diff --git a/backend/packages/harness/deerflow/persistence/engine.py b/backend/packages/harness/deerflow/persistence/engine.py
index 76929cd2be..531ff70c0f 100644
--- a/backend/packages/harness/deerflow/persistence/engine.py
+++ b/backend/packages/harness/deerflow/persistence/engine.py
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ async def init_engine(
             # Rebuild engine against the now-existing database. The rebuilt
             # engine MUST keep the same connect_args so the retried bootstrap
             # lands in the target schema, not the default one.
-            await _engine.dispose()
+            await await_drained(_engine.dispose())
             _engine = create_async_engine(
                 url,
                 **_postgres_engine_kwargs(
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_persistence_retry_dispose_cancellation.py b/backend/tests/test_persistence_retry_dispose_cancellation.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b47222b807
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/tests/test_persistence_retry_dispose_cancellation.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import asyncio
+import sys
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+import pytest
+
+from deerflow.persistence import bootstrap as bootstrap_mod
+from deerflow.persistence import engine as engine_mod
+
+
+class _BlockingDisposeEngine:
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        self.dispose_started = asyncio.Event()
+        self.allow_dispose = asyncio.Event()
+        self.dispose_finished = asyncio.Event()
+
+    async def dispose(self) -> None:
+        self.dispose_started.set()
+        await self.allow_dispose.wait()
+        self.dispose_finished.set()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_postgres_auto_create_retry_drains_provisional_engine_dispose_across_cancellation(monkeypatch) -> None:
+    engine = _BlockingDisposeEngine()
+    previous_engine = engine_mod._engine
+    previous_factory = engine_mod._session_factory
+    monkeypatch.setitem(sys.modules, "asyncpg", SimpleNamespace())
+    monkeypatch.setattr(engine_mod, "create_async_engine", lambda *args, **kwargs: engine)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(engine_mod, "async_sessionmaker", lambda *args, **kwargs: object())
+
+    async def fail_bootstrap(*args, **kwargs) -> None:
+        raise RuntimeError("database does not exist")
+
+    async def fake_auto_create(_url: str) -> None:
+        return None
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(bootstrap_mod, "bootstrap_schema", fail_bootstrap)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(engine_mod, "_auto_create_postgres_db", fake_auto_create)
+
+    task = asyncio.create_task(
+        engine_mod.init_engine(
+            "postgres",
+            url="postgresql+asyncpg://user:password@localhost/deerflow",
+        )
+    )
+    try:
+        await asyncio.wait_for(engine.dispose_started.wait(), timeout=2)
+
+        task.cancel()
+        for _ in range(5):
+            await asyncio.sleep(0)
+        task.cancel()
+        for _ in range(5):
+            await asyncio.sleep(0)
+
+        assert not task.done()
+        engine.allow_dispose.set()
+        with pytest.raises(asyncio.CancelledError):
+            await task
+    finally:
+        engine.allow_dispose.set()
+        if not task.done():
+            task.cancel()
+            await asyncio.gather(task, return_exceptions=True)
+        engine_mod._engine = previous_engine
+        engine_mod._session_factory = previous_factory
+
+    assert engine.dispose_finished.is_set()