diff --git a/config/garm-derivative.yaml b/config/garm-derivative.yaml
index 30d15e6..f095e53 100644
--- a/config/garm-derivative.yaml
+++ b/config/garm-derivative.yaml
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ patches:
     purpose: Bind authoritative repository identity before deleting a stale queued database duplicate for a GitHub in-progress job without releasing its running central admission intent; binding failures retain the row for retry, while terminal or absent jobs still release capacity exactly once.
 overlays:
   - path: third_party/garm/overlay/workers/scaleset/queue_intent.go
-    sha256: 0793ef4a19052849f265dfe40a06a8f3330bef053ea2fff84e080b269a85f7b7
+    sha256: 18be93eabada82a284ecd50948af4e41ecd10b6eb59ae4f1e2ce1c1367e1618f
     purpose: Fsync-backed central queue admission where disabled scale sets cannot record or acquire work, sparse JobAssigned owns a bounded provisional token without refreshing its TTL, JobAvailable or the authoritative queued DB row binds repository identity, authoritative JobStarted rehydrates missing running ownership, and state_entered_at remains stable across same-phase lease refreshes.
   - path: third_party/garm/overlay/workers/scaleset/queue_intent_test.go
     sha256: 02449e9feaf09de10f225323053b1efbc75e810a0f7bba5113b9b27fb1856c65
diff --git a/scripts/build-garm-nddev.sh b/scripts/build-garm-nddev.sh
index de69c86..c6da99b 100755
--- a/scripts/build-garm-nddev.sh
+++ b/scripts/build-garm-nddev.sh
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ readonly overlay_paths=(
   "third_party/garm/overlay/workers/provider/nddev_create_retry_test.go"
 )
 readonly overlay_sha256s=(
-  "0793ef4a19052849f265dfe40a06a8f3330bef053ea2fff84e080b269a85f7b7"
+  "18be93eabada82a284ecd50948af4e41ecd10b6eb59ae4f1e2ce1c1367e1618f"
   "02449e9feaf09de10f225323053b1efbc75e810a0f7bba5113b9b27fb1856c65"
   "5f0166c596ed3946ba72e6dbca850af7573f514186acb62d39ee21ec0021ca1c"
   "9b6f69301d4442f459315e11e72748cf54c407098975fe4302bb69cb259ce495"
diff --git a/third_party/garm/overlay/workers/scaleset/queue_intent.go b/third_party/garm/overlay/workers/scaleset/queue_intent.go
index 85022fb..5c38cf1 100644
--- a/third_party/garm/overlay/workers/scaleset/queue_intent.go
+++ b/third_party/garm/overlay/workers/scaleset/queue_intent.go
@@ -670,7 +670,11 @@ func (c *queueIntentCoordinator) ObserveLifecycle(scaleSet params.ScaleSet, enti
 				if !queueIntentCoreIdentityEqual(existing, intent) {
 					return fmt.Errorf("duplicate assigned intent %q changed immutable identity", intent.Key)
 				}
-				intent = existing
+				// Deliberately no write-back: the journal already holds `existing`,
+				// which carries mutable state this freshly rebuilt `intent` does not,
+				// so overwriting it would discard progress. This line used to read
+				// `intent = existing`, which looked load-bearing while being dead —
+				// `intent` is redeclared next iteration and nothing follows here.
 			} else {
 				journal.Intents[intent.Key] = intent
 				ensureRepositoryState(journal, config, intent.Repository)