diff --git a/decnet/web/api.py b/decnet/web/api.py
index 7d8dff12..efe8483e 100644
--- a/decnet/web/api.py
+++ b/decnet/web/api.py
@@ -109,6 +109,22 @@ async def lifespan(app: FastAPI) -> AsyncGenerator[None, None]:
                 log.error("DB failed to initialize after 5 attempts — startup may be degraded")
             await _retry_sleep(0.5)
 
+    # Sweep stranded DeckyLifecycle rows from a prior master crash.
+    # Anything older than 1h that's still pending/running can never
+    # complete (the runner task died with the process), so flip it to
+    # failed.  Cheap DB op; runs unconditionally including contract-test
+    # mode (idempotent and observable in tests).
+    try:
+        from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
+        cutoff = datetime.now(timezone.utc) - timedelta(hours=1)
+        swept = await repo.sweep_stale_lifecycle(
+            cutoff, reason="master restarted during operation",
+        )
+        if swept:
+            log.warning("API startup: swept %d stranded lifecycle row(s)", swept)
+    except Exception:
+        log.exception("API startup: lifecycle sweep failed (non-fatal)")
+
     # Conditionally enable OpenTelemetry tracing
     from decnet.telemetry import setup_tracing
     setup_tracing(app)
diff --git a/decnet/web/router/__init__.py b/decnet/web/router/__init__.py
index 096d2f84..fff144f5 100644
--- a/decnet/web/router/__init__.py
+++ b/decnet/web/router/__init__.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from .fleet.api_get_deckies import router as get_deckies_router
 from .fleet.api_mutate_decky import router as mutate_decky_router
 from .fleet.api_mutate_interval import router as mutate_interval_router
 from .fleet.api_deploy_deckies import router as deploy_deckies_router
+from .fleet.api_lifecycle import router as lifecycle_router
 from .stream.api_stream_events import router as stream_router
 from .attackers.api_get_attackers import router as attackers_router
 from .attackers.api_export_attackers import router as attackers_export_router
@@ -106,6 +107,7 @@ api_router.include_router(get_deckies_router)
 api_router.include_router(mutate_decky_router)
 api_router.include_router(mutate_interval_router)
 api_router.include_router(deploy_deckies_router)
+api_router.include_router(lifecycle_router)
 
 # Attacker Profiles
 api_router.include_router(attackers_router)
diff --git a/decnet/web/router/fleet/api_lifecycle.py b/decnet/web/router/fleet/api_lifecycle.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aa3916db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/decnet/web/router/fleet/api_lifecycle.py
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+"""GET /deckies/lifecycle?ids=… — poll lifecycle rows by id.
+
+The wizard polls this endpoint every ~2 s after POSTing /deckies/deploy
+or /deckies/{name}/mutate (which return 202 with the lifecycle ids) and
+stops when every row reaches a terminal status.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, Query
+
+from decnet.logging import get_logger
+from decnet.telemetry import traced as _traced
+from decnet.web.db.models import DeckyLifecycleListResponse, DeckyLifecycleView
+from decnet.web.dependencies import require_viewer, repo
+
+log = get_logger("api.lifecycle")
+
+router = APIRouter()
+
+
+@router.get(
+    "/deckies/lifecycle",
+    tags=["Fleet Management"],
+    response_model=DeckyLifecycleListResponse,
+    responses={
+        401: {"description": "Could not validate credentials"},
+        422: {"description": "Validation error (ids missing or malformed)"},
+    },
+)
+@_traced("api.lifecycle_get")
+async def api_get_lifecycle(
+    ids: list[str] = Query(
+        ..., description="One or more DeckyLifecycle row ids; pass repeated ?ids=<uuid>&ids=<uuid> in the URL.",
+        min_length=1, max_length=200,
+    ),
+    user: dict = Depends(require_viewer),
+) -> dict:
+    rows = await repo.get_lifecycle_by_ids(ids)
+    return {
+        "rows": [DeckyLifecycleView(**r).model_dump() for r in rows],
+    }
diff --git a/tests/api/fleet/test_lifecycle_endpoint.py b/tests/api/fleet/test_lifecycle_endpoint.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e64997a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/api/fleet/test_lifecycle_endpoint.py
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+"""GET /deckies/lifecycle?ids=… — poll endpoint for the wizard."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import httpx
+import pytest
+
+from decnet.web.dependencies import repo
+
+
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_get_lifecycle_unauthenticated_returns_401(client: httpx.AsyncClient):
+    resp = await client.get("/api/v1/deckies/lifecycle", params={"ids": "x"})
+    assert resp.status_code == 401
+
+
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_get_lifecycle_missing_ids_returns_validation_error(
+    client: httpx.AsyncClient, auth_token: str,
+):
+    """No ?ids= → validation rejection (Starlette short-circuits with 400
+    for the body-parse path; either 400 or 422 is acceptable contract)."""
+    resp = await client.get(
+        "/api/v1/deckies/lifecycle",
+        headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {auth_token}"},
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code in (400, 422)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_get_lifecycle_returns_matching_rows(
+    client: httpx.AsyncClient, auth_token: str,
+):
+    a = await repo.create_lifecycle({"decky_name": "d1", "operation": "deploy"})
+    b = await repo.create_lifecycle({"decky_name": "d2", "operation": "mutate"})
+    await repo.update_lifecycle(a, {"status": "running"})
+
+    resp = await client.get(
+        "/api/v1/deckies/lifecycle",
+        params=[("ids", a), ("ids", b)],
+        headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {auth_token}"},
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code == 200, resp.text
+    rows = resp.json()["rows"]
+    assert len(rows) == 2
+    by_id = {r["id"]: r for r in rows}
+    assert by_id[a]["status"] == "running"
+    assert by_id[a]["operation"] == "deploy"
+    assert by_id[b]["status"] == "pending"
+    assert by_id[b]["operation"] == "mutate"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_get_lifecycle_unknown_id_silently_omitted(
+    client: httpx.AsyncClient, auth_token: str,
+):
+    a = await repo.create_lifecycle({"decky_name": "d1", "operation": "deploy"})
+    resp = await client.get(
+        "/api/v1/deckies/lifecycle",
+        params=[("ids", a), ("ids", "no-such-id")],
+        headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {auth_token}"},
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    rows = resp.json()["rows"]
+    assert len(rows) == 1
+    assert rows[0]["id"] == a
+
+
+@pytest.mark.anyio
+async def test_startup_sweep_marks_stale_rows_failed():
+    """The sweep stamps reason='master restarted during operation' on
+    any non-terminal row older than the cutoff."""
+    from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
+    lid = await repo.create_lifecycle({"decky_name": "stale", "operation": "deploy"})
+    # Backdate started_at into the past so the sweep picks it up.
+    await repo.update_lifecycle(
+        lid, {"started_at": datetime.now(timezone.utc) - timedelta(hours=2)},
+    )
+    swept = await repo.sweep_stale_lifecycle(
+        datetime.now(timezone.utc) - timedelta(hours=1),
+        reason="master restarted during operation",
+    )
+    assert swept >= 1
+    rows = await repo.get_lifecycle_by_ids([lid])
+    assert rows[0]["status"] == "failed"
+    assert rows[0]["error"] == "master restarted during operation"