diff --git a/drb-c2-core/app/internal/incident_correlator.py b/drb-c2-core/app/internal/incident_correlator.py
index 18db086..213d5bb 100644
--- a/drb-c2-core/app/internal/incident_correlator.py
+++ b/drb-c2-core/app/internal/incident_correlator.py
@@ -233,7 +233,16 @@ async def correlate_call(
     #   • Substantive    → verify via _call_fits_incident before linking.
     if talkgroup_id is not None and system_id:
         tg_str     = str(talkgroup_id)
-        is_dispatch = _is_dispatch_channel(talkgroup_name)
+        # talkgroup_name may be None when the upload form omits it (node sets it
+        # directly on the Firestore call doc).  Fall back to the call doc so that
+        # dispatch-channel strictness works regardless of how the call arrived.
+        effective_talkgroup_name = talkgroup_name or call_doc.get("talkgroup_name")
+        is_dispatch = _is_dispatch_channel(effective_talkgroup_name)
+        if effective_talkgroup_name != talkgroup_name:
+            logger.info(
+                f"Correlator: talkgroup_name missing from request for call {call_id}, "
+                f"resolved from call doc: {effective_talkgroup_name!r} → is_dispatch={is_dispatch}"
+            )
 
         tg_matches = [
             inc for inc in all_active
@@ -285,7 +294,7 @@ async def correlate_call(
             candidate = tg_recent[0]
             logger.info(
                 f"Correlator fast/single: call {call_id} vs incident {candidate['incident_id']} "
-                f"tg_name={talkgroup_name!r} is_dispatch={is_dispatch} "
+                f"tg_name={effective_talkgroup_name!r} is_dispatch={is_dispatch} "
                 f"idle={round(_incident_idle_minutes(candidate, now), 1)}min "
                 f"call_units={call_units} inc_units={candidate.get('units')} "
                 f"call_coords={'yes' if coords else 'no'} inc_coords={'yes' if candidate.get('location_coords') else 'no'}"
@@ -324,7 +333,7 @@ async def correlate_call(
             # dispatch channel should create its own incident, not be force-merged.
             logger.info(
                 f"Correlator fast/disambig: call {call_id} vs incident {candidate['incident_id']} "
-                f"tg_name={talkgroup_name!r} is_dispatch={is_dispatch} "
+                f"tg_name={effective_talkgroup_name!r} is_dispatch={is_dispatch} "
                 f"idle={round(_incident_idle_minutes(candidate, now), 1)}min "
                 f"call_units={call_units} inc_units={candidate.get('units')} "
                 f"call_coords={'yes' if coords else 'no'} inc_coords={'yes' if candidate.get('location_coords') else 'no'}"