diff --git a/packages/core/src/__tests__/store.test.ts b/packages/core/src/__tests__/store.test.ts
index cbbf9accd..257fa4740 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/__tests__/store.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/__tests__/store.test.ts
@@ -4917,8 +4917,11 @@ Task with acceptance criteria
         const task = await createTestTask();
 
         await store.appendAgentLog(task.id, "to be cascaded", "text");
-        // deleteTask should flush first, then cascade-delete the entry
+        // Prove flush happens before delete
+        const flushSpy = vi.spyOn(store as any, "flushAgentLogBuffer");
         await store.deleteTask(task.id);
+        expect(flushSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
+        flushSpy.mockRestore();
 
         const after = (store as any).db.prepare(
           "SELECT COUNT(*) as count FROM agentLogEntries WHERE taskId = ?",
diff --git a/packages/core/src/db.ts b/packages/core/src/db.ts
index 909bea7f9..73d69f6d1 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/db.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/db.ts
@@ -924,17 +924,30 @@ export class Database {
           this.corruptionDetected = false;
           console.warn(`[fusion:db] Database recovered via WAL checkpoint: ${this.dbPath}`);
         } else {
+          const recheckMsg = ("errors" in recheck && Array.isArray(recheck.errors))
+            ? recheck.errors.slice(0, 3).join(" | ")
+            : "unknown";
           console.error(
             `[fusion:db] Database is corrupted and could not be auto-recovered. ` +
             `Run: sqlite3 ${this.dbPath} ".recover" | sqlite3 ${this.dbPath}.recovered`,
           );
+          throw new Error(
+            `[fusion:db] Refusing to initialize corrupted database at ${this.dbPath}. Integrity errors: ${recheckMsg}`,
+          );
         }
       } catch (err) {
+        // Re-throw our own abort error; wrap others
+        if (err instanceof Error && err.message.startsWith("[fusion:db] Refusing")) {
+          throw err;
+        }
         const errMsg = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
         console.error(
           `[fusion:db] Database corruption detected for ${this.dbPath} and checkpoint recovery failed: ${errMsg}. ` +
           "Manual recovery required.",
         );
+        throw new Error(
+          `[fusion:db] Refusing to initialize corrupted database at ${this.dbPath}. Recovery error: ${errMsg}`,
+        );
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/store.ts b/packages/core/src/store.ts
index 7e82fa586..b23646e06 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/store.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/store.ts
@@ -4741,13 +4741,15 @@ export class TaskStore extends EventEmitter<TaskStoreEvents> {
     const batch = this.agentLogBuffer.slice();
     const flushCount = batch.length;
 
+    let validEntries = batch;
+    let flushSucceeded = false;
     try {
       // Filter out entries for deleted tasks to prevent FK violations
       // from poisoning the entire buffer.
       const liveTaskIds = new Set(
         (this.db.prepare("SELECT id FROM tasks").all() as Array<{ id: string }>).map((r) => r.id),
       );
-      const validEntries = batch.filter((e) => liveTaskIds.has(e.taskId));
+      validEntries = batch.filter((e) => liveTaskIds.has(e.taskId));
       const dropped = batch.length - validEntries.length;
       if (dropped > 0) {
         console.warn(
@@ -4767,10 +4769,15 @@ export class TaskStore extends EventEmitter<TaskStoreEvents> {
           this.db.bumpLastModified();
         });
       }
+      flushSucceeded = true;
     } finally {
-      // Always drain the flushed slice so a failed transaction doesn't
-      // cause the same entries to block every future flush.
+      // Always drain the original slice from the buffer.
       this.agentLogBuffer.splice(0, flushCount);
+      // On transient failures (busy/IO), requeue valid entries for retry.
+      // Stale rows were already filtered out above.
+      if (!flushSucceeded && validEntries.length > 0) {
+        this.agentLogBuffer.unshift(...validEntries);
+      }
     }
   }