diff --git a/backend/__tests__/unit/controllers/reactionController.test.js b/backend/__tests__/unit/controllers/reactionController.test.js
index 9c8f1b52..4c3469bb 100644
--- a/backend/__tests__/unit/controllers/reactionController.test.js
+++ b/backend/__tests__/unit/controllers/reactionController.test.js
@@ -183,6 +183,38 @@ describe('reactionController.addReaction — agent runtime path', () => {
     expect(MessageReaction.add).toHaveBeenCalledWith('11', 'human-1', '👀');
   });
 
+  test('human NOT in pg pod_members but IN mongo pod.members is still allowed (dual-DB drift, 2026-07-24)', async () => {
+    pool.query
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(podLookup('pod-drift')) // loadPodIdForMessage
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(memberLookup(0)); // pg pod_members MISS → must fall back to Mongo
+    Pod.findById.mockReturnValue({
+      select: () => ({ lean: () => Promise.resolve({ members: [{ toString: () => 'human-2' }] }) }),
+    });
+
+    const req = { params: { messageId: '12' }, body: { emoji: '👍' }, user: { _id: 'human-2' } };
+    const res = buildRes();
+
+    await reactionController.addReaction(req, res);
+
+    expect(res.status).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(403);
+    expect(MessageReaction.add).toHaveBeenCalledWith('12', 'human-2', '👍');
+  });
+
+  test('human in neither pg pod_members nor mongo members → 403', async () => {
+    pool.query
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(podLookup('pod-x'))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(memberLookup(0));
+    Pod.findById.mockReturnValue({ select: () => ({ lean: () => Promise.resolve({ members: [] }) }) });
+
+    const req = { params: { messageId: '13' }, body: { emoji: '👍' }, user: { _id: 'stranger' } };
+    const res = buildRes();
+
+    await reactionController.addReaction(req, res);
+
+    expect(res.status).toHaveBeenCalledWith(403);
+    expect(MessageReaction.add).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   test('unauthenticated request (no user, no agentUser) → 401', async () => {
     const req = { params: { messageId: '1' }, body: { emoji: '👍' } };
     const res = buildRes();
diff --git a/backend/controllers/reactionController.ts b/backend/controllers/reactionController.ts
index b67d21c5..98d41e8d 100644
--- a/backend/controllers/reactionController.ts
+++ b/backend/controllers/reactionController.ts
@@ -63,13 +63,24 @@ async function callerHasPodAccess(podId: string, userId: string, req: AuthedReq)
     }
     return false;
   }
+  // Human path. PG pod_members is the fast check, but it is a *lazily-synced
+  // mirror* of Mongo pod.members — community auto-join (ensureUserInCommunityPod)
+  // and other join paths write Mongo only. So fall back to Mongo membership, the
+  // source of truth, or we 403 real members whose row never reached PG. 2026-07-24:
+  // HQ had 66 Mongo members but 1 in PG pod_members, so 65/66 could not react and
+  // the failure was silent — reaction counts appeared stuck at 1. Mirrors the
+  // agent path above, which already checks Mongo.
   // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-require-imports, global-require
   const { pool } = require('../config/db-pg');
   const result = await pool.query(
     'SELECT 1 FROM pod_members WHERE pod_id = $1 AND user_id = $2 LIMIT 1',
     [podId, userId],
   );
-  return (result.rowCount || 0) > 0;
+  if ((result.rowCount || 0) > 0) return true;
+  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-require-imports, global-require
+  const Pod = require('../models/Pod');
+  const pod = await Pod.findById(podId).select('members').lean();
+  return Boolean(pod?.members?.some((mem: any) => String(mem?.userId?.toString?.() || mem) === userId));
 }
 
 async function emitReactionChange(messageId: string | number, podId: string, reactions: unknown): Promise<void> {