diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto-loop.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto-loop.ts
index a938419c8..43f221ef5 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto-loop.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto-loop.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
  */
 
 export { autoLoop } from "./auto/loop.js";
-export { resolveAgentEnd, isSessionSwitchInFlight, _resetPendingResolve, _setActiveSession } from "./auto/resolve.js";
+export { resolveAgentEnd, resolveAgentEndCancelled, isSessionSwitchInFlight, _resetPendingResolve, _setActiveSession } from "./auto/resolve.js";
 export { detectStuck } from "./auto/detect-stuck.js";
 export { runUnit } from "./auto/run-unit.js";
 export type { LoopDeps } from "./auto/loop-deps.js";
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto-timers.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto-timers.ts
index 32b2101e5..f69eb4d01 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto-timers.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto-timers.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { detectWorkingTreeActivity } from "./auto-supervisor.js";
 import { closeoutUnit, type CloseoutOptions } from "./auto-unit-closeout.js";
 import { saveActivityLog } from "./activity-log.js";
 import { recoverTimedOutUnit, type RecoveryContext } from "./auto-timeout-recovery.js";
+import { resolveAgentEndCancelled } from "./auto/resolve.js";
 import type { AutoSession } from "./auto/session.js";
 
 export interface SupervisionContext {
@@ -129,6 +130,8 @@ export function startUnitSupervision(sctx: SupervisionContext): void {
     } catch (err) {
       const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
       console.error(`[idle-watchdog] Unhandled error: ${message}`);
+      // Unblock any pending unit promise so the auto-loop is not orphaned.
+      resolveAgentEndCancelled();
       try {
         ctx.ui.notify(`Idle watchdog error: ${message}`, "warning");
       } catch { /* best effort */ }
@@ -161,6 +164,8 @@ export function startUnitSupervision(sctx: SupervisionContext): void {
     } catch (err) {
       const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
       console.error(`[hard-timeout] Unhandled error: ${message}`);
+      // Unblock any pending unit promise so the auto-loop is not orphaned.
+      resolveAgentEndCancelled();
       try {
         ctx.ui.notify(`Hard timeout error: ${message}`, "warning");
       } catch { /* best effort */ }
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto.ts
index ac5bd5241..58a900f7f 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto.ts
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ import {
   postUnitPostVerification,
 } from "./auto-post-unit.js";
 import { bootstrapAutoSession, type BootstrapDeps } from "./auto-start.js";
-import { autoLoop, resolveAgentEnd, isSessionSwitchInFlight, type LoopDeps } from "./auto-loop.js";
+import { autoLoop, resolveAgentEnd, resolveAgentEndCancelled, isSessionSwitchInFlight, type LoopDeps } from "./auto-loop.js";
 import {
   WorktreeResolver,
   type WorktreeResolverDeps,
@@ -719,6 +719,8 @@ export async function pauseAuto(
 ): Promise<void> {
   if (!s.active) return;
   clearUnitTimeout();
+  // Unblock any pending unit promise so the auto-loop is not orphaned.
+  resolveAgentEndCancelled();
 
   s.pausedSessionFile = ctx?.sessionManager?.getSessionFile() ?? null;
 
@@ -1133,7 +1135,11 @@ export async function handleAgentEnd(
   ctx: ExtensionContext,
   pi: ExtensionAPI,
 ): Promise<void> {
-  if (!s.active || !s.cmdCtx) return;
+  if (!s.active || !s.cmdCtx) {
+    // Even when inactive, resolve any pending promise so the loop is unblocked.
+    resolveAgentEndCancelled();
+    return;
+  }
   clearUnitTimeout();
   resolveAgentEnd({ messages: [] });
 }
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto/resolve.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto/resolve.ts
index af9a21fc8..0eb3ef751 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto/resolve.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto/resolve.ts
@@ -68,6 +68,24 @@ export function isSessionSwitchInFlight(): boolean {
   return _sessionSwitchInFlight;
 }
 
+// ─── resolveAgentEndCancelled ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+/**
+ * Force-resolve the pending unit promise with { status: "cancelled" }.
+ *
+ * Used by pauseAuto, handleAgentEnd early-return, and supervision catch
+ * blocks to ensure the autoLoop is never stuck awaiting a promise that
+ * will never resolve. Safe to call when no resolver is pending (no-op).
+ */
+export function resolveAgentEndCancelled(): void {
+  if (_currentResolve) {
+    debugLog("resolveAgentEndCancelled", { status: "resolving-cancelled" });
+    const r = _currentResolve;
+    _currentResolve = null;
+    r({ status: "cancelled" });
+  }
+}
+
 // ─── resetPendingResolve (test helper) ───────────────────────────────────────
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/agent-end-retry.test.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/agent-end-retry.test.ts
index 305bbf79b..6db2f9d36 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/agent-end-retry.test.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/agent-end-retry.test.ts
@@ -81,3 +81,63 @@ test("handleAgentEnd is a thin compatibility wrapper", () => {
     "handleAgentEnd must not dispatch recursively",
   );
 });
+
+test("handleAgentEnd early return calls resolveAgentEndCancelled", () => {
+  const source = getAutoTsSource();
+  const fnIdx = source.indexOf("export async function handleAgentEnd");
+  assert.ok(fnIdx > -1, "handleAgentEnd must exist in auto.ts");
+  const fnBlock = source.slice(fnIdx, source.indexOf("\n// ─── ", fnIdx + 100));
+
+  assert.ok(
+    fnBlock.includes("resolveAgentEndCancelled()"),
+    "handleAgentEnd must call resolveAgentEndCancelled on early return to prevent orphaned promises",
+  );
+});
+
+test("pauseAuto calls resolveAgentEndCancelled to unblock the loop", () => {
+  const source = getAutoTsSource();
+  const fnIdx = source.indexOf("export async function pauseAuto");
+  assert.ok(fnIdx > -1, "pauseAuto must exist in auto.ts");
+  // Extract the function body (up to the next export or top-level function)
+  const fnBlock = source.slice(fnIdx, source.indexOf("\n/**\n * Build", fnIdx + 100));
+
+  assert.ok(
+    fnBlock.includes("resolveAgentEndCancelled()"),
+    "pauseAuto must call resolveAgentEndCancelled to unblock the auto-loop promise",
+  );
+});
+
+test("auto-timers.ts idle watchdog catch calls resolveAgentEndCancelled", () => {
+  const TIMERS_PATH = join(__dirname, "..", "auto-timers.ts");
+  const source = readFileSync(TIMERS_PATH, "utf-8");
+
+  const idleCatchIdx = source.indexOf("[idle-watchdog] Unhandled error");
+  assert.ok(idleCatchIdx > -1, "idle watchdog catch block must exist");
+  // Check that resolveAgentEndCancelled is called near this catch
+  const catchRegion = source.slice(Math.max(0, idleCatchIdx - 200), idleCatchIdx + 200);
+  assert.ok(
+    catchRegion.includes("resolveAgentEndCancelled()"),
+    "idle watchdog catch block must call resolveAgentEndCancelled",
+  );
+});
+
+test("auto-timers.ts hard timeout catch calls resolveAgentEndCancelled", () => {
+  const TIMERS_PATH = join(__dirname, "..", "auto-timers.ts");
+  const source = readFileSync(TIMERS_PATH, "utf-8");
+
+  const hardCatchIdx = source.indexOf("[hard-timeout] Unhandled error");
+  assert.ok(hardCatchIdx > -1, "hard timeout catch block must exist");
+  const catchRegion = source.slice(Math.max(0, hardCatchIdx - 200), hardCatchIdx + 200);
+  assert.ok(
+    catchRegion.includes("resolveAgentEndCancelled()"),
+    "hard timeout catch block must call resolveAgentEndCancelled",
+  );
+});
+
+test("resolveAgentEndCancelled is exported from auto/resolve.ts", () => {
+  const source = getAutoResolveTsSource();
+  assert.ok(
+    source.includes("export function resolveAgentEndCancelled"),
+    "auto/resolve.ts must export resolveAgentEndCancelled",
+  );
+});
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/auto-loop.test.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/auto-loop.test.ts
index c61730950..ec10833cf 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/auto-loop.test.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/auto-loop.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { resolve } from "node:path";
 
 import {
   resolveAgentEnd,
+  resolveAgentEndCancelled,
   runUnit,
   autoLoop,
   detectStuck,
@@ -1714,3 +1715,50 @@ test("autoLoop lifecycle: advances through research → plan → execute → ver
     "dispatched unit types should follow the full lifecycle sequence",
   );
 });
+
+// ─── resolveAgentEndCancelled tests ──────────────────────────────────────────
+
+test("resolveAgentEndCancelled resolves a pending promise with cancelled status", async () => {
+  _resetPendingResolve();
+
+  const ctx = makeMockCtx();
+  const pi = makeMockPi();
+  const s = makeMockSession();
+
+  const resultPromise = runUnit(ctx, pi, s, "task", "T01", "prompt");
+
+  await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 10));
+
+  resolveAgentEndCancelled();
+
+  const result = await resultPromise;
+  assert.equal(result.status, "cancelled");
+  assert.equal(result.event, undefined);
+});
+
+test("resolveAgentEndCancelled is a no-op when no promise is pending", () => {
+  _resetPendingResolve();
+
+  assert.doesNotThrow(() => {
+    resolveAgentEndCancelled();
+  });
+});
+
+test("resolveAgentEndCancelled prevents orphaned promise after abort path", async () => {
+  _resetPendingResolve();
+
+  const ctx = makeMockCtx();
+  const pi = makeMockPi();
+  const s = makeMockSession();
+
+  const resultPromise = runUnit(ctx, pi, s, "task", "T01", "prompt");
+
+  await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 10));
+
+  // Simulate abort: deactivate session then cancel
+  s.active = false;
+  resolveAgentEndCancelled();
+
+  const result = await resultPromise;
+  assert.equal(result.status, "cancelled");
+});