diff --git a/scripts/release.py b/scripts/release.py
index eb9cf9d8955..18e4087cb99 100755
--- a/scripts/release.py
+++ b/scripts/release.py
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ ACP_REGISTRY_MANIFEST = REPO_ROOT / "acp_registry" / "agent.json"
 
 # Auto-extracted from noreply emails + manual overrides
 AUTHOR_MAP = {
+    "perkintahmaz50@gmail.com": "devatnull",  # PR #58704 salvage (whatsapp: native Baileys polls, clarify-as-poll, location pins, structured quoted replies, PTT/audio split, bridge_helpers extraction)
     "tim@iteachyouai.com": "tjp2021",  # PR #4097 salvage (copilot: per-turn x-initiator header so user prompts bill as premium requests; #3040)
     "3723267+kevinrajaram@users.noreply.github.com": "kevinrajaram",  # PR #3850 salvage (gateway: add POSIX system dirs to PATH so launchctl/systemctl resolve under UV's minimal-PATH bundled Python; #3849)
     "lord-dubious@users.noreply.github.com": "lord-dubious",  # PR #58453 salvage (preserve static custom provider models declared as dict rows)
diff --git a/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge.js b/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge.js
index 23db421f9f8..658de75e6c3 100644
--- a/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge.js
+++ b/scripts/whatsapp-bridge/bridge.js
@@ -304,6 +304,15 @@ function enqueuePollUpdateEvent({ key, update, selectedOptions, aggregation }) {
     || update?.pollUpdates?.[0]?.pollCreationMessageKey?.id
     || update?.pollUpdates?.[0]?.pollUpdateMessageKey?.id
     || '';
+  // Only surface votes on polls Hermes itself created (tracked when
+  // /send-poll returns). Arbitrary human polls in a group chat must not
+  // inject agent-visible messages on every vote.
+  if (!pollId || !recentlySentIds.has(pollId)) {
+    if (WHATSAPP_DEBUG) {
+      try { console.log(JSON.stringify({ event: 'ignored', reason: 'foreign_poll_update', pollId })); } catch {}
+    }
+    return;
+  }
   const chosenText = selectedOptions.length ? selectedOptions.join(', ') : `[Poll update${pollId ? `: ${pollId}` : ''}]`;
   const dedupeId = `poll:${pollId}:${senderId}:${selectedOptions.join('|')}`;
   if (recentlyProcessedPollUpdates.has(dedupeId)) return;
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_whatsapp_formatting.py b/tests/gateway/test_whatsapp_formatting.py
index 5f2fae26c5e..3692fe5a12d 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_whatsapp_formatting.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_whatsapp_formatting.py
@@ -141,10 +141,11 @@ class TestFormatMessage:
         assert adapter.format_message("hello world") == "hello world"
 
     def test_already_whatsapp_italic(self):
-        """Single *italic* should pass through unchanged."""
+        """Markdown *italic* converts to WhatsApp _italic_ (PR #58704)."""
         adapter = _make_adapter()
-        # After bold conversion, *text* is WhatsApp italic
-        assert adapter.format_message("*italic*") == "*italic*"
+        assert adapter.format_message("*italic*") == "_italic_"
+        # Already-WhatsApp _italic_ passes through unchanged
+        assert adapter.format_message("_italic_") == "_italic_"
 
     def test_multiline_mixed(self):
         adapter = _make_adapter()