diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index fd0601a9fc..d623252890 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@bitkyc08/opencodex",
-  "version": "2.34.0",
+  "version": "2.36.0",
   "description": "Universal provider proxy for OpenAI Codex & Claude Code — use any LLM with Codex CLI/App/SDK and Claude Code",
   "type": "module",
   "main": "./bin/package-main.mjs",
diff --git a/src/server/responses/core.ts b/src/server/responses/core.ts
index d88f9b22a7..b491222659 100644
--- a/src/server/responses/core.ts
+++ b/src/server/responses/core.ts
@@ -1905,6 +1905,7 @@ export async function handleComboResponses(
     });
   };
 
+  const parentThreadId = req.headers.get("x-codex-parent-thread-id")?.trim() ?? null;
   const unreadableEncryptedAgentTask = hasUnreadableEncryptedAgentTask(
     (body as { input?: unknown } | undefined)?.input,
   );
@@ -1918,11 +1919,39 @@ export async function handleComboResponses(
       return false;
     }
   };
+  let comboPayloadReadable = false;
   const payloadEligible = (target: (typeof combo.targets)[number]): boolean =>
-    !unreadableEncryptedAgentTask || canDecryptUnreadableAgentTask(target);
+    comboPayloadReadable || !unreadableEncryptedAgentTask || canDecryptUnreadableAgentTask(target);
 
   if (unreadableEncryptedAgentTask && !combo.targets.some(canDecryptUnreadableAgentTask)) {
-    return unreadableEncryptedAgentTaskResponse();
+    // A ciphertext-only spawn can still be recovered the same way the direct path
+    // recovers it when its final route is non-native. Try recovery once before
+    // failing the combo; every target becomes eligible after a successful pass.
+    const agentTaskRecovery = agentTaskRecoveryConfig(config);
+    if (
+      isThreadSpawnRequest(req.headers)
+      && agentTaskRecovery
+      && !options.comboAttempt
+    ) {
+      let recovered = false;
+      try {
+        recovered = await recoverEncryptedAgentTask(
+          req,
+          (body as { input?: unknown } | undefined)?.input,
+          agentTaskRecovery,
+          config,
+          { parentThreadId, abortSignal: options.abortSignal },
+        );
+      } catch {
+        recovered = false;
+      }
+      if (!recovered || hasUnreadableEncryptedAgentTask((body as { input?: unknown } | undefined)?.input)) {
+        return unreadableEncryptedAgentTaskResponse();
+      }
+      comboPayloadReadable = true;
+    } else {
+      return unreadableEncryptedAgentTaskResponse();
+    }
   }
 
   const initialNow = Date.now();
diff --git a/tests/agent-task-recovery-combo.test.ts b/tests/agent-task-recovery-combo.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f76fff6642
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/agent-task-recovery-combo.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { resetAgentTaskRecoveryState } from "../src/server/responses/agent-task-recovery";
+import {
+  agentMessage,
+  codexHeaders,
+  encryptedInput,
+  FERNET_TASK,
+  originalFetch,
+  post,
+  providerResponse,
+  recoverySse,
+  routedConfig,
+} from "./helpers/agent-task-recovery";
+
+function comboConfig(): ReturnType<typeof routedConfig> {
+  const config = routedConfig();
+  config.combos = {
+    fast: {
+      targets: [
+        { provider: "xai", model: "grok-4.5" },
+      ],
+    },
+  };
+  return config;
+}
+
+describe("combo path encrypted agent task recovery", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    resetAgentTaskRecoveryState();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    globalThis.fetch = originalFetch;
+    resetAgentTaskRecoveryState();
+  });
+
+  test("recovers a ciphertext-only spawn before the combo payload gate", async () => {
+    const config = comboConfig();
+    const fetchedUrls: string[] = [];
+    globalThis.fetch = (async (input) => {
+      const url = String(input);
+      fetchedUrls.push(url);
+      if (url.includes("chatgpt.com")) {
+        return new Response(recoverySse("plaintext assignment"), {
+          status: 200,
+          headers: { "content-type": "text/event-stream" },
+        });
+      }
+      return providerResponse();
+    }) as typeof fetch;
+
+    const response = await post(config, "combo/fast", encryptedInput(), codexHeaders());
+
+    expect(response.status).toBe(200);
+    expect(fetchedUrls[0]).toContain("chatgpt.com/backend-api/codex");
+    // One recovery call + one provider dispatch: recovery never repeats per child attempt.
+    expect(fetchedUrls).toHaveLength(2);
+  });
+
+  test("still fails closed when recovery does not produce a readable task", async () => {
+    const config = comboConfig();
+    globalThis.fetch = (async () => new Response("{}", { status: 500 })) as typeof fetch;
+
+    const response = await post(config, "combo/fast", [
+      ...agentMessage([
+        { type: "input_text", text: "Message Type: NEW_TASK\nTask name: /root/worker\nSender: /root\nPayload:" },
+        { type: "encrypted_content", encrypted_content: FERNET_TASK },
+      ]),
+    ], codexHeaders());
+
+    expect(response.status).toBe(400);
+    const payload = await response.json() as { error?: { code?: string } };
+    expect(payload.error?.code).toBe("unreadable_encrypted_agent_task");
+  });
+});
diff --git a/tests/agent-task-recovery.test.ts b/tests/agent-task-recovery.test.ts
index 78647e1075..474c395925 100644
--- a/tests/agent-task-recovery.test.ts
+++ b/tests/agent-task-recovery.test.ts
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ describe("agent task recovery (opt-in, default off)", () => {
     expect(forwardedBody).not.toContain("capture_assignment");
   });
 
-  test("does not enable recovery inside combo attempts", async () => {
+  test("fails closed after a single failed combo recovery pass", async () => {
     const config = routedConfig();
     config.combos = {
       routed: {
@@ -559,10 +559,11 @@ describe("agent task recovery (opt-in, default off)", () => {
         targets: [{ provider: "xai", model: "grok-4.5" }],
       },
     };
-    let fetchCalls = 0;
-    globalThis.fetch = (async () => {
-      fetchCalls += 1;
-      throw new Error("combo must fail before dispatch");
+    const fetchedUrls: string[] = [];
+    globalThis.fetch = (async (input) => {
+      const url = String(input);
+      fetchedUrls.push(url);
+      throw new Error("every upstream call must fail");
     }) as typeof fetch;
 
     const response = await post(
@@ -573,7 +574,10 @@ describe("agent task recovery (opt-in, default off)", () => {
     );
 
     expect(response.status).toBe(400);
-    expect(fetchCalls).toBe(0);
+    // Exactly one recovery pass runs up front; failed recovery never re-runs per
+    // combo child attempt and no provider dispatch happens.
+    expect(fetchedUrls).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(fetchedUrls[0]).toContain("chatgpt.com/backend-api/codex/responses");
     expect(await response.json()).toMatchObject({
       error: { code: "unreadable_encrypted_agent_task" },
     });