diff --git a/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/LicenseApplicationPage.tsx b/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/LicenseApplicationPage.tsx
index 30b801ab3..ac497f5f7 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/LicenseApplicationPage.tsx
+++ b/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/LicenseApplicationPage.tsx
@@ -352,14 +352,18 @@ export function LicenseApplicationPage() {
       ),
     [roundRemarks],
   );
-  const hasSectionRemarks = Object.keys(flaggedSections).length > 0;
-  const hasDocRemarks = Object.keys(flaggedDocuments).length > 0;
+  const hasStaffRemarks = roundRemarks.some((r) => r.targetType === "STAFF");
+  // Nothing at all came back for this round (a detail response that predates
+  // the remarks, say) — lock nothing rather than freeze the whole application
+  // with no way forward. Any remark present means the round is itemised, so
+  // only what the officer flagged opens: a documents-only round leaves every
+  // form section frozen, and a sections-only round leaves every document as
+  // filed.
+  const roundIsItemised = isAdjusting && roundRemarks.length > 0;
 
-  // A round that flagged no form sections carries no section locks — mirror of
-  // the server's fallback, without which a documents-only correction round
-  // froze every field and the applicant could not edit anything at all.
   const isSectionLocked = (sectionKey: string) =>
-    isAdjusting && hasSectionRemarks && !flaggedSections[sectionKey];
+    roundIsItemised && !flaggedSections[sectionKey];
+  const staffLocked = roundIsItemised && !hasStaffRemarks;
 
   // Sections that share a group collapse onto one step, so the stepper stays
   // short instead of showing a page per section.
@@ -862,7 +866,7 @@ export function LicenseApplicationPage() {
                             complete
                           </Badge>
                         )}
-                        {!readOnly && (
+                        {!readOnly && !staffLocked && (
                           <Button
                             size="xs"
                             variant="light"
@@ -898,7 +902,7 @@ export function LicenseApplicationPage() {
                                   : ""}
                               </Text>
                             </div>
-                            {!readOnly && (
+                            {!readOnly && !staffLocked && (
                               <ActionIcon
                                 variant="subtle"
                                 color="red"
@@ -917,7 +921,7 @@ export function LicenseApplicationPage() {
                           <StaffEvidence
                             staffId={member.id}
                             evidence={role.requiredEvidence}
-                            readOnly={readOnly}
+                            readOnly={readOnly || staffLocked}
                             onUploaded={refetch}
                           />
                         </Card>
@@ -937,7 +941,7 @@ export function LicenseApplicationPage() {
               ownerType="APPLICATION"
               ownerId={appId}
               flagged={flaggedDocuments}
-              restrictToFlagged={isAdjusting && hasDocRemarks}
+              restrictToFlagged={roundIsItemised}
               readOnly={readOnly}
               onUploaded={() => {
                 refetchAttachments();