diff --git a/frontend/today-timer.js b/frontend/today-timer.js
index d1200c3..935a3ff 100644
--- a/frontend/today-timer.js
+++ b/frontend/today-timer.js
@@ -117,16 +117,17 @@ function createTodayTimer({ storage, getLogin, now = () => Date.now(), onChange
       }
       if (!ledger[identity] || ledger[identity].elapsed_ms !== Math.floor(Number(elapsedMs))) return false;
       const state = read();
+      const keepBreak = validBreak(state)?.identity === identity;
       state.active_identity = identity;
       state.entries = ledger;
-      state.entries[identity].started_at = running ? now() : null;
-      state.entries[identity].running = Boolean(running);
+      state.entries[identity].started_at = running && !keepBreak ? now() : null;
+      state.entries[identity].running = Boolean(running) && !keepBreak;
       state.away_at = null;
       state.pending_interruption = null;
       state.attention_interruption = null;
       state.search_interruption = null;
       state.detour_interruption = null;
-      if(running || validBreak(state)?.identity !== identity) state.timed_break=null;
+      if (!keepBreak) state.timed_break = null;
       return write(state);
     },
     activate(identity) {
diff --git a/tests/test_today_break.py b/tests/test_today_break.py
index e53bb83..82c7f2f 100644
--- a/tests/test_today_break.py
+++ b/tests/test_today_break.py
@@ -122,6 +122,35 @@ process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({adopted,snapshot:timer.snapshot(),pending:t
     }
 
 
+def test_reload_running_checkpoint_cannot_restart_item_during_valid_local_break():
+    script = TIMER.read_text() + r"""
+const values = new Map();
+const storage = {getItem:key=>values.get(key)||null,setItem:(key,value)=>values.set(key,value)};
+const timer = createTodayTimer({storage,getLogin:()=> 'timmy',now:()=>100000});
+timer.activate('issue:r:42:');
+timer.startBreak(5);
+const adopted = timer.adopt('issue:r:42:', 12000, true, [
+  {identity:'issue:r:42:',elapsed_ms:12000},
+]);
+process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({adopted,snapshot:timer.snapshot(),pending:timer.breakSnapshot()}));
+"""
+
+    assert run_node(script) == {
+        "adopted": True,
+        "snapshot": {
+            "identity": "issue:r:42:",
+            "elapsed_ms": 12000,
+            "running": False,
+            "break_deadline_at": 400_000,
+        },
+        "pending": {
+            "identity": "issue:r:42:",
+            "deadline_at": 400_000,
+            "expired": False,
+        },
+    }
+
+
 def test_break_expiry_never_restarts_time_and_resume_is_explicit_and_idempotent():
     script = TIMER.read_text() + r"""
 const values = new Map();