diff --git a/automation/README.md b/automation/README.md
index 6f1da8e..e426785 100644
--- a/automation/README.md
+++ b/automation/README.md
@@ -136,17 +136,24 @@ before a release tag deploys them to prod.
 ## Issue label lifecycle
 
 ```
-portal ──(triage)──▶ claude-queue ─▶ claude-working ─▶ claude-pr | claude-failed
-              └────▶ interactive  (stops here — handle with Claude interactively)
+portal ──(triage)──▶ triaged + claude-queue ─▶ claude-working ─▶ claude-pr | claude-failed
+              └─────▶ triaged + interactive   (stops here — handle with Claude interactively)
 ```
 
-- A `portal` issue with no decision label yet is triaged once (`maxTriagePerRun`
-  per run). Triage adds `claude-queue` or `interactive` and posts a breakdown.
+- **Triage owns routing for every `portal` issue.** Each untriaged portal issue is
+  triaged once (`maxTriagePerRun` per run); triage adds `triaged`, a routing label
+  (`claude-queue` or `interactive`), a type label (`bug` or `feature`), and posts a
+  breakdown. Triage skips an issue only once it carries `triaged`, `interactive`,
+  `claude-working`, `claude-pr`, or `claude-failed`.
+- **`claude-queue` alone does NOT skip triage on a portal issue.** The Report Issue
+  button may stamp `claude-queue` at creation; triage still claims the issue and
+  decides routing (stripping the stray `claude-queue` if it routes to `interactive`).
+  This is why triage works even if an older button build is deployed.
 - `claude-queue` → `claude-working` → `claude-pr` (PR opened) or `claude-failed`.
-- To retry a failed issue, re-add `claude-queue`.
-- To queue any manually-created issue for Claude (skipping triage), add
-  `claude-queue` directly. To force human handling, add `interactive`.
-- Triage is skipped for issues that already carry any decision label.
+- To retry a failed issue, re-add `claude-queue` (and remove `claude-failed`).
+- To queue a **non-portal** issue for Claude (skipping triage), add `claude-queue`
+  directly — triage never claims issues without the `portal` label.
+- To force a portal issue straight to fix, add `triaged` + `claude-queue` yourself.
 
 ## Releasing
 
diff --git a/automation/claude-issue-watcher.sh b/automation/claude-issue-watcher.sh
index 84f8145..676f97a 100644
--- a/automation/claude-issue-watcher.sh
+++ b/automation/claude-issue-watcher.sh
@@ -145,12 +145,16 @@ if [ ! -d "$WORKDIR/.git" ]; then
     git -C "$WORKDIR" config user.email "claude-autofix@pelagiamarine.com"
 fi
 
-DECISION_LABELS="claude-queue interactive claude-working claude-pr claude-failed"
+# Triage OWNS routing for every portal issue. It claims a portal issue until it has
+# been triaged (`triaged`) or is already in progress/done. NOTE: claude-queue is
+# deliberately NOT a skip reason — the Report Issue button may stamp claude-queue at
+# creation, and triage must still decide claude-queue vs interactive itself.
+TRIAGE_SKIP_LABELS="interactive claude-working claude-pr claude-failed triaged"
 
 # =====================================================================
 # Phase 1: triage new portal issues
 # =====================================================================
-dl_json=$(printf '%s\n' $DECISION_LABELS | jq -R . | jq -sc .)
+dl_json=$(printf '%s\n' $TRIAGE_SKIP_LABELS | jq -R . | jq -sc .)
 to_triage=$(issues_by_label portal | jq -c --argjson dl "$dl_json" \
     '[ .[] | select((.labels|map(.name)) as $have | ($dl | any(. as $d | $have|index($d))) | not) ] | sort_by(.number)')
 to_triage=$(printf '%s' "$to_triage" | jq -c ".[:$MAX_TRIAGE]")
@@ -167,7 +171,7 @@ while [ "$t" -lt "$n_triage" ]; do
     log "-- Triaging #$num: $title"
     reset_clone
     comments=$(comments_block "$num")
-    rm -f "$WORKDIR/CLAUDE_TRIAGE_LABEL.txt" "$WORKDIR/CLAUDE_TRIAGE.md"
+    rm -f "$WORKDIR/CLAUDE_TRIAGE_LABEL.txt" "$WORKDIR/CLAUDE_TRIAGE_TYPE.txt" "$WORKDIR/CLAUDE_TRIAGE.md"
 
     prompt_file=$(mktemp)
     {
@@ -188,8 +192,11 @@ while [ "$t" -lt "$n_triage" ]; do
         printf '%s\n' "   - interactive = needs human steering: ambiguous or underspecified, needs business content"
         printf '%s\n' "     or a design decision, a schema migration, permissions/payments changes, an external"
         printf '%s\n' "     dependency, or a large feature needing visual verification."
-        printf '%s\n' "3. Write TWO files in the repository root, nothing else:"
-        printf '%s\n' "   - CLAUDE_TRIAGE_LABEL.txt -- a single line with EXACTLY one word: claude-queue OR interactive"
+        printf '%s\n' "3. Classify the issue as a BUG (something is broken / not working as intended) or a"
+        printf '%s\n' "   FEATURE (new capability or a change/enhancement to existing behaviour)."
+        printf '%s\n' "4. Write THREE files in the repository root, nothing else:"
+        printf '%s\n' "   - CLAUDE_TRIAGE_LABEL.txt -- one line, EXACTLY one word: claude-queue OR interactive"
+        printf '%s\n' "   - CLAUDE_TRIAGE_TYPE.txt  -- one line, EXACTLY one word: bug OR feature"
         printf '%s\n' "   - CLAUDE_TRIAGE.md -- your requirements breakdown as markdown: action items, files/areas"
         printf '%s\n' "     involved, open questions, and a final one-line 'Routing rationale: ...'."
     } > "$prompt_file"
@@ -208,17 +215,34 @@ while [ "$t" -lt "$n_triage" ]; do
     fi
     breakdown=""
     [ -f "$WORKDIR/CLAUDE_TRIAGE.md" ] && breakdown=$(cat "$WORKDIR/CLAUDE_TRIAGE.md")
+    type=""
+    if [ -f "$WORKDIR/CLAUDE_TRIAGE_TYPE.txt" ]; then
+        traw=$(cat "$WORKDIR/CLAUDE_TRIAGE_TYPE.txt")
+        if printf '%s' "$traw" | grep -qiw feature; then type=feature
+        elif printf '%s' "$traw" | grep -qiw bug; then type=bug; fi
+    fi
     reset_clone
 
+    # Classify bug/feature regardless of routing outcome (additive, never clears).
+    [ -n "$type" ] && { add_labels "$num" "$type"; log "Classified #$num as $type"; }
+
     if [ -z "$label" ]; then
         log "Triage for #$num produced no valid decision; leaving for a human"
+        # Mark triaged + strip any button-stamped claude-queue so it is NOT auto-fixed.
+        set_labels "$num" "claude-queue" "triaged"
         add_comment "$num" "$BOT_MARKER
 [Claude triage] Could not auto-triage this issue. A human should review it and add either \`claude-queue\` or \`interactive\`."
         continue
     fi
 
     # Label FIRST so a comment failure cannot trigger a re-triage that double-posts.
-    add_labels "$num" "$label"
+    # Mark `triaged` so triage won't re-claim it. For interactive, strip any
+    # claude-queue the Report Issue button may have stamped so the fix phase ignores it.
+    if [ "$label" = "interactive" ]; then
+        set_labels "$num" "claude-queue" "interactive triaged"
+    else
+        add_labels "$num" claude-queue triaged
+    fi
     # No bot marker on the breakdown: it is genuine refined requirements and SHOULD
     # be fed to the fix stage (comments_block includes it).
     note=${breakdown:-"(no breakdown produced)"}
@@ -226,7 +250,7 @@ while [ "$t" -lt "$n_triage" ]; do
 
 $note
 
-**Routing:** \`$label\`"
+**Routing:** \`$label\`${type:+ | **Type:** \`$type\`}"
     log "Triaged #$num -> $label"
 done