diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/secrets-routes.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/secrets-routes.test.ts
index fb2be0591a5..33e618af2a6 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/secrets-routes.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/secrets-routes.test.ts
@@ -156,6 +156,23 @@ describe("secret routes", () => {
     expect(JSON.stringify(mockLogActivity.mock.calls)).not.toContain("secret-value");
   });
 
+  it("rejects current-user secret values without a concrete user identity", async () => {
+    const res = await request(createApp({
+      type: "board",
+      source: "local_implicit",
+      companyIds: ["company-1"],
+      memberships: [{ companyId: "company-1", status: "active", membershipRole: "admin" }],
+    })).post("/api/companies/company-1/me/user-secrets").send({
+      definitionKey: "github_token",
+      value: "secret-value",
+    });
+
+    expect(res.status).toBe(401);
+    expect(res.body).toMatchObject({ error: "User identity required for user-specific secrets" });
+    expect(mockSecretService.createCurrentUserSecretValue).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mockLogActivity).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it("rejects empty current-user secret rotation payloads", async () => {
     const res = await request(createApp())
       .post("/api/companies/company-1/me/user-secrets/secret-1/rotate")
diff --git a/server/src/routes/secrets.ts b/server/src/routes/secrets.ts
index 401a54f57b8..74f42090254 100644
--- a/server/src/routes/secrets.ts
+++ b/server/src/routes/secrets.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import { validate } from "../middleware/validate.js";
 import { assertBoard, assertCompanyAccess } from "./authz.js";
 import { logActivity, secretService } from "../services/index.js";
 import { getConfiguredSecretProvider } from "../secrets/configured-provider.js";
-import { forbidden } from "../errors.js";
+import { forbidden, unauthorized } from "../errors.js";
 
 function assertSecretDefinitionAdmin(req: Parameters<typeof assertBoard>[0], companyId: string) {
   assertBoard(req);
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ function assertSecretDefinitionAdmin(req: Parameters<typeof assertBoard>[0], com
 
 function currentUserId(req: Parameters<typeof assertBoard>[0]) {
   assertBoard(req);
-  return req.actor.userId ?? "board";
+  if (req.actor.userId) return req.actor.userId;
+  throw unauthorized("User identity required for user-specific secrets");
 }
 
 function isCompanyScopedSecret(secret: { scope?: string | null }) {
diff --git a/server/src/services/heartbeat.ts b/server/src/services/heartbeat.ts
index ecfcd4971f6..885a659bb8f 100644
--- a/server/src/services/heartbeat.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/heartbeat.ts
@@ -4614,17 +4614,15 @@ export function heartbeatService(db: Db, options: HeartbeatServiceOptions = {})
     if (input.run.responsibleUserId) return input.run.responsibleUserId;
     if (input.routineEnvContext.responsibleUserId) return input.routineEnvContext.responsibleUserId;
     if (input.issueContext?.responsibleUserId) return input.issueContext.responsibleUserId;
-    if (input.issueContext?.createdByUserId) return input.issueContext.createdByUserId;
     if (input.issueContext?.parentId) {
       const parent = await db
         .select({
           responsibleUserId: issues.responsibleUserId,
-          createdByUserId: issues.createdByUserId,
         })
         .from(issues)
         .where(and(eq(issues.companyId, input.run.companyId), eq(issues.id, input.issueContext.parentId)))
         .then((rows) => rows[0] ?? null);
-      return parent?.responsibleUserId ?? parent?.createdByUserId ?? null;
+      return parent?.responsibleUserId ?? null;
     }
     return null;
   }