diff --git a/cli/daemon.go b/cli/daemon.go
index 36b39ac560..e6ed479de3 100644
--- a/cli/daemon.go
+++ b/cli/daemon.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/creasty/defaults"
 	"github.com/gobs/args"
 
 	cfgvalidator "github.com/netresearch/ofelia/config"
@@ -609,6 +610,8 @@ func (c *DaemonCommand) buildPersistedRunJob(name string, j *persist.Job, provid
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("docker provider unavailable for run job")
 	}
 	rj := core.NewRunJob(provider)
+	// struct-tag defaults are only applied by the config decoder — apply them here too.
+	_ = defaults.Set(rj)
 	rj.Name = name
 	rj.Schedule = j.Schedule
 	rj.Command = j.Command
diff --git a/cli/daemon_persisted_run_job_delete_default_test.go b/cli/daemon_persisted_run_job_delete_default_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..760818a26a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/daemon_persisted_run_job_delete_default_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2025-2026 Netresearch DTT GmbH
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package cli
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/netresearch/ofelia/core"
+	"github.com/netresearch/ofelia/core/persist"
+)
+
+// TestBuildPersistedRunJob_DefaultsDelete pins the restore-path half of
+// the container-leak fix. buildPersistedRunJob rebuilds a persisted
+// job-run on every daemon restart (initPersistStore -> newDaemonForPersistTest
+// et al.) through a path entirely separate from newRunJobFromRequest
+// (web/server.go) — a job created before this fix, or reloaded across
+// any restart, would keep leaking containers even after the API path
+// was patched if this path is not fixed too.
+func TestBuildPersistedRunJob_DefaultsDelete(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	c := newDaemonForPersistTest(t)
+	job, err := c.buildPersistedRunJob("persisted-run-job", &persist.Job{
+		Type:     persist.JobTypeRun,
+		Schedule: "@hourly",
+		Image:    "busybox",
+	}, &mockDockerProvider{})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("buildPersistedRunJob: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	rj, ok := job.(*core.RunJob)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("expected *core.RunJob, got %T", job)
+	}
+	if rj.Delete != "true" {
+		t.Fatalf("Delete = %q, want \"true\" — persisted run jobs must clean up their container on every restart", rj.Delete)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/web/server.go b/web/server.go
index 0aea7df1ae..643e62c4c5 100644
--- a/web/server.go
+++ b/web/server.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/creasty/defaults"
 	"github.com/gobs/args"
 	cron "github.com/netresearch/go-cron"
 
@@ -754,6 +755,8 @@ func (s *Server) newRunJobFromRequest(req *jobRequest) (core.Job, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("docker provider unavailable for run job")
 	}
 	j := core.NewRunJob(s.provider)
+	// struct-tag defaults are only applied by the config decoder — apply them here too.
+	_ = defaults.Set(j)
 	j.Name = req.Name
 	j.Schedule = req.Schedule
 	j.Command = req.Command
diff --git a/web/server_run_job_delete_default_test.go b/web/server_run_job_delete_default_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9ea53c1aed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/server_run_job_delete_default_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2025-2026 Netresearch DTT GmbH
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package web
+
+import (
+	"io"
+	"log/slog"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/netresearch/ofelia/core"
+)
+
+// TestNewRunJobFromRequest_DefaultsDelete pins the fix for the
+// container-leak bug: jobRequest has no "delete" field, and unlike
+// config.ini-sourced jobs (whose RunJob.Delete defaults to "true" via
+// the decoder's default-tag handling), a job built here from the API
+// request used to leave Delete at its zero value (""). deleteContainer
+// treats that as false, so every API-created run job's container was
+// left behind and collided with the next run's `docker create` on the
+// same name ("resource conflict"). Delete must default to "true" here
+// to match the config.ini behavior.
+func TestNewRunJobFromRequest_DefaultsDelete(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	logger := slog.New(slog.NewTextHandler(io.Discard, nil))
+	s := NewServer("", core.NewScheduler(logger), nil, newHangingDockerProvider())
+
+	job, err := s.newRunJobFromRequest(&jobRequest{
+		Name:     "api-run-job",
+		Type:     "run",
+		Schedule: "@hourly",
+		Image:    "busybox",
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("newRunJobFromRequest: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	rj, ok := job.(*core.RunJob)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("expected *core.RunJob, got %T", job)
+	}
+	if rj.Delete != "true" {
+		t.Fatalf("Delete = %q, want \"true\" — API-created run jobs must clean up their container like config.ini ones do", rj.Delete)
+	}
+}