diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 0089d5f..0e949d4 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -484,6 +484,10 @@ func syncSelectedWithProgress(root string, repos, workspaceRepos []repo, jobs in
 			defer wg.Done()
 			for next := range work {
 				r := next.repo
+				// Counted active before any skip path can record: finished()
+				// decrements again, so an early exit that skipped started()
+				// would drive the active count negative.
+				live.update(func() { live.started(); live.draw() })
 				if !r.Eligible {
 					record(next.index, syncResult{Path: r.RelativePath, Skipped: true, Message: r.BlockReason})
 					continue
@@ -503,18 +507,17 @@ func syncSelectedWithProgress(root string, repos, workspaceRepos []repo, jobs in
 				}
 				if !quiet {
 					outputMu.Lock()
-					live.clear()
+					live.update(func() { live.clear() })
 					fmt.Fprintf(stdout, "\nSTART  %s (%s)\n", r.RelativePath, r.Branch)
 					outputMu.Unlock()
 				}
-				live.update(func() { live.started(); live.draw() })
 				started := time.Now()
 				report, err := syncRepositoryWith(r.Path, timeout, len(fresh.Dirty) > 0, fresh.NestedRepoEntries, syncOptions{CreateMissing: createMissing})
 				message := report.Message
 				duration := time.Since(started).Round(time.Millisecond).String()
 				if !quiet {
 					outputMu.Lock()
-					live.clear()
+					live.update(func() { live.clear() })
 					state := "DONE"
 					if err != nil {
 						state = "FAIL"
diff --git a/main_test.go b/main_test.go
index 106e7d2..1d68033 100644
--- a/main_test.go
+++ b/main_test.go
@@ -268,3 +268,48 @@ func TestSyncOutputToBufferHasNoCarriageReturns(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("run did not print a summary:\n%q", stdout.String())
 	}
 }
+
+// A repository skipped before it ever syncs must still be counted active and
+// then finished. Counting it as active only after the skip checks left the
+// running "active" total negative, because finished() decrements it regardless.
+func TestLiveProgressBalancesSkippedRepositories(t *testing.T) {
+	root := t.TempDir()
+	var repos []repo
+	for _, name := range []string{"blocked-a", "blocked-b", "blocked-c"} {
+		path := filepath.Join(root, name)
+		if err := os.MkdirAll(path, 0o755); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		// Not Eligible, so the worker takes the early-exit skip path.
+		repos = append(repos, repo{Path: path, RelativePath: name, BlockReason: "no remotes"})
+	}
+
+	var mu sync.Mutex
+	buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
+	live := &liveProgress{w: buf, mu: &mu, total: len(repos), counts: map[string]int{}}
+	results := syncSelectedWithProgress(root, repos, repos, 2, time.Minute, io.Discard, true, false, false, live, nil)
+
+	if len(results) != len(repos) {
+		t.Fatalf("results = %d, want %d", len(results), len(repos))
+	}
+	for _, result := range results {
+		if !result.Skipped {
+			t.Fatalf("%s was not skipped: %+v", result.Path, result)
+		}
+	}
+	if live.done != len(repos) {
+		t.Fatalf("done = %d, want %d", live.done, len(repos))
+	}
+	if live.active != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("active = %d after every repository finished, want 0", live.active)
+	}
+	if live.skipped != len(repos) {
+		t.Fatalf("skipped = %d, want %d", live.skipped, len(repos))
+	}
+	// Intermediate frames legitimately report active repositories; only the
+	// last one must be settled.
+	frames := strings.Split(buf.String(), "\r")
+	if last := frames[len(frames)-1]; strings.Contains(last, "active") {
+		t.Fatalf("a settled run still reports active repositories: %q", last)
+	}
+}