow,
+        'restart_blocking_activity_leases'
+      ),
+      restartBlockingActivityRequestUnits: integer(
+        activityRow,
+        'restart_blocking_activity_request_units'
+      ),
+      restartBlockingReservedRequests: integer(
+        activityRow,
+        'restart_blocking_reserved_requests'
+      ),
+      outgoingMigrations: integer(migrationRow, 'outgoing_migrations'),
+      incomingMigrations: integer(migrationRow, 'incoming_migrations')
+    }
+  }
+
   async verifyCellAssignment(input: AssignmentIdentity & {
     cellId: string
     assignmentEpoch: number
diff --git a/cloud/apps/relay/src/cell-status-reserve-view.test.ts b/cloud/apps/relay/src/cell-status-reserve-view.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f51cd0e0d46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cloud/apps/relay/src/cell-status-reserve-view.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,330 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import type { RelayConfig } from './config.js'
+
+vi.mock('./admin-token-verifier.js', () => ({
+  createAdminTokenVerifier: () => async (token: string) => token === 'deploy-token',
+  createReadOnlyAdminTokenVerifier: () => async () => false,
+  createRegionalRehomeControlApplyTokenVerifier: () => async () => false,
+  createRegionalRehomeRuntimeTokenVerifier: () => async () => false,
+  createRegionalRehomeTokenVerifier: () => async () => false,
+  createRuntimeTokenVerifier: () => async () => false
+}))
+
+vi.mock('./relay-token-verifier.js', () => ({
+  createRelayTokenVerifier: () => async () => null,
+  readBearer: (value: string | undefined) => value?.replace(/^Bearer /, '') ?? null
+}))
+
+import { createRelayApp } from './app.js'
+import { RelayAssignmentStore } from './assignment-store.js'
+import type { CellReserveClient } from './cell-reserve-client.js'
+import { openInMemoryRelayDatabase, type RelayDatabase } from './database.js'
+import { ReserveAssignment, type ReservePlacementMode } from './reserve-assignment.js'
+import { ReservePlacer } from './reserve-placement.js'
+import { ShadowSeatDirectory, type SeatFeedCell, type SeatFeedResponse } from './shadow-seat-directory.js'
+
+const INCARNATION = '11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111'
+const CELLS = [
+  { id: 'cell-a', url: 'https://relay-a.example.com', capacityRequests: 10 },
+  { id: 'cell-b', url: 'https://relay-b.example.com', capacityRequests: 10 }
+]
+const PER_HOST_FIELDS = [
+  'reservedRequests',
+  'assignments',
+  'activityLeases',
+  'activityRequestUnits',
+  'restartBlockingActivityLeases',
+  'restartBlockingActivityRequestUnits',
+  'restartBlockingReservedRequests',
+  'outgoingMigrations',
+  'incomingMigrations'
+]
+
+function feed(cellId: string, overrides: Partial<SeatFeedResponse> = {}): SeatFeedResponse {
+  return {
+    v: 1,
+    cellId,
+    incarnation: INCARNATION,
+    seq: 1,
+    at: 0,
+    draining: false,
+    counts: { seats: 40, controls: 42, bookings: 3, units: 45, ceiling: 500 },
+    intake: { perSec: 5, burst: 20, tokens: 20 },
+    flagsApplied: { generation: 3, flags: { admitMode: 'reserve' } },
+    admitModeEffective: 'reserve',
+    admitModeRaw: 'reserve',
+    full: [],
+    ...overrides
+  }
+}
+
+describe('reserve-aware cell status', () => {
+  let database: RelayDatabase | undefined
+
+  afterEach(async () => {
+    await database?.close()
+    database = undefined
+  })
+
+  async function setup(options: { mode?: ReservePlacementMode; startedAt?: number; placement?: boolean } = {}) {
+    const now = { value: 100_000 }
+    database = await openInMemoryRelayDatabase()
+    const store = new RelayAssignmentStore(database, () => now.value, { heartbeatTtlMs: 45_000 })
+    await store.reconcileCells(CELLS)
+    for (const cell of CELLS) {
+      await store.recordCellHeartbeat({
+        cellId: cell.id,
+        cellUrl: cell.url,
+        cellIncarnation: INCARNATION,
+        startedAt: 50,
+        ready: true,
+        observedRequests: 0
+      })
+    }
+    await store.assign({ userId: 'user-a', relayHostId: 'host000000000001' })
+    await store.setCellAdmitMode('cell-a', 'reserve')
+    const cells: SeatFeedCell[] = CELLS.map((cell) => ({
+      cellId: cell.id,
+      cellUrl: cell.url,
+      region: 'us-central1',
+      heartbeatExpiresAt: Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER,
+      requiredForComplete: true,
+      general: true
+    }))
+    const directory = new ShadowSeatDirectory()
+    directory.setCells(cells.map((cell) => cell.cellId))
+    const reservePlacement = new ReserveAssignment({
+      mode: options.mode ?? 'on',
+      directory,
+      cells: () => cells,
+      startedAt: options.startedAt ?? 0,
+      placer: new ReservePlacer(() => now.value, () => 0.25),
+      // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript/consistent-type-assertions -- SAFETY: the status route never books or demotes.
+      client: {} as CellReserveClient,
+      readRow: async () => null,
+      now: () => now.value
+    })
+    const app = createRelayApp(config(), {
+      store: {} as never,
+      assignments: store,
+      ...(options.placement === false ? {} : { reservePlacement }),
+      drain: vi.fn(),
+      ready: vi.fn(async () => true)
+    })
+    const status = async (body: Record<string, unknown>) =>
+      await app.request('/v1/admin/cell-status', {
+        method: 'POST',
+        headers: { authorization: 'Bearer deploy-token', 'content-type': 'application/json' },
+        body: JSON.stringify({ v: 1, ...body })
+      })
+    return { store, directory, now, status }
+  }
+
+  it('reads a database cell exactly as today, and leaves a reserve cell without per-host counts', async () => {
+    const { store } = await setup()
+    expect(await store.reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus('cell-b')).toEqual({
+      admitMode: 'db',
+      status: await store.cellDeploymentStatus('cell-b')
+    })
+    await expect(store.cellDeploymentStatus('cell-a')).rejects.toThrow('cell_in_reserve_mode')
+    const reserve = await store.reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus('cell-a')
+    expect(reserve).toMatchObject({
+      admitMode: 'reserve',
+      status: { cellId: 'cell-a', runtime: { cellIncarnation: INCARNATION, ready: true, heartbeatFresh: true } }
+    })
+    expect(Object.keys(reserve.status).filter((key) => PER_HOST_FIELDS.includes(key))).toEqual([])
+    await database!.query('ALTER TABLE relay_cell_admit_modes RENAME TO relay_cell_admit_modes_gone')
+    const unknown = new RelayAssignmentStore(database!, () => 100_000)
+    await expect(unknown.reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus('cell-b')).rejects.toThrow('reserve_mode_unknown')
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the 404 for a reserve cell without the opt-in, and 400s an unknown view', async () => {
+    const { status } = await setup()
+    const refused = await status({ cellId: 'cell-a' })
+    expect(refused.status).toBe(404)
+    expect(await refused.json()).toEqual({ error: 'cell_in_reserve_mode' })
+    expect((await status({ cellId: 'cell-a', view: 'all' })).status).toBe(400)
+  })
+
+  it('answers a database cell with the opt-in as today, plus reserve: null', async () => {
+    const { status } = await setup()
+    const today = await statusBody(await status({ cellId: 'cell-b' }))
+    const response = await status({ cellId: 'cell-b', view: 'reserve-aware' })
+    expect(response.status).toBe(200)
+    expect(await response.json()).toEqual({ ...today, status: { ...today.status, reserve: null } })
+  })
+
+  it('answers a reserve cell from the map, with perHost null and never zeros', async () => {
+    const { directory, now, status } = await setup()
+    directory.apply('cell-a', feed('cell-a', { draining: true }), now.value, now.value - 1_500)
+    directory.apply('cell-b', feed('cell-b', { admitModeEffective: 'db', admitModeRaw: 'db' }), now.value, now.value)
+    now.value += 20_000
+    const response = await status({ cellId: 'cell-a', view: 'reserve-aware' })
+    expect(response.status).toBe(200)
+    const body = await statusBody(response)
+    expect(body.status).toMatchObject({
+      cellId: 'cell-a',
+      admissionState: 'general',
+      runtime: { cellIncarnation: INCARNATION },
+      perHost: null,
+      reserve: {
+        admitMode: 'reserve',
+        feedStatus: 'live',
+        // Reported, not enforced: the caller rejects a stale map.
+        polledAgeMs: 21_500,
+        incarnation: INCARNATION,
+        draining: true,
+        controls: 42,
+        seats: 40,
+        bookings: 3,
+        units: 45,
+        ceiling: 500,
+        intakePerSec: 5,
+        free: 500 - (45 - 3) - 3
+      }
+    })
+    expect(Object.keys(body.status).filter((key) => PER_HOST_FIELDS.includes(key))).toEqual([])
+  })
+
+  it('reports nulls, not zeros, for a restarted cell that has not applied its reserve switch', async () => {
+    const { directory, now, status } = await setup()
+    directory.apply(
+      'cell-a',
+      feed('cell-a', {
+        counts: { seats: 0, controls: 0 },
+        intake: undefined,
+        flagsApplied: { generation: 0, flags: {} },
+        admitModeEffective: 'db',
+        admitModeRaw: 'db'
+      }),
+      now.value,
+      now.value
+    )
+    const body = await statusBody(await status({ cellId: 'cell-a', view: 'reserve-aware' }))
+    expect(body.status.reserve).toMatchObject({
+      admitMode: 'db',
+      bookings: null,
+      units: null,
+      ceiling: null,
+      intakePerSec: null,
+      free: null
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('answers a retryable 503 while this director cannot vouch for the cell', async () => {
+    const unavailable = async (response: Response) => ({
+      status: response.status,
+      retryAfter: response.headers.get('Retry-After'),
+      body: await response.json()
+    })
+    const expected = (reason: string) => ({
+      status: 503,
+      retryAfter: '5',
+      body: { error: 'reserve_status_unavailable', reason }
+    })
+    for (const options of [{ mode: 'dry-run' as const }, { placement: false }]) {
+      const { directory, now, status } = await setup(options)
+      directory.apply('cell-a', feed('cell-a'), now.value, now.value)
+      expect(await unavailable(await status({ cellId: 'cell-a', view: 'reserve-aware' }))).toEqual(
+        expected('placement-off')
+      )
+      await database?.close()
+    }
+    // A starting director with one cell unheard.
+    const starting = await setup({ startedAt: 99_000 })
+    starting.directory.apply('cell-a', feed('cell-a'), starting.now.value, starting.now.value)
+    expect(await unavailable(await starting.status({ cellId: 'cell-a', view: 'reserve-aware' }))).toEqual(
+      expected('map-incomplete')
+    )
+    await database?.close()
+    const { directory, now, status } = await setup()
+    directory.apply('cell-b', feed('cell-b'), now.value, now.value)
+    directory.markNoFeed('cell-a', now.value)
+    expect(await unavailable(await status({ cellId: 'cell-a', view: 'reserve-aware' }))).toEqual(expected('no-feed'))
+    // A feed without the drain flag or counts is an older image: no feed, never an empty cell.
+    directory.apply('cell-a', feed('cell-a', { draining: undefined }), now.value, now.value)
+    expect(await unavailable(await status({ cellId: 'cell-a', view: 'reserve-aware' }))).toEqual(expected('no-feed'))
+    directory.apply('cell-a', feed('cell-a', { counts: undefined }), now.value, now.value)
+    expect(await unavailable(await status({ cellId: 'cell-a', view: 'reserve-aware' }))).toEqual(expected('no-feed'))
+    // The process that answered the feed is not the one heartbeating the runtime row.
+    directory.apply(
+      'cell-a',
+      feed('cell-a', { incarnation: '22222222-2222-4222-8222-222222222222' }),
+      now.value,
+      now.value
+    )
+    expect(await unavailable(await status({ cellId: 'cell-a', view: 'reserve-aware' }))).toEqual(
+      expected('incarnation-mismatch')
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('probes rehome trust on a reserve cell from its runtime rows', async () => {
+    const { store } = await setup()
+    await database!.query(
+      `INSERT INTO relay_cell_capabilities (cell_id, cell_incarnation, regional_rehome_protocol, last_heartbeat_at)
+       VALUES ('cell-a', ?, 1, 100000)`,
+      [INCARNATION]
+    )
+    const sourceFetch = vi.fn(async () =>
+      Response.json({ v: 1, outcome: 'host-not-connected', sharedRuntimeIdentityRejected: true })
+    )
+    const app = createRelayApp(
+      config({
+        rehomeDirectorServiceAccount: 'relay-director@example.test',
+        rehomeAudience: 'https://relay.example.test/v1/admin/host-drain'
+      }),
+      {
+        store: {} as never,
+        assignments: store,
+        drain: vi.fn(),
+        regionalRehomeIdentityToken: vi.fn(async () => 'rehome-token'),
+        // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript/consistent-type-assertions -- SAFETY: the probe only awaits a Response.
+        regionalRehomeFetch: sourceFetch as unknown as typeof fetch,
+        ready: vi.fn(async () => true)
+      }
+    )
+    const response = await app.request('/v1/admin/regional-rehome-trust-probe', {
+      method: 'POST',
+      headers: { authorization: 'Bearer deploy-token', 'content-type': 'application/json' },
+      body: JSON.stringify({ v: 1, sourceCellId: 'cell-a', sourceCellIncarnation: INCARNATION })
+    })
+    expect(response.status).toBe(200)
+    expect(await response.json()).toMatchObject({ proven: true })
+    expect(sourceFetch).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+  })
+})
+
+async function statusBody(response: Response) {
+  // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript/consistent-type-assertions -- SAFETY: the route answers { v, status } on 200.
+  return (await response.json()) as { v: number; status: Record<string, unknown> }
+}
+
+function config(overrides: Partial<RelayConfig> = {}): RelayConfig {
+  return {
+    port: 8080,
+    publicUrl: 'https://relay.example.test',
+    cellUrl: 'https://relay.example.test',
+    region: 'us-central1',
+    authIssuer: 'https://auth.example.test',
+    authAudience: 'orca-relay',
+    jwksUrl: 'https://auth.example.test/jwks',
+    assignmentSigningKey: new Uint8Array(32),
+    role: 'director',
+    cellId: 'director',
+    cells: [],
+    adminAudience: 'https://relay.example.test/v1/admin/drain',
+    deployServiceAccount: 'deploy@example.test',
+    runtimeServiceAccount: 'relay-cell@example.test',
+    adminJwksUrl: 'https://auth.example.test/jwks',
+    databasePoolMax: 10,
+    publicAssignmentsEnabled: true,
+    publicAssignmentConcurrency: 2,
+    publicAssignmentQueueMax: 128,
+    publicAssignmentWaitMs: 4_000,
+    publicResolveConcurrency: 1,
+    publicResolveWaitMs: 5_000,
+    publicAssignmentRetryAfterSeconds: 5,
+    dataDir: './data',
+    ...overrides
+  }
+}
diff --git a/cloud/apps/relay/src/regional-host-drain-app.test.ts b/cloud/apps/relay/src/regional-host-drain-app.test.ts
index ebd853dca31..95886981c6c 100644
--- a/cloud/apps/relay/src/regional-host-drain-app.test.ts
+++ b/cloud/apps/relay/src/regional-host-drain-app.test.ts
@@ -474,20 +474,23 @@ describe('regional rehome director controls', () => {
 
   it('probes dedicated trust twice and returns only aggregate proof', async () => {
     const requests: Array<{ url: string; init?: RequestInit }> = []
-    const cellDeploymentStatus = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
-      cellId: 'production-gce-c7',
-      cellUrl: 'https://c7.relay.example.test',
-      region: 'us-central1',
-      runtime: {
-        cellIncarnation,
-        ready: true,
-        heartbeatFresh: true,
-        regionalRehomeProtocol: 1
+    const reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+      admitMode: 'db',
+      status: {
+        cellId: 'production-gce-c7',
+        cellUrl: 'https://c7.relay.example.test',
+        region: 'us-central1',
+        runtime: {
+          cellIncarnation,
+          ready: true,
+          heartbeatFresh: true,
+          regionalRehomeProtocol: 1
+        }
       }
     })
     const app = createRelayApp(config({ role: 'director', cellId: 'director' }), {
       store: {} as never,
-      assignments: { cellDeploymentStatus } as never,
+      assignments: { reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus } as never,
       drain: vi.fn(),
       regionalRehomeIdentityToken: vi.fn(async () => 'rehome-token'),
       regionalRehomeFetch: (async (url, init) => {
@@ -540,20 +543,23 @@ describe('regional rehome director controls', () => {
   it('probes a source cell in any region, not only the default one', async () => {
     // Rehoming moves hosts in both directions, so an asia-east2 cell is a
     // source too and its trust has to be provable the same way.
-    const cellDeploymentStatus = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
-      cellId: 'production-gce-c27',
-      cellUrl: 'https://c27.relay.example.test',
-      region: 'asia-east2',
-      runtime: {
-        cellIncarnation,
-        ready: true,
-        heartbeatFresh: true,
-        regionalRehomeProtocol: 1
+    const reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+      admitMode: 'db',
+      status: {
+        cellId: 'production-gce-c27',
+        cellUrl: 'https://c27.relay.example.test',
+        region: 'asia-east2',
+        runtime: {
+          cellIncarnation,
+          ready: true,
+          heartbeatFresh: true,
+          regionalRehomeProtocol: 1
+        }
       }
     })
     const app = createRelayApp(config({ role: 'director', cellId: 'director' }), {
       store: {} as never,
-      assignments: { cellDeploymentStatus } as never,
+      assignments: { reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus } as never,
       drain: vi.fn(),
       regionalRehomeIdentityToken: vi.fn(async () => 'rehome-token'),
       regionalRehomeFetch: (async () =>
@@ -576,21 +582,24 @@ describe('regional rehome director controls', () => {
   })
 
   it('still refuses a trust probe against a cell without the drain protocol', async () => {
-    const cellDeploymentStatus = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
-      cellId: 'production-gce-c27',
-      cellUrl: 'https://c27.relay.example.test',
-      region: 'asia-east2',
-      runtime: {
-        cellIncarnation,
-        ready: true,
-        heartbeatFresh: true,
-        regionalRehomeProtocol: 0
+    const reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+      admitMode: 'db',
+      status: {
+        cellId: 'production-gce-c27',
+        cellUrl: 'https://c27.relay.example.test',
+        region: 'asia-east2',
+        runtime: {
+          cellIncarnation,
+          ready: true,
+          heartbeatFresh: true,
+          regionalRehomeProtocol: 0
+        }
       }
     })
     const sourceFetch = vi.fn<typeof fetch>()
     const app = createRelayApp(config({ role: 'director', cellId: 'director' }), {
       store: {} as never,
-      assignments: { cellDeploymentStatus } as never,
+      assignments: { reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus } as never,
       drain: vi.fn(),
       regionalRehomeIdentityToken: vi.fn(async () => 'rehome-token'),
       regionalRehomeFetch: sourceFetch,
@@ -633,14 +642,17 @@ describe('regional rehome director controls', () => {
   })
 
   it('fails closed when the source rejects the dedicated identity', async () => {
-    const cellDeploymentStatus = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
-      cellUrl: 'https://c7.relay.example.test',
-      region: 'us-central1',
-      runtime: {
-        cellIncarnation,
-        ready: true,
-        heartbeatFresh: true,
-        regionalRehomeProtocol: 1
+    const reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+      admitMode: 'db',
+      status: {
+        cellUrl: 'https://c7.relay.example.test',
+        region: 'us-central1',
+        runtime: {
+          cellIncarnation,
+          ready: true,
+          heartbeatFresh: true,
+          regionalRehomeProtocol: 1
+        }
       }
     })
     const sourceFetch = vi
@@ -648,7 +660,7 @@ describe('regional rehome director controls', () => {
       .mockResolvedValue(Response.json({ error: 'invalid_token' }, { status: 401 }))
     const app = createRelayApp(config({ role: 'director', cellId: 'director' }), {
       store: {} as never,
-      assignments: { cellDeploymentStatus } as never,
+      assignments: { reserveAwareCellDeploymentStatus } as never,
       drain: vi.fn(),
       regionalRehomeIdentityToken: vi.fn(async () => 'rehome-token'),
       regionalRehomeFetch: sourceFetch,
diff --git a/cloud/apps/relay/src/relay-observability.test.ts b/cloud/apps/relay/src/relay-observability.test.ts
index f677cd13e7b..98b50fe33b0 100644
--- a/cloud/apps/relay/src/relay-observability.test.ts
+++ b/cloud/apps/relay/src/relay-observability.test.ts
@@ -243,6 +243,8 @@ describe('relay observability', () => {
     for (let index = 0; index < 40; index++) {
       observability.recordAssignmentUnavailable('drain-return-deferred')
     }
+    // A drained reserve host's intake pace is scheduled by the drain too.
+    observability.recordAssignmentUnavailable('reserve-paced-drained')
     observability.recordAssignmentUnavailable('sticky-lane')
     observability.recordAssignmentUnavailable('relay_capacity_exhausted')
     observability.recordAssignmentUnavailable('relay_capacity_exhausted')
@@ -252,6 +254,7 @@ describe('relay observability', () => {
     expect(entries[0]).toMatchObject({
       assign503sByCauseDelta: {
         'drain-return-deferred': 40,
+        'reserve-paced-drained': 1,
         'sticky-lane': 1,
         relay_capacity_exhausted: 2
       },
diff --git a/cloud/apps/relay/src/relay-observability.ts b/cloud/apps/relay/src/relay-observability.ts
index 27ab9178dc8..40c7ff45415 100644
--- a/cloud/apps/relay/src/relay-observability.ts
+++ b/cloud/apps/relay/src/relay-observability.ts
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ export type AssignmentUnavailableCause =
   | 'reserve-map-incomplete'
   | 'reserve-database'
   | 'reserve-paced'
+  // Intake pacing for a host re-asking off a draining cell: scheduled by the drain, like a deferral.
+  | 'reserve-paced-drained'
 
 // Row-lock waiters seen in one pg_stat_activity sample, by who waits, on which
 // table, behind whom. Roles come from each pool's application_name.
@@ -124,6 +126,12 @@ export type HostPreAuthPath = 'beforeCheck' | 'db' | 'reserve'
 // Abandoned: the host hung up before a decision, or before the cell could act on one.
 export type HostPreAuthOutcome = 'admitted' | 'refused' | 'abandoned'
 
+// Left out of assignNonDrain503sDelta: the drain schedules these 503s.
+const DRAIN_503_CAUSES: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set<AssignmentUnavailableCause>([
+  'drain-return-deferred',
+  'reserve-paced-drained'
+])
+
 // Upper bounds in ms; the last bucket is unbounded. 450 is the step-5 t_preauth gate.
 const PRE_AUTH_BUCKET_BOUNDS_MS = [50, 100, 200, 300, 450, 700, 1_000, 2_000, 5_000] as const
 
@@ -704,7 +712,7 @@ export class RelayObservability implements RelayRuntimeObserver {
       ...stickySlotFields(deltas),
       assign503sByCauseDelta: deltas.assign503sByCause,
       assignNonDrain503sDelta: Object.entries(deltas.assign503sByCause)
-        .filter(([cause]) => cause !== 'drain-return-deferred')
+        .filter(([cause]) => !DRAIN_503_CAUSES.has(cause))
         .reduce((sum, [, count]) => sum + count, 0),
       // Waiters summed over samples; divided by samples it is the mean number of
       // backends waiting, i.e. lock-wait seconds per second.
diff --git a/cloud/apps/relay/src/relay-region-app.test.ts b/cloud/apps/relay/src/relay-region-app.test.ts
index a990fffe529..6161bcf5a1c 100644
--- a/cloud/apps/relay/src/relay-region-app.test.ts
+++ b/cloud/apps/relay/src/relay-region-app.test.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ vi.mock('./relay-token-verifier.js', () => ({
 }))
 
 import { createRelayApp } from './app.js'
+import { ReservePaceError } from './reserve-assignment.js'
 
 describe('Relay region API', () => {
   it('passes a valid preference to placement and records coarse outcomes', async () => {
@@ -204,6 +205,37 @@ describe('Relay region API', () => {
     expect(plan).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
+  it('names a drained host’s pace as the drain’s on the reserve lane and in the database lane', async () => {
+    const causes: string[] = []
+    const drainedPace = new ReservePaceError(3, true)
+    const plan = vi.fn(async () => {
+      throw drainedPace
+    })
+    const assign = vi.fn(async () => {
+      throw new ReservePaceError(2, true)
+    })
+    const app = createRelayApp(config(), {
+      store: {} as never,
+      assignments: { assign } as never,
+      reservePlacement: { plan } as never,
+      drain: vi.fn(),
+      ready: async () => true,
+      recordAssignmentUnavailable: (cause) => causes.push(cause)
+    })
+    const fromPlan = await app.request('/v1/assign', assignmentRequest('abcdefghijklmnop', {}))
+    expect(fromPlan.status).toBe(503)
+    expect(fromPlan.headers.get('Retry-After')).toBe('3')
+    plan.mockResolvedValue({ kind: 'database' } as never)
+    const fromAssign = await app.request('/v1/assign', assignmentRequest('abcdefghijklmnop', {}))
+    expect(fromAssign.status).toBe(503)
+    expect(fromAssign.headers.get('Retry-After')).toBe('2')
+    expect(causes).toEqual(['reserve-paced-drained', 'reserve-paced-drained'])
+    // Any other host's pace keeps today's cause.
+    plan.mockRejectedValue(new ReservePaceError(1))
+    await app.request('/v1/assign', assignmentRequest('abcdefghijklmnop', {}))
+    expect(causes.at(-1)).toBe('reserve-paced')
+  })
+
   it('returns successful placement when optional window storage is unavailable', async () => {
     const app = createRelayApp(config(), {
       store: {} as never,
diff --git a/cloud/apps/relay/src/reserve-assignment.test.ts b/cloud/apps/relay/src/reserve-assignment.test.ts
index 498ff4a500e..6f1f0e13794 100644
--- a/cloud/apps/relay/src/reserve-assignment.test.ts
+++ b/cloud/apps/relay/src/reserve-assignment.test.ts
@@ -893,4 +893,172 @@ describe('reserve assignment on a director', () => {
       expect(outcomes(lines)).toMatchObject([{ outcome: 'unreachable' }])
     })
   })
+
+  describe('for a host re-asking off a draining cell', () => {
+    const events = (lines: string[], event: string) =>
+      lines.map((line) => JSON.parse(line)).filter((entry) => entry.event === event)
+    const flushedSummary = async (assignment: ReserveAssignment, now: { value: number }, lines: string[]) => {
+      now.value += 60_001
+      await assignment.plan({ ...HOST, relayHostId: 'zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz' }, { reconnect: false, region: US })
+      return events(lines, 'orca_relay_reserve_placement_summary')[0]
+    }
+
+    // graceMs 0: the host re-asks while its seat still shows, but the cell's feed already says draining.
+    it('counts the placement by source cell before any leave lands', async () => {
+      const lines: string[] = []
+      const { assignment, now } = setup({
+        feeds: [feed('c1', { draining: true, full: [seated(7)] }), feed('c2')],
+        log: (line) => lines.push(line)
+      })
+      expect(await assignment.plan(HOST, { reconnect: true, region: US })).toMatchObject({
+        kind: 'answer',
+        lane: 'placement',
+        assignment: { cellId: 'c2', assignmentEpoch: 8 }
+      })
+      expect(events(lines, 'orca_relay_reserve_drain_replaced')).toEqual([
+        { event: 'orca_relay_reserve_drain_replaced', fromCellId: 'c1', toCellId: 'c2', region: US }
+      ])
+      expect((await flushedSummary(assignment, now, lines)).drainReplaced).toEqual({ c1: 1 })
+    })
+
+    it('counts a drain-only seat, and a newest leave on a draining cell', async () => {
+      const lines: string[] = []
+      const drainOnly = setup({
+        feeds: [feed('c1', { full: [{ ...seated(7), state: 'drain-only' }] }), feed('c2')],
+        log: (line) => lines.push(line)
+      })
+      await drainOnly.assignment.plan(HOST, { reconnect: true, region: US })
+      const left = setup({ feeds: [feed('c1', { draining: true }), feed('c2')], log: (line) => lines.push(line) })
+      left.directory.apply(
+        'c1',
+        feed('c1', {
+          draining: true,
+          full: undefined,
+          seq: 3,
+          changes: [
+            { seq: 2, kind: 'join', ...HOST, epoch: 7, generation: 1, at: 1 },
+            { seq: 3, kind: 'leave', ...HOST, epoch: 7, generation: 1, closeCode: 4503, at: 2 }
+          ]
+        }),
+        left.now.value,
+        left.now.value
+      )
+      await left.assignment.plan(HOST, { reconnect: true, region: US })
+      expect(events(lines, 'orca_relay_reserve_drain_replaced').map((entry) => entry.fromCellId)).toEqual([
+        'c1',
+        'c1'
+      ])
+    })
+
+    it('counts a host once: after its re-booking, a second ask is not a drain re-ask', async () => {
+      const lines: string[] = []
+      const { assignment, directory, now } = setup({
+        feeds: [feed('c1', { draining: true, full: [{ ...seated(7), state: 'drain-only' }] }), feed('c2')],
+        log: (line) => lines.push(line)
+      })
+      await assignment.plan(HOST, { reconnect: true, region: US })
+      // c2 reports the booking before the host's join: the map still holds only the drain-only seat.
+      directory.apply(
+        'c2',
+        feed('c2', {
+          full: undefined,
+          seq: 2,
+          changes: [{ seq: 2, kind: 'reserve', ...HOST, epoch: 8, generation: 0, reservedBy: 'director', at: now.value }]
+        }),
+        now.value,
+        now.value
+      )
+      expect(directory.bookingOf(HOST.userId, HOST.relayHostId)).toMatchObject({ cellId: 'c2', epoch: 8 })
+      await assignment.plan(HOST, { reconnect: false, region: US })
+      expect(events(lines, 'orca_relay_reserve_drain_replaced')).toHaveLength(1)
+    })
+
+    it('counts a host once when it asks again before the new cell reports the booking', async () => {
+      const lines: string[] = []
+      const { assignment } = setup({
+        feeds: [feed('c1', { draining: true, full: [seated(7)] }), feed('c2')],
+        log: (line) => lines.push(line)
+      })
+      await assignment.plan(HOST, { reconnect: true, region: US })
+      await assignment.plan(HOST, { reconnect: false, region: US })
+      expect(events(lines, 'orca_relay_reserve_drain_replaced')).toHaveLength(1)
+    })
+
+    // Placement memories are clock-free: a host that never reached c2 is not counted again later.
+    it('counts a host once per drain, also when it asks again after 30 s', async () => {
+      const lines: string[] = []
+      const { assignment, directory, now } = setup({
+        feeds: [feed('c1', { draining: true, full: [{ ...seated(7), state: 'drain-only' }] }), feed('c2')],
+        log: (line) => lines.push(line)
+      })
+      await assignment.plan(HOST, { reconnect: true, region: US })
+      now.value += 31_000
+      for (const cellId of ['c1', 'c2']) {
+        directory.apply(cellId, feed(cellId, { draining: cellId === 'c1', full: undefined, seq: 1, changes: [] }), now.value, now.value)
+      }
+      await assignment.plan(HOST, { reconnect: true, region: US })
+      expect(events(lines, 'orca_relay_reserve_drain_replaced')).toHaveLength(1)
+    })
+
+    it('counts afresh once the drained cell restarts', async () => {
+      const lines: string[] = []
+      const { assignment, directory, now } = setup({
+        feeds: [feed('c1', { draining: true, full: [seated(7)] }), feed('c2')],
+        log: (line) => lines.push(line)
+      })
+      await assignment.plan(HOST, { reconnect: true, region: US })
+      // The host came back to the restarted c1, which drains again.
+      directory.apply(
+        'c1',
+        feed('c1', { incarnation: 'c1-incarnation-2', draining: true, full: [seated(20)] }),
+        now.value,
+        now.value
+      )
+      await assignment.plan(HOST, { reconnect: true, region: US })
+      expect(events(lines, 'orca_relay_reserve_drain_replaced')).toHaveLength(2)
+    })
+
+    it('marks its pace as the drain’s, on the reserve lane, in the region fallback and in the spill', async () => {
+      const { assignment } = setup({
+        feeds: [feed('c1', { draining: true, full: [seated(7)] }), feed('c2')],
+        reserve: () => ({ outcome: 'intake' })
+      })
+      await expect(assignment.plan(HOST, { reconnect: true, region: US })).rejects.toMatchObject({ drained: true })
+      const plan = await assignment.plan(HOST, { reconnect: true, region: US, regionCorrection: true })
+      await expect(plan.kind === 'database' ? plan.regionReserve?.() : null).rejects.toMatchObject({ drained: true })
+      await expect(
+        plan.kind === 'database' ? plan.reserveSpill?.({ skipOwnRegion: false, rowEpoch: 0 }) : null
+      ).rejects.toMatchObject({ drained: true })
+    })
+
+    it('leaves every other host as today: no drain count, and a plain pace', async () => {
+      const lines: string[] = []
+      const { assignment } = setup({ feeds: [feed('c1', { full: [seated(7)] }), feed('c2')], log: (line) => lines.push(line) })
+      // A seat on another draining cell than the newest one does not count either.
+      const paced = setup({
+        feeds: [feed('c1', { full: [seated(7)] }), feed('c2', { draining: true, full: [seated(6)] })],
+        reserve: () => ({ outcome: 'intake' })
+      })
+      expect(await assignment.plan({ ...HOST, relayHostId: 'qrstuvwxyzabcdef' }, { reconnect: false, region: US })).toMatchObject({
+        kind: 'answer',
+        lane: 'placement'
+      })
+      await expect(
+        paced.assignment.plan(HOST, { reconnect: false, region: US })
+      ).rejects.toMatchObject({ drained: false })
+      expect(events(lines, 'orca_relay_reserve_drain_replaced')).toEqual([])
+    })
+
+    // The database lane logs orca_relay_sticky_replaced_off_isolated_cell for these; counting both would double the canary's sum.
+    it('does not count a placement the database lane makes through its region fallback', async () => {
+      const lines: string[] = []
+      const { assignment } = setup({
+        feeds: [feed('c1', { draining: true, full: [seated(7)] }), feed('c2')],
+        log: (line) => lines.push(line)
+      })
+      const plan = await assignment.plan(HOST, { reconnect: true, region: US, regionCorrection: true })
+      await expect(plan.kind === 'database' ? plan.regionReserve?.() : null).resolves.toMatchObject({ cellId: 'c2' })
+      expect(events(lines, 'orca_relay_reserve_drain_replaced')).toEqual([])
+    })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/cloud/apps/relay/src/reserve-assignment.ts b/cloud/apps/relay/src/reserve-assignment.ts
index fd92744aa5f..1d7f8605e7e 100644
--- a/cloud/apps/relay/src/reserve-assignment.ts
+++ b/cloud/apps/relay/src/reserve-assignment.ts
@@ -37,26 +37,59 @@ const NO_REJOIN_CLOSE_CODES: ReadonlySet<number> = new Set([
 export type ReservePlacementMode = 'off' | 'dry-run' | 'on'
 
 export class ReservePaceError extends Error {
-  constructor(readonly retryAfterSeconds: number) {
+  // drained: the host was re-asking off a draining cell, so the 503 is the drain's, not a fault.
+  constructor(
+    readonly retryAfterSeconds: number,
+    readonly drained = false
+  ) {
     super('reserve_cells_paced')
   }
 }
 
 type Identity = { userId: string; relayHostId: string }
 
+function hostKey(identity: Identity): string {
+  return `${identity.userId}\u0000${identity.relayHostId}`
+}
+
 export type ReservePlan =
   | { kind: 'answer'; assignment: RelayAssignment; lane: 'sticky' | 'placement' | 'rehome' }
-  | { kind: 'retry'; retryAfterSeconds: number; reason: 'map-incomplete' | 'database' | 'paced' }
+  | {
+      kind: 'retry'
+      retryAfterSeconds: number
+      reason: 'map-incomplete' | 'database' | 'paced' | 'paced-drained'
+    }
   | ({ kind: 'database' } & Pick<AssignOptions, 'epochFloor' | 'placeFresh' | 'regionReserve' | 'reserveSpill'>)
 
 // A host whose seat the ledger reconcile demoted mints above its row for this long, so the
 // re-assign does not collide with the row again (the mirror refuses an equal epoch).
 export const RESERVE_ROW_FLOOR_TTL_MS = 2 * 60 * 60_000
 const RESERVE_ROW_FLOOR_MAX = 100_000
+const OWN_BOOKINGS_MAX = 100_000
 
 // The WRONG_CELL row read's bound: well under a database stall (5-7 s).
 export const RESERVE_WRONG_CELL_ROW_READ_MS = 1_000
 
+// A reserve-mode cell as this director's map holds it, for the reserve-aware cell-status route.
+export type ReserveCellStatus = {
+  admitMode: 'db' | 'reserve'
+  feedStatus: string
+  // Reported, not enforced: callers set their own freshness bound.
+  polledAgeMs: number
+  incarnation: string
+  draining: boolean
+  controls: number
+  seats: number
+  // Null: the cell reports no step-5 numbers (for example before its switch file applies).
+  bookings: number | null
+  units: number | null
+  ceiling: number | null
+  intakePerSec: number | null
+  free: number | null
+}
+
+export type ReserveCellStatusUnavailable = 'placement-off' | 'map-incomplete' | 'no-feed' | 'incarnation-mismatch'
+
 // Rejects after `ms`; the read itself still settles later, and its failure is swallowed.
 async function withinMs<T>(read: Promise<T>, ms: number): Promise<T> {
   let timer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined
@@ -75,6 +108,10 @@ export class ReserveAssignment {
   private summary: PlacementSummary = emptySummary()
   private summaryAt: number
   private readonly rowFloors = new Map<string, { epoch: number; expiresAt: number }>()
+  // This director's own bookings, which the cell's feed reports only a poll or more later.
+  private readonly ownBookings = new Map<string, { cellId: string; epoch: number }>()
+  // Hosts already counted off each drained cell, for that cell incarnation's drain.
+  private readonly drainCounted = new Map<string, { incarnation: string | undefined; hosts: Set<string> }>()
 
   constructor(
     private readonly input: {
@@ -157,7 +194,7 @@ export class ReserveAssignment {
     const now = this.now()
     const { directory } = this.input
     // Until every live cell has answered, only a host that may be on an unheard cell waits.
-    const incomplete = !directory.isComplete() && now - this.input.startedAt < RESERVE_STARTUP_GATE_MS
+    const incomplete = this.mapIncomplete(now)
     const seats = directory.seatsOf(identity.userId, identity.relayHostId)
     const left = directory
       .recentlyLeftOf(identity.userId, identity.relayHostId, now)
@@ -165,6 +202,7 @@ export class ReserveAssignment {
       .at(-1)
     const booking = directory.bookingOf(identity.userId, identity.relayHostId)
     const rowFloor = this.rowFloor(identity, now)
+    const drainedFrom = this.drainSource(identity, seats, left, booking)
     const known = [
       ...seats.map((seat) => seat.epoch),
       ...(left ? [left.epoch] : []),
@@ -210,12 +248,12 @@ export class ReserveAssignment {
         return { kind: 'database' }
       }
       // A never-seen host's spill mints above the row the database lane read.
-      const reserveSpill = this.reserveSpill(identity, request.region, epochFloor, seats)
+      const reserveSpill = this.reserveSpill(identity, request.region, epochFloor, seats, drainedFrom)
       return known.length === 0
         ? { kind: 'database', reserveSpill }
         : {
             kind: 'database',
-            regionReserve: this.regionReserve(identity, request.region, epochFloor, seats, now),
+            regionReserve: this.regionReserve(identity, request.region, epochFloor, seats, now, drainedFrom),
             reserveSpill
           }
     }
@@ -236,9 +274,11 @@ export class ReserveAssignment {
       }
     }
     const placeFresh = async (): Promise<RelayAssignment | null> =>
-      await this.placeFresh(identity, request.region, epochFloor, seats)
-    const regionReserve = this.regionReserve(identity, request.region, epochFloor, seats, now)
-    const reserveSpill = incomplete ? undefined : this.reserveSpill(identity, request.region, epochFloor, seats)
+      await this.placeFresh(identity, request.region, epochFloor, seats, false, false, drainedFrom)
+    const regionReserve = this.regionReserve(identity, request.region, epochFloor, seats, now, drainedFrom)
+    const reserveSpill = incomplete
+      ? undefined
+      : this.reserveSpill(identity, request.region, epochFloor, seats, drainedFrom)
     // Where the host was last seen decides who owns it: a database-mode cell keeps today's
     // path, sticky included; only a fresh placement may be booked on a reserve-mode cell.
     const lastOnReserve = lastCellId !== undefined && directory.placementModeOf(lastCellId) === 'reserve'
@@ -246,10 +286,105 @@ export class ReserveAssignment {
       return { kind: 'database', epochFloor, placeFresh, regionReserve, reserveSpill }
     }
     const placed = await placeFresh()
-    if (placed) return { kind: 'answer', assignment: placed, lane: 'placement' }
+    if (placed) {
+      if (drainedFrom !== undefined) this.recordDrainReplaced(identity, drainedFrom, placed)
+      return { kind: 'answer', assignment: placed, lane: 'placement' }
+    }
     return { kind: 'database', epochFloor, regionReserve, reserveSpill }
   }
 
+  private mapIncomplete(now: number): boolean {
+    return !this.input.directory.isComplete() && now - this.input.startedAt < RESERVE_STARTUP_GATE_MS
+  }
+
+  // Keyed on the cell, not the leave: a same-cap drain (graceMs 0) has the host re-ask before
+  // its leave reaches the map, but the cell's feed says draining from the first poll after.
+  // Only the newest grant counts, so a host already re-booked elsewhere is not a drain re-ask.
+  private drainSource(
+    identity: Identity,
+    seats: readonly ShadowSeat[],
+    left: { cellId: string; epoch: number } | undefined,
+    booking: { cellId: string; epoch: number } | undefined
+  ): string | undefined {
+    const own = this.ownBookings.get(hostKey(identity))
+    let newest: { cellId: string; epoch: number; state?: string } | undefined
+    for (const entry of [...seats, ...(left ? [left] : []), ...(booking ? [booking] : []), ...(own ? [own] : [])]) {
+      if (!newest || entry.epoch > newest.epoch) newest = entry
+    }
+    if (!newest) return undefined
+    const drained =
+      newest.state === 'drain-only' || this.input.directory.cellState(newest.cellId)?.draining === true
+    return drained ? newest.cellId : undefined
+  }
+
+  // Only the reserve lane's own answers: a database-lane placement off the drained (isolated)
+  // cell already logs orca_relay_sticky_replaced_off_isolated_cell, and the canary sums both.
+  // Each host counts once per drain: the canary bar must never pass on a host counted twice.
+  private recordDrainReplaced(identity: Identity, fromCellId: string, placed: RelayAssignment): void {
+    const incarnation = this.input.directory.cellState(fromCellId)?.incarnation
+    let counted = this.drainCounted.get(fromCellId)
+    if (!counted || counted.incarnation !== incarnation) {
+      counted = { incarnation, hosts: new Set() }
+      this.drainCounted.set(fromCellId, counted)
+    }
+    const key = hostKey(identity)
+    if (counted.hosts.has(key)) return
+    counted.hosts.add(key)
+    this.summary.drainReplaced[fromCellId] = (this.summary.drainReplaced[fromCellId] ?? 0) + 1
+    this.log(
+      JSON.stringify({
+        event: 'orca_relay_reserve_drain_replaced',
+        fromCellId,
+        toCellId: placed.cellId,
+        region: placed.region
+      })
+    )
+  }
+
+  // The reserve-aware cell-status view, or why this director cannot vouch for the cell now.
+  cellStatus(
+    cellId: string,
+    runtimeIncarnation: string | undefined
+  ): { ok: true; reserve: ReserveCellStatus } | { ok: false; reason: ReserveCellStatusUnavailable } {
+    const now = this.now()
+    if (this.input.mode !== 'on') return { ok: false, reason: 'placement-off' }
+    if (this.mapIncomplete(now)) return { ok: false, reason: 'map-incomplete' }
+    const { directory } = this.input
+    const state = directory.cellState(cellId)
+    const placement = this.placementCells().find((cell) => cell.cellId === cellId)
+    // An older image without these reads as no feed, never as an empty cell.
+    if (
+      !state ||
+      !placement ||
+      state.status === 'no-feed' ||
+      state.incarnation === undefined ||
+      state.polledAt === undefined ||
+      state.draining === undefined ||
+      state.reportedSeats === undefined ||
+      state.reportedControls === undefined
+    ) {
+      return { ok: false, reason: 'no-feed' }
+    }
+    if (state.incarnation !== runtimeIncarnation) return { ok: false, reason: 'incarnation-mismatch' }
+    return {
+      ok: true,
+      reserve: {
+        admitMode: directory.placementModeOf(cellId),
+        feedStatus: state.status,
+        polledAgeMs: now - state.polledAt,
+        incarnation: state.incarnation,
+        draining: state.draining,
+        controls: state.reportedControls,
+        seats: state.reportedSeats,
+        bookings: state.bookings ?? null,
+        units: state.units ?? null,
+        ceiling: state.ceiling ?? null,
+        intakePerSec: state.intake?.perSec ?? null,
+        free: state.ceiling === undefined ? null : this.input.placer.free(placement)
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   // For the share draw's losers: the database lane tries the region first, then this, then spills.
   // Undefined while no in-region reserve cell has a seat, so the database lane runs as today.
   private regionReserve(
@@ -257,14 +392,15 @@ export class ReserveAssignment {
     region: RelayRegion,
     epochFloor: number,
     seats: readonly ShadowSeat[],
-    now: number
+    now: number,
+    drainedFrom: string | undefined
   ): AssignOptions['regionReserve'] {
     const hasRoom = this.placementCells().some(
       (cell) => this.input.placer.isCandidate(cell, region, now) && this.input.placer.hasSeat(cell)
     )
     if (!hasRoom) return undefined
     return async () => {
-      const placed = await this.placeFresh(identity, region, epochFloor, seats, true)
+      const placed = await this.placeFresh(identity, region, epochFloor, seats, true, false, drainedFrom)
       if (placed) this.summary.regionKept += 1
       return placed
     }
@@ -276,7 +412,8 @@ export class ReserveAssignment {
     identity: Identity,
     region: RelayRegion,
     epochFloor: number,
-    seats: readonly ShadowSeat[]
+    seats: readonly ShadowSeat[],
+    drainedFrom: string | undefined
   ): NonNullable<AssignOptions['reserveSpill']> {
     return async ({ skipOwnRegion, rowEpoch }) => {
       const floor = Math.max(epochFloor, rowEpoch)
@@ -292,7 +429,7 @@ export class ReserveAssignment {
           continue
         }
         try {
-          const placed = await this.placeFresh(identity, target, floor, seats, true, true)
+          const placed = await this.placeFresh(identity, target, floor, seats, true, true, drainedFrom)
           if (placed) {
             this.recordSpill(region, target)
             return placed
@@ -478,7 +615,8 @@ export class ReserveAssignment {
     regionFull = false,
     // The caller counts its own outcome (spill, rehome): no database lane follows it, and a pace
     // may not be the answer.
-    spill = false
+    spill = false,
+    drainedFrom?: string
   ): Promise<RelayAssignment | null> {
     const placements = this.placementCells()
     if (!regionFull && this.random() >= this.input.placer.reservePoolShare(placements, region)) return null
@@ -504,6 +642,7 @@ export class ReserveAssignment {
       this.summary.calls += result.calls
       if (result.kind === 'placed') {
         this.summary.placed += 1
+        this.rememberOwnBooking(identity, result.cellId, result.epoch)
         this.supersede(identity, seats, result.cellId, result.epoch)
         const cell = this.input.cells().find((entry) => entry.cellId === result.cellId)!
         return {
@@ -519,7 +658,7 @@ export class ReserveAssignment {
         if (!spill) {
           this.summary.retries.paced += 1
         }
-        throw new ReservePaceError(result.retryAfterSeconds)
+        throw new ReservePaceError(result.retryAfterSeconds, drainedFrom !== undefined)
       }
       // Database cells in this region take it; a region with none spills as today.
       const hasDatabaseCells = placements.some(
@@ -563,7 +702,7 @@ export class ReserveAssignment {
 
   // The ledger reconcile demoted this host's seat behind (or level with) a row at `epoch`.
   raiseEpochFloor(identity: Identity, epoch: number): void {
-    const key = `${identity.userId}\u0000${identity.relayHostId}`
+    const key = hostKey(identity)
     const current = this.rowFloors.get(key)
     this.rowFloors.delete(key)
     this.rowFloors.set(key, {
@@ -575,8 +714,17 @@ export class ReserveAssignment {
     }
   }
 
+  private rememberOwnBooking(identity: Identity, cellId: string, epoch: number): void {
+    const key = hostKey(identity)
+    this.ownBookings.delete(key)
+    this.ownBookings.set(key, { cellId, epoch })
+    if (this.ownBookings.size > OWN_BOOKINGS_MAX) {
+      this.ownBookings.delete(this.ownBookings.keys().next().value!)
+    }
+  }
+
   private rowFloor(identity: Identity, now: number): number | undefined {
-    const key = `${identity.userId}\u0000${identity.relayHostId}`
+    const key = hostKey(identity)
     const floor = this.rowFloors.get(key)
     if (!floor) return undefined
     if (floor.expiresAt > now) return floor.epoch
@@ -653,6 +801,13 @@ export class ReserveAssignment {
     const now = this.now()
     if (now - this.summaryAt < SUMMARY_INTERVAL_MS) return
     this.summaryAt = now
+    // A drain ends when the cell stops reporting it or restarts; its next drain counts afresh.
+    for (const [cellId, counted] of this.drainCounted) {
+      const state = this.input.directory.cellState(cellId)
+      if (!state || state.draining === false || state.incarnation !== counted.incarnation) {
+        this.drainCounted.delete(cellId)
+      }
+    }
     const { latenciesMs, outcomes, cells } = this.summary.dryRun
     latenciesMs.sort((left, right) => left - right)
     const percentile = (share: number) =>
@@ -701,6 +856,8 @@ type PlacementSummary = {
   calls: number
   database: number
   supersedes: number
+  // Reserve-lane placements of hosts re-asking off a draining cell, keyed by that cell.
+  drainReplaced: Record<string, number>
   outcomes: Record<string, number>
   retries: { mapIncomplete: number; database: number; paced: number }
   dryRun: {
@@ -732,6 +889,7 @@ function emptySummary(): PlacementSummary {
     calls: 0,
     database: 0,
     supersedes: 0,
+    drainReplaced: Object.create(null),
     outcomes: {},
     retries: { mapIncomplete: 0, database: 0, paced: 0 },
     dryRun: { outcomes: {}, latenciesMs: [], cells: Object.create(null) }