diff --git a/src/py/bbctrl/Mach.py b/src/py/bbctrl/Mach.py
index 4628dc4..ef99ccf 100644
--- a/src/py/bbctrl/Mach.py
+++ b/src/py/bbctrl/Mach.py
@@ -359,8 +359,10 @@ class Mach(Comm):
                     continue
                 self.mlog.info('Homing external %s axis via auxcnc' %
                                axis.upper())
+                cycle_started = False
                 try:
                     self._begin_cycle('homing')
+                    cycle_started = True
                     ext.home()
                     home_mm = ext.home_position_mm
                     # 1) Update AVR: no motor steps, just position sync.
@@ -377,6 +379,19 @@ class Mach(Comm):
                 except Exception as e:
                     self.mlog.error(
                         'External axis homing failed: %s' % e)
+                    # Make sure we clean up the cycle so the UI does
+                    # not stay locked out of jog/home/start. The AVR
+                    # never moved during external homing, so its
+                    # state never changes back to READY (which is
+                    # what _update normally relies on to exit the
+                    # cycle). Drop straight to idle.
+                    if cycle_started and self._get_cycle() == 'homing':
+                        try:
+                            self._set_cycle('idle')
+                        except Exception:
+                            self.mlog.exception(
+                                'Failed to reset cycle to idle '
+                                'after external homing error')
                 continue
 
             # If this is not a request to home a specific axis and the