Preserve fleet match timing across empty telemetry

tests/unit/server-status.test.ts

@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ describe('database fleet and container readiness', () => {
         }
     );
 
-    it('keeps game_end through occupied polls until game_start or an empty lobby', async () => {
+    it('keeps game_end through RCON polls and recovers when telemetry observes a new match', async () => {
         const { inspect, rcon, fanoutStatus, getServer } = await setup();
         inspect.mockResolvedValue({ ok: true, state: 'running' });
         const reply = (players: number) => ({
@@ -621,9 +621,11 @@ describe('database fleet and container readiness', () => {
         await postTelemetry(gameEvent('game_end', 10, 1, 'managed'));
         const ended = getServer('managed')?.game_ended_at;
         expect(ended).toEqual(expect.any(String));
-        await postTelemetry(gameEvent('heartbeat', 10, 1, 'managed'));
         await fanoutStatus();
         expect(getServer('managed')?.game_ended_at).toBe(ended);
+        await postTelemetry(gameEvent('heartbeat', 1, 1, 'managed'));
+        await fanoutStatus();
+        expect(getServer('managed')).toMatchObject({ game_started_at: null, game_ended_at: null });
         await postTelemetry(gameEvent('game_start', 0, 1, 'managed'));
         expect(getServer('managed')?.game_ended_at).toBeNull();
         await postTelemetry(gameEvent('game_end', 10, 1, 'managed'));
@@ -638,6 +640,54 @@ describe('database fleet and container readiness', () => {
         expect(getServer('managed')?.game_ended_at).toBeNull();
     });
 
+    it.each([0, 1])(
+        'preserves a match starting with %i players through empty reports, polls, a gap, and reload',
+        async (startPlayers) => {
+            const { inspect, rcon, fanoutStatus, getServer } = await setup();
+            const { GET } = await import('../../src/routes/api/servers/+server.js');
+            const { currentRound } = await import('../../src/lib/fleet-overview.js');
+            const { closeDb } = await import('../../src/lib/server/db/index.js');
+            const beginning = Date.parse('2026-10-09T12:00:00Z');
+            const at = (seconds: number) => new Date(beginning + seconds * 1000).toISOString();
+            vi.useFakeTimers({ toFake: ['Date'] });
+            vi.setSystemTime(beginning);
+            inspect.mockResolvedValue({ ok: true, state: 'running' });
+            rcon.mockResolvedValue({
+                ok: true,
+                endpoint: { host: 'localhost', port: 28960 },
+                status: { players: 0, map: 'zombie_theater', gametype: 'zom', roster: [] }
+            });
+            const start = await (
+                await postTelemetry(gameEvent('game_start', 0, startPlayers, 'managed'))
+            ).json();
+            expect(start.telemetry.timing.server.gameStartedAt).toBe(at(0));
+            vi.setSystemTime(beginning + 1000);
+            await postTelemetry(gameEvent('round_change', 1, 0, 'managed'));
+            for (const seconds of [30, 121]) {
+                vi.setSystemTime(beginning + seconds * 1000);
+                await fanoutStatus();
+                expect(getServer('managed')).toMatchObject({
+                    active_since: null,
+                    game_started_at: at(0),
+                    game_ended_at: null
+                });
+            }
+            vi.setSystemTime(beginning + 180_000);
+            await postTelemetry(gameEvent('heartbeat', 4, 1, 'managed'));
+            await fanoutStatus();
+            closeDb();
+            const server = (await (await GET()).json()).servers[0];
+            expect(server).toMatchObject({
+                health: 'online',
+                last_players: 1,
+                active_since: at(180),
+                game_started_at: at(0),
+                game_ended_at: null
+            });
+            expect(currentRound(server, server.telemetry, Date.now())).toBe(4);
+        }
+    );
+
     it('keeps the first occupied report as the active timer when more telemetry arrives before polling', async () => {
         const { inspect, rcon, fanoutStatus, getServer } = await setup();
         const { GET } = await import('../../src/routes/api/servers/+server.js');