diff --git a/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md b/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
index 00e82e4..3227230 100644
--- a/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
+++ b/docs/ARCHITECTURE.md
@@ -287,7 +287,10 @@ automatic** (D-021).
   recording the batch's end fails, its job fails; the job runner retries
   a job's final status write with backoff until it lands, each attempt
   bounded at 5 seconds; at shutdown an attempt that fails or times out is
-  not retried, and the next start fails the job as interrupted. Each time a
+  not retried, and the next start fails the job as interrupted. Recording
+  the batch's end is bounded the same way (one attempt, 5 seconds, made
+  even during shutdown), so a busy writer cannot hold a stopping worker;
+  a batch whose end timed out is left `running` with its job. Each time a
   batch is started, before the active batch is selected, every batch
   still `pending` or `running` with no job queued or running (the process
   stopped, or recording its end failed) is set `failed`, so it does not
diff --git a/internal/jobs/jobs.go b/internal/jobs/jobs.go
index db57527..12cb947 100644
--- a/internal/jobs/jobs.go
+++ b/internal/jobs/jobs.go
@@ -63,10 +63,20 @@ const (
 	retryMax = 5 * time.Second
 )
 
-// recordTimeout bounds each attempt at a job's final write, so a writer
-// connection that stays busy cannot hold a stopping worker, and with it
-// shutdown, open.
-const recordTimeout = 5 * time.Second
+// FinalWriteTimeout bounds each attempt at a job's final write, and at a
+// handler's own last write, so a writer connection that stays busy cannot
+// hold a stopping worker, and with it shutdown, open.
+const FinalWriteTimeout = 5 * time.Second
+
+// FinalWriteContext returns the context for one attempt at a final write
+// of a job: it is not cancelled with ctx, so a job that finishes during
+// shutdown is still recorded, but it ends after FinalWriteTimeout. A
+// handler makes its own last write, the one recording what the job did,
+// with it too, and returns the error when the attempt times out, so its
+// worker can stop; the next Start fails the job as interrupted.
+func FinalWriteContext(ctx context.Context) (context.Context, context.CancelFunc) {
+	return context.WithTimeout(context.WithoutCancel(ctx), FinalWriteTimeout)
+}
 
 // codePattern is the form of every failure code: lower-case snake case.
 var codePattern = regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-z][a-z0-9_]{0,63}$`)
@@ -137,8 +147,6 @@ type Runner struct {
 	wake chan struct{}
 	// claim claims the oldest queued job, marking it running at now.
 	claim func(ctx context.Context, now sql.NullString) (db.Job, error)
-	// recordTimeout bounds each attempt at a job's final write.
-	recordTimeout time.Duration
 
 	mu       sync.Mutex
 	handlers map[string]handler
@@ -159,13 +167,12 @@ func NewRunner(st *store.Store, logger *slog.Logger, workers int) (*Runner, erro
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("jobs: %d workers, want at least 1", workers)
 	}
 	return &Runner{
-		st:            st,
-		logger:        logger,
-		workers:       workers,
-		wake:          make(chan struct{}, workers),
-		claim:         db.New(st.Writer).ClaimNextJob,
-		recordTimeout: recordTimeout,
-		handlers:      make(map[string]handler),
+		st:       st,
+		logger:   logger,
+		workers:  workers,
+		wake:     make(chan struct{}, workers),
+		claim:    db.New(st.Writer).ClaimNextJob,
+		handlers: make(map[string]handler),
 	}, nil
 }
 
@@ -493,14 +500,14 @@ func (r *Runner) fail(ctx context.Context, logger *slog.Logger, id, code string)
 // record makes a job's final write, which must change the one running job.
 // A database error is retried with backoff until the write lands, so a
 // worker never moves on from a job it has finished while leaving it
-// running. Each attempt is made even when ctx has been cancelled, and is
-// bounded by r.recordTimeout; once ctx is cancelled, a failed or timed-out
-// attempt is not retried and the job stays running, so the next Start
-// fails it as interrupted.
+// running. Each attempt is made with FinalWriteContext, so even when ctx
+// has been cancelled, and is bounded by FinalWriteTimeout; once ctx is
+// cancelled, a failed or timed-out attempt is not retried and the job
+// stays running, so the next Start fails it as interrupted.
 func (r *Runner) record(ctx context.Context, logger *slog.Logger, what string, write func(context.Context) (int64, error)) {
 	backoff := retryMin
 	for {
-		attempt, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.WithoutCancel(ctx), r.recordTimeout)
+		attempt, cancel := FinalWriteContext(ctx)
 		n, err := write(attempt)
 		cancel()
 		if err == nil {
diff --git a/internal/jobs/jobs_test.go b/internal/jobs/jobs_test.go
index 02e05a3..ece6b13 100644
--- a/internal/jobs/jobs_test.go
+++ b/internal/jobs/jobs_test.go
@@ -645,7 +645,6 @@ func TestFinalWriteErrorIsRetried(t *testing.T) {
 func TestBlockedFinalWriteDoesNotHoldShutdown(t *testing.T) {
 	st := migratedStore(t)
 	r := newRunner(t, st, 1)
-	r.recordTimeout = 100 * time.Millisecond
 	started, finish := make(chan struct{}), make(chan struct{})
 	k := register(t, r, "count", func(ctx context.Context, p countPayload, publish func(countResult) error) (countResult, error) {
 		close(started)
@@ -676,9 +675,11 @@ func TestBlockedFinalWriteDoesNotHoldShutdown(t *testing.T) {
 		stop()
 		close(stopped)
 	}()
+	// The final write's attempt ends after 5 seconds; well past that, the
+	// worker is waiting for the writer with no bound.
 	select {
 	case <-stopped:
-	case <-time.After(5 * time.Second):
+	case <-time.After(15 * time.Second):
 		conn.Close()
 		<-stopped
 		t.Fatal("worker waited for a held writer through shutdown")
diff --git a/internal/suggest/batch.go b/internal/suggest/batch.go
index 0492440..00aeccb 100644
--- a/internal/suggest/batch.go
+++ b/internal/suggest/batch.go
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@ func (r batchResult) PublicJSON() ([]byte, error) { return json.Marshal(r) }
 // instead. Each round's grounded Side quests are stored before the next
 // round starts, so the deck fills as the batch goes. The batch ends done
 // or failed; Side quests stored before a failure stay in the deck. When
-// recording the batch's end fails, so does the job.
+// recording the batch's end fails, so does the job; when it times out at
+// shutdown, the job is left running and the batch with it, for the next
+// start to fail.
 func (s *Service) runBatch(ctx context.Context, p BatchJob, publish func(batchResult) error) (batchResult, error) {
 	n, err := db.New(s.st.Writer).StartSuggestionBatch(ctx, db.StartSuggestionBatchParams{
 		UpdatedAt: store.Now().String(),
@@ -64,14 +66,13 @@ func (s *Service) runBatch(ctx context.Context, p BatchJob, publish func(batchRe
 		return batchResult{}, fmt.Errorf("suggest: batch %s is not pending", p.BatchID)
 	}
 	res, err := s.fill(ctx, p.BatchID, publish)
-	write := context.WithoutCancel(ctx)
 	if err == nil {
-		if err := s.finishBatch(write, p.BatchID, BatchDone); err != nil {
+		if err := s.finishBatch(ctx, p.BatchID, BatchDone); err != nil {
 			return batchResult{}, err
 		}
 		return res, nil
 	}
-	finishErr := s.finishBatch(write, p.BatchID, BatchFailed)
+	finishErr := s.finishBatch(ctx, p.BatchID, BatchFailed)
 	if ctx.Err() != nil {
 		return batchResult{}, errors.Join(ctx.Err(), finishErr)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/suggest/suggest.go b/internal/suggest/suggest.go
index 0b00713..efed277 100644
--- a/internal/suggest/suggest.go
+++ b/internal/suggest/suggest.go
@@ -217,11 +217,16 @@ func (s *Service) startBatch(ctx context.Context, tx *sql.Tx, trigger string) (B
 	return Batch{ID: row.ID, JobID: jobID, Trigger: row.Trigger, Status: row.Status, Created: true}, nil
 }
 
-// finishBatch records running batch id as status. Its job's handler
-// returns any error, so the job never ends succeeded with the batch still
-// running; the runner keeps only a code, so the error is logged too.
+// finishBatch records running batch id as status, with
+// jobs.FinalWriteContext: the write is made even when ctx has been
+// cancelled, but a writer that stays busy cannot hold its worker past
+// jobs.FinalWriteTimeout. Its job's handler returns any error, so the job
+// never ends succeeded with the batch still running; the runner keeps only
+// a code, so the error is logged too.
 func (s *Service) finishBatch(ctx context.Context, id, status string) error {
-	n, err := db.New(s.st.Writer).FinishSuggestionBatch(ctx, db.FinishSuggestionBatchParams{
+	write, cancel := jobs.FinalWriteContext(ctx)
+	defer cancel()
+	n, err := db.New(s.st.Writer).FinishSuggestionBatch(write, db.FinishSuggestionBatchParams{
 		Status:    status,
 		UpdatedAt: store.Now().String(),
 		ID:        id,
diff --git a/internal/suggest/suggest_test.go b/internal/suggest/suggest_test.go
index 7f89c88..157f1a5 100644
--- a/internal/suggest/suggest_test.go
+++ b/internal/suggest/suggest_test.go
@@ -1029,6 +1029,113 @@ func TestBatchRecoversWhenRecordingItsEndAndItsJobsEndFail(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestBlockedBatchEndDoesNotHoldShutdown(t *testing.T) {
+	e := newEnv(t)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	if err := e.runner.Start(ctx); err != nil {
+		cancel()
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	stopped := make(chan struct{})
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		cancel()
+		<-stopped
+	})
+	e.search.Gate = make(chan struct{})
+	e.search.Err = errors.New("search down")
+	e.reply(sideQuest("Chili Verde", "Your Beef Chili gone green.", "Beef Chili"))
+
+	b, err := e.svc.StartBatch(t.Context(), suggest.TriggerManual)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	deadline := time.Now().Add(10 * time.Second)
+	for len(e.search.Queries()) == 0 {
+		if time.Now().After(deadline) {
+			t.Fatal("batch never searched")
+		}
+		time.Sleep(5 * time.Millisecond)
+	}
+
+	// Hold the only writer connection, so recording the batch's end
+	// waits for it once the search fails.
+	conn, err := e.st.Writer.Conn(t.Context())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	waits := e.st.Writer.Stats().WaitCount
+	close(e.search.Gate)
+	for e.st.Writer.Stats().WaitCount == waits {
+		if time.Now().After(deadline) {
+			conn.Close()
+			t.Fatal("batch end never waited for the writer")
+		}
+		time.Sleep(5 * time.Millisecond)
+	}
+
+	go func() {
+		e.runner.Wait()
+		close(stopped)
+	}()
+	cancel()
+	// Each final write's attempt ends after jobs.FinalWriteTimeout; well
+	// past that, the worker is waiting for the writer with no bound.
+	select {
+	case <-stopped:
+	case <-time.After(jobs.FinalWriteTimeout + 10*time.Second):
+		conn.Close()
+		<-stopped
+		t.Fatal("worker waited for a held writer through shutdown")
+	}
+	if err := conn.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if got := e.batchStatus(t, b.ID); got != suggest.BatchRunning {
+		t.Fatalf("after shutdown batch status = %s, want left running", got)
+	}
+
+	// The next process fails the job as interrupted, and the batch no
+	// longer blocks the next one.
+	logger := slog.New(slog.NewTextHandler(io.Discard, nil))
+	next, err := jobs.NewRunner(e.st, logger, 1)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	refuse := func(context.Context, string, skills.SideQuestsRequest) (skills.SideQuests, error) {
+		return skills.SideQuests{}, errors.New("not wanted")
+	}
+	svc, err := suggest.NewService(e.st, e.grounder, refuse, next, logger)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	nextCtx, nextCancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	if err := next.Start(nextCtx); err != nil {
+		nextCancel()
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		nextCancel()
+		next.Wait()
+	})
+	job, err := next.Get(t.Context(), b.JobID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if job.Status != jobs.StatusFailed || job.Error == nil || *job.Error != jobs.CodeInterrupted {
+		t.Fatalf("interrupted job = %+v, want failed with %q", job, jobs.CodeInterrupted)
+	}
+	again, err := svc.StartBatch(t.Context(), suggest.TriggerManual)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if !again.Created || again.ID == b.ID {
+		t.Errorf("next batch = %+v, want a new one", again)
+	}
+	if got := e.batchStatus(t, b.ID); got != suggest.BatchFailed {
+		t.Errorf("interrupted batch status = %s, want failed", got)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestStartBatchRefusesUnknownTrigger(t *testing.T) {
 	e := newEnv(t)
 	if _, err := e.svc.StartBatch(t.Context(), "whenever"); err == nil {