diff --git a/base-kv/base-kv-store-server/src/main/java/org/apache/bifromq/basekv/store/range/KVRangeRestorer.java b/base-kv/base-kv-store-server/src/main/java/org/apache/bifromq/basekv/store/range/KVRangeRestorer.java
index a122e2d26..a3ee4710e 100644
--- a/base-kv/base-kv-store-server/src/main/java/org/apache/bifromq/basekv/store/range/KVRangeRestorer.java
+++ b/base-kv/base-kv-store-server/src/main/java/org/apache/bifromq/basekv/store/range/KVRangeRestorer.java
@@ -138,6 +138,11 @@ public CompletableFuture<Void> restoreFrom(String leader, KVRangeSnapshot rangeS
             }
         } catch (Throwable t) {
             log.error("Unexpected error", t);
+            // A synchronous failure here (startRestore/send throwing) must complete the session
+            // future exceptionally. Leaving it pending hangs the caller forever (there is no timeout on
+            // this path) and, because the session stays cached and un-done, a retry with the same snapshot
+            // would reuse the same dead session - permanently stuck range.
+            onDone.completeExceptionally(new KVRangeStoreException("Snapshot restore failed to start", t));
         }
         return onDone;
     }
diff --git a/base-kv/base-kv-store-server/src/test/java/org/apache/bifromq/basekv/store/range/KVRangeRestorerTest.java b/base-kv/base-kv-store-server/src/test/java/org/apache/bifromq/basekv/store/range/KVRangeRestorerTest.java
index f6dbf4815..a2db9098f 100644
--- a/base-kv/base-kv-store-server/src/test/java/org/apache/bifromq/basekv/store/range/KVRangeRestorerTest.java
+++ b/base-kv/base-kv-store-server/src/test/java/org/apache/bifromq/basekv/store/range/KVRangeRestorerTest.java
@@ -250,6 +250,26 @@ public void startNewSessionWhenLeaderChanges() {
         secondRestore.cancel(true); // ensure no lingering scheduling
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void restoreFromStartFailureCompletesFutureExceptionally() {
+        // A synchronous failure from startRestore must not leave the future (and the cached
+        // session) pending forever - range would be stuck, and a same-snapshot retry would reuse the dead
+        // session.
+        when(range.startRestore(eq(snapshot), any())).thenThrow(new IllegalStateException("boom"));
+
+        KVRangeRestorer restorer = new KVRangeRestorer(snapshot, range, messenger, metricManager, executor, 10);
+        CompletableFuture<Void> restoreFuture = restorer.restoreFrom("leader", snapshot);
+
+        assertTrue(restoreFuture.isCompletedExceptionally());
+
+        // a retry with the same snapshot must start a fresh session instead of reusing the dead one
+        when(range.startRestore(eq(snapshot), any())).thenReturn(mock(IKVRangeRestoreSession.class));
+        CompletableFuture<Void> retry = restorer.restoreFrom("leader", snapshot);
+        assertFalse(retry.isDone());
+        verify(range, times(2)).startRestore(eq(snapshot), any());
+        retry.cancel(true);
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void reuseAfterDoneStartsNew() {
         IKVRangeRestoreSession firstRS = mock(IKVRangeRestoreSession.class);