diff --git a/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs.go b/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs.go
index 51f410f4..0d2da44f 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs.go
+++ b/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs.go
@@ -1311,26 +1311,27 @@ func preCheckJobRequest(req *models.JobSubmitRequest) (n int, isArray bool, err
 	// goes through the same checks and conversions below
 	n, isArray = 1, false
 	if req.QueueName == "" {
+		// bug-1960: the default queue gets the same existence and closed
+		// checks as a named one below
 		req.QueueName = "normal"
-	} else {
-		// Reject submissions to the reserved internal recovery queue.
-		if req.QueueName == "lost_and_found" {
-			logger.Error("Job submission to reserved queue rejected",
-				zap.String("queue_name", req.QueueName))
-			return 0, false, fmt.Errorf(
-				"cannot submit jobs to 'lost_and_found' — this is an internal recovery queue")
-		}
-		//validate queue_name whether exists
-		queueInfo, ok := store.Queues.Get(req.QueueName)
-		if !ok {
-			logger.Error("Invalid queue name specified", zap.String("queue_name", req.QueueName))
-			return 0, false, fmt.Errorf("invalid queue name: %s", req.QueueName)
-		}
-		queue_statusStr := formatQueueStatus(int64(queueInfo.QueueStatus))
-		if strings.HasPrefix(strings.ToLower(queue_statusStr), "closed") {
-			logger.Error("Queue is closed", zap.String("queue_name", req.QueueName))
-			return 0, false, fmt.Errorf("cannot submit job to queue %s: queue is closed", req.QueueName)
-		}
+	}
+	// Reject submissions to the reserved internal recovery queue.
+	if req.QueueName == "lost_and_found" {
+		logger.Error("Job submission to reserved queue rejected",
+			zap.String("queue_name", req.QueueName))
+		return 0, false, fmt.Errorf(
+			"cannot submit jobs to 'lost_and_found' — this is an internal recovery queue")
+	}
+	//validate queue_name whether exists
+	queueInfo, ok := store.Queues.Get(req.QueueName)
+	if !ok {
+		logger.Error("Invalid queue name specified", zap.String("queue_name", req.QueueName))
+		return 0, false, fmt.Errorf("invalid queue name: %s", req.QueueName)
+	}
+	queue_statusStr := formatQueueStatus(int64(queueInfo.QueueStatus))
+	if strings.HasPrefix(strings.ToLower(queue_statusStr), "closed") {
+		logger.Error("Queue is closed", zap.String("queue_name", req.QueueName))
+		return 0, false, fmt.Errorf("cannot submit job to queue %s: queue is closed", req.QueueName)
 	}
 	if req.JobName != "" {
 		// A name containing '[' or ']' is an array index expression; it is
diff --git a/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs_handler_test.go b/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs_handler_test.go
index a279aab5..a378f963 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs_handler_test.go
+++ b/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs_handler_test.go
@@ -413,6 +413,7 @@ func TestJobHandler_SmokeSubmitOrdinaryJob(t *testing.T) {
 // as a 500 and nothing is recorded.
 func TestJobHandler_SmokeSubmitErrorIs500(t *testing.T) {
 	f := newHandlerFixture(t)
+	f.seedQueue("normal") // the default queue must exist (bug-1960)
 	f.submitErr = errors.New("backend down")
 
 	w := f.submit(map[string]interface{}{"job_name": "smoke", "command": "sleep 1"})
diff --git a/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs_test.go b/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs_test.go
index 93b598f2..2e0587ef 100644
--- a/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs_test.go
+++ b/src/frontend/apiserver/controllers/jobs_test.go
@@ -122,6 +122,47 @@ func TestPreCheckJobRequest_EmptyQueue(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// bug-1960: a submission without a queue goes to the default queue "normal",
+// which must pass the same closed check as an explicitly named queue.
+func TestPreCheckJobRequest_DefaultQueueClosed(t *testing.T) {
+	resetJobSubmitState()
+	store.Queues.Put("normal", models.QueueInfo{
+		QueueName:   "normal",
+		QueueStatus: int(models.QUEUESTAT["CLOSED"]),
+	})
+
+	req := &models.JobSubmitRequest{QueueName: "", Command: "sleep 1"}
+	_, _, err := preCheckJobRequest(req)
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "queue is closed") {
+		t.Fatalf("submission to the closed default queue: err = %v, want \"queue is closed\"", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// bug-1960: the default queue must also exist, as a named queue must.
+func TestPreCheckJobRequest_DefaultQueueMissing(t *testing.T) {
+	resetJobSubmitState()
+
+	req := &models.JobSubmitRequest{QueueName: "", Command: "sleep 1"}
+	_, _, err := preCheckJobRequest(req)
+	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "invalid queue name: normal") {
+		t.Fatalf("submission with no default queue: err = %v, want \"invalid queue name: normal\"", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// bug-1960: an open default queue is still accepted and filled in.
+func TestPreCheckJobRequest_DefaultQueueOpen(t *testing.T) {
+	resetJobSubmitState()
+	store.Queues.Put("normal", models.QueueInfo{QueueName: "normal"})
+
+	req := &models.JobSubmitRequest{QueueName: "", Command: "sleep 1"}
+	if _, _, err := preCheckJobRequest(req); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("submission to the open default queue rejected: %v", err)
+	}
+	if req.QueueName != "normal" {
+		t.Errorf("QueueName = %q, want normal", req.QueueName)
+	}
+}
+
 // TestValidateJobControl_HandlesRealJobInfoTypes is a regression guard for
 // bug-1742 (gitea #45): models.JobInfo.JobStatus and .ArrayIdx are plain Go
 // `int` (see the JobInfo struct in models/jobs.go), but validateJobControl
@@ -278,6 +319,7 @@ func TestPreCheckJobRequest_NamedJobsGetFullValidation(t *testing.T) {
 	origCfg := utils.JobYamlConfig
 	utils.JobYamlConfig = &utils.JobConfig{MaxArraySize: 1000}
 	t.Cleanup(func() { utils.JobYamlConfig = origCfg })
+	store.Queues.Put("normal", models.QueueInfo{QueueName: "normal"}) // default queue (bug-1960)
 
 	for _, name := range []string{"", "myjob", "arr[1-3]"} {
 		req := &models.JobSubmitRequest{JobName: name, Command: "sleep 1"}