diff --git a/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/apply.py b/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/apply.py
index 39ba26408..b41e1f44e 100644
--- a/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/apply.py
+++ b/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/apply.py
@@ -155,6 +155,8 @@ def ref(value: object) -> str:
     if 7 in chosen:
         if not retract or not cve_id:
             return {"ok": False, "refused": "item 7 retracts the dropped side's CVE and needs both CVE IDs"}
+        if retract == cve_id:
+            return {"ok": False, "refused": f"item 7 would retract {cve_id}, the kept tracker's CVE"}
         steps.append(
             {
                 "item": 7,
diff --git a/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/gate.py b/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/gate.py
index fcba1ba41..fc48fc141 100644
--- a/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/gate.py
+++ b/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/gate.py
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ def link(side: Mapping[str, Any]) -> str:
                     f"tracker's {keep_cve} ({states['keep']}): keep the drop tracker instead.",
                 }
             )
-        else:
+        elif drop_cve != keep_cve:
             retract = drop_cve
     if probe and not found:
         return {
diff --git a/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/apply.py b/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/apply.py
index 39ba26408..b41e1f44e 100644
--- a/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/apply.py
+++ b/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/apply.py
@@ -155,6 +155,8 @@ def ref(value: object) -> str:
     if 7 in chosen:
         if not retract or not cve_id:
             return {"ok": False, "refused": "item 7 retracts the dropped side's CVE and needs both CVE IDs"}
+        if retract == cve_id:
+            return {"ok": False, "refused": f"item 7 would retract {cve_id}, the kept tracker's CVE"}
         steps.append(
             {
                 "item": 7,
diff --git a/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/gate.py b/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/gate.py
index fcba1ba41..fc48fc141 100644
--- a/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/gate.py
+++ b/tools/security-management/src/security_management/issue_deduplicate/gate.py
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ def link(side: Mapping[str, Any]) -> str:
                     f"tracker's {keep_cve} ({states['keep']}): keep the drop tracker instead.",
                 }
             )
-        else:
+        elif drop_cve != keep_cve:
             retract = drop_cve
     if probe and not found:
         return {
diff --git a/tools/security-management/tests/test_issue_deduplicate.py b/tools/security-management/tests/test_issue_deduplicate.py
index 8e9d33963..8fb913f6a 100644
--- a/tools/security-management/tests/test_issue_deduplicate.py
+++ b/tools/security-management/tests/test_issue_deduplicate.py
@@ -172,6 +172,13 @@ def test_case_4_already_duplicate(capsys, tmp_path):
             None,
             "CVE-2025-2222",
         ),
+        (
+            side(42, ["airflow"], cve_link=C1, cve_state="allocated"),
+            side(67, ["airflow"], cve_link=C1, cve_state="allocated"),
+            "proceed",
+            None,
+            None,
+        ),
         (
             side(42, ["airflow"], cve_link=C1, cve_state="allocated"),
             side(67, ["airflow"], cve_link=C2, cve_state="publish-ready"),
@@ -602,6 +609,19 @@ def test_case_2_with_blockers(capsys, tmp_path):
     assert "**Still to resolve:**" in out["text"]
 
 
+def test_apply_plan_refuses_to_retract_the_kept_cve(capsys, tmp_path):
+    data = {
+        "tracker": TRACKER,
+        "keep": {"number": 42},
+        "drop": {"number": 67},
+        "scratch": "/s",
+        "items": [7],
+        "cve_id": "CVE-2025-1111",
+        "retract_cve": "CVE-2025-1111",
+    }
+    assert run(capsys, tmp_path, "apply-plan", data)[0] == 2
+
+
 def test_apply_plan_refuses_a_malformed_cve_id(capsys, tmp_path):
     base = {
         "tracker": TRACKER,
diff --git a/tools/spec-loop/specs/security-issue-lifecycle.md b/tools/spec-loop/specs/security-issue-lifecycle.md
index cfb7eb491..44c4b7f55 100644
--- a/tools/spec-loop/specs/security-issue-lifecycle.md
+++ b/tools/spec-loop/specs/security-issue-lifecycle.md
@@ -177,7 +177,8 @@ publication, with a human gate and an audit-log entry at every step.
   are open with the same single scope label and neither `duplicate`,
   applies the CVE rules (a CVE only on the dropped side means swap, a
   `public` record refuses, the kept CVE must be at least as far along and
-  the dropped one is retracted), reads both bodies' fields (the CVE JSON
+  the dropped one is retracted, unless both trackers carry the same CVE),
+  reads both bodies' fields (the CVE JSON
   attachment cut off), and rewrites the kept body field by field through
   github-body-field's `replace_field`, so the attachment and extra fields
   stay byte-exact: the dropped report verbatim in a collapsed *Second