diff --git a/cmd/batch-handlers.go b/cmd/batch-handlers.go
index 14467a6bf..e86af95a8 100644
--- a/cmd/batch-handlers.go
+++ b/cmd/batch-handlers.go
@@ -2520,15 +2520,21 @@ func (j *BatchJobPool) canceler(jobID string, cancel bool) error {
 	if !cancel {
 		return nil
 	} // Worker completion uses its generation token.
-	if j.jobOwners == nil {
-		j.jobOwners = make(map[string]*batchJobOwner)
-	}
 	if owner := j.jobOwners[jobID]; owner != nil {
 		if owner.cancel != nil {
 			owner.cancel()
 		}
 		j.jobOwners[jobID] = &batchJobOwner{state: "canceled"}
-	} else {
+		return nil
+	}
+	// Only startup discovery admits a manifest this node does not own yet.
+	// A cancellation before that admission leaves a record that fences it;
+	// once discovery has finished, nothing admits the ID again (submissions
+	// use new IDs), so an unknown ID leaves no record to accumulate.
+	if !j.discoveryDone {
+		if j.jobOwners == nil {
+			j.jobOwners = make(map[string]*batchJobOwner)
+		}
 		j.jobOwners[jobID] = &batchJobOwner{state: "canceled"}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/cmd/batch-retry_test.go b/cmd/batch-retry_test.go
index 987353c23..35a32eb2c 100644
--- a/cmd/batch-retry_test.go
+++ b/cmd/batch-retry_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
@@ -191,6 +192,38 @@ func TestBatchPoolOwnershipAndCancellation(t *testing.T) {
 	pool.retryDue(time.Now().Add(time.Hour)) // channel remains open; no send/close race.
 }
 
+// A cancellation of a job this node does not own leaves a record only while
+// startup discovery may still admit its manifest. Once discovery has
+// finished, canceling unknown IDs must not grow the ownership table.
+func TestBatchCancelUnknownJobAfterDiscovery(t *testing.T) {
+	pool := &BatchJobPool{ctx: t.Context(), jobCh: make(chan *BatchJobRequest, 1)}
+	// Before discovery finished, the record fences the manifest it may admit.
+	mustIAM(t, pool.canceler("expire-before-discovery", true))
+	if err := pool.queueJob(&BatchJobRequest{ID: "expire-before-discovery"}); !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+		t.Fatalf("admission of a job canceled during discovery: %v", err)
+	}
+	pool.finishDiscovery()
+	for i := range 1000 {
+		mustIAM(t, pool.canceler(fmt.Sprintf("expire-unknown-%d", i), true))
+	}
+	pool.jmu.Lock()
+	owners := len(pool.jobOwners)
+	pool.jmu.Unlock()
+	if owners != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("%d owner records after canceling unknown jobs, want only the record from discovery", owners)
+	}
+	// An owned job is still canceled and fenced.
+	job := &BatchJobRequest{ID: "expire-owned"}
+	mustIAM(t, pool.queueJob(job))
+	mustIAM(t, pool.canceler(job.ID, true))
+	if job.ctx.Err() == nil {
+		t.Fatal("cancellation did not stop the owned job")
+	}
+	if err := pool.queueJob(&BatchJobRequest{ID: job.ID}); !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+		t.Fatalf("stale admission of a canceled job: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 type batchPolicyOutage struct {
 	IAMStorageAPI
 	failed string