diff --git a/SeaHaven.Services/Helpers/WorkOrderBoardMutationRules.cs b/SeaHaven.Services/Helpers/WorkOrderBoardMutationRules.cs
index e1cec9d..5109d8a 100644
--- a/SeaHaven.Services/Helpers/WorkOrderBoardMutationRules.cs
+++ b/SeaHaven.Services/Helpers/WorkOrderBoardMutationRules.cs
@@ -42,8 +42,14 @@ namespace SeaHaven.Services.Helpers
             return resolved == WorkOrderMediaCategory.Extra || resolved == WorkOrderMediaCategory.Aveta;
         }
 
-        public static bool ShouldBlockStatusChangeWhenPastDue(string field, bool isPastDue)
-            => field.Equals(WorkOrderBoardFieldNames.LifecycleStatus, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) && isPastDue;
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Past Due locks lifecycle progress until Schedule On moves (SH-262). Cancel stays
+        /// available: it is its own action (SH-113), not a status update.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static bool ShouldBlockStatusChangeWhenPastDue(string field, bool isPastDue, LifecycleStatus? requestedStatus)
+            => field.Equals(WorkOrderBoardFieldNames.LifecycleStatus, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+                && isPastDue
+                && requestedStatus != LifecycleStatus.Canceled;
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Concrete Schedule On: a calendar day is set and the row is not week-only.
diff --git a/SeaHaven.Services/Implementation/WorkOrderBoardUpdateService.cs b/SeaHaven.Services/Implementation/WorkOrderBoardUpdateService.cs
index f2c5bfb..7f5331b 100644
--- a/SeaHaven.Services/Implementation/WorkOrderBoardUpdateService.cs
+++ b/SeaHaven.Services/Implementation/WorkOrderBoardUpdateService.cs
@@ -92,7 +92,10 @@ namespace SeaHaven.Services.Implementation
                 }
 
                 var isPastDue = WorkOrderDerivedFields.IsPastDue(workOrder.ScheduledDate, workOrder.LifecycleStatus);
-                if (WorkOrderBoardMutationRules.ShouldBlockStatusChangeWhenPastDue(canonicalField, isPastDue))
+                if (WorkOrderBoardMutationRules.ShouldBlockStatusChangeWhenPastDue(
+                        canonicalField,
+                        isPastDue,
+                        LifecycleStatusMapper.ParseLifecycleStatus(request.Value)))
                     throw new WorkOrderBoardValidationException("PastDueStatusBlocked", "Status cannot be changed while work order is past due. Update Schedule On first.");
 
                 _mutationData.SetExpectedWorkOrderVersion(workOrder, workOrderVersion);
diff --git a/SeaHavenIndustries.Tests/WorkOrderBoardMutationRulesTests.cs b/SeaHavenIndustries.Tests/WorkOrderBoardMutationRulesTests.cs
index 548a50f..302ac26 100644
--- a/SeaHavenIndustries.Tests/WorkOrderBoardMutationRulesTests.cs
+++ b/SeaHavenIndustries.Tests/WorkOrderBoardMutationRulesTests.cs
@@ -19,11 +19,21 @@ public class WorkOrderBoardMutationRulesTests
     public void ShouldBlockStatusChangeWhenPastDue_BlocksOnlyLifecycleStatus()
     {
         Assert.True(WorkOrderBoardMutationRules.ShouldBlockStatusChangeWhenPastDue(
-            WorkOrderBoardFieldNames.LifecycleStatus, isPastDue: true));
+            WorkOrderBoardFieldNames.LifecycleStatus, isPastDue: true, LifecycleStatus.InProgress));
         Assert.False(WorkOrderBoardMutationRules.ShouldBlockStatusChangeWhenPastDue(
-            WorkOrderBoardFieldNames.ScheduledDate, isPastDue: true));
+            WorkOrderBoardFieldNames.ScheduledDate, isPastDue: true, null));
         Assert.False(WorkOrderBoardMutationRules.ShouldBlockStatusChangeWhenPastDue(
-            WorkOrderBoardFieldNames.DueDate, isPastDue: true));
+            WorkOrderBoardFieldNames.DueDate, isPastDue: true, null));
+    }
+
+    [Theory]
+    [InlineData(LifecycleStatus.Canceled, false)]
+    [InlineData(LifecycleStatus.Completed, true)]
+    [InlineData(LifecycleStatus.EnRoute, true)]
+    public void ShouldBlockStatusChangeWhenPastDue_LetsOnlyCancelThrough(LifecycleStatus requested, bool expected)
+    {
+        Assert.Equal(expected, WorkOrderBoardMutationRules.ShouldBlockStatusChangeWhenPastDue(
+            WorkOrderBoardFieldNames.LifecycleStatus, isPastDue: true, requested));
     }
 
     [Fact]
diff --git a/SeaHavenIndustries.Tests/WorkOrderBoardUpdateServiceTests.cs b/SeaHavenIndustries.Tests/WorkOrderBoardUpdateServiceTests.cs
index 28ecab4..10a10ad 100644
--- a/SeaHavenIndustries.Tests/WorkOrderBoardUpdateServiceTests.cs
+++ b/SeaHavenIndustries.Tests/WorkOrderBoardUpdateServiceTests.cs
@@ -524,6 +524,36 @@ public class WorkOrderBoardUpdateServiceTests
         Assert.DoesNotContain("due date", ex.Message, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
     }
 
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task PatchField_CancelsPastDueWorkOrderWithoutTouchingSchedule()
+    {
+        var (context, service) = CreateSut();
+        var scheduledOn = DateTime.UtcNow.Date.AddDays(-3);
+        var wo = new WorkOrder
+        {
+            Id = 1,
+            LifecycleStatus = LifecycleStatus.Scheduled,
+            ScheduledDate = scheduledOn,
+            RescheduleCount = 1,
+            RowVersion = new byte[] { 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1 }
+        };
+        context.workOrders.Add(wo);
+        await context.SaveChangesAsync();
+
+        var result = await service.PatchFieldAsync(1, new WorkOrderBoardPatchRequestDto
+        {
+            Field = WorkOrderBoardFieldNames.LifecycleStatus,
+            Value = "Canceled",
+            WorkOrderVersion = ToVersion(wo)
+        }, "actor-1");
+
+        Assert.Equal(LifecycleStatus.Canceled, result.LifecycleStatus);
+        var stored = await context.workOrders.SingleAsync(w => w.Id == 1);
+        Assert.Equal(LifecycleStatus.Canceled, stored.LifecycleStatus);
+        Assert.Equal(scheduledOn, stored.ScheduledDate);
+        Assert.Equal(1, stored.RescheduleCount);
+    }
+
     [Fact]
     public async Task PatchField_DueDate_DoesNotChangeScheduledDate()
     {