diff --git a/docs/agent-architecture.md b/docs/agent-architecture.md
index ae321dc0..6030bfdd 100644
--- a/docs/agent-architecture.md
+++ b/docs/agent-architecture.md
@@ -405,6 +405,8 @@ Charge actual attempt seconds, including failures and retries, and settle each a
 
 When terminal execution evidence exists but the original active measurement is irrecoverably unavailable, a team-management-authorized operator may recover the held assignment reservation using its exact state version, a reason, and an idempotency key. Verify native workspace closure first. Retain the expired assignment, result, failure and provider evidence unchanged; record usage explicitly as unresolved in the existing audit. Release only terminal concurrency claims and retain period-budget claims until actual consumption is known. This is not a zero charge, successful UsageSettlement, passing result, or permission to declare the workday accepted. Never reconstruct usage from elapsed time or refresh the original lease.
 
+If the original deadline terminalizer already fabricated a zero settlement for that unknown execution, the same authorized recovery must explicitly dispute it rather than delete or rewrite it. Preserve the original ledger, usage, reservation and released-claim facts in the existing audit; restore only the original unmeasured period-budget holds exactly once, leaving terminal concurrency released. Measured usage, foreign or inconsistent settlement authority, and unrelated settlements are not eligible. The existing unresolved-usage read-back remains the provider's authority; a disputed historical zero is never accepted as actual consumption or a passing workday.
+
 ## Implementation Checklist
 
 ### Phase 1 — Profiles and contracts
diff --git a/docs/agent-assignments.md b/docs/agent-assignments.md
index 8f8a1500..3ed876f0 100644
--- a/docs/agent-assignments.md
+++ b/docs/agent-assignments.md
@@ -268,6 +268,8 @@ The actor and reviewer assignments reserve and settle their own accepted estimat
 
 An explicitly authorized operator recovery may release a terminal assignment's held reservation when its active usage cannot be reconstructed. The existing audit must retain an unresolved-usage disposition with exact version, actor, reason and idempotency identity; no measurement or successful settlement may be invented. Native workspace closure is required before release, terminal concurrency is released once, and period-budget claims remain held. The original assignment, report and failure history remain unchanged and unaccepted; this recovery does not make a failed workday pass.
 
+An original automatic deadline zero settlement for execution with unavailable active usage must instead be explicitly disputed through that recovery. Retain the old accounting and released-claim evidence, restore only its original unmeasured period-budget holds once, and keep terminal concurrency released. Do not dispute measured or unrelated settlements, infer usage, create a replacement successful settlement, or reopen the original execution window.
+
 ### Assignment result
 
 Use one result contract: