diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/docker-driver-sandbox-recovery.test.ts b/src/lib/onboard/docker-driver-sandbox-recovery.test.ts
index 493f3a580e2..6662d8acd1c 100644
--- a/src/lib/onboard/docker-driver-sandbox-recovery.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/docker-driver-sandbox-recovery.test.ts
@@ -72,6 +72,42 @@ describe("recoverDockerDriverSandbox — running original (no-op)", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("recoverDockerDriverSandbox — paused original (unpause)", () => {
+  it("unpauses a paused container and reports via=unpaused-original (not started-running-original)", () => {
+    const start = vi.fn(fakeStart(0));
+    const unpause = vi.fn(fakeStart(0));
+    const result = recoverDockerDriverSandbox("e2e-x", {
+      dockerCapture: fakeCapture("openshell-e2e-x\tUp 3 hours (Paused)\n"),
+      dockerStart: start,
+      dockerUnpause: unpause,
+    });
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      recovered: true,
+      via: "unpaused-original",
+      containerName: "openshell-e2e-x",
+    });
+    expect(unpause).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(unpause).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "openshell-e2e-x",
+      expect.objectContaining({ ignoreError: true }),
+    );
+    expect(start).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("reports recovered=false with a detail when docker unpause fails", () => {
+    const unpause = vi.fn(fakeStart(1));
+    const result = recoverDockerDriverSandbox("e2e-x", {
+      dockerCapture: fakeCapture("openshell-e2e-x\tUp 3 hours (Paused)\n"),
+      dockerStart: vi.fn(fakeStart(0)),
+      dockerUnpause: unpause,
+    });
+    expect(result.recovered).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.via).toBeNull();
+    expect(result.detail).toContain("docker unpause");
+    expect(unpause).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+});
+
 describe("recoverDockerDriverSandbox — stopped original (start)", () => {
   it("starts the labeled container and reports started-stopped-original", () => {
     const start = vi.fn(fakeStart(0));
diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/docker-driver-sandbox-recovery.ts b/src/lib/onboard/docker-driver-sandbox-recovery.ts
index fa87e03432f..429660d6eb4 100644
--- a/src/lib/onboard/docker-driver-sandbox-recovery.ts
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/docker-driver-sandbox-recovery.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ function loadDockerStart(): DockerStartFn {
 function loadDockerRename(): DockerRenameFn {
   return (require("../adapters/docker") as { dockerRename: DockerRenameFn }).dockerRename;
 }
+function loadDockerUnpause(): DockerStartFn {
+  return (require("../adapters/docker") as { dockerUnpause: DockerStartFn }).dockerUnpause;
+}
 
 /**
  * Active Docker-driver sandbox recovery (#4423 part 2).
@@ -75,6 +78,7 @@ const MAX_DOCKER_CONTAINER_NAME_LENGTH = 253;
  */
 export type DockerDriverRecoveryVia =
   | "started-running-original" // labeled container was already running; nothing to do.
+  | "unpaused-original" // labeled container was paused; `docker unpause` resumed it.
   | "started-stopped-original" // labeled container existed but was stopped; `docker start`.
   | "renamed-and-started-backup"; // only a `*-nemoclaw-gpu-backup-*` sibling existed; rename back + start.
 
@@ -94,6 +98,7 @@ export interface DockerDriverRecoveryDeps {
   /** `docker ps -a --filter ... --format ...` runner. */
   dockerCapture?: (args: readonly string[], opts?: Record<string, unknown>) => string;
   dockerStart?: (name: string, opts?: Record<string, unknown>) => { status?: number | null };
+  dockerUnpause?: (name: string, opts?: Record<string, unknown>) => { status?: number | null };
   dockerRename?: (
     oldName: string,
     newName: string,
@@ -114,12 +119,21 @@ function depsWithDefaults(deps: DockerDriverRecoveryDeps) {
   return {
     dockerCapture: deps.dockerCapture ?? ((args, opts) => loadDockerCapture()(args, opts)),
     dockerStart: deps.dockerStart ?? ((name, opts) => loadDockerStart()(name, opts)),
+    dockerUnpause: deps.dockerUnpause ?? ((name, opts) => loadDockerUnpause()(name, opts)),
     dockerRename:
       deps.dockerRename ?? ((oldName, newName, opts) => loadDockerRename()(oldName, newName, opts)),
     now: deps.now ?? (() => Date.now()),
   };
 }
 
+// Paused containers report `Up N ... (Paused)` from `docker ps` and are
+// classified `running` because the status starts with `Up`, but a paused
+// container is frozen: `docker unpause` (not `start`) is the verb that
+// resumes it. Mirrors the pre-check in `src/lib/actions/sandbox/start.ts`.
+function isPausedStatus(status: string): boolean {
+  return status.startsWith("Up") && status.endsWith("(Paused)");
+}
+
 function isBackupSiblingName(name: string): boolean {
   return /-nemoclaw-gpu-backup-\d+$/.test(name);
 }
@@ -231,6 +245,25 @@ export function recoverDockerDriverSandbox(
   const { runningOriginal, stoppedOriginal, backup } = classifyCandidate(containers);
 
   if (runningOriginal) {
+    if (isPausedStatus(runningOriginal.status)) {
+      const unpause = d.dockerUnpause(runningOriginal.name, {
+        ignoreError: true,
+        timeout: DOCKER_OPERATION_TIMEOUT_MS,
+      });
+      if ((unpause.status ?? 1) !== 0) {
+        return {
+          recovered: false,
+          via: null,
+          containerName: runningOriginal.name,
+          detail: `docker unpause ${runningOriginal.name} failed (exit ${unpause.status ?? "unknown"}).`,
+        };
+      }
+      return {
+        recovered: true,
+        via: "unpaused-original",
+        containerName: runningOriginal.name,
+      };
+    }
     return {
       recovered: true,
       via: "started-running-original",