diff --git a/packages/agent-modules/goal/src/tool-impls.ts b/packages/agent-modules/goal/src/tool-impls.ts
index ea669580..2568dd83 100644
--- a/packages/agent-modules/goal/src/tool-impls.ts
+++ b/packages/agent-modules/goal/src/tool-impls.ts
@@ -246,6 +246,13 @@ export class UpdateGoalTool implements ToolImpl<
       objectiveDigest: digestThreadGoalObjective(existing.objective),
       ...(summary ? { summary } : {}),
     });
+    if (collection === 'not_a_goal_turn') {
+      return err(
+        UpdateGoalToolDef.name,
+        'cannot update goal because this turn is not bound to the goal; continue handling the user request in this turn without updating goal status. This tool cannot resume a goal',
+        { reason: collection, currentGoal: serializeGoal(existing) },
+      );
+    }
     if (collection === 'stale') {
       return {
         ...err(
diff --git a/packages/agent-modules/goal/src/types.ts b/packages/agent-modules/goal/src/types.ts
index 2470a4af..fce100d3 100644
--- a/packages/agent-modules/goal/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/agent-modules/goal/src/types.ts
@@ -80,7 +80,12 @@ export interface GoalTurnSignal {
   readonly summary?: string;
 }
 
-export type ThreadGoalSignalCollectionResult = 'accepted' | 'stale' | 'no_goal' | 'paused';
+export type ThreadGoalSignalCollectionResult =
+  | 'accepted'
+  | 'not_a_goal_turn'
+  | 'stale'
+  | 'no_goal'
+  | 'paused';
 
 export const THREAD_GOAL_STATUS_REASONS = [
   'complete(worker_proposal)',
diff --git a/packages/agent-modules/goal/test/unit/thread-goal/tool-impls.test.ts b/packages/agent-modules/goal/test/unit/thread-goal/tool-impls.test.ts
index a20f14af..50895e9f 100644
--- a/packages/agent-modules/goal/test/unit/thread-goal/tool-impls.test.ts
+++ b/packages/agent-modules/goal/test/unit/thread-goal/tool-impls.test.ts
@@ -563,14 +563,16 @@ describe("thread-goal tool impls", () => {
       const before = await store.getBySession(ctx.sessionId);
       const patch = vi.spyOn(store, "patch");
 
-      // An unbound proposal: the Turn carries no Goal binding, so the host
-      // rejects it. Both the stale and the unbound refusals share `err()`.
       const stale = await new UpdateGoalTool(
         store,
         signalCollector("stale"),
       ).execute(ctx, {
         status: "complete",
       });
+      const unbound = await new UpdateGoalTool(
+        store,
+        signalCollector("not_a_goal_turn"),
+      ).execute(ctx, { status: "complete" });
       const missingMode = await new UpdateGoalTool(
         store,
         signalCollector(),
@@ -580,6 +582,8 @@ describe("thread-goal tool impls", () => {
       });
 
       expect(stale.isError).toBe(true);
+      expect(unbound.isError).toBe(true);
+      expect(unbound.terminate).toBeUndefined();
       expect(missingMode.isError).toBe(true);
       expect(patch).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(await store.getBySession(ctx.sessionId)).toEqual(before);
diff --git a/packages/local-runtime/src/thread-goal/turn-context.ts b/packages/local-runtime/src/thread-goal/turn-context.ts
index 79b5ed8f..935fef76 100644
--- a/packages/local-runtime/src/thread-goal/turn-context.ts
+++ b/packages/local-runtime/src/thread-goal/turn-context.ts
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@ export class GoalTurnContextRegistry {
 
   collectSignal(turnId: string, signal: GoalTurnSignal): ThreadGoalSignalCollectionResult {
     const boundTurn = this.bindings.get(turnId);
+    if (!boundTurn) return 'not_a_goal_turn';
     if (
-      !boundTurn ||
       boundTurn.kind !== 'main' ||
       boundTurn.binding.goalId !== signal.goalId ||
       boundTurn.binding.objectiveDigest !== signal.objectiveDigest
diff --git a/packages/local-runtime/test/unit/thread-goal/host-integration-settlement.test.ts b/packages/local-runtime/test/unit/thread-goal/host-integration-settlement.test.ts
index 3eca5730..6ad4396f 100644
--- a/packages/local-runtime/test/unit/thread-goal/host-integration-settlement.test.ts
+++ b/packages/local-runtime/test/unit/thread-goal/host-integration-settlement.test.ts
@@ -515,32 +515,57 @@ describe("LocalThreadGoalIntegration injected v2 Turn settlement", () => {
     expect(active.status).toBe("active");
   });
 
-  it("ignores an ordinary unbound Turn even when the session currently has an active Goal", async () => {
-    const active = goal();
-    const bumpBoundUsage = vi.fn();
-    const settleBoundTurn = vi.fn();
-    const enqueuePostTurnContinuation = vi.fn(async () => undefined);
-    const { integration } = makeIntegration({
-      store: makeStore({
-        getBySession: async () => active,
-        bumpBoundUsage,
-        settleBoundTurn,
-      }),
-      enqueuePostTurnContinuation,
-    });
+  it.each(["active", "complete"] as const)(
+    "rejects an unbound proposal without ending the user Turn or changing the %s Goal",
+    async (status) => {
+      const currentGoal = goal({ status });
+      const bumpBoundUsage = vi.fn();
+      const settleBoundTurn = vi.fn();
+      const enqueuePostTurnContinuation = vi.fn(async () => undefined);
+      const { integration } = makeIntegration({
+        store: makeStore({
+          getBySession: async () => currentGoal,
+          bumpBoundUsage,
+          settleBoundTurn,
+        }),
+        enqueuePostTurnContinuation,
+      });
 
-    await integration.settleInjectedTurn({
-      sessionId: active.sessionId,
-      turnId: "turn_int",
-      status: "completed",
-      tokens: 99,
-      retracted: false,
-    });
+      const proposal = await submitGoalProposal(integration, "complete");
 
-    expect(bumpBoundUsage).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-    expect(settleBoundTurn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-    expect(enqueuePostTurnContinuation).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-  });
+      expect(proposal.isError).toBe(true);
+      expect(proposal.terminate).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(JSON.parse(proposal.text)).toMatchObject({
+        reason: "not_a_goal_turn",
+        currentGoal: {
+          goalId: currentGoal.goalId,
+          status,
+          objective: currentGoal.objective,
+        },
+      });
+      expect(JSON.parse(proposal.text)).not.toHaveProperty("proposal");
+
+      const decision = await integration.settleInjectedTurn({
+        sessionId: currentGoal.sessionId,
+        turnId: "turn_int",
+        status: "completed",
+        tokens: 99,
+        retracted: false,
+      });
+
+      expect(bumpBoundUsage).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(settleBoundTurn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(enqueuePostTurnContinuation).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(decision).toEqual({
+        stage: 1,
+        action: "ignored",
+        reason: "not_a_goal_turn",
+      });
+      expect(
+        await integration.store.getBySession(currentGoal.sessionId),
+      ).toEqual(currentGoal);
+    },
+  );
 
   it("never attributes an old binding to a replacement Goal in the same session", async () => {
     let current = goal({ goalId: "tg_old" });
@@ -567,6 +592,10 @@ describe("LocalThreadGoalIntegration injected v2 Turn settlement", () => {
     await admitGoalTurn(integration, current, "turn_int");
     current = replacement;
 
+    const proposal = await submitGoalProposal(integration, "complete");
+    expect(proposal.isError).toBe(true);
+    expect(proposal.terminate).toBe(true);
+
     await integration.settleInjectedTurn({
       sessionId: current.sessionId,
       turnId: "turn_int",