diff --git a/scripts/drain_digests.py b/scripts/drain_digests.py
index c824a98..fafe704 100644
--- a/scripts/drain_digests.py
+++ b/scripts/drain_digests.py
@@ -50,6 +50,14 @@ async def main() -> int:
     )
     if healed and healed != "UPDATE 0":
         print(f"self-heal: reset failed-empty digests → pending ({healed})", flush=True)
+    # Self-heal stale 'processing': flock guarantees a single drainer, so at the
+    # start of THIS run any row left 'processing' is from a previous run that was
+    # killed mid-row (session/quota cutoff). Reset to 'pending' so it is retried.
+    stale = await pool.execute(
+        "UPDATE digests SET extraction_status = 'pending' WHERE extraction_status = 'processing'"
+    )
+    if stale and stale != "UPDATE 0":
+        print(f"self-heal: reset stale processing → pending ({stale})", flush=True)
     rows = await pool.fetch(
         "SELECT id FROM digests WHERE extraction_status = 'pending' ORDER BY created_at"
     )