diff --git a/.github/scripts/intake-triage-legs.test.cjs b/.github/scripts/intake-triage-legs.test.cjs
index 5c75287c..0dfdabf1 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/intake-triage-legs.test.cjs
+++ b/.github/scripts/intake-triage-legs.test.cjs
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ test("every model job tells its launcher whether the fallback token is set, neve
   }
 });
 
-test("the fallback job runs on a fixed GitHub-hosted label only after the subscription job hands off", () => {
+test("the fallback job runs on a fixed GitHub-hosted label only after the subscription job hands off or finds its token empty with the fallback token set", () => {
   assert.equal(fallback.name, "claude-intake-triage-fallback");
   assert.equal(fallback["runs-on"], "ubuntu-24.04");
   assert.deepEqual(fallback.needs, ["claude", "subscription"]);
@@ -132,7 +132,24 @@ test("the fallback job runs on a fixed GitHub-hosted label only after the subscr
       JSON.stringify(handoff),
     );
   }
-  // An empty subscription token is not a handoff: no fallback.
+  // An empty subscription token hands on as an empty key does, but only to
+  // a fallback token that is set (claude-code-plugins#13586).
+  assert.equal(
+    starts({
+      handoff: "",
+      "credential-present": "false",
+      "fallback-ready": "true",
+    }),
+    true,
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    starts({
+      handoff: "",
+      "credential-present": "false",
+      "fallback-ready": "false",
+    }),
+    false,
+  );
   assert.equal(starts({ handoff: "", "credential-present": "false" }), false);
   assert.doesNotMatch(fallback.if, /always\(\)|failure\(\)|cancelled\(\)/u);
   for (const step of fallback.steps) {
@@ -149,7 +166,8 @@ test("the fallback job runs on a fixed GitHub-hosted label only after the subscr
 const FALLBACK_LEG_REASON =
   `\${{ needs.subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'limit-stop' && 'limit-stop' || ` +
   "needs.subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'credit-stop' && 'credit-stop' || " +
-  "needs.subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'auth' && 'auth' || '' }}";
+  "needs.subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'auth' && 'auth' || " +
+  "needs.subscription.outputs.credential-present == 'false' && 'no-key' || '' }}";
 
 test("the fallback job repeats the subscription job's steps but for the credential and the fallback reason", () => {
   const strip = (steps, secret, input) =>
@@ -189,6 +207,16 @@ test("the fallback job repeats the subscription job's steps but for the credenti
     });
   for (const known of ["limit-stop", "credit-stop", "auth"])
     assert.equal(reason(known), known);
+  assert.equal(
+    evaluate(value, {
+      needs: {
+        subscription: {
+          outputs: { "handoff-reason": "", "credential-present": "false" },
+        },
+      },
+    }),
+    "no-key",
+  );
   for (const forged of ["", "no-key", "Limit-Stop", "limit-stop\n::error::x"]) {
     assert.equal(reason(forged), "", JSON.stringify(forged));
   }
diff --git a/.github/scripts/pr-review-cli.test.cjs b/.github/scripts/pr-review-cli.test.cjs
index 76d210a6..2002abbf 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/pr-review-cli.test.cjs
+++ b/.github/scripts/pr-review-cli.test.cjs
@@ -174,6 +174,28 @@ test("the fallback job starts only after the subscription job succeeded and hand
   for (const result of ["failure", "cancelled", "skipped"]) {
     assert.equal(starts({ handoff: "true" }, result), false, result);
   }
+  // An empty subscription token hands on as an empty key does, but only to a
+  // fallback token that is set (claude-code-plugins#13586).
+  assert.equal(
+    starts({
+      handoff: "",
+      "credential-present": "false",
+      "fallback-ready": "true",
+    }),
+    true,
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    starts({
+      handoff: "",
+      "credential-present": "false",
+      "fallback-ready": "false",
+    }),
+    false,
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    starts({ handoff: "", "credential-present": "", "fallback-ready": "true" }),
+    false,
+  );
   // A fork, a draft or Dependabot never reaches it either.
   assert.equal(
     Boolean(
@@ -198,7 +220,8 @@ test("the fallback job starts only after the subscription job succeeded and hand
 const FALLBACK_LEG_REASON =
   `\${{ needs.review-subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'limit-stop' && 'limit-stop' || ` +
   "needs.review-subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'credit-stop' && 'credit-stop' || " +
-  "needs.review-subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'auth' && 'auth' || '' }}";
+  "needs.review-subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'auth' && 'auth' || " +
+  "needs.review-subscription.outputs.credential-present == 'false' && 'no-key' || '' }}";
 
 test("the fallback job repeats the subscription job's steps but for the credential and the fallback reason", () => {
   const strip = (steps, secret, input) =>
diff --git a/.github/workflows/intake-triage.yml b/.github/workflows/intake-triage.yml
index d30eba77..c8da218d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/intake-triage.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/intake-triage.yml
@@ -379,6 +379,7 @@ jobs:
       handoff-reason: ${{ steps.claude.outputs.handoff-reason }}
       credential: ${{ steps.claude.outputs.credential }}
       credential-present: ${{ steps.credential.outputs.present }}
+      fallback-ready: ${{ steps.credential.outputs.fallback-ready }}
       triage-failed: ${{ steps.review-outcome.outputs.review-failed }}
       failure-class: ${{ steps.claude.outputs.lane-class || steps.review-outcome.outputs.failure-class }}
       result-subtype: ${{ steps.extract.outputs.result-subtype }}
@@ -1132,6 +1133,7 @@ jobs:
       handoff-reason: ${{ steps.claude.outputs.handoff-reason }}
       credential: ${{ steps.claude.outputs.credential }}
       credential-present: ${{ steps.credential.outputs.present }}
+      fallback-ready: ${{ steps.credential.outputs.fallback-ready }}
       triage-failed: ${{ steps.review-outcome.outputs.review-failed }}
       failure-class: ${{ steps.claude.outputs.lane-class || steps.review-outcome.outputs.failure-class }}
       result-subtype: ${{ steps.extract.outputs.result-subtype }}
@@ -1870,7 +1872,9 @@ jobs:
   fallback:
     name: claude-intake-triage-fallback
     needs: [claude, subscription]
-    if: needs.subscription.outputs.handoff == 'true'
+    if: >-
+      needs.subscription.outputs.handoff == 'true'
+      || needs.subscription.outputs.credential-present == 'false' && needs.subscription.outputs.fallback-ready == 'true'
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     timeout-minutes: 19
     # The model's job reads and never writes: the token can read the issue
@@ -1885,6 +1889,7 @@ jobs:
       handoff-reason: ${{ steps.claude.outputs.handoff-reason }}
       credential: ${{ steps.claude.outputs.credential }}
       credential-present: ${{ steps.credential.outputs.present }}
+      fallback-ready: ${{ steps.credential.outputs.fallback-ready }}
       triage-failed: ${{ steps.review-outcome.outputs.review-failed }}
       failure-class: ${{ steps.claude.outputs.lane-class || steps.review-outcome.outputs.failure-class }}
       result-subtype: ${{ steps.extract.outputs.result-subtype }}
@@ -2495,7 +2500,7 @@ jobs:
           known-failure-class: ${{ steps.claude.outputs.lane-class }}
           handoff: ${{ steps.claude.outputs.handoff }}
           # Why this job ran, for this leg's lane record.
-          fallback-reason: ${{ needs.subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'limit-stop' && 'limit-stop' || needs.subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'credit-stop' && 'credit-stop' || needs.subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'auth' && 'auth' || '' }}
+          fallback-reason: ${{ needs.subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'limit-stop' && 'limit-stop' || needs.subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'credit-stop' && 'credit-stop' || needs.subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'auth' && 'auth' || needs.subscription.outputs.credential-present == 'false' && 'no-key' || '' }}
 
       # After the outcome step: its timeout check reads the clock when it
       # runs, so time spent here must not count against a failed leg.
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-review-cli.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-review-cli.yml
index bfbe53db..86131b9d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-review-cli.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-review-cli.yml
@@ -502,6 +502,7 @@ jobs:
       handoff-reason: ${{ steps.claude-4.outputs.handoff-reason || steps.claude-3.outputs.handoff-reason || steps.claude-2.outputs.handoff-reason || steps.claude.outputs.handoff-reason }}
       credential: ${{ steps.claude.outputs.credential }}
       credential-present: ${{ steps.credential.outputs.present }}
+      fallback-ready: ${{ steps.credential.outputs.fallback-ready }}
       review-failed: ${{ steps.review-outcome.outputs.review-failed }}
       failure-class: ${{ steps.claude-4.outputs.lane-class || steps.claude-3.outputs.lane-class || steps.claude-2.outputs.lane-class || steps.claude.outputs.lane-class || steps.review-outcome.outputs.failure-class || ((steps.isolate.outcome == 'failure' || steps.isolate.outcome == 'cancelled') && 'install-failed') || '' }}
       verdict: ${{ steps.extract.outputs.verdict }}
@@ -2620,6 +2621,7 @@ jobs:
       handoff-reason: ${{ steps.claude-4.outputs.handoff-reason || steps.claude-3.outputs.handoff-reason || steps.claude-2.outputs.handoff-reason || steps.claude.outputs.handoff-reason }}
       credential: ${{ steps.claude.outputs.credential }}
       credential-present: ${{ steps.credential.outputs.present }}
+      fallback-ready: ${{ steps.credential.outputs.fallback-ready }}
       review-failed: ${{ steps.review-outcome.outputs.review-failed }}
       failure-class: ${{ steps.claude-4.outputs.lane-class || steps.claude-3.outputs.lane-class || steps.claude-2.outputs.lane-class || steps.claude.outputs.lane-class || steps.review-outcome.outputs.failure-class || ((steps.isolate.outcome == 'failure' || steps.isolate.outcome == 'cancelled') && 'install-failed') || '' }}
       verdict: ${{ steps.extract.outputs.verdict }}
@@ -4683,7 +4685,9 @@ jobs:
     timeout-minutes: ${{ inputs.lane == 'security' && 117 || 109 }}
     if: >-
       needs.review-subscription.result == 'success'
-      && needs.review-subscription.outputs.handoff == 'true'
+      && (needs.review-subscription.outputs.handoff == 'true'
+          || needs.review-subscription.outputs.credential-present == 'false'
+          && needs.review-subscription.outputs.fallback-ready == 'true')
       && !cancelled()
       &&
       github.event_name == 'pull_request'
@@ -4710,6 +4714,7 @@ jobs:
       handoff-reason: ${{ steps.claude-4.outputs.handoff-reason || steps.claude-3.outputs.handoff-reason || steps.claude-2.outputs.handoff-reason || steps.claude.outputs.handoff-reason }}
       credential: ${{ steps.claude.outputs.credential }}
       credential-present: ${{ steps.credential.outputs.present }}
+      fallback-ready: ${{ steps.credential.outputs.fallback-ready }}
       review-failed: ${{ steps.review-outcome.outputs.review-failed }}
       failure-class: ${{ steps.claude-4.outputs.lane-class || steps.claude-3.outputs.lane-class || steps.claude-2.outputs.lane-class || steps.claude.outputs.lane-class || steps.review-outcome.outputs.failure-class || ((steps.isolate.outcome == 'failure' || steps.isolate.outcome == 'cancelled') && 'install-failed') || '' }}
       verdict: ${{ steps.extract.outputs.verdict }}
@@ -6699,7 +6704,7 @@ jobs:
           known-failure-class: ${{ steps.claude-4.outputs.lane-class || steps.claude-3.outputs.lane-class || steps.claude-2.outputs.lane-class || steps.claude.outputs.lane-class }}
           handoff: ${{ steps.claude-4.outputs.handoff || steps.claude-3.outputs.handoff || steps.claude-2.outputs.handoff || steps.claude.outputs.handoff }}
           # Why this job ran, for this leg's lane record.
-          fallback-reason: ${{ needs.review-subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'limit-stop' && 'limit-stop' || needs.review-subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'credit-stop' && 'credit-stop' || needs.review-subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'auth' && 'auth' || '' }}
+          fallback-reason: ${{ needs.review-subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'limit-stop' && 'limit-stop' || needs.review-subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'credit-stop' && 'credit-stop' || needs.review-subscription.outputs.handoff-reason == 'auth' && 'auth' || needs.review-subscription.outputs.credential-present == 'false' && 'no-key' || '' }}
 
       # After the outcome step: its timeout check reads the clock when it
       # runs, so time spent here must not count against a failed leg.