diff --git a/skill/scripts/context-signals.mjs b/skill/scripts/context-signals.mjs
index 5c7d3f3bc..743bb220a 100644
--- a/skill/scripts/context-signals.mjs
+++ b/skill/scripts/context-signals.mjs
@@ -168,10 +168,14 @@ function gitSignals(cwd) {
     // even when the platform default (origin/HEAD) was never flipped off
     // main; an existing develop therefore outranks the remote default. This
     // is #302's own repro shape, and repos without develop are unaffected.
-    addCandidate('develop', revsFor('develop'));
     // A remote's advertised default prefers its own remote-tracking rev over
     // a possibly stale local checkout of the same name, for the same reason
-    // the upstream candidate leads with its rev.
+    // the upstream candidate leads with its rev. That applies to the develop
+    // candidate too when the remote default IS develop: it sits before the
+    // remote-default entries in the order, so it must lead with their rev
+    // itself or a stale local develop would win.
+    const advertisedRevs = (name) => remoteHeads.filter((head) => head.name === name).map((head) => head.rev);
+    addCandidate('develop', [...new Set([...advertisedRevs('develop'), ...revsFor('develop')])]);
     for (const head of remoteHeads) addCandidate(head.name, [...new Set([head.rev, ...revsFor(head.name)])]);
     for (const name of ['main', 'master']) addCandidate(name, revsFor(name));
     for (const c of candidates) {
diff --git a/tests/context-signals.test.mjs b/tests/context-signals.test.mjs
index 3e024b247..505258c76 100644
--- a/tests/context-signals.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/context-signals.test.mjs
@@ -577,6 +577,30 @@ describe('gatherSignals', () => {
     assert.deepEqual(s.git.changedFiles, ['src/Hero.tsx']);
   });
 
+  it('a develop-pointing remote default outranks a stale local develop (#302)', async () => {
+    const { execFileSync } = await import('node:child_process');
+    const git = (...args) => execFileSync('git', args, { cwd: scratch, stdio: 'ignore' });
+    git('init', '-q', '-b', 'develop');
+    git('config', 'user.email', 't@example.com');
+    git('config', 'user.name', 'Test');
+    write('src/base.css', 'a{}\n');
+    git('add', '.');
+    git('commit', '-qm', 'A');
+    write('src/extra.css', 'b{}\n');
+    git('add', '.');
+    git('commit', '-qm', 'A2');
+    git('update-ref', 'refs/remotes/origin/develop', 'HEAD');
+    git('symbolic-ref', 'refs/remotes/origin/HEAD', 'refs/remotes/origin/develop');
+    git('checkout', '-q', '-b', 'feature/t');
+    write('src/Hero.tsx', 'export const Hero = () => null;\n');
+    git('add', '.');
+    git('commit', '-qm', 'feature work');
+    git('branch', '-f', 'develop', 'HEAD~2'); // local develop is stale at A
+    const s = await gatherSignals(scratch);
+    assert.equal(s.git.base, 'develop');
+    assert.deepEqual(s.git.changedFiles, ['src/Hero.tsx']);
+  });
+
   it('never diffs one integration branch against another (#302)', async () => {
     const { execFileSync } = await import('node:child_process');
     const git = (...args) => execFileSync('git', args, { cwd: scratch, stdio: 'ignore' });