diff --git a/backend/Cargo.lock b/backend/Cargo.lock
index 8eb1807..940d03b 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.lock
+++ b/backend/Cargo.lock
@@ -1517,7 +1517,7 @@ checksum = "c41e0c4fef86961ac6d6f8a82609f55f31b05e4fce149ac5710e439df7619ba4"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.87.6"
+version = "0.87.7"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "argon2",
diff --git a/backend/Cargo.toml b/backend/Cargo.toml
index 915c140..65f9274 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.toml
+++ b/backend/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.87.6"
+version = "0.87.7"
 edition = "2021"
 default-run = "mangalord"
 
diff --git a/backend/src/app.rs b/backend/src/app.rs
index 656addf..559d4f5 100644
--- a/backend/src/app.rs
+++ b/backend/src/app.rs
@@ -266,7 +266,8 @@ impl DaemonReloader for Supervisors {
                 Arc::clone(&self.storage),
                 &cfg,
                 Arc::clone(&self.analysis_events),
-            )?;
+            )
+            .await?;
             *guard = Some(handle);
             tracing::info!(model = %cfg.model, "analysis daemon (re)started from settings");
         } else {
@@ -405,12 +406,29 @@ async fn load_effective_analysis(
 /// Spawn the AI content-analysis worker daemon with the given config. Returns
 /// its handle. Independent of the crawler daemon (works for uploads with the
 /// crawler off). Uses a plain reqwest client — no cookie jar / proxy.
-fn spawn_analysis_daemon(
+async fn spawn_analysis_daemon(
     db: PgPool,
     storage: Arc<dyn Storage>,
     cfg: &AnalysisConfig,
     events: Arc<crate::analysis::events::AnalysisEvents>,
 ) -> anyhow::Result<crate::analysis::daemon::AnalysisDaemonHandle> {
+    // Reclaim jobs orphaned by a previous crash/kill. `crawler::jobs::reclaim_orphaned`
+    // is keyed only on `state='running' AND leased_until < now()`, so it
+    // covers any kind that uses the table — including this daemon's
+    // `analyze_page` jobs. Previously this ran only inside
+    // `spawn_crawler_daemon`, which meant a deploy with the crawler off
+    // (analysis-only) never refunded orphaned analysis leases until the
+    // lease expiry path lazily picked them up. Safe under multi-replica
+    // (only expired leases are touched) and idempotent (the crawler-side
+    // call happens-before this if both are running).
+    match crate::crawler::jobs::reclaim_orphaned(&db).await {
+        Ok(0) => {}
+        Ok(n) => tracing::info!(
+            reclaimed = n,
+            "analysis: reclaimed orphaned in-flight jobs at startup"
+        ),
+        Err(e) => tracing::warn!(?e, "analysis: reclaim_orphaned at startup failed"),
+    }
     let http = reqwest::Client::builder()
         .timeout(cfg.request_timeout)
         // Refuse to honour ambient HTTP_PROXY / HTTPS_PROXY container env.
diff --git a/frontend/package.json b/frontend/package.json
index 7106776..86a3bb1 100644
--- a/frontend/package.json
+++ b/frontend/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "mangalord-frontend",
-  "version": "0.87.6",
+  "version": "0.87.7",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {