diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7f15e3e0..9df519eb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ loosely while pre-1.0 (breaking changes can land on minor bumps).
 ## [Unreleased]
 
 ### Fixed
+- **SSE mailbox terminal after overflow.** `sse_mailbox_push(...,
+  force_deliver=true)` now evicts oldest events and delivers a terminal
+  envelope even when a prior push already set `overflowed`. Request-event
+  replay and A2A resubscribe close with the real `done` / task-status
+  frame instead of dropping it for `slow_consumer`.
 - **Event ingest hydrates the routed constitution.** `POST /v1/events`
   attaches the selected agent's `agent_def` on the synthetic orchestrate
   body. File-backed matches and tenant agents off the newest-200 catalog
diff --git a/include/sse_mailbox.h b/include/sse_mailbox.h
index a118cd7f..56b26c88 100644
--- a/include/sse_mailbox.h
+++ b/include/sse_mailbox.h
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ inline constexpr size_t kDefaultSseMailboxMaxDepth = 2048;
 // Push one item into a per-connection mailbox.  Returns false when the
 // item was rejected because the client is too slow (overflowed is set).
 // When `force_deliver` is true (terminal SSE envelopes), drop the oldest
-// buffered items until there is room so the stream can close cleanly.
+// buffered items until there is room so the stream can close cleanly —
+// including after a prior overflow, which would otherwise reject the
+// terminal frame and leave the subscriber with only `slow_consumer`.
 template<typename T>
 bool sse_mailbox_push(std::deque<T>& mailbox,
                       std::mutex& mu,
@@ -28,7 +30,8 @@ bool sse_mailbox_push(std::deque<T>& mailbox,
                       T item,
                       bool force_deliver = false) {
     std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lk(mu);
-    if (overflowed.load(std::memory_order_relaxed)) return false;
+    if (overflowed.load(std::memory_order_relaxed) && !force_deliver)
+        return false;
     const size_t cap = kDefaultSseMailboxMaxDepth;
     if (mailbox.size() >= cap) {
         if (force_deliver) {
@@ -42,6 +45,10 @@ bool sse_mailbox_push(std::deque<T>& mailbox,
         }
     }
     mailbox.push_back(std::move(item));
+    // Terminal delivery wins over a prior overflow so the drain loop
+    // writes the real done/status envelope instead of aborting.
+    if (force_deliver)
+        overflowed.store(false, std::memory_order_relaxed);
     cv.notify_one();
     return true;
 }
diff --git a/tests/test_sse_mailbox.cpp b/tests/test_sse_mailbox.cpp
index ea366403..50575752 100644
--- a/tests/test_sse_mailbox.cpp
+++ b/tests/test_sse_mailbox.cpp
@@ -46,3 +46,27 @@ TEST_CASE("sse_mailbox_push force_deliver makes room for terminal item") {
     CHECK(mailbox.back() == "terminal");
     CHECK(mailbox.front() == "1");
 }
+
+TEST_CASE("sse_mailbox_push force_deliver still lands after overflow") {
+    std::mutex mu;
+    std::condition_variable cv;
+    std::deque<std::string> mailbox;
+    std::atomic<bool> overflowed{false};
+
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < kDefaultSseMailboxMaxDepth; ++i) {
+        REQUIRE(sse_mailbox_push(mailbox, mu, cv, overflowed,
+                                 std::to_string(i)));
+    }
+    CHECK_FALSE(sse_mailbox_push(mailbox, mu, cv, overflowed,
+                                 std::string("dropped")));
+    REQUIRE(overflowed.load());
+    CHECK(mailbox.size() == kDefaultSseMailboxMaxDepth);
+    CHECK(mailbox.back() != "dropped");
+
+    REQUIRE(sse_mailbox_push(mailbox, mu, cv, overflowed,
+                               std::string("terminal"), /*force_deliver=*/true));
+    CHECK_FALSE(overflowed.load());
+    CHECK(mailbox.size() == kDefaultSseMailboxMaxDepth);
+    CHECK(mailbox.back() == "terminal");
+    CHECK(mailbox.front() == "1");
+}