diff --git a/smart-contracts/contracts/agent_bidding/src/lib.rs b/smart-contracts/contracts/agent_bidding/src/lib.rs
index 65294f2..c92c8dd 100644
--- a/smart-contracts/contracts/agent_bidding/src/lib.rs
+++ b/smart-contracts/contracts/agent_bidding/src/lib.rs
@@ -937,6 +937,72 @@ impl AgentBiddingContract {
         Ok(())
     }
 
+    // ── Claim Refund ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+    /// Let a bidder reclaim their own bond directly, without depending on the
+    /// creator ever calling `reveal_bids`/`award_contract`.
+    ///
+    /// `award_contract` already refunds every bidder's bond automatically
+    /// once the auction resolves normally — this function exists for the
+    /// case it never does (the creator goes silent, nobody reveals, the
+    /// auction stalls in `Bidding`/`Reveal` forever). Without it, a bidder
+    /// whose bond is stuck in an abandoned auction has no way to get it back.
+    ///
+    /// Idempotency and "proof of loss" both fall out of the same check: a
+    /// bond that's already `refunded` — whether from a prior claim or from
+    /// `award_contract` (which includes the winner) — cannot be claimed
+    /// again, so there's no need to separately look up who the winner was.
+    ///
+    /// Only callable once the bidding period has definitively closed
+    /// (`now >= auction.deadline`) and before the claim window's resolution
+    /// deadline (`auction.deadline + CLAIM_WINDOW_SECS`) elapses. Emits
+    /// `(bidding, refnd_clm)`.
+    pub fn claim_refund(env: Env, task_id: Symbol, bidder: Address) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        bidder.require_auth();
+
+        let auct_key = DataKey::Auction(task_id.clone());
+        let auction: Auction = env
+            .storage()
+            .persistent()
+            .get(&auct_key)
+            .ok_or(Error::NotFound)?;
+
+        let now = env.ledger().timestamp();
+        if now < auction.deadline {
+            return Err(Error::BiddingPeriodActive);
+        }
+        if now >= auction.deadline.saturating_add(CLAIM_WINDOW_SECS) {
+            return Err(Error::ClaimWindowExpired);
+        }
+
+        let bid_key = DataKey::Bid(task_id.clone(), bidder.clone());
+        let mut bid: SealedBid = env
+            .storage()
+            .persistent()
+            .get(&bid_key)
+            .ok_or(Error::NotFound)?;
+
+        if bid.refunded {
+            return Err(Error::AlreadyRefunded);
+        }
+
+        bid.refunded = true;
+        let bond = bid.bond;
+        env.storage().persistent().set(&bid_key, &bid);
+        extend_ttl_for_key(&env, &bid_key);
+
+        env.events().publish(
+            (symbol_short!("bidding"), symbol_short!("refnd_clm")),
+            RefundClaimedEvent {
+                task_id,
+                bidder,
+                bond,
+            },
+        );
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     // ── View Functions ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
     /// Compute the commitment an off-chain bidder must submit for this task.
@@ -2407,6 +2473,153 @@ mod test {
         assert!(client.get_bid(&task_id, &bidder).unwrap().revealed);
     }
 
+    // ── claim_refund ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+    #[test]
+    fn claim_refund_before_deadline_fails() {
+        let (env, client) = setup();
+        let creator = Address::generate(&env);
+        let task_id = Symbol::new(&env, "claim_early");
+        create_test_auction(&env, &client, &creator, &task_id, 3600);
+
+        let bidder = Address::generate(&env);
+        let salt = BytesN::<32>::from_array(&env, &[21u8; 32]);
+        let comm = test_commitment(&env, &bidder, 2_000_000, &String::from_str(&env, "x"), &salt);
+        client.submit_bid(&task_id, &bidder, &comm, &500_000, &50);
+
+        // Bidding period is still open.
+        let err = client.try_claim_refund(&task_id, &bidder);
+        assert_eq!(err.err(), Some(Ok(Error::BiddingPeriodActive)));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn claim_refund_with_no_bid_fails() {
+        let (env, client) = setup();
+        let creator = Address::generate(&env);
+        let task_id = Symbol::new(&env, "claim_no_bid");
+        create_test_auction(&env, &client, &creator, &task_id, 3600);
+
+        env.ledger().set_timestamp(env.ledger().timestamp() + 3601);
+
+        let stranger = Address::generate(&env);
+        let err = client.try_claim_refund(&task_id, &stranger);
+        assert_eq!(err.err(), Some(Ok(Error::NotFound)));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn claim_refund_recovers_bond_from_a_stalled_auction() {
+        // Creator never calls reveal_bids/award_contract — bidding closes and
+        // the auction just sits there. Without claim_refund the bidder's
+        // bond would be stuck forever.
+        let (env, client) = setup();
+        let creator = Address::generate(&env);
+        let task_id = Symbol::new(&env, "claim_stalled");
+        create_test_auction(&env, &client, &creator, &task_id, 3600);
+
+        let bidder = Address::generate(&env);
+        let salt = BytesN::<32>::from_array(&env, &[22u8; 32]);
+        let comm = test_commitment(&env, &bidder, 2_000_000, &String::from_str(&env, "x"), &salt);
+        client.submit_bid(&task_id, &bidder, &comm, &500_000, &50);
+
+        env.ledger().set_timestamp(env.ledger().timestamp() + 3601);
+
+        assert!(!client.get_bid(&task_id, &bidder).unwrap().refunded);
+
+        client.claim_refund(&task_id, &bidder);
+
+        assert!(client.get_bid(&task_id, &bidder).unwrap().refunded);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn claim_refund_twice_fails_idempotency() {
+        let (env, client) = setup();
+        let creator = Address::generate(&env);
+        let task_id = Symbol::new(&env, "claim_twice");
+        create_test_auction(&env, &client, &creator, &task_id, 3600);
+
+        let bidder = Address::generate(&env);
+        let salt = BytesN::<32>::from_array(&env, &[23u8; 32]);
+        let comm = test_commitment(&env, &bidder, 2_000_000, &String::from_str(&env, "x"), &salt);
+        client.submit_bid(&task_id, &bidder, &comm, &500_000, &50);
+
+        env.ledger().set_timestamp(env.ledger().timestamp() + 3601);
+
+        client.claim_refund(&task_id, &bidder);
+
+        let err = client.try_claim_refund(&task_id, &bidder);
+        assert_eq!(err.err(), Some(Ok(Error::AlreadyRefunded)));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn claim_refund_after_window_expires_fails() {
+        let (env, client) = setup();
+        let creator = Address::generate(&env);
+        let task_id = Symbol::new(&env, "claim_expired");
+        create_test_auction(&env, &client, &creator, &task_id, 3600);
+
+        let bidder = Address::generate(&env);
+        let salt = BytesN::<32>::from_array(&env, &[24u8; 32]);
+        let comm = test_commitment(&env, &bidder, 2_000_000, &String::from_str(&env, "x"), &salt);
+        client.submit_bid(&task_id, &bidder, &comm, &500_000, &50);
+
+        // Past deadline + the full claim window.
+        env.ledger()
+            .set_timestamp(env.ledger().timestamp() + 3601 + CLAIM_WINDOW_SECS);
+
+        let err = client.try_claim_refund(&task_id, &bidder);
+        assert_eq!(err.err(), Some(Ok(Error::ClaimWindowExpired)));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn claim_refund_after_normal_award_is_a_noop_error_not_a_double_payout() {
+        // award_contract already refunded this bidder automatically —
+        // claim_refund must recognise that via the idempotency check rather
+        // than re-refunding (there's nothing to "re-refund" on-chain, but the
+        // point is it must not treat this as a fresh, valid claim).
+        let (env, client) = setup();
+        let creator = Address::generate(&env);
+        let task_id = Symbol::new(&env, "claim_after_award");
+        create_test_auction(&env, &client, &creator, &task_id, 3600);
+
+        let bidder = Address::generate(&env);
+        let salt = BytesN::<32>::from_array(&env, &[25u8; 32]);
+        let price = 2_000_000i128;
+        let terms = String::from_str(&env, "Solo");
+        let comm = test_commitment(&env, &bidder, price, &terms, &salt);
+        client.submit_bid(&task_id, &bidder, &comm, &500_000, &50);
+
+        env.ledger().set_timestamp(env.ledger().timestamp() + 3601);
+        client.reveal_bid(&task_id, &bidder, &price, &terms, &salt);
+        client.reveal_bids(&task_id);
+        client.award_contract(&task_id);
+
+        assert!(client.get_bid(&task_id, &bidder).unwrap().refunded);
+
+        let err = client.try_claim_refund(&task_id, &bidder);
+        assert_eq!(err.err(), Some(Ok(Error::AlreadyRefunded)));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn claim_refund_emits_exactly_one_event() {
+        let (env, client) = setup();
+        let creator = Address::generate(&env);
+        let task_id = Symbol::new(&env, "claim_event");
+        create_test_auction(&env, &client, &creator, &task_id, 3600);
+
+        let bidder = Address::generate(&env);
+        let salt = BytesN::<32>::from_array(&env, &[26u8; 32]);
+        let comm = test_commitment(&env, &bidder, 2_000_000, &String::from_str(&env, "x"), &salt);
+        client.submit_bid(&task_id, &bidder, &comm, &500_000, &50);
+
+        env.ledger().set_timestamp(env.ledger().timestamp() + 3601);
+        let _ = env.events().all(); // drain
+
+        client.claim_refund(&task_id, &bidder);
+
+        let events = env.events().all();
+        assert_eq!(events.len(), 1, "expected exactly one RefundClaimed event");
+    }
+
     // ── Full end-to-end flow ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/smart-contracts/contracts/agent_bidding/src/types.rs b/smart-contracts/contracts/agent_bidding/src/types.rs
index 9ac583b..b747168 100644
--- a/smart-contracts/contracts/agent_bidding/src/types.rs
+++ b/smart-contracts/contracts/agent_bidding/src/types.rs
@@ -88,6 +88,13 @@ pub const MAX_TERMS_LEN: u32 = 512;
 /// Each sub-score (price, reputation) is normalised to `[0, SCORE_SCALE]`.
 pub const SCORE_SCALE: i128 = 1_000;
 
+/// How long after the bidding deadline a bidder may call `claim_refund` for
+/// an auction that never reached `Awarded` (creator went silent, nobody
+/// revealed, etc). Opens at `deadline` (bidding has definitively closed) and
+/// closes at `deadline + CLAIM_WINDOW_SECS` — the "resolution deadline" the
+/// acceptance criteria refers to. Default: 7 days.
+pub const CLAIM_WINDOW_SECS: u64 = 604_800;
+
 /// Weightings for the composite score (must sum to 100).
 pub const PRICE_WEIGHT: i128 = 60;
 pub const REPUTATION_WEIGHT: i128 = 40;
@@ -330,3 +337,12 @@ pub struct AuctionAbortedEvent {
     /// Number of bidders whose bond was released by the abort.
     pub refunded_bidders: u32,
 }
+
+/// Emitted when `claim_refund` successfully refunds a bidder's bond.
+#[contracttype]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Eq, PartialEq)]
+pub struct RefundClaimedEvent {
+    pub task_id: Symbol,
+    pub bidder: Address,
+    pub bond: i128,
+}