diff --git a/apps/server/src/orchestration/decider.settled.test.ts b/apps/server/src/orchestration/decider.settled.test.ts
index 20bc3475613a..dab3b909cd01 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/orchestration/decider.settled.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/orchestration/decider.settled.test.ts
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ it.layer(NodeServices.layer)("settled thread decider", (it) => {
     }),
   );
 
-  it.effect("prepends activity unsets for turn starts and live session updates", () =>
+  it.effect("prepends activity unsets for settled threads and leaves active pins alone", () =>
     Effect.gen(function* () {
       const turnResult = yield* decideOrchestrationCommand({
         command: {
@@ -462,19 +462,16 @@ it.layer(NodeServices.layer)("settled thread decider", (it) => {
           session: makeSession("running"),
           createdAt: NOW,
         },
-        // A keep-active pin is also an override: real activity clears it
-        // back to neutral so auto-settle can apply again later.
+        // A keep-active pin is a user pin, not an auto-settle guard: real
+        // activity must not clear it back to neutral.
         readModel: makeReadModel("active"),
       });
       const sessionEvents = Array.isArray(sessionResult) ? sessionResult : [sessionResult];
-      expect(sessionEvents.map((event) => event.type)).toEqual([
-        "thread.unsettled",
-        "thread.session-set",
-      ]);
+      expect(sessionEvents.map((event) => event.type)).toEqual(["thread.session-set"]);
     }),
   );
 
-  it.effect("clears a keep-active pin on real activity", () =>
+  it.effect("does not clear a keep-active pin on real activity", () =>
     Effect.gen(function* () {
       const turnResult = yield* decideOrchestrationCommand({
         command: {
@@ -494,10 +491,9 @@ it.layer(NodeServices.layer)("settled thread decider", (it) => {
         readModel: makeReadModel("active"),
       });
       const turnEvents = Array.isArray(turnResult) ? turnResult : [turnResult];
-      // The pin exists to suppress AUTO-settle, not to survive real work:
-      // activity resets it to neutral, restoring the default lifecycle.
+      // The pin is the user asking to keep this thread active: real work
+      // must not silently clear it back to neutral.
       expect(turnEvents.map((event) => event.type)).toEqual([
-        "thread.unsettled",
         "thread.message-sent",
         "thread.turn-start-requested",
       ]);
@@ -521,10 +517,7 @@ it.layer(NodeServices.layer)("settled thread decider", (it) => {
         readModel: makeReadModel("active"),
       });
       const activityEvents = Array.isArray(activityResult) ? activityResult : [activityResult];
-      expect(activityEvents.map((event) => event.type)).toEqual([
-        "thread.unsettled",
-        "thread.activity-appended",
-      ]);
+      expect(activityEvents.map((event) => event.type)).toEqual(["thread.activity-appended"]);
     }),
   );
 
diff --git a/apps/server/src/orchestration/decider.ts b/apps/server/src/orchestration/decider.ts
index 4f61955fa6aa..a74f2a3386e5 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/orchestration/decider.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/orchestration/decider.ts
@@ -995,13 +995,15 @@ export const decideOrchestrationCommand = Effect.fn("decideOrchestrationCommand"
           createdAt: command.createdAt,
         },
       };
-      // Real activity resets ANY override: it wakes an explicitly settled
-      // thread, and it clears a keep-active pin back to neutral so the
-      // thread can auto-settle again after this burst of work goes stale.
+      // Real activity wakes an explicitly settled thread, but it must not
+      // clear a keep-active pin: the user asked for that thread to stay
+      // active, and an automatic "activity" unsettle is a no-op against a
+      // state that is already unsettled in spirit. Only a settled override
+      // is cleared here; an active override is left alone.
       // A snooze clears the same way — sending a message to a snoozed
       // thread is the user re-engaging, so the return ticket is spent.
       const lifecycleResetEvents: Array<Omit<OrchestrationEvent, "sequence">> = [];
-      if (targetThread.settledOverride !== null) {
+      if (targetThread.settledOverride === "settled") {
         lifecycleResetEvents.push({
           ...(yield* withEventBase({
             aggregateKind: "thread",
@@ -1204,8 +1206,10 @@ export const decideOrchestrationCommand = Effect.fn("decideOrchestrationCommand"
       // as snoozed, without spending the return ticket.
       const isSessionActivity =
         command.session.status === "starting" || command.session.status === "running";
-      // Real activity resets ANY override (settled wakes, active unpins).
-      if (thread.settledOverride === null || !isSessionActivity) {
+      // Real activity wakes a settled thread, but never clears an active
+      // pin: that override is the user asking to keep this thread active,
+      // and an automatic "activity" unsettle must not undo it.
+      if (thread.settledOverride !== "settled" || !isSessionActivity) {
         return sessionSetEvent;
       }
       const unsettledEvent: Omit<OrchestrationEvent, "sequence"> = {
@@ -1381,8 +1385,10 @@ export const decideOrchestrationCommand = Effect.fn("decideOrchestrationCommand"
       const wakesSettledThread =
         command.activity.kind === "approval.requested" ||
         command.activity.kind === "user-input.requested";
-      // Real activity resets ANY override (settled wakes, active unpins).
-      if (thread.settledOverride === null || !wakesSettledThread) {
+      // Real activity wakes a settled thread, but never clears an active
+      // pin: that override is the user asking to keep this thread active,
+      // and an automatic "activity" unsettle must not undo it.
+      if (thread.settledOverride !== "settled" || !wakesSettledThread) {
         return activityAppendedEvent;
       }
       const unsettledEvent: Omit<OrchestrationEvent, "sequence"> = {
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 4b550bebb15e..2cf7f1e8f377 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -5148,10 +5148,12 @@ packages:
   '@xmldom/xmldom@0.8.13':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-KRYzxepc14G/CEpEGc3Yn+JKaAeT63smlDr+vjB8jRfgTBBI9wRj/nkQEO+ucV8p8I9bfKLWp37uHgFrbntPvw==}
     engines: {node: '>=10.0.0'}
+    deprecated: this version has critical issues, please update to the latest version
 
   '@xmldom/xmldom@0.9.10':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-A9gOqLdi6cV4ibazAjcQufGj0B1y/vDqYrcuP6d/6x8P27gRS8643Dj9o1dEKtB6O7fwxb2FgBmJS2mX7gpvdw==}
     engines: {node: '>=14.6'}
+    deprecated: this version has critical issues, please update to the latest version
 
   '@yuuang/ffi-rs-android-arm64@1.3.2':
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-eDYLT0kVBkp7e2BwdRDmt6N1rkeDPUHDefk3ZX0/nok+GLsqfy1WBoSL3Yg7HVXN1EyW8OBVc2uK8Zq8HbmaSA==}