diff --git a/src/game/engine/src/modules/ai/simple_heuristic_ai.gd b/src/game/engine/src/modules/ai/simple_heuristic_ai.gd
index d29915dd..0256dea1 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/src/modules/ai/simple_heuristic_ai.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/src/modules/ai/simple_heuristic_ai.gd
@@ -503,6 +503,20 @@ static func _decide_production(
 	var threatened: bool = bool(threat.get("threatens_city", false))
 	var enemy_total: int = int(threat.get("total_count", 0))
 
+	# Capital walls interject: a 1-city capital that's >20 turns old with at
+	# least one defender gets walls slotted in BEFORE any other priority
+	# (including threat preemption). Walls were starved indefinitely during
+	# early harassment phases where threat-preempt locked us to warriors.
+	var capital_age: int = GameState.turn_number - int(city.turn_founded)
+	var capital_needs_walls: bool = (
+		city_count == 1 and city_index == 0
+		and military_count >= 1 and capital_age > 20
+		and not city.has_building("walls")
+		and city.can_build("walls", player)
+	)
+	if capital_needs_walls:
+		return _prod_building(city_index, "walls")
+
 	# Threat preemption: when an enemy stack is closing on a city, force
 	# military production over walls/happiness/founders until we can field
 	# at least enemy_total + 1 defenders (matches opponent's full army, not
@@ -519,25 +533,11 @@ static func _decide_production(
 	# T100. After T80 the standard Priority 4 target takes over.
 	var early_mil_floor: int = 4 if GameState.turn_number <= 80 else 0
 	if military_count < maxi(1, early_mil_floor):
-		# Capital walls interject: once the capital has at least 1 defender
-		# and is >20 turns old, pause military top-up to slot walls in. Walls
-		# were being starved indefinitely by the mil-floor above; a T40-50
-		# wall hardens the capital before the opponent's full army arrives.
-		var capital_age: int = (
-			GameState.turn_number - int(city.turn_founded)
+		var emergency_unit: String = _pick_buildable_military_unit_id(
+			city, player
 		)
-		var capital_needs_walls: bool = (
-			city_count == 1 and city_index == 0
-			and military_count >= 1 and capital_age > 20
-			and not city.has_building("walls")
-			and city.can_build("walls", player)
-		)
-		if not capital_needs_walls:
-			var emergency_unit: String = _pick_buildable_military_unit_id(
-				city, player
-			)
-			if not emergency_unit.is_empty():
-				return _prod_unit(city_index, emergency_unit)
+		if not emergency_unit.is_empty():
+			return _prod_unit(city_index, emergency_unit)
 
 	# Priority 1: Build walls if city has none (defense first)
 	if not city.has_building("walls") and city.can_build("walls", player):