diff --git a/hive-forge/src/client.rs b/hive-forge/src/client.rs
index 1ae86812..2b388aed 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/client.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/client.rs
@@ -195,6 +195,33 @@ impl Client {
             .map(|b| b.to_vec())
             .with_context(|| format!("read bytes for GET {url}"))
     }
+
+    /// GET a JSON `/api/v1` route and deserialize into `T`, bypassing the
+    /// typed `forgejo-api` client. Use this where the typed client's
+    /// structs are too strict against the running Forgejo version: the
+    /// crate pins one schema, but the server tracks the latest release
+    /// line, so a drifted field breaks deserialization for the whole
+    /// call. Callers pass a *lenient* local struct (only the fields they
+    /// use, all `#[serde(default)]`) so a schema change can't wedge the
+    /// call. `path` starts with `/` and is relative to `/api/v1`; `query`
+    /// is appended as URL query parameters.
+    ///
+    /// # Errors
+    /// Returns an error on transport failure, a non-2xx response (body
+    /// included), or if the response body doesn't deserialize into `T`.
+    pub fn get_api_json<T: serde::de::DeserializeOwned>(
+        &self,
+        path: &str,
+        query: &[(&str, &str)],
+    ) -> Result<T> {
+        let base = format!("{}/api/v1{path}", self.base);
+        let url = url::Url::parse_with_params(&base, query.iter().copied())
+            .with_context(|| format!("build url {base}"))?;
+        let resp = self.web.get(url.clone()).send().context("GET")?;
+        let resp = check_status(resp, &format!("GET {url}"))?;
+        resp.json::<T>()
+            .with_context(|| format!("decode JSON for GET {url}"))
+    }
 }
 
 /// Split an `owner/name` repo string into its two path segments for
diff --git a/hive-forge/src/notify.rs b/hive-forge/src/notify.rs
index cfa50631..aeeca280 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/notify.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/notify.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 //! `forge cli: agents keep commenting without reading prev comments`.)
 
 use anyhow::Result;
-use forgejo_api::structs::{NotifyGetRepoListQuery, NotifyReadThreadQuery};
+use forgejo_api::structs::NotifyReadThreadQuery;
 
 use crate::client::{Client, index, split_repo};
 
@@ -33,25 +33,47 @@ const MAX_PAGES: u32 = 5;
 /// notification (nothing to read / already read). Repo-scoped so a bare
 /// number can't false-match another repo. Errors only on transport /
 /// non-2xx — callers degrade open on `Err`.
+/// Minimal, drift-tolerant view of a Forgejo notification thread — only
+/// the two fields the read-before-comment guard needs: `id` (to mark the
+/// thread read) and `subject.url` (to match the thread to an issue/PR
+/// number). Both `#[serde(default)]` so a schema change anywhere else in
+/// the notification object can't break this deserialize. This is the
+/// deliberate replacement for `forgejo-api`'s strict `NotificationThread`,
+/// whose schema drift vs the running (latest-line) Forgejo was breaking
+/// the whole notifications call — silently disabling the guard and
+/// wedging notification read-state (so wakes kept redelivering).
+#[derive(serde::Deserialize)]
+struct Notification {
+    #[serde(default)]
+    id: Option<i64>,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    subject: Option<Subject>,
+}
+
+/// The one notification-subject field the guard reads: the API `url`,
+/// which ends in the issue/PR number (see [`subject_matches`]).
+#[derive(serde::Deserialize)]
+struct Subject {
+    #[serde(default)]
+    url: Option<String>,
+}
+
 pub fn unread_thread_id(client: &Client, repo: &str, number: u64) -> Result<Option<u64>> {
     let (owner, name) = split_repo(repo)?;
+    let limit = PAGE_SIZE.to_string();
+    let path = format!("/repos/{owner}/{name}/notifications");
     for page in 1..=MAX_PAGES {
-        let query = NotifyGetRepoListQuery {
-            all: Some(false),
-            ..Default::default()
-        };
-        let (_, threads) = client
-            .api()
-            .notify_get_repo_list(owner, name, query)
-            .page(page)
-            .page_size(PAGE_SIZE)
-            .send()?;
+        let page_str = page.to_string();
+        let threads: Vec<Notification> = client.get_api_json(
+            &path,
+            &[("all", "false"), ("page", &page_str), ("limit", &limit)],
+        )?;
         for n in &threads {
             let subject_url = n
                 .subject
                 .as_ref()
-                .and_then(|s| s.url.as_ref())
-                .map_or("", url::Url::as_str);
+                .and_then(|s| s.url.as_deref())
+                .unwrap_or("");
             if subject_matches(subject_url, number) {
                 return Ok(n.id.and_then(|id| u64::try_from(id).ok()));
             }
@@ -101,7 +123,36 @@ pub fn subject_matches(subject_url: &str, number: u64) -> bool {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
-    use super::subject_matches;
+    use super::{Notification, subject_matches};
+
+    #[test]
+    fn notification_deserializes_leniently_from_drifted_json() {
+        // A payload carrying fields the guard doesn't model (which would
+        // break `forgejo-api`'s strict struct) plus a missing subject —
+        // must still yield `id` + `subject.url` and never fail to parse.
+        let json = serde_json::json!([
+            {
+                "id": 42,
+                "unread": true,
+                "pinned": false,
+                "subject": {
+                    "title": "whatever",
+                    "url": "https://forge/api/v1/repos/o/r/issues/7",
+                    "type": "SomeFutureSubjectTypeWeDoNotKnow"
+                },
+                "some_new_field": { "nested": 1 }
+            },
+            { "id": 43 }
+        ]);
+        let ns: Vec<Notification> = serde_json::from_value(json).expect("lenient deser");
+        assert_eq!(ns[0].id, Some(42));
+        assert_eq!(
+            ns[0].subject.as_ref().and_then(|s| s.url.as_deref()),
+            Some("https://forge/api/v1/repos/o/r/issues/7")
+        );
+        assert_eq!(ns[1].id, Some(43));
+        assert!(ns[1].subject.is_none());
+    }
 
     #[test]
     fn matches_issue_subject_url() {