diff --git a/src/app.ts b/src/app.ts
index 2051499..59086f0 100644
--- a/src/app.ts
+++ b/src/app.ts
@@ -2220,7 +2220,7 @@ export async function buildApp(options: BuildAppOptions = {}): Promise<FastifyIn
       // the route stays open to it. A link completion was minted for an
       // initiator the authenticated app named at start; only that app's
       // backend redeems it. Redeem is also where the connection target is
-      // held to what the signed state named. Both refusals read the row
+      // held to what the signed state named, both ways: a target the state never named is refused too. Both refusals read the row
       // without consuming it, so a wrong caller or target cannot burn the code.
       const pending = await store.findAuthCompletion(request.params.appSlug, request.body.completionCode);
       if (pending && !pending.consumedAt && pending.expiresAt > nowIso) {
@@ -2228,7 +2228,7 @@ export async function buildApp(options: BuildAppOptions = {}): Promise<FastifyIn
           reply.code(401);
           return { error: "app_auth_required" };
         }
-        if (pending.targetId !== undefined && pending.targetId !== request.body.targetId) {
+        if (pending.targetId !== request.body.targetId) {
           await store.createAuditEvent({
             accountId: pending.accountId,
             sessionId: pending.sessionId,
diff --git a/tests/link-binding.test.ts b/tests/link-binding.test.ts
index e58b320..7982229 100644
--- a/tests/link-binding.test.ts
+++ b/tests/link-binding.test.ts
@@ -218,6 +218,16 @@ describe("redeem binds caller, target and replay", () => {
     expect((await redeem(r, { completionCode, targetId: "target-a" }, appAuth)).statusCode).toBe(201);
   });
 
+  it("refuses a target named against a completion that recorded none, without consuming the code", async () => {
+    const r = await rig("d-r2b");
+    const completionCode = await linked(r, undefined);
+    const refused = await redeem(r, { completionCode, targetId: "target-a" }, appAuth);
+    expect([refused.statusCode, refused.json().error]).toEqual([403, "completion_target_mismatch"]);
+    expect(refused.json().accessToken).toBeUndefined();
+    expect((await r.store.findAuthCompletion("repixelizer", completionCode))?.consumedAt).toBeUndefined();
+    expect((await redeem(r, { completionCode }, appAuth)).statusCode).toBe(201);
+  });
+
   it("refuses a replayed completion", async () => {
     const r = await rig("d-r3");
     const completionCode = await linked(r, "target-a");