diff --git a/elliott/elliottlib/cli/find_bugs_sweep_cli.py b/elliott/elliottlib/cli/find_bugs_sweep_cli.py
index 4d57b0b3bc..c64675068d 100644
--- a/elliott/elliottlib/cli/find_bugs_sweep_cli.py
+++ b/elliott/elliottlib/cli/find_bugs_sweep_cli.py
@@ -273,15 +273,17 @@ async def get_bugs_sweep(runtime: Runtime, find_bugs_obj, bug_tracker, filter_at
         sweep_cutoff_timestamp = await get_sweep_cutoff_timestamp(runtime)
         if sweep_cutoff_timestamp:
             utc_ts = datetime.fromtimestamp(sweep_cutoff_timestamp, tz=timezone.utc)
-            logger.info(
-                f"Filtering bugs that have changed ({len(bugs)}) to one of the desired statuses before the "
-                f"cutoff time {utc_ts}..."
-            )
+            logger.info(f"Filtering bugs that were in a post-fix state ({len(bugs)}) at the cutoff time {utc_ts}...")
+            # The initial search already ensures bugs are currently VERIFIED (or whatever
+            # find_bugs_obj.status requires). For the historical cutoff check we use a broader
+            # set: any status indicating the bug was already fixed at the cutoff time qualifies,
+            # even if it had not yet been verified.
+            cutoff_eligible_statuses = {'ON_QA', 'VERIFIED', 'RELEASE_PENDING', 'CLOSED'}
             qualified_bugs = []
             unqualified_bugs = []
             for chunk_of_bugs in chunk(bugs, constants.BUG_LOOKUP_CHUNK_SIZE):
                 qualified_bugs_chunk = bug_tracker.filter_bugs_by_cutoff_event(
-                    chunk_of_bugs, find_bugs_obj.status, sweep_cutoff_timestamp, verbose=runtime.debug
+                    chunk_of_bugs, cutoff_eligible_statuses, sweep_cutoff_timestamp, verbose=runtime.debug
                 )
                 qualified_bugs.extend(qualified_bugs_chunk)
                 not_qualified = {b.id for b in chunk_of_bugs} - {b.id for b in qualified_bugs_chunk}
diff --git a/pyartcd/pyartcd/pipelines/ocp4_konflux.py b/pyartcd/pyartcd/pipelines/ocp4_konflux.py
index 4d04bf0762..9d2b503414 100644
--- a/pyartcd/pyartcd/pipelines/ocp4_konflux.py
+++ b/pyartcd/pyartcd/pipelines/ocp4_konflux.py
@@ -621,7 +621,9 @@ async def mirror_streams_to_ci(self):
 
     async def sweep_bugs(self):
         """
-        Find MODIFIED bugs for the target-releases, and set them to ON_QA
+        Find MODIFIED bugs for the target-releases, and set them to ON_QA.
+        Called after rebase so that ON_QA is set before builds complete, making
+        the bug status a reliable indicator that the fix was included in the rebase.
         """
 
         if self.assembly != 'stream':
@@ -901,6 +903,12 @@ async def rebase_and_build_images(self):
 
         await self.rebase_images(f"v{self.version}.0", self.release)
 
+        # Sweep bugs to ON_QA right after rebase: at this point we've pulled all source that
+        # includes the fixes, so any MODIFIED bug for this release has been incorporated.
+        # Doing this before build_images ensures ON_QA is set before basis.time (build completion),
+        # making the cutoff filter in elliott find-bugs:sweep reliable.
+        await self.sweep_bugs()
+
         # ART-14540: Notify component owners about missing branch protection
         record_log_path = Path(self.runtime.doozer_working) / "record.log"
         if record_log_path.exists():
@@ -1068,7 +1076,7 @@ async def _run_pipeline(self):
             await self.sync_images()
 
             if uses_konflux_imagestream_override(self.version):
-                await self.sweep_bugs()
+                # sweep_bugs (MODIFIED → ON_QA) now runs in rebase_and_build_images, after rebase.
                 await self.sweep_golang_bugs()
                 if not self.runtime.dry_run:
                     await self.sweep_second_fix_bugs()