diff --git a/crates/worker-runtime/src/runtime.rs b/crates/worker-runtime/src/runtime.rs
index aee5b0b8..54c72795 100644
--- a/crates/worker-runtime/src/runtime.rs
+++ b/crates/worker-runtime/src/runtime.rs
@@ -361,17 +361,15 @@ impl Runtime {
         state.ensure_running()?;
         state.ensure_worker_ref(worker_ref)?;
 
-        let already_status = {
+        {
             let worker = state.worker(worker_ref)?;
-            worker.status == status
-        };
-        if already_status {
-            let worker = state.worker(worker_ref)?;
-            return Ok(WorkerLifecycleAck {
-                worker_ref: worker_ref.clone(),
-                status: worker.status,
-                event_id: worker.last_event_id,
-            });
+            if !worker.status.is_active() {
+                return Ok(WorkerLifecycleAck {
+                    worker_ref: worker_ref.clone(),
+                    status: worker.status,
+                    event_id: worker.last_event_id,
+                });
+            }
         }
 
         let event_id = state.push_event(Some(worker_ref.clone()), event_kind, reason);
@@ -736,6 +734,96 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(summary.cancelled_worker_count, 1);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn stop_then_cancel_preserves_stopped_terminal_state() {
+        let runtime = Runtime::new_memory();
+        let cursor = runtime.event_cursor_from_start().unwrap();
+        let worker = runtime
+            .create_worker(task_request("stable stopped"))
+            .unwrap();
+
+        let stop_ack = runtime
+            .stop_worker(&worker.worker_ref, Some("done".to_string()))
+            .unwrap();
+        let cancel_ack = runtime
+            .cancel_worker(&worker.worker_ref, Some("late cancel".to_string()))
+            .unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(stop_ack.status, WorkerStatus::Stopped);
+        assert_eq!(cancel_ack.status, WorkerStatus::Stopped);
+        assert_eq!(cancel_ack.event_id, stop_ack.event_id);
+        assert_eq!(
+            runtime.worker_detail(&worker.worker_ref).unwrap().status,
+            WorkerStatus::Stopped
+        );
+
+        let summary = runtime.summary().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(summary.active_worker_count, 0);
+        assert_eq!(summary.stopped_worker_count, 1);
+        assert_eq!(summary.cancelled_worker_count, 0);
+
+        let events = runtime.read_events(&cursor, 10).unwrap().events;
+        assert_eq!(
+            events
+                .iter()
+                .filter(|event| event.kind == RuntimeEventKind::WorkerStopped)
+                .count(),
+            1
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            events
+                .iter()
+                .filter(|event| event.kind == RuntimeEventKind::WorkerCancelled)
+                .count(),
+            0
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn cancel_then_stop_preserves_cancelled_terminal_state() {
+        let runtime = Runtime::new_memory();
+        let cursor = runtime.event_cursor_from_start().unwrap();
+        let worker = runtime
+            .create_worker(task_request("stable cancelled"))
+            .unwrap();
+
+        let cancel_ack = runtime
+            .cancel_worker(&worker.worker_ref, Some("abort".to_string()))
+            .unwrap();
+        let stop_ack = runtime
+            .stop_worker(&worker.worker_ref, Some("late stop".to_string()))
+            .unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(cancel_ack.status, WorkerStatus::Cancelled);
+        assert_eq!(stop_ack.status, WorkerStatus::Cancelled);
+        assert_eq!(stop_ack.event_id, cancel_ack.event_id);
+        assert_eq!(
+            runtime.worker_detail(&worker.worker_ref).unwrap().status,
+            WorkerStatus::Cancelled
+        );
+
+        let summary = runtime.summary().unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(summary.active_worker_count, 0);
+        assert_eq!(summary.stopped_worker_count, 0);
+        assert_eq!(summary.cancelled_worker_count, 1);
+
+        let events = runtime.read_events(&cursor, 10).unwrap().events;
+        assert_eq!(
+            events
+                .iter()
+                .filter(|event| event.kind == RuntimeEventKind::WorkerCancelled)
+                .count(),
+            1
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            events
+                .iter()
+                .filter(|event| event.kind == RuntimeEventKind::WorkerStopped)
+                .count(),
+            0
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn event_cursor_and_poll_only_subscription_are_bounded_placeholders() {
         let runtime = Runtime::new_memory();