diff --git a/src/praisonai-bot/praisonai_bot/gateway/kanban_dispatcher.py b/src/praisonai-bot/praisonai_bot/gateway/kanban_dispatcher.py
index c2a15b684..0b8d2a71b 100644
--- a/src/praisonai-bot/praisonai_bot/gateway/kanban_dispatcher.py
+++ b/src/praisonai-bot/praisonai_bot/gateway/kanban_dispatcher.py
@@ -199,6 +199,10 @@ class KanbanDispatcher:
         # Clean up completed processes first
         self._cleanup_completed_tasks(store)
 
+        # Prove liveness for our own children before the reclaim sweep runs,
+        # so a healthy long-running worker is never mistaken for a stale one.
+        self._heartbeat_children(store)
+
         # Reclaim stale/crashed claims before dispatching new work so that
         # tasks stranded by dead workers return to 'ready' and get re-dispatched.
         self._reclaim_stale_claims(store)
@@ -221,6 +225,14 @@ class KanbanDispatcher:
         
         spawned = 0
         for task in ready_tasks[:available_slots]:
+            live = self.running_tasks.get(task.id)
+            if live is not None and live.poll() is None:
+                # Never overwrite the handle of a still-running worker.
+                logger.error(
+                    "Task %s is 'ready' but its worker (pid %s) is still running; "
+                    "skipping re-dispatch", task.id, live.pid,
+                )
+                continue
             try:
                 # Try to claim the task atomically with a lease + owner PID.
                 claimed = self._claim_task(store, task)
@@ -394,6 +406,69 @@ class KanbanDispatcher:
                 (pid, datetime.now(timezone.utc).isoformat(), task_id, self.worker_id),
             )
 
+    def _heartbeat_children(self, store: Any):
+        """Renew lease + heartbeat for every child worker that is still alive.
+
+        The spawned worker cannot heartbeat for itself, so the supervisor that
+        holds its ``Popen`` handle does it. If the claim is gone (an operator
+        released or moved the card), the child is terminated rather than left
+        running unowned.
+        """
+        beat = getattr(store, 'heartbeat', None)
+        if beat is None:
+            return
+        for task_id, process in list(self.running_tasks.items()):
+            if process.poll() is not None:
+                continue
+            try:
+                owned = beat(task_id, self.worker_id, ttl_seconds=self.claim_ttl_seconds)
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.debug(f"Heartbeat for task {task_id} failed: {e}")
+                continue
+            if not owned:
+                logger.warning(
+                    f"Lost claim on task {task_id} while worker {process.pid} "
+                    f"was running; terminating it"
+                )
+                self._terminate_unowned(store, task_id, process)
+
+    def _terminate_unowned(self, store: Any, task_id: str, process: subprocess.Popen):
+        """Stop a child whose claim is no longer ours and forget its tracking."""
+        try:
+            process.terminate()
+            process.wait(timeout=5)
+        except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+            process.kill()
+        except OSError as e:
+            logger.error(f"Failed to terminate worker for task {task_id}: {e}")
+        self.running_tasks.pop(task_id, None)
+        entry = getattr(self, '_worktrees', {}).get(task_id)
+        if entry:
+            # Lossless teardown: keep tracking (and say why) if work remains.
+            preserved = self._remove_worktree(*entry)
+            if preserved is None:
+                self._worktrees.pop(task_id, None)
+            else:
+                try:
+                    store.add_comment(
+                        task_id, self.worker_id,
+                        f"worktree_preserved at {entry[0]}: {preserved}",
+                    )
+                except Exception:
+                    pass
+        log_path = getattr(self, '_temp_logs', {}).pop(task_id, None)
+        if log_path:
+            try:
+                os.unlink(log_path)
+            except OSError:
+                pass
+        run_id = self._task_runs.get(task_id)
+        if run_id is None or self._close_run_safe(
+            store, run_id, 'failed',
+            error='Claim lost while worker was running; worker terminated',
+        ):
+            self._task_runs.pop(task_id, None)
+
     def _reclaim_stale_claims(self, store: Any):
         """Sweep running tasks and reclaim those stranded by dead/stale workers."""
         reclaim = getattr(store, 'reclaim_stale_claims', None)
@@ -409,6 +484,11 @@ class KanbanDispatcher:
 
         for task_id in reclaimed or []:
             logger.warning(f"Reclaimed stale kanban task {task_id} back to 'ready'")
+            # The store closed the abandoned run as 'crashed' atomically with
+            # the reclaim; count the attempt so the circuit breaker sees it.
+            self._record_failure_safe(
+                store, task_id, error='Worker died or went stale; claim reclaimed'
+            )
             # The running -> ready transition is announced as
             # KANBAN_TASK_MOVED (reclaimed=True) by the store itself;
             # 'KANBAN_TASK_RECLAIMED' was never a HookEvent member and so
diff --git a/src/praisonai-bot/praisonai_bot/kanban/sqlite_store.py b/src/praisonai-bot/praisonai_bot/kanban/sqlite_store.py
index 3567929d7..0c3210155 100644
--- a/src/praisonai-bot/praisonai_bot/kanban/sqlite_store.py
+++ b/src/praisonai-bot/praisonai_bot/kanban/sqlite_store.py
@@ -1094,7 +1094,8 @@ class SQLiteKanbanStore:
 
         with self._get_connection() as conn:
             cursor = conn.execute("""
-                SELECT id, claim_lock, claim_expires, worker_pid, last_heartbeat_at, version
+                SELECT id, claim_lock, claim_expires, worker_pid, last_heartbeat_at, version,
+                       current_run_id
                 FROM tasks
                 WHERE status = 'running' AND claim_lock IS NOT NULL AND claim_lock != ''
             """)
@@ -1127,7 +1128,7 @@ class SQLiteKanbanStore:
                 result = conn.execute("""
                     UPDATE tasks
                     SET claim_lock = NULL, claim_expires = NULL, worker_pid = NULL,
-                        last_heartbeat_at = NULL,
+                        last_heartbeat_at = NULL, current_run_id = NULL,
                         updated_at = ?, status = 'ready', version = version + 1
                     WHERE id = ? AND status = 'running' AND claim_lock = ?
                           AND version = ?
@@ -1136,6 +1137,20 @@ class SQLiteKanbanStore:
                 if result.rowcount > 0:
                     reclaimed.append(row['id'])
                     reason = 'dead' if not worker_alive else 'stale_heartbeat'
+                    # Close the abandoned attempt in the same transaction, so a
+                    # dispatcher that claims the task next can never have its
+                    # own fresh run mistaken for this one.
+                    if row.get('current_run_id') is not None and conn.execute(
+                            "UPDATE task_runs SET outcome = ?, error = ?, ended_at = ? "
+                            "WHERE id = ? AND ended_at IS NULL",
+                            (RunOutcome.CRASHED.value,
+                             f'Worker {reason}; claim reclaimed',
+                             now.isoformat(), row['current_run_id']),
+                    ).rowcount:
+                        self._log_event(conn, row['id'], 'run_closed', {
+                            'run_id': row['current_run_id'],
+                            'outcome': RunOutcome.CRASHED.value,
+                        })
                     reclaim_details[row['id']] = {
                         'worker_id': row['claim_lock'],
                         'worker_pid': pid,
diff --git a/src/praisonai-bot/tests/unit/gateway/test_kanban_dispatcher_heartbeat.py b/src/praisonai-bot/tests/unit/gateway/test_kanban_dispatcher_heartbeat.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..92e5805d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/praisonai-bot/tests/unit/gateway/test_kanban_dispatcher_heartbeat.py
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+"""Regression tests for #6025: the dispatcher heartbeats its own children.
+
+A healthy worker that outlives the claim lease + stale timeout must not be
+reclaimed and re-dispatched while it is still running.
+"""
+
+import asyncio
+import subprocess
+import sys
+
+import pytest
+
+from praisonai_bot.gateway.kanban_dispatcher import KanbanDispatcher
+from praisonai_bot.kanban.sqlite_store import SQLiteKanbanStore
+
+pytestmark = pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform == "win32", reason="uses sleep stub")
+
+
+class _StubDispatcher(KanbanDispatcher):
+    def __init__(self, store, seconds, **kwargs):
+        super().__init__(**kwargs)
+        self._store = store
+        self._seconds = seconds
+
+    def _get_kanban_store(self):
+        return self._store
+
+    def _build_execution_command(self, task):
+        return [sys.executable, "-c", f"import time; time.sleep({self._seconds})"]
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def store(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("PRAISONAI_KANBAN_DB", str(tmp_path / "kanban.db"))
+    return SQLiteKanbanStore()
+
+
+def _run(coro):
+    return asyncio.run(coro)
+
+
+def test_long_running_worker_is_not_reclaimed(store):
+    store.create_task({"id": "t1", "title": "long job", "status": "ready",
+                       "workspace_kind": "default"})
+    d = _StubDispatcher(store, 5, max_concurrent=3, poll_interval=0.5,
+                        claim_ttl_seconds=1, stale_timeout_seconds=2)
+
+    async def drive():
+        handles = []
+        loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+        t0 = loop.time()
+        while loop.time() - t0 < 4.5:
+            await d.dispatch_once()
+            proc = d.running_tasks.get("t1")
+            if proc is not None and proc not in handles:
+                handles.append(proc)
+            await asyncio.sleep(0.25)
+        return handles
+
+    handles = _run(drive())
+    try:
+        assert len(handles) == 1
+        runs = store.get_runs("t1")
+        assert len(runs) == 1
+        assert runs[0].ended_at is None
+        assert not [e for e in store.list_events()
+                    if e.task_id == "t1" and e.event_type == "reclaimed"]
+
+        handles[0].wait(timeout=10)
+        _run(d.dispatch_once())
+        runs = store.get_runs("t1")
+        assert len(runs) == 1
+        assert runs[0].outcome == "completed"
+        assert store.get_task("t1").status == "done"
+    finally:
+        for p in handles:
+            if p.poll() is None:
+                p.kill()
+
+
+def test_lost_claim_terminates_child(store):
+    store.create_task({"id": "t2", "title": "job", "status": "ready",
+                       "workspace_kind": "default"})
+    d = _StubDispatcher(store, 30, max_concurrent=1, poll_interval=0.5)
+    _run(d.dispatch_once())
+    proc = d.running_tasks["t2"]
+    try:
+        store.release_claim("t2", d.worker_id)  # operator takes the card back
+        d._heartbeat_children(store)
+        assert "t2" not in d.running_tasks
+        assert proc.wait(timeout=10) is not None
+        runs = store.get_runs("t2")
+        assert len(runs) == 1 and runs[0].outcome == "failed"
+    finally:
+        if proc.poll() is None:
+            proc.kill()
+
+
+def test_reclaim_of_dead_worker_closes_run_and_counts_failure(store):
+    store.create_task({"id": "t3", "title": "job", "status": "ready",
+                       "workspace_kind": "default"})
+    # Simulate another dispatcher whose worker has died.
+    assert store.claim_task("t3", "other", ttl_seconds=0, worker_pid=0)
+    run_id = store.start_run("t3", profile="other")
+    d = KanbanDispatcher(claim_ttl_seconds=1, stale_timeout_seconds=1)
+
+    d._reclaim_stale_claims(store)
+
+    run = [r for r in store.get_runs("t3") if r.id == run_id][0]
+    assert run.outcome == "crashed"
+    assert run.ended_at
+    assert store.get_task("t3").consecutive_failures == 1
+
+
+def test_live_handle_is_never_overwritten(store):
+    store.create_task({"id": "t4", "title": "job", "status": "ready",
+                       "workspace_kind": "default"})
+    d = _StubDispatcher(store, 30, max_concurrent=2)
+    proc = subprocess.Popen([sys.executable, "-c", "import time; time.sleep(30)"])
+    d.running_tasks["t4"] = proc
+    d._heartbeat_children = lambda _store: None  # isolate the spawn guard
+    try:
+        assert _run(d.dispatch_once()) == 0
+        assert d.running_tasks["t4"] is proc
+    finally:
+        proc.kill()
+        proc.wait()
+
+
+def test_reclaim_closes_run_atomically_so_replacement_run_survives(store):
+    store.create_task({"id": "t5", "title": "job", "status": "ready",
+                       "workspace_kind": "default"})
+    assert store.claim_task("t5", "other", ttl_seconds=0, worker_pid=0)
+    old_run = store.start_run("t5", profile="other")
+
+    assert store.reclaim_stale_claims(stale_timeout_seconds=1) == ["t5"]
+    assert store.get_task("t5").current_run_id is None
+    assert any(e.event_type == "run_closed" and e.task_id == "t5"
+               for e in store.list_events())
+
+    # Another dispatcher wins the reclaimed task before ours reacts.
+    assert store.claim_task("t5", "rival", ttl_seconds=60)
+    new_run = store.start_run("t5", profile="rival")
+    KanbanDispatcher()._reclaim_stale_claims(store)
+
+    runs = {r.id: r for r in store.get_runs("t5")}
+    assert runs[old_run].outcome == "crashed"
+    assert runs[new_run].ended_at is None
+
+
+def test_lost_claim_keeps_worktree_tracking_when_work_is_preserved(store):
+    store.create_task({"id": "t6", "title": "job", "status": "ready",
+                       "workspace_kind": "default"})
+    d = _StubDispatcher(store, 30, max_concurrent=1)
+    _run(d.dispatch_once())
+    proc = d.running_tasks["t6"]
+    d._worktrees = {"t6": ("/tmp/wt-t6", "kanban/t6")}
+    d._remove_worktree = lambda path, branch: "worktree has uncommitted changes"
+    try:
+        store.release_claim("t6", d.worker_id)
+        d._heartbeat_children(store)
+        assert "t6" not in d.running_tasks
+        assert d._worktrees == {"t6": ("/tmp/wt-t6", "kanban/t6")}
+        assert any("worktree_preserved" in c.text for c in store.get_comments("t6"))
+    finally:
+        if proc.poll() is None:
+            proc.kill()