diff --git a/.changes/pr-pipeline/fix-issue-patch-exact-renames-7c1e2b90.md b/.changes/pr-pipeline/fix-issue-patch-exact-renames-7c1e2b90.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7089571bcb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/pr-pipeline/fix-issue-patch-exact-renames-7c1e2b90.md
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+---
+bump: patch
+---
+
+### Fixed
+
+- `collect-patch.sh` writes an exact rename (100% similarity) as a rename header, so a moved file
+  no longer counts its whole content twice against the 256 KiB patch cap; a rename with edits is
+  still a deletion and an addition. `apply-patch.mjs` already checks the tree the patch builds with
+  rename detection off, so a rename's old and new path each meet every refusal, the path
+  predicates, `max-files` and the blob size and credential checks.
diff --git a/.github/scripts/apply-patch/apply-patch.test.mjs b/.github/scripts/apply-patch/apply-patch.test.mjs
index 787b5edf8b..49b67bd4ab 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/apply-patch/apply-patch.test.mjs
+++ b/.github/scripts/apply-patch/apply-patch.test.mjs
@@ -150,7 +150,8 @@ function commitAll(repo, message) {
   return git(repo, ["rev-parse", "HEAD"]);
 }
 
-// A repository at a head commit, and a patch the model's edits make against it.
+// A repository at a head commit, and a patch the model's edits make against it;
+// `renames: "exact"` writes renames as collect-patch.sh does.
 function repoWithPatch(t, edit, { renames = false, head: seed = () => {} } = {}) {
   const repo = scratch(t);
   git(repo, ["init", "-q", "-b", "main"]);
@@ -164,7 +165,7 @@ function repoWithPatch(t, edit, { renames = false, head: seed = () => {} } = {})
   const head = commitAll(repo, "head");
   edit(repo);
   git(repo, ["add", "-A"]);
-  const text = execFileSync("git", ["diff", "--cached", "--binary", "--full-index", renames ? "-M" : "--no-renames", head], { cwd: repo, encoding: "utf8" });
+  const text = execFileSync("git", ["diff", "--cached", "--binary", "--full-index", { true: "-M", exact: "-M100%" }[renames] ?? "--no-renames", head], { cwd: repo, encoding: "utf8" });
   git(repo, ["reset", "-q", "--hard", head]);
   const patchFile = join(scratch(t), "patch.diff");
   writeFileSync(patchFile, text);
@@ -1687,6 +1688,56 @@ test("issue target: the issue row refuses the universal set, each refusal before
   }
 });
 
+// collect-patch.sh writes an exact move as a rename header; the refusals read
+// the tree the patch builds, so the old and the new path each face them.
+test("issue target: an exact move pushes, the old path gone and the new one in place", async (t) => {
+  const fix = repoWithPatch(
+    t,
+    (repo) => {
+      mkdirSync(join(repo, "docs"));
+      renameSync(join(repo, "notes.md"), join(repo, "docs/notes.md"));
+    },
+    { renames: "exact" },
+  );
+  assert.match(readFileSync(fix.patchFile, "utf8"), /^similarity index 100%\nrename from notes\.md\nrename to docs\/notes\.md$/m);
+  const api = fakeApi(fix.repo, fix.head, { labels: READY });
+  assert.equal((await pushIssue(fix, api)).outcome, "pushed");
+  const { createCommit } = api.calls.find((call) => call.createCommit);
+  assert.equal(git(fix.repo, ["cat-file", "blob", `${createCommit.tree}:docs/notes.md`]), "notes");
+  assert.equal(git(fix.repo, ["ls-tree", "--name-only", createCommit.tree, "--", "notes.md"]), "");
+});
+
+test("issue target: an exact move out of or into a refused path is refused before any API call", async (t) => {
+  const workflow = (repo) => (mkdirSync(join(repo, ".github/workflows"), { recursive: true }), writeFileSync(join(repo, ".github/workflows/x.yml"), "on: push\n"));
+  const cases = [
+    ["out of .github/workflows/", workflow, (repo) => renameSync(join(repo, ".github/workflows/x.yml"), join(repo, "x.yml")), /^rename from \.github\/workflows\/x\.yml$/m, "refused (github-workflows): .github/workflows/x.yml"],
+    ["out of CODEOWNERS", (repo) => writeFileSync(join(repo, "CODEOWNERS"), "* @o\n"), (repo) => renameSync(join(repo, "CODEOWNERS"), join(repo, "owners.txt")), /^rename from CODEOWNERS$/m, "refused (codeowners): CODEOWNERS"],
+    [
+      "into .github/workflows/",
+      () => {},
+      (repo) => (mkdirSync(join(repo, ".github/workflows"), { recursive: true }), renameSync(join(repo, "notes.md"), join(repo, ".github/workflows/notes.md"))),
+      /^rename to \.github\/workflows\/notes\.md$/m,
+      "refused (rename-into-refused): .github/workflows/notes.md",
+    ],
+    [
+      "into the central lane grant file",
+      () => {},
+      (repo) => (mkdirSync(join(repo, ".github/actions/resolve-config"), { recursive: true }), renameSync(join(repo, "notes.md"), join(repo, ".github/actions/resolve-config/lane-grants.json"))),
+      /^rename to \.github\/actions\/resolve-config\/lane-grants\.json$/m,
+      "refused (rename-into-refused): .github/actions/resolve-config/lane-grants.json",
+    ],
+  ];
+  for (const [what, seed, edit, header, refusal] of cases) {
+    const fix = repoWithPatch(t, edit, { renames: "exact", head: seed });
+    assert.match(readFileSync(fix.patchFile, "utf8"), header, what);
+    const api = fakeApi(fix.repo, fix.head, { labels: READY });
+    const lines = [];
+    assert.deepEqual(await pushIssue(fix, api, { log: (line) => lines.push(line) }), { outcome: "escalate", escalationReason: "patch-protected-path" }, what);
+    assert.deepEqual(lines, [refusal], what);
+    assert.deepEqual(api.calls, [], what);
+  }
+});
+
 const modeIn = (repo, tree, path) => git(repo, ["ls-tree", tree, "--", path]).split(" ")[0];
 
 test("issue target: a new or changed file that ends in .sh or starts with #! lands 100755; any other file keeps 100644", async (t) => {
diff --git a/.github/scripts/read-patch/collect-patch.sh b/.github/scripts/read-patch/collect-patch.sh
index db46eb9366..87195f77b7 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/read-patch/collect-patch.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/read-patch/collect-patch.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # Writes everything a read activity changed against the gated head, committed,
 # staged, unstaged or untracked, as one `git diff --binary` patch, for the
-# patch output mode of pr-run-activity-read.yml. Runs from the checkout after
+# patch output mode of pr-run-activity-read.yml. An exact rename (100%
+# similarity) is a rename header with no content, so a moved file costs a few
+# lines of the patch cap; a rename with edits is a deletion and an addition.
+# The apply side checks each rename's old and new path as a deletion and an
+# addition of the tree it builds, whatever the patch's form. Runs from the checkout after
 # the activity, through a temporary index, so the checkout's own index is
 # untouched. Ignored files, .lane/ and the CLI's empty scrub stubs are left
 # out.
@@ -82,7 +86,7 @@ done
 "${g[@]}" read-tree "$from" || fail 'could not read the start tree into a scratch index'
 "${g[@]}" add -A -- "${paths[@]}" || fail 'could not stage the working tree in the scratch index'
 "${g[@]}" diff --cached --binary --full-index --no-color --no-ext-diff --no-textconv \
-  --no-renames --no-relative --submodule=short --src-prefix=a/ --dst-prefix=b/ -U3 "$from" -- "${paths[@]}" >"$patch" ||
+  -M100% --no-relative --submodule=short --src-prefix=a/ --dst-prefix=b/ -U3 "$from" -- "${paths[@]}" >"$patch" ||
   fail 'could not write the patch'
 
 if [[ ! -s $patch ]]; then
diff --git a/.github/scripts/read-patch/collect-patch.test.sh b/.github/scripts/read-patch/collect-patch.test.sh
index 6be535a4f2..7604949dd4 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/read-patch/collect-patch.test.sh
+++ b/.github/scripts/read-patch/collect-patch.test.sh
@@ -133,6 +133,49 @@ put edit.txt 'one\ntwo\n'
 run_collect
 check 'undone: state is empty' empty "$(field state)"
 
+echo '# an exact move'
+# A moved file is a rename header with no content, so a large move stays
+# well under the patch cap.
+new_repo
+big=$(head -c 200000 /dev/zero | tr '\0' 'x')
+mkdir -p "$R/skills/old"
+printf '%s\n' "$big" >"$R/skills/old/SKILL.md"
+put skills/old/run.sh '#!/bin/sh\necho run\n'
+chmod +x "$R/skills/old/run.sh"
+tg add -A
+tg commit -q -m 'a skill'
+HEAD_SHA=$(tg rev-parse HEAD)
+mkdir -p "$R/skills/new"
+git -C "$R" mv skills/old/SKILL.md skills/new/SKILL.md
+git -C "$R" mv skills/old/run.sh skills/new/run.sh
+rmdir "$R/skills/old" 2>/dev/null || true
+run_collect
+check 'move: exit 0' 0 "$RC"
+check 'move: state is written' written "$(field state)"
+check 'move: two exact renames' 2 "$(grep -c '^similarity index 100%$' "$PATCH" || true)"
+check 'move: rename headers name both paths' $'rename from skills/old/SKILL.md\nrename to skills/new/SKILL.md\nrename from skills/old/run.sh\nrename to skills/new/run.sh' "$(grep '^rename ' "$PATCH")"
+check 'move: no deleted or new file' 0 "$(grep -cE '^(deleted|new) file mode' "$PATCH" || true)"
+check 'move: no content hunk' 0 "$(grep -c '^@@' "$PATCH" || true)"
+check 'move: the patch is small' yes "$( (($(wc -c <"$PATCH") < 1024)) && echo yes || echo no)"
+apply_to_fresh
+check 'move: the patch applies' 0 "$APPLY_RC"
+check 'move: the applied tree matches' yes "$SAME"
+
+echo '# a move with an edit'
+# Below 100% similarity a move stays a deletion and an addition.
+new_repo
+mkdir -p "$R/docs"
+git -C "$R" mv edit.txt docs/edit.txt
+put docs/edit.txt 'one\ntwo\nthree\n'
+run_collect
+check 'edited move: exit 0' 0 "$RC"
+check 'edited move: no rename header' 0 "$(grep -c '^rename ' "$PATCH" || true)"
+check 'edited move: the old path is deleted' 1 "$(grep -c '^deleted file mode' "$PATCH" || true)"
+check 'edited move: the new path is added' 1 "$(grep -c '^new file mode' "$PATCH" || true)"
+apply_to_fresh
+check 'edited move: the patch applies' 0 "$APPLY_RC"
+check 'edited move: the applied tree matches' yes "$SAME"
+
 echo '# repository config'
 # Config the activity could set does not change the patch's form.
 new_repo
@@ -147,7 +190,8 @@ put edit.txt 'one\nTWO\n'
 run_collect
 check 'config: exit 0' 0 "$RC"
 check 'config: no color codes' 0 "$(grep -c $'\e' "$PATCH" || true)"
-check 'config: no rename headers' 0 "$(grep -c '^rename ' "$PATCH" || true)"
+check 'config: diff.renames finds no copies' 0 "$(grep -c '^copy ' "$PATCH" || true)"
+check 'config: the exact move is one rename' $'rename from keep.txt\nrename to moved.txt' "$(grep '^rename ' "$PATCH")"
 check 'config: a/ and b/ prefixes' 'diff --git a/edit.txt b/edit.txt' "$(grep '^diff --git a/edit.txt' "$PATCH")"
 apply_to_fresh
 check 'config: the patch applies' 0 "$APPLY_RC"
diff --git a/docs/conventions/pr-pipeline/pr-run-activity.md b/docs/conventions/pr-pipeline/pr-run-activity.md
index 04df3cc98a..b0efa02a37 100644
--- a/docs/conventions/pr-pipeline/pr-run-activity.md
+++ b/docs/conventions/pr-pipeline/pr-run-activity.md
@@ -622,7 +622,9 @@ set `applied-by`, and an issue-mode activity must set it. The steps:
 2. After an act step that succeeded, in place of the clean-tree check, the collector writes
    everything the activity changed against the gated head (committed, staged, unstaged and
    untracked, ignored files and `.lane/` aside) as one `git diff --binary` patch, through a scratch index, with
-   every diff option that changes the patch's form passed explicitly. Its git runs against a fresh
+   every diff option that changes the patch's form passed explicitly. An exact rename (100%
+   similarity) is a rename header with no content, so a moved file adds a few lines to the patch
+   cap; a rename with edits is a deletion and an addition. Its git runs against a fresh
    repository that borrows only the checkout's objects, with no global or system config, so no
    filter, hook, fsmonitor or include the activity wrote into `.git` runs. A failed, cancelled or
    turnless act step collects nothing and the check fails as usual. The collector also leaves out