diff --git a/src/cron/store/failure-alert-codec.test.ts b/src/cron/store/failure-alert-codec.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..2252592ed761
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/cron/store/failure-alert-codec.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+// Unit tests for failure-alert SQLite column codec roundtrip.
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { bindFailureAlertColumns, failureAlertFromRow } from "./failure-alert-codec.js";
+import type { CronJobRow } from "./schema.js";
+
+function roundtrip(
+  input: Parameters<typeof bindFailureAlertColumns>[0],
+): ReturnType<typeof failureAlertFromRow> {
+  const columns = bindFailureAlertColumns(input);
+  return failureAlertFromRow(columns as CronJobRow);
+}
+
+describe("failureAlertFromRow", () => {
+  it("round-trips disabled config (false)", () => {
+    expect(roundtrip(false)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("round-trips undefined (no alert config) as undefined", () => {
+    expect(roundtrip(undefined)).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it("round-trips enabled-with-defaults ({}) as {}", () => {
+    const result = roundtrip({});
+    expect(result).toEqual({});
+  });
+
+  it("round-trips populated config with all fields", () => {
+    const config = {
+      after: 3,
+      cooldownMs: 120_000,
+      channel: "telegram" as const,
+      to: "@user",
+      mode: "announce" as const,
+      accountId: "acc-1",
+      includeSkipped: true,
+    };
+    expect(roundtrip(config)).toEqual(config);
+  });
+
+  it("round-trips partial config (only after)", () => {
+    expect(roundtrip({ after: 5 })).toEqual({ after: 5 });
+  });
+
+  it("enabled-with-defaults does not collapse to undefined on read", () => {
+    const columns = bindFailureAlertColumns({});
+    const row = columns as CronJobRow;
+    expect(row.failure_alert_disabled).toBe(0);
+    expect(row.failure_alert_after).toBeNull();
+    const decoded = failureAlertFromRow(row);
+    expect(decoded).toEqual({});
+    expect(decoded).not.toBeUndefined();
+    expect(decoded).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/cron/store/failure-alert-codec.ts b/src/cron/store/failure-alert-codec.ts
index 37eaffba98c8..b84c16f2cac6 100644
--- a/src/cron/store/failure-alert-codec.ts
+++ b/src/cron/store/failure-alert-codec.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ export function failureAlertFromRow(row: CronJobRow): CronFailureAlert | false |
   if (row.failure_alert_disabled === 1) {
     return false;
   }
+  const failureAlertExplicitlyEnabled = row.failure_alert_disabled === 0;
   if (
     row.failure_alert_after == null &&
     !row.failure_alert_channel &&
@@ -53,7 +54,8 @@ export function failureAlertFromRow(row: CronJobRow): CronFailureAlert | false |
     row.failure_alert_cooldown_ms == null &&
     row.failure_alert_include_skipped == null &&
     !row.failure_alert_mode &&
-    !row.failure_alert_account_id
+    !row.failure_alert_account_id &&
+    !failureAlertExplicitlyEnabled
   ) {
     return undefined;
   }