diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/relay.ts b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/relay.ts
index 4f60d85fc7..8641da9756 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/relay.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/plugins/hermes-bots/relay.ts
@@ -402,8 +402,7 @@ async function drainRelayOutboxes() {
             {
               profile: String(envelope?.target_profile || ''),
               message: String(envelope?.message || ''),
-              // The target gateway sets HERMES_TURN_AUTHOR on the delivery turn from these; the
-              // sender's connection id qualifies a bot on another machine.
+              // The target gateway builds the delivery turn's HERMES_TURN_AUTHOR from these three.
               from_profile: String(envelope?.from_profile || ''),
               from_handle: String(envelope?.from_handle || ''),
               from_connection: String(sender.id)
diff --git a/tests/tools/test_bot_relay.py b/tests/tools/test_bot_relay.py
index c880c8c301..270716d46e 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_bot_relay.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_bot_relay.py
@@ -599,11 +599,12 @@ def test_delivery_turn_author_from_envelope_sender_fields():
 
 
 def test_delivery_turn_author_qualifies_a_remote_sender_by_its_connection():
-    """Two machines can both run ``ops``; the Desktop's connection id keeps them apart, and its own gateway
-    (``local``) keeps the bare id."""
+    """A relayed DM always crosses gateways, so the sender's connection id is part of the author id, ``local``
+    included; the recipient's own ``ops`` is the only bare ``bot:ops``."""
     remote = bot_relay.delivery_turn_author("ops", "ops-bot", "cloud-1")
     assert remote == {"id": "bot:cloud-1/ops", "name": "ops-bot", "is_bot": True}
-    assert bot_relay.delivery_turn_author("ops", "ops-bot", "local") == {"id": "bot:ops", "name": "ops-bot", "is_bot": True}
+    assert bot_relay.delivery_turn_author("ops", "ops-bot", "local") == {"id": "bot:local/ops", "name": "ops-bot", "is_bot": True}
+    # An older Desktop that sends no connection id still yields an author.
     assert bot_relay.delivery_turn_author("ops", "ops-bot", "") == {"id": "bot:ops", "name": "ops-bot", "is_bot": True}
 
 
diff --git a/tools/bot_relay.py b/tools/bot_relay.py
index ec0abc685a..0cea28e4b8 100644
--- a/tools/bot_relay.py
+++ b/tools/bot_relay.py
@@ -401,18 +401,16 @@ class DeliveryAuthor:
 
 
 def delivery_turn_author(from_profile: Any, from_handle: Any, from_connection: Any = None) -> Optional[dict]:
-    """The author of a relayed DM's recipient turn, built from the envelope's sender fields. A sender on another
-    machine is qualified by the Desktop's id for its connection, so two machines' ``scout`` profiles stay distinct.
-    None when the envelope names no sender, so an unattributed delivery stays unattributed."""
+    """The author of a relayed DM's recipient turn, built from the envelope's sender fields. A relayed DM always
+    comes from another gateway, so the id carries the Desktop's id for the sender's connection (``local`` included)
+    and only the recipient's own profiles are bare ``bot:<profile>``. None when the envelope names no sender."""
     from agent.turn_author import bot_author_id
 
     profile = str(from_profile or "").strip()
     if not profile:
         return None
-    connection = str(from_connection or "").strip()
-    # The Desktop names its own gateway "local"; that sender keeps the bare id local deliveries always had.
-    origin = connection if connection != "local" else ""
-    return {"id": bot_author_id(profile, origin), "name": str(from_handle or "").strip() or profile, "is_bot": True}
+    return {"id": bot_author_id(profile, str(from_connection or "")), "name": str(from_handle or "").strip() or profile,
+            "is_bot": True}
 
 
 def delivery_env(author: Optional[dict]) -> dict[str, str]:
diff --git a/tui_gateway/session_auto_continue.py b/tui_gateway/session_auto_continue.py
index a8bb332edc..fb550c9e1e 100644
--- a/tui_gateway/session_auto_continue.py
+++ b/tui_gateway/session_auto_continue.py
@@ -137,8 +137,7 @@ def _enqueue_prompt(session: dict, text: Any, transport: Any, image_paths: list[
     # See #84417.
     _drop_queued_duplicates_of_inflight_user(session)
     text_only = not image_paths and isinstance(text, str)
-    # Never queue a text-only self-copy of the live prompt: draining it would restart it. Another sender's
-    # identical text is their message, not a copy.
+    # A text-only self-copy of the live prompt would restart it on drain; an authored copy is another sender's message.
     if text_only and not turn_author and text.strip() == _ac_inflight_original(session) != "":
         return
     queued = {"text": text, "transport": transport, **({"image_paths": image_paths} if image_paths else {}),