diff --git a/src/cron/service.jobs.test.ts b/src/cron/service.jobs.test.ts
index c2080fa06..b11ca9854 100644
--- a/src/cron/service.jobs.test.ts
+++ b/src/cron/service.jobs.test.ts
@@ -29,4 +29,75 @@ describe("applyJobPatch", () => {
     expect(job.payload.kind).toBe("systemEvent");
     expect(job.delivery).toBeUndefined();
   });
+
+  it("maps legacy payload delivery updates onto delivery", () => {
+    const now = Date.now();
+    const job: CronJob = {
+      id: "job-2",
+      name: "job-2",
+      enabled: true,
+      createdAtMs: now,
+      updatedAtMs: now,
+      schedule: { kind: "every", everyMs: 60_000 },
+      sessionTarget: "isolated",
+      wakeMode: "now",
+      payload: { kind: "agentTurn", message: "do it" },
+      delivery: { mode: "announce", channel: "telegram", to: "123" },
+      state: {},
+    };
+
+    const patch: CronJobPatch = {
+      payload: {
+        kind: "agentTurn",
+        deliver: false,
+        channel: "Signal",
+        to: "555",
+        bestEffortDeliver: true,
+      },
+    };
+
+    expect(() => applyJobPatch(job, patch)).not.toThrow();
+    expect(job.payload.kind).toBe("agentTurn");
+    if (job.payload.kind === "agentTurn") {
+      expect(job.payload.deliver).toBe(false);
+      expect(job.payload.channel).toBe("Signal");
+      expect(job.payload.to).toBe("555");
+      expect(job.payload.bestEffortDeliver).toBe(true);
+    }
+    expect(job.delivery).toEqual({
+      mode: "none",
+      channel: "signal",
+      to: "555",
+      bestEffort: true,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("treats legacy payload targets as announce requests", () => {
+    const now = Date.now();
+    const job: CronJob = {
+      id: "job-3",
+      name: "job-3",
+      enabled: true,
+      createdAtMs: now,
+      updatedAtMs: now,
+      schedule: { kind: "every", everyMs: 60_000 },
+      sessionTarget: "isolated",
+      wakeMode: "now",
+      payload: { kind: "agentTurn", message: "do it" },
+      delivery: { mode: "none", channel: "telegram" },
+      state: {},
+    };
+
+    const patch: CronJobPatch = {
+      payload: { kind: "agentTurn", to: " 999 " },
+    };
+
+    expect(() => applyJobPatch(job, patch)).not.toThrow();
+    expect(job.delivery).toEqual({
+      mode: "announce",
+      channel: "telegram",
+      to: "999",
+      bestEffort: undefined,
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/cron/service/jobs.ts b/src/cron/service/jobs.ts
index d814d44c6..a9eda476c 100644
--- a/src/cron/service/jobs.ts
+++ b/src/cron/service/jobs.ts
@@ -155,6 +155,17 @@ export function applyJobPatch(job: CronJob, patch: CronJobPatch) {
   if (patch.payload) {
     job.payload = mergeCronPayload(job.payload, patch.payload);
   }
+  if (!patch.delivery && patch.payload?.kind === "agentTurn") {
+    // Back-compat: legacy clients still update delivery via payload fields.
+    const legacyDeliveryPatch = buildLegacyDeliveryPatch(patch.payload);
+    if (
+      legacyDeliveryPatch &&
+      job.sessionTarget === "isolated" &&
+      job.payload.kind === "agentTurn"
+    ) {
+      job.delivery = mergeCronDelivery(job.delivery, legacyDeliveryPatch);
+    }
+  }
   if (patch.delivery) {
     job.delivery = mergeCronDelivery(job.delivery, patch.delivery);
   }
@@ -216,6 +227,47 @@ function mergeCronPayload(existing: CronPayload, patch: CronPayloadPatch): CronP
   return next;
 }
 
+function buildLegacyDeliveryPatch(
+  payload: Extract<CronPayloadPatch, { kind: "agentTurn" }>,
+): CronDeliveryPatch | null {
+  const deliver = payload.deliver;
+  const toRaw = typeof payload.to === "string" ? payload.to.trim() : "";
+  const hasLegacyHints =
+    typeof deliver === "boolean" ||
+    typeof payload.bestEffortDeliver === "boolean" ||
+    Boolean(toRaw);
+  if (!hasLegacyHints) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const patch: CronDeliveryPatch = {};
+  let hasPatch = false;
+
+  if (deliver === false) {
+    patch.mode = "none";
+    hasPatch = true;
+  } else if (deliver === true || toRaw) {
+    patch.mode = "announce";
+    hasPatch = true;
+  }
+
+  if (typeof payload.channel === "string") {
+    const channel = payload.channel.trim().toLowerCase();
+    patch.channel = channel ? channel : undefined;
+    hasPatch = true;
+  }
+  if (typeof payload.to === "string") {
+    patch.to = payload.to.trim();
+    hasPatch = true;
+  }
+  if (typeof payload.bestEffortDeliver === "boolean") {
+    patch.bestEffort = payload.bestEffortDeliver;
+    hasPatch = true;
+  }
+
+  return hasPatch ? patch : null;
+}
+
 function buildPayloadFromPatch(patch: CronPayloadPatch): CronPayload {
   if (patch.kind === "systemEvent") {
     if (typeof patch.text !== "string" || patch.text.length === 0) {
diff --git a/src/cron/service/store.ts b/src/cron/service/store.ts
index 5797f2ee1..3c771a577 100644
--- a/src/cron/service/store.ts
+++ b/src/cron/service/store.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,69 @@ function buildDeliveryFromLegacyPayload(payload: Record<string, unknown>) {
   return next;
 }
 
+function buildDeliveryPatchFromLegacyPayload(payload: Record<string, unknown>) {
+  const deliver = payload.deliver;
+  const channelRaw =
+    typeof payload.channel === "string" ? payload.channel.trim().toLowerCase() : "";
+  const toRaw = typeof payload.to === "string" ? payload.to.trim() : "";
+  const next: Record<string, unknown> = {};
+  let hasPatch = false;
+
+  if (deliver === false) {
+    next.mode = "none";
+    hasPatch = true;
+  } else if (deliver === true || toRaw) {
+    next.mode = "announce";
+    hasPatch = true;
+  }
+  if (channelRaw) {
+    next.channel = channelRaw;
+    hasPatch = true;
+  }
+  if (toRaw) {
+    next.to = toRaw;
+    hasPatch = true;
+  }
+  if (typeof payload.bestEffortDeliver === "boolean") {
+    next.bestEffort = payload.bestEffortDeliver;
+    hasPatch = true;
+  }
+
+  return hasPatch ? next : null;
+}
+
+function mergeLegacyDeliveryInto(
+  delivery: Record<string, unknown>,
+  payload: Record<string, unknown>,
+) {
+  const patch = buildDeliveryPatchFromLegacyPayload(payload);
+  if (!patch) {
+    return { delivery, mutated: false };
+  }
+
+  const next = { ...delivery };
+  let mutated = false;
+
+  if ("mode" in patch && patch.mode !== next.mode) {
+    next.mode = patch.mode;
+    mutated = true;
+  }
+  if ("channel" in patch && patch.channel !== next.channel) {
+    next.channel = patch.channel;
+    mutated = true;
+  }
+  if ("to" in patch && patch.to !== next.to) {
+    next.to = patch.to;
+    mutated = true;
+  }
+  if ("bestEffort" in patch && patch.bestEffort !== next.bestEffort) {
+    next.bestEffort = patch.bestEffort;
+    mutated = true;
+  }
+
+  return { delivery: next, mutated };
+}
+
 function stripLegacyDeliveryFields(payload: Record<string, unknown>) {
   if ("deliver" in payload) {
     delete payload.deliver;
@@ -180,6 +243,16 @@ export async function ensureLoaded(state: CronServiceState) {
         mutated = true;
       }
       if (payloadRecord && hasLegacyDelivery) {
+        if (hasDelivery) {
+          const merged = mergeLegacyDeliveryInto(
+            delivery as Record<string, unknown>,
+            payloadRecord,
+          );
+          if (merged.mutated) {
+            raw.delivery = merged.delivery;
+            mutated = true;
+          }
+        }
         stripLegacyDeliveryFields(payloadRecord);
         mutated = true;
       }