diff --git a/mobile/src/tasks/github-work-item-operation.test.ts b/mobile/src/tasks/github-work-item-operation.test.ts
index 6dd01e78160..4648128c4a1 100644
--- a/mobile/src/tasks/github-work-item-operation.test.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/tasks/github-work-item-operation.test.ts
@@ -127,6 +127,49 @@ it('a disconnect/reconnect cannot regain authority with an identical connected-a
   expect(a.writes).toEqual([])
   expect(a.client.stateListeners()).toBe(0)
 })
+it.each([
+  ['sends the ordinary update when its lookup lands on this issue', '1.4.247', 'fork', 1],
+  ['refuses when its lookup lands on another repository', '1.4.247', 'upstream', 0],
+  ['refuses before its writes followed its lookup', '1.4.220', 'fork', 0]
+])('a server without exact targets %s', async (_name, appVersion, owner, sent) => {
+  const frames: { method: string; params?: unknown; envelope?: unknown }[] = []
+  const client = createFakeRpcClient()
+  client.sendRequest = async (method, params, options) => {
+    frames.push({ method, params, envelope: options?.envelope })
+    const result =
+      method === 'status.get'
+        ? {
+            runtimeId: 'old',
+            hostDescriptor: { installationId: 'old' },
+            appVersion,
+            capabilities: []
+          }
+        : method === 'github.workItem'
+          ? {
+              type: 'issue',
+              number: 93,
+              url: `https://github.corp/${owner}/widgets/issues/93`,
+              labels: []
+            }
+          : { ok: true }
+    return { id: String(frames.length), ok: true, result, _meta: { runtimeId: 'old' } }
+  }
+  const params = { repo: 'id:clone', number: 93, updates: { state: 'closed' as const } }
+  const pending = withGitHubTargetOperation({
+    client,
+    params,
+    ownerRepo: repository,
+    issueTarget: { repository, type: 'issue', number: 93 },
+    send: (selected, exact, options) =>
+      githubIssueUpdate.request(selected, { ...params, ...exact }, options)
+  })
+  await (sent
+    ? expect(pending).resolves.toBeDefined()
+    : expect(pending).rejects.toThrow('Update Orca on the executing server'))
+  expect(frames.filter((frame) => frame.method === 'github.updateIssue')).toEqual(
+    sent ? [{ method: 'github.updateIssue', params, envelope: undefined }] : []
+  )
+})
 it('names the relaying desktop when only it lacks the exact-target check', async () => {
   const desktop = physical('d', false),
     server = physical('s')
diff --git a/mobile/src/tasks/github-work-item-operation.ts b/mobile/src/tasks/github-work-item-operation.ts
index 72d78dd761a..150e4c20872 100644
--- a/mobile/src/tasks/github-work-item-operation.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/tasks/github-work-item-operation.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 import type { RpcClient, SendRequestOptions } from '../transport/rpc-client'
 import type { GitHubOwnerRepo } from '../../../src/shared/github/pull-request-types'
-import { GITHUB_EXACT_OPERATION_UNSUPPORTED } from '../../../src/shared/github/work-item-target'
+import { hasReachedAppVersion } from '../../../src/shared/app-version'
+import {
+  GITHUB_EXACT_OPERATION_UNSUPPORTED,
+  matchesGitHubWorkItemTarget,
+  type GitHubWorkItemTarget
+} from '../../../src/shared/github/work-item-target'
 import {
   captureGitHubInvocation,
   GITHUB_DESKTOP_UPDATE_REQUIRED,
@@ -9,11 +14,15 @@ import {
   githubOperationResponse
 } from '../transport/github-target-invocation'
 import { openRpcRequestBudget } from '../transport/rpc-request-budget'
+import { readGitHubWorkItemByNumber } from './mobile-task-source-search-operations'
 import {
   GITHUB_CANONICAL_DETAILS_RUNTIME_CAPABILITY,
   GITHUB_EXACT_DETAILS_READ_INTENT_RUNTIME_CAPABILITY
 } from '../../../src/shared/task-source-runtime-capabilities'
 
+// Before this release an unaddressed issue write ignored the issue source its own number lookup honors.
+const ISSUE_WRITE_FOLLOWS_LOOKUP_VERSION = '1.4.221'
+
 export async function withGitHubTargetOperation<T>(args: {
   client: RpcClient
   params: { repo: string }
@@ -21,6 +30,8 @@ export async function withGitHubTargetOperation<T>(args: {
   read?: boolean
   /** An addressed details read's intent: false for an ordinary load, true for the user's explicit Refresh. */
   canonical?: boolean
+  /** A write's item, which a server without exact targets may still update unaddressed once its own lookup proves it. */
+  issueTarget?: GitHubWorkItemTarget
   send: (
     client: RpcClient,
     exact: { ownerRepo?: GitHubOwnerRepo; canonical?: boolean },
@@ -70,8 +81,13 @@ export async function withGitHubTargetOperation<T>(args: {
     )
     const canonicalOnly =
       !explicitIntent && capabilities.includes(GITHUB_CANONICAL_DETAILS_RUNTIME_CAPABILITY)
-    const sendOwner = canonicalOnly ? args.canonical === true : supports && source !== null
-    if ((!supports || !source) && !args.read) {
+    const exact = supports && source !== null
+    const sendOwner = canonicalOnly ? args.canonical === true : exact
+    if (
+      !exact &&
+      !args.read &&
+      !(await serverFollowsIssueLookup(client, status, args.params.repo, args.issueTarget, options))
+    ) {
       // Name the build to update: the relaying desktop when only it lacks the check, else the executing server.
       throw new Error(
         serverSupports && source && !relaySupports
@@ -103,6 +119,29 @@ export async function withGitHubTargetOperation<T>(args: {
   }
 }
 
+// Without ownerRepo a server writes to the issue its own number lookup finds, so a lookup landing on the target proves it.
+async function serverFollowsIssueLookup(
+  client: RpcClient,
+  status: Record<string, unknown>,
+  repo: string,
+  target: GitHubWorkItemTarget | undefined,
+  options: () => SendRequestOptions
+): Promise<boolean> {
+  if (
+    target?.type !== 'issue' ||
+    typeof status.appVersion !== 'string' ||
+    !hasReachedAppVersion(status.appVersion, ISSUE_WRITE_FOLLOWS_LOOKUP_VERSION)
+  ) {
+    return false
+  }
+  const item = await readGitHubWorkItemByNumber(
+    client,
+    { repo, number: target.number, type: 'issue' },
+    options()
+  )
+  return matchesGitHubWorkItemTarget(item, target)
+}
+
 async function invocationStatus(client: RpcClient, options: SendRequestOptions) {
   const invocation = captureGitHubInvocation(client)
   try {
diff --git a/mobile/src/tasks/mobile-task-source-search-operations.ts b/mobile/src/tasks/mobile-task-source-search-operations.ts
index 9127834c9ee..003605c305a 100644
--- a/mobile/src/tasks/mobile-task-source-search-operations.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/tasks/mobile-task-source-search-operations.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import type { GitHubWorkItem } from '../../../src/shared/github/work-item-types'
+import type { RpcClient, SendRequestOptions } from '../transport/rpc-client'
 import { bindDeferredRpcOperation, defineRpcOperation } from '../transport/rpc-operation'
 import { rpcResultVariant } from '../transport/rpc-operation-result-reader'
 import { githubPrRepoSlugSchema } from '../session/github-pr-read-reply-schema'
@@ -72,6 +74,17 @@ export const githubWorkItemByNumberRead = bindDeferredRpcOperation(
   })
 )
 
+export async function readGitHubWorkItemByNumber(
+  client: RpcClient,
+  params: { repo: string; number: number; type?: 'issue' | 'pr' },
+  // A rest tuple keeps the request's recorded arity when no options are given.
+  ...options: [SendRequestOptions?]
+): Promise<GitHubWorkItem | null> {
+  const reply = await githubWorkItemByNumberRead.request(client, params, ...options)
+  // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript/consistent-type-assertions -- SAFETY: the lookup decodes the same `workItemRow`, so the assertion only fills in members the row omits, each read through a guard or interpolated as text; what the schema adds is that a non-object payload is now a named incompatible reply rather than a spread over a string.
+  return githubWorkItemByNumberRead.interpret(reply) as GitHubWorkItem | null
+}
+
 export const githubWorkItemBySlugRead = bindDeferredRpcOperation(
   defineRpcOperation({
     name: 'github.work-item-by-owner-repo',
diff --git a/mobile/src/tasks/smart-source-paste-intent.ts b/mobile/src/tasks/smart-source-paste-intent.ts
index 072a538df01..561e7070ba6 100644
--- a/mobile/src/tasks/smart-source-paste-intent.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/tasks/smart-source-paste-intent.ts
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ import type { RpcClient } from '../transport/rpc-client'
 import { isMethodNotFoundRefusal } from '../transport/rpc-acceptance-policies'
 import {
   githubRepoSlugRead,
-  githubWorkItemByNumberRead,
   githubWorkItemBySlugRead,
+  readGitHubWorkItemByNumber,
   gitlabWorkItemByPathRead
 } from './mobile-task-source-search-operations'
 import { githubRepoIdentityKey } from '../../../src/shared/github/repository-identity-key'
@@ -132,12 +132,7 @@ export async function lookupGitHubItemByNumber(
   repoId: string,
   number: number
 ): Promise<GitHubWorkItem | null> {
-  const reply = await githubWorkItemByNumberRead.request(client, {
-    repo: `id:${repoId}`,
-    number
-  })
-  // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript/consistent-type-assertions -- SAFETY: the lookup decodes the same `workItemRow`, so the assertion only fills in members the row omits, each read through a guard or interpolated as text; what the schema adds is that a non-object payload is now a named incompatible reply rather than a spread over a string.
-  const item = githubWorkItemByNumberRead.interpret(reply) as GitHubWorkItem | null
+  const item = await readGitHubWorkItemByNumber(client, { repo: `id:${repoId}`, number })
   return item ? { ...item, repoId } : null
 }
 
diff --git a/mobile/src/tasks/use-mobile-tasks-gitlab-github-status-actions.tsx b/mobile/src/tasks/use-mobile-tasks-gitlab-github-status-actions.tsx
index d57b5a5e4d4..b23217f56ff 100644
--- a/mobile/src/tasks/use-mobile-tasks-gitlab-github-status-actions.tsx
+++ b/mobile/src/tasks/use-mobile-tasks-gitlab-github-status-actions.tsx
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ export function useMobileTasksGitlabGithubStatusActions<
           client,
           params,
           ownerRepo: target.repository,
+          issueTarget: target,
           send: (selected, exact, options) =>
             githubIssueUpdate.request(selected, { ...params, ...exact }, options)
         })
diff --git a/mobile/src/tasks/use-mobile-tasks-project-file-merge-actions.tsx b/mobile/src/tasks/use-mobile-tasks-project-file-merge-actions.tsx
index e1ce9c2165c..4899cf2905d 100644
--- a/mobile/src/tasks/use-mobile-tasks-project-file-merge-actions.tsx
+++ b/mobile/src/tasks/use-mobile-tasks-project-file-merge-actions.tsx
@@ -300,13 +300,15 @@ export function useMobileTasksProjectFileMergeActions<Model extends ProjectFileM
       const nextState = item.source.state === 'closed' ? 'open' : 'closed'
       const isCurrent = claimPublication(item)
       try {
+        const target = requireGitHubTaskTarget(item.source)
         const updated =
           item.source.type === 'issue'
             ? githubIssueUpdate.interpret(
                 await withGitHubTargetOperation({
                   client,
                   params: { repo: `id:${item.source.repoId}` },
-                  ownerRepo: requireGitHubTaskTarget(item.source).repository,
+                  ownerRepo: target.repository,
+                  issueTarget: target,
                   send: (selected, exact, options) =>
                     githubIssueUpdate.request(
                       selected,
@@ -324,7 +326,7 @@ export function useMobileTasksProjectFileMergeActions<Model extends ProjectFileM
                 await githubPullRequestStateUpdate.request(client, {
                   repo: `id:${item.source.repoId}`,
                   prNumber: item.source.number,
-                  prRepo: requireGitHubTaskTarget(item.source).repository,
+                  prRepo: target.repository,
                   updates: { state: nextState }
                 })
               )