@@ -129,3 +129,11 @@ go test ./...
 - [`../nvpair-workload-manager/README.md`](../nvpair-workload-manager/README.md)
   — where workload state originates
 - [`../VERSIONING.md`](../VERSIONING.md) — SemVer bump rules
+
+## Delivery failures
+
+The last-emitted snapshot and timestamp are updated only after the local
+JSON-RPC notification write succeeds. A failed update leaves the previous
+successful snapshot intact, so ordinary reconciliation retries changed ranks
+without requiring another workload event. Each engine is tracked independently;
+a successful delivery is not repeated merely because another engine failed.
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+package main
+
+import (
+	"io"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// unavailableWriter is an in-memory test fixture; it opens no files or sockets.
+type unavailableWriter struct{}
+
+func (unavailableWriter) Read([]byte) (int, error)  { return 0, io.EOF }
+func (unavailableWriter) Write([]byte) (int, error) { return 0, io.ErrClosedPipe }
+
+func TestFailedNotificationDoesNotAdvanceStatus(t *testing.T) {
+	m := mgrWith(unavailableWriter{}, []string{"test-node-a"})
+	m.recomputeAll(false)
+	for _, engine := range schedulerEngines {
+		status := m.status().Engines[engine]
+		if status.LastEmittedAt != 0 || len(status.Emitted) != 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("failed notification was recorded as emitted: %+v", status)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// recoveringWriter simulates one failed local codec write, then records frames.
+type recoveringWriter struct {
+	capRW
+	remaining  int
+	shortWrite bool
+}
+
+func (w *recoveringWriter) Write(data []byte) (int, error) {
+	if w.remaining > 0 {
+		w.remaining--
+		if w.shortWrite {
+			return 0, nil
+		}
+		return 0, io.ErrClosedPipe
+	}
+	return w.capRW.Write(data)
+}
+
+func TestFailedNotificationRetriesWithoutChangingRanks(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, shortWrite := range []bool{false, true} {
+		name := "write-error"
+		if shortWrite {
+			name = "zero-byte-write"
+		}
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			writer := &recoveringWriter{remaining: 1, shortWrite: shortWrite}
+			m := mgrWith(writer, []string{"test-node-a", "test-node-b"})
+			m.recomputeAll(false)
+			m.recomputeAll(false)
+			m.recomputeAll(false)
+			for _, engine := range schedulerEngines {
+				orders := writer.orders(engine)
+				if len(orders) != 1 {
+					t.Fatalf("%s received %d frames, want one successful delivery", engine, len(orders))
+				}
+				assertStrs(t, orders[0], []string{"test-node-a", "test-node-b"})
+				if m.status().Engines[engine].LastEmittedAt == 0 {
+					t.Fatal("successful delivery was not recorded")
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFailedChangedNotificationRetainsDeliveredRanks(t *testing.T) {
+	writer := &recoveringWriter{}
+	m := mgrWith(writer, []string{"test-node-a", "test-node-b"})
+	m.recomputeAll(false)
+	engine := schedulerEngines[0]
+	previous := m.status().Engines[engine]
+	writer.remaining = 1
+	m.nodes["test-node-c"] = true
+	m.recomputeAll(false)
+	current := m.status().Engines[engine]
+	if !equalRanks(current.Emitted, previous.Emitted) || current.LastEmittedAt != previous.LastEmittedAt {
+		t.Fatal("failed update replaced the last successfully delivered snapshot")
+	}
+	m.recomputeAll(false)
+	orders := writer.orders(engine)
+	if len(orders) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("received %d snapshots, want initial and recovered update", len(orders))
+	}
+	assertStrs(t, orders[1], []string{"test-node-a", "test-node-b", "test-node-c"})
+}
+
+func TestFailedForcedNotificationRetainsDeliveredTimestamp(t *testing.T) {
+	writer := &recoveringWriter{}
+	m := mgrWith(writer, []string{"test-node-a"})
+	m.recomputeAll(false)
+	engine := schedulerEngines[0]
+	m.emitted[engine] = engineState{ranks: m.emitted[engine].ranks, lastEmittedAt: 1}
+	writer.remaining = 1
+	m.recomputeAll(true)
+	if got := m.status().Engines[engine].LastEmittedAt; got != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("failed forced delivery advanced timestamp to %d", got)
+	}
+	m.recomputeAll(false)
+	if got := len(writer.orders(engine)); got != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("previously delivered unchanged ranks were emitted %d times", got)
+	}
+}
@@ -136,9 +136,6 @@ func (m *Manager) emitIfChanged(engine string, order []string, ranks []NodeRank,
 	m.mu.Lock()
 	prev := m.emitted[engine]
 	changed := force || !equalRanks(prev.ranks, ranks)
-	if changed {
-		m.emitted[engine] = engineState{ranks: ranks, lastEmittedAt: time.Now().UnixMilli()}
-	}
 	m.mu.Unlock()
 
 	if !changed {
@@ -149,6 +146,10 @@ func (m *Manager) emitIfChanged(engine string, order []string, ranks []NodeRank,
 		slog.Warn("emit schedule:priority failed", "engine", engine, "err", err)
 		return
 	}
+	m.mu.Lock()
+	m.emitted[engine] = engineState{ranks: ranks, lastEmittedAt: time.Now().UnixMilli()}
+	m.mu.Unlock()
+
 	slog.Info("emitted priority", "engine", engine, "nodes", order)
 }