diff --git a/actions/issueflow-reconcile/issueflow-reconcile.sh b/actions/issueflow-reconcile/issueflow-reconcile.sh
index 6a2ba11..a77df04 100644
--- a/actions/issueflow-reconcile/issueflow-reconcile.sh
+++ b/actions/issueflow-reconcile/issueflow-reconcile.sh
@@ -139,6 +139,16 @@ refs_references() { # PR body on stdin -> local issue numbers named by Refs
     | awk -F '\t' '$1 == "LOCAL" { print $2 }' | sort -nu
 }
 
+open_pr_issues() { # records on stdin: CLOSING|BODY<TAB>value -> issue numbers
+  local kind value
+  while IFS=$'\t' read -r kind value; do
+    case "$kind" in
+      CLOSING) [ -n "$value" ] && printf '%s\n' "$value" ;;
+      BODY) refs_references <<<"$value" ;;
+    esac
+  done | sort -nu
+}
+
 unchecked_criteria() { # issue body on stdin -> unchecked task-list lines verbatim
   awk '
     /^[[:space:]]*([-*]|[0-9]+\.)[[:space:]]+\[[[:space:]]\]/ {
@@ -503,16 +513,22 @@ main() {
   fi
   owner="${REPO%%/*}"
   name="${REPO#*/}"
+  # crew#321 released a live claim because the open side read only closing
+  # links while the merged side parsed Refs bodies. One parser now supplies
+  # the local body references on both sides, so transition and reclaim agree.
   OPEN_PR_ISSUES="$(gh api graphql --paginate -f owner="$owner" -f name="$name" -f query='
     query($owner: String!, $name: String!, $endCursor: String) {
       repository(owner: $owner, name: $name) {
         pullRequests(first: 100, states: OPEN, after: $endCursor) {
-          nodes { closingIssuesReferences(first: 100) { nodes { number } } }
+          nodes { body closingIssuesReferences(first: 100) { nodes { number } } }
           pageInfo { hasNextPage endCursor }
         }
       }
-    }' --jq '.data.repository.pullRequests.nodes[].closingIssuesReferences.nodes[].number' \
-    | sort -nu)"
+    }' --jq '.data.repository.pullRequests.nodes[]
+      | (.closingIssuesReferences.nodes[].number
+          | ["CLOSING", tostring] | @tsv),
+        ((.body // "") | split("\n")[] | ["BODY", .] | @tsv)' \
+    | open_pr_issues)"
   MERGED_REF_PR_RECORDS="$(gh api graphql --paginate -f owner="$owner" -f name="$name" -f query='
     query($owner: String!, $name: String!, $endCursor: String) {
       repository(owner: $owner, name: $name) {
diff --git a/changelog.d/241.md b/changelog.d/241.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e7e7ec5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/241.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+### Fixed
+
+- Preserve active claims when an open local pull request links them with `Refs #N`.
diff --git a/test/issueflow-reconcile.test.sh b/test/issueflow-reconcile.test.sh
index 1453cb1..99a2208 100644
--- a/test/issueflow-reconcile.test.sh
+++ b/test/issueflow-reconcile.test.sh
@@ -95,6 +95,13 @@ check "empty labels do not exempt a claimed issue" 0 "SWEEP" claim_clock_exempt
 refs_body=$'Refs #12\nAlso refs: #8 and heavy-duty/rig#4.\nCloses #99\nNot refs-ish #7\nfix refs parsing from #200\nCloses #40; refs: none\nRefs #175 (split from #150)'
 check "Refs parser returns only references owned by a valid Refs marker" 0 "" \
   test "$(refs_references <<<"$refs_body")" = $'8\n12\n175'
+open_records=$'BODY\tRefs #5\nCLOSING\t9\nBODY\tRefs heavy-duty/rig#112\nBODY\tRefs #5\nCLOSING\t5'
+check "open PR linkage unions closing and local Refs body references" 0 $'5\n9' \
+  open_pr_issues <<<"$open_records"
+check "cross-repo Refs never enter the local open PR set" 0 "" \
+  open_pr_issues <<< $'BODY\tRefs heavy-duty/rig#112'
+check "an issue named by both linkage paths appears exactly once" 0 "1" \
+  grep -cxF 5 <<<"$(open_pr_issues <<<"$open_records")"
 check "unchecked criteria preserve their source lines verbatim" 0 \
   $'- [ ] first criterion\n  * [ ] indented criterion\n1. [ ] numbered criterion' \
   unchecked_criteria <<< $'- [x] done\n- [ ] first criterion\r\n  * [ ] indented criterion\n1. [ ] numbered criterion'
@@ -731,6 +738,18 @@ check "...performs no release edit" 1 "" \
   grep -qF -- 'issue edit 40 -R owner/repo --remove-assignee builder --remove-label claimed --add-label post-merge' \
   "$ARRIVAL/fixtures/edits"
 
+sed 's/"isDraft":false/"isDraft":true/' "$ARRIVAL/fixtures/graphql-open.json" \
+  >"$ARRIVAL/fixtures/graphql-open.json.tmp"
+mv "$ARRIVAL/fixtures/graphql-open.json.tmp" "$ARRIVAL/fixtures/graphql-open.json"
+: >"$ARRIVAL/fixtures/edits"
+draft_transition_out="$(
+  env PATH="$ARRIVAL/stub:$PATH" GH_FIXTURES="$ARRIVAL/fixtures" \
+    REPO=owner/repo LABELS_CONF="$ARRIVAL/labels.conf" \
+    bash "$ROOT/actions/issueflow-reconcile/issueflow-reconcile.sh" 2>&1
+)"
+check "a draft Refs-bodied PR suppresses post-merge transition identically" 1 "" \
+  grep -qF '#40: merged Refs PR -> post-merge; claim released' <<<"$draft_transition_out"
+
 # The same body linkage protects the reclaim clock even when no Refs-linked
 # PR has merged. This is the derived half of crew#321's destructive shape.
 printf '%s\n' \