diff --git a/.agents/scripts/pulse-issue-reconcile-actions.sh b/.agents/scripts/pulse-issue-reconcile-actions.sh
index ab567ba65f..62527b6331 100644
--- a/.agents/scripts/pulse-issue-reconcile-actions.sh
+++ b/.agents/scripts/pulse-issue-reconcile-actions.sh
@@ -800,6 +800,43 @@ _pir_reopen_unstable_parent_close() {
 	return 0
 }
 
+#######################################
+# Close a parent, verify the post-close snapshot, and compensate by reopening
+# when evidence changed. Args: slug parent_num live_body child_nums child_source
+# Returns: 0=closed and stable, 1=close failed or compensated
+#######################################
+_pir_close_parent_with_postcondition() {
+	local slug="$1" parent_num="$2" live_parent_body="$3" child_nums="$4" child_source="$5"
+	gh issue close "$parent_num" --repo "$slug" >/dev/null 2>&1 || return 1
+	if ! _pir_parent_close_postcondition_is_stable "$slug" "$parent_num" "$live_parent_body" \
+		"$child_nums" "$child_source"; then
+		if [[ "$_PIR_CPT_POST_CLOSE_REOPEN_ALLOWED" -eq 1 ]]; then
+			_pir_reopen_unstable_parent_close "$slug" "$parent_num" || \
+				echo "[pulse-wrapper] Reconcile parent-task: unable to compensate unstable close #${parent_num} in ${slug}" >>"${LOGFILE:-/dev/null}"
+		fi
+		return 1
+	fi
+	return 0
+}
+
+#######################################
+# Budget guard for multi-round-trip mutations (GH#34289). Reads the
+# single-pass locals _t2984_start_ts/_t2984_budget via dynamic scope. A parent
+# close spans several reads, the close, a stability check, an optional reopen
+# and a comment; starting one near the budget risks a mid-action stage kill.
+# Env: RECONCILE_MUTATION_RESERVE_SECS=reserve seconds (default 90)
+# Returns: 0=enough budget (or no budget active), 1=too little remaining
+#######################################
+_pir_budget_allows_mutation() {
+	local reserve="${RECONCILE_MUTATION_RESERVE_SECS:-90}"
+	[[ "$reserve" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || reserve=90
+	local budget="${_t2984_budget:-0}" start="${_t2984_start_ts:-}"
+	[[ "$budget" =~ ^[0-9]+$ && "$start" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || return 0
+	[[ "$budget" -gt 0 ]] || return 0
+	[[ $((budget - (SECONDS - start))) -ge "$reserve" ]] || return 1
+	return 0
+}
+
 #######################################
 # t2138 / t3544: extract per-parent close logic. Keeps
 # reconcile_completed_parent_tasks under the 100-line shell-complexity
@@ -813,6 +850,10 @@ _try_close_parent_tracker() {
 	local live_child_nums="" live_child_source=""
 	local live_parent_revision=""
 
+	if ! _pir_budget_allows_mutation; then
+		echo "[pulse-wrapper] Reconcile parent-task: deferred: insufficient reconcile budget for parent close #${parent_num} in ${slug}" >>"${LOGFILE:-/dev/null}"
+		return 1
+	fi
 	_pir_verify_parent_children_closed "$slug" "$child_nums" || return 1
 	child_count="$_PIR_CPT_VERIFIED_CHILD_COUNT"
 	child_summary="$_PIR_CPT_VERIFIED_CHILD_SUMMARY"
@@ -883,15 +924,8 @@ _try_close_parent_tracker() {
 		return 1
 	fi
 	local close_basis="$_PIR_PARENT_TRUST_BASIS"
-	gh issue close "$parent_num" --repo "$slug" >/dev/null 2>&1 || return 1
-	if ! _pir_parent_close_postcondition_is_stable "$slug" "$parent_num" "$live_parent_body" \
-		"$child_nums" "$child_source"; then
-		if [[ "$_PIR_CPT_POST_CLOSE_REOPEN_ALLOWED" -eq 1 ]]; then
-			_pir_reopen_unstable_parent_close "$slug" "$parent_num" || \
-				echo "[pulse-wrapper] Reconcile parent-task: unable to compensate unstable close #${parent_num} in ${slug}" >>"${LOGFILE:-/dev/null}"
-		fi
-		return 1
-	fi
+	_pir_close_parent_with_postcondition "$slug" "$parent_num" "$live_parent_body" \
+		"$child_nums" "$child_source" || return 1
 	gh_issue_comment "$parent_num" --repo "$slug" \
 		--body "## All declared child tasks completed — closing parent tracker
 
diff --git a/.agents/scripts/tests/test-pulse-issue-reconcile.sh b/.agents/scripts/tests/test-pulse-issue-reconcile.sh
index 6e4656a1fc..6506cde279 100644
--- a/.agents/scripts/tests/test-pulse-issue-reconcile.sh
+++ b/.agents/scripts/tests/test-pulse-issue-reconcile.sh
@@ -1772,6 +1772,46 @@ EOF
 	return 0
 }
 
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# GH#34289: a parent close must not start when the remaining reconcile budget
+# is below the mutation reserve (outer stage kill would land mid-action).
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+test_gh34289_parent_close_deferred_near_budget() {
+	local actions_sh="${SCRIPT_DIR}/../pulse-issue-reconcile-actions.sh"
+	local logfile=""
+	logfile=$(mktemp)
+	local result=""
+	result=$(ACTIONS_SH="$actions_sh" LOGFILE="$logfile" bash -c '
+		_PIR_SCRIPT_DIR="/nonexistent"
+		source "$ACTIONS_SH"
+		GH_CALLS=0
+		gh() { GH_CALLS=$((GH_CALLS + 1)); return 1; }
+		_t2984_budget=360
+		SECONDS=300
+		_t2984_start_ts=0
+		_try_close_parent_tracker owner/repo 42 43 graph "" && echo "near:ran" || echo "near:deferred"
+		printf "near-gh-calls:%s\n" "$GH_CALLS"
+		_t2984_start_ts=$SECONDS
+		_pir_budget_allows_mutation && echo "fresh:allowed" || echo "fresh:blocked"
+		_t2984_budget=0
+		_pir_budget_allows_mutation && echo "nobudget:allowed" || echo "nobudget:blocked"
+	' 2>/dev/null)
+
+	local all_ok=1
+	printf '%s\n' "$result" | grep -qx 'near:deferred' || all_ok=0
+	printf '%s\n' "$result" | grep -qx 'near-gh-calls:0' || all_ok=0
+	printf '%s\n' "$result" | grep -qx 'fresh:allowed' || all_ok=0
+	printf '%s\n' "$result" | grep -qx 'nobudget:allowed' || all_ok=0
+	grep -q 'deferred: insufficient reconcile budget for parent close #42' "$logfile" 2>/dev/null || all_ok=0
+	rm -f "$logfile"
+	if [[ "$all_ok" -eq 1 ]]; then
+		_pass "parent close deferred (no gh calls, logged) when reconcile budget is nearly exhausted"
+	else
+		_fail "budget-deferral result mismatch: ${result}"
+	fi
+	return 0
+}
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Run all tests
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1807,6 +1847,7 @@ test_gh32640_ciw_rsd_recurrent_file_size_debt_gate
 test_available_feedback_worker_issue_not_assigned
 test_feedback_backfill_uses_label_constants
 test_pr_lookup_uncertainty_preserves_issue_state
+test_gh34289_parent_close_deferred_near_budget
 
 echo ""
 echo "Results: ${pass} passed, ${fail} failed"