diff --git a/screen_locker/_workout_handoff.py b/screen_locker/_workout_handoff.py
index 78a5016..46f29c0 100644
--- a/screen_locker/_workout_handoff.py
+++ b/screen_locker/_workout_handoff.py
@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ def lock_grab_handoff(lock: LockWindow) -> GrabHandoff:
         # Stop first: a watchdog tick between the release and the app's own
         # grab would take the screen straight back off it.
         lock._recovery.stop()
+        # Claim.grab_held false BEFORE the release (fail closed), so
+        # leisure-watch never reads "held" while the workout app has input.
+        # reacquire() -> grab_input() sets it true once the grab lands.
+        lock.report_grab_held(held=False)
         with contextlib.suppress(tk.TclError):
             lock.root.grab_release()
         _logger.warning(
diff --git a/screen_locker/tests/test_workout_handoff.py b/screen_locker/tests/test_workout_handoff.py
index 9255289..47cd560 100644
--- a/screen_locker/tests/test_workout_handoff.py
+++ b/screen_locker/tests/test_workout_handoff.py
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ class _FakeLock:
 
         self.root = _Root()
 
+    def report_grab_held(self, *, held: bool) -> None:
+        """gatelock 0.11: what leisure-watch reads via ``held_grabs``."""
+        self.events.append(f"held={held}")
+
     def grab_input(self) -> None:
         self.events.append("grab_input")
         self._recovery.running = True
@@ -59,14 +63,14 @@ class TestLockGrabHandoff:
         lock = _FakeLock()
         lock_grab_handoff(lock).release()
         assert lock._recovery.events == ["stop"]
-        assert lock.events == ["grab_release"]
+        assert lock.events == ["held=False", "grab_release"]
         assert not lock._recovery.running
 
     def test_reacquire_restores_the_grab_and_the_watchdog(self) -> None:
         handoff = lock_grab_handoff(lock := _FakeLock())
         handoff.release()
         handoff.reacquire()
-        assert lock.events == ["grab_release", "grab_input"]
+        assert lock.events == ["held=False", "grab_release", "grab_input"]
         assert lock._recovery.running
 
     def test_never_closes_the_lock_window(self) -> None:
@@ -81,7 +85,7 @@ class TestLockGrabHandoff:
         handoff = lock_grab_handoff(lock := _FakeLock(release_raises=True))
         handoff.release()
         handoff.reacquire()
-        assert lock.events == ["grab_release", "grab_input"]
+        assert lock.events == ["held=False", "grab_release", "grab_input"]
 
 
 class TestStartWorkout: