diff --git a/backend/services/scheduler.py b/backend/services/scheduler.py
index 0982358..e149da9 100644
--- a/backend/services/scheduler.py
+++ b/backend/services/scheduler.py
@@ -636,6 +636,35 @@ class SchedulerService:
                 )
                 result["old_session_id"] = active_session.id
 
+            # Step 4b: Ingest the just-finished Auto_#### folder into Terra-View
+            # (clean session + DataFiles via ingest_nrl_zip — filters Lp, parses the
+            # .rnh, dedups).  This is what gives the nightly report its data.
+            if action.device_type == "slm" and result["steps"].get("download", {}).get("success"):
+                idx = None
+                try:
+                    idx = int((result["steps"]["download"].get("response") or {}).get("index_number"))
+                except (ValueError, TypeError):
+                    idx = None
+                if idx is None:
+                    result["steps"]["ingest"] = {"success": False, "error": "no index_number from download"}
+                else:
+                    folder_name = f"Auto_{idx:04d}"
+                    try:
+                        ing = await self._ingest_cycle_folder(db, action.location_id, unit_id, folder_name)
+                        result["steps"]["ingest"] = ing
+                        db.commit()
+                        # The just-closed "recording" session was only a marker — if the
+                        # ingest created the real data session, drop the empty placeholder.
+                        if ing.get("success") and active_session:
+                            from backend.models import DataFile
+                            if db.query(DataFile).filter_by(session_id=active_session.id).count() == 0:
+                                db.delete(active_session)
+                                db.commit()
+                        logger.info(f"[CYCLE] Ingested {folder_name}: {ing}")
+                    except Exception as e:
+                        logger.error(f"[CYCLE] Ingest failed for {folder_name}: {e}", exc_info=True)
+                        result["steps"]["ingest"] = {"success": False, "error": str(e)}
+
             # Step 5: Wait for device to settle before starting new measurement
             logger.info(f"[CYCLE] Step 5/7: Waiting 30s for device to settle...")
             await asyncio.sleep(30)
@@ -670,6 +699,33 @@ class SchedulerService:
 
                 logger.info(f"[CYCLE] New measurement started, session {new_session.id}")
 
+                # Step 6b: Verify the meter actually resumed measuring (fresh DOD).
+                # Polling is still paused here, so query directly.  Advisory: a
+                # failure alerts loudly but doesn't fail the cycle (DOD reads can
+                # be transiently flaky); the keepalive poll re-confirms within ~10s.
+                if action.device_type == "slm":
+                    try:
+                        await asyncio.sleep(2)
+                        live = await self.device_controller.get_live_data(unit_id, action.device_type)
+                        state = ((live or {}).get("measurement_state")
+                                 or ((live or {}).get("data") or {}).get("measurement_state") or "")
+                        measuring = str(state).strip().lower() in ("start", "measure", "measuring", "run", "running")
+                        result["steps"]["restart_verified"] = measuring
+                        if measuring:
+                            logger.info(f"[CYCLE] Restart verified — {unit_id} is measuring (state={state}).")
+                        else:
+                            logger.error(f"[CYCLE] Restart NOT verified for {unit_id} — state={state!r}")
+                            try:
+                                get_alert_service(db).create_schedule_failed_alert(
+                                    schedule_id=action.id, action_type="cycle", unit_id=unit_id,
+                                    error_message=f"Meter did not resume measuring after the cycle (state={state!r}).",
+                                    project_id=action.project_id, location_id=action.location_id,
+                                )
+                            except Exception as ae:
+                                logger.warning(f"[CYCLE] restart-verify alert failed: {ae}")
+                    except Exception as e:
+                        logger.warning(f"[CYCLE] Restart verification skipped (DOD read failed): {e}")
+
             except Exception as e:
                 logger.error(f"[CYCLE] Start failed: {e}")
                 result["steps"]["start"] = {"success": False, "error": str(e)}
@@ -692,6 +748,37 @@ class SchedulerService:
         logger.info(f"[CYCLE] === Cycle complete for {unit_id} ===")
         return result
 
+    async def _ingest_cycle_folder(self, db, location_id: str, unit_id: str, folder_name: str) -> dict:
+        """Fetch a just-finished Auto_#### folder from SLMM (FTP proxy) and ingest
+        it into Terra-View (clean MonitoringSession + DataFiles via ingest_nrl_zip).
+
+        Returns the ingest result dict, or {"success": False, "error": ...}.
+        Used by _execute_cycle Step 4b.
+        """
+        import os
+        import httpx
+        from backend.routers.project_locations import ingest_nrl_zip, IngestError
+
+        slmm_base = os.getenv("SLMM_BASE_URL", "http://localhost:8100")
+        remote_path = f"/NL-43/{folder_name}"
+        try:
+            async with httpx.AsyncClient(timeout=600.0) as client:
+                resp = await client.post(
+                    f"{slmm_base}/api/nl43/{unit_id}/ftp/download-folder",
+                    json={"remote_path": remote_path},
+                )
+        except Exception as e:
+            return {"success": False, "error": f"download-folder request failed: {e}"}
+
+        if not resp.is_success or len(resp.content) <= 22:   # 22 bytes = empty-zip
+            return {"success": False, "error": f"empty/failed ZIP from SLMM (status {resp.status_code})"}
+
+        try:
+            res = ingest_nrl_zip(location_id, resp.content, db, source="ftp_cycle", dedupe=True)
+            return {"success": True, **res}
+        except IngestError as e:
+            return {"success": False, "error": str(e)}
+
     # ========================================================================
     # Recurring Schedule Generation
     # ========================================================================