diff --git a/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py b/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
index c30772e061..579084c1a8 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
@@ -2653,15 +2653,23 @@ def complete_task(
             return False
         if acceptance is not None and not record_acceptance(conn, task_id, acceptance):
             return False
-        trow = conn.execute("SELECT status, claim_lock FROM tasks WHERE id = ?", (task_id,)).fetchone()
+        trow = conn.execute(
+            "SELECT status, claim_lock, worker_pid, worker_started_at FROM tasks WHERE id = ?",
+            (task_id,),
+        ).fetchone()
         prior_status = trow["status"] if trow else None
-        # Refuse to close a live worker's run without proof of ownership
-        # (expected_run_id) or an explicit human override (force=True).
+        # Refuse to close a LIVE worker's run without proof of ownership
+        # (expected_run_id) or an explicit human override (force=True). "Live"
+        # means the spawned worker process still exists: a claim whose worker
+        # is gone (or a library claim that never spawned one) has no run to
+        # protect, so manual completion keeps working there.
         if (
             expected_run_id is None
             and not force
             and prior_status == "running"
             and trow["claim_lock"] is not None
+            and trow["worker_pid"]
+            and _worker_alive(trow["worker_pid"], trow["worker_started_at"])
         ):
             raise LiveClaimError(task_id)
         sql = """
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_complete_live_claim_guard.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_complete_live_claim_guard.py
index 471d482c65..ef8224e77f 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_complete_live_claim_guard.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_complete_live_claim_guard.py
@@ -10,11 +10,13 @@ row while that worker kept executing. The guard mirrors ``request_review``'s: a
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import os
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
 
 from hermes_cli import kanban_db as kb
+from hermes_cli import kanban_db_dispatch as kbd
 from hermes_cli import kanban_db_connect as kbc
 
 
@@ -31,9 +33,12 @@ def conn(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
         yield c
 
 
-def _claimed_running_task(conn) -> tuple[str, int]:
+def _claimed_running_task(conn, *, live_worker: bool = True) -> tuple[str, int]:
     tid = kb.create_task(conn, title="live", assignee="coder")
     assert kb.claim_task(conn, tid, claimer=kb._claimer_id()) is not None
+    if live_worker:
+        # This process stands in for the spawned worker: alive, fingerprinted.
+        kbd._set_worker_pid(conn, tid, os.getpid())
     return tid, kb._current_run_id(conn, tid)
 
 
@@ -56,6 +61,15 @@ def test_claimless_complete_refuses_live_run_until_forced(conn):
     assert run["ended_at"] is not None and run["outcome"] == "completed"
 
 
+def test_claimless_complete_of_claim_without_live_worker_unchanged(conn):
+    """A claim whose worker never spawned (or is gone) protects no live run: the
+    library / CLI flow that claims and then completes keeps working."""
+    tid, run_id = _claimed_running_task(conn, live_worker=False)
+    assert kb.complete_task(conn, tid, result="done") is True
+    run = conn.execute("SELECT ended_at FROM task_runs WHERE id = ?", (run_id,)).fetchone()
+    assert run["ended_at"] is not None
+
+
 def test_claimless_complete_of_unclaimed_card_unchanged(conn):
     """The legitimate manual flow — completing a card nobody is working on — needs no proof."""
     tid = kb.create_task(conn, title="admin", assignee="coder")