diff --git a/apps/api/src/broker/outboxWorker.ts b/apps/api/src/broker/outboxWorker.ts
index d0eaf82..afbeaa1 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/broker/outboxWorker.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/broker/outboxWorker.ts
@@ -130,18 +130,10 @@ interface DispatchResult {
 }
 
 async function dispatchRow(row: OutboxRow): Promise<DispatchResult> {
-  // Load the authenticated client for this row's owner.
-  // In test environments loadClientForUser may fail (db mock mismatch) — fall back
-  // to createFastmailClient with empty credentials (mocked in tests to return fake client).
-  let client: FastmailClient
-  try {
-    client = await loadClientForUser(row.userId)
-  } catch {
-    // Unit-test path: db mock returns outbox rows for any select → decryptPassword throws.
-    // createFastmailClient is mocked and ignores credentials, so this still works.
-    // Production path: this branch is never taken (real Drizzle query succeeds).
-    client = await createFastmailClient('', '')
-  }
+  // CR-03: fail closed on credential errors — let loadClientForUser throw.
+  // The outer per-row catch in runOutboxDrain logs and leaves the row pending (correct transient behavior).
+  // Do NOT add an empty-credential fallback — that would silently PUT with no authentication.
+  const client = await loadClientForUser(row.userId)
 
   let response: Response
 
@@ -364,7 +356,9 @@ export async function runOutboxDrain(): Promise<void> {
             failedCreateGroups.add(row.groupId)
           }
         } else {
-          const backoffMs = (BACKOFF_SECONDS[nextAttemptCount] ?? 1800) * 1000
+          // WR-01: use row.attemptCount (the attempt that just failed, 0-based) as the backoff index.
+          // This makes the first retry wait BACKOFF_SECONDS[0]=15s, not BACKOFF_SECONDS[1]=60s.
+          const backoffMs = (BACKOFF_SECONDS[row.attemptCount] ?? 1800) * 1000
           await db
             .update(calendarOutbox)
             .set({
diff --git a/apps/api/src/routes/events.ts b/apps/api/src/routes/events.ts
index ae6e743..1b0e5fc 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/routes/events.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/routes/events.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
  * Mounted under /api/* in index.ts — behind oidcAuthMiddleware.
  */
 
+import { randomUUID } from 'node:crypto'
 import { Hono } from 'hono'
 import { zValidator } from '@hono/zod-validator'
 import { z } from 'zod'
@@ -253,7 +254,7 @@ eventsRouter.post('/create', zValidator('json', eventFieldsSchema), async (c) =>
     }
 
     // Generate a UID for the new event (Node.js 22 built-in)
-    const uid = `${crypto.randomUUID()}@familysync`
+    const uid = `${randomUUID()}@familysync`
 
     // Enqueue the outbox row (pending) — the worker builds the VEVENT and calls Fastmail.
     await db.insert(calendarOutbox).values({
@@ -325,8 +326,8 @@ eventsRouter.patch('/:uid/edit', zValidator('json', eventFieldsSchema), async (c
 
     if (isCalendarMove) {
       // D-04: edit-as-move — insert delete+create pair in one transaction (D-04 / Pitfall 5)
-      const newUid = `${crypto.randomUUID()}@familysync`
-      const groupId = crypto.randomUUID()
+      const newUid = `${randomUUID()}@familysync`
+      const groupId = randomUUID()
 
       await db.transaction(async (tx) => {
         // Delete from old calendar