diff --git a/src/goal/lifecycle.ts b/src/goal/lifecycle.ts
index 3ffd868..c32229c 100644
--- a/src/goal/lifecycle.ts
+++ b/src/goal/lifecycle.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ export function registerGoalLifecycle(
 	let agentGoalAccounting: AgentGoalAccounting | null = null;
 	let blockedThisTurnGoalId: string | null = null;
 	let completedThisTurnGoalId: string | null = null;
-	let nextAgentStartWasUserTriggered = false;
 	let agentAbortSignal: AbortSignal | undefined;
 	const turnUsage = new TurnUsageTracker();
 
@@ -58,22 +57,26 @@ export function registerGoalLifecycle(
 		}
 	});
 
-	pi.on("before_agent_start", async () => {
-		nextAgentStartWasUserTriggered = true;
+	pi.on("before_agent_start", async (_event, ctx) => {
+		// before_agent_start fires only for real user prompts and BEFORE the host's final
+		// provider admission check (which can reject the run so no agent_start follows).
+		// Resuming the blocked goal here, instead of deferring to agent_start via a sticky
+		// flag, means a rejected run cannot leak a stale resume signal to a later
+		// continuation-style turn that starts the agent without a preceding user prompt.
+		const goal = await readGoal(goalStoreRef(ctx));
+		if (goal?.status === "blocked") {
+			const resumed = await updateGoal(goalStoreRef(ctx), { status: "active" }, "user");
+			updateGoalUiBestEffort(ctx, resumed);
+		}
 	});
 
 	pi.on("agent_start", async (_event, ctx) => {
-		const userTriggered = nextAgentStartWasUserTriggered;
-		nextAgentStartWasUserTriggered = false;
 		agentAbortSignal = ctx.signal;
 		agentTurnInProgress = true;
 		turnUsage.reset();
 		blockedThisTurnGoalId = null;
 		completedThisTurnGoalId = null;
-		let goal = await readGoal(goalStoreRef(ctx));
-		if (userTriggered && goal?.status === "blocked") {
-			goal = await updateGoal(goalStoreRef(ctx), { status: "active" }, "user");
-		}
+		const goal = await readGoal(goalStoreRef(ctx));
 		if (goal?.status === "active") {
 			beginAgentGoalAccounting(goal);
 		} else {
diff --git a/test/extension.test.ts b/test/extension.test.ts
index 98787f9..be76d4e 100644
--- a/test/extension.test.ts
+++ b/test/extension.test.ts
@@ -457,6 +457,60 @@ describe("pi-goal extension accounting", () => {
 		expect(resumed).not.toHaveProperty("blockedAt");
 	});
 
+	it("resumes a blocked goal at before_agent_start even when admission rejects the run (no stale flag)", async () => {
+		vi.useFakeTimers();
+		vi.setSystemTime(0);
+		const harness = createHarness();
+		const ctx = await createContext("thread-user-flag-leak");
+		await harness.tool("create_goal").execute("c1", { objective: "Finish the work" }, undefined, undefined, ctx);
+		await harness
+			.tool("update_goal")
+			.execute("u1", { status: "blocked", reason: "Waiting on user input" }, undefined, undefined, ctx);
+
+		// Real user prompt fires before_agent_start, but the host's final provider admission
+		// rejects the run, so NO agent_start follows (no turn performed, no accounting begun).
+		// The resume must be bound to the user's before_agent_start, NOT deferred to a sticky
+		// flag that a later continuation-style agent_start could consume.
+		await harness.emit("before_agent_start", { type: "before_agent_start" }, ctx);
+
+		const afterRejectedPrompt = await readGoal(refForContext(ctx));
+		expect(afterRejectedPrompt).toMatchObject({ status: "active", timeUsedSeconds: 0 });
+		expect(afterRejectedPrompt).not.toHaveProperty("blockedReason");
+		expect(afterRejectedPrompt).not.toHaveProperty("blockedAt");
+
+		// A later continuation-style turn starts the agent WITHOUT a preceding before_agent_start.
+		// It must NOT perform a fresh resume transition; it only accounts its own turn against
+		// the already-active goal.
+		await harness.emit("agent_start", { type: "agent_start" }, ctx);
+		vi.advanceTimersByTime(5_000);
+		await harness.emit("agent_end", { type: "agent_end", messages: [] }, ctx);
+
+		const afterContinuation = await readGoal(refForContext(ctx));
+		expect(afterContinuation).toMatchObject({ status: "active", timeUsedSeconds: 5 });
+		expect(afterContinuation).not.toHaveProperty("blockedReason");
+	});
+
+	it("does not resume a blocked goal on a continuation-style agent_start with no preceding before_agent_start", async () => {
+		vi.useFakeTimers();
+		vi.setSystemTime(0);
+		const harness = createHarness();
+		const ctx = await createContext("thread-continuation-no-resume");
+		await harness.tool("create_goal").execute("c1", { objective: "Finish the work" }, undefined, undefined, ctx);
+		await harness
+			.tool("update_goal")
+			.execute("u1", { status: "blocked", reason: "Waiting on user input" }, undefined, undefined, ctx);
+
+		// A continuation-style turn (e.g. another extension's queued followUp) starts the agent
+		// without a real user prompt. agent_start must not resume a blocked goal on its own.
+		await harness.emit("agent_start", { type: "agent_start" }, ctx);
+		vi.advanceTimersByTime(5_000);
+		await harness.emit("agent_end", { type: "agent_end", messages: [] }, ctx);
+
+		const goal = await readGoal(refForContext(ctx));
+		expect(goal).toMatchObject({ status: "blocked", timeUsedSeconds: 0 });
+		expect(goal).toHaveProperty("blockedReason", "Waiting on user input");
+	});
+
 	it("does not check pending messages after a goal completes", async () => {
 		const harness = createHarness();
 		const ctx = await createContext("thread-complete-with-stale-pending");