diff --git a/ami/jobs/models.py b/ami/jobs/models.py
index e662707f4..d0e3b0c02 100644
--- a/ami/jobs/models.py
+++ b/ami/jobs/models.py
@@ -79,7 +79,9 @@ class JobState(str, OrderedEnum):
 
     @classmethod
     def running_states(cls):
-        return [cls.CREATED, cls.PENDING, cls.STARTED, cls.RETRY, cls.CANCELING, cls.UNKNOWN]
+        # Dispatched states the reapers/reconcilers select from. CREATED is not
+        # here: a not-yet-enqueued job has no Celery task to reap. See #1354.
+        return [cls.PENDING, cls.STARTED, cls.RETRY, cls.CANCELING, cls.UNKNOWN]
 
     @classmethod
     def final_states(cls):
@@ -96,8 +98,9 @@ def active_states(cls):
 
     @classmethod
     def finalizable_states(cls):
-        # running_states() minus CANCELING (don't resurrect a cancel in progress)
-        # and UNKNOWN (never served; shouldn't auto-finalize). See #1337.
+        # States a job may auto-finalize from. Excludes CANCELING (don't resurrect
+        # a cancel in progress) and UNKNOWN (never served; shouldn't auto-finalize).
+        # See #1337.
         return [cls.CREATED, cls.PENDING, cls.STARTED, cls.RETRY]
 
 
diff --git a/ami/jobs/tests/test_update_stale_jobs.py b/ami/jobs/tests/test_update_stale_jobs.py
index 0f0a2a215..a64c18e68 100644
--- a/ami/jobs/tests/test_update_stale_jobs.py
+++ b/ami/jobs/tests/test_update_stale_jobs.py
@@ -121,3 +121,21 @@ def test_skips_recent_and_final_state_jobs(self, mock_cleanup):
 
         self.assertEqual(results, [])
         mock_cleanup.assert_not_called()
+
+    @patch("ami.jobs.tasks.cleanup_async_job_if_needed")
+    def test_skips_created_but_unstarted_jobs(self, mock_cleanup):
+        """A job created but never enqueued is left alone regardless of age.
+
+        Jobs can be pre-configured and started later, so a CREATED job has no
+        Celery task and no async resources to reconcile. The staleness cutoff
+        (measured against ``updated_at``) does not apply to it — it waits in
+        CREATED until a user starts it. See #1354.
+        """
+        job = self._create_job(status=JobState.CREATED, minutes_ago=300)
+
+        results = check_stale_jobs()
+
+        self.assertEqual(results, [])
+        job.refresh_from_db()
+        self.assertEqual(job.status, JobState.CREATED.value)
+        mock_cleanup.assert_not_called()