diff --git a/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py b/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
index 4a958d6ae7e..518e74eb064 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
@@ -6789,7 +6789,9 @@ def check_respawn_guard(conn: sqlite3.Connection, task_id: str) -> Optional[str]
     ``"recent_success"``
         A completed run exists within ``_RESPAWN_GUARD_SUCCESS_WINDOW``
         seconds.  Useful work already succeeded for this task; wait for
-        human review rather than immediately re-spawning.
+        human review rather than immediately re-spawning. Bypassed when an
+        explicit re-queue event (status change, promote, unblock, reclaim)
+        arrives AFTER that completion — that's a deliberate re-run request.
 
     ``"active_pr"``
         A GitHub PR URL appears in a recent task comment (within
@@ -6852,13 +6854,29 @@ def check_respawn_guard(conn: sqlite3.Connection, task_id: str) -> Optional[str]
         return "blocker_auth"
 
     # 3. Completed run within guard window — proof of recent success.
+    #    Exception: an explicit re-queue AFTER that success (an operator
+    #    dragging done→ready, a dependency re-promotion, an unblock, a
+    #    reclaim) is a deliberate "run it again" — honor it instead of
+    #    deferring. Without this, a manual done→ready just sits there,
+    #    silently held by the guard, until the window elapses.
     cutoff = now - _RESPAWN_GUARD_SUCCESS_WINDOW
-    if conn.execute(
-        "SELECT id FROM task_runs "
-        "WHERE task_id = ? AND outcome = 'completed' AND ended_at >= ?",
+    recent_completed = conn.execute(
+        "SELECT ended_at FROM task_runs "
+        "WHERE task_id = ? AND outcome = 'completed' AND ended_at >= ? "
+        "ORDER BY ended_at DESC LIMIT 1",
         (task_id, cutoff),
-    ).fetchone():
-        return "recent_success"
+    ).fetchone()
+    if recent_completed:
+        completed_at = int(recent_completed["ended_at"] or 0)
+        requeued_after = conn.execute(
+            "SELECT 1 FROM task_events "
+            "WHERE task_id = ? AND created_at >= ? "
+            "AND kind IN ('status', 'promoted', 'unblocked', 'reclaimed') "
+            "LIMIT 1",
+            (task_id, completed_at),
+        ).fetchone()
+        if not requeued_after:
+            return "recent_success"
 
     # 4. GitHub PR URL in a recent comment — prior worker already opened a PR.
     pr_cutoff = now - _RESPAWN_GUARD_PR_WINDOW
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py
index 05de4a913eb..a9e61f41690 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py
@@ -1879,6 +1879,30 @@ def test_respawn_guard_recent_success(kanban_home):
     assert reason == "recent_success"
 
 
+def test_respawn_guard_recent_success_bypassed_by_requeue(kanban_home):
+    """An explicit re-queue after a recent success (operator done->ready,
+    promote, unblock, reclaim) is a deliberate re-run and must bypass the
+    recent_success guard — otherwise a manual done->ready just sits there
+    until the window elapses."""
+    with kb.connect() as conn:
+        t = kb.create_task(conn, title="rerun-me", assignee="alice")
+        now = int(time.time())
+        conn.execute(
+            "INSERT INTO task_runs (task_id, status, outcome, started_at, ended_at) "
+            "VALUES (?, 'done', 'completed', ?, ?)",
+            (t, now - 120, now - 60),
+        )
+        # Baseline: a recent completion defers the respawn.
+        assert kb.check_respawn_guard(conn, t) == "recent_success"
+        # Operator drags done -> ready: a 'status' event after completion.
+        conn.execute(
+            "INSERT INTO task_events (task_id, kind, created_at) "
+            "VALUES (?, 'status', ?)",
+            (t, now - 10),
+        )
+        assert kb.check_respawn_guard(conn, t) is None
+
+
 def test_respawn_guard_stale_success_not_guarded(kanban_home):
     """A completed run outside the guard window does not block re-spawn."""
     with kb.connect() as conn: