diff --git a/src/agents/subagent-announce.format.test.ts b/src/agents/subagent-announce.format.test.ts
index 712d1d204b9..4cb6070a9bd 100644
--- a/src/agents/subagent-announce.format.test.ts
+++ b/src/agents/subagent-announce.format.test.ts
@@ -1064,6 +1064,32 @@ describe("subagent announce formatting", () => {
     expect(params.accountId).toBe("kev");
   });
 
+  it("does not report cron announce as delivered when it was only queued", async () => {
+    embeddedRunMock.isEmbeddedPiRunActive.mockReturnValue(true);
+    embeddedRunMock.isEmbeddedPiRunStreaming.mockReturnValue(false);
+    sessionStore = {
+      "agent:main:main": {
+        sessionId: "session-cron-queued",
+        lastChannel: "telegram",
+        lastTo: "123",
+        queueMode: "collect",
+        queueDebounceMs: 0,
+      },
+    };
+
+    const didAnnounce = await runSubagentAnnounceFlow({
+      childSessionKey: "agent:main:subagent:test",
+      childRunId: "run-cron-queued",
+      requesterSessionKey: "main",
+      requesterDisplayKey: "main",
+      announceType: "cron job",
+      ...defaultOutcomeAnnounce,
+    });
+
+    expect(didAnnounce).toBe(false);
+    expect(agentSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
   it("keeps queued idempotency unique for same-ms distinct child runs", async () => {
     embeddedRunMock.isEmbeddedPiRunActive.mockReturnValue(true);
     embeddedRunMock.isEmbeddedPiRunStreaming.mockReturnValue(false);
diff --git a/src/agents/subagent-announce.ts b/src/agents/subagent-announce.ts
index 6861ce85a11..f8ad0164d47 100644
--- a/src/agents/subagent-announce.ts
+++ b/src/agents/subagent-announce.ts
@@ -1346,7 +1346,17 @@ export async function runSubagentAnnounceFlow(params: {
       directIdempotencyKey,
       signal: params.signal,
     });
-    didAnnounce = delivery.delivered;
+    // Cron delivery state should only be marked as delivered when we have a
+    // direct path result. Queue/steer means "accepted for later processing",
+    // not a confirmed channel send, and can otherwise produce false positives.
+    if (
+      announceType === "cron job" &&
+      (delivery.path === "queued" || delivery.path === "steered")
+    ) {
+      didAnnounce = false;
+    } else {
+      didAnnounce = delivery.delivered;
+    }
     if (!delivery.delivered && delivery.path === "direct" && delivery.error) {
       defaultRuntime.error?.(
         `Subagent completion direct announce failed for run ${params.childRunId}: ${delivery.error}`,