diff --git a/agent/context_compressor.py b/agent/context_compressor.py
index b20199620e..3f4b1f3530 100644
--- a/agent/context_compressor.py
+++ b/agent/context_compressor.py
@@ -151,19 +151,24 @@ _SUMMARY_MISSING_CREDENTIAL_MARKERS: tuple[str, ...] = (
     "no api key found",
 )
 
-_HYGIENE_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MARKERS: tuple[str, ...] = (
+_HYGIENE_PREAGENT_ONLY_COOLDOWN_MARKERS: tuple[str, ...] = (
     "session hygiene compression timed out",
+    "hygiene compression deferred: turn-hold budget expired",
 )
 
 
-def _is_hygiene_idle_timeout_error(error: object) -> bool:
-    """Return True when the durable cooldown came from a hygiene watchdog timeout.
+def _is_hygiene_preagent_only_cooldown(error: object) -> bool:
+    """Return True for a cooldown that belongs only to pre-agent hygiene.
 
-    That persist is intentional for the pre-agent hygiene pass (#74136) but
-    must not block the in-conversation compressor (#86972).
+    Hygiene watchdog timeouts and turn-hold deferrals intentionally persist
+    retry spacing for the pre-agent pass (#74136), but neither is evidence of
+    an auxiliary-model failure and neither may block the in-agent compressor
+    (#86972).
     """
     text = str(error or "").strip().casefold()
-    return any(marker in text for marker in _HYGIENE_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MARKERS)
+    return any(
+        marker in text for marker in _HYGIENE_PREAGENT_ONLY_COOLDOWN_MARKERS
+    )
 
 
 def _response_finish_reason(response: Any) -> str:
@@ -2974,11 +2979,11 @@ class ContextCompressor(ContextEngine):
                 self._last_summary_error = None
             return None
 
-        # Hygiene idle-watchdog timeouts persist the same column so the
-        # pre-agent pass can skip (#74136), but they are not evidence of a
-        # 429/aux-model fault. The in-conversation compressor has its own
-        # budget and must still be allowed to run (#86972).
-        if _is_hygiene_idle_timeout_error(state.get("error")):
+        # Hygiene watchdog timeouts and turn-hold deferrals persist the same
+        # column so the pre-agent pass can skip (#74136), but they are not
+        # evidence of a 429/aux-model fault. The in-conversation compressor has
+        # its own budget and must still be allowed to run (#86972).
+        if _is_hygiene_preagent_only_cooldown(state.get("error")):
             # A later hygiene write can overwrite a previous aux-model row
             # on the shared column. Drop any in-memory cooldown so the
             # in-agent compressor is not still blocked after this refresh.
diff --git a/agent/conversation_compression.py b/agent/conversation_compression.py
index 322d874411..12c8304892 100644
--- a/agent/conversation_compression.py
+++ b/agent/conversation_compression.py
@@ -4010,8 +4010,27 @@ def compress_context(
             )
         # Incoming-message interrupts and active-turn redirects must not tear an
         # atomic summary in half (#23975). Explicit stop surfaces set a separate
-        # Event atomically; never infer cause from the racy message fields.
+        # Event atomically; never infer cause from the racy message fields. A
+        # host timeout also cancels the attempt's commit fence. Feed BOTH into
+        # the protected auxiliary-call seam so the compression owner unwinds
+        # promptly while an isolated provider stream finishes or closes in its
+        # daemon worker. Otherwise four timed-out streams retain all four shared
+        # compression-pool slots until the auxiliary stream's longer absolute
+        # ceiling expires.
         _hard_cancel_event = getattr(agent, "_hard_interrupt_requested", None)
+
+        def _compression_cancel_requested() -> bool:
+            return bool(
+                (
+                    _hard_cancel_event is not None
+                    and _hard_cancel_event.is_set()
+                )
+                or (
+                    commit_fence is not None
+                    and commit_fence.is_cancelled
+                )
+            )
+
         try:
             # F6: never start expensive summary work for an already-cancelled
             # fence (a stale queued job admitted after host departure).
@@ -4024,7 +4043,7 @@ def compress_context(
                 compressed = messages
             else:
                 with aux_progress_hook(_progress_hook), aux_interrupt_protection(
-                    cancel_event=_hard_cancel_event
+                    cancel_check=_compression_cancel_requested
                 ):
                     compressed = compress_fn(messages, **compress_kwargs)
                     # Freeze a hard stop that arrived after the final provider
diff --git a/tests/agent/test_compression_worker_isolation_76354.py b/tests/agent/test_compression_worker_isolation_76354.py
index df0c483d70..fe976e5e5b 100644
--- a/tests/agent/test_compression_worker_isolation_76354.py
+++ b/tests/agent/test_compression_worker_isolation_76354.py
@@ -130,6 +130,82 @@ def test_f3_mutating_engine_cannot_touch_live_transcript_after_timeout(
     assert live == baseline
 
 
+def test_host_timeout_releases_pool_slot_while_protected_provider_is_still_blocked(
+    tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch
+) -> None:
+    """Fence timeout must unwind the compression owner, not occupy the pool.
+
+    Protected auxiliary calls isolate their provider stream on a daemon thread.
+    The compression owner must observe its commit-fence cancellation and unwind
+    immediately; otherwise four slow streams consume all four shared compression
+    workers until the auxiliary stream's much longer absolute ceiling expires.
+    """
+    from agent import auxiliary_client as aux
+    from agent import conversation_compression as cc
+
+    deadline = time.time() + 5
+    while time.time() < deadline:
+        with cc._compress_admission_lock:
+            if cc._compress_admitted_count == 0:
+                break
+        time.sleep(0.02)
+    with cc._compress_admission_lock:
+        assert cc._compress_admitted_count == 0
+
+    db = SessionDB(db_path=tmp_path / "state.db")
+    session_id = "F3_PROVIDER_OWNER_RELEASE"
+    db.create_session(session_id, source="cli")
+    agent = _build_agent_with_db(db, session_id)
+    agent._cached_system_prompt = "sys"
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        "agent.conversation_compression.resolve_context_compression_timeouts",
+        lambda cfg=None: (0.05, 0.1),
+    )
+
+    provider_started = threading.Event()
+    release_provider = threading.Event()
+
+    def _blocked_provider(_kwargs):
+        provider_started.set()
+        assert release_provider.wait(timeout=10)
+        return "late-provider-result"
+
+    def _compress_with_protected_provider(msgs, **_kwargs):
+        aux._run_protected_sync_provider_call(_blocked_provider, {})
+        return msgs
+
+    agent.context_compressor.compress.side_effect = _compress_with_protected_provider
+    live = [{"role": "user", "content": f"m{i}"} for i in range(20)]
+
+    try:
+        returned, _sp = agent._compress_context(
+            live, "sys", approx_tokens=120_000
+        )
+        assert returned is live
+        assert provider_started.wait(timeout=1)
+        assert not release_provider.is_set()
+
+        deadline = time.time() + 1
+        while time.time() < deadline:
+            with cc._compress_admission_lock:
+                if cc._compress_admitted_count == 0:
+                    break
+            time.sleep(0.01)
+        with cc._compress_admission_lock:
+            assert cc._compress_admitted_count == 0, (
+                "timed-out compression owner retained its shared pool slot "
+                "while the isolated provider stream was still blocked"
+            )
+    finally:
+        release_provider.set()
+        deadline = time.time() + 5
+        while time.time() < deadline:
+            with cc._compress_admission_lock:
+                if cc._compress_admitted_count == 0:
+                    break
+            time.sleep(0.02)
+
+
 def test_f4_five_step_stale_holder_regression(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     """Reviewer's exact 5-step durable-lease regression (#76354 F4).
 
diff --git a/tests/agent/test_hygiene_timeout_cooldown_isolation.py b/tests/agent/test_hygiene_timeout_cooldown_isolation.py
index e1493bbab5..25c4ffcc74 100644
--- a/tests/agent/test_hygiene_timeout_cooldown_isolation.py
+++ b/tests/agent/test_hygiene_timeout_cooldown_isolation.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-"""Hygiene idle-timeout cooldowns must not block the in-agent compressor."""
+"""Pre-agent hygiene retry spacing must not block in-agent compression."""
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ _HYGIENE_TIMEOUT_ERROR = (
     "session hygiene compression timed out with no output from the summary model"
 )
 
+_HYGIENE_TURNHOLD_ERROR = (
+    "hygiene compression deferred: turn-hold budget expired while the "
+    "summary was still streaming"
+)
+
 
 def _bound_compressor(db: SessionDB, session_id: str) -> ContextCompressor:
     with patch(
@@ -49,6 +54,29 @@ def test_hygiene_idle_timeout_does_not_block_in_agent_compressor(tmp_path: Path)
     db.close()
 
 
+def test_hygiene_turnhold_deferral_does_not_block_in_agent_compressor(
+    tmp_path: Path,
+):
+    db = SessionDB(db_path=tmp_path / "state.db")
+    session_id = "hyg-turnhold-sid"
+    db.create_session(session_id, source="telegram")
+    db.record_compression_failure_cooldown(
+        session_id,
+        time.time() + 300,
+        _HYGIENE_TURNHOLD_ERROR,
+    )
+
+    compressor = _bound_compressor(db, session_id)
+
+    # Hygiene still sees its flat retry-spacing row and avoids respawning a
+    # doomed 15-second turn-hold attempt on every incoming message.
+    assert db.get_compression_failure_cooldown(session_id) is not None
+    # The in-conversation compressor has a separate budget. A healthy hygiene
+    # stream being deferred must not suppress that path for another minute.
+    assert compressor.get_active_compression_failure_cooldown() is None
+    db.close()
+
+
 def test_aux_model_fault_cooldown_still_blocks_in_agent_compressor(tmp_path: Path):
     db = SessionDB(db_path=tmp_path / "state.db")
     session_id = "aux-fault-sid"