diff --git a/compute/worker/src/runtime.ts b/compute/worker/src/runtime.ts
index efd9208..d535543 100644
--- a/compute/worker/src/runtime.ts
+++ b/compute/worker/src/runtime.ts
@@ -753,18 +753,22 @@ export async function createComputeWorkerApp(options: CreateComputeWorkerAppOpti
     orphanRecoveryPromise = (async () => {
       const now = Date.now();
       const states = await operationStateStore.listOpStates!();
-      const stalePdfStates = states.filter((state) => (
-        state.kind === 'pdf_layout'
-        && isInflightStatus(state.status)
-        && (now - state.updatedAt) > opStaleMs
-      ));
+      const stalePdfStates = states.filter((state) => {
+        if (state.kind !== 'pdf_layout' || !isInflightStatus(state.status)) return false;
+        const ageMs = now - state.updatedAt;
+        if (state.status === 'running') {
+          return ageMs > pdfTimeoutMs;
+        }
+        return ageMs > opStaleMs;
+      });
 
       for (const state of stalePdfStates) {
+        const staleAfterMs = state.status === 'running' ? pdfTimeoutMs : opStaleMs;
         await orchestrator.markFailed({
           opId: state.opId,
           error: {
             code: 'WORKER_ORPHANED_OP',
-            message: `Worker stopped before completion; stale operation recovered on startup after ${opStaleMs}ms`,
+            message: `Worker stopped before completion; stale operation recovered on startup after ${staleAfterMs}ms`,
           },
           updatedAt: now,
         });
diff --git a/compute/worker/tests/api/routes.test.ts b/compute/worker/tests/api/routes.test.ts
index 5be0a59..d5d2745 100644
--- a/compute/worker/tests/api/routes.test.ts
+++ b/compute/worker/tests/api/routes.test.ts
@@ -120,36 +120,49 @@ describe('compute worker API routes', () => {
     expect(stream.body).toContain('"status":"succeeded"');
   });
 
-  test('marks stale in-flight pdf ops failed during startup reconciliation', async () => {
+  test('marks stale running pdf ops failed during startup reconciliation but leaves queued ops on the conservative path', async () => {
+    const now = Date.now();
     fake.seedState({
-      opId: 'op-stale',
-      opKey: 'k-stale',
+      opId: 'op-stale-running',
+      opKey: 'k-stale-running',
       kind: 'pdf_layout',
-      jobId: 'job-op-stale',
+      jobId: 'job-op-stale-running',
       status: 'running',
       queuedAt: 1,
-      updatedAt: 1,
+      updatedAt: now - 310_000,
+    });
+    fake.seedState({
+      opId: 'op-stale-queued',
+      opKey: 'k-stale-queued',
+      kind: 'pdf_layout',
+      jobId: 'job-op-stale-queued',
+      status: 'queued',
+      queuedAt: 1,
+      updatedAt: now - 310_000,
     });
 
     const fetch = await runtime.app.inject({
       method: 'GET',
-      url: '/ops/op-stale',
+      url: '/ops/op-stale-running',
       headers: AUTH,
     });
 
     expect(fetch.statusCode).toBe(200);
     expect(fetch.json()).toMatchObject({
-      opId: 'op-stale',
+      opId: 'op-stale-running',
       status: 'failed',
       error: {
         code: 'WORKER_ORPHANED_OP',
       },
     });
-    expect(fake.getState('op-stale')).toMatchObject({
+    expect(fake.getState('op-stale-running')).toMatchObject({
       status: 'failed',
       error: {
         code: 'WORKER_ORPHANED_OP',
       },
     });
+    expect(fake.getState('op-stale-queued')).toMatchObject({
+      status: 'queued',
+    });
   });
 });