diff --git a/src/core/starting-card-publication.ts b/src/core/starting-card-publication.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b339642efc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/core/starting-card-publication.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import type { DaemonSession } from './types.js';
+
+// Cosmetic ordering only. A worker never waits for this promise. Include a
+// predecessor POST: its completion may synchronously start the next turn's
+// pending card, and thinking must not jump ahead of that follow-up POST.
+const posts = new WeakMap<DaemonSession, Set<Promise<void>>>();
+
+export function trackStartingCardPublication<T>(ds: DaemonSession, post: Promise<T>): Promise<T> {
+  const pending = posts.get(ds) ?? new Set<Promise<void>>();
+  posts.set(ds, pending);
+  const settled = post.then(() => {}, () => {});
+  pending.add(settled);
+  void settled.then(() => {
+    pending.delete(settled);
+    if (!pending.size && posts.get(ds) === pending) posts.delete(ds);
+  });
+  return post;
+}
+
+/** No extra microtask for sessions with no starting card. Disabled cards and
+ * non-Lark sessions retain their existing independent thinking policy. */
+export function pendingStartingCardPublication(ds: DaemonSession): Promise<void> | undefined {
+  if (!posts.get(ds)?.size) return undefined;
+  return (async () => {
+    let timer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined;
+    try {
+      await Promise.race([
+        (async () => {
+          while (posts.get(ds)?.size) await Promise.all([...posts.get(ds)!]);
+        })(),
+        new Promise<never>((_, reject) => {
+          timer = setTimeout(() => reject(new Error('starting card publication timed out')), 15_000);
+          timer.unref?.();
+        }),
+      ]);
+    } finally {
+      if (timer) clearTimeout(timer);
+    }
+  })();
+}
diff --git a/src/core/worker-pool.ts b/src/core/worker-pool.ts
index f9abd4777a..f539e59ba9 100644
--- a/src/core/worker-pool.ts
+++ b/src/core/worker-pool.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { trackStartingCardPublication } from './starting-card-publication.js';
 import { handoffCardClosed, handoffCardBlocksStreaming, applyHandoffCardEvent, type HandoffCardEvent } from './handoff-card-lifecycle.js';
 import { commitTriggerStreamingCard, discardTriggerStreamingCard, hasPendingTriggerStreamingCard } from './trigger-streaming-card.js';
 import { sessionPromptInjection } from './prompt-injection.js';
@@ -3914,6 +3915,9 @@ export async function postTurnStartingCard(
   // durable reply card. Start both before awaiting either to preserve the
   // terminal card's synchronous generation/sentinel fence during slow POSTs.
   const statusPost = postTurnStartingStatusCard(ds, sessionReply, turnId);
+  // Track each POST separately: one rejection must not release the other card.
+  trackStartingCardPublication(ds, replyPost);
+  trackStartingCardPublication(ds, statusPost);
   const [replyPosted, statusPosted] = await Promise.all([replyPost, statusPost]);
   return replyPosted || statusPosted;
 }
diff --git a/src/im/lark/cot-message.ts b/src/im/lark/cot-message.ts
index 417ccf7ac9..f81ebc6921 100644
--- a/src/im/lark/cot-message.ts
+++ b/src/im/lark/cot-message.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import { getBot, getBotClient } from '../../bot-registry.js';
 import { boundSubjectForTitle, subjectFromArgsString, type ToolSubject } from '../../services/cot-subject.js';
 import { fallbackTurnId, frozenReplyContextForTurn } from '../../core/reply-target.js';
 import { isSilentScheduledTurn } from '../../core/silent-schedule-turns.js';
+import { pendingStartingCardPublication } from '../../core/starting-card-publication.js';
 import { config } from '../../config.js';
 import { logger } from '../../utils/logger.js';
 import { localeForBot, t } from '../../i18n/index.js';
@@ -574,6 +575,18 @@ async function pump(ds: DaemonSession, state: CotState): Promise<void> {
   try {
     while (!state.disabled) {
       if (!state.cotId) {
+        const startingCard = pendingStartingCardPublication(ds);
+        if (startingCard) {
+          await startingCard;
+          // A newer turn/stop can arrive during the POST. Never resurrect its
+          // predecessor's not-yet-visible bubble below the current work card.
+          if (state.disabled || state.settled || states.get(ds) !== state
+            || state.finishStatus === 'interrupted'
+            || (ds.currentTurnId && ds.currentTurnId !== state.turnId)) {
+            state.disabled = true;
+            break;
+          }
+        }
         await apiCreate(ds, state);
         // Record the orphan marker the moment the bubble exists — before the
         // prologue append. If the prologue fails (or the daemon restarts
diff --git a/test/cot-message.test.ts b/test/cot-message.test.ts
index 88c84c3c44..9dfc1691e4 100644
--- a/test/cot-message.test.ts
+++ b/test/cot-message.test.ts
@@ -958,3 +958,105 @@ describe('superseded turn (type-ahead: next turn starts before the previous one
     expect(complete![0].params ?? complete![0].data).toMatchObject({ reason: 'error' });
   });
 });
+
+describe('starting work card and thinking publication order', () => {
+  it('waits for a delayed work card before creating the bubble and preserves buffered output', async () => {
+    const { trackStartingCardPublication } = await import('../src/core/starting-card-publication.js');
+    const ds = makeDs();
+    let finish!: () => void;
+    trackStartingCardPublication(ds, new Promise<void>(resolve => { finish = resolve; }));
+    handleCotThinkingUpdate(ds, upd([think('first')]));
+    handleCotThinkingUpdate(ds, upd([think('first'), say('second')]));
+    finalizeCotMessage(ds, 'om_turn1', 'completed');
+    await flush();
+    expect(request).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    finish(); await flush(); await flush();
+    expect(request.mock.calls.filter(([req]) => req.url === '/open-apis/im/v1/message_cot' && req.method === 'POST')).toHaveLength(1);
+    const events = pushedEvents();
+    expect(events.some(e => e.content.delta === 'second')).toBe(true);
+    expect(events.some(e => e.type === 'RUN_FINISHED')).toBe(true);
+  });
+  it('does not let a failed card POST block thinking or another session', async () => {
+    const { trackStartingCardPublication } = await import('../src/core/starting-card-publication.js');
+    const ds = makeDs(), other = makeDs({session:{sessionId:'other'}});
+    let reject!: (e: Error) => void;
+    const post = new Promise<void>((_, r) => { reject = r; });
+    trackStartingCardPublication(ds, post).catch(() => {});
+    handleCotThinkingUpdate(ds, upd([think('pending')]));
+    handleCotThinkingUpdate(other, upd([think('independent')], 'om_other'));
+    await flush(); expect(request.mock.calls.filter(([r]) => r.method === 'POST')).toHaveLength(1);
+    reject(new Error('card failed')); await flush(); await flush();
+    expect(request.mock.calls.filter(([r]) => r.method === 'POST')).toHaveLength(2);
+  });
+  it('drops a superseded not-yet-visible bubble instead of placing it below the successor card', async () => {
+    const { trackStartingCardPublication } = await import('../src/core/starting-card-publication.js');
+    const ds = makeDs(); let finish!: () => void;
+    trackStartingCardPublication(ds, new Promise<void>(resolve => { finish = resolve; }));
+    handleCotThinkingUpdate(ds, upd([think('old')], 'om_old'));
+    handleCotThinkingUpdate(ds, upd([think('new')], 'om_new'));
+    finish(); await flush(); await flush();
+    expect(request.mock.calls.filter(([r]) => r.method === 'POST')).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(pushedEvents().some(e => e.content.delta === 'old')).toBe(false);
+    expect(pushedEvents().some(e => e.content.delta === 'new')).toBe(true);
+  });
+  it('follows a pending successor card started while the predecessor POST settles', async () => {
+    const { trackStartingCardPublication } = await import('../src/core/starting-card-publication.js');
+    const ds = makeDs(); let first!: () => void, second!: () => void;
+    const a = new Promise<void>(resolve => { first = resolve; });
+    const b = new Promise<void>(resolve => { second = resolve; });
+    trackStartingCardPublication(ds, a.then(() => { trackStartingCardPublication(ds, b); }));
+    handleCotThinkingUpdate(ds, upd([think('new')]));
+    first(); await flush(); expect(request).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    second(); await flush(); await flush();
+    expect(request.mock.calls.filter(([r]) => r.method === 'POST')).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+  it('keeps waiting for another card after one publication rejects', async () => {
+    const { trackStartingCardPublication } = await import('../src/core/starting-card-publication.js');
+    const ds = makeDs();
+    let fail!: (error: Error) => void;
+    let finish!: () => void;
+    const first = trackStartingCardPublication(ds, new Promise<void>((_, reject) => { fail = reject; }));
+    trackStartingCardPublication(ds, new Promise<void>(resolve => { finish = resolve; }));
+    handleCotThinkingUpdate(ds, upd([think('buffered')]));
+    fail(new Error('first card failed'));
+    await expect(first).rejects.toThrow('first card failed');
+    await flush();
+    expect(request).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    finish(); await flush(); await flush();
+    expect(request.mock.calls.filter(([req]) => req.method === 'POST')).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(pushedEvents().some(event => event.content.delta === 'buffered')).toBe(true);
+  });
+  it('does not publish a stopped turn after its pending card finishes', async () => {
+    const { trackStartingCardPublication } = await import('../src/core/starting-card-publication.js');
+    const ds = makeDs();
+    let finish!: () => void;
+    trackStartingCardPublication(ds, new Promise<void>(resolve => { finish = resolve; }));
+    handleCotThinkingUpdate(ds, upd([think('cancelled')]));
+    abortCotMessage(ds);
+    finish(); await flush(); await flush();
+    expect(request).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+  it('drops a predecessor when the current turn changes before its next thinking update', async () => {
+    const { trackStartingCardPublication } = await import('../src/core/starting-card-publication.js');
+    const ds = makeDs({ currentTurnId: 'om_turn1' });
+    let finish!: () => void;
+    trackStartingCardPublication(ds, new Promise<void>(resolve => { finish = resolve; }));
+    handleCotThinkingUpdate(ds, upd([think('old')]));
+    ds.currentTurnId = 'om_turn2';
+    finish(); await flush(); await flush();
+    expect(request).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+  it('bounds a stuck card without blocking turn settlement or publishing a detached bubble', async () => {
+    const { trackStartingCardPublication } = await import('../src/core/starting-card-publication.js');
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+    try {
+      const ds = makeDs(); let finish!: () => void;
+      trackStartingCardPublication(ds, new Promise<void>(resolve => { finish = resolve; }));
+      handleCotThinkingUpdate(ds, upd([think('buffered')]));
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(15_000);
+      expect(request).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      finish(); await flush();
+      expect(request).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    } finally { vi.useRealTimers(); }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/recall-frozen-cards.test.ts b/test/recall-frozen-cards.test.ts
index 590f65ed91..d1e797b2ee 100644
--- a/test/recall-frozen-cards.test.ts
+++ b/test/recall-frozen-cards.test.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { pendingStartingCardPublication } from '../src/core/starting-card-publication.js';
 /**
  * Unit tests for recallFrozenCards (worker-pool.ts).
  *
@@ -660,6 +661,7 @@ describe('postTurnStartingCard', () => {
     activate(ds);
 
     const post = postTurnStartingCard(ds, sessionReply, 'om_turn_1');
+    expect(pendingStartingCardPublication(ds)).toBeDefined();
     expect(sessionReply).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(buildStreamingCardMock.mock.calls[0]?.[5]).toBe('starting');