diff --git a/backend/src/__tests__/blueprints-edge-cases.test.ts b/backend/src/__tests__/blueprints-edge-cases.test.ts
index c5f3257b..f7beba38 100644
--- a/backend/src/__tests__/blueprints-edge-cases.test.ts
+++ b/backend/src/__tests__/blueprints-edge-cases.test.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
  * Edge-case coverage for the Blueprints feature that the existing suites leave open:
  *   - PUT /:id refusing to disable a blueprint that still has active deployments (409).
  *   - POST / rejecting a selector that exceeds the 200-entry cap (400).
+ *   - DELETE /:id blocking only on live stateful deployments, not never-deployed reviews.
  *   - checkForDrift flagging revision drift when the on-node marker is stale.
  *   - withdrawFromNode refusing to act when the marker belongs to a different blueprint.
  */
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ function seedNode(): { id: number; name: string } {
     return { id: result.lastInsertRowid as number, name };
 }
 
-function seedBlueprint(nodeIds: number[]) {
+function seedBlueprint(nodeIds: number[], classification: 'stateless' | 'stateful' = 'stateless') {
     counter += 1;
     return DatabaseService.getInstance().createBlueprint({
         name: `bp-edge-${counter}`,
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@ function seedBlueprint(nodeIds: number[]) {
         compose_content: 'services:\n  app:\n    image: nginx\n',
         selector: { type: 'nodes', ids: nodeIds },
         drift_mode: 'suggest',
-        classification: 'stateless',
+        classification,
         classification_reasons: [],
         enabled: true,
         created_by: 'admin',
@@ -108,6 +109,131 @@ describe('Blueprint route edge cases', () => {
     });
 });
 
+describe('Blueprint delete guard', () => {
+    // Rows with no stack of ours on the node must not block delete, AND the route must not run the
+    // withdraw primitive for them: withdrawFromNode proceeds on a missing marker and would
+    // down/delete a same-name stack Sencho never owned. A name_conflict is exactly that unmanaged
+    // stack, so it is excluded even though it carries a last_deployed_at timestamp.
+    it.each([
+        { label: 'never-deployed pending review', status: 'pending_state_review' as const, last_deployed_at: null },
+        { label: 'first-deploy failure', status: 'failed' as const, last_deployed_at: null },
+        { label: 'unmanaged same-name stack', status: 'name_conflict' as const, last_deployed_at: Date.now() },
+    ])('deletes a stateful blueprint with a $label without touching the node', async ({ status, last_deployed_at }) => {
+        const node = seedNode();
+        const bp = seedBlueprint([node.id], 'stateful');
+        DatabaseService.getInstance().upsertDeployment({ blueprint_id: bp.id, node_id: node.id, status, last_deployed_at });
+        const withdrawSpy = vi.spyOn(BlueprintService.getInstance(), 'withdrawFromNode').mockResolvedValue({ status: 'withdrawn' });
+
+        const res = await request(app)
+            .delete(`/api/blueprints/${bp.id}`)
+            .set('Cookie', adminCookie);
+
+        expect(res.status).toBe(204);
+        // Critical: never withdraw a row we did not deploy; it could destroy an unmanaged stack.
+        expect(withdrawSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(DatabaseService.getInstance().getBlueprint(bp.id)).toBeUndefined();
+        // The blueprint-delete cascade removes the leftover row.
+        expect(DatabaseService.getInstance().listDeployments(bp.id)).toHaveLength(0);
+    });
+
+    // A stack Sencho deployed and still owns (last_deployed_at set) blocks delete regardless of its
+    // current status, so the operator makes the snapshot-vs-destroy choice. failed and deploying
+    // carry over last_deployed_at from the prior deploy, so they block too.
+    it.each(['active', 'drifted', 'correcting', 'evict_blocked', 'failed', 'deploying'] as const)(
+        'refuses to delete a stateful blueprint with a deployed %s deployment',
+        async (status) => {
+            const node = seedNode();
+            const bp = seedBlueprint([node.id], 'stateful');
+            DatabaseService.getInstance().upsertDeployment({
+                blueprint_id: bp.id,
+                node_id: node.id,
+                status,
+                applied_revision: bp.revision,
+                last_deployed_at: Date.now(),
+            });
+
+            const res = await request(app)
+                .delete(`/api/blueprints/${bp.id}`)
+                .set('Cookie', adminCookie);
+
+            expect(res.status).toBe(409);
+            expect(res.body.code).toBe('stateful_deployments_blocking');
+            expect(DatabaseService.getInstance().getBlueprint(bp.id)).toBeDefined();
+        },
+    );
+
+    it('withdraws an owned deployment before deleting a stateless blueprint', async () => {
+        const node = seedNode();
+        const bp = seedBlueprint([node.id]); // stateless: the guard is skipped, so the loop runs
+        DatabaseService.getInstance().upsertDeployment({
+            blueprint_id: bp.id,
+            node_id: node.id,
+            status: 'active',
+            applied_revision: bp.revision,
+            last_deployed_at: Date.now(),
+        });
+        const withdrawSpy = vi.spyOn(BlueprintService.getInstance(), 'withdrawFromNode').mockResolvedValue({ status: 'withdrawn' });
+
+        const res = await request(app)
+            .delete(`/api/blueprints/${bp.id}`)
+            .set('Cookie', adminCookie);
+
+        expect(res.status).toBe(204);
+        // A deployed, owned stack must still be withdrawn from the node before the blueprint goes.
+        expect(withdrawSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(DatabaseService.getInstance().getBlueprint(bp.id)).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+
+    it('refuses to delete when a pending review still has a deployed stack (revision drift)', async () => {
+        const node = seedNode();
+        const bp = seedBlueprint([node.id], 'stateful');
+        // pending_state_review carried over from a prior deploy keeps last_deployed_at set,
+        // so the old stack is still on the node and delete must refuse.
+        DatabaseService.getInstance().upsertDeployment({
+            blueprint_id: bp.id,
+            node_id: node.id,
+            status: 'pending_state_review',
+            applied_revision: bp.revision,
+            last_deployed_at: Date.now(),
+        });
+
+        const res = await request(app)
+            .delete(`/api/blueprints/${bp.id}`)
+            .set('Cookie', adminCookie);
+
+        expect(res.status).toBe(409);
+        expect(res.body.code).toBe('stateful_deployments_blocking');
+        expect(DatabaseService.getInstance().getBlueprint(bp.id)).toBeDefined();
+    });
+
+    it('counts only the live deployment, not the never-deployed review, in a mixed set', async () => {
+        const liveNode = seedNode();
+        const reviewNode = seedNode();
+        const bp = seedBlueprint([liveNode.id, reviewNode.id], 'stateful');
+        DatabaseService.getInstance().upsertDeployment({
+            blueprint_id: bp.id,
+            node_id: liveNode.id,
+            status: 'active',
+            applied_revision: bp.revision,
+            last_deployed_at: Date.now(),
+        });
+        DatabaseService.getInstance().upsertDeployment({
+            blueprint_id: bp.id,
+            node_id: reviewNode.id,
+            status: 'pending_state_review',
+        });
+
+        const res = await request(app)
+            .delete(`/api/blueprints/${bp.id}`)
+            .set('Cookie', adminCookie);
+
+        expect(res.status).toBe(409);
+        expect(res.body.code).toBe('stateful_deployments_blocking');
+        // Only the live deployment blocks; the never-deployed review is excluded from the count.
+        expect(res.body.error).toContain('1 live deployment');
+    });
+});
+
 describe('BlueprintService marker edge cases', () => {
     it('flags revision drift when the on-node marker is stale', async () => {
         const localNode = DatabaseService.getInstance().getNodes()[0];
diff --git a/backend/src/routes/blueprints.ts b/backend/src/routes/blueprints.ts
index 5287d346..78da3cc0 100644
--- a/backend/src/routes/blueprints.ts
+++ b/backend/src/routes/blueprints.ts
@@ -264,22 +264,36 @@ blueprintsRouter.delete('/:id', async (req: Request, res: Response): Promise<voi
     try {
         const blueprint = DatabaseService.getInstance().getBlueprint(id);
         if (!blueprint) { res.status(404).json({ error: 'Blueprint not found' }); return; }
-        // Refuse delete on stateful blueprints with active deployments. Operator must withdraw explicitly first
+        // Refuse delete on stateful blueprints that still have a stack Sencho deployed and
+        // owns on a node; the operator must withdraw those explicitly so the snapshot-vs-destroy
+        // choice is made. "Deployed by us" is last_deployed_at != null, which holds regardless of
+        // the current status (a previously deployed stack that later failed still carries it). A
+        // never-deployed row (e.g. a reconciler-created pending_state_review awaiting first deploy)
+        // has nothing of ours on the node, so it must not block delete. name_conflict is a
+        // same-name stack we do not own, and withdrawn is already gone, so neither blocks.
         if (blueprint.classification === 'stateful' || blueprint.classification === 'unknown') {
             const deployments = DatabaseService.getInstance().listDeployments(id);
-            const blocking = deployments.filter(d => d.status === 'active' || d.status === 'evict_blocked' || d.status === 'pending_state_review');
+            const blocking = deployments.filter(d =>
+                d.last_deployed_at != null && d.status !== 'name_conflict' && d.status !== 'withdrawn',
+            );
             if (blocking.length > 0) {
                 res.status(409).json({
-                    error: `Cannot delete a stateful blueprint with ${blocking.length} active or pending deployment(s). Withdraw each deployment explicitly first.`,
+                    error: `Cannot delete a stateful blueprint with ${blocking.length} live deployment(s). Withdraw each from the deployment table first.`,
                     code: 'stateful_deployments_blocking',
                 });
                 return;
             }
         }
-        // For stateless: best-effort withdraw before delete
+        // Best-effort cleanup before delete: withdraw exactly the rows a stateful delete would
+        // block, i.e. stacks Sencho deployed and still owns (last_deployed_at set, and neither a
+        // name_conflict nor an already-withdrawn row). Never run the withdraw primitive for a
+        // never-deployed or unmanaged row: withdrawFromNode proceeds on a missing marker and would
+        // down/delete a same-name stack Sencho does not own. The blueprint-delete cascade removes
+        // the rows the loop skips.
         const nodes = DatabaseService.getInstance().getNodes();
         const deployments = DatabaseService.getInstance().listDeployments(id);
         for (const dep of deployments) {
+            if (dep.last_deployed_at == null || dep.status === 'name_conflict' || dep.status === 'withdrawn') continue;
             const node = nodes.find(n => n.id === dep.node_id);
             if (!node) continue;
             try {
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/blueprints/BlueprintDetail.tsx b/frontend/src/components/blueprints/BlueprintDetail.tsx
index a31f0c89..4b41c167 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/blueprints/BlueprintDetail.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/blueprints/BlueprintDetail.tsx
@@ -341,11 +341,11 @@ export function BlueprintDetail({ blueprintId, open, onOpenChange, onChanged, ca
                         <ModalDestructiveHeader
                             kicker="BLUEPRINT · DELETE · IRREVERSIBLE"
                             title={`Delete ${blueprint.name}`}
-                            description="Stateless deployments will be withdrawn first. Stateful deployments must be withdrawn explicitly through the deployment table before delete; the API will refuse otherwise."
+                            description="Stateless and not-yet-deployed deployments are withdrawn automatically. Live stateful deployments must be withdrawn from the deployment table first, or delete is refused."
                         />
                         <ModalBody>
                             <p className="text-sm text-stat-subtitle">
-                                Stateless deployments will be withdrawn first. Stateful deployments must be withdrawn explicitly through the deployment table before delete.
+                                Stateless and not-yet-deployed deployments are withdrawn for you. A stateful deployment that is live on a node must be withdrawn from the deployment table first, so you choose whether to snapshot or destroy its data.
                             </p>
                             <div className="space-y-2">
                                 <p className="text-xs text-stat-subtitle leading-relaxed">