diff --git a/hermes_cli/kanban_db_workspace.py b/hermes_cli/kanban_db_workspace.py
index b37e472878..ec8e979f4a 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/kanban_db_workspace.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/kanban_db_workspace.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import shutil
 import sqlite3
 import subprocess
 import time
+import unicodedata
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Optional
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
@@ -24,6 +25,19 @@ if TYPE_CHECKING:
 
 _REMOVABLE_KINDS = ("scratch", "worktree")
 
+
+def _path_key(path: Path | str | None) -> str:
+    """Unicode-form-insensitive identity for a filesystem path.
+
+    macOS hands back DECOMPOSED path strings (NFD: ``o`` + U+0308) for names the
+    user typed in composed form (NFC: ``ö``) — a OneDrive/FileProvider path like
+    ``OneDrive-Persönlich`` round-trips through ``git rev-parse --show-toplevel``
+    as NFD while the DB row holds NFC. Raw ``Path`` equality then reports a real
+    repo root as "not a repo" purely on Unicode form, so every path identity
+    check here goes through this key.
+    """
+    return unicodedata.normalize("NFC", str(path)) if path is not None else ""
+
 # Statuses after which a child no longer needs its parent's workspace artifacts.
 _ACTIVE_CHILDREN_SQL = (
     "SELECT 1 FROM task_links l "
@@ -195,7 +209,7 @@ def _cleanup_worktree_workspace(
         if common is None or common.name != ".git":
             return  # not a linked worktree of a normal repo — never guess
         repo_root = common.parent
-        if wp.resolve(strict=False) == repo_root.resolve(strict=False):
+        if _path_key(wp.resolve(strict=False)) == _path_key(repo_root.resolve(strict=False)):
             return  # never remove the main checkout
         if _worktree_is_dirty(str(wp)) or _worktree_has_unpushed_commits(str(wp)):
             _kb._log.info(
@@ -428,7 +442,7 @@ def _ensure_git_worktree(repo_root: Path, target: Path, branch_name: str) -> Non
     """Materialize ``target`` as a linked git worktree under ``repo_root``."""
     target = target.expanduser()
     repo_common = _git_common_dir(repo_root)
-    if target.exists() and repo_common is not None and _git_common_dir(target) == repo_common:
+    if target.exists() and repo_common is not None and _path_key(_git_common_dir(target)) == _path_key(repo_common):
         return
     target.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
     if _git_branch_exists(repo_root, branch_name):
@@ -501,7 +515,7 @@ def _resolve_worktree_workspace(task: Task, *, board: Optional[str] = None) -> t
         fallback_root = _repo_root_for_worktree_target(requested.parent)
         if fallback_root is not None:
             fallback = fallback_root / ".worktrees" / task.id
-            if fallback.resolve(strict=False) != requested_resolved:
+            if _path_key(fallback.resolve(strict=False)) != _path_key(requested_resolved):
                 _ensure_git_worktree(fallback_root, fallback, branch_name)
                 return fallback.resolve(strict=False), branch_name
         # No repo to anchor a fallback on (or the occupied path IS this task's
@@ -509,7 +523,7 @@ def _resolve_worktree_workspace(task: Task, *, board: Optional[str] = None) -> t
         return requested_resolved, actual_branch or branch_name
 
     repo_root = _git_toplevel(requested)
-    if repo_root is not None and requested_resolved == repo_root:
+    if repo_root is not None and _path_key(requested_resolved) == _path_key(repo_root):
         return _anchored_worktree(repo_root, task.id, branch_name)
 
     repo_root = _repo_root_for_worktree_target(requested.parent)
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_worktree_unicode_path.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_worktree_unicode_path.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..984b8572f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_worktree_unicode_path.py
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+"""Regression: a composed (NFC) workspace path must resolve against its repo root.
+
+macOS hands back DECOMPOSED path strings (NFD: ``o`` + U+0308) for names the user
+typed in composed form (NFC: ``ö``). A OneDrive/FileProvider root such as
+``OneDrive-Persönlich`` therefore arrives from ``git rev-parse --show-toplevel``
+as NFD while the kanban DB row holds NFC. The raw ``Path`` comparisons in
+``_resolve_worktree_workspace`` / ``_ensure_git_worktree`` /
+``_cleanup_worktree_workspace`` then reported a real repo root as "not inside a
+git repo" and dispatch died with a ``ValueError`` for every task on that board.
+
+The identity comparison goes through ``_path_key`` (NFC-normalized), so Unicode
+form can never decide a path identity question again.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import subprocess
+import unicodedata
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+from hermes_cli import kanban_db_workspace as kbw
+
+
+def _nfd(text: str) -> str:
+    return unicodedata.normalize("NFD", text)
+
+
+def _nfc(text: str) -> str:
+    return unicodedata.normalize("NFC", text)
+
+
+def _git(repo: Path, *args: str) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
+    return subprocess.run(
+        ["git", "-C", str(repo), *args],
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        timeout=60,
+    )
+
+
+def test_path_key_ignores_unicode_form():
+    """The identity key is form-insensitive but still distinguishes paths."""
+    composed = "/tmp/repo-Persönlich"
+    decomposed = _nfd(composed)
+
+    assert composed != decomposed  # the two forms really are different strings
+    assert kbw._path_key(composed) == kbw._path_key(decomposed)
+    assert kbw._path_key(None) == ""
+    assert kbw._path_key("/tmp/repo-Personlich") != kbw._path_key(composed)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.macos_only
+def test_nfc_workspace_path_resolves_against_nfd_repo_root(tmp_path):
+    """A task row in NFC form resolves on macOS, where git reports NFD."""
+    repo = tmp_path / _nfd("repo-Persönlich")
+    repo.mkdir()
+    assert _git(repo.parent, "init", "-b", "main", str(repo)).returncode == 0
+    (repo / "README.md").write_text("x\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    assert _git(repo, "add", "README.md").returncode == 0
+    assert _git(repo, "commit", "-m", "init").returncode == 0
+
+    composed = Path(_nfc(str(repo)))
+    if str(composed) == str(repo):
+        pytest.skip("filesystem does not round-trip the name in NFD here")
+
+    class _Task:
+        id = "t_unicode_probe"
+        workspace_kind = "worktree"
+        workspace_path = str(composed)
+        branch_name = None
+
+    resolved, _branch = kbw._resolve_worktree_workspace(_Task())
+
+    expected = repo / ".worktrees" / "t_unicode_probe"
+    assert expected.is_dir()
+    assert _nfc(str(Path(resolved).resolve(strict=False))) == _nfc(
+        str(expected.resolve(strict=False))
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.macos_only
+def test_repo_root_treated_as_repo_root_in_other_unicode_form(tmp_path):
+    """A root passed in NFC form must take the anchored-worktree path, not fail."""
+    repo = tmp_path / _nfd("root-Persönlich")
+    repo.mkdir()
+    assert _git(repo.parent, "init", "-b", "main", str(repo)).returncode == 0
+    (repo / "README.md").write_text("x\n", encoding="utf-8")
+    assert _git(repo, "add", "README.md").returncode == 0
+    assert _git(repo, "commit", "-m", "init").returncode == 0
+
+    composed_root = _nfc(str(repo))
+    if composed_root == str(repo):
+        pytest.skip("filesystem does not round-trip the name in NFD here")
+
+    assert kbw._path_key(kbw._git_toplevel(Path(composed_root))) == kbw._path_key(repo)