diff --git a/create_ticket_api.php b/create_ticket_api.php
index c15ab4a..4e26fa4 100644
--- a/create_ticket_api.php
+++ b/create_ticket_api.php
@@ -104,9 +104,15 @@ if (!is_array($data) || empty($data['title'])) {
 function generateTicketHash($data) {
     $title = (string)($data['title'] ?? '');
 
+    // Prefer explicit serial from payload; fall back to extracting device path from title
+    // for backwards compatibility with older hwmonDaemon versions.
+    $serial = isset($data['serial']) && $data['serial'] !== null && $data['serial'] !== ''
+        ? (string)$data['serial']
+        : null;
+
     // Extract device name if present (matches /dev/sdX, /dev/nvmeXnY patterns)
     preg_match('/\/dev\/(sd[a-z]+|nvme\d+n\d+)/', $title, $deviceMatches);
-    $isDriveTicket = !empty($deviceMatches);
+    $isDriveTicket = !empty($deviceMatches) || $serial !== null;
 
     // Extract first bracketed tag as hostname/source
     preg_match('/^\[([^\]]+)\]/', $title, $hostMatches);
@@ -168,9 +174,11 @@ function generateTicketHash($data) {
         $stableComponents['hostname'] = $hostname;
     }
 
-    // Include device path for drive-specific tickets
+    // Include drive identifier for drive-specific tickets.
+    // Use serial when available (stable across reboots/reshuffles); fall back to
+    // device path for tickets created before serial was added to the payload.
     if ($isDriveTicket) {
-        $stableComponents['device'] = $deviceMatches[0];
+        $stableComponents['drive'] = $serial ?? ($deviceMatches[0] ?? '');
     }
 
     sort($stableComponents['environment_tags']);
@@ -190,22 +198,90 @@ $ticketHash = generateTicketHash($data);
 $auditLog   = new AuditLogModel($conn);
 
 // Look up any existing ticket with this hash (open OR closed)
-$checkStmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT ticket_id, status FROM tickets WHERE hash = ? ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 1");
+$checkStmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT ticket_id, status, title, priority FROM tickets WHERE hash = ? ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 1");
 $checkStmt->bind_param("s", $ticketHash);
 $checkStmt->execute();
 $existing = $checkStmt->get_result()->fetch_assoc();
 $checkStmt->close();
 
 if ($existing) {
-    $existingId     = $existing['ticket_id'];
-    $existingStatus = $existing['status'];
+    $existingId       = $existing['ticket_id'];
+    $existingStatus   = $existing['status'];
+    $existingTitle    = $existing['title'];
+    $existingPriority = (int)$existing['priority'];
+    $newPriority      = (int)$priority;
 
     if ($existingStatus !== 'Closed') {
-        // Ticket is still active — do not create a duplicate
+        // Ticket is still active — update title and escalate priority if the new
+        // report is more severe (lower number = higher severity).
+        $changes   = [];
+        $updateSql = "UPDATE tickets SET updated_at = NOW(), updated_by = ?";
+        $bindTypes = "i";
+        $bindVals  = [$userId];
+
+        if ($title !== $existingTitle) {
+            $updateSql .= ", title = ?";
+            $bindTypes .= "s";
+            $bindVals[] = $title;
+            $changes['title'] = ['from' => $existingTitle, 'to' => $title];
+        }
+
+        if ($newPriority < $existingPriority) {
+            $updateSql .= ", priority = ?";
+            $bindTypes .= "i";
+            $bindVals[] = $newPriority;
+            $changes['priority'] = ['from' => $existingPriority, 'to' => $newPriority];
+        }
+
+        if (!empty($changes)) {
+            $updateSql .= " WHERE ticket_id = ?";
+            $bindTypes .= "s";
+            $bindVals[] = $existingId;
+
+            $updStmt = $conn->prepare($updateSql);
+            $updStmt->bind_param($bindTypes, ...$bindVals);
+            $updStmt->execute();
+            $updStmt->close();
+
+            // Comment summarising what changed
+            $changeLines = [];
+            if (isset($changes['title'])) {
+                $changeLines[] = "- **Title updated** to reflect current issue";
+            }
+            if (isset($changes['priority'])) {
+                $changeLines[] = "- **Priority escalated** from P{$changes['priority']['from']} to P{$changes['priority']['to']}";
+            }
+            $commentText = "**hwmonDaemon reported a worsened condition — ticket updated automatically.**\n\n" .
+                           implode("\n", $changeLines) . "\n\nLatest report:\n\n" . $description;
+            $commentStmt = $conn->prepare(
+                "INSERT INTO ticket_comments (ticket_id, user_id, user_name, comment_text, markdown_enabled) VALUES (?, ?, 'hwmonDaemon', ?, 1)"
+            );
+            $commentStmt->bind_param("sis", $existingId, $userId, $commentText);
+            $commentStmt->execute();
+            $commentStmt->close();
+
+            $auditLog->log($userId, 'update', 'ticket', $existingId, array_merge(
+                $changes,
+                ['reason' => 'auto-updated by hwmonDaemon (condition worsened)']
+            ));
+
+            require_once __DIR__ . '/helpers/NotificationHelper.php';
+            NotificationHelper::sendTicketNotification($existingId, [
+                'title'    => $title,
+                'priority' => $newPriority < $existingPriority ? $newPriority : $existingPriority,
+                'category' => $category,
+                'type'     => $type,
+                'status'   => $existingStatus,
+            ], 'automated');
+        }
+
+        $conn->close();
         echo json_encode([
-            'success'            => false,
-            'error'              => 'Duplicate ticket',
-            'existing_ticket_id' => $existingId,
+            'success'            => true,
+            'ticket_id'          => $existingId,
+            'message'            => empty($changes) ? 'Duplicate — no change' : 'Existing ticket updated',
+            'action'             => empty($changes) ? 'deduplicated' : 'updated',
+            'changes'            => $changes,
         ]);
         exit;
     }