diff --git a/src/cron/service.external-reload-schedule-recompute.test.ts b/src/cron/service.external-reload-schedule-recompute.test.ts
index 88e3b0dd821..1d168c0689f 100644
--- a/src/cron/service.external-reload-schedule-recompute.test.ts
+++ b/src/cron/service.external-reload-schedule-recompute.test.ts
@@ -79,6 +79,57 @@ describe("forceReload repairs externally changed cron schedules", () => {
     expect(persistedJob?.state?.nextRunAtMs).toBe(correctedNextRunAtMs);
   });
 
+  it("recomputes from updatedAtMs so delayed reload keeps newly earlier slots due", async () => {
+    const store = await makeStorePath();
+    const nowMs = Date.parse("2026-03-19T12:10:00.000Z");
+    const initialUpdatedAtMs = Date.parse("2026-03-19T12:00:00.000Z");
+    const editedAtMs = Date.parse("2026-03-19T12:01:00.000Z");
+    const jobId = "external-schedule-change-delayed-observe";
+
+    const createJob = (params: { expr: string; updatedAtMs: number }): CronJob => ({
+      id: jobId,
+      name: "external schedule delayed observe",
+      enabled: true,
+      createdAtMs: Date.parse("2026-03-18T00:30:00.000Z"),
+      updatedAtMs: params.updatedAtMs,
+      schedule: { kind: "cron", expr: params.expr, tz: "UTC", staggerMs: 0 },
+      sessionTarget: "main",
+      wakeMode: "next-heartbeat",
+      payload: { kind: "systemEvent", text: "tick" },
+      state: {
+        nextRunAtMs: Date.parse("2026-03-20T00:30:00.000Z"),
+      },
+    });
+
+    await writeCronStoreSnapshot({
+      storePath: store.storePath,
+      jobs: [createJob({ expr: "30 23 * * *", updatedAtMs: initialUpdatedAtMs })],
+    });
+
+    const state = createCronServiceState({
+      cronEnabled: true,
+      storePath: store.storePath,
+      log: noopLogger,
+      nowMs: () => nowMs,
+      enqueueSystemEvent: vi.fn(),
+      requestHeartbeatNow: vi.fn(),
+      runIsolatedAgentJob: vi.fn(async () => ({ status: "ok" as const })),
+    });
+
+    await ensureLoaded(state, { skipRecompute: true });
+
+    await writeCronStoreSnapshot({
+      storePath: store.storePath,
+      jobs: [createJob({ expr: "* * * * *", updatedAtMs: editedAtMs })],
+    });
+
+    await ensureLoaded(state, { forceReload: true, skipRecompute: true });
+
+    const reloaded = state.store?.jobs.find((job) => job.id === jobId);
+    expect(reloaded?.state.nextRunAtMs).toBeLessThan(nowMs);
+    expect(reloaded?.state.nextRunAtMs).toBe(Date.parse("2026-03-19T12:02:00.000Z"));
+  });
+
   it("records schedule errors instead of aborting reload when an external edit is invalid", async () => {
     const store = await makeStorePath();
     const nowMs = Date.parse("2026-03-19T01:44:00.000Z");
diff --git a/src/cron/service/store.ts b/src/cron/service/store.ts
index c4a64791a1e..3727b1cdd55 100644
--- a/src/cron/service/store.ts
+++ b/src/cron/service/store.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,25 @@ async function getFileMtimeMs(path: string): Promise<number | null> {
   }
 }
 
+function resolveExternalRepairComputeBaseMs(params: {
+  nowMs: number;
+  reloadedUpdatedAtMs: number;
+  previousUpdatedAtMs: number;
+}): number {
+  const { nowMs, reloadedUpdatedAtMs, previousUpdatedAtMs } = params;
+  if (!Number.isFinite(reloadedUpdatedAtMs)) {
+    return nowMs;
+  }
+  const normalizedReloadedUpdatedAtMs = Math.max(0, Math.floor(reloadedUpdatedAtMs));
+  const normalizedPreviousUpdatedAtMs = Number.isFinite(previousUpdatedAtMs)
+    ? Math.max(0, Math.floor(previousUpdatedAtMs))
+    : Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY;
+  if (normalizedReloadedUpdatedAtMs <= normalizedPreviousUpdatedAtMs) {
+    return nowMs;
+  }
+  return Math.min(nowMs, normalizedReloadedUpdatedAtMs);
+}
+
 function repairNextRunsAfterExternalReload(params: {
   state: CronServiceState;
   previousJobs: CronJob[] | undefined;
@@ -50,9 +69,14 @@ function repairNextRunsAfterExternalReload(params: {
     }
 
     skipRecomputeJobIds.delete(job.id);
+    const computeBaseMs = resolveExternalRepairComputeBaseMs({
+      nowMs: now,
+      reloadedUpdatedAtMs: job.updatedAtMs,
+      previousUpdatedAtMs: previous.updatedAtMs,
+    });
     let nextRunAtMs: number | undefined;
     try {
-      nextRunAtMs = job.enabled ? computeJobNextRunAtMs(job, now) : undefined;
+      nextRunAtMs = job.enabled ? computeJobNextRunAtMs(job, computeBaseMs) : undefined;
       if (job.state.scheduleErrorCount !== undefined) {
         job.state.scheduleErrorCount = undefined;
         changed = true;
@@ -78,6 +102,7 @@ function repairNextRunsAfterExternalReload(params: {
         jobId: job.id,
         scheduleChanged,
         enabledChanged,
+        computeBaseMs,
         nextRunAtMs: job.state.nextRunAtMs,
       },
       "cron: repaired nextRunAtMs after external reload",