diff --git a/server/src/crdt_state/state.rs b/server/src/crdt_state/state.rs
index 29e53f6a..620000ff 100644
--- a/server/src/crdt_state/state.rs
+++ b/server/src/crdt_state/state.rs
@@ -308,10 +308,15 @@ where
     let raw_op = op_fn(state);
     let signed = raw_op.sign(&state.keypair);
     state.crdt.apply(signed.clone());
-    if let Err(e) = state.persist_tx.send(signed.clone()) {
-        crate::slog_error!(
-            "[crdt] Failed to send op to persist task: {e}; persist task may be dead. \
-             In-memory state is now ahead of persisted state."
+    if state.persist_tx.send(signed.clone()).is_err() {
+        let op_type = if signed.inner.is_deleted {
+            "Delete"
+        } else {
+            "Insert"
+        };
+        let seq = signed.inner.seq;
+        crate::slog_warn!(
+            "[crdt_persist] persist channel send failed: op_type={op_type} seq={seq}"
         );
     }
 
@@ -488,7 +493,7 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn persist_tx_send_failure_logs_error() {
+    fn persist_tx_send_failure_logs_warn_with_op_type_and_seq() {
         let kp = make_keypair();
         let crdt = BaseCrdt::<PipelineDoc>::new(&kp);
         let (persist_tx, persist_rx) = mpsc::unbounded_channel::<SignedOp>();
@@ -506,7 +511,7 @@ mod tests {
         drop(persist_rx);
 
         let item_json: JsonValue = json!({
-            "story_id": "518_story_persist_fail",
+            "story_id": "676_story_persist_fail",
             "stage": "1_backlog",
             "name": "Persist Fail Test",
             "agent": "",
@@ -518,33 +523,91 @@ mod tests {
         })
         .into();
 
-        let before_errors = crate::log_buffer::global()
-            .get_recent_entries(1000, None, Some(&crate::log_buffer::LogLevel::Error))
+        let before_warns = crate::log_buffer::global()
+            .get_recent_entries(1000, None, Some(&crate::log_buffer::LogLevel::Warn))
             .len();
 
         apply_and_persist(&mut state, |s| s.crdt.doc.items.insert(ROOT_ID, item_json));
 
-        let error_entries = crate::log_buffer::global().get_recent_entries(
+        let warn_entries = crate::log_buffer::global().get_recent_entries(
             1000,
             None,
-            Some(&crate::log_buffer::LogLevel::Error),
+            Some(&crate::log_buffer::LogLevel::Warn),
         );
 
-        assert!(
-            error_entries.len() > before_errors,
-            "expected an ERROR log entry when persist_tx send fails, but none was added"
+        assert_eq!(
+            warn_entries.len(),
+            before_warns + 1,
+            "expected exactly one WARN log entry when persist_tx send fails"
         );
 
-        let last_error = &error_entries[error_entries.len() - 1];
+        let warn = &warn_entries[warn_entries.len() - 1];
         assert!(
-            last_error.message.contains("persist"),
-            "error message should mention persist: {}",
-            last_error.message
+            warn.message.contains("[crdt_persist]"),
+            "WARN message must be prefixed [crdt_persist]: {}",
+            warn.message
         );
         assert!(
-            last_error.message.contains("ahead") || last_error.message.contains("diverged"),
-            "error message should note in-memory/persisted divergence: {}",
-            last_error.message
+            warn.message.contains("op_type="),
+            "WARN message must include op_type: {}",
+            warn.message
+        );
+        assert!(
+            warn.message.contains("seq="),
+            "WARN message must include seq: {}",
+            warn.message
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn persist_tx_send_success_emits_no_warn() {
+        let kp = make_keypair();
+        let crdt = BaseCrdt::<PipelineDoc>::new(&kp);
+        let (persist_tx, _persist_rx) = mpsc::unbounded_channel::<SignedOp>();
+
+        let mut state = CrdtState {
+            crdt,
+            keypair: kp,
+            index: HashMap::new(),
+            node_index: HashMap::new(),
+            persist_tx,
+            lamport_floor: 0,
+        };
+
+        let item_json: JsonValue = json!({
+            "story_id": "676_story_happy_path",
+            "stage": "1_backlog",
+            "name": "Happy Path Test",
+            "agent": "",
+            "retry_count": 0.0,
+            "blocked": false,
+            "depends_on": "",
+            "claimed_by": "",
+            "claimed_at": 0.0,
+        })
+        .into();
+
+        let before_warns = crate::log_buffer::global()
+            .get_recent_entries(
+                1000,
+                Some("[crdt_persist]"),
+                Some(&crate::log_buffer::LogLevel::Warn),
+            )
+            .len();
+
+        apply_and_persist(&mut state, |s| s.crdt.doc.items.insert(ROOT_ID, item_json));
+
+        let after_warns = crate::log_buffer::global()
+            .get_recent_entries(
+                1000,
+                Some("[crdt_persist]"),
+                Some(&crate::log_buffer::LogLevel::Warn),
+            )
+            .len();
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            after_warns, before_warns,
+            "no [crdt_persist] WARN should be emitted when persist_tx send succeeds"
         );
     }