diff --git a/src/core/minions/queue.ts b/src/core/minions/queue.ts
index 0d0780fdb..ccf71cd96 100644
--- a/src/core/minions/queue.ts
+++ b/src/core/minions/queue.ts
@@ -133,27 +133,12 @@ export class MinionQueue {
       // 1. Idempotency fast path — if a row already exists for this key, return it
       //    without doing any other work. The unique partial index guarantees
       //    no second row can be inserted with the same non-null key.
-      //
-      //    Dead/cancelled jobs represent permanently-failed work whose
-      //    idempotency slot must be freed so a fresh attempt can be inserted.
-      //    We NULL the key (preserving the row for audit) and fall through
-      //    to the INSERT path below.
       if (opts?.idempotency_key) {
         const existing = await tx.executeRaw<Record<string, unknown>>(
           `SELECT * FROM minion_jobs WHERE idempotency_key = $1`,
           [opts.idempotency_key]
         );
-        if (existing.length > 0) {
-          const existingJob = rowToMinionJob(existing[0]);
-          if (existingJob.status === 'dead' || existingJob.status === 'cancelled') {
-            await tx.executeRaw(
-              `UPDATE minion_jobs SET idempotency_key = NULL WHERE id = $1`,
-              [existingJob.id]
-            );
-          } else {
-            return existingJob;
-          }
-        }
+        if (existing.length > 0) return rowToMinionJob(existing[0]);
       }
 
       // 1b. Submission-time backpressure for high-frequency named jobs.
diff --git a/test/minions.test.ts b/test/minions.test.ts
index 0909d7e44..3f6bf3c07 100644
--- a/test/minions.test.ts
+++ b/test/minions.test.ts
@@ -1582,73 +1582,6 @@ describe('MinionQueue: Idempotency', () => {
     expect(j2.id).toBe(j1.id);
     expect(j2.data).toEqual({ v: 1 }); // first wins
   });
-
-  test('dead job with idempotency_key allows re-submission', async () => {
-    const j1 = await queue.add('test-synth', { prompt: 'synthesize' }, {
-      idempotency_key: 'dream:synth:test:abc123',
-      max_attempts: 1,
-    });
-    await engine.executeRaw(
-      `UPDATE minion_jobs SET status = 'dead', finished_at = now() WHERE id = $1`,
-      [j1.id]
-    );
-    const j2 = await queue.add('test-synth', { prompt: 'synthesize' }, {
-      idempotency_key: 'dream:synth:test:abc123',
-      max_attempts: 8,
-    });
-    expect(j2.id).not.toBe(j1.id);
-    expect(j2.status).toBe('waiting');
-    const oldRow = await engine.executeRaw<{ idempotency_key: string | null }>(
-      `SELECT idempotency_key FROM minion_jobs WHERE id = $1`,
-      [j1.id]
-    );
-    expect(oldRow[0].idempotency_key).toBeNull();
-  });
-
-  test('cancelled job with idempotency_key allows re-submission', async () => {
-    const j1 = await queue.add('test-synth', {}, {
-      idempotency_key: 'dream:synth:test:cancel',
-    });
-    await engine.executeRaw(
-      `UPDATE minion_jobs SET status = 'cancelled', finished_at = now() WHERE id = $1`,
-      [j1.id]
-    );
-    const j2 = await queue.add('test-synth', {}, {
-      idempotency_key: 'dream:synth:test:cancel',
-    });
-    expect(j2.id).not.toBe(j1.id);
-    expect(j2.status).toBe('waiting');
-  });
-
-  test('completed job with idempotency_key still blocks re-submission', async () => {
-    const j1 = await queue.add('sync', {}, {
-      idempotency_key: 'dream:synth:test:completed',
-    });
-    await engine.executeRaw(
-      `UPDATE minion_jobs SET status = 'completed', finished_at = now() WHERE id = $1`,
-      [j1.id]
-    );
-    const j2 = await queue.add('sync', {}, {
-      idempotency_key: 'dream:synth:test:completed',
-    });
-    expect(j2.id).toBe(j1.id);
-    expect(j2.status).toBe('completed');
-  });
-
-  test('active job with idempotency_key still blocks re-submission', async () => {
-    const j1 = await queue.add('sync', {}, {
-      idempotency_key: 'dream:synth:test:active',
-    });
-    await engine.executeRaw(
-      `UPDATE minion_jobs SET status = 'active' WHERE id = $1`,
-      [j1.id]
-    );
-    const j2 = await queue.add('sync', {}, {
-      idempotency_key: 'dream:synth:test:active',
-    });
-    expect(j2.id).toBe(j1.id);
-    expect(j2.status).toBe('active');
-  });
 });
 
 // --- v7 child_done auto-post ---