diff --git a/src/automation/runnerExecution.followups.test.ts b/src/automation/runnerExecution.followups.test.ts
index 6f16c19..7574108 100644
--- a/src/automation/runnerExecution.followups.test.ts
+++ b/src/automation/runnerExecution.followups.test.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,18 @@ describe('fileReviewerFollowups (INT-1704)', () => {
     expect(create.mock.calls[0][3]).toMatchObject({ priority: 3 });
   });
 
+  it('creates top-level (standalone) issues when no parent is given (INT-1968)', async () => {
+    const createSubIssue = vi.fn(async () => ({}));
+    const createTask = vi.fn(async () => ({}));
+    const src = { createSubIssue, createTask } as unknown as ITaskSource;
+    const filed = await fileReviewerFollowups(src, undefined, review(), { autoFile: true, projectId: 'proj-1' });
+    expect(filed).toBe(2);
+    expect(createSubIssue).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(createTask).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    expect(createTask.mock.calls[0][0]).toBe('[test] add edge-case coverage'); // title
+    expect(createTask.mock.calls[0][2]).toBe('proj-1'); // projectId
+  });
+
   it('does nothing when the reviewer did not approve', async () => {
     const create = vi.fn(async () => ({}));
     expect(await fileReviewerFollowups(mockSource(create), 'INT-1', review({ decision: 'reject' }), { autoFile: true })).toBe(0);
diff --git a/src/automation/runnerExecution.ts b/src/automation/runnerExecution.ts
index 54dca21..9033667 100644
--- a/src/automation/runnerExecution.ts
+++ b/src/automation/runnerExecution.ts
@@ -254,14 +254,16 @@ export async function isValidProjectPath(path: string): Promise<boolean> {
  * have already created the parent issue (`parentIssueId`).
  */
 /**
- * File the reviewer's recommendedActions as follow-up sub-issues when it
- * approves (INT-1611 restore / INT-1704). Gated by `autoFile` (default OFF);
+ * File the reviewer's recommendedActions as follow-ups when it approves
+ * (INT-1611 restore / INT-1704). With a `parentIssueId` they become sub-issues;
+ * without one (INT-1968) they are created as top-level issues so review can still
+ * "just file them" off a non-issue branch. Gated by `autoFile` (default OFF);
  * caps at 10; each create is best-effort (failures logged, never throw).
  * Returns the count filed.
  */
 export async function fileReviewerFollowups(
   source: ITaskSource | null,
-  parentIssueId: string,
+  parentIssueId: string | null | undefined,
   review: ReviewResult,
   opts: { autoFile?: boolean; projectId?: string } = {},
 ): Promise<number> {
@@ -269,16 +271,19 @@ export async function fileReviewerFollowups(
   const actions = (review.recommendedActions ?? []).slice(0, 10);
   let filed = 0;
   for (const a of actions) {
+    const title = `[${a.type}] ${a.title}`;
+    const body = a.location
+      ? `Follow-up from reviewer.\n\nLocation: ${a.location}`
+      : 'Follow-up recommended by the reviewer.';
     try {
-      await source.createSubIssue(
-        parentIssueId,
-        `[${a.type}] ${a.title}`,
-        a.location ? `Follow-up from reviewer.\n\nLocation: ${a.location}` : 'Follow-up recommended by the reviewer.',
-        { priority: 3, projectId: opts.projectId },
-      );
+      if (parentIssueId) {
+        await source.createSubIssue(parentIssueId, title, body, { priority: 3, projectId: opts.projectId });
+      } else {
+        await source.createTask(title, body, opts.projectId);
+      }
       filed += 1;
     } catch (err) {
-      console.error(`[Runner] follow-up sub-issue create failed (${a.title}):`, err);
+      console.error(`[Runner] follow-up issue create failed (${a.title}):`, err);
     }
   }
   return filed;
diff --git a/src/cli/reviewCommand.test.ts b/src/cli/reviewCommand.test.ts
index 197357b..514ea03 100644
--- a/src/cli/reviewCommand.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/reviewCommand.test.ts
@@ -81,8 +81,8 @@ describe('runReviewCommand --issues branch inference (INT-1967)', () => {
     expect(getBranch).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
-  it('guides when --issues is set but the branch has no issue id', async () => {
-    const fileFollowups = vi.fn(async () => 1);
+  it('files standalone issues when --issues is set but the branch has no issue id (INT-1968)', async () => {
+    const fileFollowups = vi.fn(async () => 2);
     const logs: string[] = [];
     await runReviewCommand(
       { fileIssue: true },
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@ describe('runReviewCommand --issues branch inference (INT-1967)', () => {
         log: (l) => logs.push(l),
       },
     );
-    expect(fileFollowups).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-    expect(logs.join('\n')).toMatch(/no issue could be inferred/);
+    expect(fileFollowups).toHaveBeenCalledWith(undefined, expect.anything()); // no parent → standalone
+    expect(logs.join('\n')).toMatch(/standalone follow-up issue/);
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/src/cli/reviewCommand.ts b/src/cli/reviewCommand.ts
index 9755ce6..a2dfc59 100644
--- a/src/cli/reviewCommand.ts
+++ b/src/cli/reviewCommand.ts
@@ -76,6 +76,17 @@ export function resolveIssueFromBranch(branch: string): string | undefined {
   return m ? m[1].toUpperCase() : undefined;
 }
 
+/** Best-effort Linear project id from <repo>/openswarm.json, so standalone follow-ups land in the right project. (INT-1968) */
+async function resolveProjectId(cwd: string): Promise<string | undefined> {
+  try {
+    const { loadRepoMetadata } = await import('../support/repoMetadata.js');
+    const meta = await loadRepoMetadata(cwd);
+    return meta?.linear?.projectId;
+  } catch {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+}
+
 export interface ReviewCommandOptions {
   /** Project path (default cwd). */
   path?: string;
@@ -98,7 +109,7 @@ export async function runReviewCommand(
   deps: {
     getChangedFiles?: (cwd: string) => Promise<string[]>;
     review?: (wr: WorkerResult, cwd: string, onLog?: (line: string) => void) => Promise<ReviewResult>;
-    fileFollowups?: (parentIssueId: string, review: ReviewResult) => Promise<number>;
+    fileFollowups?: (parentIssueId: string | undefined, review: ReviewResult) => Promise<number>;
     log?: (line: string) => void;
     /** Override the progress indicator (default: TTY-gated spinner). Tests pass a stub. */
     startProgress?: () => { note: (line: string) => void; stop: () => void } | null;
@@ -168,21 +179,20 @@ export async function runReviewCommand(
       parent = resolveIssueFromBranch(branch);
       if (parent) log(`Filing follow-ups under ${parent} (inferred from branch "${branch}").`);
     }
-    if (!parent) {
-      log(
-        `\n${followups} follow-up(s) suggested, but no issue could be inferred from the branch. ` +
-          'Re-run with `--issues <issue-id>` to choose the parent.',
-      );
-      return result;
-    }
+    // No parent → create top-level (standalone) issues rather than refusing. (INT-1968)
     const fileFollowups =
       deps.fileFollowups ??
-      (async (p: string, r: ReviewResult) => {
+      (async (p: string | undefined, r: ReviewResult) => {
         const { fileReviewerFollowups, getTaskSource } = await import('../automation/runnerExecution.js');
-        return fileReviewerFollowups(getTaskSource(), p, r, { autoFile: true });
+        const projectId = p ? undefined : await resolveProjectId(cwd);
+        return fileReviewerFollowups(getTaskSource(), p, r, { autoFile: true, projectId });
       });
     const filed = await fileFollowups(parent, result);
-    log(`Filed ${filed} follow-up sub-issue(s) under ${parent}.`);
+    log(
+      parent
+        ? `Filed ${filed} follow-up sub-issue(s) under ${parent}.`
+        : `Filed ${filed} standalone follow-up issue(s) (no issue id on the branch — pass \`--issues <id>\` to nest them).`,
+    );
   } else if (followups) {
     // Suggestions were made but nothing was filed — make the flag discoverable. (INT-1966/1967)
     log(`\n${followups} follow-up(s) suggested. Re-run with \`--issues\` to create them as Linear sub-issues (parent inferred from the branch, or pass \`--issues <id>\`).`);