diff --git a/apps/monitoring/noc-monitoring.yaml b/apps/monitoring/noc-monitoring.yaml
index 447f612..8ab91e1 100644
--- a/apps/monitoring/noc-monitoring.yaml
+++ b/apps/monitoring/noc-monitoring.yaml
@@ -1392,7 +1392,10 @@ data:
         return alert.get("labels", {}).get("alert_channel") == "thermal_print"
 
     def add_to_digest(alert):
-        if not THERMAL_PRINT_ENABLED: return
+        """Add an alert to the digest buffer. Returns True if the buffer GREW
+        (new fingerprint), False if it was a dedup, resolution, or no-op.
+        """
+        if not THERMAL_PRINT_ENABLED: return False
         fp = fingerprint_of(alert)
         status = alert.get("status", "firing").lower()
         with _buffer_lock:
@@ -1400,14 +1403,15 @@ data:
                 if fp in _buffer:
                     del _buffer[fp]
                     _stats["buffer_resolved"] += 1
-                return
+                return False
             if fp in _buffer:
                 _buffer[fp]["last_seen"] = time.time()
                 _buffer[fp]["alert"] = alert
                 _stats["buffer_dedup"] += 1
-                return
+                return False
             _buffer[fp] = {"alert": alert, "first_seen": time.time(), "last_seen": time.time()}
             _stats["buffer_added"] += 1
+            return True
 
     def build_digest_payload():
         with _buffer_lock:
@@ -1495,23 +1499,27 @@ data:
                 msg = f"{icon}{sev_tag} {name}: {summary}"
                 if desc: msg += f"\n  {desc}"
                 send_irc(msg)
-                # Thermal routing
+                # Thermal routing — EVERYTHING (including criticals) goes into
+                # the hourly digest. Only the explicit `alert_channel=thermal_print_immediate`
+                # label bypasses, and even that flushes-the-current-digest rather
+                # than printing a standalone job, so the same fingerprint can't
+                # spam the printer per webhook cycle.
                 if status == "RESOLVED":
                     add_to_digest(alert)  # removes from buffer
                     continue
-                if is_critical(alert) or is_immediate_label(alert):
-                    runbook = alert.get("annotations", {}).get("runbook", "")
-                    parts = [summary]
-                    if desc and desc != summary: parts.append(desc)
-                    if runbook: parts.append("STEPS: " + runbook)
-                    pl = {"title": name, "severity": (severity or "warning").capitalize(),
-                          "host": labels.get("instance", labels.get("pod", labels.get("namespace", "unknown"))),
-                          "message": " | ".join(parts), "eventId": alert.get("fingerprint", ""),
-                          "source": "Grafana (immediate)", "status": "PROBLEM", "acknowledged": False}
-                    post_thermal(pl, "immediate")
-                elif is_batched_label(alert):
+                if is_immediate_label(alert):
+                    # Explicit opt-in for "paper this NOW" — first arrival of a
+                    # new fingerprint triggers an immediate digest flush; repeat
+                    # webhooks for the same fingerprint dedupe in the buffer
+                    # until the next interval or until the alert resolves.
+                    new_in_buffer = add_to_digest(alert)
+                    if new_in_buffer:
+                        global _last_flush_time
+                        flush_digest()
+                        _last_flush_time = time.time()
+                elif is_critical(alert) or is_batched_label(alert):
                     add_to_digest(alert)
-                # else: IRC-only
+                # else: IRC-only (warnings without thermal_print label)
             self.send_response(200); self.send_header("Content-Type", "application/json"); self.end_headers()
             self.wfile.write(b'{"status":"ok"}')