diff --git a/web/paperclip_client.py b/web/paperclip_client.py
index 91785fd..204f182 100644
--- a/web/paperclip_client.py
+++ b/web/paperclip_client.py
@@ -268,13 +268,19 @@ async def _create_issue(
     issue_number = row["issue_counter"]
     identifier = f"{prefix}-{issue_number}"
 
+    # Assign to the company's CEO so Paperclip's wakeup gate
+    # (heartbeat staleness check) accepts the wakeup. Without this,
+    # the run is cancelled with "issue assignee changed before the
+    # queued run could start" and the agent never starts.
+    ceo_agent_id = CEO_AGENTS.get(company_id, CEO_AGENT_ID)
+
     await conn.execute(
-        """INSERT INTO issues (id, company_id, project_id, title, description, status, priority, issue_number, identifier)
-           VALUES ($1, $2::uuid, $3::uuid, $4, $5, 'todo', 'medium', $6, $7)""",
+        """INSERT INTO issues (id, company_id, project_id, title, description, status, priority, issue_number, identifier, assignee_agent_id)
+           VALUES ($1, $2::uuid, $3::uuid, $4, $5, 'todo', 'medium', $6, $7, $8::uuid)""",
         issue_id, company_id, project_id,
         f"[ערר {case_number}] {title}"[:200],
         f"תיק ערר {case_number}\nנוצר אוטומטית מממשק העלאת מסמכים",
-        issue_number, identifier,
+        issue_number, identifier, ceo_agent_id,
     )
 
     logger.info("Created Paperclip issue %s: [ערר %s] %s", identifier, case_number, title)