diff --git a/tests/engine/test_async_omni_engine_outputs.py b/tests/engine/test_async_omni_engine_outputs.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ccf9e8cb6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/engine/test_async_omni_engine_outputs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+"""Tests for AsyncOmniEngine.try_get_output and try_get_output_async.
+
+Focuses on the critical behavior: when the orchestrator thread dies,
+subsequent attempts to collect output raise RuntimeError.
+"""
+
+import queue
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+import pytest
+
+from vllm_omni.engine.async_omni_engine import AsyncOmniEngine
+
+pytestmark = [pytest.mark.core_model, pytest.mark.cpu]
+
+
+def _make_engine(output_queue, *, thread_alive: bool = True) -> AsyncOmniEngine:
+    """Create an AsyncOmniEngine bypassing __init__."""
+    engine = object.__new__(AsyncOmniEngine)
+    engine.output_queue = output_queue
+    engine.orchestrator_thread = MagicMock(
+        is_alive=MagicMock(return_value=thread_alive),
+    )
+    return engine
+
+
+def test_try_get_output_raises_after_orchestrator_dies():
+    """Draining remaining results then hitting an empty queue with a dead
+    orchestrator must raise RuntimeError so callers know the pipeline is gone."""
+    mock_queue = MagicMock()
+    # First call succeeds; second call finds the queue empty.
+    mock_queue.sync_q.get.side_effect = [
+        {"type": "output", "request_id": "r1"},
+        queue.Empty,
+    ]
+
+    engine = _make_engine(mock_queue, thread_alive=True)
+
+    # Collect the one buffered result.
+    assert engine.try_get_output()["request_id"] == "r1"
+
+    # Orchestrator thread crashes between polls.
+    engine.orchestrator_thread.is_alive.return_value = False
+
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="Orchestrator died unexpectedly"):
+        engine.try_get_output()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_try_get_output_async_raises_after_orchestrator_dies():
+    """Same scenario as above but for the async variant."""
+    mock_queue = MagicMock()
+    mock_queue.sync_q.get_nowait.side_effect = [
+        {"type": "output", "request_id": "r1"},
+        queue.Empty,
+    ]
+
+    engine = _make_engine(mock_queue, thread_alive=True)
+
+    assert (await engine.try_get_output_async())["request_id"] == "r1"
+
+    engine.orchestrator_thread.is_alive.return_value = False
+
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="Orchestrator died unexpectedly"):
+        await engine.try_get_output_async()
diff --git a/vllm_omni/engine/async_omni_engine.py b/vllm_omni/engine/async_omni_engine.py
index 47b97295c6..c2cc78909f 100644
--- a/vllm_omni/engine/async_omni_engine.py
+++ b/vllm_omni/engine/async_omni_engine.py
@@ -987,6 +987,8 @@ def try_get_output(self, timeout: float = 0.001) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
         try:
             return self.output_queue.sync_q.get(timeout=timeout)
         except queue.Empty:
+            if not self.is_alive():
+                raise RuntimeError("Orchestrator died unexpectedly. See logs above.")
             return None
 
     async def try_get_output_async(self) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
@@ -996,6 +998,8 @@ async def try_get_output_async(self) -> dict[str, Any] | None:
         try:
             return self.output_queue.sync_q.get_nowait()
         except queue.Empty:
+            if not self.is_alive():
+                raise RuntimeError("Orchestrator died unexpectedly. See logs above.")
             return None
 
     def get_stage_metadata(self, stage_id: int) -> dict[str, Any]: