diff --git a/.github/workflows/secret-scan.yml b/.github/workflows/secret-scan.yml
index db86f47..0916f8c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/secret-scan.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/secret-scan.yml
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ jobs:
       - name: Scan full history for credentials
         env:
           SECRET_SCAN_SLACK_BOT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SECRET_SCAN_SLACK_BOT_TOKEN }}
+          PR_URL: ${{ github.event.pull_request.html_url }}
+          PR_BASE_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
+          PR_HEAD_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
         run: |
           set +e
           gitleaks git --redact --verbose --exit-code 2 . \
@@ -78,13 +81,35 @@ jobs:
               -f 'output[title]'="${count} credential finding(s) in git history" \
               -f 'output[summary]'="Rotate the credential(s) NOW (pushed = compromised; deleting the line does not help). Details and remediation steps: see the step summary of the Secret scan workflow run. This check is informational and does not block merging." \
               || echo "could not create check run (read-only token?)"
-            if [ -n "$SECRET_SCAN_SLACK_BOT_TOKEN" ]; then
+            # Slack dedup: on PRs, notify only when the PR's own
+            # commits contain findings. Historical findings alerted when they
+            # were introduced and stay visible in the check run + step summary;
+            # re-posting them on every push drowned the channel.
+            notify=/tmp/credentials.json
+            scope="in git history"
+            if [ -n "$PR_BASE_SHA" ]; then
+              set +e
+              gitleaks git --redact --exit-code 2 . \
+                --log-opts "${PR_BASE_SHA}..${PR_HEAD_SHA}" \
+                --report-format json --report-path /tmp/credentials-new.json
+              set -e
+              notify=/tmp/credentials-new.json
+              scope="new in this PR, ${count} total in history"
+            fi
+            notify_count=$(jq length "$notify" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
+            if [ -n "$SECRET_SCAN_SLACK_BOT_TOKEN" ] && [ "$notify_count" -gt 0 ]; then
+              sample=$(jq -r '.[:5][] | "> \(.RuleID)  \(.File):\(.StartLine)"' "$notify")
+              txt=":rotating_light: *Credential leak detected* in \`${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}\` (${notify_count} ${scope}). Rotate immediately.
+          ${sample}
+          ${PR_URL:+PR: ${PR_URL}
+          }Run: ${GITHUB_SERVER_URL}/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/actions/runs/${GITHUB_RUN_ID}"
               curl -sf -X POST https://slack.com/api/chat.postMessage \
                 -H "Authorization: Bearer $SECRET_SCAN_SLACK_BOT_TOKEN" \
                 -H "Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8" \
-                -d "$(jq -n --arg ch "$SLACK_CHANNEL_ID" \
-                  --arg txt ":rotating_light: *Credential leak detected* in \`${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}\` (${count} finding(s) in git history). Rotate immediately. Run: ${GITHUB_SERVER_URL}/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/actions/runs/${GITHUB_RUN_ID}" \
+                -d "$(jq -n --arg ch "$SLACK_CHANNEL_ID" --arg txt "$txt" \
                   '{channel: $ch, text: $txt}')" | jq -r '.ok // "post failed"'
+            else
+              echo "Slack: skipped (no token, or findings are historical only)"
             fi
           elif [ "$status" -ne 0 ]; then
             exit "$status"
@@ -93,6 +118,9 @@ jobs:
   internal-refs:
     name: Internal references (warn-only)
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Per-repo opt-out: set the repo Actions variable
+    # SECRET_SCAN_SKIP_INTERNAL_REFS=true to skip this job.
+    if: ${{ vars.SECRET_SCAN_SKIP_INTERNAL_REFS != 'true' }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
@@ -122,6 +150,9 @@ jobs:
         if: ${{ steps.config.outputs.skip != 'true' }}
         env:
           SECRET_SCAN_SLACK_BOT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SECRET_SCAN_SLACK_BOT_TOKEN }}
+          PR_URL: ${{ github.event.pull_request.html_url }}
+          PR_BASE_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
+          PR_HEAD_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
         run: |
           set +e
           gitleaks git --config /tmp/gitleaks-internal.toml --verbose --exit-code 2 . \
@@ -147,13 +178,33 @@ jobs:
               -f 'output[title]'="${count} internal Astera reference(s) in git history" \
               -f 'output[summary]'="Fine while this repo is private; must be resolved before making it public. Details: see the step summary of the Secret scan workflow run. This check is informational and does not block merging." \
               || echo "could not create check run (read-only token?)"
-            if [ -n "$SECRET_SCAN_SLACK_BOT_TOKEN" ]; then
+            # Slack dedup: same rule as the credentials job: on PRs,
+            # notify only for findings introduced by the PR's own commits.
+            notify=/tmp/internal-refs.json
+            scope="in git history"
+            if [ -n "$PR_BASE_SHA" ]; then
+              set +e
+              gitleaks git --config /tmp/gitleaks-internal.toml --exit-code 2 . \
+                --log-opts "${PR_BASE_SHA}..${PR_HEAD_SHA}" \
+                --report-format json --report-path /tmp/internal-refs-new.json
+              set -e
+              notify=/tmp/internal-refs-new.json
+              scope="new in this PR, ${count} total in history"
+            fi
+            notify_count=$(jq length "$notify" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)
+            if [ -n "$SECRET_SCAN_SLACK_BOT_TOKEN" ] && [ "$notify_count" -gt 0 ]; then
+              sample=$(jq -r '.[:5][] | "> \(.RuleID)  \(.File):\(.StartLine)"' "$notify")
+              txt=":warning: Internal Astera references in \`${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}\` (${notify_count} ${scope}). Fine while private; must be resolved before the repo goes public.
+          ${sample}
+          ${PR_URL:+PR: ${PR_URL}
+          }Run: ${GITHUB_SERVER_URL}/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/actions/runs/${GITHUB_RUN_ID}"
               curl -sf -X POST https://slack.com/api/chat.postMessage \
                 -H "Authorization: Bearer $SECRET_SCAN_SLACK_BOT_TOKEN" \
                 -H "Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8" \
-                -d "$(jq -n --arg ch "$SLACK_CHANNEL_ID" \
-                  --arg txt ":warning: Internal Astera references in \`${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}\` (${count} in git history). Fine while private; must be resolved before the repo goes public. Run: ${GITHUB_SERVER_URL}/${GITHUB_REPOSITORY}/actions/runs/${GITHUB_RUN_ID}" \
+                -d "$(jq -n --arg ch "$SLACK_CHANNEL_ID" --arg txt "$txt" \
                   '{channel: $ch, text: $txt}')" | jq -r '.ok // "post failed"'
+            else
+              echo "Slack: skipped (no token, or findings are historical only)"
             fi
           elif [ "$status" -ne 0 ]; then
             echo "gitleaks failed with status $status" >&2