diff --git a/docs/email-async/01-async-send-pipeline.md b/docs/email-async/01-async-send-pipeline.md
index f37a6055..fd4442d2 100644
--- a/docs/email-async/01-async-send-pipeline.md
+++ b/docs/email-async/01-async-send-pipeline.md
@@ -148,9 +148,6 @@ parses CSV ([parseCSV.ts](../../js/src/features/emails/api/parseCSV.ts)) and pos
      committed, the rows are already visible — no `AFTER_COMMIT` event is needed. **There is no automatic
      enqueue-time trigger** (the accepted tradeoff of #6: if the kick is never issued, the batch waits for the next
      kick or a restart).
-  2. **On startup** — `@EventListener(ApplicationReadyEvent.class)` first resets `PROCESSING → ERROR`
-     (at-most-once recovery), then calls `trigger()` once (covers rows left `PENDING` before shutdown). This is the
-     only safety net for a missed kick.
 - **Drain job** (runs on the executor thread, loops until no rows, then the thread idles):
   1. **Claim** up to 50 `PENDING` rows atomically:
      ```sql
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/EmailDrainer.java b/src/main/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/EmailDrainer.java
index 5087994a..b1e29b8a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/EmailDrainer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/EmailDrainer.java
@@ -13,9 +13,6 @@
 import org.patinanetwork.patchats.email.db.repos.EmailRepo;
 import org.patinanetwork.patchats.email.db.repos.EmailTemplateRepo;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Qualifier;
-import org.springframework.boot.context.event.ApplicationReadyEvent;
-import org.springframework.context.annotation.Profile;
-import org.springframework.context.event.EventListener;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
 
 /**
@@ -27,7 +24,6 @@
  */
 @Component
 @Slf4j
-@Profile("!ci")
 public class EmailDrainer {
 
     private static final int BATCH_SIZE = 50;
@@ -113,17 +109,4 @@ private void sendOne(final Email email, final Map<UUID, EmailTemplate> templateC
             emailRepo.markError(email.getId(), ex.getMessage());
         }
     }
-
-    /**
-     * On boot: reset orphaned {@code PROCESSING} rows to {@code ERROR} (at-most-once recovery, decision #9), then kick
-     * one drain to cover rows left {@code PENDING} before shutdown — the only safety net for a missed kick.
-     */
-    @EventListener(ApplicationReadyEvent.class)
-    public void onApplicationReady() {
-        final int reset = emailRepo.resetProcessingToError();
-        if (reset > 0) {
-            log.warn("Reset {} orphaned PROCESSING email(s) to ERROR on startup", reset);
-        }
-        trigger();
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/db/repos/EmailRepo.java b/src/main/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/db/repos/EmailRepo.java
index 926fb40e..328fba11 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/db/repos/EmailRepo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/db/repos/EmailRepo.java
@@ -25,12 +25,6 @@ public interface EmailRepo {
     /** Marks a row {@code ERROR} with the given message (no retry — terminal, decision #8). */
     void markError(UUID id, String errorMessage);
 
-    /**
-     * At-most-once crash recovery (decision #9): flips any orphaned {@code PROCESSING} rows to {@code ERROR}. Returns
-     * the number of rows reset.
-     */
-    int resetProcessingToError();
-
     /** Per-status row counts for one batch ({@code GROUP BY status}); statuses with no rows are absent. */
     Map<EmailStatus, Integer> countByStatus(UUID requestId);
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/db/repos/EmailSqlRepo.java b/src/main/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/db/repos/EmailSqlRepo.java
index 49e8acd7..0e6eca59 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/db/repos/EmailSqlRepo.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/db/repos/EmailSqlRepo.java
@@ -117,17 +117,6 @@ public void markError(final UUID id, final String errorMessage) {
                 .update();
     }
 
-    @Override
-    public int resetProcessingToError() {
-        return jdbc.sql("""
-                        UPDATE emails
-                           SET status = 'ERROR',
-                               error_message = 'Reset on startup: orphaned PROCESSING row (at-most-once recovery)',
-                               updated_at = now()
-                         WHERE status = 'PROCESSING'
-                        """).update();
-    }
-
     @Override
     public Map<EmailStatus, Integer> countByStatus(final UUID requestId) {
         final Map<EmailStatus, Integer> counts = new EnumMap<>(EmailStatus.class);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/EmailDrainerTest.java b/src/test/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/EmailDrainerTest.java
index a9161ff0..efa9e19b 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/EmailDrainerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/patinanetwork/patchats/email/EmailDrainerTest.java
@@ -128,17 +128,6 @@ void renderFailureIsTerminalError() {
         verify(emailRepo, never()).markSent(any());
     }
 
-    @Test
-    void startupResetsProcessingToErrorThenDrains() {
-        when(emailRepo.resetProcessingToError()).thenReturn(2);
-        when(emailRepo.claimBatch(50)).thenReturn(List.of());
-
-        drainer(SYNC).onApplicationReady();
-
-        verify(emailRepo).resetProcessingToError();
-        verify(emailRepo).claimBatch(50); // the startup kick still runs a drain pass
-    }
-
     @Test
     void overlappingTriggersCoalesceToOneDrain() {
         // A manual executor that captures jobs without running them, to observe submission count.