diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-process-recovery.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-process-recovery.test.ts
index d9bfd42b29..4f1048318f 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-process-recovery.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/heartbeat-process-recovery.test.ts
@@ -5841,6 +5841,68 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("heartbeat orphaned process recovery", () => {
     expect(after?.attemptCount).toBe(SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS);
   });
 
+  it("honors a persisted missing-disposition cap that differs from the process default (SPC-21314)", async () => {
+    const { companyId, agentId, runId, issueId } = await seedStrandedIssueFixture({
+      status: "in_progress",
+      runStatus: "succeeded",
+      livenessState: "advanced",
+    });
+    const sourceRunId = randomUUID();
+    await db
+      .update(heartbeatRuns)
+      .set({
+        contextSnapshot: {
+          issueId,
+          taskId: issueId,
+          wakeReason: "finish_successful_run_handoff",
+          sourceRunId,
+          resumeFromRunId: sourceRunId,
+          handoffRequired: true,
+          handoffReason: "successful_run_missing_state",
+          missingDisposition: "clear_next_step",
+          handoffAttempt: 1,
+          maxHandoffAttempts: 1,
+        },
+      })
+      .where(eq(heartbeatRuns.id, runId));
+    const heartbeat = heartbeatService(db);
+
+    const firstResult = await heartbeat.reconcileStrandedAssignedIssues();
+    expect(firstResult.successfulRunHandoffEscalated).toBe(1);
+    const action = await expectSourceScopedStrandedRecoveryAction({
+      companyId,
+      agentId,
+      issueId,
+      runId,
+      previousStatus: "in_progress",
+      retryReason: null,
+      cause: SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_REASON,
+      kind: "missing_disposition",
+      maxAttempts: SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS,
+    });
+
+    // Simulate a pre-restart action that recorded a lower cap than the current
+    // process env. The gate must honor the persisted value, not the new default.
+    const persistedCap = 1;
+    expect(persistedCap).toBeLessThan(SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS);
+    await db
+      .update(issueRecoveryActions)
+      .set({ attemptCount: persistedCap, maxAttempts: persistedCap })
+      .where(eq(issueRecoveryActions.id, action.id));
+    await db.update(issues).set({ status: "in_progress" }).where(eq(issues.id, issueId));
+
+    const secondResult = await heartbeat.reconcileStrandedAssignedIssues();
+    expect(secondResult.successfulRunHandoffEscalated).toBe(0);
+
+    const after = await db
+      .select()
+      .from(issueRecoveryActions)
+      .where(eq(issueRecoveryActions.id, action.id))
+      .then((rows) => rows[0] ?? null);
+    expect(after?.attemptCount).toBe(persistedCap);
+    expect(after?.maxAttempts).toBe(persistedCap);
+  });
+
   it("converts a continuation parked for review into a dependency wait on its open sub-tasks", async () => {
     const { companyId, agentId, issueId } = await seedStrandedIssueFixture({
       status: "in_progress",
diff --git a/server/src/services/recovery/service.ts b/server/src/services/recovery/service.ts
index 23ea37ac8c..961d17e110 100644
--- a/server/src/services/recovery/service.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/recovery/service.ts
@@ -204,6 +204,22 @@ export const SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS = parseSuccessfulRunMissi
   process.env.SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS,
 );
 
+// Honor the cap persisted on the recovery-action row. A later env change must
+// not re-open or prematurely stop an in-flight missing-disposition action.
+export function resolveSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts(
+  persistedMaxAttempts: number | null | undefined,
+): number {
+  if (
+    typeof persistedMaxAttempts === "number" &&
+    Number.isSafeInteger(persistedMaxAttempts) &&
+    persistedMaxAttempts >= 1 &&
+    persistedMaxAttempts <= SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS_CEILING
+  ) {
+    return persistedMaxAttempts;
+  }
+  return SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS;
+}
+
 type RecoveryWakeupOptions = {
   source?: "timer" | "assignment" | "on_demand" | "automation";
   triggerDetail?: "manual" | "ping" | "callback" | "system";
@@ -4993,22 +5009,23 @@ export function recoveryService(
         // SPC-21292). The exhausted action stays as first-class evidence for
         // board/human intervention.
         const existingActive = await recoveryActionsSvc.getActiveForIssue(issue.companyId, issue.id);
-        if (
-          existingActive &&
-          existingActive.cause === SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_REASON &&
-          existingActive.attemptCount >= SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS
-        ) {
-          logger.warn(
-            {
-              issueId: issue.id,
-              actionId: existingActive.id,
-              attemptCount: existingActive.attemptCount,
-              maxAttempts: existingActive.maxAttempts ?? SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS,
-            },
-            "recovery.stranded.repeated_missing_disposition — skipping re-escalation",
+        if (existingActive && existingActive.cause === SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_REASON) {
+          const existingActiveMaxAttempts = resolveSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts(
+            existingActive.maxAttempts,
           );
-          result.skipped += 1;
-          continue;
+          if (existingActive.attemptCount >= existingActiveMaxAttempts) {
+            logger.warn(
+              {
+                issueId: issue.id,
+                actionId: existingActive.id,
+                attemptCount: existingActive.attemptCount,
+                maxAttempts: existingActiveMaxAttempts,
+              },
+              "recovery.stranded.repeated_missing_disposition — skipping re-escalation",
+            );
+            result.skipped += 1;
+            continue;
+          }
         }
 
         const updated = await escalateStrandedAssignedIssue({
diff --git a/server/src/services/recovery/successful-run-missing-state-cap.test.ts b/server/src/services/recovery/successful-run-missing-state-cap.test.ts
index ef7fd97334..197d1dbbce 100644
--- a/server/src/services/recovery/successful-run-missing-state-cap.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/recovery/successful-run-missing-state-cap.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 import {
+  SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS,
   SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS_CEILING,
   SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS_DEFAULT,
   parseSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts,
+  resolveSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts,
 } from "./service.js";
 
 describe("parseSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts", () => {
@@ -51,3 +53,24 @@ describe("parseSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts", () => {
     );
   });
 });
+
+describe("resolveSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts", () => {
+  it("uses the persisted integer cap when it is in the persistable range", () => {
+    expect(resolveSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts(1)).toBe(1);
+    expect(resolveSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts(5)).toBe(5);
+    expect(resolveSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts(SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS_CEILING)).toBe(
+      SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS_CEILING,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to the process cap for null, missing, or unpersistable values", () => {
+    expect(resolveSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts(null)).toBe(SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS);
+    expect(resolveSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts(undefined)).toBe(SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS);
+    expect(resolveSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts(0)).toBe(SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS);
+    expect(resolveSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts(-1)).toBe(SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS);
+    expect(resolveSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts(3.5)).toBe(SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS);
+    expect(resolveSuccessfulRunMissingStateMaxAttempts(Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY)).toBe(
+      SUCCESSFUL_RUN_MISSING_STATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS,
+    );
+  });
+});