discovery: add panic recovery for gossip message processing

diff --git a/discovery/gossiper.go b/discovery/gossiper.go
index 96a8c04..dcf77e3 100644
--- a/discovery/gossiper.go
+++ b/discovery/gossiper.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"log/slog"
+	"runtime/debug"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
@@ -1614,7 +1616,7 @@ func (d *AuthenticatedGossiper) handleNetworkMessages(ctx context.Context,
 	nMsg *networkMsg, deDuped *deDupedAnnouncements, jobID JobID) {
 
 	defer d.wg.Done()
-	defer d.vb.CompleteJob()
+	defer d.finalizeGossipProcessing(ctx, "processing", nMsg, &jobID)
 
 	// We should only broadcast this message forward if it originated from
 	// us or it wasn't received as part of our initial historical sync.
@@ -1670,6 +1672,83 @@ func (d *AuthenticatedGossiper) handleNetworkMessages(ctx context.Context,
 	}
 }
 
+// finalizeGossipProcessing handles cleanup for gossip message processing,
+// including job completion and panic recovery. It guards gossip goroutines
+// against panics to keep the daemon alive. On panic, it logs the error,
+// signals dependents, and reports back to the caller if possible.
+//
+// NOTE: This function MUST be called via defer to recover from panics.
+func (d *AuthenticatedGossiper) finalizeGossipProcessing(logCtx context.Context,
+	ctxStr string, nMsg *networkMsg, jobID *JobID) {
+
+	// Always complete the job when provided, regardless of panic state.
+	// This ensures job slots are returned even if callers forget or
+	// misordering occurs.
+	if jobID != nil {
+		d.vb.CompleteJob()
+	}
+
+	r := recover()
+	if r == nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	msgType := "unknown"
+	if nMsg != nil && nMsg.msg != nil {
+		msgType = nMsg.msg.MsgType().String()
+	}
+
+	var peerPub string
+	if nMsg != nil && nMsg.peer != nil {
+		peerPub = route.NewVertex(nMsg.peer.IdentityKey()).String()
+	} else {
+		peerPub = "unknown"
+	}
+
+	log.ErrorS(logCtx, "Panic during gossip message processing",
+		fmt.Errorf("%v", r),
+		slog.String("context", ctxStr),
+		slog.String("msg_type", msgType),
+		slog.String("peer", peerPub),
+	)
+	// Truncate the stack trace to avoid filling up disk space if an
+	// attacker repeatedly triggers panics.
+	const maxStackSize = 8192
+	stack := debug.Stack()
+	if len(stack) > maxStackSize {
+		stack = stack[:maxStackSize]
+	}
+	log.DebugS(logCtx, "Panic stack trace",
+		slog.String("stack", string(stack)),
+	)
+
+	// Signal any dependents waiting on this message so they don't block
+	// forever.
+	if nMsg != nil && nMsg.msg != nil && jobID != nil {
+		if err := d.vb.SignalDependents(
+			nMsg.msg, *jobID,
+		); err != nil {
+			log.ErrorS(logCtx, "SignalDependents after panic failed",
+				err,
+				slog.String("msg_type", nMsg.msg.MsgType().String()),
+			)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Send an error back to the caller if possible.
+	if nMsg != nil && nMsg.err != nil {
+		select {
+		case nMsg.err <- fmt.Errorf("panic while %s gossip "+
+			"message %s: %v", ctxStr, msgType, r):
+		default:
+			log.WarnS(logCtx, "Unable to send panic error, "+
+				"error channel blocked", nil,
+				slog.String("msg_type", msgType),
+			)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // TODO(roasbeef): d/c peers that send updates not on our chain
 
 // InitSyncState is called by outside sub-systems when a connection is
diff --git a/discovery/gossiper_test.go b/discovery/gossiper_test.go
index 01faf55..42e0716 100644
--- a/discovery/gossiper_test.go
+++ b/discovery/gossiper_test.go
@@ -4855,3 +4855,312 @@ func assertChanChainRejection(t *testing.T, ctx *testCtx,
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.True(t, isZombie, "edge should be marked as zombie")
 }
+
+// TestRecoverGossipPanic tests that the finalizeGossipProcessing function
+// correctly handles panics in gossip goroutines by recovering, logging, and
+// sending errors back to callers.
+func TestRecoverGossipPanic(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name       string
+		setupMsg   func() (*networkMsg, chan error)
+		checkError bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "panic with full message context",
+			setupMsg: func() (*networkMsg, chan error) {
+				errChan := make(chan error, 1)
+				return &networkMsg{
+					msg: &lnwire.ChannelUpdate1{
+						Timestamp: testTimestamp,
+					},
+					peer: &mockPeer{
+						remoteKeyPub1, nil, nil,
+						atomic.Bool{},
+					},
+					err: errChan,
+				}, errChan
+			},
+			checkError: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "panic with nil message",
+			setupMsg: func() (*networkMsg, chan error) {
+				errChan := make(chan error, 1)
+				return &networkMsg{
+					msg:  nil,
+					peer: nil,
+					err:  errChan,
+				}, errChan
+			},
+			checkError: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "panic with nil error channel",
+			setupMsg: func() (*networkMsg, chan error) {
+				return &networkMsg{
+					msg: &lnwire.ChannelUpdate1{
+						Timestamp: testTimestamp,
+					},
+					peer: nil,
+					err:  nil,
+				}, nil
+			},
+			checkError: false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Parallel()
+
+			ctx, err := createTestCtx(t, proofMatureDelta, false)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			nMsg, errChan := tc.setupMsg()
+
+			// Initialize a proper job so CompleteJob has a slot
+			// to return.
+			var jobIDRef *JobID
+			if nMsg.msg != nil {
+				job, err := ctx.gossiper.vb.InitJobDependencies(
+					nMsg.msg,
+				)
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+				jobIDRef = &job
+			}
+
+			// Create a function that will panic and then recover.
+			panicked := make(chan struct{})
+			go func() {
+				defer ctx.gossiper.finalizeGossipProcessing(
+					context.Background(), "testing",
+					nMsg, jobIDRef,
+				)
+				defer close(panicked)
+
+				panic("test panic")
+			}()
+
+			// Wait for the goroutine to complete.
+			select {
+			case <-panicked:
+			case <-time.After(time.Second):
+				t.Fatal("timeout waiting for panic recovery")
+			}
+
+			// If we expect an error to be sent back, verify it.
+			if tc.checkError {
+				require.NotNil(t, errChan, "test expects "+
+					"error but errChan is nil")
+			}
+			if tc.checkError && errChan != nil {
+				select {
+				case err := <-errChan:
+					require.Error(t, err)
+					require.Contains(
+						t, err.Error(), "panic while",
+					)
+					require.Contains(
+						t, err.Error(), "test panic",
+					)
+				case <-time.After(time.Second):
+					t.Fatal("timeout waiting for error")
+				}
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestRecoverGossipPanicBlockedErrorChannel verifies that the panic recovery
+// does not hang when the error channel is unbuffered and not being read from.
+// The recovery should use a non-blocking send with a default case.
+func TestRecoverGossipPanicBlockedErrorChannel(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx, err := createTestCtx(t, proofMatureDelta, false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Create an UNBUFFERED channel and don't read from it.
+	errChan := make(chan error)
+
+	nMsg := &networkMsg{
+		msg:  &lnwire.ChannelUpdate1{Timestamp: testTimestamp},
+		peer: &mockPeer{remoteKeyPub1, nil, nil, atomic.Bool{}},
+		err:  errChan,
+	}
+
+	// Initialize a proper job so CompleteJob has a slot to return.
+	jobID, err := ctx.gossiper.vb.InitJobDependencies(nMsg.msg)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	panicked := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		defer ctx.gossiper.finalizeGossipProcessing(
+			context.Background(), "testing", nMsg, &jobID,
+		)
+		defer close(panicked)
+
+		panic("test panic")
+	}()
+
+	// Should not hang - the default case should handle blocked channel.
+	select {
+	case <-panicked:
+		// Success - didn't hang.
+	case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("panic recovery hung on blocked error channel")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestRecoverGossipPanicSignalsDependents verifies that when a parent job
+// panics during gossip processing, the panic recovery correctly signals
+// dependent jobs via the validation barrier so they don't block forever.
+func TestRecoverGossipPanicSignalsDependents(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx, err := createTestCtx(t, proofMatureDelta, false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Create a channel announcement directly without mocks. We only need
+	// it to register with the validation barrier.
+	chanAnn := &lnwire.ChannelAnnouncement1{
+		ShortChannelID: lnwire.NewShortChanIDFromInt(12345),
+		NodeID1:        [33]byte{0x02},
+		NodeID2:        [33]byte{0x03},
+	}
+
+	// Register the channel announcement as a parent job.
+	parentJobID, err := ctx.gossiper.vb.InitJobDependencies(chanAnn)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Create a channel update that depends on this channel announcement.
+	// Channel updates wait for their parent channel announcement.
+	chanUpdate := &lnwire.ChannelUpdate1{
+		ShortChannelID: chanAnn.ShortChannelID,
+		Timestamp:      testTimestamp,
+	}
+
+	// Register the channel update as a child job.
+	childJobID, err := ctx.gossiper.vb.InitJobDependencies(chanUpdate)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Start a goroutine that waits for the parent job to complete.
+	childDone := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() {
+		err := ctx.gossiper.vb.WaitForParents(childJobID, chanUpdate)
+		childDone <- err
+	}()
+
+	// Give the child goroutine time to start waiting.
+	time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	// Now simulate the parent job panicking and recovering.
+	// The recovery should call SignalDependents.
+	errChan := make(chan error, 1)
+	nMsg := &networkMsg{
+		msg: chanAnn,
+		peer: &mockPeer{
+			remoteKeyPub1, nil, nil, atomic.Bool{},
+		},
+		err: errChan,
+	}
+
+	panicked := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		defer ctx.gossiper.finalizeGossipProcessing(
+			context.Background(), "testing", nMsg, &parentJobID,
+		)
+		defer close(panicked)
+
+		panic("parent job panic")
+	}()
+
+	// Wait for the panic to be recovered.
+	select {
+	case <-panicked:
+	case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("timeout waiting for panic recovery")
+	}
+
+	// Verify error was sent back on the parent's error channel.
+	select {
+	case err := <-errChan:
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "panic while")
+		require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "parent job panic")
+	case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("timeout waiting for error on parent")
+	}
+
+	// The child job should now be unblocked because SignalDependents
+	// was called during panic recovery.
+	select {
+	case err := <-childDone:
+		// Child should complete without error (or with nil if
+		// parent jobs are now empty).
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("child job still blocked - SignalDependents " +
+			"did not unblock waiting jobs")
+	}
+
+	// Clean up the child job. The parent job was already completed by
+	// finalizeGossipProcessing.
+	ctx.gossiper.vb.CompleteJob()
+}
+
+// TestRecoverGossipPanicNilJobID verifies that panic recovery works correctly
+// when jobID is nil (e.g., for AnnounceSignatures which bypass the validation
+// barrier).
+func TestRecoverGossipPanicNilJobID(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx, err := createTestCtx(t, proofMatureDelta, false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	// Create an announce signatures message (these bypass validation
+	// barrier and thus have nil jobID in the recovery path).
+	annSigs := &lnwire.AnnounceSignatures1{
+		ShortChannelID: lnwire.NewShortChanIDFromInt(12345),
+	}
+
+	errChan := make(chan error, 1)
+	nMsg := &networkMsg{
+		msg: annSigs,
+		peer: &mockPeer{
+			remoteKeyPub1, nil, nil, atomic.Bool{},
+		},
+		err: errChan,
+	}
+
+	// Call finalizeGossipProcessing with nil jobID (simulating the
+	// AnnounceSignatures serial processing path).
+	panicked := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		defer ctx.gossiper.finalizeGossipProcessing(
+			context.Background(), "processing", nMsg, nil,
+		)
+		defer close(panicked)
+
+		panic("announce signatures panic")
+	}()
+
+	// Wait for panic recovery.
+	select {
+	case <-panicked:
+	case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("timeout waiting for panic recovery")
+	}
+
+	// Verify error was sent back.
+	select {
+	case err := <-errChan:
+		require.Error(t, err)
+		require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "panic while")
+		require.Contains(t, err.Error(), "announce signatures panic")
+	case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("timeout waiting for error")
+	}
+}