diff --git a/landing-zone-configurator/app/apps/api/src/plans/runner-pool.ts b/landing-zone-configurator/app/apps/api/src/plans/runner-pool.ts
index 050d495e..797c4781 100644
--- a/landing-zone-configurator/app/apps/api/src/plans/runner-pool.ts
+++ b/landing-zone-configurator/app/apps/api/src/plans/runner-pool.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { createHash, randomBytes, randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
+import { setTimeout as sleep } from "node:timers/promises";
 import {
   type RunnerPoolAssignment,
   runnerPoolAssignmentSchema,
@@ -174,23 +175,36 @@ export class RunnerPool implements WarmRunnerDispatch {
     if (origin !== this.config.origin)
       throw new Error("runner_pool_origin_mismatch");
     const assignment = runnerPoolAssignmentSchema.parse({ id, ticket, broker });
-    const slot = await this.transaction(async (client) => {
-      await client.query(
-        "SELECT pg_advisory_xact_lock(hashtextextended($1,0))",
-        [`runner-pool-job:${id}`],
-      );
-      const existing = await client.query(
-        "SELECT id FROM lzc.runner_pool_slots WHERE job_id=$1",
-        [id],
-      );
-      if (existing.rowCount)
-        throw new Error("runner_pool_job_already_dispatched");
-      const reserved = await client.query<Slot>(
-        `WITH candidate AS (SELECT id FROM lzc.runner_pool_slots WHERE pool_key=$1 AND status='ready' AND last_seen_at>now()-interval '10 seconds' AND expires_at>now()+interval '30 seconds' ORDER BY created_at FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKED LIMIT 1) UPDATE lzc.runner_pool_slots s SET status='reserved',job_id=$2,is_probe=$3,expires_at=now()+interval '30 seconds' FROM candidate WHERE s.id=candidate.id RETURNING s.id,s.app_id AS "appId",s.source_droplet_id AS "sourceDropletId"`,
-        [this.key, id, probe],
+    const reserve = () =>
+      this.transaction(async (client) => {
+        await client.query(
+          "SELECT pg_advisory_xact_lock(hashtextextended($1,0))",
+          [`runner-pool-job:${id}`],
+        );
+        const existing = await client.query(
+          "SELECT id FROM lzc.runner_pool_slots WHERE job_id=$1",
+          [id],
+        );
+        if (existing.rowCount)
+          throw new Error("runner_pool_job_already_dispatched");
+        const reserved = await client.query<Slot>(
+          `WITH candidate AS (SELECT id FROM lzc.runner_pool_slots WHERE pool_key=$1 AND status='ready' AND last_seen_at>now()-interval '10 seconds' AND expires_at>now()+interval '30 seconds' ORDER BY created_at FOR UPDATE SKIP LOCKED LIMIT 1) UPDATE lzc.runner_pool_slots s SET status='reserved',job_id=$2,is_probe=$3,expires_at=now()+interval '30 seconds' FROM candidate WHERE s.id=candidate.id RETURNING s.id,s.app_id AS "appId",s.source_droplet_id AS "sourceDropletId"`,
+          [this.key, id, probe],
+        );
+        return reserved.rows[0];
+      });
+    let slot = await reserve();
+    // A heartbeat briefly locks the same row. Retry only a known, still-ready
+    // candidate skipped before reservation; never replay an assignment or error.
+    for (let attempt = 0; !slot && attempt < 4; attempt++) {
+      const eligible = await this.database.query<{ ready: boolean }>(
+        "SELECT EXISTS(SELECT 1 FROM lzc.runner_pool_slots WHERE pool_key=$1 AND status='ready' AND last_seen_at>now()-interval '10 seconds' AND expires_at>now()+interval '30 seconds') AS ready",
+        [this.key],
       );
-      return reserved.rows[0];
-    });
+      if (!eligible.rows[0]?.ready) break;
+      await sleep(50);
+      slot = await reserve();
+    }
     if (!slot) return false;
     try {
       if (!slot.appId) throw new Error("runner_pool_app_missing");
diff --git a/landing-zone-configurator/app/integration/runner-pool.test.ts b/landing-zone-configurator/app/integration/runner-pool.test.ts
index 6e86f2ad..c478ab8b 100644
--- a/landing-zone-configurator/app/integration/runner-pool.test.ts
+++ b/landing-zone-configurator/app/integration/runner-pool.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { randomBytes, randomUUID } from "node:crypto";
 import { readFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { setTimeout as sleep } from "node:timers/promises";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 import pg from "pg";
 import { afterAll, beforeAll, beforeEach, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
@@ -162,6 +163,81 @@ it("leases a standby to at most one concurrent job", async () => {
   expect(assigned?.id).toBe(assignments[results.indexOf(true)]?.id);
 });
 
+it("uses a ready standby after a brief concurrent claim lock", async () => {
+  const pool = create();
+  const slot = await ready(pool);
+  const claimant = await database.connect();
+  let release: Promise<unknown> | undefined;
+  try {
+    await claimant.query("BEGIN");
+    await claimant.query(
+      "SELECT id FROM lzc.runner_pool_slots WHERE id=$1 FOR UPDATE",
+      [slot.id],
+    );
+    const assignment = job();
+    const record = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    release = sleep(100).then(() => claimant.query("COMMIT"));
+    expect(
+      await pool.start(
+        assignment.id,
+        assignment.ticket,
+        config.origin,
+        "application",
+        record,
+      ),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(record).toHaveBeenCalledExactlyOnceWith(
+      slot.appId,
+      config.dropletId,
+    );
+    expect(await pool.claim(slot.id, slot.ticket)).toEqual({
+      ...assignment,
+      broker: "application",
+    });
+  } finally {
+    await release;
+    await claimant.query("ROLLBACK");
+    claimant.release();
+  }
+});
+
+it("falls back without assigning a standby whose claim lock remains held", async () => {
+  const pool = create();
+  const slot = await ready(pool);
+  const claimant = await database.connect();
+  try {
+    await claimant.query("BEGIN");
+    await claimant.query(
+      "SELECT id FROM lzc.runner_pool_slots WHERE id=$1 FOR UPDATE",
+      [slot.id],
+    );
+    const assignment = job();
+    const record = vi.fn(async () => {});
+    expect(
+      await pool.start(
+        assignment.id,
+        assignment.ticket,
+        config.origin,
+        "application",
+        record,
+      ),
+    ).toBe(false);
+    expect(record).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    const stored = await claimant.query(
+      "SELECT status,job_id,assignment FROM lzc.runner_pool_slots WHERE id=$1",
+      [slot.id],
+    );
+    expect(stored.rows[0]).toEqual({
+      status: "ready",
+      job_id: null,
+      assignment: null,
+    });
+  } finally {
+    await claimant.query("ROLLBACK");
+    claimant.release();
+  }
+});
+
 it("serializes pool capacity across API replicas", async () => {
   const first = create();
   const second = create();
diff --git a/landing-zone-configurator/docs/plan-execution.de.md b/landing-zone-configurator/docs/plan-execution.de.md
index a0466640..12252902 100644
--- a/landing-zone-configurator/docs/plan-execution.de.md
+++ b/landing-zone-configurator/docs/plan-execution.de.md
@@ -32,6 +32,13 @@ Planberechnung. Gespeicherte Vorbereitung und Apply-Freigabe bleiben unveränder
 Standard ist Kapazität null; siehe
 [Deployment-Steuerung](../deploy/cloud-foundry/README.de.md).
 
+Eine gleichzeitige Bereitschaftsmeldung kann einen bereiten Eintrag kurz sperren.
+Vor dem Kaltstart versucht der Dispatch die Reservierung höchstens vier weitere
+Male im Abstand von 50 ms, solange ein frischer Kandidat im selben an die Quelle
+gebundenen Pool sichtbar bleibt. Ohne Reserve sowie bei veralteter oder bereits
+zugewiesener Reserve gilt weiterhin der Kaltstart. Dieses begrenzte Warten
+wiederholt niemals eine gespeicherte Zuweisung oder einen unklaren Datenbankfehler.
+
 Die Bereinigung eines Application-Runners erfordert einen dauerhaft gespeicherten
 Dispatch mit `succeeded` oder `failed` und die exakte Zuordnung von Job, App und
 Quell-Droplet. Die Pool-Wartung entfernt danach die einmalige CF-App, auch bei
diff --git a/landing-zone-configurator/docs/plan-execution.md b/landing-zone-configurator/docs/plan-execution.md
index 60c74932..7131ac37 100644
--- a/landing-zone-configurator/docs/plan-execution.md
+++ b/landing-zone-configurator/docs/plan-execution.md
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ validation or planning. It changes neither the saved preparation nor Apply
 approval. Pool capacity defaults to zero; see
 [the deployment controls](../deploy/cloud-foundry/README.md).
 
+A concurrent readiness heartbeat can briefly lock a ready slot. Before falling
+back, dispatch makes at most four further reservation attempts, 50 ms apart, and
+only while a fresh candidate in the same source-bound pool remains visible.
+A missing, stale or already assigned reserve still uses the cold path. This
+bounded wait never replays a recorded assignment or an ambiguous database error.
+
 Application Runner cleanup requires a durably saved `succeeded` or `failed`
 dispatch and the exact job/app/source-droplet binding. Pool maintenance then
 removes the one-shot CF app, including completed runners left by an older release. Running jobs and