diff --git a/scripts/src/cicd.ts b/scripts/src/cicd.ts
index baf61dc9..88bac6e9 100644
--- a/scripts/src/cicd.ts
+++ b/scripts/src/cicd.ts
@@ -937,6 +937,7 @@ async function decideAndMaybeTrigger(
   const previousInFlight = stringOrNull(previous.inFlightJob);
   const previousLastSucceeded = stringOrNull(previous.lastSucceededSha);
   const previousObserved = stringOrNull(recordAt(previous, ["source"])?.observedSha);
+  const previousTarget = stringOrNull(recordAt(previous, ["target"])?.targetSha);
   const superseded = previousInFlight !== null && previousObserved !== null && observedSha !== null && previousObserved !== observedSha;
   let phase: BranchFollowerPhase;
   let decision: string;
@@ -944,7 +945,7 @@ async function decideAndMaybeTrigger(
   let inFlightJob: string | null = live.inFlightJob;
   let lastTriggeredSha = live.lastTriggeredSha ?? previousLastTriggered;
   let lastSucceededSha = live.lastSucceededSha ?? previousLastSucceeded;
-  if (targetSha === null && observedSha !== null && previousLastSucceeded === observedSha) targetSha = observedSha;
+  if (targetSha === null && observedSha !== null && previousLastSucceeded === observedSha && previousTarget === observedSha) targetSha = observedSha;
 
   if (!follower.enabled) {
     phase = "Skipped";
@@ -1023,6 +1024,7 @@ async function decideAndMaybeTrigger(
       status: live.command,
       exitCode: live.exitCode,
       timedOut: live.timedOut,
+      payload: live.payload,
     },
   };
 }
@@ -1273,13 +1275,14 @@ async function readAdapterStatus(registry: BranchFollowerRegistry, follower: Fol
   const runtimeReady = follower.nativeStatus.runtime === null ? null : runtimeWorkloadsReady(follower.nativeStatus.runtime, bundle.workloads);
   const hasTektonGate = follower.nativeStatus.tekton !== null;
   const hasRuntimeTarget = runtimeTargetSha !== null;
-  const hasTargetEvidence = hasRuntimeTarget || hasTektonGate;
+  const requiresRuntimeTarget = follower.nativeStatus.runtime !== null;
+  const hasTargetEvidence = hasRuntimeTarget || (!requiresRuntimeTarget && hasTektonGate);
   const pipelineGateOk = !hasTektonGate
     || pipelineSucceeded === true
     || (hasRuntimeTarget && runtimeTargetSha === observedSha && argoReady !== false && runtimeReady !== false);
   const aligned = observedSha !== null
     && hasTargetEvidence
-    && (hasRuntimeTarget ? runtimeTargetSha === observedSha : true)
+    && (requiresRuntimeTarget ? hasRuntimeTarget && runtimeTargetSha === observedSha : true)
     && pipelineGateOk
     && argoReady !== false
     && runtimeReady !== false;