diff --git a/NEXT_CHANGELOG.md b/NEXT_CHANGELOG.md
index 0156a189e6..5050be6a0a 100644
--- a/NEXT_CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/NEXT_CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
 * Bundle variable references now accept Unicode letters in path segments (e.g. `${var.变量}`). ([#5532](https://github.com/databricks/cli/pull/5532))
 * Ignore remote changes for vector search direct_access_index_spec.schema_json to prevent drift when the backend normalizes the schema ([#5481](https://github.com/databricks/cli/pull/5481)).
 * Remove hidden, never-functional `--existing-dashboard-id`, `--existing-dashboard-path`, `--existing-alert-id`, and `--existing-genie-space-id` alias flags from `bundle generate`; use the documented `--existing-id` / `--existing-path` flags instead ([#5591](https://github.com/databricks/cli/pull/5591)).
-* engine/direct: Fix WAL corruption after two consecutive failed deploys ([#5557](https://github.com/databricks/cli/issues/5557)).
+* engine/direct: Fix WAL corruption after two consecutive failed deploys ([#5606](https://github.com/databricks/cli/pull/5606)).
+* engine/direct: Don't open the deployment state WAL when a deploy's plan fails ([#5607](https://github.com/databricks/cli/pull/5607)).
 
 ### Dependency updates
 
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/deploy/wal/failed-plan-no-wal/databricks.yml b/acceptance/bundle/deploy/wal/failed-plan-no-wal/databricks.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b0d3c1cbca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/deploy/wal/failed-plan-no-wal/databricks.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+bundle:
+  name: test-bundle
+
+resources:
+  jobs:
+    test_job:
+      name: "test-job"
+      tasks:
+        - task_key: "test-task"
+          spark_python_task:
+            python_file: ./test.py
+          new_cluster:
+            spark_version: 15.4.x-scala2.12
+            node_type_id: i3.xlarge
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/deploy/wal/failed-plan-no-wal/out.test.toml b/acceptance/bundle/deploy/wal/failed-plan-no-wal/out.test.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e90b6d5d1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/deploy/wal/failed-plan-no-wal/out.test.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+Local = true
+Cloud = false
+EnvMatrix.DATABRICKS_BUNDLE_ENGINE = ["direct"]
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/deploy/wal/failed-plan-no-wal/output.txt b/acceptance/bundle/deploy/wal/failed-plan-no-wal/output.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7d830c172b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/deploy/wal/failed-plan-no-wal/output.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+
+=== Deploy 1 (normal: creates the job and the committed state)
+>>> [CLI] bundle deploy
+Uploading bundle files to /Workspace/Users/[USERNAME]/.bundle/test-bundle/default/files...
+Deploying resources...
+Updating deployment state...
+Deployment complete!
+
+=== Deploy 2 (planning fails, must not leave a WAL)
+>>> errcode [CLI] bundle deploy
+Uploading bundle files to /Workspace/Users/[USERNAME]/.bundle/test-bundle/default/files...
+Error: cannot plan resources.jobs.test_job: reading id="[NUMID]": Fault injected by test. (403 INJECTED)
+
+Endpoint: GET [DATABRICKS_URL]/api/2.2/jobs/get?job_id=[NUMID]
+HTTP Status: 403 Forbidden
+API error_code: INJECTED
+API message: Fault injected by test.
+
+Error: planning failed
+
+
+Exit code: 1
+
+>>> assert_not_exists.py .databricks/bundle/default/resources.json.wal
+
+=== Deploy 3 (planning fails again, must not leave a WAL)
+>>> errcode [CLI] bundle deploy
+Uploading bundle files to /Workspace/Users/[USERNAME]/.bundle/test-bundle/default/files...
+Error: cannot plan resources.jobs.test_job: reading id="[NUMID]": Fault injected by test. (403 INJECTED)
+
+Endpoint: GET [DATABRICKS_URL]/api/2.2/jobs/get?job_id=[NUMID]
+HTTP Status: 403 Forbidden
+API error_code: INJECTED
+API message: Fault injected by test.
+
+Error: planning failed
+
+
+Exit code: 1
+
+>>> assert_not_exists.py .databricks/bundle/default/resources.json.wal
+
+=== Deploy 4 (fault expired: recovers and succeeds)
+>>> [CLI] bundle deploy
+Uploading bundle files to /Workspace/Users/[USERNAME]/.bundle/test-bundle/default/files...
+Deploying resources...
+Updating deployment state...
+Deployment complete!
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/deploy/wal/failed-plan-no-wal/script b/acceptance/bundle/deploy/wal/failed-plan-no-wal/script
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b4fd487862
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/deploy/wal/failed-plan-no-wal/script
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# A failed plan must not leave a write-ahead log behind, so repeated planning
+# failures never block a later, healthy deploy. Previously a failed plan still
+# opened the WAL for write (UpgradeToWrite) and returned without finalizing,
+# leaving a header-only WAL; after two failures the WAL serial drifted two ahead
+# of the committed serial and every later command failed WAL recovery until the
+# WAL was deleted by hand.
+#
+# A first deploy creates the job normally. An injected fault then makes the next
+# two deploys fail while planning (planning refreshes the existing job via
+# jobs/get). The final deploy, with the fault expired, must recover and succeed.
+# A non-retried 403 is used so the failure is immediate; a 5xx would be retried
+# with backoff.
+
+title "Deploy 1 (normal: creates the job and the committed state)"
+trace $CLI bundle deploy
+
+# Fail the plan-stage refresh GET for the next two deploys only.
+fault.py "GET /api/2.2/jobs/get" 403 0 2
+
+title "Deploy 2 (planning fails, must not leave a WAL)"
+trace errcode $CLI bundle deploy
+trace assert_not_exists.py .databricks/bundle/default/resources.json.wal
+
+title "Deploy 3 (planning fails again, must not leave a WAL)"
+trace errcode $CLI bundle deploy
+trace assert_not_exists.py .databricks/bundle/default/resources.json.wal
+
+title "Deploy 4 (fault expired: recovers and succeeds)"
+trace $CLI bundle deploy
diff --git a/acceptance/bundle/deploy/wal/failed-plan-no-wal/test.py b/acceptance/bundle/deploy/wal/failed-plan-no-wal/test.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1ff8e07c70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/acceptance/bundle/deploy/wal/failed-plan-no-wal/test.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+print("test")
diff --git a/bundle/phases/deploy.go b/bundle/phases/deploy.go
index 8518230770..e3b0b777eb 100644
--- a/bundle/phases/deploy.go
+++ b/bundle/phases/deploy.go
@@ -170,6 +170,13 @@ func Deploy(ctx context.Context, b *bundle.Bundle, outputHandler sync.OutputHand
 		plan = RunPlan(ctx, b, engine)
 	}
 
+	// Stop before opening the WAL for write if planning failed. UpgradeToWrite
+	// writes a WAL header that only deployCore's Finalize commits or discards;
+	// returning past it without finalizing leaves a header-only WAL behind.
+	if logdiag.HasError(ctx) {
+		return
+	}
+
 	if engine.IsDirect() {
 		// Upgrade from read (opened by process.go) to write mode
 		if err := b.DeploymentBundle.StateDB.UpgradeToWrite(); err != nil {
@@ -187,6 +194,9 @@ func Deploy(ctx context.Context, b *bundle.Bundle, outputHandler sync.OutputHand
 		}
 	}
 
+	// InitForApply receives ctx and could log a diagnostic without returning an
+	// error, so re-check before deploying. (UpgradeToWrite above takes no ctx and
+	// thus cannot log, so the earlier check is enough to guard the WAL open.)
 	if logdiag.HasError(ctx) {
 		return
 	}