diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/execution-workspace-policy.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/execution-workspace-policy.test.ts
index f90480a7891..b621f753f15 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/execution-workspace-policy.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/execution-workspace-policy.test.ts
@@ -155,10 +155,23 @@ describe("execution workspace policy helpers", () => {
     expect(
       parseIssueExecutionWorkspaceSettings({
         mode: "project_primary",
+        environmentId: "11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111",
       }),
     ).toEqual({
       mode: "shared_workspace",
     });
+    expect(
+      parseIssueExecutionWorkspaceSettings(
+        {
+          mode: "project_primary",
+          environmentId: "11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111",
+        },
+        { includeEnvironmentId: true },
+      ),
+    ).toEqual({
+      mode: "shared_workspace",
+      environmentId: "11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111",
+    });
   });
 
   it("prefers the agent default environment", () => {
diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/issues-service.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/issues-service.test.ts
index 927e4d57469..e3709409e1c 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/issues-service.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/issues-service.test.ts
@@ -3084,6 +3084,78 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("issueService.create workspace inheritance", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it("createChild preserves strategy-only workspace intent without realizing the parent workspace", async () => {
+    const companyId = randomUUID();
+    const projectId = randomUUID();
+    const parentIssueId = randomUUID();
+    const projectWorkspaceId = randomUUID();
+    const environmentId = randomUUID();
+
+    await db.insert(companies).values({
+      id: companyId,
+      name: "Paperclip",
+      issuePrefix: `T${companyId.replace(/-/g, "").slice(0, 6).toUpperCase()}`,
+      requireBoardApprovalForNewAgents: false,
+    });
+    await instanceSettingsService(db).updateExperimental({ enableIsolatedWorkspaces: true });
+
+    await db.insert(projects).values({
+      id: projectId,
+      companyId,
+      name: "Workspace project",
+      status: "in_progress",
+    });
+
+    await db.insert(projectWorkspaces).values({
+      id: projectWorkspaceId,
+      companyId,
+      projectId,
+      name: "Primary workspace",
+      isPrimary: true,
+    });
+
+    await db.insert(issues).values({
+      id: parentIssueId,
+      companyId,
+      projectId,
+      projectWorkspaceId,
+      title: "Accepted plan parent",
+      status: "in_progress",
+      priority: "medium",
+      executionWorkspaceSettings: {
+        mode: "isolated_workspace",
+        environmentId,
+        workspaceStrategy: {
+          type: "git_worktree",
+          baseRef: "origin/master",
+          branchTemplate: "{{issue.identifier}}-{{slug}}",
+        },
+      },
+    });
+
+    const { issue: child } = await svc.createChild(parentIssueId, {
+      title: "Accepted plan child",
+      status: "todo",
+      priority: "medium",
+      executionWorkspaceInheritanceMode: "strategy_only",
+    });
+
+    expect(child.parentId).toBe(parentIssueId);
+    expect(child.projectId).toBe(projectId);
+    expect(child.projectWorkspaceId).toBe(projectWorkspaceId);
+    expect(child.executionWorkspaceId).toBeNull();
+    expect(child.executionWorkspacePreference).toBeNull();
+    expect(child.executionWorkspaceSettings).toEqual({
+      mode: "isolated_workspace",
+      environmentId,
+      workspaceStrategy: {
+        type: "git_worktree",
+        baseRef: "origin/master",
+        branchTemplate: "{{issue.identifier}}-{{slug}}",
+      },
+    });
+  });
+
   it("clamps helper-created child requestDepth to the safe maximum", async () => {
     const companyId = randomUUID();
     const projectId = randomUUID();
diff --git a/server/src/services/execution-workspace-policy.ts b/server/src/services/execution-workspace-policy.ts
index fdbd9914483..b9c45135490 100644
--- a/server/src/services/execution-workspace-policy.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/execution-workspace-policy.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,14 @@ export function gateProjectExecutionWorkspacePolicy(
   return projectPolicy;
 }
 
-export function parseIssueExecutionWorkspaceSettings(raw: unknown): IssueExecutionWorkspaceSettings | null {
+type ParseIssueExecutionWorkspaceSettingsOptions = {
+  includeEnvironmentId?: boolean;
+};
+
+export function parseIssueExecutionWorkspaceSettings(
+  raw: unknown,
+  options: ParseIssueExecutionWorkspaceSettingsOptions = {},
+): IssueExecutionWorkspaceSettings | null {
   const parsed = parseObject(raw);
   if (Object.keys(parsed).length === 0) return null;
   const workspaceStrategy = parseExecutionWorkspaceStrategy(parsed.workspaceStrategy);
@@ -112,7 +119,7 @@ export function parseIssueExecutionWorkspaceSettings(raw: unknown): IssueExecuti
     ...(normalizedMode
       ? { mode: normalizedMode as IssueExecutionWorkspaceSettings["mode"] }
       : {}),
-    ...(parsed.environmentId && typeof parsed.environmentId === "string"
+    ...(options.includeEnvironmentId && (typeof parsed.environmentId === "string" || parsed.environmentId === null)
       ? { environmentId: parsed.environmentId }
       : {}),
     ...(workspaceStrategy ? { workspaceStrategy } : {}),
diff --git a/server/src/services/issues.ts b/server/src/services/issues.ts
index fc110581619..0c26f316359 100644
--- a/server/src/services/issues.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/issues.ts
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ function buildReusedExecutionWorkspaceConfigPatchFromIssueSettings(
 // Accepted-plan children are not realized yet, so carry only unresolved
 // workspace intent and let the first child run render/persist its own branch.
 function buildPreRealizationExecutionWorkspaceSettings(raw: unknown): Record<string, unknown> | null {
-  const settings = parseIssueExecutionWorkspaceSettings(raw);
+  const settings = parseIssueExecutionWorkspaceSettings(raw, { includeEnvironmentId: true });
   if (!settings) return null;
   const mode =
     settings.mode && settings.mode !== "inherit" && settings.mode !== "reuse_existing"
@@ -6409,7 +6409,10 @@ export function issueService(db: Db) {
 
       let cleared = 0;
       for (const row of rows) {
-        const settings = parseIssueExecutionWorkspaceSettings(row.executionWorkspaceSettings);
+        const settings = parseIssueExecutionWorkspaceSettings(
+          row.executionWorkspaceSettings,
+          { includeEnvironmentId: true },
+        );
         if (settings?.environmentId !== environmentId) continue;
 
         await db