diff --git a/.github/scripts/__tests__/jest/issue-assign.test.js b/.github/scripts/__tests__/jest/issue-assign.test.js
index 3453ca4de..9a97a6040 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/__tests__/jest/issue-assign.test.js
+++ b/.github/scripts/__tests__/jest/issue-assign.test.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ jest.mock('../../shared/api/github-api', () => ({
   isRepoCollaborator: jest.fn(),
   postIssueComment: jest.fn(),
   fetchAllComments: jest.fn(),
+  getIssue: jest.fn(),
   assignIssue: jest.fn(),
 }));
 
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ jest.mock('../../shared/helpers/spam', () => ({
 const { runAssignmentFlow } = require('../../shared/core/issue-assign');
 
 const githubApi = require('../../shared/api/github-api');
+const comment = require('../../shared/helpers/comment');
 const spam = require('../../shared/helpers/spam');
 
 const {
@@ -90,6 +92,12 @@ beforeEach(() => {
   githubApi.isRepoCollaborator.mockResolvedValue(false);
   githubApi.fetchAllComments.mockResolvedValue([]);
   githubApi.postIssueComment.mockResolvedValue();
+  githubApi.getIssue.mockResolvedValue({
+    number: 10,
+    state: 'open',
+    assignees: [],
+    labels: [{ name: 'skill: beginner' }],
+  });
   githubApi.assignIssue.mockResolvedValue();
 
   spam.isSpamUser.mockReturnValue(false);
@@ -436,6 +444,13 @@ describe('runAssignmentFlow - prerequisites', () => {
       },
     });
 
+    githubApi.getIssue.mockResolvedValue({
+      number: 20,
+      state: 'open',
+      assignees: [],
+      labels: [{ name: 'skill: intermediate' }],
+    });
+
     await runAssignmentFlow({ github, context });
 
     expect(githubApi.countCompletedIssuesWithLabel).toHaveBeenCalled();
@@ -638,7 +653,11 @@ describe('runAssignmentFlow - assignment', () => {
       github,
       'hiero-ledger',
       'hiero-sdk-python',
-      context.payload.issue
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        number: 10,
+        state: 'open',
+        assignees: [],
+      })
     );
 
     expect(githubApi.postIssueComment).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
@@ -677,6 +696,97 @@ describe('runAssignmentFlow - assignment', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('runAssignmentFlow - fresh issue state', () => {
+  test('does not assign when the webhook payload is stale but the issue is now assigned', async () => {
+    githubApi.getIssue.mockResolvedValue({
+      number: 10,
+      state: 'open',
+      assignees: [{ login: 'current-assignee' }],
+      labels: [{ name: 'skill: beginner' }],
+    });
+
+    const github = createGithub();
+    const context = createContext();
+
+    await runAssignmentFlow({ github, context });
+
+    expect(githubApi.getIssue).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      github,
+      owner: 'hiero-ledger',
+      repo: 'hiero-sdk-python',
+      issueNumber: 10,
+    });
+    expect(githubApi.assignIssue).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(comment.buildAlreadyAssignedComment).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      'parv',
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        assignees: [{ login: 'current-assignee' }],
+      }),
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        owner: 'hiero-ledger',
+        repo: 'hiero-sdk-python',
+        label: 'skill: beginner',
+      })
+    );
+    expect(githubApi.postIssueComment).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        issueNumber: 10,
+        body: 'already assigned',
+      }),
+      'already-assigned notice'
+    );
+    expect(triggerCodeRabbitPlan).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  test('does not assign when the current issue cannot be fetched', async () => {
+    githubApi.getIssue.mockRejectedValue(
+      Object.assign(new Error('GitHub API unavailable'), { status: 503 })
+    );
+
+    const github = createGithub();
+    const context = createContext();
+
+    await runAssignmentFlow({ github, context });
+
+    expect(githubApi.assignIssue).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(githubApi.postIssueComment).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  test('does not assign when the fresh issue no longer has the skill label', async () => {
+    githubApi.getIssue.mockResolvedValue({
+      number: 10,
+      state: 'open',
+      assignees: [],
+      labels: [{ name: 'help wanted' }],
+    });
+
+    const github = createGithub();
+    const context = createContext();
+
+    await runAssignmentFlow({ github, context });
+
+    expect(githubApi.assignIssue).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(githubApi.postIssueComment).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  test('does not assign when the fresh issue is closed', async () => {
+    githubApi.getIssue.mockResolvedValue({
+      number: 10,
+      state: 'closed',
+      assignees: [],
+      labels: [{ name: 'skill: beginner' }],
+    });
+
+    const github = createGithub();
+    const context = createContext();
+
+    await runAssignmentFlow({ github, context });
+
+    expect(githubApi.assignIssue).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(githubApi.postIssueComment).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
+
 describe('runAssignmentFlow - error handling', () => {
   test('does not assign when counting completed issues throws', async () => {
     githubApi.countCompletedIssuesWithLabel.mockRejectedValue(
diff --git a/.github/scripts/shared/api/github-api.js b/.github/scripts/shared/api/github-api.js
index cb4aa34bb..f86d8eb6a 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/shared/api/github-api.js
+++ b/.github/scripts/shared/api/github-api.js
@@ -251,6 +251,26 @@ async function fetchAllComments({ github, owner, repo, issueNumber }) {
   });
 }
 
+/**
+ * Fetches the current issue from the GitHub API.
+ *
+ * @param {object} params
+ * @param {import('@actions/github').GitHub} params.github
+ * @param {string} params.owner       - Repo owner.
+ * @param {string} params.repo        - Repo name.
+ * @param {number} params.issueNumber - Issue number.
+ * @returns {Promise<object>} Current issue payload from the GitHub API.
+ * @throws {Error} Re-throws the Octokit error on API failure.
+ */
+async function getIssue({ github, owner, repo, issueNumber }) {
+  const { data } = await github.rest.issues.get({
+    owner,
+    repo,
+    issue_number: issueNumber,
+  });
+  return data;
+}
+
 /**
  * Assigns a contributor to an issue.
  *
@@ -285,5 +305,6 @@ module.exports = {
   isRepoCollaborator,
   postIssueComment,
   fetchAllComments,
+  getIssue,
   assignIssue,
 };
diff --git a/.github/scripts/shared/core/issue-assign.js b/.github/scripts/shared/core/issue-assign.js
index 45eb250de..855592cda 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/shared/core/issue-assign.js
+++ b/.github/scripts/shared/core/issue-assign.js
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ const {
   isRepoCollaborator,
   postIssueComment,
   fetchAllComments,
+  getIssue,
   assignIssue,
 } = require('../api/github-api.js');
 
@@ -276,6 +277,46 @@ async function runAssignmentFlow({ github, context }) {
     }
   }
 
+  // Refetch immediately before the write. Concurrency queues later
+  // /assign runs, but their webhook payload stays stale.
+  let currentIssue;
+  try {
+    currentIssue = await getIssue({ github, owner, repo: repoName, issueNumber });
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('[assign-bot] Failed to fetch current issue state before assignment:', {
+      message: error.message,
+      status: error.status,
+      owner,
+      repo: repoName,
+      issueNumber,
+      commenter,
+    });
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (resolveLevelKey(currentIssue, repoConfig) !== levelKey) {
+    console.log('[assign-bot] Exit: current issue no longer matches the original skill level', {
+      issueNumber,
+      levelKey,
+    });
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (currentIssue.state !== 'open') {
+    console.log('[assign-bot] Exit: current issue state is not open', {
+      issueNumber,
+      state: currentIssue.state,
+    });
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (Array.isArray(currentIssue.assignees) && currentIssue.assignees.length > 0) {
+    console.log('[assign-bot] Exit: current issue state is already assigned', { issueNumber });
+    const body = buildAlreadyAssignedComment(commenter, currentIssue, { owner, repo: repoName, label });
+    await postIssueComment({ github, owner, repo: repoName, issueNumber, body }, 'already-assigned notice');
+    return;
+  }
+
   // Assign
   try {
     await assignIssue({
@@ -306,7 +347,7 @@ async function runAssignmentFlow({ github, context }) {
       github,
       owner,
       repoName,
-      issue
+      currentIssue
     );
     } else if (planExists === true) {
         console.log(