diff --git a/backend/.sqlx/query-07168aaf14cb6beff0ad4274b441f7f387f5055c47f493271d26731336257384.json b/backend/.sqlx/query-07168aaf14cb6beff0ad4274b441f7f387f5055c47f493271d26731336257384.json
index d29a18c691..e7ed0aee65 100644
--- a/backend/.sqlx/query-07168aaf14cb6beff0ad4274b441f7f387f5055c47f493271d26731336257384.json
+++ b/backend/.sqlx/query-07168aaf14cb6beff0ad4274b441f7f387f5055c47f493271d26731336257384.json
@@ -46,11 +46,11 @@
       ]
     },
     "nullable": [
-      true,
-      true,
-      true,
-      true,
-      true,
+      false,
+      false,
+      false,
+      false,
+      false,
       true,
       true
     ]
diff --git a/backend/.sqlx/query-306e0156ee1541710c1c6512ecb4f61baeb3ae6f31ba3fd57a3ec485108a7f49.json b/backend/.sqlx/query-306e0156ee1541710c1c6512ecb4f61baeb3ae6f31ba3fd57a3ec485108a7f49.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 1e05f032f0..0000000000
--- a/backend/.sqlx/query-306e0156ee1541710c1c6512ecb4f61baeb3ae6f31ba3fd57a3ec485108a7f49.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "db_name": "PostgreSQL",
-  "query": "DELETE FROM v2_job_completed\n         WHERE id IN (\n             SELECT id FROM v2_job_completed\n             WHERE completed_at <= now() - ($1::bigint::text || ' s')::interval\n             ORDER BY completed_at ASC\n             LIMIT $2\n             FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKED\n         )\n         RETURNING id",
-  "describe": {
-    "columns": [
-      {
-        "ordinal": 0,
-        "name": "id",
-        "type_info": "Uuid"
-      }
-    ],
-    "parameters": {
-      "Left": [
-        "Int8",
-        "Int8"
-      ]
-    },
-    "nullable": [
-      false
-    ]
-  },
-  "hash": "306e0156ee1541710c1c6512ecb4f61baeb3ae6f31ba3fd57a3ec485108a7f49"
-}
diff --git a/backend/.sqlx/query-45997fcb4d9d62c7f7011966bf59bdb86e12ce1d0c8e925e738d2645121a5c1f.json b/backend/.sqlx/query-45997fcb4d9d62c7f7011966bf59bdb86e12ce1d0c8e925e738d2645121a5c1f.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f63afbc986
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/.sqlx/query-45997fcb4d9d62c7f7011966bf59bdb86e12ce1d0c8e925e738d2645121a5c1f.json
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+{
+  "db_name": "PostgreSQL",
+  "query": "DELETE FROM v2_job_completed\n         WHERE id IN (\n             SELECT jc.id FROM v2_job_completed jc\n             LEFT JOIN v2_job j ON j.id = jc.id\n             WHERE jc.completed_at <= now() - ($1::bigint::text || ' s')::interval\n               AND COALESCE(j.root_job, j.flow_innermost_root_job, jc.id) != ALL($3)\n             ORDER BY jc.completed_at ASC\n             LIMIT $2\n             FOR UPDATE OF jc SKIP LOCKED\n         )\n         RETURNING id",
+  "describe": {
+    "columns": [
+      {
+        "ordinal": 0,
+        "name": "id",
+        "type_info": "Uuid"
+      }
+    ],
+    "parameters": {
+      "Left": [
+        "Int8",
+        "Int8",
+        "UuidArray"
+      ]
+    },
+    "nullable": [
+      false
+    ]
+  },
+  "hash": "45997fcb4d9d62c7f7011966bf59bdb86e12ce1d0c8e925e738d2645121a5c1f"
+}
diff --git a/backend/.sqlx/query-5a219a2532517869578c4504ff3153c43903f929ae5d62fbba12610f89c36d55.json b/backend/.sqlx/query-5a219a2532517869578c4504ff3153c43903f929ae5d62fbba12610f89c36d55.json
index 713ccb9dd3..36ddb8ab9f 100644
--- a/backend/.sqlx/query-5a219a2532517869578c4504ff3153c43903f929ae5d62fbba12610f89c36d55.json
+++ b/backend/.sqlx/query-5a219a2532517869578c4504ff3153c43903f929ae5d62fbba12610f89c36d55.json
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
       ]
     },
     "nullable": [
-      null
+      true
     ]
   },
   "hash": "5a219a2532517869578c4504ff3153c43903f929ae5d62fbba12610f89c36d55"
diff --git a/backend/.sqlx/query-c01a94ec75990c8fb4068485c91211af295a1d2630861bf53a33966abc4562ec.json b/backend/.sqlx/query-c01a94ec75990c8fb4068485c91211af295a1d2630861bf53a33966abc4562ec.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6e190acda3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/.sqlx/query-c01a94ec75990c8fb4068485c91211af295a1d2630861bf53a33966abc4562ec.json
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{
+  "db_name": "PostgreSQL",
+  "query": "SELECT q.id FROM v2_job_queue q\n         JOIN v2_job j ON j.id = q.id\n         WHERE j.parent_job IS NULL\n           AND j.created_at <= now() - ($1::bigint::text || ' s')::interval",
+  "describe": {
+    "columns": [
+      {
+        "ordinal": 0,
+        "name": "id",
+        "type_info": "Uuid"
+      }
+    ],
+    "parameters": {
+      "Left": [
+        "Int8"
+      ]
+    },
+    "nullable": [
+      false
+    ]
+  },
+  "hash": "c01a94ec75990c8fb4068485c91211af295a1d2630861bf53a33966abc4562ec"
+}
diff --git a/backend/src/monitor.rs b/backend/src/monitor.rs
index adc00a9098..3e4e7dce92 100644
--- a/backend/src/monitor.rs
+++ b/backend/src/monitor.rs
@@ -1059,20 +1059,36 @@ async fn delete_expired_jobs_batch(
 ) -> error::Result<usize> {
     let mut tx = db.begin().await?;
 
+    // Fetch active ROOT job IDs that started before the retention period. We only care about
+    // these because their child jobs could be old enough to be deletion candidates.
+    // Jobs started after the retention period can't have children old enough to delete.
+    let active_root_job_ids: Vec<Uuid> = sqlx::query_scalar!(
+        "SELECT q.id FROM v2_job_queue q
+         JOIN v2_job j ON j.id = q.id
+         WHERE j.parent_job IS NULL
+           AND j.created_at <= now() - ($1::bigint::text || ' s')::interval",
+        job_retention_secs
+    )
+    .fetch_all(&mut *tx)
+    .await?;
+
     // Use FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKED to avoid contention between replicas
     // ORDER BY completed_at ensures we delete oldest jobs first
     let deleted_jobs: Vec<Uuid> = sqlx::query_scalar!(
         "DELETE FROM v2_job_completed
          WHERE id IN (
-             SELECT id FROM v2_job_completed
-             WHERE completed_at <= now() - ($1::bigint::text || ' s')::interval
-             ORDER BY completed_at ASC
+             SELECT jc.id FROM v2_job_completed jc
+             LEFT JOIN v2_job j ON j.id = jc.id
+             WHERE jc.completed_at <= now() - ($1::bigint::text || ' s')::interval
+               AND COALESCE(j.root_job, j.flow_innermost_root_job, jc.id) != ALL($3)
+             ORDER BY jc.completed_at ASC
              LIMIT $2
-             FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKED
+             FOR UPDATE OF jc SKIP LOCKED
          )
          RETURNING id",
         job_retention_secs,
-        batch_size
+        batch_size,
+        &active_root_job_ids
     )
     .fetch_all(&mut *tx)
     .await?;