diff --git a/backend/shonar/services/inline_queue.py b/backend/shonar/services/inline_queue.py
index 39f5c48..501711c 100644
--- a/backend/shonar/services/inline_queue.py
+++ b/backend/shonar/services/inline_queue.py
@@ -43,6 +43,22 @@ async def start() -> None:
     """Start the consumer and re-run anything the DB says is pending."""
     global _consumer, _retention
     _get_queue()
+    # Inline engine = single process: any row still marked `running` at
+    # startup is a corpse from the previous process (the worker died with
+    # it). sweep_stale's 2h live-worker grace — correct for multi-worker
+    # arq deployments — would starve these jobs, so reclaim them first.
+    from sqlalchemy import update
+
+    from shonar.db.models import JobStatus, ProcessingJob
+    from shonar.db.session import session_factory
+
+    async with session_factory()() as s:
+        await s.execute(
+            update(ProcessingJob)
+            .where(ProcessingJob.status == JobStatus.running)
+            .values(status=JobStatus.queued, started_at=None)
+        )
+        await s.commit()
     if _consumer is None or _consumer.done():
         _consumer = asyncio.create_task(_consume(), name="shonar-inline-queue")
     if _retention is None or _retention.done():