diff --git a/.github/workflows/cmux-tui-artifacts.yml b/.github/workflows/cmux-tui-artifacts.yml
index 7569ca62d484..7bdc2b236f2e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cmux-tui-artifacts.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cmux-tui-artifacts.yml
@@ -1038,7 +1038,7 @@ jobs:
       # preflight skips duplicate work after the first complete run.
       cancel-in-progress: false
     name: cmux_next_ daemon tests (macOS)
-    # The owned side lane on every attempt, a cmux-tui-pin-* push included.
+    # The owned side lane on every attempt (a cmux-tui-pin-* push: below).
     # Every same-repo branch push runs this job, so naming the PR pool here
     # queued them on Blacksmith at its cap while the minis had room, and a
     # rerun (cmux-tui-artifacts-retry re-runs a failed run, no owned-pool
@@ -1056,7 +1056,17 @@ jobs:
     # queued an hour behind the Release compile and promotion stalled
     # (2026-10-15); a separate pool keeps promotion's two halves from queuing
     # behind each other. Clearing it restores the shared promote pool.
-    runs-on: ${{ inputs.macos_runner || github.repository_owner != 'manaflow-ai' && 'macos-26' || vars.CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL != '' && github.repository_owner == 'manaflow-ai' && github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/feat-cmux-next' && github.run_attempt == 1 && vars.CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL || vars.CI_NEXT_PROMOTE_POOL != '' && github.repository_owner == 'manaflow-ai' && github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/feat-cmux-next' && github.run_attempt == 1 && vars.CI_NEXT_PROMOTE_POOL || vars.CI_PR_POOL_OWNED == '1' && contains(fromJSON('["pull_request","push","schedule","workflow_dispatch"]'), github.event_name) && (github.run_attempt <= 3 || github.triggering_actor != 'github-actions[bot]') && vars.CI_SIDE_LANE_RUNNER || 'blacksmith-6vcpu-macos-15' }}
+    # A cmux-tui-pin-* push (one per merged pull request) takes
+    # vars.CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL on every attempt, unless it names the side lane
+    # or the promotion's daemon pool (CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL, else the promote
+    # pool); else the light minis (vars.CI_LIGHT_LANE_RUNNER while the owned
+    # pools are on) unless they are the side lane; else Blacksmith macOS 15.
+    # 2026-10-21: pins flooded the side-std pull request lane, and sharing the
+    # promotion's daemon pool stalls nightly-next. The light minis may still
+    # serve both until promotion gets its own label (claude-sr2);
+    # ci-repo-variables.yml on main warns then, and fails on a pin pool equal
+    # to either (tests/test_ci_tui_routes_avoid_nightly_label.py).
+    runs-on: ${{ inputs.macos_runner || github.repository_owner != 'manaflow-ai' && 'macos-26' || vars.CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL != '' && github.repository_owner == 'manaflow-ai' && github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/feat-cmux-next' && github.run_attempt == 1 && vars.CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL || vars.CI_NEXT_PROMOTE_POOL != '' && github.repository_owner == 'manaflow-ai' && github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/feat-cmux-next' && github.run_attempt == 1 && vars.CI_NEXT_PROMOTE_POOL || github.repository_owner == 'manaflow-ai' && github.event_name == 'push' && startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/heads/cmux-tui-pin-') && (vars.CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL != vars.CI_SIDE_LANE_RUNNER && vars.CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL != (vars.CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL || vars.CI_NEXT_PROMOTE_POOL) && vars.CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL || vars.CI_PR_POOL_OWNED == '1' && vars.CI_LIGHT_LANE_RUNNER != vars.CI_SIDE_LANE_RUNNER && vars.CI_LIGHT_LANE_RUNNER || 'blacksmith-6vcpu-macos-15') || vars.CI_PR_POOL_OWNED == '1' && contains(fromJSON('["pull_request","push","schedule","workflow_dispatch"]'), github.event_name) && (github.run_attempt <= 3 || github.triggering_actor != 'github-actions[bot]') && vars.CI_SIDE_LANE_RUNNER || 'blacksmith-6vcpu-macos-15' }}
     timeout-minutes: 60
     env:
       # Cargo's default registry retry is too small for a transient index DNS
diff --git a/scripts/ci/owned_pool_sources.py b/scripts/ci/owned_pool_sources.py
index 8c35356f6a16..899cf4afc676 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/owned_pool_sources.py
+++ b/scripts/ci/owned_pool_sources.py
@@ -53,8 +53,9 @@
 # pr_runner_pool.py's label prefixes; their common prefix is the owned literal.
 LABEL_PREFIX_NAMES = ("ROOT_PREFIX", "SIDE_PREFIX", "GUI_PREFIX", "RUNNER_LABEL_PREFIX")
 # Pool variables no policy check holds to a label shape yet (docs/ci-runners.md
-# on feat-cmux-next: the trusted promote mini and the daemon tests' slot).
-EXTRA_OWNED_VARIABLES = frozenset({"CI_NEXT_PROMOTE_POOL", "CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL"})
+# on feat-cmux-next: the trusted promote mini, the daemon tests' slot and the
+# cmux-tui-pin-* pushes' daemon pool).
+EXTRA_OWNED_VARIABLES = frozenset({"CI_NEXT_PROMOTE_POOL", "CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL", "CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL"})
 # (caller, reusable workflow) calls whose picker never places the call on an
 # owned pool, so the caller does not inherit the reusable workflow's owned job.
 OFF_POOL_CALLS = {
diff --git a/tests/test_ci_nightly_off_blacksmith.py b/tests/test_ci_nightly_off_blacksmith.py
index 54dffe7c5d4a..4519c9bb5c28 100644
--- a/tests/test_ci_nightly_off_blacksmith.py
+++ b/tests/test_ci_nightly_off_blacksmith.py
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ def test_nightlies_skip_the_benchmark_mini(self) -> None:
         """
         forbidden = re.compile(
             r"cmux11s|glaeda-(side-|root-|gui-|session-|aws-)?std-xcode"
-            r"|vars\.(CI_SIDE_LANE_RUNNER|CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL|CI_NEXT_PROMOTE_POOL|CI_LIGHT_LANE_RUNNER)\b"
+            r"|vars\.(CI_SIDE_LANE_RUNNER|CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL|CI_NEXT_PROMOTE_POOL|CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL|CI_LIGHT_LANE_RUNNER)\b"
         )
         allowed = ("vars.CI_SEED_TRUSTED_POOL", "vars.CI_NIGHTLY_NEXT_TRUSTED_POOL")
         failures = []
diff --git a/tests/test_ci_tui_routes_avoid_nightly_label.py b/tests/test_ci_tui_routes_avoid_nightly_label.py
index ee70163ffbd6..4ee73cfca0c9 100644
--- a/tests/test_ci_tui_routes_avoid_nightly_label.py
+++ b/tests/test_ci_tui_routes_avoid_nightly_label.py
@@ -34,15 +34,19 @@
 SIDE_LABEL = "glaeda-side-std-xcode-26.6"
 PROMOTE_LABEL = "glaeda-promote-trusted-std-xcode-26.6"
 DAEMON_LABEL = "glaeda-daemon-tests-xcode-26.6"
+LIGHT_LABEL = "glaeda-side-light-xcode-26.6"
+PIN_LABEL = "glaeda-pin-daemon-xcode-26.6"
+PIN_REF = "refs/heads/cmux-tui-pin-0123456789ab"
 
 # The repository's variables as of 2026-10-14 (gh variable list), the ones
 # these routes read. MACOS_RUNNER_PR is the nightly label.
 LIVE_VARS = {
     "CI_PR_POOL_OWNED": "1",
     "CI_SIDE_LANE_RUNNER": SIDE_LABEL,
-    "CI_LIGHT_LANE_RUNNER": "glaeda-side-light-xcode-26.6",
+    "CI_LIGHT_LANE_RUNNER": LIGHT_LABEL,
     "CI_NEXT_PROMOTE_POOL": PROMOTE_LABEL,
     "CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL": "",
+    "CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL": "",
     "CI_PAID_MACOS_OVERFLOW": "",
     "MACOS_RUNNER_15": "blacksmith-6vcpu-macos-15",
     "MACOS_RUNNER_26": NIGHTLY_LABEL,
@@ -53,7 +57,7 @@
 EVENTS = ("push", "pull_request", "pull_request_target", "workflow_dispatch", "schedule")
 REFS = (
     "refs/heads/feat-cmux-next",
-    "refs/heads/cmux-tui-pin-0123456789ab",
+    PIN_REF,
     "refs/heads/main",
     "refs/heads/feat-some-lane",
 )
@@ -191,11 +195,84 @@ def test_daemon_tests_stay_on_the_owned_minis_on_every_attempt() -> None:
             ):
                 assert label == PROMOTE_LABEL, where
                 continue
+            # 2026-10-21: a cmux-tui-pin-* push takes its own pool, else the
+            # light minis, on every attempt; never the side lane.
+            if context["github.event_name"] == "push" and context["github.ref"] == PIN_REF:
+                assert label == (LIGHT_LABEL if owned == "1" else "blacksmith-6vcpu-macos-15"), where
+                continue
             if owned != "1" or context["github.event_name"] not in trusted:
                 assert label == "blacksmith-6vcpu-macos-15", where
                 continue
-            # A cmux-tui-pin-* push, and every re-run, stays on the minis.
+            # Every other re-run stays on the minis.
             assert label == SIDE_LABEL, where
+    # CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL, when set, takes every attempt of a pin push.
+    for owned in ("1", ""):
+        for context in contexts(CI_PR_POOL_OWNED=owned, CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL=PIN_LABEL):
+            label = route(runs_on, context)
+            where = (context["github.repository_owner"], context["github.event_name"],
+                     context["github.ref"], context["github.run_attempt"], owned)
+            pin_push = (context["github.repository_owner"] == "manaflow-ai"
+                        and context["github.event_name"] == "push" and context["github.ref"] == PIN_REF)
+            assert (label == PIN_LABEL) == pin_push, where
+
+
+def test_pin_pushes_while_promotion_shares_the_light_minis() -> None:
+    # The landing state (claude-sr2, 2026-10-21): CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL unset and
+    # CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL naming the light minis. Pins take the light minis on
+    # every attempt; a pin pool naming the promotion's pool or the side lane is
+    # ignored for the light minis.
+    runs_on = load("cmux-tui-artifacts.yml")["jobs"]["cmux-next-daemon-tests"]["runs-on"]
+    for pin in ("", LIGHT_LABEL, SIDE_LABEL):
+        for context in contexts(CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL=LIGHT_LABEL, CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL=pin):
+            if (context["github.repository_owner"], context["github.event_name"], context["github.ref"]) == (
+                    "manaflow-ai", "push", PIN_REF):
+                assert route(runs_on, context) == LIGHT_LABEL, (pin, context["github.run_attempt"])
+    for context in contexts(CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL=PIN_LABEL, CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL=PIN_LABEL):
+        if (context["github.repository_owner"], context["github.event_name"], context["github.ref"]) == (
+                "manaflow-ai", "push", PIN_REF):
+            assert route(runs_on, context) == LIGHT_LABEL, context["github.run_attempt"]
+
+
+def _pin_variable_combinations():
+    """Every value of the variables the pin route reads, the live ones included."""
+    for owned, pin, light, daemon, promote, side in itertools.product(
+        ("1", ""),
+        ("", PIN_LABEL, SIDE_LABEL, DAEMON_LABEL, LIGHT_LABEL, PROMOTE_LABEL),
+        (LIGHT_LABEL, "", SIDE_LABEL, DAEMON_LABEL),
+        ("", DAEMON_LABEL, LIGHT_LABEL, SIDE_LABEL),
+        (PROMOTE_LABEL, "", LIGHT_LABEL),
+        (SIDE_LABEL, ""),
+    ):
+        yield {"CI_PR_POOL_OWNED": owned, "CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL": pin, "CI_LIGHT_LANE_RUNNER": light,
+               "CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL": daemon, "CI_NEXT_PROMOTE_POOL": promote, "CI_SIDE_LANE_RUNNER": side}
+
+
+def test_pin_pushes_never_share_the_side_lane_or_the_promotion_daemon_pool() -> None:
+    # 2026-10-21 (claude-sr2): every merged pull request pushes a
+    # cmux-tui-pin-* branch, and its daemon tests flooded the pull request side
+    # lane; on the feat-cmux-next promotion's daemon pool (CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL,
+    # else CI_NEXT_PROMOTE_POOL) they stall nightly-next. Whatever the
+    # variables say, no job of a pin push lands on the side label, and only
+    # the light-lane fallback may share the promotion's pool: the light minis
+    # serve both until promotion gets its own label (ci-repo-variables.yml on
+    # main warns then).
+    jobs = load("cmux-tui-artifacts.yml")["jobs"]
+    routes = {name: job["runs-on"] for name, job in jobs.items() if "runs-on" in job}
+    assert "cmux-next-daemon-tests" in routes
+    for overrides in _pin_variable_combinations():
+        side = overrides["CI_SIDE_LANE_RUNNER"]
+        promotion = overrides["CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL"] or overrides["CI_NEXT_PROMOTE_POOL"]
+        light_fallback = overrides["CI_LIGHT_LANE_RUNNER"] if overrides["CI_PR_POOL_OWNED"] == "1" else ""
+        for context in contexts(**overrides):
+            if (context["github.repository_owner"], context["github.event_name"], context["github.ref"]) != (
+                    "manaflow-ai", "push", PIN_REF):
+                continue
+            for name, runs_on in routes.items():
+                label = route(runs_on, context) if runs_on.strip().startswith("${{") else runs_on
+                where = (name, context["github.run_attempt"], overrides)
+                assert not side or label != side, where
+                assert not promotion or label != promotion or label == light_fallback, where
+                assert label != NIGHTLY_LABEL, where
 
 
 def test_daemon_tests_take_their_own_promote_time_pool_when_set() -> None:
diff --git a/tests/test_tui_publish_workflow_security.py b/tests/test_tui_publish_workflow_security.py
index 2e17706a965c..c4adda6974a2 100644
--- a/tests/test_tui_publish_workflow_security.py
+++ b/tests/test_tui_publish_workflow_security.py
@@ -2326,6 +2326,19 @@ def test_cmux_next_daemon_tests_take_the_owned_side_lane_like_the_build_legs() -
         "github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/feat-cmux-next' && "
         "github.run_attempt == 1 && vars.CI_NEXT_PROMOTE_POOL || "
     )
+    # 2026-10-21: a cmux-tui-pin-* push takes CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL, else the
+    # light minis, on every attempt, and never the side lane; a pin pool never
+    # names the promotion's daemon pool (tests/test_ci_tui_routes_avoid_nightly_label.py).
+    promotion_pool = "(vars.CI_NEXT_DAEMON_POOL || vars.CI_NEXT_PROMOTE_POOL)"
+    pin = (
+        "github.repository_owner == 'manaflow-ai' && github.event_name == 'push' && "
+        "startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/heads/cmux-tui-pin-') && ("
+        "vars.CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL != vars.CI_SIDE_LANE_RUNNER && "
+        f"vars.CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL != {promotion_pool} && vars.CI_PIN_DAEMON_POOL || "
+        "vars.CI_PR_POOL_OWNED == '1' && vars.CI_LIGHT_LANE_RUNNER != vars.CI_SIDE_LANE_RUNNER && "
+        "vars.CI_LIGHT_LANE_RUNNER || "
+        "'blacksmith-6vcpu-macos-15') || "
+    )
     assert fork_gate in build_route
     side_attempt_one = "github.run_attempt == 1 && vars.CI_SIDE_LANE_RUNNER"
     assert side_attempt_one in build_route
@@ -2337,7 +2350,7 @@ def test_cmux_next_daemon_tests_take_the_owned_side_lane_like_the_build_legs() -
         "vars.CI_SIDE_LANE_RUNNER",
         1,
     )
-    assert daemon == every_attempt.replace(fork_gate, fork_gate + promote, 1), daemon
+    assert daemon == every_attempt.replace(fork_gate, fork_gate + promote + pin, 1), daemon
     assert "MACOS_RUNNER_PR" not in daemon
     assert retry_route.split("|| ", 1)[1] in daemon  # owned pools off: Blacksmith macOS 15