diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 76af0f4c66..f62fa5f470 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ SUPPORT_MESSAGE_NAME=
 SUPPORT_MESSAGE_MAIL=
 SUPPORT_MESSAGE_BANNER=
 SUPPORT_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=
+SUPPORT_ESCALATION_CHAT_ID=
 
 ALBY_CLIENT_ID=
 ALBY_CLIENT_SECRET=
diff --git a/src/config/config.ts b/src/config/config.ts
index 621e430ce5..a093976aaa 100644
--- a/src/config/config.ts
+++ b/src/config/config.ts
@@ -578,6 +578,10 @@ export class Configuration {
     issueOnHoldExpiry: 14, //days
     escalation: {
       telegramBotToken: process.env.SUPPORT_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN,
+      // Escalation target group. A Telegram chat id is non-secret config (useless without the bot
+      // token), so the deployment environment can pin it; when set it takes precedence over the
+      // runtime bind — a versioned/reviewed target instead of a manual getUpdates binding.
+      chatId: process.env.SUPPORT_ESCALATION_CHAT_ID,
       slaHours: 24, // customer waiting longer than this escalates
     },
   };
diff --git a/src/subdomains/supporting/support-issue/services/__tests__/support-escalation.service.spec.ts b/src/subdomains/supporting/support-issue/services/__tests__/support-escalation.service.spec.ts
index 9dff9e148c..1fecde8488 100644
--- a/src/subdomains/supporting/support-issue/services/__tests__/support-escalation.service.spec.ts
+++ b/src/subdomains/supporting/support-issue/services/__tests__/support-escalation.service.spec.ts
@@ -82,6 +82,36 @@ describe('SupportEscalationService.bindGroupChat', () => {
   });
 });
 
+// Guards the chat-id precedence: a deployment-pinned SUPPORT_ESCALATION_CHAT_ID must win over the
+// runtime DB binding, so the escalation target is versioned config rather than manual runtime state.
+describe('SupportEscalationService.getBoundChatId', () => {
+  let settingService: DeepMocked<SettingService>;
+  let service: SupportEscalationService;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    settingService = createMock<SettingService>();
+    service = new SupportEscalationService(
+      createMock<HttpService>(),
+      settingService,
+      createMock<SupportIssueRepository>(),
+      createMock<SupportMessageRepository>(),
+    );
+    settingService.get.mockResolvedValue('555'); // a DB binding exists
+  });
+
+  it('prefers the deployment-pinned chatId over the DB binding', async () => {
+    (ConfigModule as Record<string, unknown>).Config = { support: { escalation: { chatId: '-100999' } } };
+    expect(await service.getBoundChatId()).toBe('-100999');
+    expect(settingService.get).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('falls back to the DB binding when no chatId is pinned', async () => {
+    (ConfigModule as Record<string, unknown>).Config = { support: { escalation: {} } };
+    expect(await service.getBoundChatId()).toBe('555');
+    expect(settingService.get).toHaveBeenCalledWith('supportEscalationChatId');
+  });
+});
+
 // Guards the escalation detection: a ticket escalates once the customer wrote last and has waited past the
 // SLA, and is then de-duplicated per waiting cycle so the group is not spammed every cron run.
 describe('SupportEscalationService.checkEscalations', () => {
diff --git a/src/subdomains/supporting/support-issue/services/support-escalation.service.ts b/src/subdomains/supporting/support-issue/services/support-escalation.service.ts
index 2cc3220e46..cfc8855cb5 100644
--- a/src/subdomains/supporting/support-issue/services/support-escalation.service.ts
+++ b/src/subdomains/supporting/support-issue/services/support-escalation.service.ts
@@ -183,6 +183,11 @@ export class SupportEscalationService {
   }
 
   async getBoundChatId(): Promise<string | undefined> {
+    // A deployment-pinned chat id (SUPPORT_ESCALATION_CHAT_ID) is authoritative and wins over the
+    // runtime DB binding, so the escalation target is versioned/reviewed config rather than a manual
+    // getUpdates bind. When it is unset, the DB binding (POST escalation/telegram-bind) still applies.
+    const pinned = Config.support.escalation.chatId;
+    if (pinned) return pinned;
     return this.settingService.get(CHAT_ID_KEY);
   }