diff --git a/.github/scripts/fork_sync_digest.py b/.github/scripts/fork_sync_digest.py
index 97442b9..63e769f 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/fork_sync_digest.py
+++ b/.github/scripts/fork_sync_digest.py
@@ -339,6 +339,9 @@ def git(*args, **kw):
     if behind == 0:
         return row(200, "already-current", 0, "up to date with base")
 
+    # The exact remote tip we just fetched — used as an explicit lease below.
+    remote_sha = git("rev-parse", f"origin/{branch}").stdout.decode().strip()
+
     # -f: discard the prior iteration's rebased worktree state cleanly.
     git("checkout", "--detach", "-f", f"origin/{branch}", check=True)
     git("clean", "-fdq")
@@ -360,9 +363,15 @@ def git(*args, **kw):
         return row(409, "conflict", behind, "conflict in: " + ", ".join(files[:8]))
 
     # PAT-authed push ⇒ re-triggers the fork's tests/pre-commit (a GITHUB_TOKEN
-    # push would not). --force-with-lease: the clone fetched origin/<branch>
-    # moments ago, so this guards against a racing push in the same window.
-    pushed = git("push", "--force-with-lease", "origin", f"HEAD:refs/heads/{branch}")
+    # push would not). Explicit lease (<ref>:<oid>) rather than the bare form:
+    # a tracking ref set by an explicit-refspec fetch makes bare
+    # --force-with-lease report "stale info" and reject. Pinning the lease to
+    # the sha we fetched keeps the race protection (rejects if someone pushed
+    # in the seconds since) without the false stale.
+    pushed = git(
+        "push", f"--force-with-lease=refs/heads/{branch}:{remote_sha}",
+        "origin", f"HEAD:refs/heads/{branch}",
+    )
     if pushed.returncode != 0:
         return row(500, "error", behind, f"push failed: {pushed.stderr.decode()[:200]}")
     return row(200, "rebased", behind, f"rebased onto {base_branch} (+{behind})")
diff --git a/.github/scripts/tests/test_rebase_feature_branches.py b/.github/scripts/tests/test_rebase_feature_branches.py
index c7d710c..7f2e70f 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/tests/test_rebase_feature_branches.py
+++ b/.github/scripts/tests/test_rebase_feature_branches.py
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ def fake_run(cmd, cwd=None, capture_output=False, env=None, check=False, **k):
         args = [c for c in cmd if c != "git"]
         if "rev-list" in args:
             return _Fake(0, out=b"2\n")
+        if "rev-parse" in args:
+            return _Fake(0, out=b"deadbeefcafe\n")
         if "merge-base" in args:
             return _Fake(0, out=b"abc123\n")
         return _Fake(0)
@@ -83,3 +85,10 @@ def fake_run(cmd, cwd=None, capture_output=False, env=None, check=False, **k):
         "refs/heads/19.0-mig-foo:refs/remotes/origin/19.0-mig-foo" in c
         for c in fetch_cmds
     ), f"fetch must use a full refspec, got: {fetch_cmds}"
+    # Push must use an explicit lease (<ref>:<oid>) — the bare form trips
+    # "stale info" against a refspec-fetched tracking ref.
+    push_cmds = [c for c in calls if "push" in c]
+    assert push_cmds and any(
+        "--force-with-lease=refs/heads/19.0-mig-foo:deadbeefcafe" in c
+        for c in push_cmds
+    ), f"push must use an explicit lease, got: {push_cmds}"