diff --git a/src/app/api/agents/[agentName]/next-task/route.ts b/src/app/api/agents/[agentName]/next-task/route.ts
index 8660a0e..0ed99fa 100644
--- a/src/app/api/agents/[agentName]/next-task/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/agents/[agentName]/next-task/route.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   createGroomTask,
 } from "@/lib/agent-task";
 import { isBacklogLane, getBacklogLane } from "@/lib/lane-config";
+import { isRenovateIssue } from "@/lib/agent-queue";
 import { fetchAgentQueueData } from "@/lib/agent-queue-fetch";
 
 export async function GET(
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ export async function GET(
           repository: { enabled: true },
         },
         select: {
+          id: true,
           number: true,
           title: true,
           url: true,
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ export async function GET(
       });
 
       const candidates = issues
+        .filter((issue) => !isRenovateIssue(issue))
         .map((issue) => {
           const hasStatus = issue.labels.some((l) => l.startsWith("status/"));
           const hasPriority = issue.labels.some((l) => l.startsWith("priority/"));
@@ -83,6 +86,7 @@ export async function GET(
         agentName,
         lane: best.currentLane ?? getBacklogLane()?.id ?? "backlog",
         issue: {
+          id: best.id,
           repoFullName: best.repository.fullName,
           number: best.number,
           title: best.title,
diff --git a/src/app/api/issues/groom/route.test.ts b/src/app/api/issues/groom/route.test.ts
index 8931f9c..c5dcb06 100644
--- a/src/app/api/issues/groom/route.test.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/issues/groom/route.test.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { resetAuthCaches } from "@/lib/auth";
 const { mocks } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   mocks: {
     findIssue: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(null),
+    findFirstIssue: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(null),
     updateIssue: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
     createAuditLog: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ id: "log-1" }),
     removeIssueLabel: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ vi.mock("@/lib/prisma", () => ({
   prisma: {
     issue: {
       findUnique: mocks.findIssue,
+      findFirst: mocks.findFirstIssue,
       update: mocks.updateIssue,
     },
     auditLog: {
@@ -67,6 +69,7 @@ function mockIssue(extra?: Record<string, unknown>) {
 describe("POST /api/issues/groom — auth", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
+    mocks.findFirstIssue.mockResolvedValue(null);
     process.env.DISPATCH_AGENT_TOKEN = "test-token";
     process.env.DISPATCH_AUTH_MODE = "disabled";
   });
@@ -88,6 +91,7 @@ describe("POST /api/issues/groom — auth", () => {
 describe("POST /api/issues/groom — validation", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
+    mocks.findFirstIssue.mockResolvedValue(null);
     process.env.DISPATCH_AGENT_TOKEN = "test-token";
     process.env.DISPATCH_AUTH_MODE = "disabled";
   });
@@ -149,6 +153,7 @@ describe("POST /api/issues/groom — validation", () => {
 describe("POST /api/issues/groom — actor resolution", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
+    mocks.findFirstIssue.mockResolvedValue(null);
     process.env.DISPATCH_AGENT_TOKEN = "test-token";
     process.env.DISPATCH_AUTH_MODE = "disabled";
     mockIssue();
@@ -228,6 +233,7 @@ describe("POST /api/issues/groom — actor resolution", () => {
 describe("POST /api/issues/groom — promote_to_ready", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
+    mocks.findFirstIssue.mockResolvedValue(null);
     process.env.DISPATCH_AGENT_TOKEN = "test-token";
     process.env.DISPATCH_AUTH_MODE = "disabled";
     mockIssue({ labels: ["status/backlog", "priority/p2"] });
@@ -338,6 +344,7 @@ describe("POST /api/issues/groom — promote_to_ready", () => {
 describe("POST /api/issues/groom — escalate", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
+    mocks.findFirstIssue.mockResolvedValue(null);
     process.env.DISPATCH_AGENT_TOKEN = "test-token";
     process.env.DISPATCH_AUTH_MODE = "disabled";
     mockIssue({ labels: ["status/in-progress"] });
@@ -392,6 +399,7 @@ describe("POST /api/issues/groom — escalate", () => {
 describe("POST /api/issues/groom — mark_not_ready", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
+    mocks.findFirstIssue.mockResolvedValue(null);
     process.env.DISPATCH_AGENT_TOKEN = "test-token";
     process.env.DISPATCH_AUTH_MODE = "disabled";
     mockIssue({ labels: ["status/backlog"] });
@@ -466,6 +474,7 @@ describe("POST /api/issues/groom — mark_not_ready", () => {
 describe("POST /api/issues/groom — mark_needs_info", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
+    mocks.findFirstIssue.mockResolvedValue(null);
     process.env.DISPATCH_AGENT_TOKEN = "test-token";
     process.env.DISPATCH_AUTH_MODE = "disabled";
     mockIssue({ labels: ["status/backlog"] });
@@ -526,6 +535,7 @@ describe("POST /api/issues/groom — mark_needs_info", () => {
 describe("POST /api/issues/groom — mark_blocked", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
+    mocks.findFirstIssue.mockResolvedValue(null);
     process.env.DISPATCH_AGENT_TOKEN = "test-token";
     process.env.DISPATCH_AUTH_MODE = "disabled";
     mockIssue({ labels: ["status/backlog"] });
@@ -586,6 +596,7 @@ describe("POST /api/issues/groom — mark_blocked", () => {
 describe("POST /api/issues/groom — error handling", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
+    mocks.findFirstIssue.mockResolvedValue(null);
     process.env.DISPATCH_AGENT_TOKEN = "test-token";
     process.env.DISPATCH_AUTH_MODE = "disabled";
   });
@@ -617,6 +628,7 @@ describe("POST /api/issues/groom — error handling", () => {
 describe("POST /api/issues/groom — auth modes", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
+    mocks.findFirstIssue.mockResolvedValue(null);
     resetAuthCaches();
     mocks.findIssue.mockResolvedValue({
       id: "issue-1",
diff --git a/src/app/api/issues/groom/route.ts b/src/app/api/issues/groom/route.ts
index 123e338..df1ad9e 100644
--- a/src/app/api/issues/groom/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/issues/groom/route.ts
@@ -64,9 +64,9 @@ export async function POST(request: Request) {
       agentName,
     } = body as Record<string, unknown>;
 
-    if (!issueId || !repoFullName || typeof issueNumber !== "number" || typeof action !== "string") {
+    if (!repoFullName || typeof issueNumber !== "number" || typeof action !== "string") {
       return NextResponse.json(
-        { error: "Missing required fields: issueId, repoFullName, issueNumber, action" },
+        { error: "Missing required fields: repoFullName, issueNumber, action" },
         { status: 400 },
       );
     }
@@ -99,17 +99,37 @@ export async function POST(request: Request) {
     }
 
     try {
-      const issue = await prisma.issue.findUnique({
-        where: { id: issueId as string },
-        include: { repository: true },
-      });
+      // Look up the issue: try by DB id first, fall back to repoFullName + issueNumber
+      let issue = null;
+
+      if (issueId && typeof issueId === "string") {
+        issue = await prisma.issue.findUnique({
+          where: { id: issueId },
+          include: { repository: true },
+        });
+      }
+
+      if (!issue) {
+        // Fallback: look up by repoFullName + issueNumber
+        issue = await prisma.issue.findFirst({
+          where: {
+            number: issueNumber,
+            repository: { fullName: repoFullName as string },
+          },
+          include: { repository: true },
+        });
+      }
 
       if (!issue) {
-        return NextResponse.json({ error: "Issue not found in local cache" }, { status: 404 });
+        return NextResponse.json(
+          { error: "Issue not found in local cache" },
+          { status: 404 },
+        );
       }
 
       const effectiveRepo = (issue.repository?.fullName ?? repoFullName) as string;
       const effectiveNumber = issue.number;
+      const effectiveIssueId = issue.id;
       const beforeLabels = [...issue.labels];
       let afterLabels = [...issue.labels];
       const groomedAt = new Date();
@@ -197,12 +217,12 @@ export async function POST(request: Request) {
       // Update GitHub labels if status changed; always refresh lastSyncedAt
       if (action === "promote_to_ready") {
         await prisma.issue.update({
-          where: { id: issueId as string },
+          where: { id: effectiveIssueId },
           data: { ...groomingData, labels: afterLabels, lastSyncedAt: new Date() },
         });
       } else {
         await prisma.issue.update({
-          where: { id: issueId as string },
+          where: { id: effectiveIssueId },
           data: { ...groomingData, lastSyncedAt: new Date() },
         });
       }
@@ -222,7 +242,7 @@ export async function POST(request: Request) {
           action: actionLabels[action],
           repoFullName: effectiveRepo,
           issueNumber: effectiveNumber,
-          issueId: issueId as string,
+          issueId: effectiveIssueId,
           beforeLabels,
           afterLabels: action === "promote_to_ready" ? afterLabels : beforeLabels,
           success: true,
@@ -245,7 +265,7 @@ export async function POST(request: Request) {
           action: `issue_groomed_${action}`,
           repoFullName: repoFullName as string,
           issueNumber: issueNumber as number,
-          issueId: issueId as string,
+          issueId: (issueId as string) ?? null,
           beforeLabels: [],
           afterLabels: [],
           success: false,
diff --git a/src/lib/agent-task.ts b/src/lib/agent-task.ts
index 7148436..203d77d 100644
--- a/src/lib/agent-task.ts
+++ b/src/lib/agent-task.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 export interface IssueRef {
+  id?: string;
   repoFullName: string;
   number: number;
   title: string;