diff --git a/gateway/relay/ws_transport.py b/gateway/relay/ws_transport.py
index e4924992c5..ae25006e9d 100644
--- a/gateway/relay/ws_transport.py
+++ b/gateway/relay/ws_transport.py
@@ -822,13 +822,20 @@ class WebSocketRelayTransport:
         await self._ws.send(json.dumps(frame) + "\n")
 
     async def _read_loop(self) -> None:
-        assert self._ws is not None
         # Bind the socket this reader serves: the finally below must only
         # clear _ws if it still points at THIS socket (a supervisor re-dial
         # may have already installed a fresh one by the time we unwind).
         ws = self._ws
         buf = ""
         try:
+            if ws is None:
+                # Scheduled without a socket (a lifecycle bug, not a normal
+                # path). The old `assert` here escaped BEFORE the finally
+                # existed to fail pending futures — the one exit that could
+                # still strand waiters for the full outbound timeout. Fall
+                # through to the finally instead; it settles them all.
+                logger.error("relay ws read loop started with no socket")
+                return
             try:
                 async for chunk in self._ws:
                     buf += chunk if isinstance(chunk, str) else chunk.decode("utf-8")
diff --git a/tests/gateway/relay/test_ws_transport_hardening.py b/tests/gateway/relay/test_ws_transport_hardening.py
index 88e5b151e1..4ead24a829 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/relay/test_ws_transport_hardening.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/relay/test_ws_transport_hardening.py
@@ -263,6 +263,24 @@ async def _run_reader_to_exit(t: WebSocketRelayTransport, fake: _DroppingWS) ->
     await t._reader
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_read_loop_without_socket_still_fails_pending():
+    """If the reader is ever scheduled with no socket (lifecycle bug), it must
+    still settle in-flight waiters on its way out — the old `assert` escaped
+    before the fail-pending cleanup and left them to the full 30s timeout."""
+    t = WebSocketRelayTransport("ws://unused", "discord", "bot1", outbound_timeout_s=30.0)
+    loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+    fut: asyncio.Future = loop.create_future()
+    t._pending["rid"] = fut
+    t._ws = None
+
+    await t._read_loop()  # must not raise
+
+    assert fut.done()
+    assert fut.result() == {"success": False, "error": "relay transport connection lost"}
+    assert t._pending == {}
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_send_after_terminal_4401_revocation_fails_fast():
     """A terminal 4401 revocation deliberately arms NO reconnect supervisor,