diff --git a/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/send.test.ts b/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/send.test.ts
index 66b6ff0c0..6d61f5794 100644
--- a/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/send.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/__tests__/commands/send.test.ts
@@ -401,6 +401,39 @@ describe("send command", () => {
       expect(mockTmux).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith("has-session", "-t", expect.any(String));
     });
 
+    it("fails loudly when lifecycle delivery fails for an AO session", async () => {
+      mockConfigRef.current = makeConfig();
+      mockSessionManager.get.mockResolvedValue({
+        id: "app-1",
+        projectId: "my-app",
+        status: "killed",
+        activity: "exited",
+        branch: null,
+        issueId: null,
+        pr: null,
+        workspacePath: null,
+        runtimeHandle: { id: "tmux-target-1", runtimeName: "tmux", data: {} },
+        agentInfo: null,
+        createdAt: new Date(),
+        lastActivityAt: new Date(),
+        metadata: { agent: "opencode" },
+      });
+      mockSessionManager.send.mockRejectedValue(
+        new Error("Cannot send to session app-1: session is not running (restore timed out)"),
+      );
+
+      await expect(
+        program.parseAsync(["node", "test", "send", "app-1", "hello"]),
+      ).rejects.toThrow("process.exit(1)");
+
+      expect(consoleErrorSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.stringContaining("Cannot send to session app-1: session is not running"),
+      );
+      expect(consoleSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.stringContaining("Message sent and processing"),
+      );
+    });
+
     it("passes file contents through SessionManager.send for AO sessions", async () => {
       mockConfigRef.current = makeConfig();
       mockSessionManager.get.mockResolvedValue({
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/send.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/send.ts
index 661cb199b..94efc1a18 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/send.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/send.ts
@@ -184,8 +184,13 @@ export function registerSend(program: Command): void {
         }
 
         if (existingSession && sessionManager) {
-          await sessionManager.send(session, message);
-          console.log(chalk.green("Message sent and processing"));
+          try {
+            await sessionManager.send(session, message);
+            console.log(chalk.green("Message sent and processing"));
+          } catch (err) {
+            console.error(chalk.red(err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)));
+            process.exit(1);
+          }
           return;
         }
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/__tests__/session-manager/communication.test.ts b/packages/core/src/__tests__/session-manager/communication.test.ts
index b46e9ec63..ef9ae4ab1 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/__tests__/session-manager/communication.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/__tests__/session-manager/communication.test.ts
@@ -86,6 +86,43 @@ describe("send", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("throws when a killed session cannot be restored to a ready state for delivery", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    try {
+      const wsPath = join(tmpDir, "ws-app-1");
+      mkdirSync(wsPath, { recursive: true });
+
+      writeMetadata(sessionsDir, "app-1", {
+        worktree: wsPath,
+        branch: "feat/TEST-1",
+        status: "killed",
+        project: "my-app",
+        issue: "TEST-1",
+        runtimeHandle: JSON.stringify(makeHandle("rt-old")),
+      });
+
+      vi.mocked(mockRuntime.isAlive).mockImplementation(async (handle) => handle.id !== "rt-restored");
+      vi.mocked(mockAgent.isProcessRunning).mockImplementation(
+        async (handle) => handle.id !== "rt-restored",
+      );
+      vi.mocked(mockRuntime.create).mockResolvedValue(makeHandle("rt-restored"));
+      vi.mocked(mockRuntime.getOutput).mockResolvedValue("");
+      vi.mocked(mockAgent.detectActivity).mockReturnValue("idle");
+
+      const sm = createSessionManager({ config, registry: mockRegistry });
+      const sendPromise = sm.send("app-1", "hello");
+      const rejection = expect(sendPromise).rejects.toThrow(
+        "Cannot send to session app-1: session is not running",
+      );
+
+      await vi.runAllTimersAsync();
+      await rejection;
+      expect(mockRuntime.sendMessage).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers();
+    }
+  });
+
   it("waits for spawning sessions to become interactive before considering restore", async () => {
     writeMetadata(sessionsDir, "app-1", {
       worktree: "/tmp",
@@ -137,6 +174,42 @@ describe("send", () => {
     expect(mockRuntime.sendMessage).toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it("resolves on restored session when confirmation never flips (soft success)", async () => {
+    // Regression test: on a restored session (post-#1074 fix), if
+    // sendMessage fires but the confirmation heuristics never flip,
+    // send() must still resolve — otherwise the lifecycle-manager's
+    // dispatch-hash never updates and the message re-sends next poll,
+    // reintroducing the duplicate-message bug that 77685a5 removed.
+    const wsPath = join(tmpDir, "ws-app-1");
+    mkdirSync(wsPath, { recursive: true });
+
+    writeMetadata(sessionsDir, "app-1", {
+      worktree: wsPath,
+      branch: "feat/TEST-1",
+      status: "working",
+      project: "my-app",
+      issue: "TEST-1",
+      runtimeHandle: JSON.stringify(makeHandle("rt-old")),
+    });
+
+    // rt-old is dead → restore kicks in → rt-restored is ready
+    vi.mocked(mockRuntime.isAlive).mockImplementation(async (handle) => handle.id !== "rt-old");
+    vi.mocked(mockAgent.isProcessRunning).mockImplementation(
+      async (handle) => handle.id !== "rt-old",
+    );
+    vi.mocked(mockRuntime.create).mockResolvedValue(makeHandle("rt-restored"));
+    // Steady output — confirmation heuristics will never flip
+    vi.mocked(mockRuntime.getOutput).mockResolvedValue("steady output");
+    vi.mocked(mockAgent.detectActivity).mockReturnValue("idle");
+
+    const sm = createSessionManager({ config, registry: mockRegistry });
+    await expect(sm.send("app-1", "retry after restore")).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+    expect(mockRuntime.sendMessage).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      makeHandle("rt-restored"),
+      "retry after restore",
+    );
+  });
+
   it("throws for nonexistent session", async () => {
     const sm = createSessionManager({ config, registry: mockRegistry });
     await expect(sm.send("nope", "hello")).rejects.toThrow("not found");
diff --git a/packages/core/src/session-manager.ts b/packages/core/src/session-manager.ts
index 43c021331..29a4b20ad 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/session-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/session-manager.ts
@@ -2271,10 +2271,10 @@ export function createSessionManager(deps: SessionManagerDeps): OpenCodeSessionM
       }
     };
 
-    const waitForRestoredSession = async (restoredSession: Session): Promise<void> => {
+    const waitForRestoredSession = async (restoredSession: Session): Promise<boolean> => {
       const handle = restoredSession.runtimeHandle;
       if (!handle) {
-        return;
+        return false;
       }
 
       const deadline = Date.now() + SEND_RESTORE_READY_TIMEOUT_MS;
@@ -2292,11 +2292,11 @@ export function createSessionManager(deps: SessionManagerDeps): OpenCodeSessionM
           foregroundCommand === null || foregroundCommand === agentPlugin.processName;
 
         if (runtimeAlive && foregroundReady && (processRunning || output.trim().length > 0)) {
-          return;
+          return true;
         }
 
         if (Date.now() >= deadline) {
-          return;
+          return false;
         }
 
         await sleep(SEND_RESTORE_READY_POLL_MS);
@@ -2310,7 +2310,10 @@ export function createSessionManager(deps: SessionManagerDeps): OpenCodeSessionM
 
       try {
         const restored = await restore(sessionId);
-        await waitForRestoredSession(restored);
+        const ready = await waitForRestoredSession(restored);
+        if (!ready) {
+          throw new Error("restored session did not become ready for delivery");
+        }
         return restored;
       } catch (err) {
         const detail = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
@@ -2414,7 +2417,8 @@ export function createSessionManager(deps: SessionManagerDeps): OpenCodeSessionM
     try {
       await sendWithConfirmation(prepared);
     } catch (err) {
-      const shouldRetryWithRestore = prepared.restoredAt === undefined && isRestorable(prepared);
+      const shouldRetryWithRestore =
+        prepared.restoredAt === undefined && isRestorable(prepared);
 
       if (!shouldRetryWithRestore) {
         if (err instanceof Error) {