diff --git a/apps/server/src/mcp/toolkits/pullRequests/handlers.test.ts b/apps/server/src/mcp/toolkits/pullRequests/handlers.test.ts
index e329ade90d9e..641941146f69 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/mcp/toolkits/pullRequests/handlers.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/mcp/toolkits/pullRequests/handlers.test.ts
@@ -248,6 +248,7 @@ describe("pull request toolkit handlers", () => {
         headSha: null,
         failedChecks: [],
         passed: false,
+        passedChecks: [],
         remarksThrough: "2026-08-20T00:00:00.000Z",
         remarkIds: [],
         conflicting: false,
diff --git a/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/Orchestrator.ts b/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/Orchestrator.ts
index abdfc29579cd..699a45d303c0 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/Orchestrator.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/Orchestrator.ts
@@ -2998,6 +2998,7 @@ const makeOrchestrator = Effect.fn("orchestrationV2.Orchestrator.layer")(functio
                     headSha: null,
                     failedChecks: [],
                     passed: false,
+                    passedChecks: [],
                     remarksThrough: startedAt,
                     remarkIds: [],
                     conflicting: false,
diff --git a/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/PullRequestWatchReactor.ts b/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/PullRequestWatchReactor.ts
index 6e0046c5e59a..739bec5721ae 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/PullRequestWatchReactor.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/PullRequestWatchReactor.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ function watchesEqual(left: ThreadPullRequestWatch, right: ThreadPullRequestWatc
     left.headSha === right.headSha &&
     left.failedChecks.join("\n") === right.failedChecks.join("\n") &&
     left.passed === right.passed &&
+    left.passedChecks.join("\n") === right.passedChecks.join("\n") &&
     left.remarksThrough === right.remarksThrough &&
     left.remarkIds.join("\n") === right.remarkIds.join("\n") &&
     left.conflicting === right.conflicting &&
diff --git a/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/pullRequestWatch.test.ts b/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/pullRequestWatch.test.ts
index c247d78fd332..75480a29a532 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/pullRequestWatch.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/pullRequestWatch.test.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ const watch = (overrides: Partial<ThreadPullRequestWatch> = {}): ThreadPullReque
   headSha: null,
   failedChecks: [],
   passed: false,
+  passedChecks: [],
   remarksThrough: STARTED,
   remarkIds: [],
   conflicting: false,
@@ -100,6 +101,61 @@ describe("evaluatePullRequestWatch", () => {
     assert.deepEqual(evaluatePullRequestWatch(watch(), plain, noRemarks).changes, []);
   });
 
+  it("reports passed again when a required check shows up already passed", () => {
+    const required = (name: string, status: PullRequestCheck["status"]) => ({
+      ...check(name, status),
+      required: true,
+    });
+    const tests = detail({
+      checks: [required("Tests", "success"), check("Smoke Tests", "pending")],
+    });
+    const first = evaluatePullRequestWatch(watch(), tests, noRemarks);
+    assert.deepEqual(first.changes, [{ kind: "checks-passed", count: 1, required: true }]);
+
+    // The gate job was created and finished between two passes, so it was never seen pending.
+    const gated = detail({
+      checks: [
+        required("Tests", "success"),
+        check("Smoke Tests", "success"),
+        required("Smoke Tests Gate", "success"),
+      ],
+    });
+    const second = evaluatePullRequestWatch(first.next, gated, noRemarks);
+    assert.deepEqual(second.changes, [{ kind: "checks-passed", count: 2, required: true }]);
+    assert.deepEqual(evaluatePullRequestWatch(second.next, gated, noRemarks).changes, []);
+
+    // Seen pending first, the gate is reported once it passes, as before.
+    const pending = detail({
+      checks: [required("Tests", "success"), required("Smoke Tests Gate", "pending")],
+    });
+    const waiting = evaluatePullRequestWatch(first.next, pending, noRemarks);
+    assert.deepEqual(waiting.changes, []);
+    assert.deepEqual(evaluatePullRequestWatch(waiting.next, gated, noRemarks).changes, [
+      { kind: "checks-passed", count: 2, required: true },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("reports passed again when a check shows up already passed where none is required", () => {
+    const first = evaluatePullRequestWatch(
+      watch(),
+      detail({ checks: [check("test", "success")] }),
+      noRemarks,
+    );
+    assert.deepEqual(first.changes, [{ kind: "checks-passed", count: 1, required: false }]);
+    const both = detail({ checks: [check("test", "success"), check("lint", "success")] });
+    assert.deepEqual(evaluatePullRequestWatch(first.next, both, noRemarks).changes, [
+      { kind: "checks-passed", count: 2, required: false },
+    ]);
+  });
+
+  it("does not wake a watch saved before passed checks were recorded", () => {
+    const green = detail({ checks: [{ ...check("test", "success"), required: true }] });
+    const told = watch({ headSha: "aaaaaaaaaa", passed: true });
+    const saved = evaluatePullRequestWatch(told, green, noRemarks);
+    assert.deepEqual(saved.changes, []);
+    assert.deepEqual(saved.next.passedChecks, ["test"]);
+  });
+
   it("keeps remarks for a later pass when the conversation was not read whole", () => {
     const comments = [remark("reviewer", "2026-10-02T12:06:00Z")];
     const partial = evaluatePullRequestWatch(watch(), detail(), null);
diff --git a/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/pullRequestWatch.ts b/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/pullRequestWatch.ts
index af9ce27636ee..780557db0b57 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/pullRequestWatch.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/orchestration-v2/pullRequestWatch.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ export function evaluatePullRequestWatch(
   // An empty list keeps the last state: a host can answer with one when its check read fails.
   let failedChecks = headMoved ? [] : watch.failedChecks;
   let passed = headMoved ? false : watch.passed;
+  let passedChecks = headMoved ? [] : watch.passedChecks;
   if (detail.checks.length > 0) {
     const failed = detail.checks.filter(isFailedCheck);
     const newlyFailed = failed.filter((check) => !failedChecks.includes(check.name));
@@ -63,10 +64,16 @@ export function evaluatePullRequestWatch(
     const required = detail.checks.filter((check) => check.required === true);
     const gate = required.length > 0 ? required : detail.checks;
     const passedNow = gate.every((check) => check.status !== "pending" && !isFailedCheck(check));
-    if (passedNow && !passed) {
+    const gateNames = gate.map((check) => check.name);
+    // A watch saved before passedChecks existed takes the current names, so it does not wake.
+    const told = passed && passedChecks.length === 0 ? gateNames : passedChecks;
+    // A required job created and finished between two passes is never seen pending.
+    const gateGrew = gateNames.some((name) => !told.includes(name));
+    if (passedNow && (!passed || gateGrew)) {
       changes.push({ kind: "checks-passed", count: gate.length, required: required.length > 0 });
     }
     passed = passedNow;
+    passedChecks = passedNow ? gateNames : [];
   }
 
   const own = (detail.viewer ?? detail.author?.login)?.toLowerCase();
@@ -105,6 +112,7 @@ export function evaluatePullRequestWatch(
       headSha,
       failedChecks,
       passed,
+      passedChecks,
       remarksThrough,
       remarkIds,
       conflicting,
diff --git a/packages/contracts/src/threadPullRequest.test.ts b/packages/contracts/src/threadPullRequest.test.ts
index 456761c4ebc8..108902bc59a9 100644
--- a/packages/contracts/src/threadPullRequest.test.ts
+++ b/packages/contracts/src/threadPullRequest.test.ts
@@ -54,3 +54,32 @@ it.effect("decodes thread pull request links with snapshot and stack", () =>
     assert.strictEqual(links[1]?.snapshot?.state, "open");
   }),
 );
+
+it.effect("decodes a watch saved before passed checks were recorded", () =>
+  Effect.gen(function* () {
+    const [link] = yield* decodeLinks([
+      {
+        host: "github.com",
+        repository: "pingdotgg/t3code",
+        number: 42,
+        url: "https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/pull/42",
+        source: "agent",
+        linkedAt: "2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
+        snapshot: null,
+        stack: null,
+        watch: {
+          startedAt: "2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
+          headSha: "abc123",
+          failedChecks: [],
+          passed: true,
+          remarksThrough: "2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
+          remarkIds: [],
+          conflicting: false,
+          wakes: 0,
+        },
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    assert.deepStrictEqual(link?.watch?.passedChecks, []);
+  }),
+);
diff --git a/packages/contracts/src/threadPullRequest.ts b/packages/contracts/src/threadPullRequest.ts
index 9df5cbe9670a..2dfb532c7f2f 100644
--- a/packages/contracts/src/threadPullRequest.ts
+++ b/packages/contracts/src/threadPullRequest.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import * as Effect from "effect/Effect";
 import * as Schema from "effect/Schema";
 
 import {
@@ -106,6 +107,13 @@ export const ThreadPullRequestWatch = Schema.Struct({
   failedChecks: Schema.Array(TrimmedNonEmptyString),
   /** The agent was told the required checks on that commit passed. */
   passed: Schema.Boolean,
+  /**
+   * Names in the passing gate on that commit, so a required check that first shows up already
+   * passed is news. Empty on watches saved before this field existed.
+   */
+  passedChecks: Schema.Array(TrimmedNonEmptyString).pipe(
+    Schema.withDecodingDefault(Effect.succeed([])),
+  ),
   /** Remarks from others created up to this host time were reported. */
   remarksThrough: IsoDateTime,
   /** Remarks created exactly at `remarksThrough` that were reported, so a late one still counts. */