diff --git a/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py b/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
index 97f24c435b..7a02cdf702 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
@@ -1978,14 +1978,23 @@ def _verify_created_cards(
 ) -> tuple[list[str], list[str]]:
     """Partition ``claimed_ids`` into (verified, phantom).
 
-    A card is "verified" iff a row exists in ``tasks`` with the given id
-    AND ``created_by`` matches the completing task's ``assignee`` (or
-    the completing task itself — workers that create children of their
-    own task also qualify).
+    A card is "verified" iff a row exists in ``tasks`` AND at least one
+    of the following holds:
 
-    ``phantom`` returns ids that either don't exist at all or exist but
-    were not created by the completing worker. The caller decides what
-    to do with each bucket; this helper never mutates.
+    * ``created_by`` matches the completing task's ``assignee`` profile
+      (the common case: worker A spawns a card via ``kanban_create``,
+      which stamps ``created_by=A``).
+    * ``created_by`` matches the completing task's id (edge case where
+      a worker passed its own task id as the ``created_by`` value).
+    * The card is linked as a ``task_links.child`` of the completing
+      task — i.e. the worker explicitly called ``kanban_create`` with
+      ``parents=[<current_task>]``. This accepts cards created through
+      the dashboard/CLI by a different principal but then attached to
+      the completing task by the worker.
+
+    ``phantom`` returns ids that either don't exist at all, or exist
+    but don't satisfy any of the three trust conditions. The caller
+    decides what to do with each bucket; this helper never mutates.
     """
     claimed = [str(x).strip() for x in (claimed_ids or []) if str(x).strip()]
     if not claimed:
@@ -2014,6 +2023,10 @@ def _verify_created_cards(
     ).fetchall()
     found = {r["id"]: r["created_by"] for r in rows}
 
+    # Pull the set of cards linked as children of the completing task.
+    # Cheap: one query, indexed on parent_id.
+    linked_children: set[str] = set(child_ids(conn, completing_task_id))
+
     verified: list[str] = []
     phantom: list[str] = []
     for cid in ordered:
@@ -2021,13 +2034,13 @@ def _verify_created_cards(
         if created_by is None:
             phantom.append(cid)
             continue
-        # Accept if created_by matches the completing task's assignee
-        # profile, OR the task itself (workers whose created_by happens
-        # to match their task id are unusual but harmless to accept).
+        # Accept if any of the three trust conditions holds.
         if completing_assignee and created_by == completing_assignee:
             verified.append(cid)
         elif created_by == completing_task_id:
             verified.append(cid)
+        elif cid in linked_children:
+            verified.append(cid)
         else:
             phantom.append(cid)
     return verified, phantom
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_core_functionality.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_core_functionality.py
index 219aa2546d..a9db7489e3 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_core_functionality.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_core_functionality.py
@@ -2978,6 +2978,46 @@ def test_complete_with_cross_worker_card_is_rejected(kanban_home):
         conn.close()
 
 
+def test_complete_accepts_cross_worker_card_when_linked_as_child(kanban_home):
+    """A card created by a different principal but explicitly linked as
+    a child of the completing task is accepted — the worker took
+    ownership via ``kanban_create(parents=[current_task])`` or an
+    explicit ``link_tasks`` call, which proves the relationship even
+    when ``created_by`` doesn't match.
+
+    (Relaxation salvaged from #20022 @LeonSGP43 — stricter version
+    would incorrectly reject legitimate orchestrator flows where a
+    specifier creates a card, then a worker picks it up and links it
+    to its own parent task.)
+    """
+    conn = kb.connect()
+    try:
+        parent = kb.create_task(conn, title="parent", assignee="alice")
+        # Card created by a DIFFERENT principal (not alice, not parent).
+        other = kb.create_task(
+            conn, title="other", assignee="x", created_by="bob",
+            parents=[parent],  # explicitly links as child of the completing task
+        )
+
+        ok = kb.complete_task(
+            conn, parent,
+            summary="completed with linked child",
+            created_cards=[other],
+        )
+        assert ok is True
+        # The card should appear in the completed event's verified_cards list.
+        import json as _json
+        row = conn.execute(
+            "SELECT payload FROM task_events "
+            "WHERE task_id=? AND kind='completed' ORDER BY id DESC LIMIT 1",
+            (parent,),
+        ).fetchone()
+        payload = _json.loads(row["payload"])
+        assert other in payload.get("verified_cards", [])
+    finally:
+        conn.close()
+
+
 def test_complete_prose_scan_flags_nonexistent_ids(kanban_home):
     """Successful completion whose summary references a ``t_<hex>`` id
     that doesn't resolve emits a ``suspected_hallucinated_references``