diff --git a/internal/ai/ai_test.go b/internal/ai/ai_test.go
index a373eab..9bff254 100644
--- a/internal/ai/ai_test.go
+++ b/internal/ai/ai_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package ai
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
+	"slices"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/greyson/super-auto-pets-board-game/internal/game"
@@ -251,3 +253,56 @@ func TestSimulateBattleIsPure(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Error("SimulateBattle mutated its input decks")
 	}
 }
+
+// TestDecideShopNeverSellsLastPet guards the invariant that the bot never
+// voluntarily turns its whole deck into food. In a hopeless late-game spot
+// (final round, a strong modeled opponent, so every rollout is a loss) the
+// candidate scores all collapse toward zero and the softmax degenerates to a
+// near-uniform pick — the exact situation that once let the bot sell every pet
+// across a few shop turns and hand over an automatic loss. However the dice
+// fall, a returned sell must leave at least one pet standing.
+func TestDecideShopNeverSellsLastPet(t *testing.T) {
+	pet := func(id, name string, power int) game.Card {
+		return game.Card{ID: id, Kind: game.KindPet, Name: name, Tier: 1, Power: power, Suit: game.SuitRed}
+	}
+	v := &game.View{
+		Phase:        game.PhaseShop,
+		Round:        game.MaxRounds, // alpha == 1: score is win-now only
+		MaxRounds:    game.MaxRounds,
+		MaxPets:      game.MaxPets,
+		Pack:         game.DefaultPack,
+		YouSeat:      0,
+		Turn:         0,
+		PrioritySeat: 0,
+		DeckCounts:   make([]int, game.MaxRounds+1),
+		Players: []game.PlayerView{
+			{Seat: 0, Coins: 0, PetCount: 2, DeckSize: 2, // no coins: buying is off the table
+				Deck: []game.Card{pet("p1", "Ant", 1), pet("p2", "Cricket", 1)}},
+			{Seat: 1, PetCount: 5, DeckSize: 5},
+		},
+	}
+	// Model a crushing opponent so every simulated battle is a loss.
+	mem := &Memory{}
+	mem.Opp.Seat = 1
+	for i := range 5 {
+		mem.Opp.Known = append(mem.Opp.Known,
+			game.Card{ID: fmt.Sprintf("o%d", i), Kind: game.KindPet, Name: "Wall", Tier: 1, Power: 50})
+	}
+
+	bot := New(0.5) // medium difficulty — the level from the bug report
+	for i := range 400 {
+		act := bot.decideShop(v, mem)
+		if act.Type != "sell" {
+			continue
+		}
+		remaining := 0
+		for _, c := range v.Players[0].Deck {
+			if c.IsPet() && !slices.Contains(act.Cards, c.ID) {
+				remaining++
+			}
+		}
+		if remaining == 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("iter %d: bot sold its last pet(s) %v, leaving an all-food deck", i, act.Cards)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/ai/shop.go b/internal/ai/shop.go
index 75a0106..b2046a9 100644
--- a/internal/ai/shop.go
+++ b/internal/ai/shop.go
@@ -7,6 +7,18 @@ import (
 	"github.com/greyson/super-auto-pets-board-game/internal/game"
 )
 
+// deckHasPet reports whether a hypothetical deck still contains at least one
+// pet. A deck of only food (apples) can never field a fighter, so it is an
+// automatic loss — the bot must never voluntarily sell or trade its way there.
+func deckHasPet(deck []game.Card) bool {
+	for _, c := range deck {
+		if c.IsPet() {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // applyTemplateShopEffects mirrors the engine's shop-time triggers on a
 // hypothetical deck: buying an Otter really does come with an apple, and the
 // bot should value that. Only deck-changing effects matter here (coin
@@ -240,6 +252,11 @@ func (b *Bot) decideShop(v *game.View, mem *Memory) *Action {
 			nd = append(nd, cx.simApple())
 			nd = cx.applyTemplateShopEffects(nd, s, game.TriggerSell)
 		}
+		// Never dump the last pet: an all-food deck loses on sight, so this
+		// candidate is off the table no matter how the rollouts score.
+		if !deckHasPet(nd) {
+			continue
+		}
 		cands = append(cands, candidate{
 			act:   &Action{Type: "sell", Cards: ids},
 			decks: [][]game.Card{nd},
diff --git a/internal/game/battle.go b/internal/game/battle.go
index b418c47..ff13512 100644
--- a/internal/game/battle.go
+++ b/internal/game/battle.go
@@ -1290,11 +1290,14 @@ func (g *Game) runBattle() *BattleResult {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// A single side still holding a pet in play wins; anything else
-	// (everyone out, or a stalemate with pets on both sides) is a draw.
+	// A single side that can still field a pet wins; anything else (everyone
+	// out, or a stalemate with pets on both sides) is a draw. We test canField,
+	// not unit, because the loop can break the instant one side runs out while
+	// the other's current pet has just fainted — that side still has pets left
+	// in its stack (it simply wasn't refilled) and is the rightful winner.
 	winner := -1
 	for seat, s := range sides {
-		if s.unit != nil {
+		if s.canField() {
 			if winner >= 0 {
 				winner = -1 // stalemate / >2-player safety
 				break
diff --git a/internal/game/golden45_test.go b/internal/game/golden45_test.go
index 9336772..109f65b 100644
--- a/internal/game/golden45_test.go
+++ b/internal/game/golden45_test.go
@@ -156,6 +156,23 @@ func TestManateeSelfRockFatalStillAddsApples(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// A player whose only in-play pet faints to its own play effect (Manatee's
+// self-rock) still wins if it has pets left in its deck and the opponent has
+// none. The battle loop breaks the instant the opponent runs out — before the
+// survivor's next pet is revealed — so the winner must be decided by who can
+// still field a pet, not by who happens to have one in play at that instant.
+func TestSelfFaintWithReserveStillWins(t *testing.T) {
+	g, _, _ := testGame(t)
+	g.RollDie = func() int { return 2 } // 2 rocks = 4 damage, fatal to the 3-power Manatee
+	res := forceBattle(t, g,
+		[]Card{g.goldenPet(t, "Manatee"), g.pet("Reserve", 5)},
+		[]Card{g.newApple()}, // opponent has only food — no pet, ever
+	)
+	if res.WinnerSeat != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("seat 0 should win with a reserve pet vs an all-food deck, got winner %d", res.WinnerSeat)
+	}
+}
+
 // Poison Dart Frog, once set aside, throws rocks each time a Bee is played.
 func TestPoisonDartFrogBeeRocks(t *testing.T) {
 	g, _, _ := testGame(t)