diff --git a/apps/supervisor/src/services/computeSnapshotService.test.ts b/apps/supervisor/src/services/computeSnapshotService.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b039b63bd4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/supervisor/src/services/computeSnapshotService.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { setTimeout as sleep } from "node:timers/promises";
+import { ComputeSnapshotService } from "./computeSnapshotService.js";
+import type { ComputeWorkloadManager } from "../workloadManager/compute.js";
+import type { SupervisorHttpClient } from "@trigger.dev/core/v3/workers";
+
+// The TimerWheel ticks every 100ms, so a 200ms delay dispatches within ~300ms.
+const DELAY_MS = 200;
+// Long enough that a pending snapshot would certainly have dispatched.
+const SETTLE_MS = 600;
+
+function createService() {
+  const snapshot = vi.fn(async (_opts: { runnerId: string; metadata: Record<string, string> }) => true);
+
+  const computeManager = {
+    snapshotDelayMs: DELAY_MS,
+    snapshotDispatchLimit: 1,
+    snapshot,
+  } as unknown as ComputeWorkloadManager;
+
+  const service = new ComputeSnapshotService({
+    computeManager,
+    workerClient: {} as SupervisorHttpClient,
+    wideEventOpts: { service: "supervisor-test", env: {}, enabled: false },
+  });
+
+  return { service, snapshot };
+}
+
+function delayedSnapshot(runnerId = "runner-1") {
+  return {
+    runnerId,
+    runFriendlyId: "run_1",
+    snapshotFriendlyId: "snapshot_1",
+  };
+}
+
+describe("ComputeSnapshotService", () => {
+  it("dispatches a scheduled snapshot after the delay", async () => {
+    const { service, snapshot } = createService();
+    try {
+      service.schedule("run_1", delayedSnapshot());
+
+      await vi.waitFor(() => expect(snapshot).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1), { timeout: 2_000 });
+      expect(snapshot).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        runnerId: "runner-1",
+        metadata: { runId: "run_1", snapshotFriendlyId: "snapshot_1" },
+      });
+    } finally {
+      service.stop();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("cancel before the delay expires prevents the dispatch", async () => {
+    const { service, snapshot } = createService();
+    try {
+      service.schedule("run_1", delayedSnapshot());
+
+      expect(service.cancel("run_1")).toBe(true);
+
+      await sleep(SETTLE_MS);
+      expect(snapshot).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    } finally {
+      service.stop();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("cancel returns false when nothing is pending", () => {
+    const { service } = createService();
+    try {
+      expect(service.cancel("run_1")).toBe(false);
+    } finally {
+      service.stop();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("cancel with a matching runnerId cancels the pending snapshot", async () => {
+    const { service, snapshot } = createService();
+    try {
+      service.schedule("run_1", delayedSnapshot("runner-a"));
+
+      expect(service.cancel("run_1", "runner-a")).toBe(true);
+
+      await sleep(SETTLE_MS);
+      expect(snapshot).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    } finally {
+      service.stop();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("cancel with a different runnerId leaves the pending snapshot alone", async () => {
+    const { service, snapshot } = createService();
+    try {
+      service.schedule("run_1", delayedSnapshot("runner-a"));
+
+      // A stale runner for a reassigned run must not cancel the new runner's snapshot.
+      expect(service.cancel("run_1", "runner-b")).toBe(false);
+
+      await vi.waitFor(() => expect(snapshot).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1), { timeout: 2_000 });
+      expect(snapshot).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.objectContaining({ runnerId: "runner-a" })
+      );
+    } finally {
+      service.stop();
+    }
+  });
+
+  it("re-scheduling the same run replaces the pending snapshot", async () => {
+    const { service, snapshot } = createService();
+    try {
+      service.schedule("run_1", delayedSnapshot());
+      service.schedule("run_1", {
+        runnerId: "runner-1",
+        runFriendlyId: "run_1",
+        snapshotFriendlyId: "snapshot_2",
+      });
+
+      await vi.waitFor(() => expect(snapshot).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1), { timeout: 2_000 });
+      await sleep(SETTLE_MS);
+
+      expect(snapshot).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(snapshot).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+        runnerId: "runner-1",
+        metadata: { runId: "run_1", snapshotFriendlyId: "snapshot_2" },
+      });
+    } finally {
+      service.stop();
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/supervisor/src/services/computeSnapshotService.ts b/apps/supervisor/src/services/computeSnapshotService.ts
index 35ac6acecab..216753fc12d 100644
--- a/apps/supervisor/src/services/computeSnapshotService.ts
+++ b/apps/supervisor/src/services/computeSnapshotService.ts
@@ -92,8 +92,19 @@ export class ComputeSnapshotService {
     });
   }
 
-  /** Cancel a pending delayed snapshot. Returns true if one was cancelled. */
-  cancel(runFriendlyId: string): boolean {
+  /**
+   * Cancel a pending delayed snapshot. Returns true if one was cancelled.
+   * When `runnerId` is given, only a snapshot scheduled for that same runner
+   * is cancelled - a stale runner for a run that has since been reassigned
+   * must not cancel the new runner's pending snapshot.
+   */
+  cancel(runFriendlyId: string, runnerId?: string): boolean {
+    if (runnerId) {
+      const pending = this.timerWheel.peek(runFriendlyId);
+      if (pending && pending.data.runnerId !== runnerId) {
+        return false;
+      }
+    }
     const cancelled = this.timerWheel.cancel(runFriendlyId);
     if (cancelled) {
       emitOneShot({
diff --git a/apps/supervisor/src/services/timerWheel.ts b/apps/supervisor/src/services/timerWheel.ts
index 9584423824d..cab5a5d7a25 100644
--- a/apps/supervisor/src/services/timerWheel.ts
+++ b/apps/supervisor/src/services/timerWheel.ts
@@ -121,6 +121,12 @@ export class TimerWheel<T> {
     return true;
   }
 
+  /** Look up a pending item without removing it. */
+  peek(key: string): TimerWheelItem<T> | undefined {
+    const entry = this.entries.get(key);
+    return entry ? { key, data: entry.data } : undefined;
+  }
+
   /** Number of pending items in the wheel. */
   get size(): number {
     return this.entries.size;
diff --git a/apps/supervisor/src/workloadManager/compute.test.ts b/apps/supervisor/src/workloadManager/compute.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ea5ddabf285
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/supervisor/src/workloadManager/compute.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { ComputeClientError } from "@internal/compute";
+import { isRetryableCreateError, runnerNameForAttempt } from "./compute.js";
+
+describe("runnerNameForAttempt", () => {
+  it("keeps the unsuffixed name for the first attempt", () => {
+    expect(runnerNameForAttempt("runner-abc123", 1)).toBe("runner-abc123");
+  });
+
+  it("suffixes retry attempts deterministically", () => {
+    expect(runnerNameForAttempt("runner-abc123", 2)).toBe("runner-abc123-r2");
+    expect(runnerNameForAttempt("runner-abc123", 3)).toBe("runner-abc123-r3");
+  });
+});
+
+describe("isRetryableCreateError", () => {
+  it("retries statuses where the create definitely did not commit", () => {
+    expect(isRetryableCreateError(new ComputeClientError(500, "tap busy", "http://gw"))).toBe(
+      true
+    );
+    expect(isRetryableCreateError(new ComputeClientError(503, "no placement", "http://gw"))).toBe(
+      true
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("does not retry lost-response statuses (create may have committed)", () => {
+    expect(isRetryableCreateError(new ComputeClientError(502, "bad gateway", "http://gw"))).toBe(
+      false
+    );
+    expect(
+      isRetryableCreateError(new ComputeClientError(504, "gateway timeout", "http://gw"))
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("does not retry 4xx responses", () => {
+    expect(isRetryableCreateError(new ComputeClientError(400, "bad request", "http://gw"))).toBe(
+      false
+    );
+    expect(isRetryableCreateError(new ComputeClientError(409, "conflict", "http://gw"))).toBe(
+      false
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("does not retry timeouts (instance may still be provisioning)", () => {
+    expect(isRetryableCreateError(new DOMException("timed out", "TimeoutError"))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("retries network-level fetch failures", () => {
+    expect(isRetryableCreateError(new TypeError("fetch failed"))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("does not retry unknown errors", () => {
+    expect(isRetryableCreateError(new Error("something else"))).toBe(false);
+    expect(isRetryableCreateError("string error")).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/supervisor/src/workloadManager/compute.ts b/apps/supervisor/src/workloadManager/compute.ts
index 3efad7d4077..307dc3615a2 100644
--- a/apps/supervisor/src/workloadManager/compute.ts
+++ b/apps/supervisor/src/workloadManager/compute.ts
@@ -6,12 +6,58 @@ import {
   type WorkloadManagerCreateOptions,
   type WorkloadManagerOptions,
 } from "./types.js";
-import { ComputeClient, stripImageDigest } from "@internal/compute";
+import { ComputeClient, ComputeClientError, stripImageDigest } from "@internal/compute";
+import { setTimeout as sleep } from "node:timers/promises";
 import { extractTraceparent, getRunnerId } from "../util.js";
 import type { OtlpTraceService } from "../services/otlpTraceService.js";
 import { tryCatch } from "@trigger.dev/core";
 import { encodeBaggage, fromContext } from "../wideEvents/index.js";
 
+const CREATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS = 3;
+const CREATE_RETRY_BASE_DELAY_MS = 250;
+
+/**
+ * TEMPORARY (TRI-10293): a failed create can leave its instance name
+ * registered gateway/fcrun-side until async cleanup runs, so a same-name
+ * retry can 409 against our own residue. Until the gateway cleans up
+ * failed-create registrations properly, retry attempts get a deterministic
+ * suffix. Attempt 1 keeps the unsuffixed name so the non-retry path is
+ * unchanged; the suffixed name flows into both the instance name and
+ * TRIGGER_RUNNER_ID, which downstream flows treat as one opaque
+ * self-reported token. Only attempts following a ComputeClientError are
+ * suffixed - network-failure retries keep the same name on purpose, because
+ * the gateway's name-collision 409 is their safety net against
+ * double-creating an instance whose create response was lost.
+ */
+export function runnerNameForAttempt(runnerId: string, attempt: number): string {
+  return attempt === 1 ? runnerId : `${runnerId}-r${attempt}`;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Whether a failed instance create is worth retrying. Only statuses where
+ * the create definitely did NOT commit are retried: 500 means the agent or
+ * fcrun returned a create error (e.g. a netns slot holding the tap busy, a
+ * full node disk - placement may differ on retry), 503 means the gateway
+ * had nowhere to place it. 502/504 are excluded: the gateway emits those
+ * when it fails to reach the node or read its response, which can happen
+ * AFTER the agent committed the create - and the gateway only records the
+ * instance name on a clean 201, so a same-name retry would miss the
+ * collision check and could double-create the VM on another node. 4xx won't
+ * heal on retry, and timeouts may still be provisioning. Network-level
+ * fetch failures are safe: if the gateway processed the create, its name
+ * index is populated and the retry 409s harmlessly.
+ */
+export function isRetryableCreateError(error: unknown): boolean {
+  if (error instanceof ComputeClientError) {
+    return error.status === 500 || error.status === 503;
+  }
+  if (error instanceof DOMException && error.name === "TimeoutError") {
+    return false;
+  }
+  // Network-level fetch failures (gateway briefly unreachable)
+  return error instanceof TypeError;
+}
+
 type ComputeWorkloadManagerOptions = WorkloadManagerOptions & {
   gateway: {
     url: string;
@@ -165,27 +211,71 @@ export class ComputeWorkloadManager implements WorkloadManager {
     const startMs = performance.now();
 
     try {
-      const [error, data] = await tryCatch(
-        this.compute.instances.create({
-          name: runnerId,
-          image: imageRef,
-          env: envVars,
-          cpu: opts.machine.cpu,
-          memory_gb: opts.machine.memory,
-          metadata: {
-            runId: opts.runFriendlyId,
-            envId: opts.envId,
-            envType: opts.envType,
-            orgId: opts.orgId,
-            projectId: opts.projectId,
-            deploymentVersion: opts.deploymentVersion,
-            machine: opts.machine.name,
-          },
-          ...(Object.keys(labels).length > 0 ? { labels } : {}),
-        })
-      );
+      const createRequest = {
+        name: runnerId,
+        image: imageRef,
+        env: envVars,
+        cpu: opts.machine.cpu,
+        memory_gb: opts.machine.memory,
+        metadata: {
+          runId: opts.runFriendlyId,
+          envId: opts.envId,
+          envType: opts.envType,
+          orgId: opts.orgId,
+          projectId: opts.projectId,
+          deploymentVersion: opts.deploymentVersion,
+          machine: opts.machine.name,
+        },
+        ...(Object.keys(labels).length > 0 ? { labels } : {}),
+      };
+
+      // Retry transient placement failures instead of abandoning the run: a
+      // swallowed create error leaves the run waiting for the run engine's
+      // PENDING_EXECUTING timeout (minutes) before it is redriven, while a
+      // retried create typically succeeds in under a second (TRI-10293).
+      let error: unknown;
+      let data: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof this.compute.instances.create>> | null | undefined;
+      let attempt = 1;
+      // Set after a ComputeClientError: the failed create may have left its
+      // name registered, so subsequent attempts use a suffixed name.
+      let suffixAttempts = false;
+      for (; attempt <= CREATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS; attempt++) {
+        const attemptRunnerId = suffixAttempts
+          ? runnerNameForAttempt(runnerId, attempt)
+          : runnerId;
+        [error, data] = await tryCatch(
+          this.compute.instances.create(
+            attemptRunnerId === runnerId
+              ? createRequest
+              : {
+                  ...createRequest,
+                  name: attemptRunnerId,
+                  env: { ...envVars, TRIGGER_RUNNER_ID: attemptRunnerId },
+                }
+          )
+        );
+
+        if (!error) {
+          event.runnerId = attemptRunnerId;
+          break;
+        }
+
+        if (error instanceof ComputeClientError) {
+          suffixAttempts = true;
+        }
+
+        this.logger.warn("create instance attempt failed", {
+          runnerId: attemptRunnerId,
+          attempt,
+          error: error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error),
+        });
+
+        if (!isRetryableCreateError(error) || attempt === CREATE_MAX_ATTEMPTS) break;
+        await sleep(CREATE_RETRY_BASE_DELAY_MS * attempt);
+      }
+      event.createAttempts = attempt;
 
-      if (error) {
+      if (error || !data) {
         event.error = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
         event.errorType =
           error instanceof DOMException && error.name === "TimeoutError" ? "timeout" : "fetch";
diff --git a/apps/supervisor/src/workloadServer/index.ts b/apps/supervisor/src/workloadServer/index.ts
index ba933477976..43bbe4fa887 100644
--- a/apps/supervisor/src/workloadServer/index.ts
+++ b/apps/supervisor/src/workloadServer/index.ts
@@ -303,6 +303,16 @@ export class WorkloadServer extends EventEmitter<WorkloadServerEvents> {
                   return;
                 }
 
+                // A completed attempt invalidates any pending delayed snapshot: the
+                // suspended execution state it was scheduled to capture no longer
+                // exists. Without this, the snapshot fires up to snapshotDelayMs
+                // later and pauses a VM that has long moved on, e.g. mid warm-start
+                // long-poll or already executing the next run.
+                this.snapshotService?.cancel(
+                  params.runFriendlyId,
+                  this.runnerIdFromRequest(req)
+                );
+
                 reply.json(
                   completeResponse.data satisfies WorkloadRunAttemptCompleteResponseBody
                 );
@@ -728,6 +738,14 @@ export class WorkloadServer extends EventEmitter<WorkloadServerEvents> {
       const runDisconnected = (friendlyId: string, reason: string) => {
         socketLogger.debug("runDisconnected", { ...getSocketMetadata() });
 
+        // The run is gone from this runner (crash, exit, or replaced by a new
+        // run), so a pending delayed snapshot for it is stale. Genuine
+        // waitpoint suspensions keep the socket connected, so this doesn't
+        // cancel a snapshot that's still wanted; the runnerId match guards
+        // against a stale duplicate runner cancelling a fresh runner's
+        // snapshot after the run was reassigned.
+        this.snapshotService?.cancel(friendlyId, socket.data.runnerId);
+
         this.runSockets.delete(friendlyId);
         this.emit("runDisconnected", { run: { friendlyId } });
         socket.data.runFriendlyId = undefined;