diff --git a/src/main/git/remote-url-probe.test.ts b/src/main/git/remote-url-probe.test.ts
index 8a7672cb229..f9e0348c3ac 100644
--- a/src/main/git/remote-url-probe.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/git/remote-url-probe.test.ts
@@ -97,6 +97,15 @@ describe('remote URL probe', () => {
     await expect(assertRemoteUrlReadable({ repoPath: '/repo' })).resolves.toBeUndefined()
   })
 
+  it('keeps a failed SSH command unverifiable even without a transport error string', async () => {
+    const failure = new Error('relay request failed')
+    getSshGitProviderMock.mockReturnValue({ exec: vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(failure) })
+
+    await expect(
+      assertRemoteUrlReadable({ repoPath: '/repo', connectionId: 'ssh-1' })
+    ).rejects.toBe(failure)
+  })
+
   it('does not turn a missing SSH provider into a false readable result', async () => {
     getSshGitProviderMock.mockReturnValue(null)
 
diff --git a/src/main/git/remote-url-probe.ts b/src/main/git/remote-url-probe.ts
index 7b18c1deac9..d237bdd98fa 100644
--- a/src/main/git/remote-url-probe.ts
+++ b/src/main/git/remote-url-probe.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {
   SSH_GIT_PROVIDER_UNAVAILABLE_MESSAGE
 } from '../providers/ssh-git-dispatch'
 import { gitExecFileAsync } from './runner'
+import { isStableMissingGitRemoteError } from './stable-missing-git-remote-error'
 
 /**
  * The `git remote get-url` probe every forge integration runs to decide whether
@@ -91,10 +92,9 @@ export function isTransientGitProbeError(error: unknown): boolean {
 }
 
 /**
- * Throws when the remote could not be read because the probe was wedged or its
- * transport was gone, and returns normally for every answer — including a repo
- * with no remote at all. Lets a caller that treats "nothing found" as a cacheable
- * answer tell that apart from a lookup that never got to ask.
+ * Throws when the remote could not be read, and returns normally for every
+ * answer — including a repo with no remote at all. Lets a caller that treats
+ * "nothing found" as cacheable tell that apart from a lookup that never got to ask.
  */
 export async function assertRemoteUrlReadable(
   context: RemoteUrlProbeContext,
@@ -106,8 +106,9 @@ export async function assertRemoteUrlReadable(
   try {
     await readRemoteUrl(context, remoteName)
   } catch (error) {
-    if (isTransientGitProbeError(error)) {
-      throw error
+    if (isStableMissingGitRemoteError(error)) {
+      return
     }
+    throw error
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/github/client-ssh-provider-execution-boundary.test.ts b/src/main/github/client-ssh-provider-execution-boundary.test.ts
index b37901744fe..1e0ac6b8ebc 100644
--- a/src/main/github/client-ssh-provider-execution-boundary.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/github/client-ssh-provider-execution-boundary.test.ts
@@ -29,8 +29,13 @@ vi.mock('./github-api-repository', async (importOriginal) =>
 import { getPRForBranch, getPRForBranchOutcome } from './client'
 import { resetPRForBranchMocks } from './client-test-harness'
 
-const { ghExecFileAsyncMock, getOwnerRepoMock, gitExecFileAsyncMock, getSshGitProviderMock } =
-  clientMocks
+const {
+  ghExecFileAsyncMock,
+  getOwnerRepoMock,
+  gitExecFileAsyncMock,
+  getSshGitProviderMock,
+  resolvePRRepositoryCandidatesMock
+} = clientMocks
 
 const MERGED_BRANCH = 'fix-tab-strip-layout-test'
 const MERGED_HEAD_OID = 'current-head-oid'
@@ -127,6 +132,30 @@ describe('getPRForBranch SSH execution boundary', () => {
     expect(outcome).toMatchObject({ kind: 'upstream-error', errorType: 'unknown' })
   })
 
+  it('reports an upstream error when candidate discovery finds no SSH provider', async () => {
+    resolvePRRepositoryCandidatesMock.mockResolvedValue({ candidates: [], headRepo: null })
+    getSshGitProviderMock.mockReturnValue(undefined)
+
+    const outcome = await getPRForBranchOutcome('/remote/repo', MERGED_BRANCH, null, 'ssh-1')
+
+    expect(gitExecFileAsyncMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(ghExecFileAsyncMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(outcome).toMatchObject({ kind: 'upstream-error', errorType: 'unknown' })
+  })
+
+  it('reports an upstream error when candidate discovery loses SSH mid-flight', async () => {
+    resolvePRRepositoryCandidatesMock.mockResolvedValue({ candidates: [], headRepo: null })
+    getSshGitProviderMock.mockReturnValue({
+      exec: vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error('SSH transport closed'))
+    })
+
+    const outcome = await getPRForBranchOutcome('/remote/repo', MERGED_BRANCH, null, 'ssh-1')
+
+    expect(gitExecFileAsyncMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(ghExecFileAsyncMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(outcome).toMatchObject({ kind: 'upstream-error', errorType: 'unknown' })
+  })
+
   it('rev-parses HEAD through the SSH provider when it is registered', async () => {
     const sshGitProvider = {
       exec: vi.fn(async (args: string[]) =>
diff --git a/src/main/github/client.ts b/src/main/github/client.ts
index b9e8d94226f..997007f19b3 100644
--- a/src/main/github/client.ts
+++ b/src/main/github/client.ts
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ import {
   getSshGitProvider,
   SSH_GIT_PROVIDER_UNAVAILABLE_MESSAGE
 } from '../providers/ssh-git-dispatch'
+import { assertRemoteUrlReadable } from '../git/remote-url-probe'
 import {
   hasHostedReviewLocalGitOptions,
   getHostedReviewLocalGitOptions,
@@ -3268,6 +3269,9 @@ export async function getPRForBranchOutcome(
     // Why: connection-backed gh runs without a repository cwd. A bare lookup
     // here can honor process GH_REPO/GH_HOST and return an unrelated PR.
     if (connectionId && candidates.length === 0) {
+      // Why: candidate discovery intentionally tolerates unknown forges, but a
+      // lost SSH probe is unverifiable and must not clear cached review state.
+      await assertRemoteUrlReadable(context)
       return { kind: 'no-pr', fetchedAt: Date.now() }
     }
     // Why (#11532): account every lookup, not just the coordinator's queue —