diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/issue-execution-policy-routes.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/issue-execution-policy-routes.test.ts
index 9ee101a2df8..714d0e58bdb 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/issue-execution-policy-routes.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/issue-execution-policy-routes.test.ts
@@ -247,6 +247,51 @@ describe("issue execution policy routes", () => {
     expect(mockIssueService.update).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it("allows workflow-controlled assignment to user participants from an existing policy", async () => {
+    const policy = normalizeIssueExecutionPolicy({
+      stages: [
+        {
+          id: "11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111",
+          type: "approval",
+          participants: [{ type: "user", userId: "local-board" }],
+        },
+      ],
+    })!;
+    const issue = {
+      id: "aaaaaaaa-aaaa-4aaa-8aaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa",
+      companyId: "company-1",
+      status: "in_progress",
+      assigneeAgentId: "22222222-2222-4222-8222-222222222222",
+      assigneeUserId: null,
+      createdByUserId: "local-board",
+      identifier: "PAP-999",
+      title: "Policy-controlled user review",
+      executionPolicy: policy,
+      executionState: null,
+    };
+    mockIssueService.getById.mockResolvedValue(issue);
+    mockIssueService.update.mockImplementation(async (_id: string, patch: Record<string, unknown>) => ({
+      ...issue,
+      ...patch,
+      updatedAt: new Date(),
+    }));
+
+    const res = await request(await createApp(agentActor()))
+      .patch("/api/issues/aaaaaaaa-aaaa-4aaa-8aaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa")
+      .send({ status: "in_review" });
+
+    expect(res.status, JSON.stringify(res.body)).toBe(200);
+    expect(mockIssueService.update).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "aaaaaaaa-aaaa-4aaa-8aaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa",
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        status: "in_review",
+        assigneeAgentId: null,
+        assigneeUserId: "local-board",
+        actorAgentId: "22222222-2222-4222-8222-222222222222",
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
   it("rejects agent PATCH attempts to assign issues directly to users", async () => {
     const issue = {
       id: "aaaaaaaa-aaaa-4aaa-8aaa-aaaaaaaaaaaa",