diff --git a/ariadne/services/hermes_incident_body.py b/ariadne/services/hermes_incident_body.py
index 7f9df3a..e6540eb 100644
--- a/ariadne/services/hermes_incident_body.py
+++ b/ariadne/services/hermes_incident_body.py
@@ -37,6 +37,14 @@ _FOOTER_TEMPLATE = (
     "Filed automatically by Ariadne from a Hermes Agent diagnosis (run `{run_id}`). "
     "Hermes has no write access to this repository; no files or infrastructure were changed."
 )
+# Some escalations never reach a model at all - a build still running has no
+# finished console to diagnose. Claiming a diagnosis that did not happen would
+# misrepresent where the conclusion came from.
+_NO_RUN_FOOTER = (
+    "Filed automatically by Ariadne. No Hermes diagnosis was requested for this incident: "
+    "the finding is a direct observation, not a model conclusion. "
+    "Hermes has no write access to this repository; no files or infrastructure were changed."
+)
 _MARKER_PATTERN = re.compile(
     r"<!--\s*hermes-triage\s+job=(?P<job>.*?)\s+classification=(?P<classification>.*?)"
     r"\s+incident=(?P<incident>.*?)\s*-->"
@@ -111,7 +119,7 @@ def issue_body(context: dict, max_chars: int = DEFAULT_MAX_BODY_CHARS) -> str:
         _facts_section(context),
         _inferences_section(context),
         _links_section(context),
-        _FOOTER_TEMPLATE.format(run_id=context.get("run_id") or "unknown"),
+        _footer(context),
     ]
     body = "\n\n".join(section for section in sections if section)
     return f"{_bounded_body(body, max_chars - len(marker) - 2)}\n\n{marker}"
@@ -140,10 +148,24 @@ def _summary_line(context: dict) -> str:
     )
 
 
+def _footer(context: dict) -> str:
+    """Attribute the finding to a Hermes run, or to Ariadne when there was none."""
+
+    run_id = str(context.get("run_id") or "")
+    if not run_id or run_id == "unknown":
+        return _NO_RUN_FOOTER
+    return _FOOTER_TEMPLATE.format(run_id=run_id)
+
+
 def _human_section(context: dict) -> str:
     """Render the section explaining why the incident needs a person."""
 
     lines = ["## Why a human is needed", str(context.get("reason") or "no reason recorded")]
+    observation = str(context.get("observation") or "").strip()
+    if observation:
+        # Escalations that never reached a model carry their explanation here
+        # rather than in facts, which are only populated from a diagnosis.
+        lines.append(observation)
     authorize_reason = str(context.get("authorize_reason") or "")
     if authorize_reason:
         lines.append(f"Ariadne did not authorize automated remediation: `{authorize_reason}`.")
diff --git a/ariadne/services/hermes_incident_issue.py b/ariadne/services/hermes_incident_issue.py
index 3410f37..dc7ee18 100644
--- a/ariadne/services/hermes_incident_issue.py
+++ b/ariadne/services/hermes_incident_issue.py
@@ -199,11 +199,24 @@ def issue_context(base: dict[str, Any], diagnosis: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str,
         "facts": [body.fact_fields(fact) for fact in getattr(decision, "facts", None) or []],
         "inferences": list(getattr(decision, "inferences", None) or []),
         "authorize_reason": authorize_reason,
+        # An escalation that never reached a model has no cited facts, so its
+        # console text is the whole explanation and must not be dropped.
+        "observation": _observation(jenkins) if decision is None else "",
         "run_id": diagnosis.get("run_id"),
         "code_proposal_url": str(proposal.get("url") or "") if isinstance(proposal, dict) else "",
     }
 
 
+def _observation(jenkins: Any) -> str:
+    """Return the console text Ariadne recorded without consulting a model."""
+
+    if not isinstance(jenkins, dict):
+        return ""
+    if jenkins.get("console_failures"):
+        return ""
+    return str(jenkins.get("console_tail") or "").strip()
+
+
 def _file_issue(
     storage: Any,
     config: Any,
diff --git a/tests/test_hermes_incident_attribution.py b/tests/test_hermes_incident_attribution.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c8e1af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_hermes_incident_attribution.py
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+"""Tests that an issue attributes its finding to whoever actually made it."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from ariadne.services import hermes_incident_body as body
+from ariadne.services import hermes_incident_issue as module
+
+def test_body_does_not_claim_a_diagnosis_that_never_happened() -> None:
+    """A hung build is escalated without any model call.
+
+    Saying it came "from a Hermes Agent diagnosis" would misattribute a direct
+    observation to a model conclusion.
+    """
+
+    context = module.issue_context(
+        {"incident_id": "metis/272", "job": "metis", "build_number": 272},
+        {
+            "bundle": {
+                "jenkins": {
+                    "url": "https://ci.example/job/metis/272/",
+                    "console_failures": [],
+                    "console_tail": "Build metis #272 has been running for 75.0 minutes.",
+                }
+            },
+            "outcome": None,
+            "authorize_reason": "hung_build",
+            "run_id": None,
+        },
+    )
+    rendered = body.issue_body(context)
+
+    assert "No Hermes diagnosis was requested" in rendered
+    assert "from a Hermes Agent diagnosis" not in rendered
+    assert "has been running for 75.0 minutes" in rendered
+
+
+def test_body_keeps_the_hermes_attribution_when_a_run_happened() -> None:
+    context = module.issue_context(
+        {"incident_id": "metis/272", "job": "metis", "build_number": 272},
+        {"bundle": {}, "outcome": None, "authorize_reason": "x", "run_id": "run_abc"},
+    )
+    rendered = body.issue_body(context)
+
+    assert "run `run_abc`" in rendered
+    assert "No Hermes diagnosis was requested" not in rendered
+
+
+def test_observation_is_omitted_when_a_diagnosis_cited_facts() -> None:
+    """Console text is a fallback, not a duplicate of a real diagnosis."""
+
+    jenkins = {"console_failures": [{"text": "boom"}], "console_tail": "tail text"}
+    assert module._observation(jenkins) == ""
+    assert module._observation(None) == ""
+    assert module._observation({"console_tail": "  only tail  "}) == "only tail"