diff --git a/src/serving/api/alerts/dispatcher.py b/src/serving/api/alerts/dispatcher.py
index 6dd432e..14930ad 100644
--- a/src/serving/api/alerts/dispatcher.py
+++ b/src/serving/api/alerts/dispatcher.py
@@ -218,7 +218,13 @@ def next_escalation_step(
         if step.level > alert.last_escalation_level and elapsed_minutes >= step.after_minutes
     ]
     if due_steps:
-        return due_steps[-1]
+        # Advance exactly one level per evaluation tick — the lowest level above
+        # the current one — so every intermediate escalation target is paged.
+        # Returning the highest due step (due_steps[-1]) silently skipped the
+        # on-call recipients of intervening levels whenever two or more became
+        # due between ticks (sparse polling, restart catch-up).
+        # (audit_28_06_26.md §5 medium: escalation skips intermediate levels)
+        return min(due_steps, key=lambda step: step.level)
     if (
         len(alert.escalation) == 1
         and alert.last_escalation_level == alert.escalation[0].level
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_alert_escalation_delivery.py b/tests/unit/test_alert_escalation_delivery.py
index b34d45f..14b0c48 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_alert_escalation_delivery.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_alert_escalation_delivery.py
@@ -13,7 +13,11 @@
 import pytest
 
 import src.serving.api.alerts.escalation as escalation
-from src.serving.api.alerts.dispatcher import AlertEscalationStep, AlertRule
+from src.serving.api.alerts.dispatcher import (
+    AlertEscalationStep,
+    AlertRule,
+    next_escalation_step,
+)
 
 _NOW = datetime(2026, 6, 28, 12, 0, tzinfo=UTC)
 
@@ -107,3 +111,55 @@ async def test_escalation_level_not_advanced_on_delivery_failure(
 
     assert result.last_escalation_level == 1  # not advanced to 2 on failed delivery
     assert triggered == 0
+
+
+# --- next_escalation_step: no intermediate-level skip (audit_28_06_26.md §5 medium) ---
+
+_FIRED = datetime(2026, 6, 28, 11, 0, tzinfo=UTC)  # 60 min before _NOW
+
+
+def _three_level_alert(last_level: int) -> AlertRule:
+    return _alert(
+        escalation=[
+            AlertEscalationStep(level=1, after_minutes=0, webhook_url="https://h/l1"),
+            AlertEscalationStep(level=2, after_minutes=10, webhook_url="https://h/l2"),
+            AlertEscalationStep(level=3, after_minutes=20, webhook_url="https://h/l3"),
+        ],
+        fired_at=_FIRED,
+        state="firing",
+        last_escalation_level=last_level,
+    )
+
+
+def test_next_escalation_step_advances_one_level_at_a_time() -> None:
+    # All three levels are due at _NOW (60 min elapsed >= 0/10/20), but a single
+    # tick must page the *next* level (2), not jump to the highest (3) and skip
+    # level 2's on-call recipient.
+    step = next_escalation_step(_three_level_alert(last_level=1), _NOW)
+    assert step is not None
+    assert step.level == 2
+    assert step.webhook_url == "https://h/l2"
+
+    # After level 2 is recorded, the following tick advances to level 3.
+    step = next_escalation_step(_three_level_alert(last_level=2), _NOW)
+    assert step is not None
+    assert step.level == 3
+
+    # Once the top level is reached there is nothing further to escalate to.
+    assert next_escalation_step(_three_level_alert(last_level=3), _NOW) is None
+
+
+def test_next_escalation_step_picks_lowest_due_regardless_of_list_order() -> None:
+    # Robust to an escalation list that is not sorted by level.
+    alert = _alert(
+        escalation=[
+            AlertEscalationStep(level=3, after_minutes=20, webhook_url="https://h/l3"),
+            AlertEscalationStep(level=2, after_minutes=10, webhook_url="https://h/l2"),
+        ],
+        fired_at=_FIRED,
+        state="firing",
+        last_escalation_level=1,
+    )
+    step = next_escalation_step(alert, _NOW)
+    assert step is not None
+    assert step.level == 2