diff --git a/src/a2a/server/tasks/task_updater.py b/src/a2a/server/tasks/task_updater.py
index 8298920da..77f7a0009 100644
--- a/src/a2a/server/tasks/task_updater.py
+++ b/src/a2a/server/tasks/task_updater.py
@@ -84,8 +84,6 @@ async def update_status(
                 raise RuntimeError(
                     f'Task {self.task_id} is already in a terminal state.'
                 )
-            if state in self._terminal_states:
-                self._terminal_state_reached = True
 
             # Create proto timestamp from datetime
             ts = Timestamp()
@@ -101,14 +99,15 @@ async def update_status(
                 status.message.CopyFrom(message)
             status.timestamp.CopyFrom(ts)
 
-            await self.event_queue.enqueue_event(
-                TaskStatusUpdateEvent(
-                    task_id=self.task_id,
-                    context_id=self.context_id,
-                    metadata=metadata,
-                    status=status,
-                )
+            event = TaskStatusUpdateEvent(
+                task_id=self.task_id,
+                context_id=self.context_id,
+                metadata=metadata,
+                status=status,
             )
+            if state in self._terminal_states:
+                self._terminal_state_reached = True
+            await self.event_queue.enqueue_event(event)
 
     async def add_artifact(  # noqa: PLR0913
         self,
diff --git a/tests/server/request_handlers/test_default_request_handler_v2.py b/tests/server/request_handlers/test_default_request_handler_v2.py
index 3ac14862e..a57be1fa0 100644
--- a/tests/server/request_handlers/test_default_request_handler_v2.py
+++ b/tests/server/request_handlers/test_default_request_handler_v2.py
@@ -129,6 +129,66 @@ def create_server_call_context() -> ServerCallContext:
     return ServerCallContext(user=UnauthenticatedUser())
 
 
+class _StatusValidationRecoveryAgent(AgentExecutor):
+    async def execute(
+        self, context: RequestContext, event_queue: EventQueue
+    ) -> None:
+        assert context.message is not None
+        await event_queue.enqueue_event(
+            new_task_from_user_message(context.message)
+        )
+        updater = TaskUpdater(
+            event_queue,
+            str(context.task_id or ''),
+            str(context.context_id or ''),
+        )
+        await updater.start_work()
+        try:
+            await updater.update_status(
+                TaskState.TASK_STATE_COMPLETED,
+                timestamp='not-a-timestamp',
+            )
+        except ValueError:
+            await updater.failed()
+
+    async def cancel(
+        self, context: RequestContext, event_queue: EventQueue
+    ) -> None:
+        pass
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_status_validation_failure_returns_failed_task() -> None:
+    store = InMemoryTaskStore()
+    handler = DefaultRequestHandlerV2(
+        agent_executor=_StatusValidationRecoveryAgent(),
+        task_store=store,
+        agent_card=create_default_agent_card(),
+    )
+    context = create_server_call_context()
+    try:
+        result = await asyncio.wait_for(
+            handler.on_message_send(
+                SendMessageRequest(
+                    message=Message(
+                        role=Role.ROLE_USER,
+                        message_id='validation-recovery',
+                        parts=[Part(text='test status recovery')],
+                    )
+                ),
+                context,
+            ),
+            timeout=5,
+        )
+        assert isinstance(result, Task)
+        assert result.status.state == TaskState.TASK_STATE_FAILED
+        stored = await store.get(result.id, context)
+        assert stored is not None
+        assert stored.status.state == TaskState.TASK_STATE_FAILED
+    finally:
+        await handler.aclose()
+
+
 def test_init_default_dependencies():
     """Test that default dependencies are created if not provided."""
     agent_executor = MockAgentExecutor()
diff --git a/tests/server/tasks/test_task_updater.py b/tests/server/tasks/test_task_updater.py
index 49d9dee43..4756ee087 100644
--- a/tests/server/tasks/test_task_updater.py
+++ b/tests/server/tasks/test_task_updater.py
@@ -115,6 +115,47 @@ async def test_update_status_final(
     assert event.status.state == TaskState.TASK_STATE_COMPLETED
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    'state',
+    [
+        TaskState.TASK_STATE_COMPLETED,
+        TaskState.TASK_STATE_CANCELED,
+        TaskState.TASK_STATE_FAILED,
+        TaskState.TASK_STATE_REJECTED,
+    ],
+)
+async def test_timestamp_validation_failure_allows_terminal_retry(
+    task_updater: TaskUpdater, event_queue: AsyncMock, state: TaskState
+) -> None:
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        await task_updater.update_status(state, timestamp='not-a-timestamp')
+
+    event_queue.enqueue_event.assert_not_awaited()
+    await task_updater.failed()
+
+    event_queue.enqueue_event.assert_awaited_once()
+    event = event_queue.enqueue_event.call_args.args[0]
+    assert event.status.state == TaskState.TASK_STATE_FAILED
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_metadata_validation_failure_allows_terminal_retry(
+    task_updater: TaskUpdater, event_queue: AsyncMock
+) -> None:
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        await task_updater.update_status(
+            TaskState.TASK_STATE_COMPLETED, metadata={'bad': object()}
+        )
+
+    event_queue.enqueue_event.assert_not_awaited()
+    await task_updater.failed()
+
+    event_queue.enqueue_event.assert_awaited_once()
+    event = event_queue.enqueue_event.call_args.args[0]
+    assert event.status.state == TaskState.TASK_STATE_FAILED
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_add_artifact_with_custom_id_and_name(
     task_updater: TaskUpdater, event_queue: AsyncMock, sample_parts: list[Part]