diff --git a/python/robomp/src/sandbox.py b/python/robomp/src/sandbox.py
index b63805407..61670dc25 100644
--- a/python/robomp/src/sandbox.py
+++ b/python/robomp/src/sandbox.py
@@ -958,13 +958,15 @@ class SandboxManager:
             repo_dir = ws_root / "repo"
             if repo_dir.exists():
                 pool = self.pool_path(repo)
-                _safe_run(["git", "worktree", "remove", "--force", str(repo_dir)], cwd=pool)
-                if repo_dir.exists():
-                    # `git worktree remove` did not clean up (nonzero exit, incl. a
-                    # 124 timeout). Delete the checkout ourselves, then prune the
-                    # pool's now-dangling worktree registration so a later
-                    # `git worktree add` for the same path does not trip on stale
-                    # metadata.
+                removed = _safe_run(["git", "worktree", "remove", "--force", str(repo_dir)], cwd=pool)
+                if removed.returncode != 0:
+                    # A failed `git worktree remove` (nonzero exit, incl. a 124
+                    # timeout) may have deleted the checkout but left the pool's
+                    # worktree registration dangling, or vice versa. Delete any
+                    # leftover checkout ourselves, then prune the dangling pool
+                    # registration so a later `git worktree add` for the same path
+                    # does not trip on stale metadata. `repo_dir.exists()` is not a
+                    # reliable proxy: a killed remove can clear the checkout first.
                     shutil.rmtree(repo_dir, ignore_errors=True)
                     _safe_run(["git", "worktree", "prune"], cwd=pool)
             if ws_root.exists():
diff --git a/python/robomp/tests/test_sandbox.py b/python/robomp/tests/test_sandbox.py
index 402ab4471..0feb03c59 100644
--- a/python/robomp/tests/test_sandbox.py
+++ b/python/robomp/tests/test_sandbox.py
@@ -1145,6 +1145,42 @@ def test_remove_workspace_prunes_pool_after_failed_worktree_remove(tmp_path: Pat
     # The real checkout dir was cleaned up.
     assert not repo_dir.exists()
 
+
+def test_remove_workspace_prunes_when_failed_remove_already_deleted_checkout(
+    tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    # The reviewer's case: `git worktree remove` deletes the checkout dir but is
+    # killed (124) before clearing the pool's worktree registration. `repo_dir`
+    # is gone by the time we check, so a guard on `repo_dir.exists()` would skip
+    # the prune and leave dangling metadata; guarding on the return code must not.
+    mgr = SandboxManager(tmp_path)
+    ws_root = mgr.workspace_root("o/r", 9)
+    repo_dir = ws_root / "repo"
+    repo_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    pool = mgr.pool_path("o/r")
+
+    calls: list[tuple[list[str], object]] = []
+
+    def fake_safe_run(cmd, **k):
+        calls.append((list(cmd), k.get("cwd")))
+        if cmd[:3] == ["git", "worktree", "remove"]:
+            # Simulate git deleting the checkout, then dying before it could
+            # unregister the worktree from the pool.
+            repo_dir.rmdir()
+            return subprocess.CompletedProcess(cmd, 124, "", "timed out")
+        return subprocess.CompletedProcess(cmd, 0, "", "")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr("robomp.sandbox._safe_run", fake_safe_run)
+
+    mgr.remove_workspace(repo="o/r", number=9)
+
+    cmds = [c for c, _ in calls]
+    assert ["git", "worktree", "prune"] in cmds, (
+        "prune was skipped after a failed remove that had already deleted the checkout"
+    )
+    prune_idx = next(i for i, (c, _) in enumerate(calls) if c == ["git", "worktree", "prune"])
+    assert calls[prune_idx][1] == pool, "prune did not run in the repo's pool dir"
+
 def test_redact_credentials_strips_userinfo() -> None:
     from robomp.sandbox import redact_credentials