diff --git a/internal/cli/cli_test.go b/internal/cli/cli_test.go
index 0cb540b..08167fe 100644
--- a/internal/cli/cli_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/cli_test.go
@@ -3616,6 +3616,10 @@ func (f *fakeDiscordClient) Guild(context.Context, string) (*discordgo.Guild, er
 	return &discordgo.Guild{}, nil
 }
 
+func (f *fakeDiscordClient) Channel(context.Context, string) (*discordgo.Channel, error) {
+	return nil, nil
+}
+
 func (f *fakeDiscordClient) GuildChannels(context.Context, string) ([]*discordgo.Channel, error) {
 	return nil, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/discord/client.go b/internal/discord/client.go
index 0fef474..4d75a06 100644
--- a/internal/discord/client.go
+++ b/internal/discord/client.go
@@ -293,6 +293,12 @@ func (c *Client) Guild(ctx context.Context, guildID string) (*discordgo.Guild, e
 	return c.session.Guild(guildID, discordgo.WithContext(reqCtx))
 }
 
+func (c *Client) Channel(ctx context.Context, channelID string) (*discordgo.Channel, error) {
+	reqCtx, cancel := c.requestContext(ctx)
+	defer cancel()
+	return c.session.Channel(channelID, discordgo.WithContext(reqCtx))
+}
+
 func (c *Client) GuildChannels(ctx context.Context, guildID string) ([]*discordgo.Channel, error) {
 	reqCtx, cancel := c.requestContext(ctx)
 	defer cancel()
diff --git a/internal/syncer/channel_catalog.go b/internal/syncer/channel_catalog.go
index acc48b8..f75adc4 100644
--- a/internal/syncer/channel_catalog.go
+++ b/internal/syncer/channel_catalog.go
@@ -14,12 +14,25 @@ import (
 
 type channelCatalogMode int
 
+type directChannelResult struct {
+	channel *discordgo.Channel
+	err     error
+}
+
 const (
 	channelCatalogFull channelCatalogMode = iota
 	channelCatalogIncremental
 )
 
-func (s *Syncer) channelList(ctx context.Context, guildID string, requested []string, mode channelCatalogMode, exclusions channelExclusions) ([]*discordgo.Channel, bool, error) {
+func (s *Syncer) channelList(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	guildID string,
+	requested []string,
+	mode channelCatalogMode,
+	exclusions channelExclusions,
+	selectedGuildIDs map[string]struct{},
+	directChannelResults map[string]directChannelResult,
+) ([]*discordgo.Channel, bool, error) {
 	if len(requested) == 0 {
 		channels, err := s.liveChannelList(ctx, guildID, mode, exclusions)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -62,6 +75,16 @@ func (s *Syncer) channelList(ctx context.Context, guildID string, requested []st
 		selected = selectRequestedChannels(allChannels, storedByID, requestedSet)
 	}
 
+	if unresolvedRequestedIDs(selected, requestedSet) > 0 {
+		if directChannelResults == nil {
+			directChannelResults = make(map[string]directChannelResult, len(requestedSet))
+		}
+		if err := s.appendDirectRequestedChannels(ctx, guildID, allChannels, requestedSet, selectedGuildIDs, directChannelResults); err != nil {
+			return nil, false, err
+		}
+		selected = selectRequestedChannels(allChannels, storedByID, requestedSet)
+	}
+
 	if unresolvedRequestedIDs(selected, requestedSet) > 0 {
 		if err := s.appendThreadCatalog(ctx, allChannels, threadParentIDs(topLevel)); err != nil {
 			return nil, false, err
@@ -75,6 +98,48 @@ func (s *Syncer) channelList(ctx context.Context, guildID string, requested []st
 	), true, nil
 }
 
+func (s *Syncer) appendDirectRequestedChannels(
+	ctx context.Context,
+	guildID string,
+	allChannels map[string]*discordgo.Channel,
+	requested map[string]struct{},
+	selectedGuildIDs map[string]struct{},
+	directChannelResults map[string]directChannelResult,
+) error {
+	for requestedID := range requested {
+		if _, ok := allChannels[requestedID]; ok {
+			continue
+		}
+		result, cached := directChannelResults[requestedID]
+		if !cached {
+			result.channel, result.err = s.client.Channel(ctx, requestedID)
+			directChannelResults[requestedID] = result
+		}
+		if result.err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("fetch requested channel %s: %w", requestedID, result.err)
+		}
+		channel := result.channel
+		if channel == nil || channel.ID == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		if channel.GuildID == "" {
+			return fmt.Errorf("requested channel %s is not a guild channel", channel.ID)
+		}
+		if channel.GuildID != guildID {
+			if _, selected := selectedGuildIDs[channel.GuildID]; !selected {
+				return fmt.Errorf("requested channel %s belongs to guild %s, not %s", channel.ID, channel.GuildID, guildID)
+			}
+			// requested is rebuilt by channelList for each selected guild. Exclude
+			// the target only from this guild's fallback discovery; its owning guild
+			// gets a fresh request set and performs the same direct lookup.
+			delete(requested, requestedID)
+			continue
+		}
+		allChannels[channel.ID] = channel
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (s *Syncer) liveChannelList(ctx context.Context, guildID string, mode channelCatalogMode, exclusions channelExclusions) ([]*discordgo.Channel, error) {
 	channels, err := s.client.GuildChannels(ctx, guildID)
 	if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/syncer/channel_catalog_test.go b/internal/syncer/channel_catalog_test.go
index 1272251..2afe012 100644
--- a/internal/syncer/channel_catalog_test.go
+++ b/internal/syncer/channel_catalog_test.go
@@ -123,6 +123,99 @@ func TestSyncChannelSubsetExpandsRequestedForumThreads(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, "t1", results[0].ChannelID)
 }
 
+func TestSyncChannelSubsetFetchesRequestedArchivedThreadDirectly(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	s, err := store.Open(ctx, filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "discrawl.db"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer func() { _ = s.Close() }()
+
+	require.NoError(t, s.UpsertGuild(ctx, store.GuildRecord{ID: "g1", Name: "Guild", RawJSON: `{}`}))
+
+	archiveAt := time.Now().UTC().Add(-time.Hour)
+	client := &fakeClient{
+		guilds: []*discordgo.UserGuild{
+			{ID: "g-other", Name: "Other Guild"},
+			{ID: "g1", Name: "Guild"},
+		},
+		guildByID: map[string]*discordgo.Guild{
+			"g-other": {ID: "g-other", Name: "Other Guild"},
+			"g1":      {ID: "g1", Name: "Guild"},
+		},
+		channels: map[string][]*discordgo.Channel{
+			"g-other": {
+				{ID: "f-other", GuildID: "g-other", Name: "other forum", Type: discordgo.ChannelTypeGuildForum},
+			},
+			"g1": {
+				{ID: "f1", GuildID: "g1", Name: "support", Type: discordgo.ChannelTypeGuildForum},
+				{ID: "c2", GuildID: "g1", Name: "random", Type: discordgo.ChannelTypeGuildText},
+			},
+		},
+		channelByID: map[string]*discordgo.Channel{
+			"t-archived": {
+				ID:       "t-archived",
+				GuildID:  "g1",
+				ParentID: "f1",
+				Name:     "archived support thread",
+				Type:     discordgo.ChannelTypeGuildPublicThread,
+				ThreadMetadata: &discordgo.ThreadMetadata{
+					Archived:         true,
+					ArchiveTimestamp: archiveAt,
+				},
+				LastMessageID: "10",
+			},
+		},
+		messages: map[string][]*discordgo.Message{
+			"t-archived": {{
+				ID:        "10",
+				GuildID:   "g1",
+				ChannelID: "t-archived",
+				Content:   "archived support body",
+				Timestamp: archiveAt,
+				Author:    &discordgo.User{ID: "u1", Username: "user"},
+			}},
+		},
+	}
+
+	svc := New(client, s, nil)
+	stats, err := svc.Sync(ctx, SyncOptions{
+		Full:       true,
+		GuildIDs:   []string{"g-other", "g1"},
+		ChannelIDs: []string{"t-archived"},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Equal(t, 2, stats.Guilds)
+	require.Equal(t, 1, stats.Channels)
+	require.Equal(t, 1, stats.Threads)
+	require.Equal(t, 1, stats.Messages)
+	require.Equal(t, 2, client.guildChanCalls)
+	require.Equal(t, 1, client.channelCalls["t-archived"])
+	require.Zero(t, client.threadCalls)
+	require.Empty(t, client.archivedCalls)
+	require.Equal(t, 1, client.messageCalls["t-archived"])
+
+	results, err := s.SearchMessages(ctx, store.SearchOptions{Query: "archived support"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, results, 1)
+	require.Equal(t, "t-archived", results[0].ChannelID)
+
+	_, err = svc.Sync(ctx, SyncOptions{
+		Full:       true,
+		GuildIDs:   []string{"g-other"},
+		ChannelIDs: []string{"t-archived"},
+	})
+	require.ErrorContains(t, err, "requested channel t-archived belongs to guild g1, not g-other")
+
+	client.channelByID["dm"] = &discordgo.Channel{ID: "dm", Type: discordgo.ChannelTypeDM}
+	_, err = svc.Sync(ctx, SyncOptions{
+		Full:       true,
+		GuildIDs:   []string{"g1"},
+		ChannelIDs: []string{"dm"},
+	})
+	require.ErrorContains(t, err, "requested channel dm is not a guild channel")
+}
+
 func TestSyncToleratesArchivedThread403(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 
diff --git a/internal/syncer/channel_exclusions_test.go b/internal/syncer/channel_exclusions_test.go
index 3418a4d..e3128c2 100644
--- a/internal/syncer/channel_exclusions_test.go
+++ b/internal/syncer/channel_exclusions_test.go
@@ -136,6 +136,8 @@ func TestTargetedStoredThreadUsesFullCategoryAncestry(t *testing.T) {
 		[]string{"thread-a"},
 		channelCatalogFull,
 		svc.effectiveChannelExclusions(SyncOptions{}),
+		map[string]struct{}{"g1": {}},
+		nil,
 	)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.True(t, targeted)
diff --git a/internal/syncer/syncer.go b/internal/syncer/syncer.go
index 5fd9e14..853ad0c 100644
--- a/internal/syncer/syncer.go
+++ b/internal/syncer/syncer.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ type Client interface {
 	Self(context.Context) (*discordgo.User, error)
 	Guilds(context.Context) ([]*discordgo.UserGuild, error)
 	Guild(context.Context, string) (*discordgo.Guild, error)
+	Channel(context.Context, string) (*discordgo.Channel, error)
 	GuildChannels(context.Context, string) ([]*discordgo.Channel, error)
 	ThreadsActive(context.Context, string) ([]*discordgo.Channel, error)
 	GuildThreadsActive(context.Context, string) ([]*discordgo.Channel, error)
@@ -52,19 +53,21 @@ type Syncer struct {
 }
 
 type SyncOptions struct {
-	Full                bool
-	GuildIDs            []string
-	ChannelIDs          []string
-	Concurrency         int
-	Since               time.Time
-	Embeddings          bool
-	SkipMembers         bool
-	RequireMembers      bool
-	LatestOnly          bool
-	ExcludeChannelIDs   []string
-	ExcludeChannelKinds []string
-	IncludeCategoryIDs  []string
-	RepairReason        string
+	Full                 bool
+	GuildIDs             []string
+	ChannelIDs           []string
+	Concurrency          int
+	Since                time.Time
+	Embeddings           bool
+	SkipMembers          bool
+	RequireMembers       bool
+	LatestOnly           bool
+	ExcludeChannelIDs    []string
+	ExcludeChannelKinds  []string
+	IncludeCategoryIDs   []string
+	RepairReason         string
+	selectedGuildIDs     map[string]struct{}
+	directChannelResults map[string]directChannelResult
 }
 
 func (s *Syncer) SetTailReadyCallback(fn func(context.Context) error) {
@@ -154,6 +157,11 @@ func (s *Syncer) Sync(ctx context.Context, opts SyncOptions) (SyncStats, error)
 		return SyncStats{}, fmt.Errorf("requested guilds not accessible: %s", strings.Join(missing, ", "))
 	}
 	targets := selectGuilds(guilds, opts.GuildIDs)
+	opts.selectedGuildIDs = make(map[string]struct{}, len(targets))
+	opts.directChannelResults = make(map[string]directChannelResult, len(opts.ChannelIDs))
+	for _, guild := range targets {
+		opts.selectedGuildIDs[guild.ID] = struct{}{}
+	}
 	stats := SyncStats{}
 	for _, guild := range targets {
 		one, err := s.syncGuild(ctx, guild.ID, opts)
@@ -198,7 +206,15 @@ func (s *Syncer) syncGuild(ctx context.Context, guildID string, opts SyncOptions
 		}
 	}
 	exclusions := s.effectiveChannelExclusions(opts)
-	channelList, targeted, err := s.channelList(ctx, guildID, opts.ChannelIDs, catalogMode, exclusions)
+	channelList, targeted, err := s.channelList(
+		ctx,
+		guildID,
+		opts.ChannelIDs,
+		catalogMode,
+		exclusions,
+		opts.selectedGuildIDs,
+		opts.directChannelResults,
+	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return stats, err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/syncer/syncer_test.go b/internal/syncer/syncer_test.go
index ac6e4ce..0520449 100644
--- a/internal/syncer/syncer_test.go
+++ b/internal/syncer/syncer_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 type fakeClient struct {
 	guilds            []*discordgo.UserGuild
 	guildByID         map[string]*discordgo.Guild
+	channelByID       map[string]*discordgo.Channel
 	channels          map[string][]*discordgo.Channel
 	activeThreads     map[string][]*discordgo.Channel
 	guildThreads      map[string][]*discordgo.Channel
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ type fakeClient struct {
 	tailCalls         int
 	tailHandled       chan struct{}
 	messageDelay      time.Duration
+	channelCalls      map[string]int
 	guildChanCalls    int
 	threadCalls       int
 	guildThreadCalls  int
@@ -68,6 +70,14 @@ func (f *fakeClient) Guild(_ context.Context, guildID string) (*discordgo.Guild,
 	return f.guildByID[guildID], nil
 }
 
+func (f *fakeClient) Channel(_ context.Context, channelID string) (*discordgo.Channel, error) {
+	if f.channelCalls == nil {
+		f.channelCalls = make(map[string]int)
+	}
+	f.channelCalls[channelID]++
+	return f.channelByID[channelID], nil
+}
+
 func (f *fakeClient) GuildChannels(_ context.Context, guildID string) ([]*discordgo.Channel, error) {
 	f.guildChanCalls++
 	return f.channels[guildID], nil