diff --git a/src/cron/service/timer.ts b/src/cron/service/timer.ts
index 08b4b6be206..f82290006b4 100644
--- a/src/cron/service/timer.ts
+++ b/src/cron/service/timer.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,16 @@ type TimedCronRunOutcome = CronRunOutcome &
     endedAt: number;
   };
 
+type StartupCatchupCandidate = {
+  jobId: string;
+  job: CronJob;
+};
+
+type StartupCatchupPlan = {
+  candidates: StartupCatchupCandidate[];
+  deferredJobIds: string[];
+};
+
 export async function executeJobCoreWithTimeout(
   state: CronServiceState,
   job: CronJob,
@@ -832,31 +842,37 @@ export async function runMissedJobs(
   state: CronServiceState,
   opts?: { skipJobIds?: ReadonlySet<string> },
 ) {
-  const staggerMs = Math.max(0, state.deps.missedJobStaggerMs ?? DEFAULT_MISSED_JOB_STAGGER_MS);
+  const plan = await planStartupCatchup(state, opts);
+  if (plan.candidates.length === 0 && plan.deferredJobIds.length === 0) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const outcomes = await executeStartupCatchupPlan(state, plan);
+  await applyStartupCatchupOutcomes(state, plan, outcomes);
+}
+
+async function planStartupCatchup(
+  state: CronServiceState,
+  opts?: { skipJobIds?: ReadonlySet<string> },
+): Promise<StartupCatchupPlan> {
   const maxImmediate = Math.max(
     0,
     state.deps.maxMissedJobsPerRestart ?? DEFAULT_MAX_MISSED_JOBS_PER_RESTART,
   );
-  const selection = await locked(state, async () => {
+  return locked(state, async () => {
     await ensureLoaded(state, { skipRecompute: true });
     if (!state.store) {
-      return {
-        deferredJobIds: [] as string[],
-        startupCandidates: [] as Array<{ jobId: string; job: CronJob }>,
-      };
+      return { candidates: [], deferredJobIds: [] };
     }
+
     const now = state.deps.nowMs();
-    const skipJobIds = opts?.skipJobIds;
     const missed = collectRunnableJobs(state, now, {
-      skipJobIds,
+      skipJobIds: opts?.skipJobIds,
       skipAtIfAlreadyRan: true,
       allowCronMissedRunByLastRun: true,
     });
     if (missed.length === 0) {
-      return {
-        deferredJobIds: [] as string[],
-        startupCandidates: [] as Array<{ jobId: string; job: CronJob }>,
-      };
+      return { candidates: [], deferredJobIds: [] };
     }
     const sorted = missed.toSorted(
       (a, b) => (a.state.nextRunAtMs ?? 0) - (b.state.nextRunAtMs ?? 0),
@@ -884,47 +900,64 @@ export async function runMissedJobs(
       job.state.lastError = undefined;
     }
     await persist(state);
+
     return {
+      candidates: startupCandidates.map((job) => ({ jobId: job.id, job })),
       deferredJobIds: deferred.map((job) => job.id),
-      startupCandidates: startupCandidates.map((job) => ({ jobId: job.id, job })),
     };
   });
+}
 
-  if (selection.startupCandidates.length === 0 && selection.deferredJobIds.length === 0) {
-    return;
+async function executeStartupCatchupPlan(
+  state: CronServiceState,
+  plan: StartupCatchupPlan,
+): Promise<TimedCronRunOutcome[]> {
+  const outcomes: TimedCronRunOutcome[] = [];
+  for (const candidate of plan.candidates) {
+    outcomes.push(await runStartupCatchupCandidate(state, candidate));
   }
+  return outcomes;
+}
 
-  const outcomes: Array<TimedCronRunOutcome> = [];
-  for (const candidate of selection.startupCandidates) {
-    const startedAt = state.deps.nowMs();
-    emit(state, { jobId: candidate.job.id, action: "started", runAtMs: startedAt });
-    try {
-      const result = await executeJobCoreWithTimeout(state, candidate.job);
-      outcomes.push({
-        jobId: candidate.jobId,
-        status: result.status,
-        error: result.error,
-        summary: result.summary,
-        delivered: result.delivered,
-        sessionId: result.sessionId,
-        sessionKey: result.sessionKey,
-        model: result.model,
-        provider: result.provider,
-        usage: result.usage,
-        startedAt,
-        endedAt: state.deps.nowMs(),
-      });
-    } catch (err) {
-      outcomes.push({
-        jobId: candidate.jobId,
-        status: "error",
-        error: String(err),
-        startedAt,
-        endedAt: state.deps.nowMs(),
-      });
-    }
+async function runStartupCatchupCandidate(
+  state: CronServiceState,
+  candidate: StartupCatchupCandidate,
+): Promise<TimedCronRunOutcome> {
+  const startedAt = state.deps.nowMs();
+  emit(state, { jobId: candidate.job.id, action: "started", runAtMs: startedAt });
+  try {
+    const result = await executeJobCoreWithTimeout(state, candidate.job);
+    return {
+      jobId: candidate.jobId,
+      status: result.status,
+      error: result.error,
+      summary: result.summary,
+      delivered: result.delivered,
+      sessionId: result.sessionId,
+      sessionKey: result.sessionKey,
+      model: result.model,
+      provider: result.provider,
+      usage: result.usage,
+      startedAt,
+      endedAt: state.deps.nowMs(),
+    };
+  } catch (err) {
+    return {
+      jobId: candidate.jobId,
+      status: "error",
+      error: String(err),
+      startedAt,
+      endedAt: state.deps.nowMs(),
+    };
   }
+}
 
+async function applyStartupCatchupOutcomes(
+  state: CronServiceState,
+  plan: StartupCatchupPlan,
+  outcomes: TimedCronRunOutcome[],
+): Promise<void> {
+  const staggerMs = Math.max(0, state.deps.missedJobStaggerMs ?? DEFAULT_MISSED_JOB_STAGGER_MS);
   await locked(state, async () => {
     await ensureLoaded(state, { forceReload: true, skipRecompute: true });
     if (!state.store) {
@@ -935,10 +968,10 @@ export async function runMissedJobs(
       applyOutcomeToStoredJob(state, result);
     }
 
-    if (selection.deferredJobIds.length > 0) {
+    if (plan.deferredJobIds.length > 0) {
       const baseNow = state.deps.nowMs();
       let offset = staggerMs;
-      for (const jobId of selection.deferredJobIds) {
+      for (const jobId of plan.deferredJobIds) {
         const job = state.store.jobs.find((entry) => entry.id === jobId);
         if (!job || !job.enabled) {
           continue;