diff --git a/src/main/github/client-pr-check-details.test.ts b/src/main/github/client-pr-check-details.test.ts
index baae0fcd171..77af603a52b 100644
--- a/src/main/github/client-pr-check-details.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/github/client-pr-check-details.test.ts
@@ -177,6 +177,52 @@ describe('getPRCheckDetails', () => {
     )
   })
 
+  it.each([
+    { status: 'completed', count: 0, calls: 1 },
+    { status: 'in_progress', count: 0, calls: 2 },
+    { status: 'completed', count: 1, calls: 2 },
+    { status: 'completed', count: undefined, calls: 2 }
+  ])(
+    'only skips authoritative empty annotations for a completed check: %j',
+    async ({ status, count, calls }) => {
+      getOwnerRepoMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({ owner: 'acme', repo: 'widgets' })
+      ghExecFileAsyncMock.mockImplementation(async (args: string[]) => {
+        if (args[1] === 'repos/acme/widgets/check-runs/88') {
+          return {
+            stdout: JSON.stringify({
+              name: 'verify',
+              status,
+              conclusion: status === 'completed' ? 'failure' : null,
+              output: { title: 'Output retained', summary: 'Details', annotations_count: count }
+            })
+          }
+        }
+        if (args[1] === 'repos/acme/widgets/check-runs/88/annotations?per_page=20') {
+          return {
+            stdout: JSON.stringify(
+              count === 1
+                ? [
+                    {
+                      path: 'src/index.ts',
+                      start_line: 1,
+                      end_line: 1,
+                      annotation_level: 'failure',
+                      message: 'Retained'
+                    }
+                  ]
+                : []
+            )
+          }
+        }
+        throw new Error(`Unexpected request: ${args.join(' ')}`)
+      })
+      const details = await getPRCheckDetails('/repo-root', { checkRunId: 88 })
+      expect(details).toMatchObject({ title: 'Output retained', summary: 'Details', status })
+      expect(details?.annotations).toHaveLength(count === 1 ? 1 : 0)
+      expect(ghExecFileAsyncMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(calls)
+    }
+  )
+
   it('rejects provider failures so callers can distinguish them from unavailable details', async () => {
     getOwnerRepoMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({ owner: 'acme', repo: 'widgets' })
     ghExecFileAsyncMock.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('authentication failed'))
diff --git a/src/main/github/client/check/get-pr-check-details.ts b/src/main/github/client/check/get-pr-check-details.ts
index 354b1c3ed38..7a80705dc37 100644
--- a/src/main/github/client/check/get-pr-check-details.ts
+++ b/src/main/github/client/check/get-pr-check-details.ts
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ export async function getPRCheckDetails(
       return call.result
     }
     let checkRun: Record<string, unknown> | null = null
+    let output: Record<string, unknown> | null = null
     let annotations: PRCheckRunDetails['annotations'] = []
     if (args.checkRunId) {
       const { stdout } = await fetchMetadata([
@@ -89,15 +90,21 @@ export async function getPRCheckDetails(
         parsed && typeof parsed === 'object' && !Array.isArray(parsed)
           ? Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(parsed))
           : null
-      try {
-        const annotationsResult = await fetchMetadata([
-          'api',
-          `repos/${ownerRepo.owner}/${ownerRepo.repo}/check-runs/${args.checkRunId}/annotations?per_page=20`
-        ])
-        annotations = mapCheckAnnotations(JSON.parse(annotationsResult.stdout))
-      } catch (err) {
-        rethrowCheckDetailsAbort(controller.signal, err)
-        console.warn('getPRCheckDetails', 'annotations_failed')
+      output =
+        checkRun?.output && typeof checkRun.output === 'object'
+          ? Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(checkRun.output))
+          : null
+      if (checkRun?.status !== 'completed' || output?.annotations_count !== 0) {
+        try {
+          const annotationsResult = await fetchMetadata([
+            'api',
+            `repos/${ownerRepo.owner}/${ownerRepo.repo}/check-runs/${args.checkRunId}/annotations?per_page=20`
+          ])
+          annotations = mapCheckAnnotations(JSON.parse(annotationsResult.stdout))
+        } catch (err) {
+          rethrowCheckDetailsAbort(controller.signal, err)
+          console.warn('getPRCheckDetails', 'annotations_failed')
+        }
       }
       await waitPrevious()
     }
@@ -124,10 +131,6 @@ export async function getPRCheckDetails(
       await waitPrevious()
     }
 
-    const output =
-      checkRun?.output && typeof checkRun.output === 'object'
-        ? Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(checkRun.output))
-        : null
     return {
       name: nullableString(checkRun?.name) ?? args.checkName ?? 'Check',
       status: nullableString(checkRun?.status),