diff --git a/smart-lan-router/smart-lan-router.py b/smart-lan-router/smart-lan-router.py
index d35dffe..923f6e4 100755
--- a/smart-lan-router/smart-lan-router.py
+++ b/smart-lan-router/smart-lan-router.py
@@ -322,6 +322,48 @@ def enforce_hostname(name: str) -> None:
 # Pull — propagate declared truth + this agent's own code
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
+def _heal_pull_blockers(as_owner, repo_root: str, err: str) -> bool:
+    """git refuses an ff merge over working files it would touch — even when
+    their content is byte-identical to the incoming commit (e.g. a tree that
+    was bridged by rsync before the same files landed upstream). Clearing only
+    exact matches is lossless: untracked twins are removed (the merge recreates
+    them verbatim), tracked edits matching the target are reset to HEAD (the
+    merge fast-forwards them straight back). Any file that differs stays put
+    and keeps blocking — real local work is never destroyed."""
+    paths: list[str] = []
+    collect = False
+    for line in err.splitlines():
+        if "would be overwritten by" in line:
+            collect = True
+        elif collect and line.startswith(("\t", "    ")):
+            paths.append(line.strip())
+        else:
+            collect = False
+    if not paths:
+        return False
+    healed = 0
+    for p in paths:
+        rc, want, _ = as_owner(["rev-parse", f"@{{u}}:{p}"], 15)
+        if rc != 0:
+            return False
+        rc, have, _ = as_owner(["hash-object", "--", p], 15)
+        if rc != 0 or have.strip() != want.strip():
+            logger.warning("pull blocked by %s which differs from upstream — leaving it", p)
+            return False
+        if as_owner(["ls-files", "--error-unmatch", "--", p], 15)[0] == 0:
+            if as_owner(["checkout", "--", p], 15)[0] != 0:
+                return False
+        else:
+            try:
+                os.unlink(os.path.join(repo_root, p))
+            except OSError as exc:
+                logger.warning("pull self-heal: cannot remove %s: %s", p, exc)
+                return False
+        healed += 1
+    logger.info("pull self-heal: cleared %d file(s) byte-identical to upstream", healed)
+    return True
+
+
 def git_pull(repo_root: str, ctx: dict) -> bool:
     """ff-only pull as the REPO OWNER (root-owned .git objects would break the
     autocommit service). Returns True iff HEAD moved (caller exits to restart)."""
@@ -343,7 +385,10 @@ def git_pull(repo_root: str, ctx: dict) -> bool:
     rc, before, _ = as_owner(["rev-parse", "HEAD"], 15)
     if rc != 0:
         return False
-    rc, _, err = as_owner(["pull", "--ff-only", "--quiet"])
+    for _ in range(3):  # untracked + tracked blockers can surface in separate aborts
+        rc, _, err = as_owner(["pull", "--ff-only", "--quiet"])
+        if rc == 0 or not _heal_pull_blockers(as_owner, repo_root, err):
+            break
     if rc != 0:
         logger.warning("git pull failed (keeping current code/config): %s", err.strip()[:200])
         return False