diff --git a/feature-deep-linking/src/main/java/io/novafoundation/nova/feature_deep_linking/presentation/handling/RootDeepLinkHandler.kt b/feature-deep-linking/src/main/java/io/novafoundation/nova/feature_deep_linking/presentation/handling/RootDeepLinkHandler.kt
index 30f58e1c..7fa5446b 100644
--- a/feature-deep-linking/src/main/java/io/novafoundation/nova/feature_deep_linking/presentation/handling/RootDeepLinkHandler.kt
+++ b/feature-deep-linking/src/main/java/io/novafoundation/nova/feature_deep_linking/presentation/handling/RootDeepLinkHandler.kt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package io.novafoundation.nova.feature_deep_linking.presentation.handling
 
 import android.net.Uri
 import io.novafoundation.nova.common.utils.onFailureInstance
+import io.novafoundation.nova.feature_deep_linking.presentation.handling.common.DeepLinkHandlingException
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.Flow
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.merge
 
@@ -23,12 +24,18 @@ class RootDeepLinkHandler(
 
         return handleDeepLinkInternal(pendingDeepLink)
             .onSuccess { pendingDeepLinkProvider.clear() }
+            // A pending link that reaches a handler but fails with a terminal error (malformed/unresolvable),
+            // or matches no handler, will never succeed on retry - clear it so it does not replay on every launch.
+            .onFailureInstance<DeepLinkHandlingException, Unit> { pendingDeepLinkProvider.clear() }
+            .onFailureInstance<HandlerNotFoundException, Unit> { pendingDeepLinkProvider.clear() }
     }
 
     override suspend fun handleDeepLink(data: Uri): Result<Unit> {
         pendingDeepLinkProvider.save(data)
         return handleDeepLinkInternal(data)
             .onSuccess { pendingDeepLinkProvider.clear() }
+            // Same as above: a terminal handling failure must not be persisted, otherwise it bricks every launch.
+            .onFailureInstance<DeepLinkHandlingException, Unit> { pendingDeepLinkProvider.clear() }
             .onFailureInstance<HandlerNotFoundException, Unit> { pendingDeepLinkProvider.clear() } // If we haven't find any handler - no need to save deep link
     }
 
diff --git a/feature-governance-impl/src/main/java/io/novafoundation/nova/feature_governance_impl/presentation/referenda/details/deeplink/ReferendumDeepLinkHandler.kt b/feature-governance-impl/src/main/java/io/novafoundation/nova/feature_governance_impl/presentation/referenda/details/deeplink/ReferendumDeepLinkHandler.kt
index 1c13551b..fb832850 100644
--- a/feature-governance-impl/src/main/java/io/novafoundation/nova/feature_governance_impl/presentation/referenda/details/deeplink/ReferendumDeepLinkHandler.kt
+++ b/feature-governance-impl/src/main/java/io/novafoundation/nova/feature_governance_impl/presentation/referenda/details/deeplink/ReferendumDeepLinkHandler.kt
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ class ReferendumDeepLinkHandler(
     override suspend fun matches(data: Uri): Boolean {
         val path = data.path ?: return false
 
-        return path.startsWith(ReferendumDetailsDeepLinkConfigurator.PREFIX)
+        // Exact match, not startsWith: otherwise "/open/governance" (and any "/open/gov*") would wrongly
+        // match the referendum prefix "/open/gov" and fail with ReferendumIsNotSpecified.
+        return path == ReferendumDetailsDeepLinkConfigurator.PREFIX
     }
 
     override suspend fun handleDeepLink(data: Uri) = runCatching {