diff --git a/nanobot/cli/gateway_runtime.py b/nanobot/cli/gateway_runtime.py
index b65fbdbb6..971b9a7ab 100644
--- a/nanobot/cli/gateway_runtime.py
+++ b/nanobot/cli/gateway_runtime.py
@@ -706,11 +706,6 @@ def _run_gateway(
     else:
         console.print("[yellow]Warning: No channels enabled[/yellow]")
 
-    cron_status = cron.status()
-    cron_job_count = cast(int, cron_status["jobs"])
-    if cron_job_count > 0:
-        console.print(f"[green]✓[/green] Cron: {cron_job_count} scheduled jobs")
-
     hb_cfg = config.gateway.heartbeat
     if hb_cfg.enabled:
         console.print(f"[green]✓[/green] Heartbeat: every {hb_cfg.interval_s}s")
@@ -785,8 +780,7 @@ def _run_gateway(
         console.print(f"[green]✓[/green] Dream: {dream_cfg.describe_schedule()}")
     else:
         console.print("[yellow]○[/yellow] Dream: disabled")
-        # Advance the cursor first: it must happen unconditionally (issue
-        # #4242), even if the cron store turns out to be corrupt below.
+        # Cursor repair must not depend on a healthy cron store.
         _advance_dream_cursor_if_behind(agent.context.memory)
         cron.remove_system_job("dream")
 
@@ -803,10 +797,13 @@ def _run_gateway(
             payload=CronPayload(kind="system_event"),
         ))
     else:
-        # Retire any previously persisted heartbeat job so that disabling
-        # gateway.heartbeat in config takes effect after restart.
         cron.remove_system_job("heartbeat")
 
+    cron_status = cron.status()
+    cron_job_count = cast(int, cron_status["jobs"])
+    if cron_job_count > 0:
+        console.print(f"[green]✓[/green] Cron: {cron_job_count} scheduled jobs")
+
     async def _open_browser_when_ready() -> None:
         """Wait for the gateway to bind, then point the user's browser at the webui."""
         if not open_browser_url:
diff --git a/nanobot/cron/service.py b/nanobot/cron/service.py
index 4b9b1fc60..538eeb801 100644
--- a/nanobot/cron/service.py
+++ b/nanobot/cron/service.py
@@ -719,14 +719,7 @@ class CronService:
         return job
 
     def remove_system_job(self, job_id: str) -> bool:
-        """Remove an internal system job by id (startup reconciliation).
-
-        Unlike ``remove_job``, this bypasses the protected-system-job guard:
-        the gateway retires a persisted system job whose config has been
-        disabled, so e.g. ``gateway.heartbeat.enabled=false`` actually takes
-        effect after restart instead of the leftover job firing forever.
-        Returns True when a job was removed.
-        """
+        """Remove a protected system job during startup reconciliation."""
         store = self._require_store()
         before = len(store.jobs)
         store.jobs = [j for j in store.jobs if j.id != job_id]
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_commands.py b/tests/cli/test_commands.py
index 7ae494d7e..2fc67aa7a 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_commands.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_commands.py
@@ -3216,13 +3216,14 @@ def test_gateway_local_trigger_queue_submits_agent_turns(
             return None
 
         def status(self) -> dict[str, int]:
+            seen.setdefault("cron_reconciliation", []).append("status")
             return {"jobs": 0}
 
         def register_system_job(self, _job) -> None:
             return None
 
         def remove_system_job(self, job_id: str) -> bool:
-            seen.setdefault("removed_system_jobs", []).append(job_id)
+            seen.setdefault("cron_reconciliation", []).append(f"remove:{job_id}")
             return False
 
     class _FakeAgentLoop(_GatewayAgentContractStub):
@@ -3301,8 +3302,7 @@ def test_gateway_local_trigger_queue_submits_agent_turns(
     turn_delivery_factory = agent_kwargs["turn_delivery_factory"]
     assert isinstance(turn_delivery_factory, TurnDeliveryFactory)
     assert turn_delivery_factory.bus is bus
-    # Disabled system jobs must be retired on startup, not just unregistered.
-    assert seen["removed_system_jobs"] == ["dream", "heartbeat"]
+    assert seen["cron_reconciliation"] == ["remove:dream", "remove:heartbeat", "status"]
     assert isinstance(turn_delivery_factory.route_policy, WebuiTurnRoutePolicy)
     assert turn_delivery_factory.route_policy.sessions is agent.sessions
 
diff --git a/tests/cron/test_cron_service.py b/tests/cron/test_cron_service.py
index fa1c3fb32..26d53dc62 100644
--- a/tests/cron/test_cron_service.py
+++ b/tests/cron/test_cron_service.py
@@ -786,8 +786,6 @@ def test_remove_job_refuses_system_jobs(tmp_path) -> None:
 
 
 def test_remove_system_job_retires_persisted_system_job(tmp_path) -> None:
-    """Disabling a system job (e.g. gateway.heartbeat.enabled=false) must
-    actually retire the previously persisted job, not just skip registration."""
     store_path = tmp_path / "cron" / "jobs.json"
     service = CronService(store_path)
     service.register_system_job(CronJob(
@@ -802,12 +800,8 @@ def test_remove_system_job_retires_persisted_system_job(tmp_path) -> None:
 
     assert removed is True
     assert service.get_job("heartbeat") is None
-    # Removal must persist: a fresh instance (next gateway start) must not
-    # resurrect the job from the on-disk store.
     assert CronService(store_path).get_job("heartbeat") is None
-    # Idempotent: removing a missing system job reports False without raising.
     assert service.remove_system_job("heartbeat") is False
-    # User-facing removal still protects remaining system jobs.
     other = CronService(store_path)
     other.register_system_job(CronJob(
         id="dream",
@@ -819,7 +813,6 @@ def test_remove_system_job_retires_persisted_system_job(tmp_path) -> None:
 
 
 def test_remove_system_job_without_store_file(tmp_path) -> None:
-    """Fresh install with the system job disabled: no jobs.json exists yet."""
     store_path = tmp_path / "cron" / "jobs.json"
     service = CronService(store_path)