diff --git a/fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/MessageServiceTest.java b/fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/MessageServiceTest.java
index d965d10..c3dca80 100644
--- a/fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/MessageServiceTest.java
+++ b/fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/MessageServiceTest.java
@@ -393,6 +393,56 @@ class MessageServiceTest {
      * never made answerable again, and (2) the async ticket still resolves {@code DONE} once the
      * worker's real {@code fleet_reply} lands — it is never stranded {@code PENDING}.
      */
+    /**
+     * fleetd #334 gated the ask-timeout teardown on {@code ticket.fresh()}, matching the {@code
+     * finally} block that already did. This pins that gate. A coalesced duplicate passes its own
+     * {@code timeoutMillis}, which says nothing about whether the shared ask is done — so a
+     * duplicate timing out first must leave the fresh owner's still-open ask answerable.
+     *
+     * <p>Measured on merge: without this test, removing the {@code ticket.fresh()} gate left all
+     * 1371 tests green. The gate shipped with the reorder and nothing held it there.
+     *
+     * <p>What this does not prove: anything about the ordering inside the gate — that is
+     * {@code aLateAnswerDuringAskTimeoutTeardownStillCompletesTheAsyncTicket}'s job.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void aCoalescedDuplicateAskTimingOutLeavesTheFreshOwnersAskOpen() throws Exception {
+        String ticket = messages.sendAsync(T, "long task");
+        awaitWaiting();
+        injector.onStatus(T, AgentStatus.IDLE);    // deliver
+        injector.onStatus(T, AgentStatus.WORKING); // worker picks it up, then pauses to ask
+
+        CompletableFuture<MessageService.AskResult> fresh =
+                CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(() -> messages.ask(T, "which config file?", 5000));
+
+        MessageService.TaskView asking = null;
+        long deadline = System.currentTimeMillis() + 2000;
+        while ((asking == null || asking.phase() != MessageService.Phase.ASKING)
+                && System.currentTimeMillis() < deadline) {
+            asking = messages.poll(ticket);
+            //noinspection BusyWait
+            Thread.sleep(5);
+        }
+        assertNotNull(asking, "the fresh owner's question must surface before the duplicate asks");
+        String turnId = asking.turnId();
+        assertNotNull(turnId, "an ASKING view carries the turnId to answer on");
+
+        // A coalesced duplicate on the same session, with its own much shorter timeout.
+        MessageService.AskResult duplicate = messages.ask(T, "which config file?", 100);
+        assertEquals(MessageService.AskOutcome.TIMED_OUT, duplicate.outcome(),
+                "the duplicate's own timeout elapses first");
+
+        CompletableFuture<MessageService.Reply> answered =
+                CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(() -> messages.answer(turnId, "fleetd.yaml", 500));
+
+        MessageService.AskResult a = fresh.get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        assertEquals(MessageService.AskOutcome.ANSWERED, a.outcome(),
+                "a duplicate's timeout must not lapse the ask the fresh owner still holds");
+        assertEquals("fleetd.yaml", a.answer());
+        assertFalse(answered.get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS).outcome() == MessageService.Outcome.STALE_TURN,
+                "the answer must not be rejected as stale");
+    }
+
     @Test
     void aLateAnswerDuringAskTimeoutTeardownStillCompletesTheAsyncTicket() throws Exception {
         String ticket = messages.sendAsync(T, "long task");