diff --git a/core/downloads/lifecycle.py b/core/downloads/lifecycle.py
index 43e1e970..2a29feec 100644
--- a/core/downloads/lifecycle.py
+++ b/core/downloads/lifecycle.py
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ def on_download_completed(batch_id: str, task_id: str, success: bool, deps: Life
 
         # Guard against double-calling: track which tasks have already been completed
         # This prevents active_count from being decremented multiple times for the same task
-        # (e.g. monitor detects completion AND post-processing calls this again)
+        # (e.g. status polling and post-processing both observe the same terminal task)
         # NOTE: On duplicate calls, we skip decrement/tracking but STILL check batch completion.
         # This is critical because the first call may see the task in 'post_processing' (not finished),
         # and the second call (from post-processing worker) arrives after the task is truly 'completed'.
diff --git a/core/downloads/monitor.py b/core/downloads/monitor.py
index 79a90d8d..62d515e5 100644
--- a/core/downloads/monitor.py
+++ b/core/downloads/monitor.py
@@ -227,18 +227,28 @@ class WebUIDownloadMonitor:
             except Exception as e:
                 logger.error(f"[Deferred] Error executing deferred operation {op[0]}: {e}")
 
-        # Handle completed downloads outside the lock to prevent deadlock
-        # (_on_download_completed acquires tasks_lock internally)
+        # Handle completed transfers outside the lock. The transfer engine's
+        # "complete" state only means the remote download finished; the
+        # post-processing worker still has to find, verify, tag, and move the
+        # file before it can report real batch success or failure.
         for batch_id, task_id in completed_tasks:
             try:
                 # Submit post-processing worker (file move, tagging, AcoustID verification)
                 # This makes batch downloads fully independent of browser polling.
                 logger.info(f"[Monitor] Submitting post-processing worker for task {task_id}")
                 missing_download_executor.submit(_run_post_processing_worker, task_id, batch_id)
-                # Chain to next download in the batch queue
-                _on_download_completed(batch_id, task_id, success=True)
             except Exception as e:
                 logger.error(f"[Monitor] Error handling completed task {task_id}: {e}")
+                with tasks_lock:
+                    if task_id in download_tasks:
+                        download_tasks[task_id]['status'] = 'failed'
+                        download_tasks[task_id]['error_message'] = f'Post-processing could not be scheduled: {e}'
+                try:
+                    _on_download_completed(batch_id, task_id, success=False)
+                except Exception as completion_error:
+                    logger.error(
+                        f"[Monitor] Error marking failed post-processing submit for task {task_id}: {completion_error}"
+                    )
         # Handle exhausted retry tasks outside the lock to prevent deadlock
         for batch_id, task_id in exhausted_tasks:
             try:
diff --git a/tests/test_manual_pick_no_auto_retry.py b/tests/test_manual_pick_no_auto_retry.py
index c5b23cfe..efa88359 100644
--- a/tests/test_manual_pick_no_auto_retry.py
+++ b/tests/test_manual_pick_no_auto_retry.py
@@ -93,3 +93,75 @@ def test_manual_pick_skips_retry_on_errored_state(fake_monitor):
     assert task['status'] == 'downloading'
 
 
+def test_monitor_waits_for_post_processing_before_batch_success(monkeypatch):
+    """Engine completion is not the same as a successful import.
+
+    The monitor should start post-processing when slskd reports a completed
+    transfer, but the post-processing worker must be the only code path that
+    reports final success/failure to the batch lifecycle.
+    """
+    monkeypatch.setattr(dm, '_make_context_key', lambda u, f: f"{u}::{f}")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(dm.WebUIDownloadMonitor, '_validate_worker_counts', lambda self: None)
+
+    submitted = []
+    completions = []
+
+    class FakeExecutor:
+        def submit(self, func, task_id, batch_id):
+            submitted.append((func, task_id, batch_id))
+
+    def fake_post_processing_worker(task_id, batch_id):
+        return None
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(dm, 'missing_download_executor', FakeExecutor())
+    monkeypatch.setattr(dm, '_run_post_processing_worker', fake_post_processing_worker)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        dm,
+        '_on_download_completed',
+        lambda batch_id, task_id, success: completions.append((batch_id, task_id, success)),
+    )
+
+    with dm.tasks_lock:
+        previous_tasks = dict(dm.download_tasks)
+        previous_batches = dict(dm.download_batches)
+        dm.download_tasks.clear()
+        dm.download_batches.clear()
+        dm.download_tasks['task-1'] = {
+            'track_info': {'name': 'Test Track'},
+            'username': 'Pinasound',
+            'filename': r'@@tmllb\Music\Album\01. Track.flac',
+            'status': 'downloading',
+            'download_id': 'download-1',
+            'status_change_time': time.time(),
+        }
+        dm.download_batches['batch-1'] = {'queue': ['task-1']}
+
+    try:
+        monitor = dm.WebUIDownloadMonitor()
+        monitor.monitoring = True
+        monitor.monitored_batches.add('batch-1')
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            monitor,
+            '_get_live_transfers',
+            lambda: {
+                r'Pinasound::@@tmllb\Music\Album\01. Track.flac': {
+                    'state': 'Completed, Succeeded',
+                    'size': 100,
+                    'bytesTransferred': 100,
+                }
+            },
+        )
+
+        monitor._check_all_downloads()
+
+        assert submitted == [(fake_post_processing_worker, 'task-1', 'batch-1')]
+        assert completions == []
+        assert dm.download_tasks['task-1']['status'] == 'post_processing'
+    finally:
+        with dm.tasks_lock:
+            dm.download_tasks.clear()
+            dm.download_tasks.update(previous_tasks)
+            dm.download_batches.clear()
+            dm.download_batches.update(previous_batches)
+
+