diff --git a/apps/api/src/services/controlled_alert_target_router.py b/apps/api/src/services/controlled_alert_target_router.py
index ed2f1e9ec..238845c68 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/services/controlled_alert_target_router.py
+++ b/apps/api/src/services/controlled_alert_target_router.py
@@ -291,7 +291,28 @@ def resolve_typed_alert_target(
             str(labels.get("instance") or ""),
             target_resource,
             alertname,
-        ) or _HOSTS["99"]
+        )
+        explicit_agent99_target = any(
+            marker in _text_token(target_resource)
+            for marker in ("agent99", "windows99", "windows 99")
+        )
+        if host_scope is None and explicit_agent99_target:
+            host_scope = _HOSTS["99"]
+        if host_scope is None:
+            identity = registry.resolve_identity(target_resource or alertname)
+            return _typed_route(
+                resolution_status="asset_identity_unresolved",
+                target_kind="unknown",
+                target_resource=target_resource,
+                namespace=namespace,
+                canonical_asset_id=None,
+                host=None,
+                executor=None,
+                verifier=None,
+                risk_class="high",
+                drift_work_item_id=identity["drift_work_item_id"],
+                stateful_level=StatefulLevel.UNRESOLVED.value,
+            )
         return _typed_route(
             resolution_status="resolved",
             target_kind="windows_vmware",
diff --git a/apps/api/tests/test_sre_typed_domain_router.py b/apps/api/tests/test_sre_typed_domain_router.py
index c9be4b7df..126915739 100644
--- a/apps/api/tests/test_sre_typed_domain_router.py
+++ b/apps/api/tests/test_sre_typed_domain_router.py
@@ -234,6 +234,42 @@ def test_host112_guest_recovery_is_an_exact_agent99_domain_route() -> None:
     assert payload["routing"]["crossDomainFallbackAllowed"] is False
 
 
+def test_unresolved_vmware_target_cannot_default_to_host99() -> None:
+    route = resolve_typed_alert_target(
+        alertname="VMwareGuestHealthDegraded",
+        target_resource="unregistered-vmware-guest",
+        namespace="virtualization",
+        labels={},
+        alert_category="infrastructure",
+        registry=ServiceRegistryClient(REGISTRY),
+    )
+
+    assert route["resolution_status"] == "asset_identity_unresolved"
+    assert route["target_kind"] == "unknown"
+    assert route["executor"] is None
+    assert route["controlled_apply_allowed"] is False
+    assert route["agent99_bridge"]["dispatch_allowed"] is False
+    assert route["drift_work_item_id"].startswith("AIA-ASSET-DRIFT-")
+
+
+def test_explicit_agent99_target_resolves_to_host99_executor() -> None:
+    route = resolve_typed_alert_target(
+        alertname="Agent99ServiceUnhealthy",
+        target_resource="agent99",
+        namespace="control-plane",
+        labels={},
+        alert_category="infrastructure",
+        registry=ServiceRegistryClient(REGISTRY),
+    )
+
+    assert route["resolution_status"] == "resolved"
+    assert route["target_kind"] == "windows_vmware"
+    assert route["canonical_asset_id"] == "windows-vmware:host_99"
+    assert route["executor"] == "Agent99"
+    assert route["allowed_inventory_hosts"] == ["host_99"]
+    assert route["agent99_bridge"]["dispatch_allowed"] is True
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_agent99_rejects_cross_domain_mutating_dispatch_before_transport(
     monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,