diff --git a/charms/garm/src/charm.py b/charms/garm/src/charm.py
index 0d83453e..ac5aa352 100755
--- a/charms/garm/src/charm.py
+++ b/charms/garm/src/charm.py
@@ -438,18 +438,20 @@ def restart(self, rerun_migrations: bool = False) -> None:
         postgresql_config = self._get_postgresql_config()
         if not postgresql_config:
             logger.info("PostgreSQL relation data not yet available; blocking")
-            self.unit.status = ops.WaitingStatus("Waiting for postgresql relation")
+            self.update_app_and_unit_status(ops.WaitingStatus("Waiting for postgresql relation"))
             return
 
         secrets_data = self._get_secrets()
         if secrets_data is None:
             logger.info("GARM secrets not yet available; blocking until leader initialises")
-            self.unit.status = ops.WaitingStatus("Waiting for GARM secrets")
+            self.update_app_and_unit_status(ops.WaitingStatus("Waiting for GARM secrets"))
             return
 
         provider_configs = self._get_configurator_provider_configs()
         if not provider_configs:
-            self.unit.status = ops.WaitingStatus("Waiting for garm-configurator relation")
+            self.update_app_and_unit_status(
+                ops.WaitingStatus("Waiting for garm-configurator relation")
+            )
             return
 
         proxy_env = _proxy_environment()
@@ -918,13 +920,13 @@ def _reconcile_runners(self) -> None:
             EntityReconciler(auth_client).reconcile(charm_state.desired_entities)
             template_id = _apply_garm_template(auth_client, charm_state.ssh_debug_connections)
             ScalesetReconciler(auth_client).reconcile(self._build_desired_scalesets(template_id))
-            self.unit.status = ops.ActiveStatus()
+            self.update_app_and_unit_status(ops.ActiveStatus())
         except CharmedTemplateError as exc:
             logger.warning("GARM charmed template error during reconcile: %s", exc)
-            self.unit.status = ops.WaitingStatus(str(exc))
+            self.update_app_and_unit_status(ops.WaitingStatus(str(exc)))
         except GarmApiError as exc:
             logger.warning("GARM API error during reconcile: %s", exc)
-            self.unit.status = ops.WaitingStatus("GARM sync failed")
+            self.update_app_and_unit_status(ops.WaitingStatus("GARM sync failed"))
 
     def _ensure_controller_urls(self, auth_client: GarmAuthenticatedClient) -> None:
         """Configure the GARM controller URLs that gate its operational API.
diff --git a/charms/garm/tests/unit/test_charm.py b/charms/garm/tests/unit/test_charm.py
index de52d96a..3d649b9e 100644
--- a/charms/garm/tests/unit/test_charm.py
+++ b/charms/garm/tests/unit/test_charm.py
@@ -862,10 +862,12 @@ def test_reconcile_runners_reconciles_credentials_entities_then_scalesets():
         patch("charm._apply_garm_template", return_value=99) as mock_apply,
         patch("charm.CharmState") as mock_charm_state_cls,
         patch.object(GarmCharm, "unit", new_callable=PropertyMock) as mock_unit,
+        patch.object(GarmCharm, "app", new_callable=PropertyMock) as mock_app,
     ):
         mock_charm_state_cls.from_charm.return_value.ssh_debug_connections = []
         mock_charm_state_cls.from_charm.return_value.desired_entities = entities
         mock_unit.return_value = MagicMock()
+        mock_app.return_value = MagicMock()
         order = MagicMock()
         order.attach_mock(mock_github_cls.return_value.reconcile, "github")
         order.attach_mock(mock_entity_cls.return_value.reconcile, "entity")
@@ -916,9 +918,11 @@ def test_reconcile_runners_charmed_template_error_sets_waiting_status():
         ),
         patch("charm.CharmState") as mock_state,
         patch.object(GarmCharm, "unit", new_callable=PropertyMock) as mock_unit,
+        patch.object(GarmCharm, "app", new_callable=PropertyMock) as mock_app,
     ):
         mock_state.from_charm.return_value.ssh_debug_connections = []
         mock_unit.return_value = MagicMock()
+        mock_app.return_value = MagicMock()
         charm._reconcile_runners()  # must not raise
 
         status = mock_unit.return_value.status
@@ -928,6 +932,83 @@ def test_reconcile_runners_charmed_template_error_sets_waiting_status():
     assert status.message == "base template missing"
 
 
+def test_reconcile_runners_success_refreshes_stale_app_status():
+    """
+    arrange: A stale app status and a reconcile that will succeed.
+    act: Call _reconcile_runners().
+    assert: Both unit and app status refresh to ActiveStatus.
+    """
+    charm = object.__new__(GarmCharm)
+    charm._get_admin_credentials = MagicMock(
+        return_value={"username": "admin", "password": "TestPass-123!"}
+    )
+    charm._build_desired_credentials = MagicMock(return_value=[])
+    charm._build_desired_scalesets = MagicMock(return_value=[])
+    charm._ensure_controller_urls = MagicMock()
+
+    with (
+        patch("charm.GarmAuthenticatedClient"),
+        patch("charm.GithubReconciler"),
+        patch("charm.EntityReconciler"),
+        patch("charm.ScalesetReconciler"),
+        patch("charm._apply_garm_template", return_value=99),
+        patch("charm.CharmState") as mock_charm_state_cls,
+        patch.object(GarmCharm, "unit", new_callable=PropertyMock) as mock_unit,
+        patch.object(GarmCharm, "app", new_callable=PropertyMock) as mock_app,
+    ):
+        mock_charm_state_cls.from_charm.return_value.ssh_debug_connections = []
+        mock_charm_state_cls.from_charm.return_value.desired_entities = []
+        mock_unit.return_value = MagicMock()
+        mock_unit.return_value.is_leader.return_value = True
+        mock_unit.return_value.status = ops.WaitingStatus("Waiting for pebble ready")
+        mock_app.return_value = MagicMock()
+        mock_app.return_value.status = ops.WaitingStatus("Waiting for pebble ready")
+
+        charm._reconcile_runners()
+
+        unit_status = mock_unit.return_value.status
+        app_status = mock_app.return_value.status
+
+    assert unit_status == ops.ActiveStatus()
+    assert app_status == ops.ActiveStatus()
+
+
+def test_restart_missing_configurator_relation_refreshes_stale_app_status():
+    """
+    arrange: A stale app status and a missing garm-configurator relation.
+    act: Call restart().
+    assert: Both unit and app status become "Waiting for garm-configurator relation".
+    """
+    charm = object.__new__(GarmCharm)
+    charm._ensure_secrets = MagicMock()
+    charm.is_ready = MagicMock(return_value=True)
+    charm._get_postgresql_config = MagicMock(return_value=_DEFAULT_PG_CONFIG)
+    charm._get_secrets = MagicMock(
+        return_value={"jwt-secret": "test-jwt-secret", "db-passphrase": "a" * 32}
+    )
+    charm._get_configurator_provider_configs = MagicMock(return_value=[])
+
+    with (
+        patch.object(GarmCharm, "config", new_callable=PropertyMock) as mock_config,
+        patch.object(GarmCharm, "unit", new_callable=PropertyMock) as mock_unit,
+        patch.object(GarmCharm, "app", new_callable=PropertyMock) as mock_app,
+    ):
+        mock_config.return_value = {}
+        mock_unit.return_value = MagicMock()
+        mock_unit.return_value.is_leader.return_value = True
+        mock_unit.return_value.status = ops.WaitingStatus("Waiting for pebble ready")
+        mock_app.return_value = MagicMock()
+        mock_app.return_value.status = ops.WaitingStatus("Waiting for pebble ready")
+
+        charm.restart()
+
+        unit_status = mock_unit.return_value.status
+        app_status = mock_app.return_value.status
+
+    assert unit_status == ops.WaitingStatus("Waiting for garm-configurator relation")
+    assert app_status == ops.WaitingStatus("Waiting for garm-configurator relation")
+
+
 def test_restart_ensures_secrets_before_readiness_gate():
     """
     arrange: A GarmCharm whose workload is not ready (pebble not up yet).
diff --git a/charms/tests/integration/conftest.py b/charms/tests/integration/conftest.py
index 0fde00b7..7e2be7d1 100644
--- a/charms/tests/integration/conftest.py
+++ b/charms/tests/integration/conftest.py
@@ -641,11 +641,11 @@ def integrate_configurator_with_garm_fixture(
     Returns the garm app name.
     """
     juju.integrate(configurator_with_image, garm_app)
-    # GARM may end up in a split state: app_status=active (set by paas_charm)
-    # while unit workload_status=waiting (set by _reconcile_runners when
-    # credentials/providers are not yet configured). all_active and all_waiting
-    # both require BOTH app and unit to match, so neither would pass. Using
-    # all_agents_idle checks only that hooks have finished running, which is
+    # The charm keeps app and unit status in sync, so after integration GARM
+    # settles into a consistent state that is usually waiting (both app and unit)
+    # because _reconcile_runners() is still pending until credentials/providers
+    # are configured -- not active. Waiting for all_active would therefore time
+    # out; all_agents_idle checks only that hooks have finished running, which is
     # sufficient to confirm the integration event was processed.
     juju.wait(
         lambda status: jubilant.all_agents_idle(status, garm_app)
diff --git a/charms/tests/integration/test_garm.py b/charms/tests/integration/test_garm.py
index 83dd64a1..f60325b2 100644
--- a/charms/tests/integration/test_garm.py
+++ b/charms/tests/integration/test_garm.py
@@ -128,18 +128,22 @@ def test_garm_charm_reaches_active(
     """
     arrange: The GARM charm is deployed with postgresql & garm-configurator integrated.
     act: Observe the Juju application status.
-    assert: The application is in active status, confirming a successful install.
+    assert: The application is up (``active``, or ``waiting`` on the GARM runner
+        reconcile) rather than ``blocked`` or errored, confirming a successful install.
 
-    Note: the unit workload status may be ``waiting`` at this point because
-    _reconcile_runners() runs on integration and fails until first-run
-    initialises GARM via the API.  The app-level status is what paas_charm
-    sets, confirming the service is up.
+    The charm keeps the application status in sync with the unit status, so while
+    _reconcile_runners() is still pending (GARM not yet fully initialised via the
+    API) the application legitimately reports ``waiting`` instead of a stale
+    ``active``.  Either state confirms the workload came up cleanly.
     """
     status = juju.status()
-    current = status.apps[configurator_garm].app_status.current
-    logger.info("GARM app status: %s", current)
+    app_status = status.apps[configurator_garm].app_status
+    logger.info("GARM app status: %s (%s)", app_status.current, app_status.message)
 
-    assert current == "active", f"Expected {configurator_garm} to be active, got: {current}"
+    assert app_status.current in (
+        "active",
+        "waiting",
+    ), f"Expected {configurator_garm} to be active or waiting, got: {app_status.current}"
 
 
 def test_garm_api_controller_info(
diff --git a/docs/changelog.md b/docs/changelog.md
index a8ae22ce..ea8b5074 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.md
+++ b/docs/changelog.md
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ Each revision is versioned by the date of the revision.
 
 ## 2026-07-06
 
+- `garm`: fix the application status freezing on a stale value. The charm wrote the unit status directly on its own reconcile paths, so the leader's application status was never refreshed and could stay stuck (for example showing `Waiting for pebble ready` while the unit was `active`). Status writes now go through the shared unit/application status helper so both stay in sync.
+
 - `garm-configurator`: reject `max-runner=0` during config validation. GARM rejects scale set creation with `max_runners cannot be 0`, so the charm now surfaces the invalid configuration before publishing unusable scale set data to GARM.
 
 ## 2026-07-02