diff --git a/src/outbound-handlers.ts b/src/outbound-handlers.ts
index e374ae22..57d89d3c 100644
--- a/src/outbound-handlers.ts
+++ b/src/outbound-handlers.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import type { Logger } from "./logger.js";
 import type { RoutingEngine } from "./routing-engine.js";
 import type { InstanceLifecycle, LifecycleCreateArgs } from "./instance-lifecycle.js";
 import type { EventLog } from "./event-log.js";
+import type { CostGuard } from "./cost-guard.js";
 import type { z } from "zod";
 import {
   BroadcastArgs,
@@ -40,6 +41,14 @@ export interface OutboundContext {
   readonly lifecycle: InstanceLifecycle;
   readonly sessionRegistry: Map<string, string>;
   readonly eventLog: EventLog | null;
+  /**
+   * Optional fleet-wide cost guard. When set, outbound dispatch handlers
+   * short-circuit and surface a warning to the sender if the target is over
+   * its daily limit (Feature #24). FleetManager already wires this field; the
+   * interface declaration just exposes it to handler code. Null when cost
+   * guard is disabled in fleet config.
+   */
+  readonly costGuard: CostGuard | null;
   lastActivityMs(name: string): number;
   startInstance(name: string, config: InstanceConfig, topicMode: boolean): Promise<void>;
   connectIpcToInstance(name: string): Promise<void>;
@@ -81,6 +90,20 @@ const sendToInstance: Handler = (ctx, rawArgs, respond, meta) => {
   const v = validateArgs(SendToInstanceArgs, rawArgs, "send_to_instance");
   if (!v.ok) { respond(null, v.error); return; }
   const { instance_name: targetName, message, request_kind: reqKind, requires_reply, task_summary, working_directory, branch, correlation_id: parsedCorrelationId } = v.data;
+
+  // Feature #24: cost-guard pre-check. Surface the limit to the sender
+  // immediately rather than dispatch a message that the target instance
+  // cannot act on (the limit handler pauses the target). `report_result`
+  // funnels through this handler with `request_kind: "report"` and is
+  // exempt — terminal status updates must reach the orchestrator even when
+  // the target is paused, otherwise the merge gate stalls. Null-safe: if
+  // the fleet has no cost guard configured, isLimited is never called.
+  if (reqKind !== "report" && ctx.costGuard?.isLimited(targetName)) {
+    const limitUsd = (ctx.costGuard.getLimitCents() / 100).toFixed(2);
+    respond(null, `cost-guard: instance '${targetName}' has reached its daily cost limit ($${limitUsd}). Message not delivered — target is paused. Wait for daily reset or escalate to operator.`);
+    return;
+  }
+
   const senderLabel = meta.senderSessionName ?? meta.instanceName;
   const isExternalSender = meta.senderSessionName != null && meta.senderSessionName !== meta.instanceName;
 
diff --git a/tests/outbound-cost-guard-precheck.test.ts b/tests/outbound-cost-guard-precheck.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..05cda866
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/outbound-cost-guard-precheck.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,184 @@
+/**
+ * Feature #24 regression: cost-guard pre-check at outbound dispatch.
+ *
+ * Operator-mandated coverage of three states:
+ *   (a) costGuard.isLimited(target) === true  → immediate warning, no dispatch
+ *   (b) costGuard.isLimited(target) === false → normal dispatch
+ *   (c) ctx.costGuard === null               → graceful fallback, no error
+ *
+ * Verified for both `send_to_instance` (direct) and `delegate_task` (which
+ * funnels through `sendToInstance` via wrapAsSend with request_kind="task").
+ */
+import { describe, it, expect, vi } from "vitest";
+import { outboundHandlers } from "../src/outbound-handlers.js";
+
+interface MockIpcChannel {
+  messages: unknown[];
+  ipc: { send: (msg: unknown) => void };
+}
+
+function mockIpc(): MockIpcChannel {
+  const messages: unknown[] = [];
+  return { messages, ipc: { send: (msg) => { messages.push(msg); } } };
+}
+
+interface CostGuardMock {
+  isLimited: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+  getLimitCents: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+  getDailyCostCents: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>;
+}
+
+function mockCostGuard(opts: { limited: boolean; limitUsd?: number }): CostGuardMock {
+  const limitCents = (opts.limitUsd ?? 5) * 100;
+  return {
+    isLimited: vi.fn(() => opts.limited),
+    getLimitCents: vi.fn(() => limitCents),
+    getDailyCostCents: vi.fn(() => opts.limited ? limitCents + 100 : 0),
+  };
+}
+
+function makeCtx(costGuard: CostGuardMock | null) {
+  const targetIpc = mockIpc();
+  const senderIpc = mockIpc();
+  return {
+    target: targetIpc,
+    sender: senderIpc,
+    ctx: {
+      fleetConfig: {
+        instances: {
+          sender: { working_directory: "/tmp/s" },
+          target: { working_directory: "/tmp/t" },
+        },
+      },
+      adapter: null,
+      logger: { info: vi.fn(), warn: vi.fn(), debug: vi.fn(), error: vi.fn() },
+      routing: { resolve: () => undefined },
+      instanceIpcClients: new Map([
+        ["sender", senderIpc.ipc],
+        ["target", targetIpc.ipc],
+      ]),
+      lifecycle: { daemons: new Map() },
+      sessionRegistry: new Map(),
+      eventLog: null,
+      costGuard,
+      lastActivityMs: () => 0,
+      startInstance: vi.fn(),
+      connectIpcToInstance: vi.fn(),
+    } as any,
+  };
+}
+
+const meta = {
+  instanceName: "sender",
+  requestId: 1,
+  fleetRequestId: undefined,
+  senderSessionName: undefined,
+};
+
+describe("Feature #24 — cost-guard pre-check at outbound dispatch", () => {
+  describe("send_to_instance", () => {
+    it("(a) target is limited → immediate warning result, no dispatch", async () => {
+      const cg = mockCostGuard({ limited: true, limitUsd: 5 });
+      const { ctx, target } = makeCtx(cg);
+      const handler = outboundHandlers.get("send_to_instance")!;
+      const respond = vi.fn();
+
+      await handler(ctx, { instance_name: "target", message: "hi" }, respond, meta);
+
+      expect(cg.isLimited).toHaveBeenCalledWith("target");
+      expect(target.messages).toHaveLength(0);
+      expect(respond).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      const [result, error] = respond.mock.calls[0];
+      expect(result).toBeNull();
+      expect(error).toContain("cost-guard");
+      expect(error).toContain("'target'");
+      expect(error).toContain("$5.00");
+    });
+
+    it("(b) target is not limited → normal dispatch", async () => {
+      const cg = mockCostGuard({ limited: false, limitUsd: 5 });
+      const { ctx, target } = makeCtx(cg);
+      const handler = outboundHandlers.get("send_to_instance")!;
+      const respond = vi.fn();
+
+      await handler(ctx, { instance_name: "target", message: "hi" }, respond, meta);
+
+      expect(cg.isLimited).toHaveBeenCalledWith("target");
+      expect(target.messages).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(respond).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ sent: true, target: "target" }));
+    });
+
+    it("(c) ctx.costGuard is null → graceful dispatch, no error, no isLimited call", async () => {
+      const { ctx, target } = makeCtx(null);
+      const handler = outboundHandlers.get("send_to_instance")!;
+      const respond = vi.fn();
+
+      await handler(ctx, { instance_name: "target", message: "hi" }, respond, meta);
+
+      expect(target.messages).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(respond).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ sent: true, target: "target" }));
+    });
+
+    it("report-kind messages bypass the cost-guard gate (terminal status)", async () => {
+      // Reports must reach the orchestrator even when target is limited;
+      // otherwise the merge gate stalls and impl can't escalate.
+      const cg = mockCostGuard({ limited: true, limitUsd: 5 });
+      const { ctx, target } = makeCtx(cg);
+      const handler = outboundHandlers.get("send_to_instance")!;
+      const respond = vi.fn();
+
+      await handler(ctx, {
+        instance_name: "target",
+        message: "task done",
+        request_kind: "report",
+      }, respond, meta);
+
+      expect(target.messages).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(respond).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ sent: true, target: "target" }));
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("delegate_task", () => {
+    it("(a) target is limited → immediate warning result, no dispatch", async () => {
+      const cg = mockCostGuard({ limited: true, limitUsd: 5 });
+      const { ctx, target } = makeCtx(cg);
+      const handler = outboundHandlers.get("delegate_task")!;
+      const respond = vi.fn();
+
+      await handler(ctx, { target_instance: "target", task: "do thing" }, respond, meta);
+
+      expect(cg.isLimited).toHaveBeenCalledWith("target");
+      expect(target.messages).toHaveLength(0);
+      expect(respond).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+      const [result, error] = respond.mock.calls[0];
+      expect(result).toBeNull();
+      expect(error).toContain("cost-guard");
+      expect(error).toContain("'target'");
+      expect(error).toContain("$5.00");
+    });
+
+    it("(b) target is not limited → normal dispatch", async () => {
+      const cg = mockCostGuard({ limited: false, limitUsd: 5 });
+      const { ctx, target } = makeCtx(cg);
+      const handler = outboundHandlers.get("delegate_task")!;
+      const respond = vi.fn();
+
+      await handler(ctx, { target_instance: "target", task: "do thing" }, respond, meta);
+
+      expect(cg.isLimited).toHaveBeenCalledWith("target");
+      expect(target.messages).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(respond).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ sent: true, target: "target" }));
+    });
+
+    it("(c) ctx.costGuard is null → graceful dispatch, no error, no isLimited call", async () => {
+      const { ctx, target } = makeCtx(null);
+      const handler = outboundHandlers.get("delegate_task")!;
+      const respond = vi.fn();
+
+      await handler(ctx, { target_instance: "target", task: "do thing" }, respond, meta);
+
+      expect(target.messages).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(respond).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.objectContaining({ sent: true, target: "target" }));
+    });
+  });
+});