@@ -3751,8 +3751,7 @@ export class Task extends EventEmitter<TaskEvents> implements TaskLike {
 									console.log(
 										`[Task#${this.taskId}.${this.instanceId}] Task aborted during mid-stream retry backoff`,
 									)
-									// Abort the entire task
-									this.abortReason = "user_cancelled"
+									this.abortReason ??= "user_cancelled"
 									await this.abortTask()
 									break
 								}
 
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ function makeMockProvider() {
 	}
 }
 
-describe("Task abort-reason race (RSK-19 regression)", () => {
+describe("Task abort-reason race", () => {
 	let mockApiConfig: ProviderSettings
 
 	beforeEach(() => {
@@ -173,6 +173,42 @@ describe("Task abort-reason race (RSK-19 regression)", () => {
 		// The outer catch in recursivelyMakeClineRequests swallows the abort throw and returns true.
 		const result = await task.recursivelyMakeClineRequests([{ type: "text", text: "help me" }])
 		expect(result).toBe(true)
+		expect(task.didFinishAbortingStream).toBe(true)
+		expect(abortTaskSpy).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+		expect(task.abortReason).toBe("user_cancelled")
+	})
+
+	it("keeps pre-existing abortReason when cancel lands during retry backoff", async () => {
+		const mockProvider = makeMockProvider()
+		// autoApprovalEnabled causes the else branch to call backoffAndAnnounce.
+		mockProvider.getState = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ autoApprovalEnabled: true })
+
+		// Double cast: plain object satisfies only the methods called by this code path.
+		const task = new Task({
+			provider: mockProvider as unknown as ClineProvider,
+			apiConfiguration: mockApiConfig,
+			task: "test task",
+			startTask: false,
+		})
+
+		vi.spyOn(task.diffViewProvider, "reset").mockResolvedValue(undefined)
+		vi.spyOn(task, "dispose").mockResolvedValue(undefined)
+
+		// eslint-disable-next-line require-yield -- intentional error-only async source
+		task["attemptApiRequest"] = async function* () {
+			throw new Error("mid-stream failure")
+		}
+
+		// Simulate cancel landing during backoff: cancelTask sets abortReason before abort=true.
+		task["backoffAndAnnounce"] = async () => {
+			task["abortReason"] = "user_cancelled"
+			task["abort"] = true
+		}
+
+		const abortTaskSpy = vi.spyOn(task, "abortTask")
+		// break after backoff exits the while loop; the outer try returns false.
+		const result = await task.recursivelyMakeClineRequests([{ type: "text", text: "help me" }])
+		expect(result).toBe(false)
 		expect(abortTaskSpy).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
 		expect(task.abortReason).toBe("user_cancelled")
 	})
 
@@ -961,7 +961,7 @@ describe("ClineProvider Task History Synchronization", () => {
 			expect(logSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining("[onTaskCompleted] Failed to write"))
 		})
 
-		it("onTaskAborted does not call createTaskWithHistoryItem (RSK-19 guard)", async () => {
+		it("onTaskAborted does not call createTaskWithHistoryItem", async () => {
 			// Store the item so getTaskWithId succeeds: without it, the old branch's catch
 			// swallows the error and the test passes even if the branch comes back.
 			const existing = createHistoryItem({ id: "task-abort-1", task: "T" })
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
`@@ -3751,8 +3751,7 @@ export class Task extends EventEmitter<TaskEvents> implements TaskLike {`
`3751`	`3751`	`console.log(`
`3752`	`3752`	`[Task#${this.taskId}.${this.instanceId}] Task aborted during mid-stream retry backoff`,
`3753`	`3753`	`)`
`3754`		`- // Abort the entire task`
`3755`		`- this.abortReason = "user_cancelled"`
	`3754`	`+ this.abortReason ??= "user_cancelled"`
`3756`	`3755`	`await this.abortTask()`
`3757`	`3756`	`break`
`3758`	`3757`	`}`