diff --git a/s16code/routes.py b/s16code/routes.py
index ee09f81..5fd4988 100644
--- a/s16code/routes.py
+++ b/s16code/routes.py
@@ -163,15 +163,33 @@ def _waiting_channel_approval(request: Request, body: ChannelMessageBody):
     return None
 
 
+_NEGATIVE_APPROVAL_CHOICES = frozenset({"no", "n", "reject", "deny", "cancel"})
+
+
+def _channel_approval_choice(text: str, wait: dict[str, Any]) -> str | None:
+    """Return the matched listed choice, or None if this message is not an answer."""
+    answer = text.casefold().strip()
+    if not answer:
+        return None
+    choices = [str(choice).casefold().strip() for choice in (wait.get("choices") or []) if str(choice).strip()]
+    if not choices:
+        return answer
+    return answer if answer in choices else None
+
+
 async def _resume_channel_approval(request: Request, body: ChannelMessageBody):
     pending = _waiting_channel_approval(request, body)
     if pending is None:
         return None
     run_id, wait = pending
+    matched = _channel_approval_choice(body.text or "", wait)
+    if matched is None:
+        return None
     completion = request.app.state.runtime.graph.complete_waiting(
         wait["handle"], "approval.received",
         {"response": body.text or "", "channel": body.channel,
          "channel_user_id": body.channel_user_id, "thread_id": body.thread_id},
+        success=matched not in _NEGATIVE_APPROVAL_CHOICES,
     )
     if completion is None:
         return None
diff --git a/tests/test_channel_connections.py b/tests/test_channel_connections.py
index 4cb238b..5ec29d2 100644
--- a/tests/test_channel_connections.py
+++ b/tests/test_channel_connections.py
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ async def gateway(request: httpx.Request) -> httpx.Response:
     await http.aclose()
 
 
-def test_a_reply_in_the_same_channel_thread_resumes_a_waiting_approval(app_client, monkeypatch):
+def _park_yes_no_approval(app_client, monkeypatch, origin_id: str):
     monkeypatch.setenv("S16_CHANNEL_BRIDGE_TOKEN", "shared")
     monkeypatch.setenv("S16_CHANNEL_ALLOWED_SIDE_EFFECTS", "request_approval")
     app_client.app.state.runtime.memory.embedder = DeterministicEmbedder(128)
@@ -150,9 +150,16 @@ async def fake_gateway(_app, prompt: str, system: str):
     monkeypatch.setattr(agent_route, "gateway_text_llm", fake_gateway)
     headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer shared"}
     first = app_client.post("/v1/agent/channel-messages", headers=headers,
-                            json=_channel_message(metadata={"message_id": "approval-1"}))
+                            json=_channel_message(metadata={"message_id": origin_id}))
     assert first.status_code == 200
     assert first.json()["text"] == "Approval needed: Send the final report? Choices: yes, no"
+    events = app_client.get("/v1/agent/events").json()["events"]
+    run_id = events[-1]["decisions"][0]["run_id"]
+    return headers, run_id
+
+
+def test_a_reply_in_the_same_channel_thread_resumes_a_waiting_approval(app_client, monkeypatch):
+    headers, _run_id = _park_yes_no_approval(app_client, monkeypatch, "approval-1")
 
     second = app_client.post("/v1/agent/channel-messages", headers=headers,
                              json=_channel_message(text="yes", metadata={"message_id": "approval-2"}))
@@ -165,6 +172,29 @@ async def fake_gateway(_app, prompt: str, system: str):
     assert any(event["kind"] == "external_event_received" for event in journal)
 
 
+def test_a_no_does_not_succeed_a_waiting_channel_approval(app_client, monkeypatch):
+    headers, run_id = _park_yes_no_approval(app_client, monkeypatch, "approval-no-1")
+    second = app_client.post("/v1/agent/channel-messages", headers=headers,
+                             json=_channel_message(text="no", metadata={"message_id": "approval-no-2"}))
+    assert second.status_code == 200
+    journal = app_client.get(f"/v1/agent/runs/{run_id}").json()
+    assert journal["nodes"]["approve"]["state"] == "failed"
+
+
+def test_unrelated_text_does_not_consume_a_waiting_channel_approval(app_client, monkeypatch):
+    headers, run_id = _park_yes_no_approval(app_client, monkeypatch, "approval-other-1")
+    second = app_client.post(
+        "/v1/agent/channel-messages", headers=headers,
+        json=_channel_message(text="What's on my calendar tomorrow?",
+                              metadata={"message_id": "approval-other-2"}),
+    )
+    assert second.status_code == 200
+    journal = app_client.get(f"/v1/agent/runs/{run_id}").json()
+    assert journal["nodes"]["approve"]["state"] == "waiting"
+    events = app_client.get("/v1/agent/events").json()["events"]
+    assert events[-1]["decisions"][0]["subscription_id"] != "channel-approval"
+
+
 def test_job_callback_resumes_and_pushes_final_answer_to_originating_channel(app_client, monkeypatch):
     monkeypatch.setenv("S16_CHANNEL_BRIDGE_TOKEN", "shared")
     app_client.app.state.runtime.memory.embedder = DeterministicEmbedder(128)