Fail interrupted groundings at boot and bound hand grounding

At boot, after the job runner fails the jobs a previous process left
running, FailInterruptedGroundings sets every dinner still pending with
no ground_dinner job queued or running to failed (interrupted). A crash
mid-job, or between saving a dinner and enqueuing its job, no longer
leaves the dinner pending forever.

A search failure on recipe-candidates or ground now logs only the reason
code search_failed, never the wrapped error, which may quote the
provider; the response stays redacted.

When the grounding job cannot be enqueued, POST /dinners answers 201
with the saved dinner failed (grounding_error) and grounding_job_id
null, instead of a 500 that hid the dinner it had created.

Grounding a candidate or link by hand runs under a 90-second deadline
(fetch, photo, normalize_recipe); past it the request answers 504
ground_timeout and the dinner is unchanged.

Maestro task: 0cbaa5bf-8be4-4cbd-aab2-891e7f1bc2b5

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

cmd/server/main.go

@@ -139,6 +139,12 @@ func run(cfg config.Config, logger *slog.Logger) error {
 	if err := runner.Start(jobsCtx); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	// With those jobs failed, a dinner still pending with no grounding job
+	// queued or running is failed as interrupted, before any request can
+	// create one.
+	if _, err := dinnerSvc.FailInterruptedGroundings(ctx); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	srv := &http.Server{
 		Addr:              cfg.HTTPAddr,
 		Handler:           router,

docs/ARCHITECTURE.md

@@ -202,7 +202,9 @@ automatic** (D-021).
   the session's subject as `updated_by`; an unknown id is 404.
 - Dinner grounding. `POST /api/v1/dinners` also enqueues a `ground_dinner`
   job and answers with its `grounding_job_id` without waiting for it
-  (`GET /api/v1/jobs/{id}` reports it). The job grounds the dinner's
+  (`GET /api/v1/jobs/{id}` reports it); if the job cannot be enqueued it
+  still answers 201, with grounding_status `failed` (`grounding_error`)
+  and `grounding_job_id` null. The job grounds the dinner's
   `recipe_url` directly with `GroundURL`, else its name with `Ground`
   (see Recipe grounding), and sets grounding_status `grounded` with the
   recipe's recipe_id, photo_id, method, minutes_total and difficulty, or
@@ -210,7 +212,11 @@ automatic** (D-021).
   `no_recipe_found`, `recipe_unusable` (the pasted link), `search_not_configured`,
   `search_failed`, `ai_failed`, `interrupted` (the server stopped) or
   `grounding_error`. It only writes a dinner still `pending`, so a fix-up
-  made meanwhile wins. `GET /api/v1/dinners/{id}/recipe-candidates`
+  made meanwhile wins. At boot, after the job runner fails the jobs a
+  previous process left running, every dinner still `pending` with no
+  `ground_dinner` job queued or running is set `failed` with `interrupted`,
+  so no dinner stays pending with nothing left to ground it.
+  `GET /api/v1/dinners/{id}/recipe-candidates`
   searches for the dinner's name and returns `{candidates: [{candidate_id,
   title, site_name, photo_url, minutes}]}`, at most 3, ranked as `Ground`
   ranks them; it fetches pages but downloads no photo and runs no model,
@@ -226,8 +232,11 @@ automatic** (D-021).
   photo and the dinner's difficulty unchanged. It answers 200 with the
   dinner; an invalid body is 400, an unknown dinner 404, a page that cannot
   ground it 422 `ungroundable` (the dinner is unchanged), recipe search not
-  set up 409 `not_configured`, and a search or model failure 502
+  set up 409 `not_configured`, a search or model failure 502
-  `search_failed` / `ai_failed`.
+  `search_failed` / `ai_failed` (only the reason code is logged, never the
+  provider's text), and grounding a candidate or link that runs past 90
+  seconds (fetch, photo and `normalize_recipe`, all in the request) 504
+  `ground_timeout`, leaving the dinner unchanged.
 - `/health` — liveness.
 - Everything else serves the embedded PWA with SPA fallback.
 

internal/db/dinners.sql.go

@@ -129,6 +129,38 @@ func (q *Queries) CreateDinner(ctx context.Context, arg CreateDinnerParams) (Din
 	return i, err
 }
 
+const failOrphanedPendingDinnerGroundings = `-- name: FailOrphanedPendingDinnerGroundings :execrows
+UPDATE dinners
+SET grounding_status = 'failed',
+	grounding_error = ?1,
+	updated_at = ?2
+WHERE grounding_status = 'pending'
+	AND NOT EXISTS (
+		SELECT 1 FROM jobs
+		WHERE jobs.kind = ?3
+			AND jobs.status IN ('queued', 'running')
+			AND json_extract(jobs.payload, '$.dinner_id') = dinners.id
+	)
+`
+
+type FailOrphanedPendingDinnerGroundingsParams struct {
+	GroundingError sql.NullString
+	UpdatedAt      string
+	Kind           string
+}
+
+// Fails every dinner still pending whose grounding job is no longer queued
+// or running: the process stopped before the job, or before its handler
+// recorded a result. Run at boot, after the job runner fails the jobs a
+// previous process left running.
+func (q *Queries) FailOrphanedPendingDinnerGroundings(ctx context.Context, arg FailOrphanedPendingDinnerGroundingsParams) (int64, error) {
+	result, err := q.db.ExecContext(ctx, failOrphanedPendingDinnerGroundings, arg.GroundingError, arg.UpdatedAt, arg.Kind)
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return result.RowsAffected()
+}
+
 const failPendingDinnerGrounding = `-- name: FailPendingDinnerGrounding :execrows
 UPDATE dinners
 SET grounding_status = 'failed',

internal/db/querier.go

@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ type Querier interface {
 	DeleteRecipeIngredients(ctx context.Context, recipeID string) error
 	DeleteRecipeSteps(ctx context.Context, recipeID string) error
 	FailJob(ctx context.Context, arg FailJobParams) (int64, error)
+	// Fails every dinner still pending whose grounding job is no longer queued
+	// or running: the process stopped before the job, or before its handler
+	// recorded a result. Run at boot, after the job runner fails the jobs a
+	// previous process left running.
+	FailOrphanedPendingDinnerGroundings(ctx context.Context, arg FailOrphanedPendingDinnerGroundingsParams) (int64, error)
 	// Records why the background grounding of a dinner still pending failed; a
 	// dinner grounded some other way meanwhile is left as it is (0 rows).
 	FailPendingDinnerGrounding(ctx context.Context, arg FailPendingDinnerGroundingParams) (int64, error)

internal/dinners/dinners.go

@@ -155,10 +155,12 @@ func NewService(st *store.Store, grounder *recipes.Grounder, runner *jobs.Runner
 	return s, nil
 }
 
-// Created is a new Regular with the id of the job grounding it.
+// Created is a new Regular with the id of the job grounding it, which is
+// nil when the job could not be enqueued and the dinner's grounding is
+// failed instead.
 type Created struct {
 	Dinner
-	GroundingJobID string `json:"grounding_job_id"`
+	GroundingJobID *string `json:"grounding_job_id"`
 }
 
 // CreateRegular adds a Regular named by r.Name, or by the last path segment
@@ -166,24 +168,35 @@ type Created struct {
 // origin regular and grounding_status pending, recording updatedBy, and
 // enqueues the KindGroundDinner job that grounds it. It returns without
 // waiting for the job. A name repeating an unarchived dinner is a
-// *DuplicateError.
+// *DuplicateError. When the job cannot be enqueued, the stored dinner is
+// returned with grounding_status failed (ReasonGroundingError) and no job
+// id, so the household can fix its recipe by hand.
 func (s *Service) CreateRegular(ctx context.Context, r NewRegular, updatedBy string) (Created, error) {
 	d, err := s.createRegular(ctx, r, updatedBy)
 	if err != nil {
 		return Created{}, err
 	}
 	jobID, err := s.groundJob.Enqueue(ctx, GroundJob{DinnerID: d.ID})
-	if err != nil {
+	if err == nil {
-		// The dinner is stored; record that it will not be grounded so it
+		return Created{Dinner: d, GroundingJobID: &jobID}, nil
-		// is not left pending with no job, and can be fixed by hand.
-		_, failErr := db.New(s.st.Writer).FailPendingDinnerGrounding(context.WithoutCancel(ctx), db.FailPendingDinnerGroundingParams{
-			GroundingError: sql.NullString{String: ReasonGroundingError, Valid: true},
-			UpdatedAt:      store.Now().String(),
-			ID:             d.ID,
-		})
-		return Created{}, errors.Join(fmt.Errorf("dinners: enqueue grounding of %s: %w", d.ID, err), failErr)
 	}
-	return Created{Dinner: d, GroundingJobID: jobID}, nil
+	// The dinner is stored; record that it will not be grounded so it is
+	// not left pending with no job. The error is a database error, never a
+	// dependency's text.
+	s.logger.ErrorContext(ctx, "dinner grounding not enqueued", "dinner_id", d.ID, "error", err)
+	write := context.WithoutCancel(ctx)
+	if _, err := db.New(s.st.Writer).FailPendingDinnerGrounding(write, db.FailPendingDinnerGroundingParams{
+		GroundingError: sql.NullString{String: ReasonGroundingError, Valid: true},
+		UpdatedAt:      store.Now().String(),
+		ID:             d.ID,
+	}); err != nil {
+		return Created{}, fmt.Errorf("dinners: record failed grounding of %s: %w", d.ID, err)
+	}
+	row, err := db.New(s.st.Reader).GetDinner(write, d.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return Created{}, fmt.Errorf("dinners: read %s: %w", d.ID, err)
+	}
+	return Created{Dinner: fromRow(row)}, nil
 }
 
 func (s *Service) createRegular(ctx context.Context, r NewRegular, updatedBy string) (Dinner, error) {

internal/dinners/export_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+package dinners
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// SetGroundTimeout sets the deadline of grounding by hand until t ends. A
+// test calling it must not run in parallel.
+func SetGroundTimeout(t *testing.T, d time.Duration) {
+	old := groundTimeout
+	groundTimeout = d
+	t.Cleanup(func() { groundTimeout = old })
+}

internal/dinners/grounding.go

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 	"unicode/utf8"
 
 	"code.cubecraftlabs.com/Maniacs_Mansion/Meal-Quest/internal/db"
@@ -63,6 +64,18 @@ const (
 	manualSourcePrefix = "mealquest:manual:"
 )
 
+// GroundTimeout bounds grounding a candidate or link by hand, which runs in
+// the request: the page fetch (recipes.Timeout), its photo download and
+// normalize_recipe (harness.DefaultTimeout), with some slack.
+const GroundTimeout = 90 * time.Second
+
+// groundTimeout is GroundTimeout; tests shorten it.
+var groundTimeout = GroundTimeout
+
+// ErrGroundTimeout is returned by Ground when grounding a candidate or link
+// runs past GroundTimeout; the dinner is left as it was.
+var ErrGroundTimeout = errors.New("dinners: grounding the recipe took too long")
+
 // GroundJob is the KindGroundDinner payload.
 type GroundJob struct {
 	DinnerID string `json:"dinner_id"`
@@ -143,6 +156,27 @@ func (s *Service) runGroundJob(ctx context.Context, p GroundJob, _ func(groundRe
 	return groundResult{DinnerID: row.ID, GroundingStatus: GroundingGrounded}, nil
 }
 
+// FailInterruptedGroundings fails, with ReasonInterrupted, every dinner
+// still pending whose KindGroundDinner job is no longer queued or running:
+// a previous process stopped before enqueuing the job or before its
+// handler recorded a result. Call it once at boot, after the job runner's
+// Start has failed the jobs that process left running, so no dinner stays
+// pending with nothing left to ground it. It returns how many it failed.
+func (s *Service) FailInterruptedGroundings(ctx context.Context) (int64, error) {
+	n, err := db.New(s.st.Writer).FailOrphanedPendingDinnerGroundings(ctx, db.FailOrphanedPendingDinnerGroundingsParams{
+		GroundingError: sql.NullString{String: ReasonInterrupted, Valid: true},
+		UpdatedAt:      store.Now().String(),
+		Kind:           KindGroundDinner,
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("dinners: fail interrupted groundings: %w", err)
+	}
+	if n > 0 {
+		s.logger.WarnContext(ctx, "failed dinner groundings interrupted by restart", "count", n)
+	}
+	return n, nil
+}
+
 // reasonFor is the Reason for a grounding error; fromURL says whether the
 // dinner's recipe_url was grounded rather than its name.
 func reasonFor(err error, fromURL bool) string {
@@ -236,8 +270,13 @@ func (s *Service) Ground(ctx context.Context, id string, f Fix, updatedBy string
 	if _, err := s.get(ctx, id); err != nil {
 		return Dinner{}, err
 	}
-	gr, err := s.grounder.GroundURL(ctx, link)
+	groundCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, groundTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
+	gr, err := s.grounder.GroundURL(groundCtx, link)
 	if err != nil {
+		if ctx.Err() == nil && errors.Is(groundCtx.Err(), context.DeadlineExceeded) {
+			return Dinner{}, ErrGroundTimeout
+		}
 		return Dinner{}, fmt.Errorf("dinners: ground %s: %w", id, err)
 	}
 	row, err := db.New(s.st.Writer).GroundDinner(ctx, db.GroundDinnerParams{

internal/dinners/grounding_test.go

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ type env struct {
 	st     *store.Store
 	runner *jobs.Runner
 	search *recipestest.Search
+	pages  *recipestest.Pages
 	model  *llm.Fake
 }
 
@@ -40,6 +41,15 @@ type env struct {
 // with fake search, pages, images and model. Searching "Chicken curry"
 // finds curryA, curryB and a missing page.
 func newEnv(t *testing.T) *env {
+	t.Helper()
+	e := newUnstartedEnv(t)
+	e.start(t)
+	return e
+}
+
+// newUnstartedEnv is newEnv with its job runner not yet started, so jobs
+// enqueued stay queued until start.
+func newUnstartedEnv(t *testing.T) *env {
 	t.Helper()
 	dataDir := t.TempDir()
 	st, err := store.Open(t.Context(), dataDir)
@@ -79,16 +89,21 @@ func newEnv(t *testing.T) *env {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	return &env{svc: svc, st: st, runner: runner, search: search, pages: pages, model: model}
+}
+
+// start starts the env's job runner, stopping it when the test ends.
+func (e *env) start(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Helper()
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	if err := runner.Start(ctx); err != nil {
+	if err := e.runner.Start(ctx); err != nil {
 		cancel()
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	t.Cleanup(func() {
 		cancel()
-		runner.Wait()
+		e.runner.Wait()
 	})
-	return &env{svc: svc, st: st, runner: runner, search: search, model: model}
 }
 
 func ptr[T any](v T) *T { return &v }
@@ -130,10 +145,10 @@ func TestCreateGroundsInBackground(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	if c.GroundingStatus != dinners.GroundingPending || c.GroundingJobID == "" {
+	if c.GroundingStatus != dinners.GroundingPending || c.GroundingJobID == nil {
 		t.Fatalf("created = %+v, want pending with a job id", c)
 	}
-	job := e.waitJob(t, c.GroundingJobID)
+	job := e.waitJob(t, *c.GroundingJobID)
 	if job.Kind != dinners.KindGroundDinner || job.Status != jobs.StatusSucceeded ||
 		string(job.Result) != `{"dinner_id":"`+c.ID+`","grounding_status":"grounded"}` {
 		t.Fatalf("job = %+v (result %s)", job, job.Result)
@@ -165,7 +180,7 @@ func TestCreateByRecipeURLGroundsThatURL(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	if job := e.waitJob(t, c.GroundingJobID); job.Status != jobs.StatusSucceeded {
+	if job := e.waitJob(t, *c.GroundingJobID); job.Status != jobs.StatusSucceeded {
 		t.Fatalf("job = %+v", job)
 	}
 	row := e.dinner(t, c.ID)
@@ -208,7 +223,7 @@ func TestCreateGroundingFailureRecordsReason(t *testing.T) {
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatal(err)
 			}
-			job := e.waitJob(t, c.GroundingJobID)
+			job := e.waitJob(t, *c.GroundingJobID)
 			if job.Status != jobs.StatusFailed || job.Error == nil || *job.Error != tt.reason {
 				t.Errorf("job = %+v, want failed with %s", job, tt.reason)
 			}
@@ -234,11 +249,11 @@ func TestCreateReturnsBeforeGroundingCompletes(t *testing.T) {
 	if row := e.dinner(t, c.ID); row.GroundingStatus != "pending" {
 		t.Fatalf("grounding_status = %s right after create, want pending", row.GroundingStatus)
 	}
-	if job, err := e.runner.Get(t.Context(), c.GroundingJobID); err != nil || (job.Status != jobs.StatusQueued && job.Status != jobs.StatusRunning) {
+	if job, err := e.runner.Get(t.Context(), *c.GroundingJobID); err != nil || (job.Status != jobs.StatusQueued && job.Status != jobs.StatusRunning) {
 		t.Fatalf("job = %+v, %v; want queued or running", job, err)
 	}
 	close(e.search.Gate)
-	if job := e.waitJob(t, c.GroundingJobID); job.Status != jobs.StatusSucceeded {
+	if job := e.waitJob(t, *c.GroundingJobID); job.Status != jobs.StatusSucceeded {
 		t.Fatalf("job = %+v", job)
 	}
 	if row := e.dinner(t, c.ID); row.GroundingStatus != "grounded" {
@@ -262,7 +277,7 @@ func TestManualFixWhilePendingIsKept(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 	close(e.search.Gate)
-	job := e.waitJob(t, c.GroundingJobID)
+	job := e.waitJob(t, *c.GroundingJobID)
 	if job.Status != jobs.StatusSucceeded || string(job.Result) != `{"dinner_id":"`+c.ID+`","grounding_status":"manual"}` {
 		t.Errorf("job = %+v (result %s), want succeeded reporting manual", job, job.Result)
 	}
@@ -278,7 +293,7 @@ func failedDinner(t *testing.T, e *env, name string) string {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	if job := e.waitJob(t, c.GroundingJobID); job.Status != jobs.StatusFailed {
+	if job := e.waitJob(t, *c.GroundingJobID); job.Status != jobs.StatusFailed {
 		t.Fatalf("job = %+v, want failed", job)
 	}
 	return c.ID
@@ -293,7 +308,7 @@ func TestCandidates(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	if job := e.waitJob(t, c.GroundingJobID); job.Status != jobs.StatusSucceeded {
+	if job := e.waitJob(t, *c.GroundingJobID); job.Status != jobs.StatusSucceeded {
 		t.Fatalf("job = %+v", job)
 	}
 
@@ -476,3 +491,105 @@ func TestFixValidation(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("unknown dinner, link: err = %v, want ErrNotFound", err)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestRestartFailsInterruptedGrounding simulates a crash: one dinner's job
+// was left running and another dinner was saved before its job was
+// enqueued. At the next boot both end failed as interrupted, while a
+// dinner whose job is still queued stays pending and is grounded.
+func TestRestartFailsInterruptedGrounding(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	e := newUnstartedEnv(t)
+	e.search.Gate = make(chan struct{})
+	e.model.QueueGenerate(recipestest.NormalizedReply("stovetop", 40))
+
+	running, err := e.svc.CreateRegular(t.Context(), dinners.NewRegular{Name: ptr("Fish pie")}, member)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := e.st.Writer.ExecContext(t.Context(),
+		`UPDATE jobs SET status = 'running', started_at = updated_at WHERE id = ?`, *running.GroundingJobID); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	unqueued, err := e.svc.CreateRegular(t.Context(), dinners.NewRegular{Name: ptr("Lentil soup")}, member)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := e.st.Writer.ExecContext(t.Context(), `DELETE FROM jobs WHERE id = ?`, *unqueued.GroundingJobID); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	queued, err := e.svc.CreateRegular(t.Context(), dinners.NewRegular{Name: ptr("Chicken curry")}, member)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// Boot: the runner fails the running job, then the service fails the
+	// dinners nothing is left to ground. The search is held, so the queued
+	// dinner's job cannot finish meanwhile.
+	e.start(t)
+	n, err := e.svc.FailInterruptedGroundings(t.Context())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if n != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("failed %d dinners, want 2", n)
+	}
+	if job, err := e.runner.Get(t.Context(), *running.GroundingJobID); err != nil || job.Status != jobs.StatusFailed {
+		t.Errorf("running job = %+v, %v; want failed", job, err)
+	}
+	for _, id := range []string{running.ID, unqueued.ID} {
+		if row := e.dinner(t, id); row.GroundingStatus != dinners.GroundingFailed || row.GroundingError.String != dinners.ReasonInterrupted {
+			t.Errorf("dinner %s = %s (%s), want failed (interrupted)", id, row.GroundingStatus, row.GroundingError.String)
+		}
+	}
+	if row := e.dinner(t, queued.ID); row.GroundingStatus != dinners.GroundingPending {
+		t.Errorf("queued dinner = %s, want pending", row.GroundingStatus)
+	}
+	close(e.search.Gate)
+	if job := e.waitJob(t, *queued.GroundingJobID); job.Status != jobs.StatusSucceeded {
+		t.Fatalf("queued job = %+v", job)
+	}
+	if row := e.dinner(t, queued.ID); row.GroundingStatus != dinners.GroundingGrounded {
+		t.Errorf("queued dinner = %s, want grounded", row.GroundingStatus)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCreateEnqueueFailureReturnsFailedDinner: a dinner saved when its job
+// cannot be enqueued is returned, with its id, failed and no job id.
+func TestCreateEnqueueFailureReturnsFailedDinner(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	e := newEnv(t)
+	if _, err := e.st.Writer.ExecContext(t.Context(),
+		`CREATE TRIGGER refuse_jobs BEFORE INSERT ON jobs BEGIN SELECT RAISE(ABORT, 'no jobs'); END`); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	c, err := e.svc.CreateRegular(t.Context(), dinners.NewRegular{Name: ptr("Chicken curry")}, member)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if c.ID == "" || c.GroundingJobID != nil || c.GroundingStatus != dinners.GroundingFailed ||
+		c.GroundingError == nil || *c.GroundingError != dinners.ReasonGroundingError {
+		t.Fatalf("created = %+v, want its id, failed (grounding_error) and no job", c)
+	}
+	if row := e.dinner(t, c.ID); row.GroundingStatus != dinners.GroundingFailed {
+		t.Errorf("stored grounding_status = %s, want failed", row.GroundingStatus)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestGroundTimesOut: grounding a link by hand that runs past its deadline
+// is ErrGroundTimeout and leaves the dinner as it was. It shortens the
+// package deadline, so it does not run in parallel.
+func TestGroundTimesOut(t *testing.T) {
+	dinners.SetGroundTimeout(t, 50*time.Millisecond)
+	e := newEnv(t)
+	id := failedDinner(t, e, "Beef stew")
+	e.pages.Gate = make(chan struct{})
+	defer close(e.pages.Gate)
+
+	_, err := e.svc.Ground(t.Context(), id, dinners.Fix{RecipeURL: ptr(stew)}, member)
+	if !errors.Is(err, dinners.ErrGroundTimeout) {
+		t.Fatalf("err = %v, want ErrGroundTimeout", err)
+	}
+	if row := e.dinner(t, id); row.GroundingStatus != dinners.GroundingFailed {
+		t.Errorf("grounding_status = %s, want failed as before", row.GroundingStatus)
+	}
+}

internal/recipes/recipestest/recipestest.go

@@ -62,12 +62,20 @@ func (s *Search) Queries() []string {
 }
 
 // Pages is a recipes.PageFetcher serving Bodies by URL; any other URL is a
-// 404.
+// 404. Gate, when set, makes every fetch wait for it to close.
 type Pages struct {
 	Bodies map[string][]byte
+	Gate   chan struct{}
 }
 
-func (p *Pages) Fetch(_ context.Context, rawURL string) (recipes.Page, error) {
+func (p *Pages) Fetch(ctx context.Context, rawURL string) (recipes.Page, error) {
+	if p.Gate != nil {
+		select {
+		case <-p.Gate:
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return recipes.Page{}, ctx.Err()
+		}
+	}
 	body, ok := p.Bodies[rawURL]
 	if !ok {
 		return recipes.Page{}, &recipes.StatusError{URL: rawURL, Status: 404}

internal/server/dinners.go

@@ -71,7 +71,8 @@ func getDinners(logger *slog.Logger, svc *dinners.Service) http.HandlerFunc {
 
 // postDinner adds a Regular, recording the session's actor as updated_by,
 // and answers 201 with it and its grounding_job_id without waiting for the
-// job.
+// job. When the job cannot be enqueued it still answers 201, with the dinner
+// grounding_status failed and grounding_job_id null.
 func postDinner(logger *slog.Logger, svc *dinners.Service) http.HandlerFunc {
 	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		actor, ok := actorOrFail(w, r, logger)
@@ -198,7 +199,8 @@ func actorOrFail(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, logger *slog.Logger) (a
 
 // writeDinnerError maps a dinners.Service error to its API error. A page
 // that cannot ground the dinner is 422 ungroundable; recipe search not set
-// up is 409 not_configured; a search or model failure is 502.
+// up is 409 not_configured; a search or model failure is 502; grounding by
+// hand that runs past dinners.GroundTimeout is 504 ground_timeout.
 func writeDinnerError(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, logger *slog.Logger, action string, err error) {
 	var invalid *dinners.ValidationError
 	var dup *dinners.DuplicateError
@@ -211,11 +213,16 @@ func writeDinnerError(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, logger *slog.Logge
 	case errors.Is(err, recipes.ErrSearchNotConfigured):
 		writeError(w, r, logger, http.StatusConflict, "not_configured", "recipe search is not configured")
 	case errors.Is(err, recipes.ErrSearchFailed):
-		logger.WarnContext(r.Context(), action, "error", err)
+		// The error may quote the search provider's response, so only the
+		// reason is logged.
+		logger.WarnContext(r.Context(), action, "reason", "search_failed")
 		writeError(w, r, logger, http.StatusBadGateway, "search_failed", "recipe search failed")
 	case errors.Is(err, recipes.ErrNormalizeFailed):
 		logger.WarnContext(r.Context(), action, "reason", "normalize_recipe failed")
 		writeError(w, r, logger, http.StatusBadGateway, "ai_failed", "the AI provider failed to read the recipe")
+	case errors.Is(err, dinners.ErrGroundTimeout):
+		logger.WarnContext(r.Context(), action, "reason", "ground_timeout")
+		writeError(w, r, logger, http.StatusGatewayTimeout, "ground_timeout", "grounding the recipe took too long; try again")
 	case errors.As(err, &invalid):
 		writeError(w, r, logger, http.StatusBadRequest, "invalid_dinner", invalid.Error())
 	case errors.As(err, &dup):

internal/server/dinners_test.go

@@ -1,12 +1,14 @@
 package server
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"io"
 	"log/slog"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 	"testing/fstest"
 
@@ -39,6 +41,26 @@ type dinnersEnv struct {
 	pages  *recipestest.Pages
 	images *recipestest.Images
 	model  *llm.Fake
+	// logs holds everything the router and services log.
+	logs *logBuffer
+}
+
+// logBuffer is a bytes.Buffer safe for concurrent log writes.
+type logBuffer struct {
+	mu  sync.Mutex
+	buf bytes.Buffer
+}
+
+func (b *logBuffer) Write(p []byte) (int, error) {
+	b.mu.Lock()
+	defer b.mu.Unlock()
+	return b.buf.Write(p)
+}
+
+func (b *logBuffer) String() string {
+	b.mu.Lock()
+	defer b.mu.Unlock()
+	return b.buf.String()
 }
 
 func newDinnersEnv(t *testing.T) *dinnersEnv {
@@ -50,8 +72,9 @@ func newDinnersEnv(t *testing.T) *dinnersEnv {
 		pages:  &recipestest.Pages{Bodies: map[string][]byte{}},
 		images: &recipestest.Images{JPEGs: map[string][]byte{}},
 		model:  &llm.Fake{},
+		logs:   &logBuffer{},
 	}
-	logger := slog.New(slog.NewTextHandler(io.Discard, nil))
+	logger := slog.New(slog.NewTextHandler(e.logs, nil))
 	runner, err := jobs.NewRunner(st, logger, 1)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)

internal/server/grounding_test.go

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package server
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
@@ -162,12 +163,21 @@ func TestGetRecipeCandidates(t *testing.T) {
 func TestGetRecipeCandidatesSearchFails(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	e := newDinnersEnv(t)
-	e.search.Err = recipes.ErrSearchRefused
+	// The provider's text must reach neither the response nor the logs.
+	const leak = "provider-said-token-abc123"
+	e.search.Err = fmt.Errorf("%w: %s", recipes.ErrSearchRefused, leak)
 	id := createDinner(t, e.h, `{"name":"Chicken curry"}`)
 	rec, body := callDinners(t, e.h, http.MethodGet, dinnersPath+"/"+id+"/recipe-candidates", "")
 	if rec.Code != http.StatusBadGateway || errorCode(body) != "search_failed" {
 		t.Errorf("GET = %d %v, want 502 search_failed", rec.Code, body)
 	}
+	if strings.Contains(rec.Body.String(), leak) {
+		t.Errorf("response quotes the provider: %s", rec.Body)
+	}
+	logs := e.logs.String()
+	if strings.Contains(logs, leak) || !strings.Contains(logs, "reason=search_failed") {
+		t.Errorf("logs = %q, want reason=search_failed and no provider text", logs)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestPostGroundViaCandidate(t *testing.T) {
@@ -271,3 +281,23 @@ func TestPostGroundRejects(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("unknown dinner = %d %v, want 404", rec.Code, body)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestPostDinnerEnqueueFailureAnswersFailedDinner(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	e := newDinnersEnv(t)
+	if _, err := e.st.Writer.ExecContext(t.Context(),
+		`CREATE TRIGGER refuse_jobs BEFORE INSERT ON jobs BEGIN SELECT RAISE(ABORT, 'no jobs'); END`); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	rec, created := callDinners(t, e.h, http.MethodPost, dinnersPath, `{"name":"Chicken curry"}`)
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusCreated {
+		t.Fatalf("POST = %d: %s", rec.Code, rec.Body)
+	}
+	id, _ := created["id"].(string)
+	if id == "" || created["grounding_status"] != "failed" || created["grounding_error"] != "grounding_error" || created["grounding_job_id"] != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("created = %v, want its id, failed (grounding_error) and a null grounding_job_id", created)
+	}
+	if got := listedDinner(t, e.h, id); got["grounding_status"] != "failed" {
+		t.Errorf("listed = %v, want failed", got)
+	}
+}

migrations/queries/dinners.sql

@@ -109,3 +109,20 @@ SET grounding_status = 'failed',
 	grounding_error = ?,
 	updated_at = ?
 WHERE id = ? AND grounding_status = 'pending';
+
+-- name: FailOrphanedPendingDinnerGroundings :execrows
+-- Fails every dinner still pending whose grounding job is no longer queued
+-- or running: the process stopped before the job, or before its handler
+-- recorded a result. Run at boot, after the job runner fails the jobs a
+-- previous process left running.
+UPDATE dinners
+SET grounding_status = 'failed',
+	grounding_error = sqlc.arg(grounding_error),
+	updated_at = sqlc.arg(updated_at)
+WHERE grounding_status = 'pending'
+	AND NOT EXISTS (
+		SELECT 1 FROM jobs
+		WHERE jobs.kind = sqlc.arg(kind)
+			AND jobs.status IN ('queued', 'running')
+			AND json_extract(jobs.payload, '$.dinner_id') = dinners.id
+	);