diff --git a/swarmforge/scripts/ensure_handoff_daemon.sh b/swarmforge/scripts/ensure_handoff_daemon.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..3c743df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/swarmforge/scripts/ensure_handoff_daemon.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Ensure the SwarmForge handoff daemon is running for this project.
+#
+# The daemon delivers queued handoffs from each role's outbox to recipient
+# inboxes and wakes the recipients. If it is not running, handoffs sit
+# undelivered. This script is idempotent: it starts the daemon only when no
+# live pid exists and no stop file is present.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+
+if ! command -v bb >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "ensure_handoff_daemon: bb not found; cannot ensure handoff daemon" >&2
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+common="$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir 2>/dev/null || true)"
+if [ -z "$common" ]; then
+  exit 0
+fi
+common_abs="$(cd "$common" 2>/dev/null && pwd || true)"
+if [ -z "$common_abs" ]; then
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+project_root="$(dirname "$common_abs")"
+if [ ! -f "$project_root/.swarmforge/roles.tsv" ]; then
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+daemon_dir="$project_root/.swarmforge/daemon"
+pid_file="$daemon_dir/handoffd.pid"
+stop_file="$daemon_dir/stop"
+
+if [ -f "$stop_file" ]; then
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+if [ -f "$pid_file" ]; then
+  pid="$(tr -dc '0-9' < "$pid_file" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+  if [ -n "$pid" ] && kill -0 "$pid" 2>/dev/null; then
+    exit 0
+  fi
+fi
+
+mkdir -p "$daemon_dir"
+nohup bb "$SCRIPT_DIR/handoffd.bb" "$project_root" >/dev/null 2>&1 &
+disown 2>/dev/null || true
+echo "ensure_handoff_daemon: started handoff daemon for $project_root"
diff --git a/swarmforge/scripts/ready_for_next.sh b/swarmforge/scripts/ready_for_next.sh
index 5f9cdfd..eab638a 100755
--- a/swarmforge/scripts/ready_for_next.sh
+++ b/swarmforge/scripts/ready_for_next.sh
@@ -2,4 +2,9 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+
+# Recovery: if the handoff daemon died, wake-ups never arrive and queued
+# handoffs sit in outboxes. Ensure it is alive before checking for work.
+"$SCRIPT_DIR/ensure_handoff_daemon.sh" || true
+
 exec bb "$SCRIPT_DIR/ready_for_next.bb" "$@"
diff --git a/swarmforge/scripts/swarm_handoff.sh b/swarmforge/scripts/swarm_handoff.sh
index 323b3c7..fdd9734 100755
--- a/swarmforge/scripts/swarm_handoff.sh
+++ b/swarmforge/scripts/swarm_handoff.sh
@@ -2,4 +2,9 @@
 set -euo pipefail
 
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+
+# Handoffs sit undelivered if the daemon is not running, so make sure it is
+# alive before queueing. Starting it here is idempotent and self-healing.
+"$SCRIPT_DIR/ensure_handoff_daemon.sh" || true
+
 exec bb "$SCRIPT_DIR/swarm_handoff.bb" "$@"