diff --git a/components/chat.tsx b/components/chat.tsx
index 20ccc55..6b2933a 100644
--- a/components/chat.tsx
+++ b/components/chat.tsx
@@ -162,6 +162,18 @@ export function parseProviderKeyRefusal(message: string | undefined): boolean {
 	}
 }
 
+/** Retry sends no composer text. Its refusal must not resurrect the draft
+ * from an earlier, already-durable text send over today's unsent composer.
+ * Retire that fallback synchronously, never when the async Retry settles:
+ * a later ordinary send may own a new recovery draft by then. */
+export function retryFailedResponse(
+	send: (input: ChatInput) => void,
+	submittedDraft: { current: string | null },
+): void {
+	submittedDraft.current = null;
+	void send({ type: "retry" });
+}
+
 /** useLayoutEffect that is silent during SSR (client components still render on the server in Next). */
 const useIsoLayoutEffect = typeof window === "undefined" ? useEffect : useLayoutEffect;
 
@@ -676,7 +688,7 @@ export function Chat({
 	// "error" too: a dropped stream leaves the model there, and send()
 	// recovers from it. Later compaction requires new input instead.
 	const retryable = (status === "ready" || status === "error") && !busy && !compacting && endsInFailedTurn(nativeMessages);
-	const retryFailedTurn = () => void send({ type: "retry" });
+	const retryFailedTurn = () => retryFailedResponse(send, draftRef);
 	const canSend =
 		(text.trim().length > 0 || dictation.active) && !pending && !activeProblem && !compacting;
 
diff --git a/tests/byok-refusal.test.ts b/tests/byok-refusal.test.ts
index 7627b8f..f30daf6 100644
--- a/tests/byok-refusal.test.ts
+++ b/tests/byok-refusal.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import { describe, it } from "node:test";
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
-import { parseModelsRefusal, parseProviderKeyRefusal } from "../components/chat.tsx";
+import { parseModelsRefusal, parseProviderKeyRefusal, retryFailedResponse } from "../components/chat.tsx";
+import { SessionModel } from "../components/session-core.ts";
+import { fauxAssistantMessage } from "@earendil-works/pi-ai";
+import { newUserMessage, type LhMessage } from "../src/core/native-messages.ts";
 import { prefillFromSlots, prefillLevelFromPin, setupStage } from "../components/setup-dialog.tsx";
 import {
 	isModelsRefusal,
@@ -39,6 +42,64 @@ describe("parseModelsRefusal — the send refusal detector", () => {
 	});
 });
 
+describe("Retry owns no composer recovery draft", () => {
+	for (const envelope of [providerKeyMissing("openrouter", ["strong"]), modelsNotConfigured(["strong"])]) {
+		it(`accepted A / failed model / unsent B / Retry ${envelope.code} retires only A's fallback`, async () => {
+			const durable: LhMessage[] = [
+				newUserMessage("Accepted text A"),
+				{ ...fauxAssistantMessage("Partial reply", { stopReason: "error", errorMessage: "Model failed" }), id: "failed-A" },
+			];
+			const submittedDraft: { current: string | null } = { current: "Accepted text A" };
+			let composer = "Unsent text B";
+			const body = JSON.stringify(envelope);
+			const model = new SessionModel({
+				chatId: "fixture", initialMessages: durable,
+				fetch: async (_url, init) => {
+					assert.equal(submittedDraft.current, null, "retire A before Retry can reach a refusal");
+					assert.deepEqual(JSON.parse(String(init?.body)).input, { type: "retry" });
+					return new Response(body, { status: 503 });
+				},
+			});
+			let request!: Promise<void>;
+			retryFailedResponse((input) => request = model.send(input), submittedDraft);
+			await request;
+			assert.equal(model.getState().error?.message, body, "503 stays raw for existing setup/picker routing");
+			assert.ok(parseModelsRefusal(body) || parseProviderKeyRefusal(body));
+			// The existing refusal effect restores only an owned submitted
+			// draft. Retry must leave this slot empty, not replace B with A.
+			if (submittedDraft.current !== null) composer = submittedDraft.current;
+			assert.equal(composer, "Unsent text B");
+			assert.deepEqual(model.getState().nativeMessages, durable, "Retry adds no optimistic learner message");
+		});
+	}
+
+	it("does not clear a later ordinary send's recovery draft when Retry settles", async () => {
+		const submittedDraft: { current: string | null } = { current: "Accepted text A" };
+		let finish!: () => void;
+		const pending = new Promise<void>((resolve) => { finish = resolve; });
+		retryFailedResponse(async () => pending, submittedDraft);
+		assert.equal(submittedDraft.current, null);
+		submittedDraft.current = "Later ordinary text C";
+		finish();
+		await pending;
+		await Promise.resolve();
+		assert.equal(submittedDraft.current, "Later ordinary text C", "no asynchronous cleanup may retire a newer owner");
+	});
+
+	it("ordinary text refusals still keep their submitted draft for recovery", async () => {
+		const submittedDraft: { current: string | null } = { current: "Ordinary text C" };
+		const body = JSON.stringify(providerKeyMissing("openrouter", ["strong"]));
+		const model = new SessionModel({
+			chatId: "fixture", initialMessages: [],
+			fetch: async () => new Response(body, { status: 503 }),
+		});
+		await model.send({ type: "text", text: submittedDraft.current! });
+		assert.equal(submittedDraft.current, "Ordinary text C");
+		assert.equal(model.getState().error?.message, body);
+		assert.equal(parseProviderKeyRefusal(model.getState().error?.message), true);
+	});
+});
+
 describe("isModelsRefusal — the job-record matcher", () => {
 	it("matches the runner's composed wording, not real failures", () => {
 		assert.equal(isModelsRefusal(`${modelsNotConfigured(["vision"]).error} (missing: vision)`), true);