diff --git a/packages/core/src/app/__tests__/onEventHandlers.test.ts b/packages/core/src/app/__tests__/onEventHandlers.test.ts
index fb81274d..1a9845a7 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/app/__tests__/onEventHandlers.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/app/__tests__/onEventHandlers.test.ts
@@ -103,3 +103,80 @@ test("onEvent handler failure aborts the current batch before later events commi
   assert.equal(backend.stopCalls, 1);
   assert.equal(backend.disposeCalls, 1);
 });
+
+test("onEvent handler failure faults before same-turn queued updates commit", async () => {
+  const backend = new StubBackend();
+  const app = createApp({ backend, initialState: 0 });
+
+  app.draw((g) => g.clear());
+
+  let updaterRan = false;
+  app.onEvent((ev) => {
+    if (ev.kind !== "engine" || ev.event.kind !== "text") return;
+    app.update((state) => {
+      updaterRan = true;
+      return state + 1;
+    });
+    throw new Error("boom");
+  });
+
+  const fatals: string[] = [];
+  app.onEvent((ev) => {
+    if (ev.kind === "fatal") fatals.push(ev.detail);
+  });
+
+  await app.start();
+  backend.pushBatch(
+    makeBackendBatch({
+      bytes: encodeZrevBatchV1({
+        events: [{ kind: "text", timeMs: 1, codepoint: 65 }],
+      }),
+    }),
+  );
+
+  await flushMicrotasks(20);
+
+  assert.equal(updaterRan, false);
+  assert.equal(fatals.length, 1);
+  assert.equal(backend.stopCalls, 1);
+  assert.equal(backend.disposeCalls, 1);
+});
+
+test("fatal handlers run after onEvent handler depth unwinds", async () => {
+  const backend = new StubBackend();
+  const app = createApp({ backend, initialState: 0 });
+  app.draw((g) => g.clear());
+
+  app.onEvent((ev) => {
+    if (ev.kind === "engine" && ev.event.kind === "text") {
+      throw new Error("boom");
+    }
+  });
+
+  let fatalHandlerError: unknown = null;
+  let sawFatal = false;
+  app.onEvent((ev) => {
+    if (ev.kind !== "fatal") return;
+    sawFatal = true;
+    try {
+      app.dispose();
+    } catch (error: unknown) {
+      fatalHandlerError = error;
+    }
+  });
+
+  await app.start();
+  backend.pushBatch(
+    makeBackendBatch({
+      bytes: encodeZrevBatchV1({
+        events: [{ kind: "text", timeMs: 1, codepoint: 65 }],
+      }),
+    }),
+  );
+
+  await flushMicrotasks(20);
+
+  assert.equal(sawFatal, true);
+  assert.equal(fatalHandlerError, null);
+  assert.equal(backend.disposeCalls >= 1, true);
+});
diff --git a/packages/core/src/app/createApp.ts b/packages/core/src/app/createApp.ts
index 0ba78092..d3002802 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/app/createApp.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/app/createApp.ts
@@ -719,6 +719,7 @@ export function createApp<S>(opts: CreateAppStateOptions<S> | CreateAppRoutesOnl
   let breadcrumbLastConsumptionPath: RuntimeBreadcrumbConsumptionPath | null = null;
   let breadcrumbLastAction: RuntimeBreadcrumbAction | null = null;
   let breadcrumbEventTracked = false;
+  let deferredInlineFatal: Readonly<{ code: ZrUiErrorCode; detail: string }> | null = null;
 
   function recomputeRuntimeBreadcrumbCollection(): void {
     const next =
@@ -881,8 +882,22 @@ export function createApp<S>(opts: CreateAppStateOptions<S> | CreateAppRoutesOnl
     scheduler.enqueue({ kind: "fatal", code, detail });
   }
 
+  function flushDeferredInlineFatal(): void {
+    if (deferredInlineFatal === null || inEventHandlerDepth !== 0) return;
+    const fatal = deferredInlineFatal;
+    deferredInlineFatal = null;
+    doFatal(fatal.code, fatal.detail);
+  }
+
   function fatalNowOrEnqueue(code: ZrUiErrorCode, detail: string): void {
-    if (scheduler.isExecuting) {
+    const canFailFastInline = scheduler.isExecuting && !inRender && !inCommit;
+    if (canFailFastInline && inEventHandlerDepth > 0) {
+      if (deferredInlineFatal === null) {
+        deferredInlineFatal = Object.freeze({ code, detail });
+      }
+      return;
+    }
+    if (canFailFastInline) {
       doFatal(code, detail);
       return;
     }
@@ -934,6 +949,7 @@ export function createApp<S>(opts: CreateAppStateOptions<S> | CreateAppRoutesOnl
       }
     } finally {
       inEventHandlerDepth--;
+      flushDeferredInlineFatal();
     }
     return true;
   }