diff --git a/cmd/lk/simulate_health.go b/cmd/lk/simulate_health.go
index 197a9f8e..4759f5ef 100644
--- a/cmd/lk/simulate_health.go
+++ b/cmd/lk/simulate_health.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package main
 import (
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/livekit/protocol/livekit"
 )
@@ -40,27 +41,31 @@ const minFatalMarkers = 2
 const maxAgentNotJoined = 3
 
 // agentBroken reports whether the worker is failing systemically. A completed
-// scenario proves the agent works.
+// scenario proves the agent worked until that scenario ended, not after it: an
+// agent that dies or wedges mid-run fails every remaining job on join.
 func agentBroken(run *livekit.SimulationRun, ap *AgentProcess) bool {
-	completed, notJoined := 0, 0
+	var lastCompleted time.Time
+	completed := false
 	for _, job := range run.GetJobs() {
-		switch job.GetStatus() {
-		case livekit.SimulationRun_Job_STATUS_COMPLETED:
-			completed++
-		case livekit.SimulationRun_Job_STATUS_FAILED:
-			if strings.Contains(job.GetError(), "No agent joined room") {
-				notJoined++
+		if job.GetStatus() == livekit.SimulationRun_Job_STATUS_COMPLETED {
+			completed = true
+			if t := job.GetEndedAt().AsTime(); t.After(lastCompleted) {
+				lastCompleted = t
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	switch {
-	case completed > 0:
-		return false
-	case ap != nil && countFatalMarkers(ap.RecentLogs(0)) >= minFatalMarkers:
+	notJoined := 0
+	for _, job := range run.GetJobs() {
+		if job.GetStatus() == livekit.SimulationRun_Job_STATUS_FAILED &&
+			strings.Contains(job.GetError(), "No agent joined room") &&
+			job.GetEndedAt().AsTime().After(lastCompleted) {
+			notJoined++
+		}
+	}
+	if !completed && ap != nil && countFatalMarkers(ap.RecentLogs(0)) >= minFatalMarkers {
 		return true
-	default:
-		return notJoined > maxAgentNotJoined
 	}
+	return notJoined > maxAgentNotJoined
 }
 
 // agentErrorContext is the worker output to surface for a broken agent: from
diff --git a/cmd/lk/simulate_health_test.go b/cmd/lk/simulate_health_test.go
index 08e40fa9..fa51f8a7 100644
--- a/cmd/lk/simulate_health_test.go
+++ b/cmd/lk/simulate_health_test.go
@@ -16,9 +16,11 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/livekit/protocol/livekit"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/timestamppb"
 )
 
 // Real log lines captured from a rate-limited `lk agent simulate` run.
@@ -91,3 +93,43 @@ func TestRunningJobCount(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, 2, runningJobCount(run))
 	require.Equal(t, 0, runningJobCount(nil))
 }
+
+func TestAgentBroken(t *testing.T) {
+	t0 := time.Date(2026, 10, 15, 20, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	completed := func(min int) *livekit.SimulationRun_Job {
+		return &livekit.SimulationRun_Job{
+			Status:  livekit.SimulationRun_Job_STATUS_COMPLETED,
+			EndedAt: timestamppb.New(t0.Add(time.Duration(min) * time.Minute)),
+		}
+	}
+	notJoined := func(min int) *livekit.SimulationRun_Job {
+		return &livekit.SimulationRun_Job{
+			Status:  livekit.SimulationRun_Job_STATUS_FAILED,
+			Error:   "No agent joined room 'sim-x' within 30s. Is the agent running?",
+			EndedAt: timestamppb.New(t0.Add(time.Duration(min) * time.Minute)),
+		}
+	}
+	run := func(jobs ...*livekit.SimulationRun_Job) *livekit.SimulationRun {
+		return &livekit.SimulationRun{Jobs: jobs}
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		run  *livekit.SimulationRun
+		want bool
+	}{
+		{"never joined", run(notJoined(1), notJoined(1), notJoined(1), notJoined(1)), true},
+		{"a few transient timeouts", run(notJoined(1), notJoined(1), notJoined(1)), false},
+		{"cold-start timeouts before the agent warmed up",
+			run(notJoined(1), notJoined(1), notJoined(1), notJoined(1), completed(2)), false},
+		{"agent died after working",
+			run(completed(1), completed(2), notJoined(3), notJoined(4), notJoined(5), notJoined(6)), true},
+		{"one timeout between successes",
+			run(completed(1), notJoined(2), completed(3), notJoined(4)), false},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			require.Equal(t, tt.want, agentBroken(tt.run, nil))
+		})
+	}
+}