diff --git a/ansible/roles/gitea_runner/molecule/template-content/verify.yml b/ansible/roles/gitea_runner/molecule/template-content/verify.yml
index a02ffb6..aec3ea7 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/gitea_runner/molecule/template-content/verify.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/gitea_runner/molecule/template-content/verify.yml
@@ -112,6 +112,8 @@
           - "'docker network prune' in healthcheck_script.content | b64decode"
           - "'status=removing' in healthcheck_script.content | b64decode"
           - "'status=stopping' in healthcheck_script.content | b64decode"
+          - "'status=exited' in healthcheck_script.content | b64decode"
+          - "'status=dead' in healthcheck_script.content | b64decode"
           - "gitea_runner_healthcheck_disk_threshold | string in healthcheck_script.content | b64decode"
           - "gitea_runner_healthcheck_disk_critical | string in healthcheck_script.content | b64decode"
         fail_msg: "Healthcheck script template is missing expected content"
diff --git a/ansible/roles/gitea_runner/templates/runner-healthcheck.sh.j2 b/ansible/roles/gitea_runner/templates/runner-healthcheck.sh.j2
index 3df68a1..7dcd9b3 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/gitea_runner/templates/runner-healthcheck.sh.j2
+++ b/ansible/roles/gitea_runner/templates/runner-healthcheck.sh.j2
@@ -227,9 +227,12 @@ if [[ "$disk_pct" -ge {{ gitea_runner_healthcheck_disk_critical }} ]]; then
     echo "CRITICAL: Disk usage at ${disk_pct}% (>= {{ gitea_runner_healthcheck_disk_critical }}%), full prune"
     # Critical level: remove ALL stopped containers (no age filter) and ALL
     # unused images/volumes. The until=1h gentle prune is insufficient here.
-    # Stop+rm stale non-CI containers regardless of age (failed molecule tests
-    # from the last 59 minutes also consume disk).
-    docker ps -a --format '{% raw %}{{.ID}} {{.Names}}{% endraw %}' 2>/dev/null \
+    # Implements: REQ-1 (GRM-167) — only exited/dead containers are removed.
+    # Running molecule instances are never killed: RunningFor counts creation
+    # time, so an adopted stale instance looks old; and a running container's
+    # writable layer is tiny — images/volumes are what actually fills the disk.
+    docker ps -a --filter "status=exited" --filter "status=dead" \
+        --format '{% raw %}{{.ID}} {{.Names}}{% endraw %}' 2>/dev/null \
         | grep -v 'GITEA-ACTIONS-TASK' \
         | awk '{print $1}' \
         | xargs -r docker rm -f 2>/dev/null || true
@@ -240,13 +243,16 @@ if [[ "$disk_pct" -ge {{ gitea_runner_healthcheck_disk_critical }} ]]; then
     echo "INFO: Disk usage after full prune: ${disk_pct}%"
 elif [[ "$disk_pct" -ge {{ gitea_runner_healthcheck_disk_threshold }} ]]; then
     echo "WARN: Disk usage at ${disk_pct}%, pruning runner resources (until=1h)"
-    # Force-remove stale containers (including running ones from failed molecule tests)
-    # that are older than 1 hour. "docker container prune -f" only removes stopped
-    # containers, so running containers from crashed CI jobs accumulate and consume
-    # disk/memory. Exclude CI job containers (name starts with GITEA-ACTIONS-TASK).
-    # Only remove containers older than 1 hour to avoid killing molecule test
-    # containers that CI jobs are actively using.
-    docker ps -a --format '{% raw %}{{.ID}} {{.Names}} {{.RunningFor}}{% endraw %}' 2>/dev/null \
+    # Force-remove stale stopped containers older than 1 hour.
+    # Implements: REQ-1 (GRM-167) — only exited/dead containers are removed.
+    # A running molecule instance must never be janitor-killed: RunningFor
+    # measures creation time, so a stale instance restarted by an active run
+    # looks ">1h old" and would die mid-converge ("No such container",
+    # infra nightly run 5710). Running leftovers are reused or destroyed by
+    # the next molecule create/destroy cycle.
+    # Exclude CI job containers (name starts with GITEA-ACTIONS-TASK).
+    docker ps -a --filter "status=exited" --filter "status=dead" \
+        --format '{% raw %}{{.ID}} {{.Names}} {{.RunningFor}}{% endraw %}' 2>/dev/null \
         | grep -v 'GITEA-ACTIONS-TASK' \
         | grep -E '(hour|day|week|month|year)s? ago' \
         | awk '{print $1}' \
diff --git a/docs/specs/GRM-167-devx-bump-historical.md b/docs/specs/GRM-167-devx-bump-historical.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d618a81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/specs/GRM-167-devx-bump-historical.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# GRM-167: Bump devx to v0.51.0
+
+## Problem
+devx v0.51.0 released with role defaults path support for create_dependency_pr. grm pins v0.50.2.
+
+## Approach
+Bump devx pin in pyproject.toml.
+
+REQ-1: Bump devx from v0.50.2 to v0.51.0 in pyproject.toml
+
+## Test Plan
+- Verify CI passes with new devx version
+
+## Deploy Plan
+- Merge to master, auto-release
+
+## Rollback Plan
+- Revert the merge commit
+
+## Acceptance Criteria
+- [x] REQ-1: devx pinned to v0.51.0 in pyproject.toml
diff --git a/docs/specs/GRM-167.md b/docs/specs/GRM-167.md
index d618a81..2497daa 100644
--- a/docs/specs/GRM-167.md
+++ b/docs/specs/GRM-167.md
@@ -1,21 +1,51 @@
-# GRM-167: Bump devx to v0.51.0
+# GRM-167: Fix runner healthcheck force-removing active molecule containers
 
 ## Problem
-devx v0.51.0 released with role defaults path support for create_dependency_pr. grm pins v0.50.2.
+`runner-healthcheck.sh` runs every 2 minutes and force-removes molecule
+instance containers on two disk paths:
+
+- **Warn path (disk >= 70%)**: `docker rm -f` any non-`GITEA-ACTIONS-TASK`
+  container with `RunningFor` >= 1h — same creation-age race fixed in
+  GRM-166 for the prune service. A stale molecule instance restarted by a
+  new run still reads >1h old and is killed mid-converge.
+- **Critical path (disk >= 75%)**: `docker rm -f` ALL
+  non-`GITEA-ACTIONS-TASK` containers with no age or status filter —
+  running molecule instances die instantly. Under parallel DinD load the
+  runner disk crosses 75% routinely (infra nightly run 5710: `No such
+  container: ubuntu-2604` across three different runners).
 
 ## Approach
-Bump devx pin in pyproject.toml.
-
-REQ-1: Bump devx from v0.50.2 to v0.51.0 in pyproject.toml
+REQ-1: In `ansible/roles/gitea_runner/templates/runner-healthcheck.sh.j2`,
+  restrict both disk-pressure removal paths to containers that are not
+  running: add `--filter "status=exited" --filter "status=created"` is
+  NOT sufficient for the critical path since a just-created molecule
+  instance is in `created` state — use `status=exited` and
+  `status=dead` only. Running containers are never janitor-killed; the
+  image/volume/system prunes still reclaim the actual disk.
+REQ-2: Keep `GITEA-ACTIONS-TASK` exclusion, the 1h age gate on the warn
+  path, and all image/volume/network/builder prunes unchanged.
+REQ-3: Update comments documenting the running-container race.
+REQ-4: Extend molecule `template-content` verify assertions for the
+  rendered healthcheck script (`status=exited` present in both paths).
 
 ## Test Plan
-- Verify CI passes with new devx version
+- `make molecule` template-content + default scenarios pass.
+- `make pytest-cov`, `make lint-all` pass.
 
 ## Deploy Plan
-- Merge to master, auto-release
+- Merge to master → package publishes. Runner hosts apply the role on
+  their next grm install/upgrade run; affected runners may need a manual
+  role re-run for immediate relief.
+- Vikunja counter reused GRM-167; prior spec preserved in
+  [GRM-167-devx-bump-historical](GRM-167-devx-bump-historical.md).
 
 ## Rollback Plan
-- Revert the merge commit
+- Revert the merge commit — restores the aggressive cleanup that kills
+  active CI jobs.
 
 ## Acceptance Criteria
-- [x] REQ-1: devx pinned to v0.51.0 in pyproject.toml
+- [x] REQ-1: both disk paths only remove `status=exited`/`status=dead`
+  containers
+- [x] REQ-2: exclusions, age gate, and non-container prunes unchanged
+- [x] REQ-3: comments updated
+- [x] REQ-4: template-content verify covers the filters