diff --git a/changelog.d/2425-workflow-edge-canonical-spec.fixed.md b/changelog.d/2425-workflow-edge-canonical-spec.fixed.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c353f82b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/2425-workflow-edge-canonical-spec.fixed.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+A workflow whose node spells a fact with a space while the edge carries the canonical spelling no longer fails to save: the edge alignment check keys the node lists the same way the rest of the engine does, so `text: draft` on a node and `text:draft` on its edge are one fact.
diff --git a/core/src/shared/workflow.js b/core/src/shared/workflow.js
index 6bc1d6a8d..9457ceda5 100644
--- a/core/src/shared/workflow.js
+++ b/core/src/shared/workflow.js
@@ -634,7 +634,10 @@ export function validateWorkflow(raw, options = {}) {
     }
     const fromNode = nodeById(def, from.node)
     const toNode = nodeById(def, to.node)
-    if (!fromNode.outputs.includes(from.artifact) || !toNode.inputs.includes(to.artifact)) {
+    // The edge's artifact is canonical and the node lists are not (#2425): key them the way
+    // `producersOf` and `consumersOf` do, or a spelling difference refuses a definition the rest
+    // of the engine can run.
+    if (!canonicalList(fromNode.outputs).includes(from.artifact) || !canonicalList(toNode.inputs).includes(to.artifact)) {
       problems.push(
         message(
           'edge/misaligned',
diff --git a/core/test/workflow-edge-canonical-spec.test.js b/core/test/workflow-edge-canonical-spec.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4b4f17366
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/test/workflow-edge-canonical-spec.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+// One fact has one key (#1291 debt): `text: draft` and `text:draft` are the same fact, and every
+// consumer/producer rule in the engine reads the node lists through `canonicalSpec`. The edge
+// alignment check was the one place that compared the edge's canonical artifact against the raw
+// lists, so a definition the engine can run was still refused (#2425).
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict'
+import { test } from 'node:test'
+import { artifact } from '../src/shared/artifact.js'
+import { dependencyEdges, enterNode, validateWorkflow } from '../src/shared/workflow.js'
+
+const definition = (producerSpec, edgeFrom, edgeTo, consumerSpec) => ({
+  id: 'draft-publish',
+  name: 'Draft and publish',
+  version: 1,
+  inputs: [],
+  deliverables: ['link:published'],
+  nodes: [
+    { id: 'draft', name: 'Draft', role: 'Writer', outputs: [producerSpec] },
+    { id: 'publish', name: 'Publish', role: 'Publisher', inputs: [consumerSpec], outputs: ['link:published'] },
+  ],
+  edges: [{ from: edgeFrom, to: edgeTo }],
+  loops: [],
+})
+
+test('a space on the node and none on its edge is still one fact', () => {
+  const def = definition('text: draft', 'draft.text:draft', 'publish.text:draft', 'text:draft')
+  const result = validateWorkflow(def)
+  assert.deepEqual(result.problems, [])
+  assert.equal(result.ok, true)
+  assert.deepEqual(dependencyEdges(def), [{ from: 'draft', to: 'publish' }])
+  const taken = enterNode(def, 'publish', {
+    present: { 'text:draft': artifact('text:draft', 'abc1234') },
+    current: { 'text:draft': 'abc1234' },
+  })
+  assert.equal(taken.ok, true, taken.refusal)
+})
+
+test('a space on the consumer and none on the edge is still one fact', () => {
+  const def = definition('text:draft', 'draft.text:draft', 'publish.text:draft', 'text: draft')
+  const result = validateWorkflow(def)
+  assert.deepEqual(result.problems, [])
+  assert.equal(result.ok, true)
+})
+
+test('the same fact with the space moved to the edge is one fact too', () => {
+  const def = definition('text:draft', 'draft.text: draft', 'publish.text:draft', 'text:draft')
+  const result = validateWorkflow(def)
+  assert.deepEqual(result.problems, [])
+  assert.equal(result.ok, true)
+})
+
+test('an edge that carries a fact the consumer does not take in is still refused (control)', () => {
+  const def = definition('text:draft', 'draft.text:draft', 'publish.text:other', 'text:draft')
+  const result = validateWorkflow(def)
+  assert.equal(result.ok, false)
+  assert.ok(
+    result.problems.some((problem) => problem.code === 'edge/misaligned' || problem.code === 'edge/unknown-end'),
+    JSON.stringify(result.problems),
+  )
+})
diff --git a/patches/ds-bot/files/src/shared/workflow.js b/patches/ds-bot/files/src/shared/workflow.js
index 6bc1d6a8d..9457ceda5 100644
--- a/patches/ds-bot/files/src/shared/workflow.js
+++ b/patches/ds-bot/files/src/shared/workflow.js
@@ -634,7 +634,10 @@ export function validateWorkflow(raw, options = {}) {
     }
     const fromNode = nodeById(def, from.node)
     const toNode = nodeById(def, to.node)
-    if (!fromNode.outputs.includes(from.artifact) || !toNode.inputs.includes(to.artifact)) {
+    // The edge's artifact is canonical and the node lists are not (#2425): key them the way
+    // `producersOf` and `consumersOf` do, or a spelling difference refuses a definition the rest
+    // of the engine can run.
+    if (!canonicalList(fromNode.outputs).includes(from.artifact) || !canonicalList(toNode.inputs).includes(to.artifact)) {
       problems.push(
         message(
           'edge/misaligned',
diff --git a/patches/ds-bot/files/test/workflow-edge-canonical-spec.test.js b/patches/ds-bot/files/test/workflow-edge-canonical-spec.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4b4f17366
--- /dev/null
+++ b/patches/ds-bot/files/test/workflow-edge-canonical-spec.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+// One fact has one key (#1291 debt): `text: draft` and `text:draft` are the same fact, and every
+// consumer/producer rule in the engine reads the node lists through `canonicalSpec`. The edge
+// alignment check was the one place that compared the edge's canonical artifact against the raw
+// lists, so a definition the engine can run was still refused (#2425).
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict'
+import { test } from 'node:test'
+import { artifact } from '../src/shared/artifact.js'
+import { dependencyEdges, enterNode, validateWorkflow } from '../src/shared/workflow.js'
+
+const definition = (producerSpec, edgeFrom, edgeTo, consumerSpec) => ({
+  id: 'draft-publish',
+  name: 'Draft and publish',
+  version: 1,
+  inputs: [],
+  deliverables: ['link:published'],
+  nodes: [
+    { id: 'draft', name: 'Draft', role: 'Writer', outputs: [producerSpec] },
+    { id: 'publish', name: 'Publish', role: 'Publisher', inputs: [consumerSpec], outputs: ['link:published'] },
+  ],
+  edges: [{ from: edgeFrom, to: edgeTo }],
+  loops: [],
+})
+
+test('a space on the node and none on its edge is still one fact', () => {
+  const def = definition('text: draft', 'draft.text:draft', 'publish.text:draft', 'text:draft')
+  const result = validateWorkflow(def)
+  assert.deepEqual(result.problems, [])
+  assert.equal(result.ok, true)
+  assert.deepEqual(dependencyEdges(def), [{ from: 'draft', to: 'publish' }])
+  const taken = enterNode(def, 'publish', {
+    present: { 'text:draft': artifact('text:draft', 'abc1234') },
+    current: { 'text:draft': 'abc1234' },
+  })
+  assert.equal(taken.ok, true, taken.refusal)
+})
+
+test('a space on the consumer and none on the edge is still one fact', () => {
+  const def = definition('text:draft', 'draft.text:draft', 'publish.text:draft', 'text: draft')
+  const result = validateWorkflow(def)
+  assert.deepEqual(result.problems, [])
+  assert.equal(result.ok, true)
+})
+
+test('the same fact with the space moved to the edge is one fact too', () => {
+  const def = definition('text:draft', 'draft.text: draft', 'publish.text:draft', 'text:draft')
+  const result = validateWorkflow(def)
+  assert.deepEqual(result.problems, [])
+  assert.equal(result.ok, true)
+})
+
+test('an edge that carries a fact the consumer does not take in is still refused (control)', () => {
+  const def = definition('text:draft', 'draft.text:draft', 'publish.text:other', 'text:draft')
+  const result = validateWorkflow(def)
+  assert.equal(result.ok, false)
+  assert.ok(
+    result.problems.some((problem) => problem.code === 'edge/misaligned' || problem.code === 'edge/unknown-end'),
+    JSON.stringify(result.problems),
+  )
+})