diff --git a/src/github/backfill.ts b/src/github/backfill.ts
index c0ec63c8c5..70940f0ef4 100644
--- a/src/github/backfill.ts
+++ b/src/github/backfill.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import {
   upsertPullRequestDetailSyncState,
   upsertPullRequestFromGitHub,
   upsertPullRequestReview,
+  listRecentMergedPullRequests,
   upsertRecentMergedPullRequest,
   upsertRepoLabel,
   upsertRepoSyncSegment,
@@ -1238,16 +1239,39 @@ async function backfillRecentMergedSegment(
       // Hydrate each merged PR's changed files (like the monolithic backfill path) so
       // recent_merged_pull_requests.changedFiles is populated instead of always empty.
       const warnings: string[] = [];
-      await mapWithConcurrency(merged, 8, async (pr) => {
-        const changedFiles = await fetchPullRequestFiles(env, repo.fullName, pr.number, token, warnings).catch(() => []);
-        await upsertRecentMergedPullRequest(env, toRecentMergedPullRequest(repo.fullName, pr, changedFiles));
-      });
+      await hydrateMergedPullRequestFiles(env, repo.fullName, merged, token, warnings, 8);
       return merged.length;
     },
     { progressiveHistory: true, countPersisted: () => countRecentMergedPullRequests(env, repo.fullName) },
   );
 }
 
+// A merged PR is immutable, so its changed-file list never changes once stored. Skip the per-PR `/pulls/{n}/files`
+// fetch — the N+1 REST fan-out that dominated this segment's GitHub cost — for any merged PR ALREADY hydrated,
+// re-upserting only the cheap metadata (the upsert preserves the stored files when passed an empty list). One
+// `listRecentMergedPullRequests` read per batch replaces up to one `/files` fetch per merged PR. (#1941)
+async function hydrateMergedPullRequestFiles(
+  env: Env,
+  repoFullName: string,
+  merged: GitHubPullRequestPayload[],
+  token: string | undefined,
+  warnings: string[],
+  concurrency: number,
+): Promise<void> {
+  const alreadyHydrated = new Set(
+    (await listRecentMergedPullRequests(env, repoFullName))
+      .filter((record) => record.changedFiles.length > 0)
+      .map((record) => record.number),
+  );
+  await mapWithConcurrency(merged, concurrency, async (pr) => {
+    // fetchPullRequestFiles never throws — it returns [] (and records a warning) on any fetch failure.
+    const changedFiles = alreadyHydrated.has(pr.number)
+      ? []
+      : await fetchPullRequestFiles(env, repoFullName, pr.number, token, warnings);
+    await upsertRecentMergedPullRequest(env, toRecentMergedPullRequest(repoFullName, pr, changedFiles));
+  });
+}
+
 function isNotModifiedResponse<T>(result: GitHubJsonConditionalResponse<T>): result is GitHubJsonNotModifiedResponse {
   return "notModified" in result && result.notModified;
 }
@@ -1691,10 +1715,7 @@ async function backfillRepository(env: Env, repo: RepositoryRecord, limits: Back
     const normalizedPullRequests = await mapWithConcurrency(pullRequests, 16, async (pr) => upsertPullRequestFromGitHub(env, repo.fullName, pr, { seenOpenAt: startedAt }));
 
     const mergedFileWarningStart = warnings.length;
-    await mapWithConcurrency(recentMerged, limits.detailConcurrency, async (pr) => {
-      const changedFiles = await fetchPullRequestFiles(env, repo.fullName, pr.number, token, warnings).catch(() => []);
-      await upsertRecentMergedPullRequest(env, toRecentMergedPullRequest(repo.fullName, pr, changedFiles));
-    });
+    await hydrateMergedPullRequestFiles(env, repo.fullName, recentMerged, token, warnings, limits.detailConcurrency);
 
     const detailTargets = normalizedPullRequests.slice(0, limits.pullRequestDetails);
     const detailWarningStart = warnings.length;
diff --git a/test/unit/backfill.test.ts b/test/unit/backfill.test.ts
index 2901273e4a..422d42bb2c 100644
--- a/test/unit/backfill.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/backfill.test.ts
@@ -1023,6 +1023,45 @@ describe("GitHub backfill", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("skips the /files fetch for a merged PR whose changed files are already stored (#1941)", async () => {
+    const env = createTestEnv({ GITHUB_PUBLIC_TOKEN: "public-token" });
+    await seedRegisteredRepo(env);
+    // PR 9 was hydrated with files by a prior sync; a merged PR is immutable, so its files can never change.
+    await upsertRecentMergedPullRequest(env, {
+      repoFullName: "JSONbored/gittensory",
+      number: 9,
+      title: "Fix webhook",
+      authorLogin: "oktofeesh1",
+      mergedAt: "2026-05-22T00:00:00.000Z",
+      labels: ["bug"],
+      linkedIssues: [1],
+      changedFiles: ["src/github/webhook.ts"],
+      payload: {},
+    });
+    let fileFetches = 0;
+    vi.stubGlobal("fetch", async (input: RequestInfo | URL) => {
+      const url = input.toString();
+      if (url === "https://api.github.com/graphql") return githubTotalsResponse({ openIssues: 0, openPullRequests: 0, mergedPullRequests: 1, closedPullRequests: 1, labels: 0 });
+      if (url.includes("/pulls?state=closed")) {
+        return Response.json([{ number: 9, title: "Fix webhook processing (edited)", state: "closed", merged_at: "2026-05-22T00:00:00.000Z", user: { login: "oktofeesh1" }, labels: [{ name: "bug" }], body: "Fixes #1" }]);
+      }
+      if (url.includes("/pulls/9/files")) {
+        fileFetches += 1;
+        return Response.json([{ filename: "src/github/webhook.ts", status: "modified", additions: 12, deletions: 3, changes: 15 }]);
+      }
+      return new Response("not found", { status: 404 });
+    });
+
+    const result = await backfillRepositorySegment(env, { repoFullName: "JSONbored/gittensory", segment: "recent_merged_pull_requests", mode: "full" });
+
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ status: "complete" });
+    expect(fileFetches).toBe(0); // already hydrated → the per-PR /files fetch (the N+1) is skipped
+    // The cheap metadata is still refreshed (title updated) and the stored files are preserved.
+    expect(await listRecentMergedPullRequests(env, "JSONbored/gittensory")).toEqual(
+      expect.arrayContaining([expect.objectContaining({ number: 9, title: "Fix webhook processing (edited)", changedFiles: ["src/github/webhook.ts"] })]),
+    );
+  });
+
   it("preserves previously-hydrated merged PR files when a later upsert has none", async () => {
     const env = createTestEnv();
     await upsertRecentMergedPullRequest(env, {