diff --git a/server/index.test.ts b/server/index.test.ts
index 7274f70cb9..4abc97b2a3 100644
--- a/server/index.test.ts
+++ b/server/index.test.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,16 @@ beforeAll(async () => {
         createdAt: 1,
         dm: true,
       },
+      {
+        id: "test-cancel-room",
+        threadId: "test-cancel-room-thread",
+        name: "Cancel room",
+        memberIds: ["test-bot-a"],
+        defaultResponder: { kind: "member", botId: "test-bot-a" },
+        bulletin: "",
+        unread: false,
+        createdAt: 4,
+      },
       {
         id: "test-pinned-room",
         threadId: "test-pinned-room-thread",
@@ -88,6 +98,33 @@ beforeAll(async () => {
     ]),
   );
 
+  // A room holding an approval nobody has answered yet, so "Cancel turn"
+  // has something open to close.
+  writeFileSync(
+    join(home, ".openmausbot", "messages-test-cancel-room-thread.json"),
+    JSON.stringify({
+      activeLeafId: "cancel-card",
+      messages: [
+        {
+          id: "cancel-card",
+          at: 4,
+          parentId: null,
+          role: "bot",
+          kind: "options",
+          card: {
+            title: "Approval needed",
+            subtitle: "rm -rf /tmp/scratch",
+            options: ["Allow", "Deny"],
+            requestId: "cancel-request",
+            tool: "Bash",
+            allowKey: "Bash:rm",
+          },
+          from: { botId: "test-bot-a", name: "Test bot A", color: "purple" },
+        },
+      ],
+    }),
+  );
+
   boxStub = createServer(async (req, res) => {
     if (req.url?.startsWith("/api/v3.1/tool_router/session")) {
       if (req.headers["x-api-key"] !== "ak_good") {
@@ -527,6 +564,21 @@ describe("harness HTTP API", () => {
     expect(reread.messages.at(-1).tool.name).toContain("request is no longer open");
   });
 
+  it("closes the approvals a cancelled turn can no longer answer", async () => {
+    // "Cancel turn" is a button ON the approval card, and a pending approval
+    // owns the composer. Stopping the turn without closing its card leaves the
+    // room blocked by a question whose asker is already gone.
+    const stopped = await api("POST", "/api/groups/test-cancel-room/interrupt");
+    expect(stopped.status).toBe(200);
+
+    const room = (await api("GET", "/api/bots")).body.groups.find(
+      (group: { id: string }) => group.id === "test-cancel-room",
+    );
+    const card = room.messages.find((message: { id: string }) => message.id === "cancel-card").card;
+    expect(card.dismissed).toBe(true);
+    expect(card.answered).toBe("unavailable");
+  });
+
   it("rejects an empty message and explains an unavailable provider", async () => {
     const { body } = await api("GET", "/api/bots");
     const bot = body.bots[0];
diff --git a/server/index.ts b/server/index.ts
index 4b94dfd351..64eccebf5b 100644
--- a/server/index.ts
+++ b/server/index.ts
@@ -429,6 +429,19 @@ async function answerRequest(
   return outcome;
 }
 
+/** Close every approval still open on a thread. Interrupting a turn kills the
+ * process that raised its questions, so those cards can never be answered —
+ * and a pending approval owns the composer, so one left open blocks the
+ * conversation behind a question with nobody left to hear the answer. */
+function closeOpenApprovals(threadId: string): void {
+  for (const message of store.messagesFor(threadId)) {
+    const card = message.card;
+    if (!card?.requestId || card.answered || card.dismissed) continue;
+    store.patchMessage(threadId, message.id, { card: { ...card, answered: "unavailable", dismissed: true } });
+    askMessageByRequest.delete(`${threadId}:${card.requestId}`);
+  }
+}
+
 function requestBehavior(value: unknown): "allow" | "deny" | "answer" | null {
   return value === "allow" || value === "deny" || value === "answer" ? value : null;
 }
@@ -2768,6 +2781,7 @@ const server = createServer(async (req, res) => {
       const busy = group.busyBotId ? store.bot(group.busyBotId) : undefined;
       const instance = busy ? registry.get(busy.modelSelection.instanceId) : undefined;
       await instance?.adapter.interruptTurn(group.threadId).catch(() => {});
+      closeOpenApprovals(group.threadId);
       return json(res, 200, { ok: true });
     }
 
@@ -3127,8 +3141,12 @@ const server = createServer(async (req, res) => {
       // a bot busy in a ROOM is running on the room's thread — stopping it
       // from its own chat must reach that turn, not just the 1:1 thread
       const busyGroup = store.groups.find((g) => g.busyBotId === bot.id);
-      if (busyGroup) await instance?.adapter.interruptTurn(busyGroup.threadId).catch(() => {});
+      if (busyGroup) {
+        await instance?.adapter.interruptTurn(busyGroup.threadId).catch(() => {});
+        closeOpenApprovals(busyGroup.threadId);
+      }
       await instance?.adapter.interruptTurn(bot.threadId);
+      closeOpenApprovals(bot.threadId);
       return json(res, 200, { ok: true });
     }