diff --git a/.github/scripts/node_security_check.sh b/.github/scripts/node_security_check.sh
index 438678783..0f67d1111 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/node_security_check.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/node_security_check.sh
@@ -5,13 +5,19 @@
 # everything is current. Exits non-zero only when the check itself breaks, so
 # stale data never turns the workflow red. See #1567.
 #
+# Contract with the Dockerfile: each Node stage starts FROM node:${NODE<major>_VERSION}
+# or from another Node stage, and each non-base-* stage is published as <channel>-<stage>.
+#
 # Env: DOCKERFILE (default Dockerfile.unified), DRY_RUN=1 prints the decision
 # and issue body without calling gh, GH_TOKEN for gh.
 set -euo pipefail
 shopt -s inherit_errexit
 
 DOCKERFILE=${DOCKERFILE:-Dockerfile.unified}
+# Reserved for this script's tracker. close-unlinked-stale-issues.yml and issue-check.yml
+# exempt it by label alone; rename it in all three files (this script and both workflows).
 LABEL='node-security'
+MARKER='<!-- node-security-check -->'
 REPO=openabdev/openab
 CHANNELS=(stable beta)
 MANIFEST_ACCEPT=application/vnd.oci.image.index.v1+json,application/vnd.docker.distribution.manifest.list.v2+json,application/vnd.oci.image.manifest.v1+json,application/vnd.docker.distribution.manifest.v2+json
@@ -26,11 +32,14 @@ version_lt() { [[ $1 != "$2" && $(printf '%s\n%s\n' "$1" "$2" | sort -V | head -
 
 status_of() {
   if [[ -z $1 ]]; then echo "not published"
+  elif [[ ${1%%.*} != "$2" ]]; then echo "major mismatch"
   elif [[ -n ${LATEST[$2]} ]] && version_lt "$1" "${LATEST[$2]}"; then echo stale
   else echo current
   fi
 }
 
+is_behind() { [[ $1 == stale || $1 == "major mismatch" ]]; }
+
 parse_dockerfile() {
   [[ -r $DOCKERFILE ]] || die "cannot read $DOCKERFILE"
   local line stage m
@@ -63,7 +72,7 @@ parse_dockerfile() {
 
 load_latest_security() {
   local index m
-  index=$(curl -fsSL --retry 3 https://nodejs.org/dist/index.json) || die "cannot fetch https://nodejs.org/dist/index.json"
+  index=$(curl -fsSL --retry 3 --connect-timeout 10 --max-time 30 https://nodejs.org/dist/index.json) || die "cannot fetch https://nodejs.org/dist/index.json"
   for m in "${MAJORS[@]}"; do
     LATEST[$m]=$(jq -r --arg p "v$m." '.[] | select(.security and (.version | startswith($p))) | .version | ltrimstr("v")' <<<"$index" | sort -V | tail -n1)
   done
@@ -72,7 +81,7 @@ load_latest_security() {
 # Prints the response body, or nothing when the registry answers 404.
 registry_get() {
   local code
-  code=$(curl -sSL --retry 3 -o "$TMP/registry" -w '%{http_code}' \
+  code=$(curl -sSL --retry 3 --connect-timeout 10 --max-time 30 -o "$TMP/registry" -w '%{http_code}' \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer $REGISTRY_TOKEN" -H "Accept: $2" \
     "https://ghcr.io/v2/$REPO/$1") || die "GET ghcr.io/v2/$REPO/$1 failed"
   case $code in
@@ -99,17 +108,17 @@ image_node_version() {
 
 assess() {
   local m agent channel node status
-  REGISTRY_TOKEN=$(curl -fsS --retry 3 "https://ghcr.io/token?scope=repository:$REPO:pull" | jq -er .token) ||
+  REGISTRY_TOKEN=$(curl -fsS --retry 3 --connect-timeout 10 --max-time 30 "https://ghcr.io/token?scope=repository:$REPO:pull" | jq -er .token) ||
     die "cannot get an anonymous ghcr.io pull token"
   for m in "${MAJORS[@]}"; do
     PIN_STATUS[$m]=$(status_of "${PINNED[$m]}" "$m")
-    if [[ ${PIN_STATUS[$m]} == stale ]]; then STALE_MAJOR[$m]=1; fi
+    if is_behind "${PIN_STATUS[$m]}"; then STALE_MAJOR[$m]=1; fi
     for agent in ${AGENTS[$m]:-}; do
       for channel in "${CHANNELS[@]}"; do
         node=$(image_node_version "$channel-$agent")
         status=$(status_of "$node" "$m")
         IMAGE_ROWS+=("| \`$channel-$agent\` | ${node:--} | $status |")
-        if [[ $status == stale ]]; then STALE_MAJOR[$m]=1; fi
+        if is_behind "$status"; then STALE_MAJOR[$m]=1; fi
       done
     done
   done
@@ -140,15 +149,17 @@ render_tables() {
 
 render_issue_body() {
   cat <<EOF
-Node.js has published a security release that a pinned base image or a published openab image is behind on. The \`node-security-check\` workflow keeps this issue up to date daily and closes it once every pin and published image is current.
+$MARKER
+A pinned base image or a published openab image is behind the latest Node.js security release for its line, or is on the wrong Node major. The \`node-security-check\` workflow keeps this issue up to date daily and closes it once every pin and published image is current.
 
 $(render_tables)
 
 ### Next steps
 
-1. For each stale pin, bump \`ARG NODE<major>_VERSION\` to the latest security release in every Dockerfile that declares it (\`git grep -lE 'ARG NODE[0-9]+_VERSION' -- 'Dockerfile*'\`). The smoke tests check that the values match.
-2. Follow the "Base image security release" runbook in [RELEASING.md](https://github.com/$REPO/blob/main/RELEASING.md#base-image-security-release) to cut a beta, verify \`node --version\` in each \`beta-<agent>\` image, and promote to stable.
-3. Background and policy: #1567.
+1. For each stale pin, bump \`ARG NODE<major>_VERSION\` to the latest security release in every Dockerfile that declares it (\`git grep -lE 'ARG NODE[0-9]+_VERSION' -- 'Dockerfile*'\`). \`$DOCKERFILE\` declares every line and each other Dockerfile declares only its own. The smoke tests read the expected versions from the Dockerfiles, so a bump needs no workflow edit.
+2. A \`major mismatch\` row means the pin or image is on a different Node major than its line. Fix the \`ARG NODE<major>_VERSION\` value, or rebuild the image from the correct line, instead of bumping the patch version.
+3. Follow the "Base image security release" runbook in [RELEASING.md](https://github.com/$REPO/blob/main/RELEASING.md#base-image-security-release) to cut a beta, verify \`node --version\` in each \`beta-<agent>\` image, and promote to stable.
+4. Background and policy: #1567.
 
 Last checked: $(date -u '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M UTC')
 EOF
@@ -157,14 +168,15 @@ EOF
 issue_title() {
   local m versions=()
   for m in "${MAJORS[@]}"; do
-    if [[ -n ${STALE_MAJOR[$m]:-} ]]; then versions+=("${LATEST[$m]}"); fi
+    # A line can be behind on major mismatch alone, with no security release to name.
+    if [[ -n ${STALE_MAJOR[$m]:-} ]]; then versions+=("${LATEST[$m]:-Node $m major mismatch}"); fi
   done
   local joined
   joined=$(printf '%s / ' "${versions[@]}")
   echo "Node.js security release pending: ${joined% / }"
 }
 
-# (anything stale, labeled issue open) -> action.
+# (anything stale, marked issue open) -> action.
 decide() {
   case "$1$2" in
     10) echo create ;;
@@ -183,7 +195,10 @@ ensure_label() {
 # Args: stale (0|1), title, body file.
 reconcile() {
   local issue action has_issue=0
-  issue=$(gh issue list --label "$LABEL" --state open --limit 1 --json number --jq '.[0].number // empty')
+  # Only issues carrying MARKER are ours; a hand-labeled issue is left alone.
+  # The label is reserved for this script, so at most one open issue is expected.
+  issue=$(gh issue list --label "$LABEL" --state open --limit 100 --json number,body \
+    --jq "[.[] | select((.body // \"\") | contains(\"$MARKER\"))][0].number // empty")
   if [[ -n $issue ]]; then has_issue=1; fi
   action=$(decide "$1" "$has_issue")
   echo "decision: $action${issue:+ (#$issue)}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/issue-check.yml b/.github/workflows/issue-check.yml
index bfe821e00..125ccc63a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/issue-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/issue-check.yml
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@ jobs:
             const issue = context.payload.issue;
             const body = issue.body || '';
             const labels = issue.labels.map(l => l.name);
+            // node-security issues are generated and kept current by node-security-check.yml.
+            // Its GITHUB_TOKEN writes do not trigger this workflow; this covers human edits and relabels.
+            if (labels.includes('node-security')) return;
             const marker = '<!-- openab-issue-check -->';
 
             const rules = {