diff --git a/apps/server/src/main.ts b/apps/server/src/main.ts
index af64aab90..af687e26f 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/main.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/main.ts
@@ -1847,6 +1847,8 @@ function listen(): Server<SocketData> {
 
 /** Nothing in memory is worth losing to a Ctrl-C. */
 let draining: Promise<void> | undefined;
+/** Startup's session reset, which replaces the held writer lease with a re-fenced one. */
+let resettingLease: Promise<unknown> | undefined;
 
 function drain(): Promise<void> {
 	return draining ??= (async () => {
@@ -1861,7 +1863,7 @@ function drain(): Promise<void> {
 				record(err);
 			}
 		};
-		await attempt(() => server.stop(true));
+		if (server) await attempt(() => server.stop(true));
 		if (researchRecoveryTimer) clearTimeout(researchRecoveryTimer);
 		if (experimentTimer) clearInterval(experimentTimer);
 		if (recoveringResearch) await attempt(() => recoveringResearch!);
@@ -1897,6 +1899,7 @@ function drain(): Promise<void> {
 		}
 		await attempt(() => shutdownHarnesses());
 		await attempt(() => writerLease.stop());
+		if (resettingLease) await attempt(() => resettingLease!);
 		let lease = writerLease.held;
 		if (lease) await attempt(() => storage.leases.release(lease));
 		await attempt(() => storage.close());
@@ -2867,8 +2870,15 @@ try {
 	);
 	if (!acquired) throw new Error("another Chopin instance owns the database");
 	writerLease.hold(acquired);
-	let reset = await storage.sessions.reset(new Date(), acquired, LEASE_TTL_MS);
-	writerLease.held = reset.lease;
+	// A stop that arrives while startup still runs must release the lease, or the next start finds it held.
+	process.on("SIGINT", signal);
+	process.on("SIGTERM", signal);
+	let resetting = storage.sessions.reset(new Date(), acquired, LEASE_TTL_MS).then(reset => {
+		writerLease.held = reset.lease;
+		return reset;
+	});
+	resettingLease = resetting;
+	let reset = await resetting;
 	// Before any room opens, so no child Conversation is ever loaded or served.
 	let children = await storage.collaboration.dropChildConversations(reset.lease);
 	if (children.cleared.length) {
@@ -2926,7 +2936,5 @@ try {
 	await storage.close().catch(() => {});
 	throw err;
 }
-process.on("SIGINT", signal);
-process.on("SIGTERM", signal);
 
 console.log(describe(config));
diff --git a/apps/server/src/storage/postgres/startup.test.ts b/apps/server/src/storage/postgres/startup.test.ts
index 1decabd7f..0ed8efabc 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/storage/postgres/startup.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/storage/postgres/startup.test.ts
@@ -161,6 +161,36 @@ if (database) {
 			await storage.close();
 		}, 20_000);
 
+		it("releases the writer lease when stopped while it is still starting", async () => {
+			let storage = new PostgresStorage(database);
+			await storage.migrate();
+			let sql = new SQL(database);
+			let held = async () => {
+				let [row] = await sql<{ owner: string }[]>`
+					SELECT owner FROM storage_leases
+					WHERE name = 'chopin:writer' AND expires_at > clock_timestamp()
+				`;
+				return row?.owner;
+			};
+			let before = await held();
+			let child = spawn(9077, "pipe");
+			let owner: string | undefined;
+			for (let attempt = 0; attempt < 2_000 && (!owner || owner === before); attempt++) {
+				owner = await held();
+				if (!owner || owner === before) await Bun.sleep(5);
+			}
+			expect(owner).toBeDefined();
+			expect(owner).not.toBe(before);
+			child.kill("SIGTERM");
+			await child.exited;
+			expect(await held()).toBeUndefined();
+			let next = await storage.leases.acquire("chopin:writer", crypto.randomUUID(), 30_000);
+			expect(next).toBeDefined();
+			await storage.leases.release(next!);
+			await sql.close();
+			await storage.close();
+		}, 20_000);
+
 		it("recovers an inline Research card without an open room, once across restarts", async () => {
 			let storage = new PostgresStorage(database);
 			await storage.migrate();