diff --git a/scripts/consistency_check.py b/scripts/consistency_check.py
index e755cc5..7bcb42e 100644
--- a/scripts/consistency_check.py
+++ b/scripts/consistency_check.py
@@ -2017,7 +2017,12 @@ def check_repo(
             task_dep_targets = _frontmatter_depends_on_workplans(task) + _frontmatter_depends_on_tasks(task)
             wait_fields = _task_wait_fields(task)
             if t_status == "wait" and normalised_file_status not in CLOSED_WORKSTREAM_STATUSES:
-                if not task_dep_targets and not wait_fields["needs_human"]:
+                # Rule 6: an owner-return wait with no workplan id yet is
+                # qualified by the C-25 vocabulary on the task block.
+                owner_return = bool(
+                    _BLOCKED_ON_RE.match(str(task.get("blocked_on") or "").strip())
+                )
+                if not task_dep_targets and not wait_fields["needs_human"] and not owner_return:
                     report.add(
                         severity="WARN", check_id="C-39",
                         message=(