diff --git a/crates/op-orchestrator/src/validation.rs b/crates/op-orchestrator/src/validation.rs
index 775eb14f3..b94e23da1 100644
--- a/crates/op-orchestrator/src/validation.rs
+++ b/crates/op-orchestrator/src/validation.rs
@@ -416,7 +416,8 @@ pub struct ValidationSummary {
 /// 6. Emit `ValidationDone`.  Return `Ok(ValidationSummary)`.
 ///
 /// Returns `Err(OrchestratorError::Aborted)` when the abort flag is set before
-/// any vision round starts.
+/// a vision round starts. Once `ValidationStarted` has been emitted, every
+/// return path also emits terminal `ValidationDone`.
 ///
 /// `reference_screenshot` is currently always `None` from within this function;
 /// D1's host wiring will thread host-side reference images through.
@@ -472,6 +473,7 @@ pub fn run_post_generation_validation(
     for round in 1..=MAX_VALIDATION_ROUNDS {
         // 5a: abort check — if set before this round starts, return early.
         if abort.is_set() {
+            on_progress(Progress::ValidationDone { total_applied });
             return Err(OrchestratorError::Aborted);
         }
 
diff --git a/crates/op-orchestrator/src/validation_tests_c2.rs b/crates/op-orchestrator/src/validation_tests_c2.rs
index b021ce1f2..e4502972c 100644
--- a/crates/op-orchestrator/src/validation_tests_c2.rs
+++ b/crates/op-orchestrator/src/validation_tests_c2.rs
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ fn tc6_fix_history_dedup_second_occurrence_dropped() {
     );
 }
 
-/// TC-7: abort fires before the loop → Err(Aborted), no rounds.
+/// TC-7: abort before the loop → Err(Aborted), no rounds, terminal done event.
 #[test]
 fn tc7_abort_stops_loop() {
     let mut sink = sink_with_n_nodes(40);
@@ -442,6 +442,17 @@ fn tc7_abort_stops_loop() {
             .any(|p| matches!(p, Progress::ValidationRoundStarted { .. })),
         "no round should start after abort"
     );
+    assert!(
+        matches!(
+            events.as_slice(),
+            [
+                Progress::ValidationStarted,
+                Progress::ValidationPreCheckDone { .. },
+                Progress::ValidationDone { total_applied: 0 }
+            ]
+        ),
+        "an aborted validation phase must still terminate: {events:?}"
+    );
 }
 
 /// TC-8: all stub providers with node-count >= 30 → ValidationDone, 0 rounds, 0 applied.