diff --git a/scripts/release.py b/scripts/release.py
index c5ceac0a9f..bb943595ab 100755
--- a/scripts/release.py
+++ b/scripts/release.py
@@ -905,6 +905,7 @@ AUTHOR_MAP = {
     "montbra@gmail.com": "Montbra",  # PR #20897 salvage of #16189 (TUI voice PTT)
     "promptsiren@gmail.com": "firefly",  # PR #18123 salvage of #16660 (ContextVars)
     "wtyopenclaw@gmail.com": "WuTianyi123",  # PR #20275 salvage of #13723 (feishu markdown)
+    "zhicheng.han@mathematik.uni-goettingen.de": "hanzckernel",  # PR #20311 (api-server approval events)
     # pander: empty email, salvaged via PR #19665 from #16126 by @ms-alan
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/tools/test_cron_approval_mode.py b/tests/tools/test_cron_approval_mode.py
index abd730ca3a..3826813157 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_cron_approval_mode.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_cron_approval_mode.py
@@ -256,3 +256,77 @@ class TestCronModeInteractions:
 
         result = check_dangerous_command("rm -rf /tmp/stuff", "local")
         assert result["approved"]
+
+
+class TestCronWithGatewayOrigin:
+    """Cron jobs originating from a gateway platform must NOT be treated as gateway.
+
+    cron/scheduler.py binds HERMES_SESSION_PLATFORM via contextvars for
+    delivery routing (so cron output lands back in the origin chat). The
+    API-server approvals work (PR #20311) made check_dangerous_command treat
+    any contextvar-bound platform as a gateway session. That would route
+    cron-from-telegram/discord/etc. through submit_pending with no listener,
+    hanging the job instead of respecting approvals.cron_mode.
+    """
+
+    def test_cron_with_telegram_origin_uses_cron_mode_not_gateway(self, monkeypatch):
+        """Cron + contextvar platform=telegram + cron_mode=deny → BLOCKED, not pending."""
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_CRON_SESSION", "1")
+        monkeypatch.delenv("HERMES_INTERACTIVE", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("HERMES_GATEWAY_SESSION", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("HERMES_YOLO_MODE", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("HERMES_EXEC_ASK", raising=False)
+
+        from gateway.session_context import set_session_vars, clear_session_vars
+        tokens = set_session_vars(platform="telegram", chat_id="123")
+        try:
+            from unittest.mock import patch as mock_patch
+            with mock_patch("tools.approval._get_cron_approval_mode", return_value="deny"):
+                result = check_dangerous_command("rm -rf /tmp/stuff", "local")
+                # Cron-mode path: BLOCKED message, NOT pending/approval_required.
+                assert not result["approved"]
+                assert "BLOCKED" in result["message"]
+                assert "cron_mode" in result["message"]
+                assert result.get("status") != "approval_required"
+        finally:
+            clear_session_vars(tokens)
+
+    def test_cron_with_telegram_origin_approve_mode_allows(self, monkeypatch):
+        """Cron + contextvar platform=telegram + cron_mode=approve → allowed via cron path."""
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_CRON_SESSION", "1")
+        monkeypatch.delenv("HERMES_INTERACTIVE", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("HERMES_GATEWAY_SESSION", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("HERMES_YOLO_MODE", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("HERMES_EXEC_ASK", raising=False)
+
+        from gateway.session_context import set_session_vars, clear_session_vars
+        tokens = set_session_vars(platform="discord", chat_id="456")
+        try:
+            from unittest.mock import patch as mock_patch
+            with mock_patch("tools.approval._get_cron_approval_mode", return_value="approve"):
+                result = check_dangerous_command("rm -rf /tmp/stuff", "local")
+                assert result["approved"]
+                # Should NOT be a gateway-approval response.
+                assert result.get("status") != "approval_required"
+        finally:
+            clear_session_vars(tokens)
+
+    def test_cron_with_telegram_origin_combined_guard_uses_cron_mode(self, monkeypatch):
+        """check_all_command_guards must also honor cron_mode over gateway classification."""
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_CRON_SESSION", "1")
+        monkeypatch.delenv("HERMES_INTERACTIVE", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("HERMES_GATEWAY_SESSION", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("HERMES_YOLO_MODE", raising=False)
+        monkeypatch.delenv("HERMES_EXEC_ASK", raising=False)
+
+        from gateway.session_context import set_session_vars, clear_session_vars
+        tokens = set_session_vars(platform="telegram", chat_id="789")
+        try:
+            from unittest.mock import patch as mock_patch
+            with mock_patch("tools.approval._get_cron_approval_mode", return_value="deny"):
+                result = check_all_command_guards("rm -rf /tmp/stuff", "local")
+                assert not result["approved"]
+                assert "BLOCKED" in result["message"]
+                assert result.get("status") != "approval_required"
+        finally:
+            clear_session_vars(tokens)
diff --git a/tools/approval.py b/tools/approval.py
index 1322098ebc..068748f685 100644
--- a/tools/approval.py
+++ b/tools/approval.py
@@ -100,7 +100,16 @@ def _is_gateway_approval_context() -> bool:
     Legacy gateway integrations set HERMES_GATEWAY_SESSION in process env.
     Newer concurrent gateway paths bind HERMES_SESSION_PLATFORM via
     contextvars so approval mode does not depend on process-global flags.
+
+    Cron jobs are NEVER gateway-approval contexts even when they originate
+    from a gateway platform (cron binds HERMES_SESSION_PLATFORM via
+    contextvars for delivery routing). Cron approvals are governed by
+    ``approvals.cron_mode`` config, not interactive resolve — letting cron
+    fall through to the gateway branch would submit a pending approval
+    with no listener and block the job indefinitely.
     """
+    if os.getenv("HERMES_CRON_SESSION"):
+        return False
     if os.getenv("HERMES_GATEWAY_SESSION"):
         return True
     return bool(_get_session_platform())