diff --git a/repub/jobs.py b/repub/jobs.py
index 8d7de38..eeb4494 100644
--- a/repub/jobs.py
+++ b/repub/jobs.py
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ class JobRuntime:
         if self._started:
             return
 
+        self._reconcile_stale_executions()
         self.scheduler.start()
         self.scheduler.add_job(
             self.poll_workers,
@@ -311,6 +312,39 @@ class JobRuntime:
         if self.refresh_callback is not None:
             self.refresh_callback()
 
+    def _reconcile_stale_executions(self) -> None:
+        with database.connection_context():
+            stale_executions = tuple(
+                JobExecution.select(JobExecution, Job)
+                .join(Job)
+                .where(JobExecution.running_status == JobExecutionStatus.RUNNING)
+            )
+
+            for execution in stale_executions:
+                job = cast(Job, execution.job)
+                execution_id = _execution_id(execution)
+                artifacts = JobArtifacts.for_execution(
+                    log_dir=self.log_dir,
+                    job_id=_job_id(job),
+                    execution_id=execution_id,
+                )
+                artifacts.log_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+                with artifacts.log_path.open("a", encoding="utf-8") as log_handle:
+                    log_handle.write(
+                        "scheduler: execution marked failed after app restart\n"
+                    )
+
+                execution.ended_at = utc_now()
+                execution.running_status = (
+                    JobExecutionStatus.CANCELED
+                    if execution.stop_requested_at is not None
+                    else JobExecutionStatus.FAILED
+                )
+                execution.save()
+
+        if stale_executions:
+            self._trigger_refresh()
+
 
 def load_runs_view(
     *, log_dir: str | Path, now: datetime | None = None
diff --git a/tests/test_scheduler_runtime.py b/tests/test_scheduler_runtime.py
index df226dc..a2059d4 100644
--- a/tests/test_scheduler_runtime.py
+++ b/tests/test_scheduler_runtime.py
@@ -182,6 +182,58 @@ def test_job_runtime_cancel_marks_execution_canceled(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
         runtime.shutdown()
 
 
+def test_job_runtime_start_reconciles_stale_running_execution(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    initialize_database(tmp_path / "stale-running.db")
+    source = create_source(
+        name="Stale source",
+        slug="stale-source",
+        source_type="feed",
+        notes="",
+        spider_arguments="",
+        enabled=False,
+        cron_minute="*/5",
+        cron_hour="*",
+        cron_day_of_month="*",
+        cron_day_of_week="*",
+        cron_month="*",
+        feed_url="https://example.com/stale.xml",
+    )
+    job = Job.get(Job.source == source)
+    execution = JobExecution.create(
+        job=job,
+        started_at="2026-03-30 12:30:00+00:00",
+        running_status=JobExecutionStatus.RUNNING,
+    )
+    artifacts = JobArtifacts.for_execution(
+        log_dir=tmp_path / "out" / "logs",
+        job_id=job.id,
+        execution_id=int(execution.get_id()),
+    )
+    artifacts.log_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    artifacts.log_path.write_text(
+        "worker: process lost during app restart\n",
+        encoding="utf-8",
+    )
+
+    runtime = JobRuntime(
+        log_dir=tmp_path / "out" / "logs",
+        worker_duration_seconds=0.5,
+        worker_stats_interval_seconds=0.05,
+        worker_failure_probability=0.0,
+    )
+    try:
+        runtime.start()
+        reconciled_execution = JobExecution.get_by_id(execution.get_id())
+
+        assert reconciled_execution.running_status == JobExecutionStatus.FAILED
+        assert reconciled_execution.ended_at is not None
+        assert "marked failed after app restart" in artifacts.log_path.read_text(
+            encoding="utf-8"
+        )
+    finally:
+        runtime.shutdown()
+
+
 def test_render_runs_uses_database_backed_jobs_and_executions(
     monkeypatch, tmp_path: Path
 ) -> None: