diff --git a/worker/lyra_worker/claim.py b/worker/lyra_worker/claim.py
index 0c2f162..10e21f6 100644
--- a/worker/lyra_worker/claim.py
+++ b/worker/lyra_worker/claim.py
@@ -1,5 +1,28 @@
 import psycopg
 
+# States a job passes through while a worker is actively processing it. On startup this
+# fresh worker owns none of them, so any job left here was orphaned by a crash/restart.
+_IN_FLIGHT_STATES = ("matching", "matched", "downloading", "tagging")
+
+
+def reclaim_stuck_jobs(conn: psycopg.Connection) -> int:
+    """Reset jobs left mid-pipeline by a prior worker crash/restart back to 'requested' so
+    they get re-claimed. Safe to call once at startup: nothing is processing them, staging is
+    cleared beforehand, and the pipeline redoes intake→import idempotently (atomic import).
+    Returns how many were reclaimed. Terminal jobs (imported/needs_attention) are untouched."""
+    with conn.cursor() as cur:
+        cur.execute(
+            """
+            UPDATE "Job"
+            SET state = 'requested', "currentStage" = 'intake', "claimedAt" = NULL,
+                error = NULL, "downloadProgress" = 0, "updatedAt" = now()
+            WHERE state IN ('matching', 'matched', 'downloading', 'tagging')
+            """
+        )
+        n = cur.rowcount
+    conn.commit()
+    return n
+
 
 def claim_next(conn: psycopg.Connection) -> str | None:
     """Atomically claim the oldest queued job. Returns its id or None."""
diff --git a/worker/lyra_worker/main.py b/worker/lyra_worker/main.py
index ca261e1..59a07e9 100644
--- a/worker/lyra_worker/main.py
+++ b/worker/lyra_worker/main.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import uuid
 
 import psycopg
 
-from lyra_worker.claim import claim_next
+from lyra_worker.claim import claim_next, reclaim_stuck_jobs
 from lyra_worker.config import get_config
 from lyra_worker.crypto import secret_key_problem
 from lyra_worker.db import wait_for_db
@@ -207,6 +207,9 @@ def run_forever() -> None:
     _require_secret_key()
     conn = wait_for_db()
     clear_staging_root(STAGING_ROOT)  # sweep any staging dirs orphaned by a prior crash
+    reclaimed = reclaim_stuck_jobs(conn)  # requeue jobs a prior crash left mid-pipeline
+    if reclaimed:
+        print(f"worker: reclaimed {reclaimed} in-flight job(s) from a prior crash", flush=True)
     adapters = build_adapters(get_config(conn))
     resolver = build_resolver()
     tagger = build_tagger()
diff --git a/worker/tests/test_reclaim.py b/worker/tests/test_reclaim.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..efa6a00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/worker/tests/test_reclaim.py
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+from lyra_worker.claim import claim_next, reclaim_stuck_jobs
+from tests.conftest import insert_request
+
+
+def _set_state(conn, job_id, state, stage="download", claimed=True, progress=0.5):
+    with conn.cursor() as cur:
+        cur.execute(
+            'UPDATE "Job" SET state = %s, "currentStage" = %s, '
+            '"claimedAt" = ' + ("now()" if claimed else "NULL") + ', '
+            '"downloadProgress" = %s, error = %s WHERE id = %s',
+            (state, stage, progress, "boom" if state == "needs_attention" else None, job_id),
+        )
+    conn.commit()
+
+
+def _job(conn, job_id):
+    with conn.cursor() as cur:
+        cur.execute('SELECT state, "currentStage", "claimedAt", "downloadProgress", error '
+                    'FROM "Job" WHERE id = %s', (job_id,))
+        return cur.fetchone()
+
+
+def test_reclaims_in_flight_states(conn):
+    ids = {}
+    for state in ("matching", "matched", "downloading", "tagging"):
+        jid = insert_request(conn, album=state)
+        _set_state(conn, jid, state)
+        ids[state] = jid
+
+    assert reclaim_stuck_jobs(conn) == 4
+
+    for state, jid in ids.items():
+        st, stage, claimed_at, progress, err = _job(conn, jid)
+        assert st == "requested", state
+        assert stage == "intake"
+        assert claimed_at is None
+        assert progress == 0
+        assert err is None
+    # a reclaimed job is immediately claimable again
+    assert claim_next(conn) is not None
+
+
+def test_leaves_terminal_and_queued_jobs_untouched(conn):
+    imported = insert_request(conn, album="imported")
+    _set_state(conn, imported, "imported", stage="import")
+    attention = insert_request(conn, album="attention")
+    _set_state(conn, attention, "needs_attention", stage="download")
+    queued = insert_request(conn, album="queued")  # stays 'requested'/'intake' from insert
+
+    assert reclaim_stuck_jobs(conn) == 0
+
+    assert _job(conn, imported)[0] == "imported"
+    assert _job(conn, attention)[0] == "needs_attention"
+    assert _job(conn, attention)[4] == "boom"  # its error is preserved
+    assert _job(conn, queued)[0] == "requested"