diff --git a/src/services/agent-orchestrator.ts b/src/services/agent-orchestrator.ts
index 3f3ca2fb24..7c3deaf62d 100644
--- a/src/services/agent-orchestrator.ts
+++ b/src/services/agent-orchestrator.ts
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ export async function explainBlockersWithAgent(env: Env, input: AgentPlanRequest
   const run = buildRunRecord({
     objective: `Explain scoreability and review blockers${repoFullName ? ` for ${repoFullName}` : ""}.`,
     actorLogin: login,
-    surface: "api",
+    surface: isLocalBranch ? "api" : ((input as AgentPlanRequest).surface ?? "api"),
     status: "running",
     payload: isLocalBranch
       ? { kind: "explain_branch_blockers", input: input as unknown as Record<string, JsonValue> }
@@ -221,10 +221,12 @@ async function executeDecisionPackRun(env: Env, run: AgentRunRecord, kind: strin
   const pack = serving.pack;
   const isStale = pack.freshness !== "fresh";
   const decisions = repoFullName ? pack.repoDecisions.filter((decision) => sameRepo(decision.repoFullName, repoFullName)) : pack.repoDecisions;
+  const allowCrossRepoFallback = !repoFullName || run.surface !== "github_comment";
+  const scopedDecisionActions = decisions.length > 0 ? decisions : allowCrossRepoFallback ? pack.repoDecisions : [];
   const actions =
     kind === "explain_blockers"
-      ? buildBlockerActions(run, pack, decisions)
-      : buildDecisionActions(run, pack, decisions.length > 0 ? decisions : pack.repoDecisions);
+      ? buildBlockerActions(run, pack, decisions, { allowFallback: allowCrossRepoFallback })
+      : buildDecisionActions(run, pack, scopedDecisionActions);
   const contexts = [contextSnapshotFromPack(run.id, pack, decisions)];
   await replaceAgentActions(env, run.id, actions);
   await persistAgentContextSnapshot(env, contexts[0]!);
@@ -328,8 +330,13 @@ function buildDecisionActions(run: AgentRunRecord, pack: ContributorDecisionPack
   return decisions.slice(0, 5).map((decision, index) => actionFromRepoDecision(run, decision, index));
 }
 
-function buildBlockerActions(run: AgentRunRecord, pack: ContributorDecisionPack, decisions: RepoDecision[]): AgentActionRecord[] {
-  const selected = decisions.length > 0 ? decisions : pack.repoDecisions.filter((decision) => decision.scoreBlockers.length > 0).slice(0, 6);
+function buildBlockerActions(
+  run: AgentRunRecord,
+  pack: ContributorDecisionPack,
+  decisions: RepoDecision[],
+  options: { allowFallback?: boolean } = {},
+): AgentActionRecord[] {
+  const selected = decisions.length > 0 ? decisions : options.allowFallback === false ? [] : pack.repoDecisions.filter((decision) => decision.scoreBlockers.length > 0).slice(0, 6);
   return selected.slice(0, 8).map((decision, index) =>
     actionRecord({
       run,
diff --git a/test/unit/agent-orchestrator.test.ts b/test/unit/agent-orchestrator.test.ts
index 252df115ef..1fca5e4502 100644
--- a/test/unit/agent-orchestrator.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/agent-orchestrator.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
   type AgentRunBundle,
 } from "../../src/services/agent-orchestrator";
 import { CONTRIBUTOR_DECISION_PACK_SIGNAL, type ContributorDecisionPack } from "../../src/services/decision-pack";
+import { buildPublicAgentCommandComment, parseGittensoryMentionCommand } from "../../src/github/commands";
 import { normalizeRegistryPayload } from "../../src/registry/normalize";
 import { persistRegistrySnapshot } from "../../src/registry/sync";
 import type { AgentRunRecord, JsonValue } from "../../src/types";
@@ -126,6 +127,55 @@ describe("agent orchestrator", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("does not fall back to cross-repo private rankings for public GitHub comments", async () => {
+    const env = createTestEnv();
+    const secretDecision = repoDecision({
+      repoFullName: "private-org/secret-alpha",
+      priorityScore: 99,
+      nextActions: ["Privately prioritize the secret-alpha patch before opening more public work."],
+      publicNextActions: [],
+    });
+    await persistDecisionPack(
+      env,
+      decisionPackFixture({
+        repoDecisions: [secretDecision],
+        topActions: [
+          {
+            ...action("open_new_direct_pr", "private-org/secret-alpha", "pursue", 99),
+            nextActions: ["Privately prioritize the secret-alpha patch before opening more public work."],
+            publicNextActions: [],
+          },
+        ],
+      }),
+    );
+
+    const publicPlan = await planNextWork(env, {
+      login: "oktofeesh1",
+      repoFullName: "public-org/installed-repo",
+      surface: "github_comment",
+      objective: "Respond to @gittensory next-action for public-org/installed-repo#101.",
+    });
+    const publicBlockers = await explainBlockersWithAgent(env, {
+      login: "oktofeesh1",
+      repoFullName: "public-org/installed-repo",
+      surface: "github_comment",
+    });
+    const comment = buildPublicAgentCommandComment({
+      command: parseGittensoryMentionCommand("@gittensory next-action")!,
+      repo: null,
+      issue: { number: 101, title: "Public PR", state: "open", pull_request: {} },
+      pullRequest: null,
+      actorKind: "maintainer",
+      bundle: publicPlan,
+    });
+
+    expect(publicPlan.actions).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(publicBlockers.actions).toHaveLength(0);
+    expect(publicPlan.contextSnapshots[0]?.payload).toMatchObject({ selectedRepos: [] });
+    expect(comment).toContain("No public-safe context is available");
+    expect(comment).not.toMatch(/private-org\/secret-alpha|secret-alpha patch|Privately prioritize/i);
+  });
+
   it("serves a stale decision pack as a completed run with degraded data quality and a freshness warning", async () => {
     const sent: unknown[] = [];
     const env = createTestEnv({