diff --git a/openviking/session/compressor.py b/openviking/session/compressor.py
index 927d54c6..b8d65de9 100644
--- a/openviking/session/compressor.py
+++ b/openviking/session/compressor.py
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ async def extract_long_term_memories(
         user: Optional["UserIdentifier"] = None,
         session_id: Optional[str] = None,
         ctx: Optional[RequestContext] = None,
+        strict_extract_errors: bool = False,
     ) -> List[Context]:
         """Extract long-term memories from messages."""
         if not messages:
@@ -146,7 +147,12 @@ async def extract_long_term_memories(
         if not ctx:
             return []
 
-        candidates = await self.extractor.extract(context, user, session_id)
+        if strict_extract_errors:
+            # Intentionally let extraction errors bubble up so caller (task tracker)
+            # can mark background commit tasks as failed with an explicit error.
+            candidates = await self.extractor.extract_strict(context, user, session_id)
+        else:
+            candidates = await self.extractor.extract(context, user, session_id)
 
         if not candidates:
             return []
diff --git a/openviking/session/memory_extractor.py b/openviking/session/memory_extractor.py
index 4d411b6c..c3754e36 100644
--- a/openviking/session/memory_extractor.py
+++ b/openviking/session/memory_extractor.py
@@ -231,8 +231,14 @@ async def extract(
         context: dict,
         user: UserIdentifier,
         session_id: str,
+        *,
+        strict: bool = False,
     ) -> List[CandidateMemory]:
-        """Extract memory candidates from messages."""
+        """Extract memory candidates from messages.
+
+        When ``strict`` is True, extraction failures are re-raised as
+        ``RuntimeError`` so async task tracking can mark tasks as failed.
+        """
         user = user
         vlm = get_openviking_config().vlm
         if not vlm or not vlm.is_available():
@@ -342,8 +348,19 @@ async def extract(
 
         except Exception as e:
             logger.error(f"Memory extraction failed: {e}")
+            if strict:
+                raise RuntimeError(f"memory_extraction_failed: {e}") from e
             return []
 
+    async def extract_strict(
+        self,
+        context: dict,
+        user: UserIdentifier,
+        session_id: str,
+    ) -> List[CandidateMemory]:
+        """Compatibility wrapper: strict mode delegates to ``extract``."""
+        return await self.extract(context, user, session_id, strict=True)
+
     async def create_memory(
         self,
         candidate: CandidateMemory,
diff --git a/openviking/session/session.py b/openviking/session/session.py
index 243069a1..9f2d7766 100644
--- a/openviking/session/session.py
+++ b/openviking/session/session.py
@@ -340,6 +340,7 @@ async def commit_async(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
                 user=self.user,
                 session_id=self.session_id,
                 ctx=self.ctx,
+                strict_extract_errors=True,
             )
             logger.info(f"Extracted {len(memories)} memories")
             result["memories_extracted"] = len(memories)
diff --git a/tests/test_session_task_tracking.py b/tests/test_session_task_tracking.py
index ab779fb2..abeb513d 100644
--- a/tests/test_session_task_tracking.py
+++ b/tests/test_session_task_tracking.py
@@ -139,6 +139,34 @@ async def failing_commit(_sid, _ctx):
     assert "LLM provider timeout" in result["error"]
 
 
+async def test_task_failed_when_memory_extraction_raises(api_client):
+    """Extractor failures should propagate to task error instead of silent completed+0."""
+    client, service = api_client
+    session_id = await _new_session_with_message(client)
+
+    async def failing_extract(_context, _user, _session_id):
+        raise RuntimeError("memory_extraction_failed: synthetic extractor error")
+
+    service.sessions._session_compressor.extractor.extract_strict = failing_extract
+
+    resp = await client.post(f"/api/v1/sessions/{session_id}/commit", params={"wait": False})
+    task_id = resp.json()["result"]["task_id"]
+
+    result = None
+    for _ in range(120):
+        await asyncio.sleep(0.1)
+        task_resp = await client.get(f"/api/v1/tasks/{task_id}")
+        assert task_resp.status_code == 200
+        result = task_resp.json()["result"]
+        if result["status"] in {"completed", "failed"}:
+            break
+
+    assert result is not None
+    assert result["status"] in {"completed", "failed"}
+    assert result["status"] == "failed"
+    assert "memory_extraction_failed" in result["error"]
+
+
 # ── Duplicate commit rejection ──