diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9b6c1969c..51b0d8afb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 - CLI: add `sandbox list` and `sandbox recreate` commands for managing Docker sandbox containers after image/config updates. (#563) — thanks @pasogott
 - Providers: add Microsoft Teams provider with polling, attachments, and CLI send support. (#404) — thanks @onutc
 - Slack: honor reply tags + replyToMode while keeping threaded replies in-thread. (#574) — thanks @bolismauro
+- Discord: avoid category parent overrides for channel allowlists and refactor thread context helpers. (#588) — thanks @steipete
 - Discord: fix forum thread starters and cache channel lookups for thread context. (#585) — thanks @thewilloftheshadow
 - Commands: accept /models as an alias for /model.
 - Commands: add `/usage` as an alias for `/status`. (#492) — thanks @lc0rp
diff --git a/src/commands/doctor-gateway-services.ts b/src/commands/doctor-gateway-services.ts
index e32f4f2e2..f17ee63da 100644
--- a/src/commands/doctor-gateway-services.ts
+++ b/src/commands/doctor-gateway-services.ts
@@ -216,8 +216,7 @@ export async function maybeRepairGatewayServiceConfig(
   ) {
     audit.issues.push({
       code: SERVICE_AUDIT_CODES.gatewayEntrypointMismatch,
-      message:
-        "Gateway service entrypoint does not match the current install.",
+      message: "Gateway service entrypoint does not match the current install.",
       detail: `${currentEntrypoint} -> ${expectedEntrypoint}`,
       level: "recommended",
     });
diff --git a/src/discord/monitor.tool-result.test.ts b/src/discord/monitor.tool-result.test.ts
index 952bfda15..50b5600cb 100644
--- a/src/discord/monitor.tool-result.test.ts
+++ b/src/discord/monitor.tool-result.test.ts
@@ -193,6 +193,95 @@ describe("discord tool result dispatch", () => {
     expect(fetchChannel).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
+  it("uses channel id allowlists for non-thread channels with categories", async () => {
+    const { createDiscordMessageHandler } = await import("./monitor.js");
+    let capturedCtx: { SessionKey?: string } | undefined;
+    dispatchMock.mockImplementationOnce(async ({ ctx, dispatcher }) => {
+      capturedCtx = ctx;
+      dispatcher.sendFinalReply({ text: "hi" });
+      return { queuedFinal: true, counts: { final: 1 } };
+    });
+
+    const cfg = {
+      agents: {
+        defaults: {
+          model: "anthropic/claude-opus-4-5",
+          workspace: "/tmp/clawd",
+        },
+      },
+      session: { store: "/tmp/clawdbot-sessions.json" },
+      discord: {
+        dm: { enabled: true, policy: "open" },
+        guilds: {
+          "*": {
+            requireMention: false,
+            channels: { c1: { allow: true } },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      routing: { allowFrom: [] },
+    } as ReturnType<typeof import("../config/config.js").loadConfig>;
+
+    const handler = createDiscordMessageHandler({
+      cfg,
+      discordConfig: cfg.discord,
+      accountId: "default",
+      token: "token",
+      runtime: {
+        log: vi.fn(),
+        error: vi.fn(),
+        exit: (code: number): never => {
+          throw new Error(`exit ${code}`);
+        },
+      },
+      botUserId: "bot-id",
+      guildHistories: new Map(),
+      historyLimit: 0,
+      mediaMaxBytes: 10_000,
+      textLimit: 2000,
+      replyToMode: "off",
+      dmEnabled: true,
+      groupDmEnabled: false,
+      guildEntries: {
+        "*": { requireMention: false, channels: { c1: { allow: true } } },
+      },
+    });
+
+    const client = {
+      fetchChannel: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+        type: ChannelType.GuildText,
+        name: "general",
+        parentId: "category-1",
+      }),
+      rest: { get: vi.fn() },
+    } as unknown as Client;
+
+    await handler(
+      {
+        message: {
+          id: "m-category",
+          content: "hello",
+          channelId: "c1",
+          timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
+          type: MessageType.Default,
+          attachments: [],
+          embeds: [],
+          mentionedEveryone: false,
+          mentionedUsers: [],
+          mentionedRoles: [],
+          author: { id: "u1", bot: false, username: "Ada", tag: "Ada#1" },
+        },
+        author: { id: "u1", bot: false, username: "Ada", tag: "Ada#1" },
+        member: { displayName: "Ada" },
+        guild: { id: "g1", name: "Guild" },
+        guild_id: "g1",
+      },
+      client,
+    );
+
+    expect(capturedCtx?.SessionKey).toBe("agent:main:discord:channel:c1");
+  });
+
   it("replies with pairing code and sender id when dmPolicy is pairing", async () => {
     const { createDiscordMessageHandler } = await import("./monitor.js");
     const cfg = {
diff --git a/src/discord/monitor.ts b/src/discord/monitor.ts
index 59ef8e910..c3339ef66 100644
--- a/src/discord/monitor.ts
+++ b/src/discord/monitor.ts
@@ -255,6 +255,58 @@ function isDiscordThreadType(type: ChannelType | undefined): boolean {
   );
 }
 
+type DiscordThreadParentInfo = {
+  id?: string;
+  name?: string;
+  type?: ChannelType;
+};
+
+function resolveDiscordThreadChannel(params: {
+  isGuildMessage: boolean;
+  message: DiscordMessageEvent["message"];
+  channelInfo: DiscordChannelInfo | null;
+}): DiscordThreadChannel | null {
+  if (!params.isGuildMessage) return null;
+  const { message, channelInfo } = params;
+  const channel =
+    "channel" in message
+      ? (message as { channel?: unknown }).channel
+      : undefined;
+  const isThreadChannel =
+    channel &&
+    typeof channel === "object" &&
+    "isThread" in channel &&
+    typeof (channel as { isThread?: unknown }).isThread === "function" &&
+    (channel as { isThread: () => boolean }).isThread();
+  if (isThreadChannel) return channel as unknown as DiscordThreadChannel;
+  if (!isDiscordThreadType(channelInfo?.type)) return null;
+  return {
+    id: message.channelId,
+    name: channelInfo?.name ?? undefined,
+    parentId: channelInfo?.parentId ?? undefined,
+    parent: undefined,
+  };
+}
+
+async function resolveDiscordThreadParentInfo(params: {
+  client: Client;
+  threadChannel: DiscordThreadChannel;
+  channelInfo: DiscordChannelInfo | null;
+}): Promise<DiscordThreadParentInfo> {
+  const { threadChannel, channelInfo, client } = params;
+  const parentId =
+    threadChannel.parentId ??
+    threadChannel.parent?.id ??
+    channelInfo?.parentId ??
+    undefined;
+  if (!parentId) return {};
+  let parentName = threadChannel.parent?.name;
+  const parentInfo = await resolveDiscordChannelInfo(client, parentId);
+  parentName = parentName ?? parentInfo?.name;
+  const parentType = parentInfo?.type;
+  return { id: parentId, name: parentName, type: parentType };
+}
+
 export function resolveDiscordReplyTarget(opts: {
   replyToMode: ReplyToMode;
   replyToId?: string;
@@ -690,37 +742,23 @@ export function createDiscordMessageHandler(params: {
         "name" in message.channel
           ? message.channel.name
           : undefined);
-      const isThreadChannel =
-        isGuildMessage &&
-        message.channel &&
-        "isThread" in message.channel &&
-        message.channel.isThread();
-      const isThreadByType =
-        isGuildMessage && isDiscordThreadType(channelInfo?.type);
-      const threadChannel: DiscordThreadChannel | null = isThreadChannel
-        ? (message.channel as DiscordThreadChannel)
-        : isThreadByType
-          ? {
-              id: message.channelId,
-              name: channelInfo?.name ?? undefined,
-              parentId: channelInfo?.parentId ?? undefined,
-              parent: undefined,
-            }
-          : null;
-      const threadParentId =
-        threadChannel?.parentId ??
-        threadChannel?.parent?.id ??
-        channelInfo?.parentId ??
-        undefined;
-      let threadParentName = threadChannel?.parent?.name;
+      const threadChannel = resolveDiscordThreadChannel({
+        isGuildMessage,
+        message,
+        channelInfo,
+      });
+      let threadParentId: string | undefined;
+      let threadParentName: string | undefined;
       let threadParentType: ChannelType | undefined;
-      if (threadChannel && threadParentId) {
-        const parentInfo = await resolveDiscordChannelInfo(
+      if (threadChannel) {
+        const parentInfo = await resolveDiscordThreadParentInfo({
           client,
-          threadParentId,
-        );
-        threadParentName = threadParentName ?? parentInfo?.name;
-        threadParentType = parentInfo?.type;
+          threadChannel,
+          channelInfo,
+        });
+        threadParentId = parentInfo.id;
+        threadParentName = parentInfo.name;
+        threadParentType = parentInfo.type;
       }
       const threadName = threadChannel?.name;
       const configChannelName = threadParentName ?? channelName;