diff --git a/scripts/qualification/qualify_paper.py b/scripts/qualification/qualify_paper.py
index bcc9ae9..9b68f58 100644
--- a/scripts/qualification/qualify_paper.py
+++ b/scripts/qualification/qualify_paper.py
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
 SOAK_SNAPSHOT_INTERVAL_SECONDS = 5 * 60
 SOAK_RSS_GROWTH_LIMIT_BYTES = 25 * 1024 * 1024
 SOAK_SHUTDOWN_LIMIT_SECONDS = 5.0
+SOAK_RECONNECT_ATTEMPTS = 3
+SOAK_RECONNECT_RETRY_SECONDS = 2.0
 EXERCISE_STEP_SEQUENCE = (
     "installed_candidate",
     "connect",
@@ -742,6 +744,18 @@ async def _sleep_until(deadline: float) -> None:
         await asyncio.sleep(remaining)
 
 
+async def _connect_for_controlled_reconnect(provider: str, broker: Any) -> None:
+    attempts = SOAK_RECONNECT_ATTEMPTS if provider == "ib" else 1
+    for attempt in range(1, attempts + 1):
+        try:
+            await broker.connect()
+            return
+        except RuntimeError:
+            if attempt == attempts:
+                raise
+            await asyncio.sleep(SOAK_RECONNECT_RETRY_SECONDS)
+
+
 async def run_provider_soak(
     *, provider: str, candidate: dict[str, Any], checkout_root: Path
 ) -> dict[str, Any]:
@@ -797,7 +811,7 @@ async def run_provider_soak(
                 maximum_shutdown_seconds = max(
                     maximum_shutdown_seconds, time.monotonic() - shutdown_started
                 )
-                await broker.connect()
+                await _connect_for_controlled_reconnect(provider, broker)
                 broker.assert_paper_trading()
                 reconnect_count += 1
                 reconnected = True
diff --git a/src/ml4t/live/brokers/ib.py b/src/ml4t/live/brokers/ib.py
index 4a3bf95..bb37bd3 100644
--- a/src/ml4t/live/brokers/ib.py
+++ b/src/ml4t/live/brokers/ib.py
@@ -186,10 +186,14 @@ async def connect(self) -> None:
                 timeout=20,  # Outer timeout wrapper
             )
         except (TimeoutError, ConnectionRefusedError) as e:
+            self.ib.disconnect()
+            self._connected = False
             detail = str(redact_sensitive(str(e)))
             logger.error("IBBroker: Connection failed: %s", detail)
             raise RuntimeError(f"IB connection failed: {detail}") from None
         except Exception as e:
+            self.ib.disconnect()
+            self._connected = False
             detail = str(redact_sensitive(str(e)))
             logger.error("IBBroker: Unexpected connect error: %s", detail)
             raise RuntimeError(f"IB connection failed: {detail}") from None
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_ib_broker.py b/tests/unit/test_ib_broker.py
index 7edcbc3..08eafe4 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_ib_broker.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_ib_broker.py
@@ -124,6 +124,22 @@ async def test_connect_with_account(self, mock_ib_class):
         assert broker._connected
         assert broker._account == "DU67890"  # Pre-specified account
 
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    @patch("ml4t.live.brokers.ib.IB")
+    async def test_failed_connect_cleans_up_partial_vendor_state(self, mock_ib_class):
+        mock_ib = MagicMock()
+        mock_ib_class.return_value = mock_ib
+        mock_ib.connectAsync = AsyncMock(side_effect=TimeoutError)
+
+        broker = IBBroker()
+        broker.ib = mock_ib
+
+        with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="IB connection failed"):
+            await broker.connect()
+
+        mock_ib.disconnect.assert_called_once()
+        assert broker._connected is False
+
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     @patch("ml4t.live.brokers.ib.IB")
     async def test_disconnect(self, mock_ib_class):
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_paper_qualification.py b/tests/unit/test_paper_qualification.py
index 7dde814..40063b9 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_paper_qualification.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_paper_qualification.py
@@ -471,6 +471,37 @@ async def fake_snapshot(provider: str, captured_broker: object) -> dict:
     assert broker.disconnect_count == 2
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_controlled_ib_reconnect_recovers_from_transient_timeout(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    broker = MagicMock()
+    broker.connect = AsyncMock(side_effect=[RuntimeError("transient timeout"), None])
+    sleep = AsyncMock()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(paper_qualification.asyncio, "sleep", sleep)
+
+    await paper_qualification._connect_for_controlled_reconnect("ib", broker)
+
+    assert broker.connect.await_count == 2
+    sleep.assert_awaited_once_with(paper_qualification.SOAK_RECONNECT_RETRY_SECONDS)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_controlled_ib_reconnect_fails_after_bounded_attempts(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    broker = MagicMock()
+    broker.connect = AsyncMock(side_effect=RuntimeError("persistent timeout"))
+    sleep = AsyncMock()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(paper_qualification.asyncio, "sleep", sleep)
+
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="persistent timeout"):
+        await paper_qualification._connect_for_controlled_reconnect("ib", broker)
+
+    assert broker.connect.await_count == paper_qualification.SOAK_RECONNECT_ATTEMPTS
+    assert sleep.await_count == paper_qualification.SOAK_RECONNECT_ATTEMPTS - 1
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_capability_and_policy_rejections_never_reach_provider(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     class FakeIB: