diff --git a/src/controller/ha.c b/src/controller/ha.c
index 3771d9c3..61937f0b 100644
--- a/src/controller/ha.c
+++ b/src/controller/ha.c
@@ -8856,6 +8856,17 @@ int primary_heartbeat_fn_for_test(cluster_t *c)
 {
     return primary_heartbeat_fn(c);
 }
+
+/*
+ * liveness_ctx_get_for_test: expose the current s_liveness_ctx pointer (as an
+ * opaque void*, no type leaked to callers) so a test can assert whether a
+ * ctx is published as "active" without a live delaymgr task actually
+ * servicing it (bug-1483 regression lock). Only compiled when XCE_TESTING.
+ */
+void *liveness_ctx_get_for_test(void)
+{
+    return (void *)atomic_load_explicit(&s_liveness_ctx, memory_order_acquire);
+}
 #endif
 
 void ha_arm_heartbeat_timeout_vtask(ha_state_t *ha, cluster_t *c)
@@ -8898,8 +8909,24 @@ void ha_arm_heartbeat_timeout_vtask(ha_state_t *ha, cluster_t *c)
     if (c && c->delaymgr.running) {
         int rc = delay_task_ms(&c->delaymgr, (int)poll_ms, 1,
                                (delay_task_entry_fn_t)liveness_poll_fn, ctx);
-        if (rc < 0)
+        if (rc < 0) {
             WARN("HA: ha_arm_heartbeat_timeout_vtask: delay_task_ms failed: %d", rc);
+            /* Scheduling failed -- no delaymgr task holds ctx, so
+             * liveness_poll_fn's cancelled-check free will never run for it.
+             * Free it now instead of leaving it published as "active"
+             * (bug-1483). */
+            atomic_store_explicit(&s_liveness_ctx, NULL, memory_order_release);
+            free(ctx);
+        }
+    } else {
+        /* No live delaymgr to poll on (c==NULL, e.g. unit-test mode driving
+         * this path directly via ha_prevote_rearm_liveness with no live
+         * cluster_t; or delaymgr not running). liveness_poll_fn's own
+         * cancelled-check free is the ONLY place a scheduled ctx ever gets
+         * freed, so an unscheduled ctx would otherwise leak permanently
+         * (bug-1483). Free it here instead. */
+        atomic_store_explicit(&s_liveness_ctx, NULL, memory_order_release);
+        free(ctx);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/controller/testsuite/test_ha_prevote.c b/src/controller/testsuite/test_ha_prevote.c
index 65814e17..b0caca5d 100644
--- a/src/controller/testsuite/test_ha_prevote.c
+++ b/src/controller/testsuite/test_ha_prevote.c
@@ -63,6 +63,12 @@ extern void ha_prevote_round_timeout_fire_for_test(ha_state_t *ha, cluster_t *c)
  * LOST outcome without a live delaymgr. */
 extern int (*ha_prevote_rearm_liveness_hook)(ha_state_t *ha, cluster_t *c);
 
+/*
+ * liveness_ctx_get_for_test: opaque accessor for ha.c's static s_liveness_ctx
+ * (bug-1483 regression lock — see test below).
+ */
+extern void *liveness_ctx_get_for_test(void);
+
 /* ── Task 5.1 transport-route seams ──────────────────────────────────────── */
 
 /*
@@ -280,6 +286,44 @@ static void test_prevote_round_timeout_is_loss(void)
     printf("test_prevote_round_timeout_is_loss: PASS\n");
 }
 
+/* ── Test 4b: LOST round with no test hook must not leak the liveness ctx
+ * (bug-1483) ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── */
+
+/*
+ * Every other LOST-path test in this file stubs ha_prevote_rearm_liveness_hook
+ * to avoid driving the real ha_arm_heartbeat_timeout_vtask(ha, c) with c==NULL
+ * — that unstubbed shape is exactly what bug-1483 found: the real function
+ * callocs a liveness_poll_ctx_t and publishes it to the static s_liveness_ctx,
+ * but with c==NULL there is no delaymgr to schedule liveness_poll_fn on, so
+ * nothing ever frees it — a permanent leak/dangling-publish on every such
+ * call. This test deliberately does NOT stub the hook, driving the real path,
+ * and asserts the ctx is never left published once arming without a
+ * scheduler is impossible.
+ */
+static void test_bug1483_lost_round_without_hook_does_not_leak_liveness_ctx(void)
+{
+    ha_state_t ha;
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, ha_init(&ha, &g_cfg, 0));
+    ha_do_demote(&ha);
+    make_three_node(&ha);
+
+    /* Deliberately leave ha_prevote_rearm_liveness_hook == NULL so the LOST
+     * branch calls the real ha_arm_heartbeat_timeout_vtask(&ha, NULL). */
+    TEST_ASSERT_NULL_MESSAGE(ha_prevote_rearm_liveness_hook,
+        "precondition: hook must be unstubbed to drive the real path");
+
+    ha_start_prevote_async(&ha, NULL);
+    ha_prevote_round_timeout_fire_for_test(&ha, NULL);
+
+    TEST_ASSERT_NULL_MESSAGE(liveness_ctx_get_for_test(),
+        "bug-1483: arming the liveness watchdog with c==NULL (no delaymgr "
+        "to poll on) must not leave an allocated ctx published as the "
+        "\"active\" s_liveness_ctx -- nothing would ever free it");
+
+    ha_fini(&ha);
+    printf("test_bug1483_lost_round_without_hook_does_not_leak_liveness_ctx: PASS\n");
+}
+
 /* ── Test 5: a subsequent genuine failure still triggers a new round ─────── */
 
 /*
@@ -876,6 +920,7 @@ void test_ha_prevote(void)
     RUN_TEST(test_prevote_majority_grant_starts_real_election);
     RUN_TEST(test_prevote_no_majority_stays_standby_and_rearms);
     RUN_TEST(test_prevote_round_timeout_is_loss);
+    RUN_TEST(test_bug1483_lost_round_without_hook_does_not_leak_liveness_ctx);
     RUN_TEST(test_prevote_reusable_after_loss);
     RUN_TEST(test_prevote_pending_is_noop);
     RUN_TEST(test_prevote_reply_over_real_transport_reaches_tally);