diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index eb316d54..9e8a35a5 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ GEM
     block_cipher_kit (0.0.4)
     bootsnap (1.23.0)
       msgpack (~> 1.2)
-    brakeman (8.0.6)
+    brakeman (8.1.0)
       racc
     browser (6.2.0)
     builder (3.3.0)
diff --git a/app/controllers/webhooks/persona_controller.rb b/app/controllers/webhooks/persona_controller.rb
index 12ba48d9..71d9c634 100644
--- a/app/controllers/webhooks/persona_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/webhooks/persona_controller.rb
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ def create
       inquiry_id = parsed_body.dig(:data, :attributes, :payload, :data, :id)
 
       return head(:bad_request) if event_name.blank? || inquiry_id.blank?
+      return link_staff_inquiry(inquiry_id) if event_name == "inquiry.created"
       return head(:ok) unless HANDLED_EVENTS.include?(event_name)
 
       Persona::ProcessInquiryEventJob.perform_later(
@@ -28,6 +29,25 @@ def create
 
     private
 
+    # inquiries we create through the API have creator "API"; anything else is
+    # the email of whoever made it by hand in the persona dashboard — see
+    # LinkStaffInquiryJob
+    def link_staff_inquiry(inquiry_id)
+      attributes = parsed_body.dig(:data, :attributes, :payload, :data, :attributes) || {}
+      creator = attributes[:creator]
+      reference_id = attributes[:"reference-id"]
+
+      if creator.present? && creator != "API" && reference_id.present?
+        Persona::LinkStaffInquiryJob.perform_later(
+          inquiry_id: inquiry_id,
+          creator: creator,
+          reference_id: reference_id
+        )
+      end
+
+      head :ok
+    end
+
     def verify_signature!
       signature_header = request.headers["Persona-Signature"]
       return head(:unauthorized) if signature_header.blank?
diff --git a/app/jobs/persona/link_staff_inquiry_job.rb b/app/jobs/persona/link_staff_inquiry_job.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..afdfeb54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/jobs/persona/link_staff_inquiry_job.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+# links an inquiry that staff created by hand in the persona dashboard to
+# the identity named in its reference id.
+#
+# this is the account recovery path: the user can't sign in or read their
+# email, so staff make an inquiry with reference id = the identity's public
+# id and send them persona's hosted link directly. persona's inquiry.created
+# webhook carries the dashboard user's email as `creator` — only active
+# reviewers count. once linked, the inquiry is an ordinary PersonaVerification
+# and the usual completed/approved webhooks drive it, except it never
+# auto-approves (see PersonaVerification::STAFF_CREATED_ISSUE).
+class Persona::LinkStaffInquiryJob < ApplicationJob
+  queue_as :default
+
+  PERSONA_TYPES = %w[Verification::PersonaVerification Verification::PersonaStudentIdVerification].freeze
+
+  def perform(inquiry_id:, creator:, reference_id:)
+    return if Verification.exists?(persona_inquiry_id: inquiry_id)
+    return if VerificationCase.exists?(persona_inquiry_id: inquiry_id)
+
+    Sentry.set_tags(component: "persona", event: "inquiry.created")
+    Sentry.set_extras(inquiry_id: inquiry_id, reference_id: reference_id)
+
+    staff = staff_user_for(creator)
+    unless staff
+      Sentry.capture_message("[Persona] dashboard inquiry created by someone who isn't an active reviewer", level: :warning)
+      return
+    end
+
+    identity = Identity.find_by_public_id(reference_id)
+    unless identity
+      Sentry.capture_message("[Persona] dashboard inquiry reference id doesn't match an identity", level: :warning)
+      return
+    end
+
+    stale_inquiry_ids = []
+    verification = identity.with_lock do
+      # something already under review — don't stack a second submission on it
+      if identity.verifications.where(type: PERSONA_TYPES, status: :pending).exists?
+        Sentry.capture_message("[Persona] dashboard inquiry for an identity with a pending verification", level: :warning)
+        nil
+      else
+        # a draft would shadow this one when the user next signs in, and its
+        # inquiry is stale anyway — same cleanup the verification flow does
+        identity.verifications.where(type: PERSONA_TYPES, status: :draft).find_each do |draft|
+          stale_inquiry_ids << draft.persona_inquiry_id if draft.persona_inquiry_id.present?
+          draft.destroy!
+        end
+
+        Verification::PersonaVerification.create!(
+          identity: identity,
+          persona_inquiry_id: inquiry_id,
+          issues: [ Verification::PersonaVerification::STAFF_CREATED_ISSUE ]
+        )
+      end
+    end
+    return unless verification
+
+    stale_inquiry_ids.each do |stale_id|
+      Persona.instance.expire_inquiry(stale_id)
+    rescue Persona::APIError => e
+      Sentry.capture_exception(e)
+    end
+
+    verification.create_activity(:persona_inquiry_linked_by_staff, owner: staff, recipient: identity,
+      parameters: { inquiry_id: inquiry_id, expired_inquiry_ids: stale_inquiry_ids })
+  end
+
+  private
+
+  def staff_user_for(creator)
+    Backend::User.joins(:identity)
+      .where(active: true)
+      .where("lower(identities.primary_email) = ?", creator.to_s.strip.downcase)
+      .where("backend_users.super_admin OR backend_users.manual_document_verifier")
+      .first
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/jobs/persona/verification_pipeline_job.rb b/app/jobs/persona/verification_pipeline_job.rb
index 007a5eb4..b10110bd 100644
--- a/app/jobs/persona/verification_pipeline_job.rb
+++ b/app/jobs/persona/verification_pipeline_job.rb
@@ -31,7 +31,10 @@ def run_decisioning
     case verdict
     when :approved
       if !@verification.auto_approvable?
-        @verification.update(issues: @verification.issues + [ "Student ID — requires manual review" ])
+        # staff-created inquiries already carry their own issue
+        unless @verification.try(:staff_created_inquiry?)
+          @verification.update(issues: @verification.issues + [ "Student ID — requires manual review" ])
+        end
         Slack::NotifyReviewQueueJob.perform_later(@verification)
       elsif @record&.birthdate && Identity.calculate_age(@record.birthdate) < 13
         @verification.update(issues: @verification.issues + [ "Under 13 — requires manual review" ])
diff --git a/app/models/identity/backup_code.rb b/app/models/identity/backup_code.rb
index d8c1b6ba..1d4e4fc3 100644
--- a/app/models/identity/backup_code.rb
+++ b/app/models/identity/backup_code.rb
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class Identity::BackupCode < ApplicationRecord
       end
     end
     event :mark_discarded do
-      transitions from: [:active, :previewed], to: :discarded
+      transitions from: [ :active, :previewed ], to: :discarded
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/verification/persona_verification.rb b/app/models/verification/persona_verification.rb
index 84f85426..29b42598 100644
--- a/app/models/verification/persona_verification.rb
+++ b/app/models/verification/persona_verification.rb
@@ -106,9 +106,16 @@ def relevant_record     = persona_record
   def needs_break_glass?         = true
   def auto_break_glass_reason    = pending? ? "to review submission" : nil
   def nukeable?                  = draft? || pending?
-  def auto_approvable?                  = true
+  def auto_approvable?                  = !staff_created_inquiry?
   def status_pending_partial     = "verifications/status/pending_persona"
 
+  # set by Persona::LinkStaffInquiryJob. a hand-made inquiry is an account
+  # recovery: persona passing the document says nothing about whether the
+  # person owns this account, so a human always makes the call.
+  STAFF_CREATED_ISSUE = "Inquiry created by staff in the Persona dashboard — requires manual review"
+
+  def staff_created_inquiry? = issues.include?(STAFF_CREATED_ISSUE)
+
   def inquiry_unlinked?
     return false unless persona_inquiry_id.present? && persona_record_id.present?
     persona_record&.inquiry_id != persona_inquiry_id
diff --git a/app/views/identities/new.html.erb b/app/views/identities/new.html.erb
index 34b18b28..14465ea9 100644
--- a/app/views/identities/new.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/identities/new.html.erb
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
         <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="currentColor">
           <path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="m16.862 4.487 1.687-1.688a1.875 1.875 0 1 1 2.652 2.652L6.832 19.82a4.5 4.5 0 0 1-1.897 1.13l-2.685.8.8-2.685a4.5 4.5 0 0 1 1.13-1.897L16.863 4.487Zm0 0L19.5 7.125" />
         </svg>
-        <span><%= t(".email_typo", suggested: ERB::Util.html_escape(@identity.suggested_email)).html_safe %></span>
+        <span><%= t(".email_typo_html", suggested: @identity.suggested_email) %></span>
         <div class="banner-actions">
           <button type="button" class="secondary small-btn" onclick="
             var suggested = this.closest('[data-suggested-email]').dataset.suggestedEmail;
diff --git a/config/brakeman.ignore b/config/brakeman.ignore
index 72bd682a..41e5e478 100644
--- a/config/brakeman.ignore
+++ b/config/brakeman.ignore
@@ -22,6 +22,25 @@
         470
       ],
       "note": "this is clamped to valid PublicIdentifiable models in @shortcodes.rb"
+    },
+    {
+      "warning_type": "Unmaintained Dependency",
+      "warning_code": 122,
+      "fingerprint": "98b26f60d776fd41ee6f088c833725145be9aac2d7c5b33780241c273622db42",
+      "check_name": "EOLRails",
+      "message": "Support for Rails 8.0.5.1 ends on 2026-11-07",
+      "file": "Gemfile.lock",
+      "line": 466,
+      "link": "https://brakemanscanner.org/docs/warning_types/unmaintained_dependency/",
+      "code": null,
+      "render_path": null,
+      "location": null,
+      "user_input": null,
+      "confidence": "Medium",
+      "cwe_id": [
+        1104
+      ],
+      "note": "rails 8.0 support ends 2026-11-07 \u2014 upgrade to 8.1 before then and drop this ignore. added so --ensure-latest brakeman 8.1.0 doesn't block unrelated PRs."
     }
   ],
   "brakeman_version": "8.0.4"
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 2aa1bc4e..e1b533bc 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ en:
       email_code: We'll send a one-time code to this address.
       continue: Continue
       wrong_email: "← Wrong email? Go back"
-      email_typo: "Looks like a typo... did you mean <strong>%{suggested}</strong>?"
+      email_typo_html: "Looks like a typo... did you mean <strong>%{suggested}</strong>?"
       email_typo_fix: "yeah, that one! →"
       email_typo_dismiss: "no, it's correct"
     update:
diff --git a/spec/jobs/persona/link_staff_inquiry_job_spec.rb b/spec/jobs/persona/link_staff_inquiry_job_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1910ec2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/jobs/persona/link_staff_inquiry_job_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+require "rails_helper"
+
+RSpec.describe Persona::LinkStaffInquiryJob, type: :job do
+  let(:identity) { create(:identity) }
+  let(:reviewer_identity) { create(:identity, primary_email: "reviewer@hackclub.com") }
+  let!(:reviewer) { create(:backend_user, identity: reviewer_identity, manual_document_verifier: true) }
+  let(:inquiry_id) { "inq_dashboard123" }
+  let(:mock_service) { instance_double(Persona::APIService) }
+
+  before { allow(Persona).to receive(:instance).and_return(mock_service) }
+
+  def perform(creator: "reviewer@hackclub.com", reference_id: identity.public_id)
+    described_class.perform_now(inquiry_id: inquiry_id, creator: creator, reference_id: reference_id)
+  end
+
+  it "creates a draft persona verification flagged for manual review" do
+    expect { perform }.to change(Verification::PersonaVerification, :count).by(1)
+
+    verification = identity.verifications.last
+    expect(verification).to be_draft
+    expect(verification.persona_inquiry_id).to eq(inquiry_id)
+    expect(verification).to be_staff_created_inquiry
+    expect(verification).not_to be_auto_approvable
+  end
+
+  it "records which reviewer linked it" do
+    perform
+
+    activity = PublicActivity::Activity.where("key LIKE ?", "%persona_inquiry_linked_by_staff").sole
+    expect(activity.owner).to eq(reviewer)
+    expect(activity.parameters[:inquiry_id]).to eq(inquiry_id)
+  end
+
+  it "matches the creator email case-insensitively" do
+    expect { perform(creator: "Reviewer@HackClub.com") }.to change(Verification::PersonaVerification, :count).by(1)
+  end
+
+  it "ignores creators who aren't backend users" do
+    expect { perform(creator: "someone@example.com") }.not_to change(Verification, :count)
+  end
+
+  it "ignores backend users without review rights" do
+    reviewer.update!(manual_document_verifier: false)
+    expect { perform }.not_to change(Verification, :count)
+  end
+
+  it "ignores deactivated backend users" do
+    reviewer.deactivate!
+    expect { perform }.not_to change(Verification, :count)
+  end
+
+  it "ignores a reference id that isn't an identity" do
+    expect { perform(reference_id: "ident!nope") }.not_to change(Verification, :count)
+  end
+
+  it "is a no-op when the inquiry is already linked" do
+    create(:persona_verification, identity: identity, persona_inquiry_id: inquiry_id)
+    expect { perform }.not_to change(Verification, :count)
+  end
+
+  it "leaves a pending verification alone" do
+    record = create(:identity_persona_record, identity: identity)
+    create(:persona_verification, :pending, identity: identity, persona_record: record, persona_inquiry_id: record.inquiry_id)
+    expect { perform }.not_to change(Verification, :count)
+  end
+
+  it "replaces a stale draft and expires its inquiry" do
+    stale = create(:persona_verification, identity: identity)
+    expect(mock_service).to receive(:expire_inquiry).with(stale.persona_inquiry_id)
+
+    perform
+
+    expect(Verification.exists?(stale.id)).to be(false)
+    expect(identity.verifications.sole.persona_inquiry_id).to eq(inquiry_id)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/jobs/persona/verification_pipeline_job_spec.rb b/spec/jobs/persona/verification_pipeline_job_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cf7c4e2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/jobs/persona/verification_pipeline_job_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+require "rails_helper"
+
+RSpec.describe Persona::VerificationPipelineJob, type: :job do
+  let(:identity) { create(:identity) }
+  let(:record) { create(:identity_persona_record, identity: identity) }
+
+  before { allow(ResemblanceNoticerEngine).to receive(:run) }
+
+  def pending_verification(**attrs)
+    create(:persona_verification, :pending, identity: identity, persona_record: record, persona_inquiry_id: record.inquiry_id, **attrs)
+  end
+
+  context "with a staff-created inquiry" do
+    let(:verification) { pending_verification(issues: [ Verification::PersonaVerification::STAFF_CREATED_ISSUE ]) }
+
+    it "sends it to manual review even when decisioning approves" do
+      expect {
+        described_class.perform_now(verification)
+      }.to have_enqueued_job(Slack::NotifyReviewQueueJob)
+
+      verification.reload
+      expect(verification).to be_pending
+      expect(verification.issues).to eq([ Verification::PersonaVerification::STAFF_CREATED_ISSUE ])
+    end
+  end
+
+  context "with an ordinary inquiry" do
+    let(:verification) { pending_verification }
+
+    it "still auto-approves" do
+      described_class.perform_now(verification)
+      expect(verification.reload).to be_approved
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/requests/webhooks/persona_spec.rb b/spec/requests/webhooks/persona_spec.rb
index b22e05e5..65a5ce6f 100644
--- a/spec/requests/webhooks/persona_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/webhooks/persona_spec.rb
@@ -237,6 +237,54 @@ def sign_payload(body, secret: webhook_secret, timestamp: Time.now.to_i)
       end
     end
 
+    context "with inquiry.created" do
+      def created_payload(creator:)
+        {
+          data: {
+            attributes: {
+              name: "inquiry.created",
+              payload: {
+                data: {
+                  id: "inq_dashboard123",
+                  type: "inquiry",
+                  attributes: { status: "created", "reference-id": identity.public_id, creator: creator }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }.to_json
+      end
+
+      def post_signed(body)
+        post "/webhooks/persona",
+          params: body,
+          headers: { "Content-Type" => "application/json", "Persona-Signature" => sign_payload(body) }
+      end
+
+      it "enqueues LinkStaffInquiryJob when a dashboard user created the inquiry" do
+        body = created_payload(creator: "reviewer@hackclub.com")
+
+        expect { post_signed(body) }.to have_enqueued_job(Persona::LinkStaffInquiryJob).with(
+          inquiry_id: "inq_dashboard123", creator: "reviewer@hackclub.com", reference_id: identity.public_id
+        )
+        expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
+      end
+
+      it "ignores API-created inquiries" do
+        body = created_payload(creator: "API")
+
+        expect { post_signed(body) }.not_to have_enqueued_job
+        expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
+      end
+
+      it "ignores inquiries without a creator" do
+        body = created_payload(creator: nil)
+
+        expect { post_signed(body) }.not_to have_enqueued_job
+        expect(response).to have_http_status(:ok)
+      end
+    end
+
     context "with multiple signatures (key rotation)" do
       it "accepts if any v1 signature is valid" do
         valid_sig = sign_payload(inquiry_completed_payload)