diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.primitive.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.primitive.test.ts
index 2a1266d1c..967467292 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.primitive.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.primitive.test.ts
@@ -879,6 +879,53 @@ describe("WorkspaceGitServiceImpl primitive refresh entrypoint", () => {
     github.dispose?.();
   });
 
+  test("GitHub self-heal polling uses the fork PR head branch instead of the owner-prefixed local branch", async () => {
+    const retainCurrentPullRequestStatusPoll = vi.fn(() => ({ unsubscribe: vi.fn() }));
+    const github = {
+      ...createGitHubServiceStub(),
+      retainCurrentPullRequestStatusPoll,
+    };
+    const getCheckoutSnapshotFacts = vi.fn(async (cwd: string) =>
+      createCheckoutFacts(cwd, {
+        currentBranch: "fork-owner/open-button-targets-active-file",
+        branchRemoteName: "paseo-pr-1285",
+        branchMergeRef: "refs/heads/open-button-targets-active-file",
+        trackedOriginBranch: "paseo-pr-1285/open-button-targets-active-file",
+        pullRequestLookupTarget: {
+          headRef: "open-button-targets-active-file",
+          headRepositoryOwner: "fork-owner",
+        },
+      }),
+    );
+    const getCheckoutStatus = vi.fn(async (cwd: string) =>
+      createCheckoutStatus(cwd, {
+        currentBranch: "fork-owner/open-button-targets-active-file",
+        remoteUrl: "git@github.com:getpaseo/paseo.git",
+      }),
+    );
+    const service = createService({
+      getCheckoutSnapshotFacts,
+      getCheckoutStatus,
+      github,
+    });
+
+    const subscription = service.registerWorkspace({ cwd: REPO_CWD }, vi.fn());
+    await flushPromises();
+
+    await vi.waitFor(() => {
+      expect(retainCurrentPullRequestStatusPoll).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.objectContaining({
+          cwd: REPO_CWD,
+          headRef: "open-button-targets-active-file",
+          headRepositoryOwner: "fork-owner",
+        }),
+      );
+    });
+
+    subscription.unsubscribe();
+    service.dispose();
+  });
+
   test("settled GitHub self-heal reads stay on the slow poll window without refreshing git", async () => {
     let nowMs = 0;
     const githubReadCalls: Array<{ reason: string | undefined; tickMs: number }> = [];
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.ts b/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.ts
index f29d7fdb3..def8f4320 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/workspace-git-service.ts
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ interface WorkspaceGitTarget {
   debounceTimer: NodeJS.Timeout | null;
   selfHealTimer: NodeJS.Timeout | null;
   githubPollSubscription: { unsubscribe: () => void } | null;
-  githubPollHeadRef: string | null;
+  githubPollKey: string | null;
   refreshState: WorkspaceGitRefreshState;
   latestGit: WorkspaceGitRuntimeSnapshot["git"] | null;
   latestGitLoadedAtMs: number | null;
@@ -317,6 +317,11 @@ interface WorkspaceGitAuxiliaryReadCacheEntry<T> {
   inFlight: Promise<T> | null;
 }
 
+interface WorkspaceGitHubPollTarget {
+  headRef: string;
+  headRepositoryOwner?: string;
+}
+
 function buildDefaultWorkspaceGitServiceDeps(): WorkspaceGitServiceDependencies {
   return {
     watch,
@@ -796,7 +801,7 @@ export class WorkspaceGitServiceImpl implements WorkspaceGitService {
       debounceTimer: null,
       selfHealTimer: null,
       githubPollSubscription: null,
-      githubPollHeadRef: null,
+      githubPollKey: null,
       refreshState: { status: "idle" },
       latestGit: null,
       latestGitLoadedAtMs: null,
@@ -1156,23 +1161,28 @@ export class WorkspaceGitServiceImpl implements WorkspaceGitService {
       return;
     }
 
-    const headRef = git.currentBranch;
+    const pollTarget = this.resolveGitHubPollTarget(target);
+    const remoteUrl = git.remoteUrl;
     const hasGitHubRemote =
-      target.cachedGitHubRemote?.remoteUrl === git.remoteUrl &&
+      target.cachedGitHubRemote?.remoteUrl === remoteUrl &&
       target.cachedGitHubRemote.identity !== null;
-    if (!headRef || !hasGitHubRemote) {
+    if (!pollTarget || remoteUrl === null || !hasGitHubRemote) {
       this.stopGitHubPollForTarget(target);
       return;
     }
-    if (target.githubPollHeadRef === headRef && target.githubPollSubscription) {
+    const pollKey = buildWorkspaceGitHubPollKey(remoteUrl, pollTarget);
+    if (target.githubPollKey === pollKey && target.githubPollSubscription) {
       return;
     }
 
     this.stopGitHubPollForTarget(target);
-    target.githubPollHeadRef = headRef;
+    target.githubPollKey = pollKey;
     target.githubPollSubscription = this.deps.github.retainCurrentPullRequestStatusPoll({
       cwd: target.cwd,
-      headRef,
+      headRef: pollTarget.headRef,
+      ...(pollTarget.headRepositoryOwner
+        ? { headRepositoryOwner: pollTarget.headRepositoryOwner }
+        : {}),
       onStatus: (status) => {
         if (!this.isActiveObservedWorkspaceTarget(target)) {
           return;
@@ -1183,17 +1193,40 @@ export class WorkspaceGitServiceImpl implements WorkspaceGitService {
       },
       onError: (error) => {
         this.logger.warn(
-          { err: error, cwd: target.cwd, headRef, reason: "self-heal-github" },
+          {
+            err: error,
+            cwd: target.cwd,
+            headRef: pollTarget.headRef,
+            headRepositoryOwner: pollTarget.headRepositoryOwner,
+            reason: "self-heal-github",
+          },
           "Failed to run GitHub self-heal refresh",
         );
       },
     });
   }
 
+  private resolveGitHubPollTarget(target: WorkspaceGitTarget): WorkspaceGitHubPollTarget | null {
+    const git = target.latestGit;
+    if (!git?.currentBranch) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    const lookupTarget =
+      target.latestFacts?.isGit && target.latestFacts.currentBranch === git.currentBranch
+        ? target.latestFacts.pullRequestLookupTarget
+        : null;
+    if (lookupTarget) {
+      return lookupTarget;
+    }
+
+    return { headRef: git.currentBranch };
+  }
+
   private stopGitHubPollForTarget(target: WorkspaceGitTarget): void {
     target.githubPollSubscription?.unsubscribe();
     target.githubPollSubscription = null;
-    target.githubPollHeadRef = null;
+    target.githubPollKey = null;
   }
 
   private addWorkingTreeWatcher(
@@ -1669,7 +1702,12 @@ export class WorkspaceGitServiceImpl implements WorkspaceGitService {
       return null;
     }
 
-    return JSON.stringify([git.remoteUrl, git.currentBranch]);
+    const pollTarget = this.resolveGitHubPollTarget(target);
+    if (!pollTarget) {
+      return null;
+    }
+
+    return buildWorkspaceGitHubPollKey(git.remoteUrl, pollTarget);
   }
 
   private rememberGitHubSnapshot(
@@ -1976,6 +2014,10 @@ function buildGitHubSnapshotFromStatus(
   };
 }
 
+function buildWorkspaceGitHubPollKey(remoteUrl: string, target: WorkspaceGitHubPollTarget): string {
+  return JSON.stringify([remoteUrl, target.headRef, target.headRepositoryOwner ?? null]);
+}
+
 async function runGitFetch(cwd: string): Promise<void> {
   await runGitCommand(["fetch", "origin", "--prune"], {
     cwd,
diff --git a/packages/server/src/services/github-service.test.ts b/packages/server/src/services/github-service.test.ts
index 91723248e..5ece52308 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/services/github-service.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/services/github-service.test.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import {
   type GitHubCommandRunner,
   type GitHubCommandRunnerOptions,
   type GitHubCurrentPullRequestStatus,
-  type GitHubReadOptions,
 } from "./github-service.js";
 import { CheckoutPrStatusResponseSchema } from "@getpaseo/protocol/messages";
 
@@ -186,7 +185,7 @@ function githubStatusFacts(
 }
 
 function recordCurrentPullRequestStatusReads(service: ReturnType<typeof createGitHubService>) {
-  const reads: GitHubReadOptions[] = [];
+  const reads: Parameters<typeof service.getCurrentPullRequestStatus>[0][] = [];
   const getCurrentPullRequestStatus = service.getCurrentPullRequestStatus.bind(service);
   service.getCurrentPullRequestStatus = vi.fn(async (options) => {
     reads.push(options);
@@ -662,6 +661,41 @@ describe("GitHubService", () => {
     service.dispose?.();
   });
 
+  it("retained fork PR status polls keep the head repository owner", async () => {
+    const runner = createRunner([
+      currentPullRequestJson({
+        headRefName: "open-button-targets-active-file",
+        headRepositoryOwner: { login: "fork-owner" },
+      }),
+    ]);
+    const service = createGitHubService({
+      ttlMs: 0,
+      runner: runner.runner,
+      resolveGhPath: async () => "/usr/bin/gh",
+    });
+    const reads = recordCurrentPullRequestStatusReads(service);
+
+    const subscription = service.retainCurrentPullRequestStatusPoll?.({
+      cwd: "/repo",
+      headRef: "open-button-targets-active-file",
+      headRepositoryOwner: "fork-owner",
+    });
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(0);
+
+    expect(reads).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        cwd: "/repo",
+        headRef: "open-button-targets-active-file",
+        headRepositoryOwner: "fork-owner",
+        reason: "self-heal-github",
+      }),
+    ]);
+    expect(currentPullRequestStatusCalls(runner.calls)).toHaveLength(1);
+
+    subscription?.unsubscribe();
+    service.dispose?.();
+  });
+
   it("polls PR status at slow cadence after stable checks", async () => {
     let now = 0;
     const runner = createRunner([
diff --git a/packages/server/src/services/github-service.ts b/packages/server/src/services/github-service.ts
index 93ec6fe68..d0b15e990 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/services/github-service.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/services/github-service.ts
@@ -642,6 +642,7 @@ export interface GitHubService {
   retainCurrentPullRequestStatusPoll?(options: {
     cwd: string;
     headRef: string;
+    headRepositoryOwner?: string;
     onStatus?: (status: GitHubCurrentPullRequestStatus | null) => void;
     onError?: (error: unknown) => void;
   }): { unsubscribe: () => void };
@@ -720,6 +721,7 @@ interface InFlightCacheEntry {
 interface GitHubPollTarget {
   cwd: string;
   headRef: string;
+  headRepositoryOwner?: string;
   retainCount: number;
   timer: NodeJS.Timeout | null;
   latestStatus: GitHubCurrentPullRequestStatus | null;
@@ -813,17 +815,25 @@ export function createGitHubService(options: CreateGitHubServiceOptions = {}): G
     }
   }
 
-  function getPollTargetKey(target: { cwd: string; headRef: string }): string {
+  function getPollTargetKey(target: {
+    cwd: string;
+    headRef: string;
+    headRepositoryOwner?: string;
+  }): string {
     return buildCacheKey({
       cwd: target.cwd,
       method: "getCurrentPullRequestStatus",
-      args: { headRef: target.headRef },
+      args: {
+        headRef: target.headRef,
+        headRepositoryOwner: target.headRepositoryOwner,
+      },
     });
   }
 
   function updatePollTargetAfterSuccess(update: {
     cwd: string;
     headRef: string;
+    headRepositoryOwner?: string;
     status: GitHubCurrentPullRequestStatus | null;
     notify: boolean;
   }): void {
@@ -872,6 +882,7 @@ export function createGitHubService(options: CreateGitHubServiceOptions = {}): G
       await api.getCurrentPullRequestStatus({
         cwd: target.cwd,
         headRef: target.headRef,
+        headRepositoryOwner: target.headRepositoryOwner,
         reason: "self-heal-github",
       });
     } catch (error) {
@@ -1027,6 +1038,7 @@ export function createGitHubService(options: CreateGitHubServiceOptions = {}): G
         updatePollTargetAfterSuccess({
           cwd: input.cwd,
           headRef: input.headRef,
+          headRepositoryOwner: input.headRepositoryOwner,
           status,
           notify: input.reason === "self-heal-github",
         });
@@ -1241,6 +1253,7 @@ export function createGitHubService(options: CreateGitHubServiceOptions = {}): G
         target = {
           cwd: input.cwd,
           headRef: input.headRef,
+          headRepositoryOwner: input.headRepositoryOwner,
           retainCount: 0,
           timer: null,
           latestStatus: null,