diff --git a/.gittensory.yml.example b/.gittensory.yml.example
index c1e54b9192..e19fe86784 100644
--- a/.gittensory.yml.example
+++ b/.gittensory.yml.example
@@ -285,7 +285,9 @@ gate:
   # comment, but never blocks; block = a confidence-floor-passing "unaddressed"
   # verdict ALSO becomes a hard blocker (linked_issue_scope_mismatch).
   # off | advisory | block. Default: off. DB-backed (dashboard-settable too);
-  # this overrides the stored value.
+  # this overrides the stored value. When unset, the review.linkedIssueSatisfaction
+  # knob further below is used as a fallback instead (#4149) -- setting either
+  # spelling has the same real effect; this one wins if both are set.
   linkedIssueSatisfaction: off
 
   # Gate-check dry-run. When true, the posted check conclusion remains the real
@@ -983,8 +985,8 @@ settings:
 #   finding_categories: false
 #   # How strictly a linked issue must actually be SATISFIED by the PR (distinct from linkedIssuePolicy,
 #   # which only checks a link EXISTS). off = not evaluated; advisory = surface a finding; block = can
-#   # become a hard blocker (confirmed-contributor-gated). This is the config knob only — parsed and
-#   # normalized here; the merge/close decision that reads it is a separate maintainer slice.
+#   # become a hard blocker (confirmed-contributor-gated). Fallback alias for gate.linkedIssueSatisfaction
+#   # above (#4149) -- used only when that field is unset; setting either spelling has the same real effect.
 #   # off | advisory | block. Default: off (byte-identical when unset).
 #   linkedIssueSatisfaction: off
 #   # Maintainer-declared DETERMINISTIC content assertions (title/description must contain a phrase, a
diff --git a/config/examples/gittensory.full.yml b/config/examples/gittensory.full.yml
index 06fadd51d2..b64808fdf2 100644
--- a/config/examples/gittensory.full.yml
+++ b/config/examples/gittensory.full.yml
@@ -298,7 +298,9 @@ gate:
   # comment, but never blocks; block = a confidence-floor-passing "unaddressed"
   # verdict ALSO becomes a hard blocker (linked_issue_scope_mismatch).
   # off | advisory | block. Default: off. DB-backed (dashboard-settable too);
-  # this overrides the stored value.
+  # this overrides the stored value. When unset, the review.linkedIssueSatisfaction
+  # knob further below is used as a fallback instead (#4149) -- setting either
+  # spelling has the same real effect; this one wins if both are set.
   linkedIssueSatisfaction: off
 
   # Gate-check dry-run. When true, the posted check conclusion remains the real
@@ -996,8 +998,8 @@ settings:
 #   finding_categories: false
 #   # How strictly a linked issue must actually be SATISFIED by the PR (distinct from linkedIssuePolicy,
 #   # which only checks a link EXISTS). off = not evaluated; advisory = surface a finding; block = can
-#   # become a hard blocker (confirmed-contributor-gated). This is the config knob only — parsed and
-#   # normalized here; the merge/close decision that reads it is a separate maintainer slice.
+#   # become a hard blocker (confirmed-contributor-gated). Fallback alias for gate.linkedIssueSatisfaction
+#   # above (#4149) -- used only when that field is unset; setting either spelling has the same real effect.
 #   # off | advisory | block. Default: off (byte-identical when unset).
 #   linkedIssueSatisfaction: off
 #   # Maintainer-declared DETERMINISTIC content assertions (title/description must contain a phrase, a
diff --git a/src/signals/focus-manifest.ts b/src/signals/focus-manifest.ts
index be7118e998..13bd934027 100644
--- a/src/signals/focus-manifest.ts
+++ b/src/signals/focus-manifest.ts
@@ -588,6 +588,15 @@ export function resolveEffectiveSettings(
     };
   }
   applyGateConfigOverrides(effective, manifest.gate);
+  // #4149: `review.linkedIssueSatisfaction` (#2173) is a near-identically-named but functionally distinct
+  // phantom field -- parsed, but until now never wired to the real DB-backed gate
+  // (linkedIssueSatisfactionGateMode), unlike every other typed `gate.*` alias. Fold it in as a fallback:
+  // `gate.linkedIssueSatisfaction` (applied above) always wins when set; otherwise an explicit
+  // `review.linkedIssueSatisfaction` takes effect instead of being silently discarded, so a self-hoster who
+  // sets either spelling gets the same real gate behavior.
+  if (manifest.gate.linkedIssueSatisfaction === null && manifest.review.linkedIssueSatisfaction !== null) {
+    effective.linkedIssueSatisfactionGateMode = manifest.review.linkedIssueSatisfaction;
+  }
   // The dashboard "Require linked issue" toggle must not silently diverge from gate blocking: when the
   // boolean is on but linkedIssueGateMode is still off, treat it as a block requirement (#797).
   // #4618: the yml-only top-level `linkedIssuePolicy: required` knob gets the same promotion -- previously a
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index c97bcac689..22f5f89ecd 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -815,10 +815,13 @@ export type RepositorySettings = {
    *  satisfies its primary linked issue's intent never runs (byte-identical to today). `advisory` = it runs
    *  and renders as a collapsible section in the review comment, but never blocks. `block` = ALSO let a
    *  confidence-floor-passing "unaddressed" verdict become a gate blocker (`linked_issue_scope_mismatch`,
-   *  confirmed-contributors only, like every other blocker). Distinct from the config-as-code-only
-   *  `review.linkedIssueSatisfaction` manifest field (#2173) — this is the DB-backed, dashboard-settable
-   *  gate-mode counterpart; `.gittensory.yml gate.linkedIssueSatisfaction` overrides it exactly like every
-   *  other `gate:` field overrides its `RepositorySettings` counterpart. Default `off` — opt-in. */
+   *  confirmed-contributors only, like every other blocker). This is the DB-backed, dashboard-settable
+   *  counterpart; `.gittensory.yml gate.linkedIssueSatisfaction` overrides it exactly like every other
+   *  `gate:` field overrides its `RepositorySettings` counterpart. The near-identically-named, config-as-
+   *  code-only `review.linkedIssueSatisfaction` manifest field (#2173) is folded in as a fallback alias
+   *  (#4149) when `gate.linkedIssueSatisfaction` is unset — see `resolveEffectiveSettings` in
+   *  `signals/focus-manifest.ts` — so setting either spelling has the same real effect. Default `off` —
+   *  opt-in. */
   linkedIssueSatisfactionGateMode: GateRuleMode;
   /** First-time-contributor grace (#552). RESERVED / currently INERT (#2266): parsed, clamped, and threaded
    *  end-to-end, but the gate evaluator never reads it — a genuine newcomer with a real blocker is still
diff --git a/test/unit/focus-manifest.test.ts b/test/unit/focus-manifest.test.ts
index e5fd6fbc96..0c1960cae5 100644
--- a/test/unit/focus-manifest.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/focus-manifest.test.ts
@@ -3105,6 +3105,37 @@ describe("parseFocusManifest settings override + resolveEffectiveSettings", () =
     expect(eff.linkedIssueGateMode).toBe("advisory");
   });
 
+  describe("review.linkedIssueSatisfaction phantom-field alias (#4149)", () => {
+    it("an explicit review.linkedIssueSatisfaction takes effect when gate.linkedIssueSatisfaction is unset", () => {
+      const eff = resolveEffectiveSettings(
+        { linkedIssueSatisfactionGateMode: "off" } as RepositorySettings,
+        parseFocusManifest({ review: { linkedIssueSatisfaction: "block" } }),
+      );
+      expect(eff.linkedIssueSatisfactionGateMode).toBe("block");
+    });
+
+    it("gate.linkedIssueSatisfaction always wins over review.linkedIssueSatisfaction when both are set", () => {
+      const eff = resolveEffectiveSettings(
+        { linkedIssueSatisfactionGateMode: "off" } as RepositorySettings,
+        parseFocusManifest({ review: { linkedIssueSatisfaction: "block" }, gate: { linkedIssueSatisfaction: "advisory" } }),
+      );
+      expect(eff.linkedIssueSatisfactionGateMode).toBe("advisory");
+    });
+
+    it("falls through to the DB value when neither spelling is set", () => {
+      const eff = resolveEffectiveSettings({ linkedIssueSatisfactionGateMode: "block" } as RepositorySettings, parseFocusManifest(null));
+      expect(eff.linkedIssueSatisfactionGateMode).toBe("block");
+    });
+
+    it("review.linkedIssueSatisfaction: off is a real, distinct value from unset -- it still applies (not silently skipped)", () => {
+      const eff = resolveEffectiveSettings(
+        { linkedIssueSatisfactionGateMode: "block" } as RepositorySettings,
+        parseFocusManifest({ review: { linkedIssueSatisfaction: "off" } }),
+      );
+      expect(eff.linkedIssueSatisfactionGateMode).toBe("off");
+    });
+  });
+
   it("REGRESSION: downgrades a pre-existing DB qualityGateMode: block to advisory, even with no gate.readiness.mode override (#2267)", () => {
     // Simulates a repo whose DB row already has quality_gate_mode = "block" from before the write-time guards
     // (the settings.qualityGateMode parser, the settings-write API routes) existed — the dashboard/API path's