diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/backendapp/helpers.go b/apps/backend/internal/backendapp/helpers.go
index a6279de7e3..e7722dcc2b 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/backendapp/helpers.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/backendapp/helpers.go
@@ -764,6 +764,7 @@ func registerRoutes(p routeParams) {
 	handoffDocSvc := taskservice.NewDocumentService(p.taskRepo, p.log)
 	handoffSvc := taskservice.NewHandoffService(p.taskRepo, p.taskRepo, handoffDocSvc,
 		p.officeRepo, p.officeRepo, p.log)
+	p.taskSvc.SetWorkspacePolicyAttacher(handoffSvc)
 	handoffSvc.SetCommentReader(&officeCommentReaderAdapter{reader: p.officeRepo})
 	// Phase 6 wirings — materializer hook + disk cleaner. The
 	// SessionWorktreeReader and WorkspaceCleaner interfaces are both
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/backendapp/helpers_test.go b/apps/backend/internal/backendapp/helpers_test.go
index 9e5bb94b76..ef3a96aa9c 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/backendapp/helpers_test.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/backendapp/helpers_test.go
@@ -1957,6 +1957,15 @@ type bootStateTestHarness struct {
 	userSvc     *userservice.Service
 }
 
+// testWorkspacePolicyAttacher keeps boot-state tests focused on route and
+// service composition while satisfying the service's required attachment
+// boundary. Production wiring installs HandoffService here.
+type testWorkspacePolicyAttacher struct{}
+
+func (testWorkspacePolicyAttacher) AttachWorkspacePolicy(context.Context, string, string, taskservice.WorkspacePolicy) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 func newBootStateTestServices(t *testing.T) (*taskservice.Service, *workflowservice.Service) {
 	harness := newBootStateTestHarness(t)
 	return harness.taskSvc, harness.workflowSvc
@@ -2027,6 +2036,7 @@ func newBootStateTestHarness(t *testing.T) bootStateTestHarness {
 	taskSvc.SetWorkspaceBootstrapper(taskRepo)
 	taskSvc.SetWorkflowStepGetter(&workflowStepGetterAdapter{svc: workflowSvc})
 	taskSvc.SetStartStepResolver(&startStepResolverAdapter{svc: workflowSvc})
+	taskSvc.SetWorkspacePolicyAttacher(testWorkspacePolicyAttacher{})
 	workflowSvc.SetWorkflowProvider(&workflowProviderAdapter{svc: taskSvc})
 	return bootStateTestHarness{
 		db:          sqlxDB,
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/integration/integration_test.go b/apps/backend/internal/integration/integration_test.go
index cc0f2eedd6..04b6c78530 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/integration/integration_test.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/integration/integration_test.go
@@ -47,6 +47,15 @@ type TestServer struct {
 	cancelFunc context.CancelFunc
 }
 
+// testWorkspacePolicyAttacher keeps this integration harness focused on the
+// task/MCP contract while satisfying the service's required attachment
+// boundary. Production wiring installs HandoffService here.
+type testWorkspacePolicyAttacher struct{}
+
+func (testWorkspacePolicyAttacher) AttachWorkspacePolicy(context.Context, string, string, taskservice.WorkspacePolicy) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 // NewTestServer creates a new test server with all components initialized
 func NewTestServer(t *testing.T) *TestServer {
 	t.Helper()
@@ -100,6 +109,7 @@ func NewTestServer(t *testing.T) *TestServer {
 	taskSvc.SetWorkflowStepCreator(workflowSvc)
 	taskSvc.SetWorkflowStepGetter(workflowSvc)
 	taskSvc.SetWorkspaceBootstrapper(taskRepo)
+	taskSvc.SetWorkspacePolicyAttacher(testWorkspacePolicyAttacher{})
 
 	// Create WebSocket gateway
 	gateway := gateways.NewGateway(log)
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/mcp/handlers/handlers.go b/apps/backend/internal/mcp/handlers/handlers.go
index c3100a2cc2..75f1aeb8c7 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/mcp/handlers/handlers.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/mcp/handlers/handlers.go
@@ -321,6 +321,16 @@ type Handlers struct {
 	agentPermissionSvc AgentPermissionService
 }
 
+func (h *Handlers) releaseWorkspacePolicyAfterCreateRollback(ctx context.Context, taskID string) {
+	if h.handoffSvc == nil || taskID == "" {
+		return
+	}
+	if err := h.handoffSvc.ReleaseWorkspacePolicy(context.WithoutCancel(ctx), taskID, "create_rollback"); err != nil {
+		h.logger.Warn("rollback workspace membership cleanup failed",
+			zap.String("task_id", taskID), zap.Error(err))
+	}
+}
+
 // NewHandlers creates new MCP handlers.
 func NewHandlers(
 	taskSvc *service.Service,
@@ -889,6 +899,7 @@ func (h *Handlers) handleCreateTask(ctx context.Context, msg *ws.Message) (*ws.M
 		DeferredLaunch:         deferredLaunch,
 		StartAgent:             startAgent,
 		ExternalID:             req.ExternalID,
+		WorkspacePolicy:        &workspacePolicy,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		h.logger.Error("failed to create task", zap.Error(err))
@@ -927,6 +938,7 @@ func (h *Handlers) handleCreateTask(ctx context.Context, msg *ws.Message) (*ws.M
 				h.logger.Error("rollback delete failed after missing task repository",
 					zap.String("task_id", task.ID), zap.Error(delErr))
 			}
+			h.releaseWorkspacePolicyAfterCreateRollback(ctx, task.ID)
 			return ws.NewError(msg.ID, msg.Action, ws.ErrorCodeInternalError, "failed to attach remote contribution: task repository is missing", nil)
 		}
 		if err := h.remoteContributionSvc.Associate(ctx, req.WorkspaceID, identity.UserID, task.ID, task.Repositories[index].RepositoryID, resolution); err != nil {
@@ -936,22 +948,11 @@ func (h *Handlers) handleCreateTask(ctx context.Context, msg *ws.Message) (*ws.M
 				h.logger.Error("rollback delete failed after contribution association error",
 					zap.String("task_id", task.ID), zap.Error(delErr))
 			}
+			h.releaseWorkspacePolicyAfterCreateRollback(ctx, task.ID)
 			return ws.NewError(msg.ID, msg.Action, ws.ErrorCodeInternalError, "failed to attach remote contribution: "+err.Error(), nil)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if h.handoffSvc != nil && workspacePolicy.NeedsAttachment() {
-		if attachErr := h.handoffSvc.AttachWorkspacePolicy(ctx, task.ID, req.ParentID, workspacePolicy); attachErr != nil {
-			h.logger.Error("attach workspace policy; rolling back task creation",
-				zap.String("task_id", task.ID), zap.Error(attachErr))
-			if delErr := h.taskSvc.DeleteTask(ctx, task.ID); delErr != nil {
-				h.logger.Error("rollback delete failed; task left in inconsistent state",
-					zap.String("task_id", task.ID), zap.Error(delErr))
-			}
-			return ws.NewError(msg.ID, msg.Action, ws.ErrorCodeInternalError, "failed to attach workspace policy: "+attachErr.Error(), nil)
-		}
-	}
-
 	// Settlement (create-sequence step 7): after policy attach, before
 	// auto-start dispatch.
 	settled, survivor, settleErr := h.taskSvc.SettleExternalID(ctx, task.ID, task.ExternalID)
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/mcp/handlers/handlers_test.go b/apps/backend/internal/mcp/handlers/handlers_test.go
index c0779624af..551eba96c9 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/mcp/handlers/handlers_test.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/mcp/handlers/handlers_test.go
@@ -41,6 +41,12 @@ import (
 
 // newTestTaskService creates a real task service with a temporary file-backed SQLite DB for integration tests.
 // Returns the service and the raw repo (for seeding data).
+type testWorkspacePolicyAttacher struct{}
+
+func (testWorkspacePolicyAttacher) AttachWorkspacePolicy(context.Context, string, string, service.WorkspacePolicy) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 func newTestTaskService(t *testing.T) (*service.Service, *sqliterepo.Repository) {
 	svc, repo, _ := newTestTaskServiceWithEventBus(t)
 	return svc, repo
@@ -101,6 +107,7 @@ func newTestTaskServiceWithEventBus(t *testing.T) (*service.Service, *sqliterepo
 		Environments:     repo,
 		Reviews:          repo,
 	}, eventBus, log, service.RepositoryDiscoveryConfig{})
+	svc.SetWorkspacePolicyAttacher(testWorkspacePolicyAttacher{})
 	return svc, repo, eventBus
 }
 
@@ -140,6 +147,7 @@ func newTestTaskServiceWithWorkflow(t *testing.T) (*service.Service, *sqliterepo
 		Environments:     repo,
 		Reviews:          repo,
 	}, eventBus, log, service.RepositoryDiscoveryConfig{})
+	svc.SetWorkspacePolicyAttacher(testWorkspacePolicyAttacher{})
 	workflowSvc := workflowservice.NewService(workflowRepo, log)
 	t.Cleanup(func() { _ = workflowSvc.Close() })
 	return svc, repo, workflowcontroller.NewController(workflowSvc), workflowRepo
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/mcp/handlers/handoff_handlers.go b/apps/backend/internal/mcp/handlers/handoff_handlers.go
index c569145963..a24375f95e 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/mcp/handlers/handoff_handlers.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/mcp/handlers/handoff_handlers.go
@@ -17,6 +17,13 @@ import (
 // of registering and returning broken endpoints.
 func (h *Handlers) SetHandoffService(svc *service.HandoffService) {
 	h.handoffSvc = svc
+	if h.taskSvc != nil {
+		if svc == nil {
+			h.taskSvc.SetWorkspacePolicyAttacher(nil)
+		} else {
+			h.taskSvc.SetWorkspacePolicyAttacher(svc)
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 // handleListRelatedTasks dispatches mcp.list_related_tasks.
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/office/models/workspace_groups.go b/apps/backend/internal/office/models/workspace_groups.go
index 36b8a4694d..7f61737eba 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/office/models/workspace_groups.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/office/models/workspace_groups.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ type WorkspaceGroup struct {
 	ID                        string     `json:"id" db:"id"`
 	WorkspaceID               string     `json:"workspace_id" db:"workspace_id"`
 	OwnerTaskID               string     `json:"owner_task_id" db:"owner_task_id"`
+	OwnershipGeneration       int64      `json:"ownership_generation" db:"ownership_generation"`
 	MaterializedPath          string     `json:"materialized_path,omitempty" db:"materialized_path"`
 	MaterializedEnvironmentID string     `json:"materialized_environment_id,omitempty" db:"materialized_environment_id"`
 	MaterializedKind          string     `json:"materialized_kind" db:"materialized_kind"`
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/office/repository/sqlite/base_migrations.go b/apps/backend/internal/office/repository/sqlite/base_migrations.go
index 0c1b1e6141..724543c3e5 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/office/repository/sqlite/base_migrations.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/office/repository/sqlite/base_migrations.go
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ func (r *Repository) runMigrations() {
 	r.migrateRunOutcome()
 	r.migrateParentWakeIndexes()
 	r.migrateParentWakeReceiptColumns()
+	r.migrate.Apply("task_workspace_groups.ownership_generation",
+		`ALTER TABLE task_workspace_groups ADD COLUMN ownership_generation INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1`)
 }
 
 // migrateContinuationScope adds runs.continuation_scope for databases
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/office/repository/sqlite/workspace_groups.go b/apps/backend/internal/office/repository/sqlite/workspace_groups.go
index 75ac1a7211..cd877918f0 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/office/repository/sqlite/workspace_groups.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/office/repository/sqlite/workspace_groups.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ func (r *Repository) createWorkspaceGroupTables() error {
 		id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
 		workspace_id TEXT NOT NULL,
 		owner_task_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+		ownership_generation INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1,
 		materialized_path TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
 		materialized_environment_id TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
 		materialized_kind TEXT NOT NULL,
@@ -80,6 +81,9 @@ func (r *Repository) CreateWorkspaceGroup(ctx context.Context, g *models.Workspa
 	if g.CreatedAt.IsZero() {
 		g.CreatedAt = now
 	}
+	if g.OwnershipGeneration == 0 {
+		g.OwnershipGeneration = 1
+	}
 	g.UpdatedAt = now
 	if g.CleanupPolicy == "" {
 		g.CleanupPolicy = models.WorkspaceCleanupPolicyNeverDelete
@@ -92,13 +96,13 @@ func (r *Repository) CreateWorkspaceGroup(ctx context.Context, g *models.Workspa
 	}
 	_, err := r.db.ExecContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(`
 		INSERT INTO task_workspace_groups (
-			id, workspace_id, owner_task_id, materialized_path,
+			id, workspace_id, owner_task_id, ownership_generation, materialized_path,
 			materialized_environment_id, materialized_kind, owned_by_kandev,
 			cleanup_policy, cleanup_status, cleaned_at, cleanup_error,
 			restore_status, restore_error, restore_config_json,
 			created_at, updated_at
-		) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
-	`), g.ID, g.WorkspaceID, g.OwnerTaskID, g.MaterializedPath,
+		) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
+	`), g.ID, g.WorkspaceID, g.OwnerTaskID, g.OwnershipGeneration, g.MaterializedPath,
 		g.MaterializedEnvironmentID, g.MaterializedKind, g.OwnedByKandev,
 		g.CleanupPolicy, g.CleanupStatus, g.CleanedAt, g.CleanupError,
 		g.RestoreStatus, g.RestoreError, g.RestoreConfigJSON,
@@ -110,7 +114,7 @@ func (r *Repository) CreateWorkspaceGroup(ctx context.Context, g *models.Workspa
 func (r *Repository) GetWorkspaceGroup(ctx context.Context, id string) (*models.WorkspaceGroup, error) {
 	var g models.WorkspaceGroup
 	err := r.ro.GetContext(ctx, &g, r.ro.Rebind(`
-		SELECT id, workspace_id, owner_task_id, materialized_path,
+		SELECT id, workspace_id, owner_task_id, ownership_generation, materialized_path,
 			materialized_environment_id, materialized_kind, owned_by_kandev,
 			cleanup_policy, cleanup_status, cleaned_at, cleanup_error,
 			restore_status, restore_error, restore_config_json,
@@ -131,7 +135,7 @@ func (r *Repository) GetWorkspaceGroup(ctx context.Context, id string) (*models.
 func (r *Repository) ListWorkspaceGroupsByWorkspace(ctx context.Context, workspaceID string) ([]*models.WorkspaceGroup, error) {
 	var groups []*models.WorkspaceGroup
 	err := r.ro.SelectContext(ctx, &groups, r.ro.Rebind(`
-		SELECT id, workspace_id, owner_task_id, materialized_path,
+		SELECT id, workspace_id, owner_task_id, ownership_generation, materialized_path,
 			materialized_environment_id, materialized_kind, owned_by_kandev,
 			cleanup_policy, cleanup_status, cleaned_at, cleanup_error,
 			restore_status, restore_error, restore_config_json,
@@ -218,6 +222,57 @@ func (r *Repository) UpdateWorkspaceGroupCleanupStatus(ctx context.Context, id,
 	return err
 }
 
+// ClaimWorkspaceGroupCleanup reserves destructive cleanup for one ownership
+// generation. The active-member predicate is part of the same write so a
+// caller cannot race a membership admission between its read and this claim.
+func (r *Repository) ClaimWorkspaceGroupCleanup(ctx context.Context, id string, generation int64) (bool, error) {
+	result, err := r.db.ExecContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(`
+		UPDATE task_workspace_groups
+		SET cleanup_status = ?, cleanup_error = '', cleaned_at = NULL, updated_at = ?
+		WHERE id = ?
+		  AND ownership_generation = ?
+		  AND owned_by_kandev = ?
+		  AND cleanup_policy = ?
+		  AND cleanup_status IN (?, ?)
+		  AND NOT EXISTS (
+			SELECT 1
+			FROM task_workspace_group_members member
+			JOIN tasks task ON task.id = member.task_id
+			WHERE member.workspace_group_id = task_workspace_groups.id
+			  AND member.released_at IS NULL
+			  AND task.archived_at IS NULL
+		  )
+	`), models.WorkspaceCleanupStatusPending, time.Now().UTC(), id, generation, true,
+		models.WorkspaceCleanupPolicyDeleteWhenLastMemberArchivedOrDel,
+		models.WorkspaceCleanupStatusActive, models.WorkspaceCleanupStatusFailed)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	rows, err := result.RowsAffected()
+	return rows == 1, err
+}
+
+// CompleteWorkspaceGroupCleanup records a result only while the claimed
+// ownership generation is still current.
+func (r *Repository) CompleteWorkspaceGroupCleanup(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	id string,
+	generation int64,
+	status, errStr string,
+	cleanedAt *time.Time,
+) (bool, error) {
+	result, err := r.db.ExecContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(`
+		UPDATE task_workspace_groups
+		SET cleanup_status = ?, cleanup_error = ?, cleaned_at = ?, updated_at = ?
+		WHERE id = ? AND ownership_generation = ? AND cleanup_status = ?
+	`), status, errStr, cleanedAt, time.Now().UTC(), id, generation, models.WorkspaceCleanupStatusPending)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	rows, err := result.RowsAffected()
+	return rows == 1, err
+}
+
 // UpdateWorkspaceGroupRestoreStatus updates the restore_status (+ optional
 // error) and bumps updated_at.
 func (r *Repository) UpdateWorkspaceGroupRestoreStatus(ctx context.Context, id, status, errStr string) error {
@@ -238,12 +293,35 @@ func (r *Repository) AddWorkspaceGroupMember(ctx context.Context, groupID, taskI
 	if role == "" {
 		role = models.WorkspaceMemberRoleMember
 	}
-	_, err := r.db.ExecContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(`
+	result, err := r.db.ExecContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(`
 		INSERT OR IGNORE INTO task_workspace_group_members (
 			workspace_group_id, task_id, role, created_at
-		) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)
-	`), groupID, taskID, role, time.Now().UTC())
-	return err
+		)
+		SELECT id, ?, ?, ?
+		FROM task_workspace_groups
+		WHERE id = ? AND cleanup_status IN ('active', 'cleanup_failed')
+	`), taskID, role, time.Now().UTC(), groupID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if rows, err := result.RowsAffected(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	} else if rows == 0 {
+		var exists bool
+		if err := r.db.QueryRowContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(`
+			SELECT EXISTS (
+				SELECT 1 FROM task_workspace_group_members
+				WHERE workspace_group_id = ? AND task_id = ?
+			)
+		`), groupID, taskID).Scan(&exists); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if exists {
+			return nil
+		}
+		return fmt.Errorf("workspace group %s is not accepting members", groupID)
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 // ReleaseWorkspaceGroupMember stamps released_at + release_reason and
@@ -328,7 +406,7 @@ func (r *Repository) ListActiveWorkspaceGroupMembers(ctx context.Context, groupI
 func (r *Repository) GetWorkspaceGroupForTask(ctx context.Context, taskID string) (*models.WorkspaceGroup, error) {
 	var g models.WorkspaceGroup
 	err := r.ro.GetContext(ctx, &g, r.ro.Rebind(`
-		SELECT g.id, g.workspace_id, g.owner_task_id, g.materialized_path,
+		SELECT g.id, g.workspace_id, g.owner_task_id, g.ownership_generation, g.materialized_path,
 			g.materialized_environment_id, g.materialized_kind, g.owned_by_kandev,
 			g.cleanup_policy, g.cleanup_status, g.cleaned_at, g.cleanup_error,
 			g.restore_status, g.restore_error, g.restore_config_json,
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/office/repository/sqlite/workspace_groups_test.go b/apps/backend/internal/office/repository/sqlite/workspace_groups_test.go
index e7f1380291..01ce98d10e 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/office/repository/sqlite/workspace_groups_test.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/office/repository/sqlite/workspace_groups_test.go
@@ -108,6 +108,47 @@ func TestWorkspaceGroup_RawInsertDefaultsAreSafe(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// @covers AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001.4
+func TestWorkspaceGroupCleanupCompletionRejectsStaleGeneration(t *testing.T) {
+	repo := newWorkspaceGroupTestRepo(t)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	group := &models.WorkspaceGroup{
+		ID: "generation-fenced-cleanup", WorkspaceID: "ws-1", OwnerTaskID: "owner-task",
+		MaterializedKind: models.WorkspaceGroupKindPlainFolder,
+		OwnedByKandev:    true, CleanupPolicy: models.WorkspaceCleanupPolicyDeleteWhenLastMemberArchivedOrDel,
+	}
+	if err := repo.CreateWorkspaceGroup(ctx, group); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateWorkspaceGroup: %v", err)
+	}
+	claimed, err := repo.ClaimWorkspaceGroupCleanup(ctx, group.ID, 1)
+	if err != nil || !claimed {
+		t.Fatalf("ClaimWorkspaceGroupCleanup = %v, %v; want true", claimed, err)
+	}
+	if _, err := repo.ExecRaw(ctx, `
+		UPDATE task_workspace_groups
+		SET ownership_generation = 2
+		WHERE id = ?
+	`, group.ID); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("simulate stewardship transfer: %v", err)
+	}
+	completed, err := repo.CompleteWorkspaceGroupCleanup(
+		ctx, group.ID, 1, models.WorkspaceCleanupStatusCleaned, "", nil,
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CompleteWorkspaceGroupCleanup: %v", err)
+	}
+	if completed {
+		t.Fatal("stale cleanup completion changed the replacement generation")
+	}
+	current, err := repo.GetWorkspaceGroup(ctx, group.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("GetWorkspaceGroup: %v", err)
+	}
+	if current.OwnershipGeneration != 2 || current.CleanupStatus != models.WorkspaceCleanupStatusPending {
+		t.Fatalf("current group = generation %d status %q; want 2, cleanup_pending", current.OwnershipGeneration, current.CleanupStatus)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestWorkspaceGroup_ListByWorkspace(t *testing.T) {
 	repo := newWorkspaceGroupTestRepo(t)
 	ctx := context.Background()
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/handlers/task_handlers.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/handlers/task_handlers.go
index d8a71f2a5e..1a93e872a9 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/handlers/task_handlers.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/handlers/task_handlers.go
@@ -77,9 +77,8 @@ type agentProfileRecentUseRecorder interface {
 }
 
 // SetHandoffService wires the office task-handoffs service used by the
-// Kanban subtask path to attach workspace-group membership and the
-// sequential blocker chain (handoffs phase 5). Optional — nil disables
-// post-create attachment, matching the pre-handoffs behaviour.
+// Kanban subtask path. The task service uses the same instance to attach
+// workspace-group membership before any create route returns.
 //
 // Wiring a HandoffService also re-installs the per-user task guard on it. That
 // is not a convenience: this setter is what makes the archive / delete / unarchive
@@ -91,8 +90,13 @@ type agentProfileRecentUseRecorder interface {
 // everywhere else.
 func (h *TaskHandlers) SetHandoffService(svc *service.HandoffService) {
 	h.handoffSvc = svc
-	if svc != nil && h.service != nil {
-		svc.SetTaskAccessChecker(h.service.AuthorizeTaskAccess)
+	if h.service != nil {
+		if svc == nil {
+			h.service.SetWorkspacePolicyAttacher(nil)
+		} else {
+			svc.SetTaskAccessChecker(h.service.AuthorizeTaskAccess)
+			h.service.SetWorkspacePolicyAttacher(svc)
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/handlers/task_http_handlers.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/handlers/task_http_handlers.go
index 0d0afa60a4..4310b61ebc 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/handlers/task_http_handlers.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/handlers/task_http_handlers.go
@@ -962,6 +962,7 @@ func (h *TaskHandlers) httpCreateTask(c *gin.Context) {
 		ProjectID:                   body.ProjectID,
 		Labels:                      labels,
 		ExternalID:                  body.ExternalID,
+		WorkspacePolicy:             &wsPolicy,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		handleNotFound(c, h.logger, err, "task not created")
@@ -999,21 +1000,6 @@ func (h *TaskHandlers) httpCreateTask(c *gin.Context) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if h.handoffSvc != nil && wsPolicy.NeedsAttachment() {
-		if attachErr := h.handoffSvc.AttachWorkspacePolicy(c.Request.Context(), task.ID, body.ParentID, wsPolicy); attachErr != nil {
-			h.logger.Error("attach workspace policy; rolling back task creation",
-				zap.String("task_id", task.ID), zap.Error(attachErr))
-			if delErr := h.service.DeleteTask(c.Request.Context(), task.ID); delErr != nil {
-				h.logger.Error("rollback delete failed; task left in inconsistent state",
-					zap.String("task_id", task.ID), zap.Error(delErr))
-			}
-			c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, gin.H{
-				"error": "failed to attach workspace policy: " + attachErr.Error(),
-			})
-			return
-		}
-	}
-
 	if !h.commitFreshBranch(c, task.ID, task.Title, body.WorkspaceID, body.Repositories, repos) {
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/models/models.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/models/models.go
index d6df0cc0db..19b6a97557 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/models/models.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/models/models.go
@@ -2082,11 +2082,12 @@ const (
 // It owns the workspace (worktree/container/sandbox) and the agentctl control server.
 // Multiple sessions can share the same TaskEnvironment.
 type TaskEnvironment struct {
-	ID                string `json:"id"`
-	TaskID            string `json:"task_id"`
-	ExecutorType      string `json:"executor_type"`
-	ExecutorID        string `json:"executor_id"`
-	ExecutorProfileID string `json:"executor_profile_id"`
+	ID                  string `json:"id"`
+	TaskID              string `json:"task_id"`
+	OwnershipGeneration int64  `json:"ownership_generation"`
+	ExecutorType        string `json:"executor_type"`
+	ExecutorID          string `json:"executor_id"`
+	ExecutorProfileID   string `json:"executor_profile_id"`
 	// AgentExecutionID was removed: executors_running owns the execution<->session
 	// mapping now. Read it via repo.GetExecutorRunningBySessionID(sessionID) when
 	// needed (the orchestrator does this in service_turns.go for WorkspaceInfo).
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/interface.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/interface.go
index 4b2dc21af5..d2db0369f9 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/interface.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/interface.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ var ErrTaskParentMismatch = repoerrors.ErrTaskParentMismatch
 var ErrTaskPlanNotFound = repoerrors.ErrTaskPlanNotFound
 var ErrRepositoryNotFound = repoerrors.ErrRepositoryNotFound
 var ErrTaskEnvironmentNotFound = repoerrors.ErrTaskEnvironmentNotFound
+var ErrTaskEnvironmentOwnershipChanged = repoerrors.ErrTaskEnvironmentOwnershipChanged
 var ErrWIPLimitExceeded = wfmodels.ErrWIPLimitExceeded
 var ErrExternalIDConflict = repoerrors.ErrExternalIDConflict
 
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/repoerrors/errors.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/repoerrors/errors.go
index 0af56127cb..4f8aa9d77f 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/repoerrors/errors.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/repoerrors/errors.go
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ var ErrRepositoryBranchPoliciesExist = errors.New("repository branch policies al
 // ErrTaskEnvironmentNotFound reports that no task environment row matched the supplied id.
 var ErrTaskEnvironmentNotFound = errors.New("task environment not found")
 
+// ErrTaskEnvironmentOwnershipChanged reports that an ownership transfer's
+// expected owner or generation is no longer current.
+var ErrTaskEnvironmentOwnershipChanged = errors.New("task environment ownership changed")
+
 // ErrExternalIDConflict reports that a task insert lost the uniqueness race
 // on uniq_tasks_external_id — the TOCTOU backstop for the create sequence's
 // step-3 lookup (docs/specs/tasks/system-design/external-id-idempotency.md). Callers
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/base_migrations.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/base_migrations.go
index 0849506365..8585e72e6f 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/base_migrations.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/base_migrations.go
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ func (r *Repository) runMigrations() error {
 	r.migrate.Apply("task_environments.materialization_session_id", `ALTER TABLE task_environments ADD COLUMN materialization_session_id TEXT DEFAULT ''`)
 	r.migrate.Apply("task_environments.container_bootstrap_nonce_secret_id", `ALTER TABLE task_environments ADD COLUMN container_bootstrap_nonce_secret_id TEXT DEFAULT ''`)
 	r.migrate.Apply("task_environments.container_control_auth_token_secret_id", `ALTER TABLE task_environments ADD COLUMN container_control_auth_token_secret_id TEXT DEFAULT ''`)
+	r.migrate.Apply("task_environments.ownership_generation", `ALTER TABLE task_environments ADD COLUMN ownership_generation INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1`)
 	if err := r.migrateTaskEnvironmentsRemoveAgentExecutionID(); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -943,6 +944,7 @@ func (r *Repository) migrateTaskEnvironmentsRemoveAgentExecutionID() error {
 		`CREATE TABLE task_environments_new (
 			id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
 			task_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+			ownership_generation INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1,
 			repository_id TEXT DEFAULT '',
 			executor_type TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
 			executor_id TEXT DEFAULT '',
@@ -964,7 +966,7 @@ func (r *Repository) migrateTaskEnvironmentsRemoveAgentExecutionID() error {
 			FOREIGN KEY (task_id) REFERENCES tasks(id) ON DELETE CASCADE
 		)`,
 		`INSERT INTO task_environments_new SELECT
-			id, task_id, repository_id, executor_type, executor_id, executor_profile_id,
+			id, task_id, ownership_generation, repository_id, executor_type, executor_id, executor_profile_id,
 			control_port, status, '', worktree_id, worktree_path, worktree_branch,
 			workspace_path, container_id, COALESCE(container_bootstrap_nonce_secret_id, ''), COALESCE(container_control_auth_token_secret_id, ''), sandbox_id,
 			COALESCE(task_dir_name, ''), created_at, updated_at
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/base_schema.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/base_schema.go
index 4751f8cdbb..ce69355877 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/base_schema.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/base_schema.go
@@ -983,6 +983,7 @@ const sessionWorktreeSchemaDDL = `
 	CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS task_environments (
 		id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
 		task_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+		ownership_generation INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1,
 		executor_type TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
 		executor_id TEXT DEFAULT '',
 		executor_profile_id TEXT DEFAULT '',
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/errors.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/errors.go
index e52ee5e9dc..cbcf8139b0 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/errors.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/errors.go
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ var ErrTaskPlanNotFound = repoerrors.ErrTaskPlanNotFound
 // the supplied id. Callers should classify it with errors.Is.
 var ErrTaskEnvironmentNotFound = repoerrors.ErrTaskEnvironmentNotFound
 
+// ErrTaskEnvironmentOwnershipChanged is returned when a guarded transfer's
+// expected owner or generation is stale.
+var ErrTaskEnvironmentOwnershipChanged = repoerrors.ErrTaskEnvironmentOwnershipChanged
+
+var errDetachedWorkspaceTransferNotApplicable = errors.New("detached workspace stewardship transfer not applicable")
+
 // ErrNoPrimarySession is returned by GetPrimarySessionByTaskID when the task
 // has no primary session row. Callers should use errors.Is to distinguish this
 // "not found" case from genuine backend/DB errors.
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/task.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/task.go
index 19d9db8100..05da797516 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/task.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/task.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -1234,32 +1235,263 @@ func pendingTaskMetadataMergeExpression(driver string) string {
 // this as a targeted update prevents concurrent task edits from being replaced
 // by a stale full-row write.
 func (r *Repository) DetachTask(ctx context.Context, taskID string) (bool, error) {
-	result, err := r.db.ExecContext(
-		ctx,
-		r.db.Rebind(detachTaskQuery(r.db.DriverName())),
-		time.Now().UTC(),
-		taskID,
-	)
+	tx, err := r.db.BeginTxx(ctx, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
+	defer func() { _ = tx.Rollback() }()
 
+	parentID, groupID, err := r.loadDetachmentState(ctx, tx, taskID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	if parentID == "" {
+		return false, tx.Commit()
+	}
+	lockedTaskIDs := []string{parentID, taskID}
+	sort.Strings(lockedTaskIDs)
+	for _, lockedTaskID := range lockedTaskIDs {
+		if err := r.taskCleanupBarrierLocked(ctx, tx, lockedTaskID); err != nil {
+			return false, err
+		}
+	}
+	lockedParentID, lockedGroupID, err := r.loadDetachmentState(ctx, tx, taskID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	if lockedParentID != parentID || lockedGroupID != groupID {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("detach task %s: hierarchy changed concurrently", taskID)
+	}
+
+	result, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(detachTaskQuery(r.db.DriverName())), time.Now().UTC(), taskID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
 	rows, err := result.RowsAffected()
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, err
 	}
-	if rows > 0 {
-		return true, nil
+	if rows != 1 {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("detach task %s: hierarchy changed concurrently", taskID)
 	}
-
-	var existingID string
-	if err := r.ro.QueryRowContext(ctx, r.ro.Rebind(`SELECT id FROM tasks WHERE id = ?`), taskID).Scan(&existingID); err != nil {
-		if err == sql.ErrNoRows {
-			return false, fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", ErrTaskNotFound, taskID)
+	if groupID != "" {
+		if err := r.transferDetachedWorkspaceStewardship(ctx, tx, groupID, taskID); err != nil {
+			if !errors.Is(err, errDetachedWorkspaceTransferNotApplicable) {
+				return false, err
+			}
 		}
-		return false, err
 	}
-	return false, nil
+	return true, tx.Commit()
+}
+
+func (r *Repository) loadDetachmentState(ctx context.Context, tx *sqlx.Tx, taskID string) (string, string, error) {
+	var parentID, rawMetadata string
+	if err := tx.QueryRowContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(
+		`SELECT parent_id, COALESCE(metadata, '{}') FROM tasks WHERE id = ?`,
+	), taskID).Scan(&parentID, &rawMetadata); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
+			return "", "", fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", ErrTaskNotFound, taskID)
+		}
+		return "", "", err
+	}
+	var metadata map[string]interface{}
+	if trimmed := strings.TrimSpace(rawMetadata); trimmed != "" {
+		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(trimmed), &metadata); err != nil {
+			return "", "", fmt.Errorf("decode task workspace metadata: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+	workspace, _ := metadata["workspace"].(map[string]interface{})
+	groupID, _ := workspace["group_id"].(string)
+	if groupID == "" {
+		if err := tx.QueryRowContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(`
+			SELECT workspace_group_id
+			FROM task_workspace_group_members
+			WHERE task_id = ? AND released_at IS NULL
+			ORDER BY created_at DESC, workspace_group_id DESC
+			LIMIT 1
+		`), taskID).Scan(&groupID); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
+			// Minimal legacy task databases may not have the optional office
+			// membership tables. In that case metadata remains the only
+			// available ownership signal; a missing table is not a detach
+			// failure.
+			if !internaldb.IsMissingTableError(err) {
+				return "", "", err
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return parentID, groupID, nil
+}
+
+func (r *Repository) transferDetachedWorkspaceStewardship(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	tx *sqlx.Tx,
+	groupID, taskID string,
+) error {
+	// Read the prospective owners without locking workspace rows first. The
+	// corresponding task rows must be locked before any group/environment row
+	// locks, otherwise two concurrent detachments can acquire those resources
+	// in opposite order and deadlock on PostgreSQL.
+	state, err := r.loadDetachedWorkspaceStewardship(ctx, tx, groupID, taskID, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := r.lockDetachedWorkspaceTransferTaskRows(ctx, tx, taskID, state); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	lockedState, err := r.loadDetachedWorkspaceStewardship(ctx, tx, groupID, taskID, true)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if lockedState.groupOwnerTaskID != state.groupOwnerTaskID ||
+		lockedState.environmentOwnerTaskID != state.environmentOwnerTaskID {
+		// Ownership changed between the unlocked read and the task-row locks.
+		// Acquire any newly-discovered task barriers before applying the final
+		// state; all normal paths already hold their initial barriers.
+		if err := r.lockDetachedWorkspaceTransferTaskRows(ctx, tx, taskID, lockedState); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		lockedState, err = r.loadDetachedWorkspaceStewardship(ctx, tx, groupID, taskID, true)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return r.applyDetachedWorkspaceStewardship(ctx, tx, groupID, taskID, lockedState)
+}
+
+type detachedWorkspaceStewardship struct {
+	groupOwnerTaskID       string
+	environmentID          string
+	environmentOwnerTaskID string
+	environmentGeneration  int64
+}
+
+func (r *Repository) loadDetachedWorkspaceStewardship(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	tx *sqlx.Tx,
+	groupID, taskID string,
+	lockRows bool,
+) (detachedWorkspaceStewardship, error) {
+	query := `
+		SELECT g.owner_task_id, g.materialized_environment_id
+		FROM task_workspace_groups g
+		JOIN task_workspace_group_members m ON m.workspace_group_id = g.id
+		WHERE g.id = ? AND m.task_id = ? AND m.released_at IS NULL
+		  AND g.cleanup_status IN ('active', 'cleanup_failed')
+	`
+	if lockRows && dialect.IsPostgres(r.db.DriverName()) {
+		query += ` FOR UPDATE OF g, m`
+	}
+	var state detachedWorkspaceStewardship
+	if err := tx.QueryRowContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(query), groupID, taskID).
+		Scan(&state.groupOwnerTaskID, &state.environmentID); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
+			return state, fmt.Errorf("%w: detach task %s: active workspace group %s not found", errDetachedWorkspaceTransferNotApplicable, taskID, groupID)
+		}
+		return state, err
+	}
+	if state.environmentID == "" {
+		return state, nil
+	}
+	owner, generation, err := r.loadDetachedEnvironmentOwnership(ctx, tx, state.environmentID, taskID, lockRows)
+	state.environmentOwnerTaskID = owner
+	state.environmentGeneration = generation
+	return state, err
+}
+
+func (r *Repository) loadDetachedEnvironmentOwnership(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	tx *sqlx.Tx,
+	environmentID, taskID string,
+	lockRow bool,
+) (string, int64, error) {
+	query := taskEnvironmentOwnershipQuery
+	if lockRow && dialect.IsPostgres(r.db.DriverName()) {
+		query += ` FOR UPDATE`
+	}
+	var ownerTaskID string
+	var generation int64
+	if err := tx.QueryRowContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(query), environmentID).
+		Scan(&ownerTaskID, &generation); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
+			return "", 0, fmt.Errorf("detach task %s: materialized environment %s not found", taskID, environmentID)
+		}
+		return "", 0, err
+	}
+	return ownerTaskID, generation, nil
+}
+
+func (r *Repository) lockDetachedWorkspaceTransferTaskRows(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	tx *sqlx.Tx,
+	taskID string,
+	state detachedWorkspaceStewardship,
+) error {
+	ids := make([]string, 0, 2)
+	if state.groupOwnerTaskID != "" && state.groupOwnerTaskID != taskID {
+		ids = append(ids, state.groupOwnerTaskID)
+	}
+	if state.environmentOwnerTaskID != "" &&
+		state.environmentOwnerTaskID != taskID &&
+		state.environmentOwnerTaskID != state.groupOwnerTaskID {
+		ids = append(ids, state.environmentOwnerTaskID)
+	}
+	sort.Strings(ids)
+	for _, ownerTaskID := range ids {
+		if err := r.taskCleanupBarrierLocked(ctx, tx, ownerTaskID); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (r *Repository) applyDetachedWorkspaceStewardship(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	tx *sqlx.Tx,
+	groupID, taskID string,
+	state detachedWorkspaceStewardship,
+) error {
+	now := time.Now().UTC()
+	if _, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(`
+		UPDATE task_workspace_group_members SET role = 'member'
+		WHERE workspace_group_id = ? AND released_at IS NULL
+	`), groupID); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if result, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(`
+		UPDATE task_workspace_group_members SET role = 'owner'
+		WHERE workspace_group_id = ? AND task_id = ? AND released_at IS NULL
+	`), groupID, taskID); err != nil {
+		return err
+	} else if rows, rowsErr := result.RowsAffected(); rowsErr != nil || rows != 1 {
+		return errors.Join(rowsErr, fmt.Errorf("detach task %s: owner membership changed concurrently", taskID))
+	}
+	if _, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(`
+		UPDATE task_workspace_groups
+		SET owner_task_id = ?, ownership_generation = ownership_generation + 1,
+			cleanup_status = 'active', cleanup_error = '', cleaned_at = NULL, updated_at = ?
+		WHERE id = ?
+	`), taskID, now, groupID); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if state.environmentID == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	result, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(`
+		UPDATE task_environments
+		SET task_id = ?, ownership_generation = ownership_generation + 1, updated_at = ?
+		WHERE id = ? AND task_id = ? AND ownership_generation = ?
+	`), taskID, now, state.environmentID, state.environmentOwnerTaskID, state.environmentGeneration)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	rows, err := result.RowsAffected()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if rows != 1 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("detach task %s: materialized environment %s changed concurrently", taskID, state.environmentID)
+	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func detachTaskQuery(driver string) string {
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/task_environment.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/task_environment.go
index 8302d852ae..ec34182dae 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/task_environment.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/task_environment.go
@@ -3,15 +3,19 @@ package sqlite
 import (
 	"context"
 	"database/sql"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	"github.com/jmoiron/sqlx"
 
+	"github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/db/dialect"
 	"github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/task/models"
 )
 
+const taskEnvironmentOwnershipQuery = `SELECT task_id, ownership_generation FROM task_environments WHERE id = ?`
+
 // CreateTaskEnvironment creates a new task environment record.
 // If env.Repos is non-empty, the per-repo rows are inserted in the same transaction.
 func (r *Repository) CreateTaskEnvironment(ctx context.Context, env *models.TaskEnvironment) error {
@@ -30,6 +34,9 @@ func (r *Repository) CreateTaskEnvironment(ctx context.Context, env *models.Task
 	now := time.Now().UTC()
 	env.CreatedAt = now
 	env.UpdatedAt = now
+	if env.OwnershipGeneration == 0 {
+		env.OwnershipGeneration = 1
+	}
 
 	tx, err := r.db.BeginTxx(ctx, nil)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -60,14 +67,14 @@ func (r *Repository) CreateTaskEnvironment(ctx context.Context, env *models.Task
 
 	if _, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(`
 		INSERT INTO task_environments (
-			id, task_id, executor_type, executor_id, executor_profile_id,
+			id, task_id, ownership_generation, executor_type, executor_id, executor_profile_id,
 			control_port, status, materialization_session_id,
 			workspace_path,
 			container_id, container_bootstrap_nonce_secret_id, container_control_auth_token_secret_id, sandbox_id, task_dir_name,
 			created_at, updated_at
-		) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
+		) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
 	`),
-		env.ID, env.TaskID, env.ExecutorType, env.ExecutorID, env.ExecutorProfileID,
+		env.ID, env.TaskID, env.OwnershipGeneration, env.ExecutorType, env.ExecutorID, env.ExecutorProfileID,
 		env.ControlPort, string(env.Status), env.MaterializationSessionID,
 		env.WorkspacePath,
 		env.ContainerID, env.ContainerBootstrapNonceSecretID, env.ContainerControlAuthTokenSecretID, env.SandboxID, env.TaskDirName,
@@ -92,14 +99,14 @@ func (r *Repository) GetTaskEnvironment(ctx context.Context, id string) (*models
 	var status string
 
 	err := r.ro.QueryRowContext(ctx, r.ro.Rebind(`
-		SELECT id, task_id, executor_type, executor_id, executor_profile_id,
+		SELECT id, task_id, ownership_generation, executor_type, executor_id, executor_profile_id,
 			control_port, status, materialization_session_id,
 			workspace_path,
 			container_id, COALESCE(container_bootstrap_nonce_secret_id, ''), COALESCE(container_control_auth_token_secret_id, ''), sandbox_id, COALESCE(task_dir_name, ''),
 			created_at, updated_at
 		FROM task_environments WHERE id = ?
 	`), id).Scan(
-		&env.ID, &env.TaskID, &env.ExecutorType, &env.ExecutorID, &env.ExecutorProfileID,
+		&env.ID, &env.TaskID, &env.OwnershipGeneration, &env.ExecutorType, &env.ExecutorID, &env.ExecutorProfileID,
 		&env.ControlPort, &status, &env.MaterializationSessionID,
 		&env.WorkspacePath,
 		&env.ContainerID, &env.ContainerBootstrapNonceSecretID, &env.ContainerControlAuthTokenSecretID, &env.SandboxID, &env.TaskDirName,
@@ -128,14 +135,14 @@ func (r *Repository) GetTaskEnvironmentByTaskID(ctx context.Context, taskID stri
 	var status string
 
 	err := r.ro.QueryRowContext(ctx, r.ro.Rebind(`
-		SELECT id, task_id, executor_type, executor_id, executor_profile_id,
+		SELECT id, task_id, ownership_generation, executor_type, executor_id, executor_profile_id,
 			control_port, status, materialization_session_id,
 			workspace_path,
 			container_id, COALESCE(container_bootstrap_nonce_secret_id, ''), COALESCE(container_control_auth_token_secret_id, ''), sandbox_id, COALESCE(task_dir_name, ''),
 			created_at, updated_at
 		FROM task_environments WHERE task_id = ? ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 1
 	`), taskID).Scan(
-		&env.ID, &env.TaskID, &env.ExecutorType, &env.ExecutorID, &env.ExecutorProfileID,
+		&env.ID, &env.TaskID, &env.OwnershipGeneration, &env.ExecutorType, &env.ExecutorID, &env.ExecutorProfileID,
 		&env.ControlPort, &status, &env.MaterializationSessionID,
 		&env.WorkspacePath,
 		&env.ContainerID, &env.ContainerBootstrapNonceSecretID, &env.ContainerControlAuthTokenSecretID, &env.SandboxID, &env.TaskDirName,
@@ -590,10 +597,54 @@ func (r *Repository) taskHasRepositoriesTx(ctx context.Context, tx *sqlx.Tx, tas
 	return count > 0, nil
 }
 
-func (r *Repository) TransferTaskEnvironmentToTask(ctx context.Context, envID, taskID string) error {
-	result, err := r.db.ExecContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(`
+// TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership moves an environment only when the
+// caller's owner-generation snapshot is still current.
+func (r *Repository) TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	envID, expectedTaskID string,
+	expectedGeneration int64,
+	taskID string,
+) error {
+	return r.transferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(ctx, envID, expectedTaskID, expectedGeneration, taskID)
+}
+
+func (r *Repository) transferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	envID, expectedTaskID string,
+	expectedGeneration int64,
+	taskID string,
+) error {
+	tx, err := r.db.BeginTxx(ctx, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = tx.Rollback() }()
+	query := taskEnvironmentOwnershipQuery
+	if dialect.IsPostgres(r.db.DriverName()) {
+		query += ` FOR UPDATE`
+	}
+	var currentTaskID string
+	var currentGeneration int64
+	if err := tx.QueryRowContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(query), envID).Scan(&currentTaskID, &currentGeneration); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", ErrTaskEnvironmentNotFound, envID)
+		}
+		return err
+	}
+	if currentTaskID != expectedTaskID || currentGeneration != expectedGeneration {
+		return fmt.Errorf("%w: environment %s is owned by %s at generation %d",
+			ErrTaskEnvironmentOwnershipChanged, envID, currentTaskID, currentGeneration)
+	}
+	if currentTaskID == taskID {
+		return tx.Commit()
+	}
+	if err := r.taskCleanupBarrierLocked(ctx, tx, currentTaskID); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	result, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(`
 		UPDATE task_environments SET
 			task_id = ?,
+			ownership_generation = ownership_generation + 1,
 			updated_at = ?
 		WHERE id = ?
 	`), taskID, time.Now().UTC(), envID)
@@ -604,7 +655,74 @@ func (r *Repository) TransferTaskEnvironmentToTask(ctx context.Context, envID, t
 	if rows == 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", ErrTaskEnvironmentNotFound, envID)
 	}
-	return nil
+	return tx.Commit()
+}
+
+// ClaimTaskEnvironmentReset reserves destructive environment reset behind the
+// same task cleanup barrier used by lifecycle cleanup. The prepared barrier
+// remains in place while external resources are torn down, so ownership
+// transfers cannot race the reset's snapshot.
+func (r *Repository) ClaimTaskEnvironmentReset(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	taskID, environmentID string,
+	expectedGeneration int64,
+	operationID string,
+) (string, error) {
+	if taskID == "" || environmentID == "" || operationID == "" {
+		return "", errors.New("task environment reset claim: task, environment, and operation ids are required")
+	}
+	tx, err := r.db.BeginTxx(ctx, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = tx.Rollback() }()
+	if err := r.lockTaskRowInTx(ctx, tx, taskID); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if err := r.taskCleanupBarrierLocked(ctx, tx, taskID); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	now := time.Now().UTC()
+	jobID := uuid.NewString()
+	if _, err := tx.ExecContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(`
+		INSERT INTO task_resource_cleanup_jobs (
+			id, operation_id, task_id, trigger, state, resource_snapshot, attempts,
+			next_attempt_at, last_error, created_at, updated_at, completed_at
+		) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
+	`), jobID, operationID, taskID, models.TaskResourceCleanupTriggerReconcile,
+		models.TaskResourceCleanupStatePrepared, `{}`, 0, nil, "", now, now, nil); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	query := taskEnvironmentOwnershipQuery
+	if dialect.IsPostgres(r.db.DriverName()) {
+		query += ` FOR UPDATE`
+	}
+	var ownerTaskID string
+	var generation int64
+	if err := tx.QueryRowContext(ctx, r.db.Rebind(query), environmentID).Scan(&ownerTaskID, &generation); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", ErrTaskEnvironmentNotFound, environmentID)
+		}
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if ownerTaskID != taskID || generation != expectedGeneration {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("%w: environment %s is owned by %s at generation %d",
+			ErrTaskEnvironmentOwnershipChanged, environmentID, ownerTaskID, generation)
+	}
+	if err := tx.Commit(); err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return jobID, nil
+}
+
+// ReleaseTaskEnvironmentReset removes a reset's durable cleanup barrier.
+func (r *Repository) ReleaseTaskEnvironmentReset(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	jobID string,
+	state models.TaskResourceCleanupState,
+	errStr string,
+) error {
+	return r.CompleteTaskResourceCleanupJob(ctx, jobID, state, errStr, nil)
 }
 
 // DeleteTaskEnvironment deletes a task environment by ID.
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/task_environment_test.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/task_environment_test.go
index 2f8d4f29b2..e44c6f6dd3 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/task_environment_test.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/task_environment_test.go
@@ -102,6 +102,86 @@ func TestGetTaskEnvironmentMissingReturnsSentinel(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// @covers AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001.4
+func TestTransferTaskEnvironmentAdvancesGenerationAndHonorsCleanupBarrier(t *testing.T) {
+	repo := newRepoForEntityTests(t)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	seedWorkspace(t, repo, "workspace-environment-transfer")
+	for _, taskID := range []string{"owner-a", "owner-b", "owner-c"} {
+		if err := repo.CreateTask(ctx, &models.Task{ID: taskID, WorkspaceID: "workspace-environment-transfer", Title: taskID}); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("CreateTask(%s): %v", taskID, err)
+		}
+	}
+	if err := repo.CreateTaskEnvironment(ctx, &models.TaskEnvironment{
+		ID: "environment-transfer", TaskID: "owner-a", ExecutorType: string(models.ExecutorTypeLocal),
+		Status: models.TaskEnvironmentStatusReady,
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateTaskEnvironment: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := repo.TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(ctx, "environment-transfer", "owner-a", 1, "owner-b"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership: %v", err)
+	}
+	transferred, err := repo.GetTaskEnvironment(ctx, "environment-transfer")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("GetTaskEnvironment: %v", err)
+	}
+	if transferred.TaskID != "owner-b" || transferred.OwnershipGeneration != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("transferred environment = owner %q generation %d; want owner-b, 2", transferred.TaskID, transferred.OwnershipGeneration)
+	}
+	if err := repo.TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(ctx, "environment-transfer", "owner-a", 1, "owner-c"); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("stale ownership retry transferred the current generation")
+	}
+
+	if err := repo.CreateTaskResourceCleanupJob(ctx, &models.TaskResourceCleanupJob{
+		ID: "cleanup-owner-b", OperationID: "delete:owner-b", TaskID: "owner-b",
+		Trigger: models.TaskResourceCleanupTriggerDelete, State: models.TaskResourceCleanupStatePending,
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateTaskResourceCleanupJob: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := repo.TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(ctx, "environment-transfer", "owner-b", 2, "owner-c"); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership succeeded through active cleanup barrier")
+	}
+	current, err := repo.GetTaskEnvironment(ctx, "environment-transfer")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("GetTaskEnvironment after rejected transfer: %v", err)
+	}
+	if current.TaskID != "owner-b" || current.OwnershipGeneration != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("environment after rejected transfer = owner %q generation %d; want owner-b, 2", current.TaskID, current.OwnershipGeneration)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestClaimTaskEnvironmentResetBlocksOwnershipTransferUntilReleased(t *testing.T) {
+	repo := newRepoForEntityTests(t)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	seedWorkspace(t, repo, "workspace-environment-reset-claim")
+	for _, taskID := range []string{"reset-owner", "reset-borrower"} {
+		if err := repo.CreateTask(ctx, &models.Task{ID: taskID, WorkspaceID: "workspace-environment-reset-claim", Title: taskID}); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("CreateTask(%s): %v", taskID, err)
+		}
+	}
+	if err := repo.CreateTaskEnvironment(ctx, &models.TaskEnvironment{
+		ID: "environment-reset-claim", TaskID: "reset-owner", ExecutorType: string(models.ExecutorTypeLocal),
+		Status: models.TaskEnvironmentStatusReady,
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateTaskEnvironment: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	jobID, err := repo.ClaimTaskEnvironmentReset(ctx, "reset-owner", "environment-reset-claim", 1, "reset:operation")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ClaimTaskEnvironmentReset: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := repo.TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(ctx, "environment-reset-claim", "reset-owner", 1, "reset-borrower"); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership succeeded while reset claim was active")
+	}
+	if err := repo.ReleaseTaskEnvironmentReset(ctx, jobID, models.TaskResourceCleanupStateSucceeded, ""); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ReleaseTaskEnvironmentReset: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := repo.TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(ctx, "environment-reset-claim", "reset-owner", 1, "reset-borrower"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership after release: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestTaskEnvironment_PersistsDockerBootstrapNonceReference(t *testing.T) {
 	repo := newRepoForEntityTests(t)
 	ctx := context.Background()
@@ -632,10 +712,10 @@ func TestUpdateTaskEnvironmentAllowsFailedMaterializationWithoutWorkspacePath(t
 func TestTransferTaskEnvironmentMissingReturnsSentinel(t *testing.T) {
 	repo := newRepoForHealTests(t)
 
-	err := repo.TransferTaskEnvironmentToTask(context.Background(), "missing-environment", "task-1")
+	err := repo.TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(context.Background(), "missing-environment", "task-1", 1, "task-2")
 
 	if !errors.Is(err, ErrTaskEnvironmentNotFound) {
-		t.Fatalf("TransferTaskEnvironmentToTask error = %v, want ErrTaskEnvironmentNotFound", err)
+		t.Fatalf("TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership error = %v, want ErrTaskEnvironmentNotFound", err)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/worktree_ownership_migration.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/worktree_ownership_migration.go
index 8f6b27e693..c8ebe49a42 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/worktree_ownership_migration.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/worktree_ownership_migration.go
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ func finalTaskEnvironmentsDDL(tableName string) string {
 		CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS %s (
 			id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,
 			task_id TEXT NOT NULL,
+			ownership_generation INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1,
 			executor_type TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT '',
 			executor_id TEXT DEFAULT '',
 			executor_profile_id TEXT DEFAULT '',
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/worktree_ownership_targets.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/worktree_ownership_targets.go
index 2ebed8777b..ebe579d7fc 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/worktree_ownership_targets.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/worktree_ownership_targets.go
@@ -239,11 +239,11 @@ func (r *Repository) insertNormalized(c *worktreeCutover, tx *sqlx.Tx) error {
 		}
 		if _, err := tx.Exec(tx.Rebind(`
 			INSERT INTO task_environments_shadow (
-				id, task_id, executor_type, executor_id, executor_profile_id,
+				id, task_id, ownership_generation, executor_type, executor_id, executor_profile_id,
 				control_port, status, materialization_session_id, workspace_path, container_id,
 				container_bootstrap_nonce_secret_id, container_control_auth_token_secret_id, sandbox_id, task_dir_name, created_at, updated_at
-			) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)`),
-			env.id, taskID, env.executorType, env.executorID, env.executorProfileID,
+			) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)`),
+			env.id, taskID, int64(1), env.executorType, env.executorID, env.executorProfileID,
 			env.controlPort, env.status, "", env.workspacePath, env.containerID,
 			env.containerBootstrapNonceSecretID, env.containerControlAuthTokenSecretID,
 			env.sandboxID, env.taskDirName, env.createdAt, env.updatedAt); err != nil {
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ func (r *Repository) checkShadowFinalSchema(tx *sqlx.Tx) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("cutover: task_environments_shadow still carries legacy column %s", legacy)
 		}
 	}
-	for _, required := range []string{"id", "task_id", "executor_type", columnStatus, "workspace_path", columnCreatedAt, columnUpdatedAt} {
+	for _, required := range []string{"id", "task_id", "ownership_generation", "executor_type", columnStatus, "workspace_path", columnCreatedAt, columnUpdatedAt} {
 		if !envColumns[required] {
 			return fmt.Errorf("cutover: task_environments_shadow missing final column %s", required)
 		}
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/create_task_references.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/create_task_references.go
index 95177ba974..b92ccc121c 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/create_task_references.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/create_task_references.go
@@ -119,6 +119,12 @@ func (s *Service) rollbackPartialTask(ctx context.Context, taskID string, cause
 		s.logger.Error("rollback delete failed; task left in inconsistent state",
 			zap.String("task_id", taskID), zap.Error(err))
 	}
+	if releaser, ok := s.workspacePolicyAttacher.(WorkspacePolicyMembershipReleaser); ok {
+		if err := releaser.ReleaseWorkspacePolicy(rollbackCtx, taskID, "create_rollback"); err != nil {
+			s.logger.Warn("rollback workspace membership cleanup failed",
+				zap.String("task_id", taskID), zap.Error(err))
+		}
+	}
 	return cause
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_cascade.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_cascade.go
index 565d1d08d2..8a0f2928ea 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_cascade.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_cascade.go
@@ -22,10 +22,11 @@ type workspaceEnvironmentRepository interface {
 }
 
 type workspaceEnvironmentOwnershipTransfer struct {
-	groupID        string
-	environmentID  string
-	oldOwnerTaskID string
-	newOwnerTaskID string
+	groupID             string
+	environmentID       string
+	oldOwnerTaskID      string
+	newOwnerTaskID      string
+	resultingGeneration int64
 }
 
 // publishUpdatedTask re-reads the task row and forwards it to the event
@@ -95,12 +96,15 @@ func (s *HandoffService) evaluateWorkspaceGroupCleanup(ctx context.Context, grou
 			orchmodels.WorkspaceCleanupStatusPending,
 			"active executor still bound to group's member session", nil)
 	}
-	// Mark the group as cleanup_pending before invoking the cleaner so
-	// any concurrent observer sees a consistent state machine.
-	if err := s.wsGroups.UpdateWorkspaceGroupCleanupStatus(ctx, groupID,
-		orchmodels.WorkspaceCleanupStatusPending, "", nil); err != nil {
+	// Claim this ownership generation before invoking the cleaner. A stale
+	// evaluator or a concurrent membership admission cannot pass this write.
+	claimed, err := claimWorkspaceGroupCleanup(ctx, s.wsGroups, g)
+	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if !claimed {
+		return nil
+	}
 	if s.cleaner == nil {
 		// No cleaner wired — leave the group in cleanup_pending so the
 		// operator can see it awaiting a cleaner upgrade. This matches
@@ -108,12 +112,12 @@ func (s *HandoffService) evaluateWorkspaceGroupCleanup(ctx context.Context, grou
 		return nil
 	}
 	if err := s.runWorkspaceGroupCleanup(ctx, g); err != nil {
-		_ = s.wsGroups.UpdateWorkspaceGroupCleanupStatus(ctx, groupID,
+		_ = completeWorkspaceGroupCleanup(ctx, s.wsGroups, g,
 			orchmodels.WorkspaceCleanupStatusFailed, err.Error(), nil)
 		return err
 	}
 	now := time.Now().UTC()
-	return s.wsGroups.UpdateWorkspaceGroupCleanupStatus(ctx, groupID,
+	return completeWorkspaceGroupCleanup(ctx, s.wsGroups, g,
 		orchmodels.WorkspaceCleanupStatusCleaned, "", &now)
 }
 
@@ -527,7 +531,9 @@ func (s *HandoffService) transferWorkspaceGroupEnvironmentOwnership(
 	if newOwner == "" {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("preserve workspace group %s: no surviving member can own environment %s", group.ID, env.ID)
 	}
-	if err := environments.TransferTaskEnvironmentToTask(ctx, env.ID, newOwner); err != nil {
+	if err := environments.TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(
+		ctx, env.ID, env.TaskID, env.OwnershipGeneration, newOwner,
+	); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("transfer workspace environment %s to task %s: %w", env.ID, newOwner, err)
 	}
 	s.logf().Info("transferred shared workspace environment before task lifecycle cleanup",
@@ -536,10 +542,11 @@ func (s *HandoffService) transferWorkspaceGroupEnvironmentOwnership(
 		zap.String("old_owner_task_id", env.TaskID),
 		zap.String("new_owner_task_id", newOwner))
 	return &workspaceEnvironmentOwnershipTransfer{
-		groupID:        group.ID,
-		environmentID:  env.ID,
-		oldOwnerTaskID: env.TaskID,
-		newOwnerTaskID: newOwner,
+		groupID:             group.ID,
+		environmentID:       env.ID,
+		oldOwnerTaskID:      env.TaskID,
+		newOwnerTaskID:      newOwner,
+		resultingGeneration: env.OwnershipGeneration + 1,
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -580,8 +587,12 @@ func (s *HandoffService) rollbackWorkspaceEnvironmentOwnershipTransfers(
 				// A concurrent retry already restored this transfer.
 			case env.TaskID != transfer.newOwnerTaskID:
 				err = fmt.Errorf("owner changed from rollback target %s to %s", transfer.newOwnerTaskID, env.TaskID)
+			case env.OwnershipGeneration != transfer.resultingGeneration:
+				err = fmt.Errorf("ownership generation changed from rollback target %d to %d", transfer.resultingGeneration, env.OwnershipGeneration)
 			default:
-				err = environments.TransferTaskEnvironmentToTask(ctx, transfer.environmentID, transfer.oldOwnerTaskID)
+				err = environments.TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(
+					ctx, transfer.environmentID, transfer.newOwnerTaskID, transfer.resultingGeneration, transfer.oldOwnerTaskID,
+				)
 			}
 		}
 		mu.Unlock()
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_cleaner.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_cleaner.go
index 8aba25c453..6ccc0bfa2f 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_cleaner.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_cleaner.go
@@ -62,26 +62,24 @@ func (s *HandoffService) CleanupWorkspaceGroups(ctx context.Context, workspaceID
 			s.logf().Warn("workspace group cleanup: active executions remain",
 				zap.String("workspace_id", workspaceID),
 				zap.String("group_id", g.ID))
-			if err := s.wsGroups.UpdateWorkspaceGroupCleanupStatus(statusCtx, g.ID,
-				orchmodels.WorkspaceCleanupStatusPending,
-				"active executor still bound during workspace deletion", nil); err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
 			if err := s.waitForWorkspaceGroupIdle(ctx, workspaceID, g.ID); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 		}
-		if err := s.wsGroups.UpdateWorkspaceGroupCleanupStatus(statusCtx, g.ID,
-			orchmodels.WorkspaceCleanupStatusPending, "", nil); err != nil {
+		claimed, err := claimWorkspaceGroupCleanup(statusCtx, s.wsGroups, g)
+		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+		if !claimed {
+			continue
+		}
 		if err := s.runWorkspaceGroupCleanup(ctx, g); err != nil {
-			_ = s.wsGroups.UpdateWorkspaceGroupCleanupStatus(statusCtx, g.ID,
+			_ = completeWorkspaceGroupCleanup(statusCtx, s.wsGroups, g,
 				orchmodels.WorkspaceCleanupStatusFailed, err.Error(), nil)
 			return fmt.Errorf("clean workspace group %s: %w", g.ID, err)
 		}
 		now := time.Now().UTC()
-		if err := s.wsGroups.UpdateWorkspaceGroupCleanupStatus(statusCtx, g.ID,
+		if err := completeWorkspaceGroupCleanup(statusCtx, s.wsGroups, g,
 			orchmodels.WorkspaceCleanupStatusCleaned, "", &now); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_service.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_service.go
index d5981b03cf..b3dfa29a27 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_service.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_service.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 // in sync with internal/mcp/handlers/workspace_policy.go.
 const (
 	workspaceModeInheritParent = "inherit_parent"
+	workspaceModeNewWorkspace  = "new_workspace"
 	workspaceModeSharedGroup   = "shared_group"
 	orderingSequential         = "sequential"
 )
@@ -51,6 +52,47 @@ type WorkspaceGroupRepo interface {
 	UpdateWorkspaceGroupRestoreStatus(ctx context.Context, id, status, errStr string) error
 }
 
+type workspaceGroupCleanupGenerationRepository interface {
+	ClaimWorkspaceGroupCleanup(ctx context.Context, id string, generation int64) (bool, error)
+	CompleteWorkspaceGroupCleanup(
+		ctx context.Context,
+		id string,
+		generation int64,
+		status, errStr string,
+		cleanedAt *time.Time,
+	) (bool, error)
+}
+
+func claimWorkspaceGroupCleanup(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	repo WorkspaceGroupRepo,
+	group *orchmodels.WorkspaceGroup,
+) (bool, error) {
+	if guarded, ok := repo.(workspaceGroupCleanupGenerationRepository); ok {
+		return guarded.ClaimWorkspaceGroupCleanup(ctx, group.ID, group.OwnershipGeneration)
+	}
+	err := repo.UpdateWorkspaceGroupCleanupStatus(
+		ctx, group.ID, orchmodels.WorkspaceCleanupStatusPending, "", nil,
+	)
+	return err == nil, err
+}
+
+func completeWorkspaceGroupCleanup(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	repo WorkspaceGroupRepo,
+	group *orchmodels.WorkspaceGroup,
+	status, errStr string,
+	cleanedAt *time.Time,
+) error {
+	if guarded, ok := repo.(workspaceGroupCleanupGenerationRepository); ok {
+		_, err := guarded.CompleteWorkspaceGroupCleanup(
+			ctx, group.ID, group.OwnershipGeneration, status, errStr, cleanedAt,
+		)
+		return err
+	}
+	return repo.UpdateWorkspaceGroupCleanupStatus(ctx, group.ID, status, errStr, cleanedAt)
+}
+
 // SessionWorktreeReader is the slim repository surface HandoffService
 // uses to discover a task's primary session + worktree details when
 // recording materialization state on a workspace group. Implemented by
@@ -406,15 +448,33 @@ func (s *HandoffService) AttachWorkspacePolicy(ctx context.Context, taskID, pare
 	if !pol.NeedsAttachment() {
 		return nil
 	}
-	if err := s.attachWorkspaceGroup(ctx, taskID, parentID, pol); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
 	if pol.ParentOrdering == orderingSequential && parentID != "" {
 		if err := s.attachSequentialBlocker(ctx, taskID, parentID); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
-	return nil
+	return s.attachWorkspaceGroup(ctx, taskID, parentID, pol)
+}
+
+// ReleaseWorkspacePolicy removes the task's active workspace-group
+// membership after a create rollback. The membership audit row is retained,
+// and normal group cleanup evaluation runs so a group created solely for the
+// failed task cannot remain active forever.
+func (s *HandoffService) ReleaseWorkspacePolicy(ctx context.Context, taskID, reason string) error {
+	if s.wsGroups == nil || taskID == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	group, err := s.wsGroups.GetWorkspaceGroupForTask(ctx, taskID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if group == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if err := s.wsGroups.ReleaseWorkspaceGroupMember(ctx, group.ID, taskID, reason, ""); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return s.evaluateWorkspaceGroupCleanup(ctx, group.ID)
 }
 
 func (s *HandoffService) attachWorkspaceGroup(ctx context.Context, taskID, parentID string, pol WorkspacePolicy) error {
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_workspace_test.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_workspace_test.go
index 1495a47866..f51ee61ba5 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_workspace_test.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_workspace_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 
 	orchmodels "github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/office/models"
 	"github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/task/models"
+	taskrepo "github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/task/repository"
 	v1 "github.com/kandev/kandev/pkg/api/v1"
 )
 
@@ -346,12 +347,23 @@ func (f *fakeTaskRepo) GetTaskEnvironmentByTaskID(_ context.Context, taskID stri
 	return nil, nil
 }
 
-func (f *fakeTaskRepo) TransferTaskEnvironmentToTask(_ context.Context, envID, taskID string) error {
+func (f *fakeTaskRepo) TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(
+	_ context.Context,
+	envID, expectedTaskID string,
+	expectedGeneration int64,
+	taskID string,
+) error {
 	f.mu.Lock()
 	defer f.mu.Unlock()
-	if env := f.taskEnvironments[envID]; env != nil {
-		env.TaskID = taskID
+	env := f.taskEnvironments[envID]
+	if env == nil {
+		return nil
 	}
+	if env.TaskID != expectedTaskID || env.OwnershipGeneration != expectedGeneration {
+		return taskrepo.ErrTaskEnvironmentOwnershipChanged
+	}
+	env.TaskID = taskID
+	env.OwnershipGeneration++
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -410,8 +422,13 @@ func (r *phase4TaskRepo) GetTaskEnvironment(ctx context.Context, id string) (*mo
 func (r *phase4TaskRepo) GetTaskEnvironmentByTaskID(ctx context.Context, taskID string) (*models.TaskEnvironment, error) {
 	return r.base.GetTaskEnvironmentByTaskID(ctx, taskID)
 }
-func (r *phase4TaskRepo) TransferTaskEnvironmentToTask(ctx context.Context, envID, taskID string) error {
-	return r.base.TransferTaskEnvironmentToTask(ctx, envID, taskID)
+func (r *phase4TaskRepo) TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	envID, expectedTaskID string,
+	expectedGeneration int64,
+	taskID string,
+) error {
+	return r.base.TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(ctx, envID, expectedTaskID, expectedGeneration, taskID)
 }
 
 // All other TaskRepository methods panic — the AttachWorkspacePolicy
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service.go
index 7a68da6ab1..26c5178ea1 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service.go
@@ -341,6 +341,7 @@ type Service struct {
 	taskActivity                    repository.TaskActivityRepository
 	subagentContexts                repository.SubagentContextRepository
 	usage                           repository.UsageRepository
+	workspacePolicyAttacher         WorkspacePolicyAttacher
 	attachmentSvc                   *AttachmentService
 	statusSummaryPRs                TaskStatusSummaryPRReader
 	statusSummaryProjector          TaskStatusSummaryEventProjector
@@ -427,6 +428,20 @@ type Service struct {
 	lastPendingActionProjections    map[string]pendingActionProjectionState
 }
 
+// WorkspacePolicyAttacher persists the workspace-group relationship that is
+// required before a newly created child can be returned or launched.
+type WorkspacePolicyAttacher interface {
+	AttachWorkspacePolicy(ctx context.Context, taskID, parentID string, policy WorkspacePolicy) error
+}
+
+// WorkspacePolicyMembershipReleaser removes a task's workspace-group
+// membership after a post-create rollback. It is an optional companion to
+// WorkspacePolicyAttacher because lightweight task-service test harnesses may
+// not persist workspace groups.
+type WorkspacePolicyMembershipReleaser interface {
+	ReleaseWorkspacePolicy(ctx context.Context, taskID, reason string) error
+}
+
 // SetAttachmentService wires the file-backed prompt attachment owner into the
 // task service. It is optional for focused unit-test harnesses that never send
 // file-backed descriptors.
@@ -459,6 +474,12 @@ func (s *Service) SetWorkspaceSecretDeleter(deleter WorkspaceSecretDeleter) {
 	s.workspaceSecretDeleter = deleter
 }
 
+// SetWorkspacePolicyAttacher installs the canonical child-workspace
+// coordinator used by every CreateTask caller.
+func (s *Service) SetWorkspacePolicyAttacher(attacher WorkspacePolicyAttacher) {
+	s.workspacePolicyAttacher = attacher
+}
+
 // NewService creates a new task service
 func NewService(repos Repos, eventBus bus.EventBus, log *logger.Logger, discoveryConfig RepositoryDiscoveryConfig) *Service {
 	return &Service{
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_child_task.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_child_task.go
index aee5d9dcc4..55d713b017 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_child_task.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_child_task.go
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ func (s *Service) CreateChildTask(
 		AssigneeAgentProfileID: assignee,
 		Origin:                 models.TaskOriginAgentCreated,
 		ProjectID:              parent.ProjectID,
+		WorkspacePolicy:        &WorkspacePolicy{Mode: workspaceModeInheritParent},
 	}
 	result, err := s.CreateTask(ctx, req)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_child_task_test.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_child_task_test.go
index 2d65ebba70..09f0518c85 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_child_task_test.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_child_task_test.go
@@ -6,9 +6,113 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
+	officesqlite "github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/office/repository/sqlite"
 	"github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/task/models"
+	sqliterepo "github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/task/repository/sqlite"
 )
 
+type failingWorkspacePolicyAttacher struct {
+	err error
+}
+
+func (f failingWorkspacePolicyAttacher) AttachWorkspacePolicy(context.Context, string, string, WorkspacePolicy) error {
+	return f.err
+}
+
+// @covers AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-002.1
+func TestCreateChildTaskAttachesInheritedWorkspaceBeforeReturning(t *testing.T) {
+	svc, database := createOfficeIntegrationServiceWithDB(t)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	officeRepo, err := officesqlite.NewWithDB(database, database, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("office repository: %v", err)
+	}
+	taskRepo, ok := svc.tasks.(*sqliterepo.Repository)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("task repository type = %T", svc.tasks)
+	}
+	handoff := NewHandoffService(taskRepo, nil, nil, officeRepo, officeRepo, nil)
+	svc.SetWorkspacePolicyAttacher(handoff)
+
+	if err := svc.workspaces.CreateWorkspace(ctx, &models.Workspace{ID: "workspace-child-attachment", Name: "Workspace"}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateWorkspace: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := svc.workflows.CreateWorkflow(ctx, &models.Workflow{ID: "workflow-child-attachment", WorkspaceID: "workspace-child-attachment", Name: "Workflow"}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateWorkflow: %v", err)
+	}
+	parentResult, err := svc.CreateTask(ctx, &CreateTaskRequest{
+		WorkspaceID: "workspace-child-attachment",
+		WorkflowID:  "workflow-child-attachment",
+		Title:       "Parent",
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("create parent: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	childID, err := svc.CreateChildTask(ctx, parentResult.Task, ChildTaskSpec{Title: "Child"})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateChildTask: %v", err)
+	}
+	parentGroup, err := officeRepo.GetWorkspaceGroupForTask(ctx, parentResult.Task.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("GetWorkspaceGroupForTask(parent): %v", err)
+	}
+	childGroup, err := officeRepo.GetWorkspaceGroupForTask(ctx, childID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("GetWorkspaceGroupForTask(child): %v", err)
+	}
+	if parentGroup == nil || childGroup == nil || parentGroup.ID != childGroup.ID {
+		t.Fatalf("workspace groups = parent %#v, child %#v; want one shared group", parentGroup, childGroup)
+	}
+}
+
+// @covers AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-002.2
+func TestCreateChildTaskRollsBackWhenWorkspaceAttachmentFails(t *testing.T) {
+	svc, repo := setupOfficeTest(t)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	parentResult, err := svc.CreateTask(ctx, &CreateTaskRequest{
+		WorkspaceID: "ws-1", Title: "Parent", ProjectID: "proj-1",
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("create parent: %v", err)
+	}
+	svc.SetWorkspacePolicyAttacher(failingWorkspacePolicyAttacher{err: errors.New("attachment unavailable")})
+
+	if _, err := svc.CreateChildTask(ctx, parentResult.Task, ChildTaskSpec{Title: "Child"}); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("CreateChildTask succeeded after required workspace attachment failed")
+	}
+	children, err := repo.ListChildren(ctx, parentResult.Task.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ListChildren: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(children) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("children after rollback = %#v, want none", children)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestCreateChildTaskRollsBackWhenWorkspaceAttachmentIsUnavailable(t *testing.T) {
+	svc, repo := setupOfficeTest(t)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	parentResult, err := svc.CreateTask(ctx, &CreateTaskRequest{
+		WorkspaceID: "ws-1", Title: "Parent", ProjectID: "proj-1",
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("create parent: %v", err)
+	}
+	svc.SetWorkspacePolicyAttacher(nil)
+
+	if _, err := svc.CreateChildTask(ctx, parentResult.Task, ChildTaskSpec{Title: "Child"}); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("CreateChildTask succeeded without the required workspace attachment service")
+	}
+	children, err := repo.ListChildren(ctx, parentResult.Task.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ListChildren: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(children) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("children after unavailable attachment rollback = %#v, want none", children)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestCreateChildTask_HappyPath_InheritsWorkflow(t *testing.T) {
 	svc, repo := setupOfficeTest(t)
 	ctx := context.Background()
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_detachment_test.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_detachment_test.go
index e6aeecf3f9..45c5caf2fc 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_detachment_test.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_detachment_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/events"
 	"github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/task/models"
 	"github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/task/repository"
+	sqliterepo "github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/task/repository/sqlite"
 	v1 "github.com/kandev/kandev/pkg/api/v1"
 )
 
@@ -160,21 +161,6 @@ func TestDetachTaskPreservesDescendantsAndWorkspaceGroupMembership(t *testing.T)
 	}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("CreateTask grandchild: %v", err)
 	}
-	now := time.Now().UTC()
-	if _, err := repo.DB().ExecContext(ctx, `
-		INSERT INTO task_workspace_groups
-			(id, workspace_id, owner_task_id, materialized_kind, created_at, updated_at)
-		VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
-	`, "group-1", "workspace", "parent", "single_repo", now, now); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("insert workspace group: %v", err)
-	}
-	if _, err := repo.DB().ExecContext(ctx, `
-		INSERT INTO task_workspace_group_members (workspace_group_id, task_id, role, created_at)
-		VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)
-	`, "group-1", "child", "member", now); err != nil {
-		t.Fatalf("insert workspace group member: %v", err)
-	}
-
 	if _, err := svc.DetachTask(ctx, "child"); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("DetachTask: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -198,6 +184,111 @@ func TestDetachTaskPreservesDescendantsAndWorkspaceGroupMembership(t *testing.T)
 	}
 }
 
+// @covers AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001.1
+func TestDetachTaskTransfersSharedWorkspaceStewardship(t *testing.T) {
+	svc, _, repo := createTestService(t)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	createDetachmentFixture(t, ctx, repo)
+	if _, err := repo.DB().ExecContext(ctx, `
+		UPDATE task_workspace_groups SET materialized_environment_id = ? WHERE id = ?
+	`, "env-1", "group-1"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("update workspace group environment: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := repo.CreateTaskEnvironment(ctx, &models.TaskEnvironment{
+		ID: "env-1", TaskID: "parent", ExecutorType: string(models.ExecutorTypeWorktree),
+		WorkspacePath: t.TempDir(), Status: models.TaskEnvironmentStatusReady,
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("CreateTaskEnvironment: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if _, err := svc.DetachTask(ctx, "child"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("DetachTask: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	var groupOwner, environmentOwner string
+	var groupGeneration, environmentGeneration int64
+	if err := repo.DB().QueryRowContext(ctx,
+		`SELECT owner_task_id, ownership_generation FROM task_workspace_groups WHERE id = ?`, "group-1",
+	).Scan(&groupOwner, &groupGeneration); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("query workspace group owner: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := repo.DB().QueryRowContext(ctx,
+		`SELECT task_id, ownership_generation FROM task_environments WHERE id = ?`, "env-1",
+	).Scan(&environmentOwner, &environmentGeneration); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("query task environment owner: %v", err)
+	}
+	if groupOwner != "child" || environmentOwner != "child" {
+		t.Fatalf("owners after detach = group %q, environment %q; want child, child", groupOwner, environmentOwner)
+	}
+	var parentRole, childRole string
+	if err := repo.DB().QueryRowContext(ctx, `
+		SELECT role FROM task_workspace_group_members WHERE workspace_group_id = ? AND task_id = ?
+	`, "group-1", "parent").Scan(&parentRole); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("query parent membership role: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := repo.DB().QueryRowContext(ctx, `
+		SELECT role FROM task_workspace_group_members WHERE workspace_group_id = ? AND task_id = ?
+	`, "group-1", "child").Scan(&childRole); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("query child membership role: %v", err)
+	}
+	if parentRole != "member" || childRole != "owner" {
+		t.Fatalf("membership roles after detach = parent %q, child %q; want member, owner", parentRole, childRole)
+	}
+	if groupGeneration != 2 || environmentGeneration != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("generations after detach = group %d, environment %d; want 2, 2", groupGeneration, environmentGeneration)
+	}
+
+	if _, err := svc.DetachTask(ctx, "child"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("idempotent DetachTask: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := repo.DB().QueryRowContext(ctx,
+		`SELECT ownership_generation FROM task_workspace_groups WHERE id = ?`, "group-1",
+	).Scan(&groupGeneration); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("query workspace group generation after retry: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := repo.DB().QueryRowContext(ctx,
+		`SELECT ownership_generation FROM task_environments WHERE id = ?`, "env-1",
+	).Scan(&environmentGeneration); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("query task environment generation after retry: %v", err)
+	}
+	if groupGeneration != 2 || environmentGeneration != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("generations after retry = group %d, environment %d; want 2, 2", groupGeneration, environmentGeneration)
+	}
+}
+
+// @covers AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001.2
+func TestDetachTaskRollsBackHierarchyWhenWorkspaceTransferFails(t *testing.T) {
+	svc, _, repo := createTestService(t)
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	createDetachmentFixture(t, ctx, repo)
+	if _, err := repo.DB().ExecContext(ctx, `
+		UPDATE task_workspace_groups SET materialized_environment_id = ? WHERE id = ?
+	`, "missing-environment", "group-1"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("update workspace group environment: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if _, err := svc.DetachTask(ctx, "child"); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("DetachTask succeeded with a missing canonical environment")
+	}
+	child, err := repo.GetTask(ctx, "child")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("GetTask: %v", err)
+	}
+	if child.ParentID != "parent" {
+		t.Fatalf("child parent after rollback = %q, want parent", child.ParentID)
+	}
+	var owner string
+	var generation int64
+	if err := repo.DB().QueryRowContext(ctx, `
+		SELECT owner_task_id, ownership_generation FROM task_workspace_groups WHERE id = ?
+	`, "group-1").Scan(&owner, &generation); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("query workspace group after rollback: %v", err)
+	}
+	if owner != "parent" || generation != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("workspace group after rollback = owner %q generation %d; want parent, 1", owner, generation)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDetachTaskEventReflectsConcurrentReparent(t *testing.T) {
 	svc, eventBus, repo := createTestService(t)
 	ctx := context.Background()
@@ -252,7 +343,7 @@ func TestDetachTaskPublishesOfficeTaskUpdated(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Fatal("office.task.updated event was not published")
 }
 
-func createDetachmentFixture(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, repo taskEventTestRepository) {
+func createDetachmentFixture(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, repo *sqliterepo.Repository) {
 	t.Helper()
 	if err := repo.CreateWorkspace(ctx, &models.Workspace{ID: "workspace", Name: "Workspace"}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("CreateWorkspace: %v", err)
@@ -280,6 +371,25 @@ func createDetachmentFixture(t *testing.T, ctx context.Context, repo taskEventTe
 	}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("CreateTask child: %v", err)
 	}
+	now := time.Now().UTC()
+	if _, err := repo.DB().ExecContext(ctx, `
+		INSERT INTO task_workspace_groups
+			(id, workspace_id, owner_task_id, materialized_kind, created_at, updated_at)
+		VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
+	`, "group-1", "workspace", "parent", "single_repo", now, now); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("insert workspace group: %v", err)
+	}
+	for _, member := range []struct {
+		taskID string
+		role   string
+	}{{"parent", "owner"}, {"child", "member"}} {
+		if _, err := repo.DB().ExecContext(ctx, `
+			INSERT INTO task_workspace_group_members (workspace_group_id, task_id, role, created_at)
+			VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?)
+		`, "group-1", member.taskID, member.role, now); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("insert workspace group member %s: %v", member.taskID, err)
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 func singleDetachmentEventData(t *testing.T, eventBus *MockEventBus) map[string]interface{} {
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_office_test.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_office_test.go
index b8ba300d60..e5a9ba9e34 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_office_test.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_office_test.go
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@ type dbStepResolver struct {
 	repo *sqliterepo.Repository
 }
 
+type noOpWorkspacePolicyAttacher struct{}
+
+func (noOpWorkspacePolicyAttacher) AttachWorkspacePolicy(context.Context, string, string, WorkspacePolicy) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (r *dbStepResolver) ResolveStartStep(ctx context.Context, workflowID string) (string, error) {
 	var stepID string
 	err := r.repo.DB().QueryRowContext(ctx,
@@ -83,6 +89,7 @@ func setupOfficeTest(t *testing.T) (*Service, *sqliterepo.Repository) {
 		t.Fatalf("EnsureOfficeWorkflow: %v", err)
 	}
 	svc.SetStartStepResolver(&dbStepResolver{repo: repo})
+	svc.SetWorkspacePolicyAttacher(noOpWorkspacePolicyAttacher{})
 	return svc, repo
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_requests.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_requests.go
index 947a4f069e..0794ad68f6 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_requests.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_requests.go
@@ -94,6 +94,9 @@ type CreateTaskRequest struct {
 	ParentID      string `json:"parent_id,omitempty"`
 	Autopilot     bool   `json:"autopilot,omitempty"`
 	WorkspacePath string `json:"workspace_path,omitempty"` // Optional host folder for repo-less tasks
+	// WorkspacePolicy carries the effective policy resolved by an API adapter.
+	// When omitted, CreateTask derives child defaults from the persisted parent.
+	WorkspacePolicy *WorkspacePolicy `json:"-"`
 
 	// ExternalID is a caller-supplied identity used for create-idempotency
 	// (docs/specs/tasks/requirements/external-id-idempotency.md). Accepted on REST
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_task_environments.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_task_environments.go
index 9b885c59fe..e87fd27b1d 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_task_environments.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_task_environments.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"strconv"
 
+	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 
 	"github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/task/models"
@@ -74,6 +75,15 @@ type SessionRunningChecker interface {
 	IsAnySessionRunningForTask(ctx context.Context, taskID string) (bool, error)
 }
 
+// taskEnvironmentResetClaimer reserves an environment reset behind the
+// durable cleanup barrier. It is optional so lightweight service test doubles
+// and integrations that do not persist cleanup jobs retain their legacy
+// behavior.
+type taskEnvironmentResetClaimer interface {
+	ClaimTaskEnvironmentReset(ctx context.Context, taskID, environmentID string, expectedGeneration int64, operationID string) (string, error)
+	ReleaseTaskEnvironmentReset(ctx context.Context, jobID string, state models.TaskResourceCleanupState, errStr string) error
+}
+
 // ErrSessionRunning is returned by ResetTaskEnvironment when at least one session
 // on the task is still actively running and the caller must stop it first.
 var ErrSessionRunning = errors.New("active session is running on this task; stop it before resetting the environment")
@@ -295,6 +305,38 @@ func (s *Service) ResetTaskEnvironment(ctx context.Context, taskID string, opts
 		return ErrSessionRunning
 	}
 
+	var resetJobID string
+	var resetClaimer taskEnvironmentResetClaimer
+	if claimer, ok := s.taskEnvironments.(taskEnvironmentResetClaimer); ok {
+		resetClaimer = claimer
+		resetJobID, err = claimer.ClaimTaskEnvironmentReset(
+			ctx,
+			taskID,
+			env.ID,
+			env.OwnershipGeneration,
+			fmt.Sprintf("task-environment-reset:%s", uuid.NewString()),
+		)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("claim environment reset: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+	releaseReset := func(state models.TaskResourceCleanupState, releaseErr error) {
+		if resetClaimer == nil || resetJobID == "" {
+			return
+		}
+		lastError := ""
+		if releaseErr != nil {
+			lastError = releaseErr.Error()
+		}
+		if err := resetClaimer.ReleaseTaskEnvironmentReset(context.WithoutCancel(ctx), resetJobID, state, lastError); err != nil {
+			s.logger.Warn("failed to finalize task environment reset barrier",
+				zap.String("task_id", taskID),
+				zap.String("env_id", env.ID),
+				zap.String("cleanup_job_id", resetJobID),
+				zap.Error(err))
+		}
+	}
+
 	s.logger.Info("resetting task environment",
 		zap.String("task_id", taskID),
 		zap.String("env_id", env.ID),
@@ -306,20 +348,26 @@ func (s *Service) ResetTaskEnvironment(ctx context.Context, taskID string, opts
 
 	if opts.PushBranch {
 		if s.envDestroyer == nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("environment destroyer not configured; cannot push branch")
+			err := fmt.Errorf("environment destroyer not configured; cannot push branch")
+			releaseReset(models.TaskResourceCleanupStateFailed, err)
+			return err
 		}
 		if err := s.envDestroyer.PushEnvironmentBranch(ctx, env); err != nil {
+			releaseReset(models.TaskResourceCleanupStateFailed, err)
 			return fmt.Errorf("push branch before reset: %w", err)
 		}
 	}
 
 	if err := s.teardownEnvironmentResources(ctx, env); err != nil {
+		releaseReset(models.TaskResourceCleanupStateFailed, err)
 		return err
 	}
 
 	if err := s.taskEnvironments.DeleteTaskEnvironment(ctx, env.ID); err != nil {
+		releaseReset(models.TaskResourceCleanupStateFailed, err)
 		return fmt.Errorf("delete task environment row: %w", err)
 	}
+	releaseReset(models.TaskResourceCleanupStateSucceeded, nil)
 	s.logger.Info("task environment reset complete",
 		zap.String("task_id", taskID),
 		zap.String("env_id", env.ID))
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_task_environments_test.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_task_environments_test.go
index f26a3b08da..cd004b45b3 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_task_environments_test.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_task_environments_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/common/logger"
 	"github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/task/models"
+	"github.com/kandev/kandev/internal/worktree"
 )
 
 type stubEnvRepo struct {
@@ -96,6 +97,37 @@ type stubRunningChecker struct {
 	err     error
 }
 
+// @covers AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001.4
+func TestCleanupTaskEnvironmentSkipsStaleOwnershipGeneration(t *testing.T) {
+	repo := &stubEnvRepo{env: &models.TaskEnvironment{
+		ID: "env-transferred", TaskID: "detached-child", OwnershipGeneration: 2,
+	}}
+	svc := newResetTestService(t, repo)
+	destroyer := &stubDestroyer{}
+	svc.SetEnvironmentDestroyer(destroyer)
+	worktreeCleaner := &recordingWorktreeCleanup{}
+	svc.SetWorktreeCleanup(worktreeCleaner)
+
+	errs := svc.cleanupDestructiveTaskResources(
+		context.Background(), "former-parent", nil,
+		[]*worktree.Worktree{{ID: "replacement-worktree"}},
+		taskEnvironmentCleanup{
+			env: &models.TaskEnvironment{
+				ID: "env-transferred", TaskID: "former-parent", OwnershipGeneration: 1,
+				ContainerID: "replacement-container",
+			},
+			deleteRow: true,
+		}, nil)
+
+	if len(errs) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("cleanup errors = %v, want stale snapshot no-op", errs)
+	}
+	if len(destroyer.containerCalls) != 0 || len(worktreeCleaner.cleaned) != 0 || repo.deleted {
+		t.Fatalf("stale cleanup mutated replacement: container calls %v, worktree calls %v, row deleted %v",
+			destroyer.containerCalls, worktreeCleaner.cleaned, repo.deleted)
+	}
+}
+
 func (s *stubRunningChecker) IsAnySessionRunningForTask(context.Context, string) (bool, error) {
 	return s.running, s.err
 }
diff --git a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_tasks.go b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_tasks.go
index ad4dbdd56f..0e26b3cb29 100644
--- a/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_tasks.go
+++ b/apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_tasks.go
@@ -101,7 +101,12 @@ type taskEnvironmentSessionBorrowerFinder interface {
 }
 
 type taskEnvironmentOwnerTransferer interface {
-	TransferTaskEnvironmentToTask(ctx context.Context, envID, taskID string) error
+	TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(
+		ctx context.Context,
+		envID, expectedTaskID string,
+		expectedGeneration int64,
+		taskID string,
+	) error
 }
 
 type workflowStepCapacityTaskCreator interface {
@@ -249,6 +254,9 @@ func (s *Service) prepareTaskForCreation(ctx context.Context, req *CreateTaskReq
 	if err := s.inheritParentProject(ctx, req); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	if err := s.prepareWorkspacePolicyForCreation(ctx, req); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	if err := prepareAutoTitle(req); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -390,6 +398,15 @@ func (s *Service) finalizeCreatedTask(ctx context.Context, prepared *preparedTas
 	if err := s.persistTaskRepositoryRows(ctx, task.ID, prepared.repositories); err != nil {
 		return CreateTaskResult{}, s.rollbackPartialTask(ctx, task.ID, err)
 	}
+	if req.WorkspacePolicy != nil && req.WorkspacePolicy.NeedsAttachment() {
+		if s.workspacePolicyAttacher == nil {
+			return CreateTaskResult{}, s.rollbackPartialTask(ctx, task.ID,
+				errors.New("workspace policy attachment is unavailable"))
+		}
+		if err := s.workspacePolicyAttacher.AttachWorkspacePolicy(ctx, task.ID, req.ParentID, *req.WorkspacePolicy); err != nil {
+			return CreateTaskResult{}, s.rollbackPartialTask(ctx, task.ID, fmt.Errorf("attach workspace policy: %w", err))
+		}
+	}
 
 	// Load repositories into task for response
 	repos, err := s.taskRepos.ListTaskRepositories(ctx, task.ID)
@@ -412,6 +429,76 @@ func (s *Service) finalizeCreatedTask(ctx context.Context, prepared *preparedTas
 	return CreateTaskResult{Task: task, Outcome: CreateTaskOutcomeCreated}, nil
 }
 
+func (s *Service) prepareWorkspacePolicyForCreation(ctx context.Context, req *CreateTaskRequest) error {
+	policy := WorkspacePolicy{}
+	if req.WorkspacePolicy != nil {
+		policy = *req.WorkspacePolicy
+	} else if workspace, ok := req.Metadata["workspace"].(map[string]interface{}); ok {
+		policy.Mode, _ = workspace["mode"].(string)
+		policy.GroupID, _ = workspace["group_id"].(string)
+		policy.DefaultChildWorkspace, _ = workspace["default_child_workspace"].(string)
+		policy.DefaultChildOrdering, _ = workspace["default_child_ordering"].(string)
+	}
+	if err := s.applyParentWorkspacePolicyDefaults(ctx, req, &policy); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if err := validateWorkspacePolicy(req.ParentID, &policy); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if len(policy.MetadataBlock()) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+	req.Metadata = policy.MergeMetadataBlock(req.Metadata)
+	req.WorkspacePolicy = &policy
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (s *Service) applyParentWorkspacePolicyDefaults(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	req *CreateTaskRequest,
+	policy *WorkspacePolicy,
+) error {
+	if req.ParentID == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	parent, err := s.tasks.GetTask(ctx, req.ParentID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("load parent workspace policy: %w", err)
+	}
+	if parent == nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("parent task %s not found", req.ParentID)
+	}
+	parentWorkspace, _ := parent.Metadata["workspace"].(map[string]interface{})
+	if policy.ParentOrdering == "" {
+		policy.ParentOrdering, _ = parentWorkspace["default_child_ordering"].(string)
+	}
+	if policy.Mode != "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+	policy.Mode, _ = parentWorkspace["default_child_workspace"].(string)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func validateWorkspacePolicy(parentID string, policy *WorkspacePolicy) error {
+	switch policy.Mode {
+	case "":
+		return nil
+	case workspaceModeInheritParent:
+		if parentID == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("workspace_mode=%s requires parent_id", workspaceModeInheritParent)
+		}
+	case workspaceModeNewWorkspace:
+		policy.GroupID = ""
+	case workspaceModeSharedGroup:
+		if policy.GroupID == "" {
+			return errors.New("workspace_group_id is required when workspace_mode=shared_group")
+		}
+	default:
+		return fmt.Errorf("invalid workspace_mode: %s", policy.Mode)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // findTaskByExternalIDIfPresent is CreateTask's step-3 lookup: when the
 // request carries an external_id already held by a task, the caller MUST
 // return that task (found=true) instead of continuing the create. found is
@@ -3345,20 +3432,36 @@ func (s *Service) cleanupDestructiveTaskResources(
 	if cause := context.Cause(ctx); cause != nil {
 		return []error{cause}
 	}
-	skipOwnedEnvironment, err := s.hasActiveOtherTaskSessionsForEnvironment(ctx, taskID, envCleanup.env)
+	currentOwnership, err := s.taskEnvironmentCleanupOwnershipIsCurrent(ctx, envCleanup.env)
 	if err != nil {
-		s.logger.Warn("skipping task environment cleanup after shared-environment ownership check failed",
+		s.logger.Warn("skipping task environment cleanup after ownership-generation check failed",
 			zap.String("task_id", taskID),
 			zap.String("env_id", taskEnvironmentID(envCleanup.env)),
 			zap.Error(err))
 		errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("check task environment ownership %s: %w", taskEnvironmentID(envCleanup.env), err))
-		skipOwnedEnvironment = true
+	}
+	skipOwnedEnvironment := !currentOwnership
+	if currentOwnership {
+		var shared bool
+		shared, err = s.hasActiveOtherTaskSessionsForEnvironment(ctx, taskID, envCleanup.env)
+		skipOwnedEnvironment = shared
+		if err != nil {
+			s.logger.Warn("skipping task environment cleanup after shared-environment ownership check failed",
+				zap.String("task_id", taskID),
+				zap.String("env_id", taskEnvironmentID(envCleanup.env)),
+				zap.Error(err))
+			errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("check task environment ownership %s: %w", taskEnvironmentID(envCleanup.env), err))
+			skipOwnedEnvironment = true
+		}
 	}
 	if skipOwnedEnvironment {
 		s.logger.Info("skipping task environment cleanup while another task still uses it",
 			zap.String("task_id", taskID),
 			zap.String("env_id", taskEnvironmentID(envCleanup.env)))
 	}
+	if !currentOwnership {
+		return errs
+	}
 	if cause := context.Cause(ctx); cause != nil {
 		return append(errs, cause)
 	}
@@ -3488,7 +3591,9 @@ func (s *Service) preserveTaskEnvironmentForActiveBorrower(ctx context.Context,
 	if !ok {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("task environment repository cannot transfer borrowed environment %s", env.ID)
 	}
-	if err := ownerTransfer.TransferTaskEnvironmentToTask(ctx, env.ID, borrowerTaskID); err != nil {
+	if err := ownerTransfer.TransferTaskEnvironmentOwnership(
+		ctx, env.ID, env.TaskID, env.OwnershipGeneration, borrowerTaskID,
+	); err != nil {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("transfer task environment %s to %s: %w", env.ID, borrowerTaskID, err)
 	}
 	env.TaskID = borrowerTaskID
@@ -3608,6 +3713,13 @@ func (s *Service) cleanupTaskEnvironment(
 	if cause := context.Cause(ctx); cause != nil {
 		return []error{cause}
 	}
+	current, err := s.taskEnvironmentCleanupOwnershipIsCurrent(ctx, cleanup.env)
+	if err != nil {
+		return []error{fmt.Errorf("verify task environment ownership %s: %w", cleanup.env.ID, err)}
+	}
+	if !current {
+		return nil
+	}
 	if err := s.teardownEnvironmentResources(ctx, cleanup.env); err != nil {
 		s.logger.Warn("failed to teardown task environment during task cleanup",
 			zap.String("task_id", taskID),
@@ -3631,6 +3743,63 @@ func (s *Service) cleanupTaskEnvironment(
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (s *Service) taskEnvironmentCleanupOwnershipIsCurrent(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	snapshot *models.TaskEnvironment,
+) (bool, error) {
+	if snapshot == nil || snapshot.ID == "" {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+	if s.taskEnvironments == nil {
+		return false, errors.New("task environment repository is unavailable")
+	}
+	current, err := s.taskEnvironments.GetTaskEnvironment(ctx, snapshot.ID)
+	if errors.Is(err, taskrepo.ErrTaskEnvironmentNotFound) {
+		return s.taskEnvironmentSnapshotOwnerDeleted(ctx, snapshot)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	if current == nil {
+		return s.taskEnvironmentSnapshotOwnerDeleted(ctx, snapshot)
+	}
+	if current.TaskID == snapshot.TaskID &&
+		(snapshot.OwnershipGeneration == 0 || current.OwnershipGeneration == snapshot.OwnershipGeneration) {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+	s.logger.Info("skipping stale task environment cleanup",
+		zap.String("env_id", snapshot.ID),
+		zap.String("expected_owner_task_id", snapshot.TaskID),
+		zap.Int64("expected_ownership_generation", snapshot.OwnershipGeneration),
+		zap.String("current_owner_task_id", current.TaskID),
+		zap.Int64("current_ownership_generation", current.OwnershipGeneration))
+	return false, nil
+}
+
+// taskEnvironmentSnapshotOwnerDeleted proves that a missing environment row
+// is the result of the owning task being deleted, rather than treating a
+// missing authority row as permission to use an arbitrary stale snapshot.
+func (s *Service) taskEnvironmentSnapshotOwnerDeleted(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	snapshot *models.TaskEnvironment,
+) (bool, error) {
+	if snapshot == nil || snapshot.TaskID == "" || s.tasks == nil {
+		if snapshot != nil && snapshot.TaskID == "" &&
+			snapshot.ContainerID == "" && snapshot.SandboxID == "" {
+			return true, nil
+		}
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	task, err := s.tasks.GetTask(ctx, snapshot.TaskID)
+	if errors.Is(err, taskrepo.ErrTaskNotFound) || task == nil {
+		return true, nil
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	return false, nil
+}
+
 // ListTasks returns all tasks for a workflow
 func (s *Service) ListTasks(ctx context.Context, workflowID string) ([]*models.Task, error) {
 	if err := s.authorizeWorkflowID(ctx, workflowID); err != nil {
diff --git a/docs/decisions/2026-09-04-generation-fenced-task-environment-ownership.md b/docs/decisions/2026-09-04-generation-fenced-task-environment-ownership.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6204d9fdfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/decisions/2026-09-04-generation-fenced-task-environment-ownership.md
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+# ADR-2026-09-04-generation-fenced-task-environment-ownership: Fence Task Environment Ownership by Generation
+
+**Status:** accepted
+**Date:** 2026-09-04
+**Area:** backend
+
+## Context
+
+ADR-2026-08-08 makes `task_environments.task_id` the canonical owner of a task
+workspace and permits shared-environment ownership transfer. Subtask detachment
+currently changes only `tasks.parent_id` and workspace-mode metadata. The shared
+workspace group and materialized environment remain owned by the former parent.
+
+Archive and delete cleanup persist resource snapshots and can retry after a
+restart. An environment ID or path does not prove that the task named by an old
+snapshot still owns that resource. A delayed cleanup can therefore act after
+ownership has moved, while handler-specific creation attachment can leave some
+child tasks outside the workspace group entirely.
+
+## Decision
+
+Persist a monotonically increasing ownership generation on every task
+environment and shared workspace group. Treat the tuple of resource ID, owner
+task ID, and ownership generation as the authority for ownership transfer and
+destructive cleanup.
+
+Detachment of a task using a shared workspace changes hierarchy, workspace-group
+stewardship, membership roles, environment owner, and both ownership generations
+in one database transaction. The transaction uses the same task cleanup barrier
+as archive and delete so detachment either precedes cleanup inventory or is
+rejected after cleanup has been admitted.
+
+Every owner transfer is a compare-and-swap against the expected owner and
+generation and increments the generation. Cleanup claims the expected
+generation for the duration of external teardown; transfers reject an active
+claim. Stale cleanup, retry, rollback, and status updates fail closed when the
+owner or generation differs.
+
+Workspace-policy attachment is required synchronous task-creation work owned by
+the task service. API handlers and internal callers do not implement separate
+membership attachment sequences.
+
+## Consequences
+
+- Parent lifecycle operations cannot destroy a detached child's current
+  environment after stewardship transfers.
+- Durable cleanup snapshots remain safe across retries and backend restarts.
+- SQLite and PostgreSQL require replayable schema changes and dialect-specific
+  concurrency tests.
+- Ownership-transfer callers must carry expected owner and generation instead
+  of issuing unguarded owner updates.
+- Group cleanup needs a generation-scoped claim around filesystem or provider
+  operations.
+- Task creation does not report a child as complete until required workspace
+  membership exists.
+
+## Alternatives Considered
+
+1. **Preserve group membership without changing ownership.** Rejected because
+   task cleanup authority still belongs to the former parent.
+2. **Copy the physical workspace during detachment.** Rejected because it cannot
+   atomically move active sessions, is expensive for multi-repository tasks, and
+   changes the established shared-workspace behavior.
+3. **Check the current owner immediately before cleanup without a generation.**
+   Rejected because ownership can change after the check and before the external
+   destructive operation.
+4. **Serialize with in-process mutexes.** Rejected because process restart and
+   PostgreSQL multi-connection execution are durable concurrency boundaries.
+5. **Keep attachment in each API handler.** Rejected because WebSocket, plugin,
+   workflow, and future internal task creation can bypass handler-owned logic.
+
diff --git a/docs/decisions/INDEX.md b/docs/decisions/INDEX.md
index 7f5221b751..20bf5153b4 100644
--- a/docs/decisions/INDEX.md
+++ b/docs/decisions/INDEX.md
@@ -237,4 +237,5 @@ Read individual ADRs for full context. Create new ones via `/record decision` or
 | 2026-09-01-passthrough-initial-prompt-turn-boundary | [Keep Passthrough Initial Prompt State in Lifecycle](2026-09-01-passthrough-initial-prompt-turn-boundary.md) | accepted | backend, workflow | 2026-09-01 |
 | 2026-09-02-automation-self-archive | [Permit Automation Self-Archive as Terminal Completion](2026-09-02-automation-self-archive.md) | accepted | backend, agentctl, protocol, security, workflow | 2026-09-02 |
 | 2026-09-03-separate-system-data-storage-pages | [Separate System Data and Storage Pages](2026-09-03-separate-system-data-storage-pages.md) | accepted | frontend | 2026-09-03 |
+| 2026-09-04-generation-fenced-task-environment-ownership | [Fence Task Environment Ownership by Generation](2026-09-04-generation-fenced-task-environment-ownership.md) | accepted | backend | 2026-09-04 |
 | 2026-09-04-use-repository-token-for-runtime-pin-prs | [Use the built-in Actions token for runtime pin PRs](2026-09-04-use-repository-token-for-runtime-pin-prs.md) | accepted | workflow, security | 2026-09-04 |
diff --git a/docs/plans/detached-workspace-continuity/plan.md b/docs/plans/detached-workspace-continuity/plan.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..68b110ec18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/plans/detached-workspace-continuity/plan.md
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+---
+created: 2026-09-04
+status: completed
+requirements:
+  - REQ-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001
+  - REQ-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-002
+system_design:
+  - ../../specs/tasks/system-design/detached-workspace-continuity.md
+legacy_specs:
+  - ../../specs/tasks/requirements/subtask-detachment.md
+---
+
+# Implementation Plan: Detached Workspace Continuity
+
+## Overview
+
+Make detachment transfer shared-workspace stewardship atomically, route every
+child creation surface through the same workspace attachment step, and prevent
+stale cleanup from acting after an ownership generation changes. The work is one
+sequential backend package because the schema, repository transaction, service
+flow, and regression tests share one ownership contract.
+
+## Scope
+
+### In scope
+
+- Persist ownership generations for workspace groups and task environments.
+- Atomically detach a task and transfer group and environment stewardship.
+- Fence task-resource and workspace-group cleanup by owner and generation.
+- Move child workspace attachment into the canonical task creation sequence.
+- Cover SQLite, PostgreSQL, concurrency, restart recovery, and all creation
+  entry points named by the requirements.
+
+### Out of scope
+
+- Copying a shared workspace during detachment.
+- Frontend interaction changes or new user-facing copy.
+- Changing workflow placement, descendant relationships, blockers, or active
+  session lifecycle during detachment.
+- Broad task cleanup refactoring beyond ownership and generation checks.
+
+## Technical approach
+
+### Persistence and models
+
+- Add `OwnershipGeneration` to Office `WorkspaceGroup` and task
+  `TaskEnvironment` models.
+- Add replayable `ownership_generation` migrations and fresh-schema columns in
+  the task and Office SQLite/PostgreSQL repositories.
+- Extend environment and group queries, inserts, updates, and cleanup snapshots
+  to preserve the generation.
+
+### Atomic ownership operations
+
+- Replace the repository's narrow `DetachTask` update with a transaction that
+  locks child, former parent, active group, and materialized environment; checks
+  cleanup barriers; updates hierarchy, roles, owners, and generations; and
+  commits once.
+- Replace unguarded environment owner transfers with expected-owner and
+  expected-generation compare-and-swap operations used by direct delete,
+  cascade archive/delete, rollback, and detachment.
+- Add generation-aware workspace-group cleanup claim and completion methods so
+  stale cleanup cannot change status or remove resources.
+
+### Canonical creation
+
+- Add workspace-policy inputs and an injected attachment coordinator to the task
+  service create sequence.
+- Resolve and attach policy before `task.created` publication and before Created
+  returns; reuse partial-task rollback on failure.
+- Remove handler-owned REST and MCP attachment calls and cover WebSocket,
+  plugin, workflow/internal child, REST, and MCP creation through the service
+  boundary.
+
+### Cleanup and recovery
+
+- Compare live environment owner and generation with the cleanup snapshot before
+  task environment and worktree teardown.
+- Treat superseded snapshots and retries as safe no-ops while preserving error
+  reporting for genuinely failed current-generation cleanup.
+- Prove that restart processing cannot revive an old generation's authority.
+
+## Tests
+
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/detached_workspace_continuity_test.go`:
+  SQLite transaction, idempotency, rollback, cleanup-barrier, concurrent detach,
+  and stale-generation cases.
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/detached_workspace_continuity_postgres_test.go`:
+  PostgreSQL row-lock serialization and fresh/replayed migration coverage.
+- `apps/backend/internal/office/repository/sqlite/workspace_group_generation_test.go`:
+  group generation claims, membership role uniqueness, stale status writes, and
+  SQLite/PostgreSQL schema replay.
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_detachment_test.go` and a focused
+  cleanup test file: detached child continuity after parent archive/delete,
+  stale durable-job recovery, and unchanged physical workspace binding.
+- Handler, MCP, plugin adapter, and `CreateChildTask` tests: every creation route
+  reaches the service-owned workspace attachment coordinator and rolls back on
+  failure.
+
+## E2E tests
+
+Skipped. The existing detach UI and API response do not change. Repository and
+service integration tests exercise the workspace lifecycle guarantee below the
+UI.
+
+## Work orders
+
+- [x] [Task 01: Transfer workspace ownership](task-01-transfer-ownership.md) *(completed)*
+
+## Verification results
+
+Completed on 2026-09-04.
+
+- Atomic detach, stewardship transfer, role updates, and ownership generations
+  are covered by service and repository regressions.
+- Current-owner cleanup barriers, guarded owner-generation transfers, stale
+  environment cleanup, and generation-fenced workspace cleanup are covered.
+- The task service now owns workspace attachment before publishing or returning
+  a newly created task; attachment failure rolls the task row back.
+- Focused repository tests passed: 27 tests across task and Office persistence.
+- Focused service tests passed: 19 tests.
+- Creation entry-point tests passed: 15 tests across HTTP, MCP, plugins, and
+  backend composition.
+- Final combined ownership and creation regressions passed: 76 tests across
+  seven packages.
+- Race-enabled ownership tests passed: 37 tests across three packages.
+- Backend lint passed with zero issues.
+- Specification linter tests passed: 30 tests; all specification files passed.
+- PostgreSQL integration tests were not run because no isolated
+  `KANDEV_TEST_POSTGRES_DSN` was configured.
+- The full backend suite reported 9,907 passes, 16 skips, and seven unrelated
+  config-discovery failures caused by the VM's existing
+  `/root/.kandev/config.yaml` overriding those tests' temporary home fixtures.
+
+## Risks
+
+- Task and Office repositories initialize tables in a defined order; both fresh
+  and replayed schemas must converge before cross-table detachment queries run.
+- Cleanup invokes external filesystem or provider operations, so its database
+  claim must prevent ownership transfer for the complete destructive window.
+- External-ID deduplication must not attach a retry's workspace policy to an
+  existing task.
diff --git a/docs/plans/detached-workspace-continuity/task-01-transfer-ownership.md b/docs/plans/detached-workspace-continuity/task-01-transfer-ownership.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..704e993e2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/plans/detached-workspace-continuity/task-01-transfer-ownership.md
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+---
+id: "01-transfer-ownership"
+title: "Transfer workspace ownership"
+status: completed
+wave: 1
+depends_on: []
+plan: "plan.md"
+requirements:
+  - REQ-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001
+  - REQ-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-002
+acceptance_criteria:
+  - AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001.1
+  - AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001.2
+  - AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001.3
+  - AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001.4
+  - AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001.5
+  - AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-002.1
+  - AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-002.2
+  - AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-002.3
+system_design:
+  - ../../specs/tasks/system-design/detached-workspace-continuity.md
+---
+
+# Task 01: Transfer Workspace Ownership
+
+## Summary
+
+Implement generation-fenced workspace stewardship from schema through task
+creation, detachment, cleanup, and restart recovery. The result keeps the
+detached child's canonical environment alive after former-parent lifecycle
+operations and makes every child-creation route establish the same membership
+before launch.
+
+## In scope
+
+- Add replayable workspace-group and task-environment ownership generations.
+- Implement atomic detachment and guarded owner-transfer repository operations.
+- Fence task-resource and workspace-group cleanup by current owner, generation,
+  membership, and cleanup barrier.
+- Centralize child workspace-policy resolution and attachment in `CreateTask`.
+- Add focused SQLite, PostgreSQL, service, concurrency, restart, and entry-point
+  regression tests.
+
+## Out of scope
+
+- Workspace copying, session restart, or frontend behavior changes.
+- Cleanup changes unrelated to shared ownership.
+- New task hierarchy or blocker behavior.
+
+## Acceptance
+
+- Detachment either commits hierarchy, group steward, membership roles,
+  environment owner, and incremented generations together or commits none of
+  them.
+- Parent archive/delete and delayed cleanup cannot stop, delete, reuse, or
+  change a detached child's current-generation workspace.
+- Every supported child creation route attaches the canonical workspace policy
+  before publishing or returning a launchable task, with rollback on failure.
+
+## Verification
+
+```bash
+cd apps/backend && go test ./internal/task/repository/sqlite ./internal/office/repository/sqlite -run 'Test.*(DetachedWorkspaceContinuity|OwnershipGeneration|WorkspaceGroupGeneration|SchemaReplay)' -count=1
+cd apps/backend && go test ./internal/task/service -run 'Test.*(Detach|DetachedWorkspace|Stale.*Cleanup|CreateChildTask.*Workspace)' -count=1
+cd apps/backend && go test ./internal/task/handlers ./internal/mcp/handlers ./internal/plugins ./internal/backendapp -run 'Test.*CreateTask.*Workspace' -count=1
+KANDEV_TEST_POSTGRES_DSN='<isolated test DSN>' go test ./internal/task/repository/sqlite ./internal/office/repository/sqlite -run 'Test.*(DetachedWorkspaceContinuity|OwnershipGeneration|WorkspaceGroupGeneration|SchemaReplay).*Postgres' -count=1
+```
+
+## Files likely touched
+
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/models/models.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/office/models/workspace_groups.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/repository/interface.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/base_schema.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/base_migrations.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/task.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/task_environment.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/repository/sqlite/workspace_group.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/office/repository/sqlite/base_migrations.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/office/repository/sqlite/workspace_groups.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/service/service.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_tasks.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/service/service_detachment.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/service/resource_cleanup_jobs.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_service.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_cascade.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/service/handoff_cleaner.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/handlers/task_http_handlers.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/task/handlers/task_ws_handlers.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/mcp/handlers/handlers.go`
+- `apps/backend/internal/backendapp/helpers.go`
+- Focused adjacent `*_test.go` files.
+
+## Dependencies
+
+None.
+
+## Risks
+
+- Cross-table lock order must remain identical in detach, lifecycle cleanup,
+  and ownership-transfer paths to avoid PostgreSQL deadlocks.
+- A cleanup claim that is released too early reopens the external-operation
+  race; failure paths must retain or explicitly release the same generation.
+- Existing tests and fakes implement narrow repository interfaces and will need
+  compatible generation-aware methods.
+
+## Parallelism
+
+`sequential`
+
+## Inputs
+
+- `docs/specs/tasks/requirements/detached-workspace-continuity.md`
+- `docs/specs/tasks/system-design/detached-workspace-continuity.md`
+- `docs/decisions/2026-09-04-generation-fenced-task-environment-ownership.md`
+- Existing detachment, handoff, task-resource cleanup, and task-create tests.
+
+## Results
+
+Implemented generation-fenced workspace ownership end to end:
+
+- Added replayable ownership generations to workspace groups and task
+  environments, including fresh schema and worktree cutover paths.
+- Made detachment transactionally update hierarchy, workspace mode, group
+  steward, membership roles, environment owner, and both generations.
+- Added cleanup-barrier-aware, expected-owner and expected-generation
+  environment transfers; removed the unguarded transfer API.
+- Added generation claims for workspace-group cleanup and stale-snapshot guards
+  for the complete environment and worktree cleanup pipeline.
+- Moved workspace-policy attachment into `Service.CreateTask`, wired all
+  production entry points through it, and retained rollback on attachment
+  failure.
+- Added focused tests for atomic rollback, idempotency, ownership roles,
+  generation advancement, stale retry rejection, cleanup fencing, and internal
+  child creation.
+
+Verification results:
+
+- Repository focus: 27 passed.
+- Service focus: 19 passed.
+- HTTP/MCP/plugin/backend entry-point focus: 15 passed.
+- Final combined ownership and creation focus: 76 passed across seven packages.
+- Race-enabled ownership focus: 37 passed across three packages.
+- Backend lint: zero issues.
+- Spec linter: 30 tests passed and all spec files passed.
+- PostgreSQL-only run: skipped because no isolated DSN was available.
+- Full backend run: 9,907 passed, 16 skipped, seven environment-sensitive
+  config tests failed because this VM has a real `/root/.kandev/config.yaml`.
diff --git a/docs/specs/tasks/README.md b/docs/specs/tasks/README.md
index 7b43f38a0d..5d45b25036 100644
--- a/docs/specs/tasks/README.md
+++ b/docs/specs/tasks/README.md
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ signals, and task-scoped scheduling contracts.
 - [Active clarification lifecycle scenarios](requirements/clarification-active-lifecycle-scenarios.md)
 - [Active clarification lifecycle](requirements/clarification-active-lifecycle.md)
 - [Task Documents](requirements/documents.md)
+- [Detached Workspace Continuity](requirements/detached-workspace-continuity.md)
 - [Task Execution Stages](requirements/execution-stages.md)
 - [External task ID idempotency boundaries](requirements/external-id-idempotency-boundaries.md)
 - [External task ID idempotency scenarios](requirements/external-id-idempotency-scenarios.md)
@@ -122,6 +123,7 @@ signals, and task-scoped scheduling contracts.
 - [Environment-Owned Git Status](system-design/environment-owned-git-status.md)
 - [Attach Workspace Sources](system-design/attach-workspace-sources.md)
 - [Command-panel archived task results](system-design/command-panel-archived-task-results.md)
+- [Detached Workspace Continuity](system-design/detached-workspace-continuity.md)
 - [Quick Chat Agent Titles](system-design/quick-chat-agent-titles.md)
 - [Quick Chat Session Resumption](system-design/quick-chat-session-resumption.md)
 - [Active clarification lifecycle](system-design/clarification-active-lifecycle.md)
diff --git a/docs/specs/tasks/requirements/detached-workspace-continuity.md b/docs/specs/tasks/requirements/detached-workspace-continuity.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9a8da6d845
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/specs/tasks/requirements/detached-workspace-continuity.md
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+---
+status: active
+system: tasks
+created: 2026-09-04
+owners:
+  - kandev
+---
+
+# Detached Workspace Continuity Requirements
+
+## Overview
+
+The task system owns the lifetime of task environments and task-owned
+worktrees. Detaching a subtask must therefore preserve the workspace that its
+sessions use and must separate that workspace's cleanup authority from the
+former parent's lifecycle.
+
+## Terminology
+
+- **Workspace steward:** The current task whose identity owns a shared
+  workspace group and its canonical task environment. Stewardship can move
+  between active group members without changing the physical workspace.
+- **Ownership generation:** A monotonically increasing value that identifies
+  one assignment of a workspace group or task environment to a steward.
+- **Stale cleanup:** Cleanup prepared for an owner or ownership generation that
+  is no longer current.
+
+## Requirements
+
+### REQ-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001: Detached task workspace continuity
+
+**Intent:** Keep a detached task's running and resumable work intact when the
+former parent is archived, deleted, retried, or recovered after restart.
+
+#### Acceptance criteria
+
+- **AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001.1:** When a subtask that uses its
+  parent's shared workspace is detached, the system shall make an active member
+  of that shared workspace independent of the former parent's cleanup authority
+  before reporting detachment success.
+- **AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001.2:** When detachment changes
+  workspace stewardship, the hierarchy change and workspace-group and
+  environment ownership changes shall either all become durable or none shall
+  become durable.
+- **AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001.3:** When the former parent is
+  archived or deleted after detachment, the detached task shall continue using
+  the same canonical workspace without its active or resumable environment
+  being stopped, removed, or made reusable by another task.
+- **AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001.4:** When cleanup or an ownership
+  retry presents an owner or ownership generation that is no longer current,
+  the system shall reject the destructive operation without changing the
+  replacement workspace, environment, or task.
+- **AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001.5:** When the backend restarts
+  after detachment, the detached task shall recover the same workspace binding,
+  current steward, and ownership generation.
+
+### REQ-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-002: Canonical subtask workspace attachment
+
+**Intent:** Ensure every task-creation surface establishes the same durable
+workspace relationship before a child can launch or be returned as completely
+created.
+
+#### Acceptance criteria
+
+- **AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-002.1:** When any supported REST,
+  WebSocket, MCP, plugin, workflow, or internal task-creation route creates a
+  child task, the system shall apply the same parent workspace-policy resolution
+  and membership attachment behavior.
+- **AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-002.2:** When workspace attachment
+  fails, the task creation shall fail without leaving a launchable child that
+  lacks its required workspace membership.
+- **AC-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-002.3:** When child creation,
+  detachment, parent cleanup, and workspace stewardship changes overlap, the
+  system shall serialize them or reject one operation without a partial
+  hierarchy or ownership result.
+
+## Out of scope
+
+- Copying or provisioning a second physical workspace during detachment.
+- Stopping or restarting the detached task's active sessions.
+- Changing descendants, blockers, workflow placement, or repository selection.
+- Allowing multiple physical owners for one canonical task environment.
diff --git a/docs/specs/tasks/requirements/subtask-detachment.md b/docs/specs/tasks/requirements/subtask-detachment.md
index e0676ad4db..289c888bf4 100644
--- a/docs/specs/tasks/requirements/subtask-detachment.md
+++ b/docs/specs/tasks/requirements/subtask-detachment.md
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ Users can create and reorganize task trees, but they cannot promote an existing
 
 - A user can detach a subtask from its parent from the sidebar task context menu and the task card's three-dot and context menus.
 - The action is shown only for tasks with a parent and requires confirmation.
-- Confirmation explains that detachment changes task hierarchy only and that a workspace shared with the parent remains shared.
+- Confirmation explains that the workspace remains shared even though cleanup stewardship is separated from the former parent.
 - Detachment clears the task's parent relationship without changing its workflow, workflow step, state, blockers, descendants, repositories, sessions, or agent execution.
 - A detached task becomes a top-level root of its existing subtree. Its descendants remain attached to it.
 - A task using `inherit_parent` workspace mode changes to `shared_group` mode when detached. Its workspace-group membership remains active, so current and future sessions continue using the same materialized workspace.
@@ -46,8 +46,9 @@ Detachment updates existing persisted fields; it adds no table or column.
 
 - `tasks.parent_id` becomes the empty string.
 - `tasks.metadata.workspace.mode` changes from `inherit_parent` to `shared_group` when applicable.
-- `task_workspace_group_members` is unchanged. Active membership remains the durable source of shared workspace access.
-- Existing blocker rows, task-session rows, task-environment rows, and descendant `parent_id` values are unchanged.
+- The child's active `task_workspace_group_members` row remains the durable source of shared workspace access. The owner role can move to the child.
+- Workspace-group and task-environment owners and ownership generations change atomically when the former parent owns the shared materialization.
+- Existing blocker rows, task-session rows, environment identity, and descendant `parent_id` values are unchanged.
 
 The hierarchy update and workspace-mode update are persisted in the same task-row update.
 
@@ -75,11 +76,11 @@ If workspace mode is `inherit_parent`, the same operation also transitions it to
 - If the task no longer exists, the UI keeps its current state and shows the request error.
 - If persistence fails, neither the UI nor API reports success. The task remains attached according to durable state.
 - Repeated submissions are safe because detaching an already-root task is a no-op.
-- Detachment does not create, copy, move, clean, or delete workspace files.
+- Detachment does not create, copy, move, clean, or delete workspace files. It can transfer the logical stewardship of those files.
 
 ## Persistence guarantees
 
-The cleared parent relationship and normalized workspace mode survive backend restarts. Existing workspace-group membership and materialized workspace ownership remain unchanged and follow the existing cleanup lifecycle for the group.
+The cleared parent relationship, normalized workspace mode, current workspace steward, and ownership generation survive backend restarts. See [Detached Workspace Continuity](detached-workspace-continuity.md) for the cleanup and concurrency contract.
 
 ## Scenarios
 
@@ -105,4 +106,4 @@ The cleared parent relationship and normalized workspace mode survive backend re
 
 ## Implementation plan
 
-See [the implementation plan](../../../plans/subtask-detachment/plan.md).
\ No newline at end of file
+See [the implementation plan](../../../plans/subtask-detachment/plan.md).
diff --git a/docs/specs/tasks/system-design/detached-workspace-continuity.md b/docs/specs/tasks/system-design/detached-workspace-continuity.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0c7f168af3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/specs/tasks/system-design/detached-workspace-continuity.md
@@ -0,0 +1,188 @@
+---
+status: current
+system: tasks
+requirements:
+  - REQ-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001
+  - REQ-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-002
+---
+
+# Detached Workspace Continuity System Design
+
+## Purpose and boundaries
+
+Task lifecycle owns `task_environments` and task-owned worktree lifetime. This
+design makes hierarchy detachment, shared-workspace stewardship, creation-time
+attachment, and destructive cleanup use one durable ownership contract. The
+workspace system continues to own workspace and repository configuration; it
+does not own task-environment cleanup authority.
+
+The design extends
+[ADR-2026-08-08-task-owned-worktree-lifetime](../../../decisions/2026-08-08-task-owned-worktree-lifetime.md)
+and applies the fail-closed rule from
+[ADR-0009](../../../decisions/0009-fail-closed-gc-semantics.md). The ownership
+generation and transaction rule is recorded in
+[ADR-2026-09-04-generation-fenced-task-environment-ownership](../../../decisions/2026-09-04-generation-fenced-task-environment-ownership.md).
+
+## Requirement mapping
+
+| Requirement | Design sections |
+| --- | --- |
+| `REQ-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-001` | [Ownership model](#ownership-model), [Atomic detachment](#atomic-detachment), [Cleanup fencing](#cleanup-fencing), [Restart and recovery](#restart-and-recovery) |
+| `REQ-TASKS-DETACHED-WORKSPACE-CONTINUITY-002` | [Canonical creation attachment](#canonical-creation-attachment), [Concurrency and failure behavior](#concurrency-and-failure-behavior) |
+
+## Ownership model
+
+`task_workspace_groups.owner_task_id` identifies the current workspace steward.
+Exactly one active membership row for that group has role `owner`; all other
+active memberships have role `member`. The group gains an
+`ownership_generation` integer that starts at `1` and increments whenever the
+steward changes.
+
+`task_environments.task_id` remains the only physical environment owner. The
+environment gains its own `ownership_generation`, also starting at `1` and
+incremented by every successful owner transfer. A cleanup snapshot identifies
+an environment by ID, owner task ID, and ownership generation. An environment
+ID alone is never sufficient authority for a destructive operation.
+
+The workspace group can remain shared after detachment. Stewardship may move to
+another active member later; this does not copy the workspace or invalidate
+sessions that already reference the canonical environment.
+
+## Components and responsibilities
+
+- `internal/task/repository/sqlite` owns the cross-table transaction for
+  detachment, workspace-group stewardship, environment ownership generations,
+  and task cleanup barriers. It supports SQLite and PostgreSQL through the
+  existing dialect layer.
+- `internal/task/service.Service.DetachTask` invokes only the transactional
+  repository operation, then reloads and publishes the committed task state.
+- `internal/task/service.Service.CreateTask` owns required creation-time
+  workspace attachment before `task.created` is published or a launchable
+  result is returned. A narrow injected coordinator reuses
+  `HandoffService` policy resolution and membership behavior without making API
+  handlers responsible for correctness.
+- `internal/task/service` task-resource cleanup validates environment ownership
+  and generation before teardown. Ownership transfers reject while the source
+  task has an active cleanup barrier.
+- `internal/task/service.HandoffService` group cleanup claims the current group
+  generation before external cleanup and completes the status transition only
+  for that same generation.
+
+## Atomic detachment
+
+The repository exposes one detachment operation that performs these steps in a
+single database transaction:
+
+1. Lock the child and former-parent task rows in deterministic task-ID order.
+2. Reject when either task has a prepared, pending, running, or retry-wait
+   resource-cleanup job.
+3. Lock the child's active workspace-group row and its materialized environment
+   row when present.
+4. Clear `tasks.parent_id` and normalize `inherit_parent` to `shared_group`.
+5. Set the group's steward and owner membership role to the child, demote the
+   previous owner membership to `member`, and increment the group generation.
+6. Transfer the materialized environment to the child and increment the
+   environment generation.
+7. Commit once. Any missing, ambiguous, archived, or concurrently changed row
+   rolls the complete operation back.
+
+Detaching an already-root task is an idempotent read of the current state. It
+does not increment either generation.
+
+SQLite's writer transaction provides serialization. PostgreSQL uses explicit
+row locks in the order above. Archive and delete preparation already reserve a
+task cleanup barrier; detachment uses the same barrier states so either the
+transfer commits before cleanup inventory is captured or detachment is rejected
+after cleanup wins.
+
+## Canonical creation attachment
+
+Workspace policy resolution and attachment become part of the task service's
+required synchronous create sequence. REST, WebSocket, MCP, plugin Host API,
+workflow child creation, and other internal callers pass parent and explicit
+workspace-policy inputs through `CreateTask`; no caller performs an independent
+post-create membership write.
+
+The service resolves parent defaults before building task metadata. After the
+task row is inserted, it records the workspace-group membership and sequential
+blocker attachment before publishing `task.created` or returning a Created
+outcome. If required attachment fails, the existing partial-task rollback path
+removes the child and its dependent rows. Deduplicated external-ID outcomes do
+not reapply workspace policy.
+
+HTTP and MCP handlers stop calling `AttachWorkspacePolicy` directly. The legacy
+raw WebSocket create path and internal `CreateChildTask` path thereby gain the
+same attachment behavior rather than bypassing it.
+
+## Cleanup fencing
+
+Task-resource cleanup snapshots persist the environment owner task ID and
+ownership generation captured after the cleanup barrier is reserved. Before
+environment or associated worktree teardown, the repository compares the
+snapshot with the live environment. A missing row is idempotent success only
+when the resource is already positively known absent. An owner or generation
+mismatch makes the destructive portion a safe no-op and records that the
+snapshot was superseded.
+
+Every environment-owner transfer uses a guarded repository method. It checks
+the expected owner and generation, verifies that the source owner has no active
+cleanup barrier, and increments the generation in the same transaction as the
+owner change. The existing delete and cascade ownership-transfer paths use this
+method; no unguarded `UPDATE task_environments SET task_id = ...` remains.
+
+Workspace-group cleanup changes from check-then-delete to a generation claim.
+The claim atomically verifies the group generation, ownership flags, cleanup
+policy, and absence of active members before setting `cleanup_pending` for that
+generation. Stewardship transfer is allowed only from `active` or retryable
+`cleanup_failed` state with no active cleanup claim. Completion and retry writes
+use the claimed generation; stale completions cannot mark a replacement group
+cleaned or failed.
+
+Filesystem and provider cleaners retain their existing managed-root and exact
+resource-identity guards. Generation fencing is an additional authorization
+condition, not a replacement for those checks.
+
+## Concurrency and failure behavior
+
+- Detach loses to an already-admitted parent or child cleanup and returns a
+  conflict without clearing `parent_id`.
+- Cleanup inventory captured after detachment cannot select the former parent's
+  transferred environment because the environment owner has already changed.
+- A delayed cleanup or ownership retry with an old generation is treated as
+  superseded and performs no destructive work.
+- Concurrent sibling detaches serialize on the shared group. Each committed
+  transfer leaves one active steward and increments generations once.
+- Creation returns success only after membership attachment. A concurrent
+  parent lifecycle barrier causes creation to roll back instead of publishing a
+  child that can launch without its workspace relationship.
+- Repository or event-publication failures never compensate by deleting a
+  workspace whose current ownership cannot be proven.
+
+## Persistence and migration
+
+Add `ownership_generation INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 1` to
+`task_workspace_groups` and `task_environments`. Fresh schemas include the
+columns and replayable migrations add them to existing SQLite and PostgreSQL
+databases. Existing rows retain their current owner at generation `1`; no
+filesystem mutation occurs during migration.
+
+All selects, inserts, model projections, test fixtures, and table-rebuild copy
+lists that cover these tables include the new columns. Schema tests use the real
+task/Office repository initialization order and cover fresh and replayed startup
+for both dialects, following ADR-0027.
+
+## Restart and recovery
+
+Ownership generations live in the database and are included in durable cleanup
+snapshots. On restart, cleanup workers re-read the current owner and generation
+before acting. A snapshot prepared before a stewardship transfer cannot regain
+authority after restart. The detached task's sessions continue resolving the
+same materialized environment ID from the workspace group and their persisted
+`task_environment_id` values.
+
+## Observability
+
+Structured logs identify the task, group, environment, expected owner and
+generation, current owner and generation, and the resulting disposition for
+ownership transfers and rejected cleanup. Logs do not include workspace file
+contents, credentials, or restore secrets.