diff --git a/packages/eve/src/harness/authorize-approval-response.ts b/packages/eve/src/harness/authorize-approval-response.ts
index 99b455893..936686fd5 100644
--- a/packages/eve/src/harness/authorize-approval-response.ts
+++ b/packages/eve/src/harness/authorize-approval-response.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import type { SessionAuthContext } from "#channel/types.js";
 import { buildCallbackContext } from "#context/build-callback-context.js";
+import { contextStorage } from "#context/container.js";
+import { AuthKey } from "#context/keys.js";
 import {
   buildApprovalResponseAuth,
   handleApprovalResponseAuthorizationError,
@@ -119,7 +121,10 @@ export async function authorizePendingApprovalResponse(input: {
     return { kind: "continue", session: input.session, stepInput: input.stepInput };
   }
 
-  const responder = buildCallbackContext().session.auth.current;
+  const responder =
+    activeCandidate === undefined
+      ? buildCallbackContext().session.auth.current
+      : responderFromCandidate(activeCandidate.responder);
   if (responder === null) {
     return rejectWithoutCandidate(
       input,
@@ -129,6 +134,9 @@ export async function authorizePendingApprovalResponse(input: {
   }
   const candidateId =
     activeCandidate?.candidateId ?? approvalCandidateId(request.requestId, responder);
+  if (activeCandidate !== undefined) {
+    contextStorage.getStore()?.setVirtualContext(AuthKey, responder);
+  }
   const created = createApprovalCandidate({
     candidateId,
     createdAt: now,
@@ -317,6 +325,12 @@ function removeInputResponse(
   };
 }
 
+function responderFromCandidate(
+  responder: Pick<SessionAuthContext, "authenticator" | "issuer" | "principalId" | "principalType">,
+): SessionAuthContext {
+  return { ...responder, attributes: {} };
+}
+
 function approvalCandidateId(requestId: string, responder: SessionAuthContext): string {
   const principal = [
     responder.authenticator,
diff --git a/packages/eve/src/harness/input-requests.test.ts b/packages/eve/src/harness/input-requests.test.ts
index 3181766d7..7b5c46d6c 100644
--- a/packages/eve/src/harness/input-requests.test.ts
+++ b/packages/eve/src/harness/input-requests.test.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ import { jsonSchema, type ModelMessage } from "ai";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 
 import { ContextContainer, contextStorage } from "#context/container.js";
-import { SessionKey } from "#context/keys.js";
+import { AuthKey, SessionKey } from "#context/keys.js";
+import { PendingAuthorizationResultKey } from "#harness/authorization.js";
 import { once } from "#public/tools/approval/approval-helpers.js";
 import type { InputRequest } from "#runtime/input/types.js";
 import type { HarnessToolDefinition } from "#harness/execute-tool.js";
@@ -1081,6 +1082,84 @@ describe("authorizePendingApprovalResponse", () => {
     ).toBe("unresolved");
   });
 
+  it("restores the persisted candidate responder before resumed policy runs", async () => {
+    const candidateState = {
+      "eve.runtime.hitl.approvalState": {
+        activeCandidates: {
+          "candidate-1": {
+            authorizationName: "candidate-1:github",
+            candidateId: "candidate-1",
+            createdAt: 100,
+            expiresAt: 700,
+            requestId: "approval-1",
+            responder: {
+              authenticator: "slack-webhook",
+              issuer: "slack:T1",
+              principalId: "U_ORIGINAL",
+              principalType: "user",
+            },
+            status: "authorization-required",
+          },
+        },
+        candidateHistory: [],
+        settlements: {},
+      },
+    };
+    const session = {
+      ...pendingSession(),
+      state: { ...pendingSession().state, ...candidateState },
+    };
+    const tools: HarnessToolMap = new Map([
+      [
+        "create_issue",
+        {
+          approval: {
+            authorizeResponse: ({ responder }) =>
+              responder.principalId === "U_ORIGINAL"
+                ? "allowed"
+                : { safeReason: "wrong responder", status: "rejected" },
+            policy: () => "user-approval",
+          },
+          description: "Create issue",
+          inputSchema: jsonSchema({ type: "object" }),
+          name: "create_issue",
+        },
+      ],
+    ]);
+    const ctx = new ContextContainer();
+    ctx.set(AuthKey, {
+      attributes: {},
+      authenticator: "slack-webhook",
+      issuer: "slack:T1",
+      principalId: "U_LATEST",
+      principalType: "user",
+    });
+    ctx.set(PendingAuthorizationResultKey, [
+      {
+        callback: { method: "GET", params: { code: "test" } },
+        hookUrl: "https://eve.example/callback",
+        name: "candidate-1:github",
+      },
+    ]);
+    ctx.set(SessionKey, {
+      auth: { current: ctx.require(AuthKey), initiator: null },
+      sessionId: "sess-test",
+      turn: { id: "turn-test", sequence: 1 },
+    });
+
+    const result = await contextStorage.run(ctx, () =>
+      authorizePendingApprovalResponse({
+        now: 200,
+        session,
+        stepInput: { inputResponses: [{ optionId: "approve", requestId: "approval-1" }] },
+        tools,
+      }),
+    );
+
+    expect(result.kind).toBe("continue");
+    expect(ctx.get(AuthKey)?.principalId).toBe("U_ORIGINAL");
+  });
+
   it("cancels without running the response authorizer", async () => {
     const tools: HarnessToolMap = new Map([
       [