diff --git a/create_ticket_api.php b/create_ticket_api.php
index d8e8b21..a723104 100644
--- a/create_ticket_api.php
+++ b/create_ticket_api.php
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ try {
 require_once __DIR__ . '/middleware/ApiKeyAuth.php';
 require_once __DIR__ . '/models/AuditLogModel.php';
 require_once __DIR__ . '/models/StatsModel.php';
+require_once __DIR__ . '/models/TicketModel.php';
+require_once __DIR__ . '/models/WorkflowModel.php';
 require_once __DIR__ . '/helpers/UrlHelper.php';
 
 $apiKeyAuth = new ApiKeyAuth($conn);
@@ -338,17 +340,52 @@ if ($existing) {
         exit;
     }
 
-    // Ticket was closed — reopen it and add a recurrence comment
-    $reopenStmt = $conn->prepare(
-        "UPDATE tickets SET status = 'Open', closed_at = NULL, updated_at = NOW(), updated_by = ? WHERE ticket_id = ?"
-    );
-    $reopenStmt->bind_param("is", $userId, $existingId);
-    $reopenStmt->execute();
-    $reopenStmt->close();
+    // Ticket was closed — reopen it and add a recurrence comment. Route
+    // through the Workflow Designer like every other status-write path in
+    // the app, rather than forcing status='Open' via raw SQL regardless of
+    // configured transition rules.
+    $workflowModel = new WorkflowModel($conn);
+    $reopenStatus = 'Open';
+    if (!$workflowModel->isTransitionAllowed('Closed', 'Open', false)) {
+        // Direct Closed->Open isn't configured — fall back to any transition
+        // the Workflow Designer does allow from Closed that this unattended,
+        // non-admin automation can actually satisfy (no comment prompt, no
+        // admin elevation). If even that doesn't exist, leave the ticket
+        // Closed rather than force an unconfigured state.
+        $reopenStatus = null;
+        foreach ($workflowModel->getAllowedTransitions('Closed') as $transition) {
+            if (!$transition['requires_comment'] && !$transition['requires_admin']) {
+                $reopenStatus = $transition['to_status'];
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if ($reopenStatus !== null) {
+        $ticketModel = new TicketModel($conn);
+        $ticketModel->updateTicket([
+            'ticket_id'   => $existingId,
+            'title'       => $title,
+            'description' => $description,
+            'category'    => $category,
+            'type'        => $type,
+            'status'      => $reopenStatus,
+            'priority'    => $priority,
+        ], $userId);
+    } else {
+        error_log("create_ticket_api: hwmonDaemon recurrence for ticket $existingId — "
+            . "no admin-free, comment-free transition from Closed is configured; leaving ticket Closed");
+    }
 
     $commentText = "**Issue recurred — ticket reopened automatically.**\n\n" .
                    "hwmonDaemon detected this condition again. The ticket description reflects the "
                    . "original report; see this comment's timestamp for when the issue recurred.";
+    if ($reopenStatus === null) {
+        $commentText = "**Issue recurred, but the ticket could not be reopened automatically.**\n\n"
+            . "hwmonDaemon detected this condition again. No Workflow Designer transition from "
+            . "Closed is configured that this automation can perform unattended (no comment/admin "
+            . "requirement); the ticket remains Closed. Please review and reopen manually if appropriate.";
+    }
     $commentStmt = $conn->prepare(
         "INSERT INTO ticket_comments (ticket_id, user_id, user_name, comment_text, markdown_enabled) VALUES (?, ?, 'hwmonDaemon', ?, 1)"
     );
@@ -356,30 +393,40 @@ if ($existing) {
     $commentStmt->execute();
     $commentStmt->close();
 
-    $auditLog->log($userId, 'update', 'ticket', $existingId, [
-        'status' => ['from' => 'Closed', 'to' => 'Open'],
-        'reason' => 'auto-reopened by hwmonDaemon (issue recurred)',
-    ]);
+    if ($reopenStatus !== null) {
+        $auditLog->log($userId, 'update', 'ticket', $existingId, [
+            'status' => ['from' => 'Closed', 'to' => $reopenStatus],
+            'reason' => 'auto-reopened by hwmonDaemon (issue recurred)',
+        ]);
 
-    // Ticket reopened (Closed → Open) — refresh dashboard stats.
-    (new StatsModel($conn))->invalidateCache();
+        // Ticket reopened — refresh dashboard stats.
+        (new StatsModel($conn))->invalidateCache();
+    } else {
+        $auditLog->log($userId, 'update', 'ticket', $existingId, [
+            'reason' => 'hwmonDaemon recurrence detected but no valid reopen transition configured; ticket left Closed',
+        ]);
+    }
 
     Database::close();
 
-    require_once __DIR__ . '/helpers/NotificationHelper.php';
-    NotificationHelper::sendTicketNotification($existingId, [
-        'title'    => $title,
-        'priority' => $priority,
-        'category' => $category,
-        'type'     => $type,
-        'status'   => 'Open',
-    ], 'automated');
+    if ($reopenStatus !== null) {
+        require_once __DIR__ . '/helpers/NotificationHelper.php';
+        NotificationHelper::sendTicketNotification($existingId, [
+            'title'    => $title,
+            'priority' => $priority,
+            'category' => $category,
+            'type'     => $type,
+            'status'   => $reopenStatus,
+        ], 'automated');
+    }
 
     echo json_encode([
         'success'   => true,
         'ticket_id' => $existingId,
-        'message'   => 'Existing closed ticket reopened',
-        'action'    => 'reopened',
+        'message'   => $reopenStatus !== null
+            ? 'Existing closed ticket reopened'
+            : 'Recurrence noted; ticket left Closed (no valid workflow transition configured)',
+        'action'    => $reopenStatus !== null ? 'reopened' : 'recurrence_noted',
     ]);
     exit;
 }