diff --git a/src/sender/uplink_recv.rs b/src/sender/uplink_recv.rs
index 5e022dcf..439cd09a 100644
--- a/src/sender/uplink_recv.rs
+++ b/src/sender/uplink_recv.rs
@@ -67,7 +67,16 @@ pub async fn process_uplink_packet(
             return Ok(incoming);
         }
 
-        conn.last_received = Some(now);
+        // Liveness only counts for a link that is registered, or has never been
+        // (initial registration keeps its own grace/timeout handling). A link
+        // that WAS established and is in recovery (`connected == false` until
+        // REG3) must stay timed out so housekeeping rebuilds its socket and
+        // re-sends REG2: letting the receiver's ACKs/NAKs and keepalive replies
+        // refresh it here parks it in limbo — alive to the timeout check,
+        // excluded from scheduling, never re-registered.
+        if conn.connected || conn.reconnection.connection_established_ms == 0 {
+            conn.last_received = Some(now);
+        }
 
         if pt == SRT_TYPE_ACK {
             if let Some(ack) = parse_srt_ack(data) {
diff --git a/src/tests/mod.rs b/src/tests/mod.rs
index 1cf29b95..0ccc9c9a 100644
--- a/src/tests/mod.rs
+++ b/src/tests/mod.rs
@@ -27,3 +27,6 @@ pub mod integration_tests;
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 pub mod end_to_end_tests;
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+pub mod recovery_limbo_tests;
diff --git a/src/tests/recovery_limbo_tests.rs b/src/tests/recovery_limbo_tests.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..35c405f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/tests/recovery_limbo_tests.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+//! A link that was established and then put into recovery must stay on the
+//! timeout-driven reconnect path until REG3 re-admits it.
+//!
+//! Recovery (`mark_for_recovery`) clears `connected`, so the scheduler stops
+//! sending data on the link, and relies on `is_timed_out` to route it through
+//! housekeeping's socket rebuild + REG2. If the interface comes back quickly
+//! (a replugged tether keeps its address), the receiver's traffic — SRT
+//! ACK/NAKs, then replies to the keepalives housekeeping sends to a link it
+//! believes alive — used to refresh `last_received`. The link then never timed
+//! out, was never re-registered, and carried no data until the receiver gave up
+//! on it (~15-20 s on the wire), long after the SRT peer-idle timeout.
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use srtla_core::registration::SrtlaRegistrationManager;
+    use srtla_core::test_helpers::create_test_connections;
+    use srtla_core::utils::now_ms;
+    use srtla_protocol::*;
+
+    use crate::sender::process_uplink_packet;
+
+    async fn deliver(conn: &mut srtla_core::connection::SrtlaConnection, data: &[u8]) {
+        let mut reg = SrtlaRegistrationManager::new();
+        let listener = tokio::net::UdpSocket::bind("127.0.0.1:0").await.unwrap();
+        let (instant_tx, _rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::unbounded_channel();
+        process_uplink_packet(conn, 0, &mut reg, &listener, &instant_tx, None, data)
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+    }
+
+    fn srt_ack() -> Vec<u8> {
+        let mut pkt = SRT_TYPE_ACK.to_be_bytes().to_vec();
+        pkt.resize(44, 0);
+        pkt
+    }
+
+    async fn recovering_link() -> srtla_core::connection::SrtlaConnection {
+        let mut conns = create_test_connections(1).await;
+        let mut conn = conns.remove(0);
+        conn.connected = true;
+        conn.reconnection.connection_established_ms = 1;
+        conn.last_received = Some(now_ms());
+        conn.mark_for_recovery();
+        assert!(!conn.connected);
+        assert!(
+            conn.is_timed_out(now_ms()),
+            "recovery must time the link out"
+        );
+        conn
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn receiver_traffic_does_not_rescue_a_recovering_link() {
+        let mut conn = recovering_link().await;
+        deliver(&mut conn, &srt_ack()).await;
+        assert!(
+            conn.is_timed_out(now_ms()),
+            "an SRT ACK on a link awaiting REG3 must not take it off the reconnect path"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn keepalive_reply_does_not_rescue_a_recovering_link() {
+        let mut conn = recovering_link().await;
+        deliver(&mut conn, &create_keepalive_packet(now_ms())).await;
+        assert!(conn.is_timed_out(now_ms()));
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn traffic_still_refreshes_a_connected_link() {
+        let mut conns = create_test_connections(1).await;
+        let conn = &mut conns[0];
+        conn.connected = true;
+        conn.reconnection.connection_established_ms = 1;
+        conn.last_received = Some(now_ms().saturating_sub(1500));
+        deliver(conn, &srt_ack()).await;
+        assert!(conn.last_received.unwrap() >= now_ms().saturating_sub(10));
+    }
+}