diff --git a/.husky/pre-push b/.husky/pre-push
index 314dd92c1..3fffcce99 100755
--- a/.husky/pre-push
+++ b/.husky/pre-push
@@ -18,6 +18,20 @@ if [ -n "$BRANCH" ] && [ "$BRANCH" != "main" ] && [ "$BRANCH" != "master" ]; the
     exit 1
   fi
   echo "  Branch PR state: ${PR_STATE:-unknown}"
+
+  # Guard against branch contamination from a dirty local main.
+  # A feature/fix branch should never have more than 20 commits — if it does,
+  # the branch was likely created from a local main that had unmerged feature branches.
+  COMMIT_COUNT=$(git rev-list --count origin/main..HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
+  if [ "$COMMIT_COUNT" -gt 20 ]; then
+    echo ""
+    echo "============================================================"
+    echo "ERROR: Branch '$BRANCH' is $COMMIT_COUNT commits ahead of origin/main."
+    echo "This usually means it was branched from a dirty local main."
+    echo "Fix: create branches from a worktree or use: git checkout -b <name> origin/main"
+    echo "============================================================"
+    exit 1
+  fi
 fi
 
 echo "Running type check..."
diff --git a/api/health.js b/api/health.js
index 35acf965f..84f4fc09b 100644
--- a/api/health.js
+++ b/api/health.js
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ const SEED_META = {
   outages:          { key: 'seed-meta:infra:outages',           maxStaleMin: 30 },
   climateAnomalies: { key: 'seed-meta:climate:anomalies',       maxStaleMin: 120 }, // runs as independent Railway cron (0 */2 * * *)
   unrestEvents:     { key: 'seed-meta:unrest:events',           maxStaleMin: 120 }, // 45min cron; 120 = 2h grace (was 75 = 30min buffer, too tight)
-  cyberThreats:     { key: 'seed-meta:cyber:threats',           maxStaleMin: 480 },
+  cyberThreats:     { key: 'seed-meta:cyber:threats',           maxStaleMin: 240 }, // 2h interval; 240min = 2x interval
   cryptoQuotes:     { key: 'seed-meta:market:crypto',           maxStaleMin: 30 },
   etfFlows:         { key: 'seed-meta:market:etf-flows',        maxStaleMin: 60 },
   gulfQuotes:       { key: 'seed-meta:market:gulf-quotes',      maxStaleMin: 30 },