diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 2081fad..20fa1e9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -152,7 +152,11 @@ jobs:
             ${{ runner.os }}-cocoapods-
 
       - name: Install cocoapods
-        if: env.turbo_cache_hit != 1 && steps.cocoapods-cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        # Always run the Gemfile-pinned pod install, even on a Pods cache hit:
+        # skipping it lets the React Native CLI reinstall pods mid-build with
+        # the runner image's unpinned system CocoaPods, which can be older
+        # than the one that generated Podfile.lock.
+        if: env.turbo_cache_hit != 1
         run: |
           cd example
           bundle install
diff --git a/scripts/run-device-contract-job.mjs b/scripts/run-device-contract-job.mjs
index c2d589f..bcd5504 100644
--- a/scripts/run-device-contract-job.mjs
+++ b/scripts/run-device-contract-job.mjs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
   rmSync,
   writeFileSync,
 } from 'node:fs';
+import { homedir } from 'node:os';
 import { dirname, resolve } from 'node:path';
 
 const configuration = process.argv[2];
@@ -99,6 +100,17 @@ let finalStatus = 1;
 for (let index = 1; index <= 2; index += 1) {
   const attempt = `attempt-${index}`;
   clearAttemptEvidence(attempt);
+  if (index > 1 && configuration.startsWith('ios')) {
+    // The restored runner artifact can be broken in ways that fail hard (see
+    // issue #76): rebuild from scratch on retries instead of restoring it.
+    const appleRunnerArtifact = resolve(
+      homedir(),
+      '.agent-device',
+      'apple-runner'
+    );
+    console.log(`Purging ${appleRunnerArtifact} so ${attempt} rebuilds it`);
+    rmSync(appleRunnerArtifact, { force: true, recursive: true });
+  }
   const startedAt = Date.now();
   const resetResult = configuration.startsWith('ios')
     ? spawnSync(
diff --git a/src/__tests__/issue39-device-contract.test.ts b/src/__tests__/issue39-device-contract.test.ts
index ed01f9b..ab70795 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/issue39-device-contract.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/issue39-device-contract.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 import { describe, expect, it, jest } from '@jest/globals';
-import { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';
-import { mkdtempSync, readFileSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { execFileSync, spawnSync } from 'node:child_process';
+import {
+  mkdirSync,
+  mkdtempSync,
+  readFileSync,
+  rmSync,
+  writeFileSync,
+} from 'node:fs';
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
 import { resolve } from 'node:path';
 import { reconcileReorder } from '../semantic';
@@ -668,6 +674,84 @@ describe('issue 39 portable device contract', () => {
     expect(isolatedRunner).toContain('infrastructureFailure ? 75 : 1');
   });
 
+  it('purges the apple-runner cache before iOS retry attempts only', () => {
+    const directory = mkdtempSync(resolve(tmpdir(), 'issue39-retry-'));
+    try {
+      const home = resolve(directory, 'home');
+      const appleRunner = resolve(home, '.agent-device', 'apple-runner');
+      const workspace = resolve(directory, 'workspace');
+      mkdirSync(resolve(workspace, 'scripts'), { recursive: true });
+      writeFileSync(
+        resolve(workspace, 'scripts/reset-device-contract-ios-simulator.mjs'),
+        'process.exit(0);\n'
+      );
+      writeFileSync(
+        resolve(workspace, 'scripts/run-device-contract-isolated.mjs'),
+        [
+          "import { appendFileSync, existsSync } from 'node:fs';",
+          "import { homedir } from 'node:os';",
+          "import { resolve } from 'node:path';",
+          'appendFileSync(',
+          "  'attempts.log',",
+          '  `${process.env.ISSUE39_MATRIX_ATTEMPT} runner-cached=${existsSync(',
+          "    resolve(homedir(), '.agent-device', 'apple-runner')",
+          '  )}\\n`',
+          ');',
+          'process.exit(Number(process.env.ISSUE39_STUB_EXIT));',
+          '',
+        ].join('\n')
+      );
+      const runJob = (configuration: string, stubExit: number) => {
+        mkdirSync(appleRunner, { recursive: true });
+        rmSync(resolve(workspace, 'attempts.log'), { force: true });
+        const job = spawnSync(
+          process.execPath,
+          [resolve(root, 'scripts/run-device-contract-job.mjs'), configuration],
+          {
+            cwd: workspace,
+            encoding: 'utf8',
+            env: {
+              ...process.env,
+              HOME: home,
+              ISSUE39_STUB_EXIT: String(stubExit),
+            },
+          }
+        );
+        return {
+          attempts: readFileSync(resolve(workspace, 'attempts.log'), 'utf8'),
+          output: `${job.stdout}${job.stderr}`,
+          status: job.status,
+        };
+      };
+
+      // Infrastructure failure (exit 75) on iOS: the retry attempt must start
+      // with no restored runner artifact, and the purge must be visible in the
+      // attempt log.
+      const iosRetry = runJob('ios27.native', 75);
+      expect(iosRetry.status).toBe(75);
+      expect(iosRetry.attempts).toBe(
+        'attempt-1 runner-cached=true\nattempt-2 runner-cached=false\n'
+      );
+      expect(iosRetry.output).toContain('apple-runner');
+
+      // Contract failure on iOS: no retry, so no purge.
+      const iosContractFailure = runJob('ios27.fallback', 1);
+      expect(iosContractFailure.status).toBe(1);
+      expect(iosContractFailure.attempts).toBe(
+        'attempt-1 runner-cached=true\n'
+      );
+
+      // Android retries never touch the Apple runner artifact.
+      const androidRetry = runJob('android.fallback', 75);
+      expect(androidRetry.status).toBe(75);
+      expect(androidRetry.attempts).toBe(
+        'attempt-1 runner-cached=true\nattempt-2 runner-cached=true\n'
+      );
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(directory, { force: true, recursive: true });
+    }
+  });
+
   it('keeps the physical iOS 27 VoiceOver record tied to the named public contract', () => {
     const protocol = read('artifacts/issue-39/PHYSICAL-IOS27-VOICEOVER.md');
     const record = read(