diff --git a/crates/op-rbuilder/src/builder/service.rs b/crates/op-rbuilder/src/builder/service.rs
index 9d243edf..48f75a45 100644
--- a/crates/op-rbuilder/src/builder/service.rs
+++ b/crates/op-rbuilder/src/builder/service.rs
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ use crate::{
     traits::{NodeBounds, PoolBounds},
 };
 use eyre::WrapErr as _;
+use futures::FutureExt;
 use reth_node_api::NodeTypes;
 use reth_node_builder::{BuilderContext, components::PayloadServiceBuilder};
 use reth_optimism_evm::OpEvmConfig;
@@ -121,11 +122,22 @@ impl FlashblocksServiceBuilder {
             let mut pending_txs =
                 pool.pending_transactions_listener_for(TransactionListenerKind::All);
             let pool_change_epoch = pool_change_epoch.clone();
+            let listener_metrics = metrics.clone();
             ctx.task_executor().spawn_task(async move {
-                // Every new pending tx may improve current candidate
-                while pending_txs.recv().await.is_some() {
-                    pool_change_epoch.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
-                }
+                let listen = async {
+                    // Every new pending tx may improve current candidate
+                    while pending_txs.recv().await.is_some() {
+                        let epoch = pool_change_epoch.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed) + 1;
+                        listener_metrics.pool_change_epoch.set(epoch as f64);
+                    }
+                };
+                let _ = std::panic::AssertUnwindSafe(listen).catch_unwind().await;
+                listener_metrics.pool_epoch_listener_exit.increment(1);
+                warn!(
+                    target: "payload_builder",
+                    "Pool epoch listener exited (channel closed or task panicked); \
+                     continuous candidate gating is now frozen and will degrade to idle-backoff"
+                );
             });
         }
 
diff --git a/crates/op-rbuilder/src/metrics.rs b/crates/op-rbuilder/src/metrics.rs
index 1aa9f251..5546839d 100644
--- a/crates/op-rbuilder/src/metrics.rs
+++ b/crates/op-rbuilder/src/metrics.rs
@@ -198,6 +198,14 @@ pub struct OpRBuilderMetrics {
     /// candidate loop: best-candidate fees minus first-candidate fees.
     /// Recorded once per flashblock interval; 0 if no improvement.
     pub continuous_fee_improvement: Histogram,
+    /// Current value of the continuous-build pool-change epoch counter.
+    /// A flatlined gauge on a dashboard means the pool listener died, not
+    /// that the pool is idle.
+    pub pool_change_epoch: Gauge,
+    /// Pool-change epoch listener task exited (pending-tx channel closed or
+    /// panicked); continuous candidate gating is frozen and degrades to its
+    /// idle-backoff ceiling until restart.
+    pub pool_epoch_listener_exit: Counter,
     /// Builds completed but not published due to resolved gate
     pub flashblock_publish_suppressed_total: Counter,
     /// TODO: Use labels for these