diff --git a/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/layers/server.rs b/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/layers/server.rs
index fb5cde79f..351d4da68 100644
--- a/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/layers/server.rs
+++ b/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/layers/server.rs
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ pub struct SlackIntegrationLayer {
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
     pub enabled:         Option<bool>,
     #[serde(default, skip_serializing_if = "Option::is_none")]
-    pub default_channel: Option<InterpString>,
+    pub default_channel: Option<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Default, PartialEq, Serialize, Deserialize, fabro_macros::Combine)]
diff --git a/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/resolve/server.rs b/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/resolve/server.rs
index cfeffc415..39b41eaf9 100644
--- a/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/resolve/server.rs
+++ b/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/resolve/server.rs
@@ -364,9 +364,15 @@ fn resolve_integrations(layer: Option<&ServerIntegrationsLayer>) -> ServerIntegr
                     enabled:         false,
                     default_channel: None,
                 },
-                |slack| SlackIntegrationSettings {
-                    enabled:         slack.enabled.unwrap_or(true),
-                    default_channel: slack.default_channel.clone(),
+                |slack| {
+                    warn_if_demoted_template(
+                        "server.integrations.slack.default_channel",
+                        slack.default_channel.as_deref(),
+                    );
+                    SlackIntegrationSettings {
+                        enabled:         slack.enabled.unwrap_or(true),
+                        default_channel: slack.default_channel.clone(),
+                    }
                 },
             ),
     }
diff --git a/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/tests/resolve_server.rs b/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/tests/resolve_server.rs
index a8619f3be..e4eecb353 100644
--- a/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/tests/resolve_server.rs
+++ b/lib/crates/fabro-config/src/tests/resolve_server.rs
@@ -145,6 +145,55 @@ _version = 1
     assert!(settings.integrations.slack.default_channel.is_none());
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn resolve_slack_default_channel_passes_literal_through() {
+    let settings = resolve_server(&parse(
+        r##"
+_version = 1
+
+[server.integrations.slack]
+default_channel = "#releases"
+"##,
+    ));
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        settings.integrations.slack.default_channel.as_deref(),
+        Some("#releases")
+    );
+    // Wire shape is unchanged by the plain-string demotion: the field still
+    // serializes as its raw string.
+    let slack = serde_json::to_value(&settings.integrations.slack)
+        .expect("slack settings should serialize");
+    assert_eq!(
+        slack,
+        serde_json::json!({
+            "enabled": true,
+            "default_channel": "#releases",
+        })
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn resolve_slack_default_channel_keeps_template_token_literal() {
+    // `server.integrations.slack.default_channel` is a plain literal now: a
+    // `{{ env.* }}` token is stored verbatim and never interpolated. Per-run
+    // Slack channels (`run.notifications`, `run.interviews.slack`) remain the
+    // interpolating surface.
+    let settings = resolve_server(&parse(
+        r#"
+_version = 1
+
+[server.integrations.slack]
+default_channel = "{{ env.SLACK_DEFAULT_CHANNEL }}"
+"#,
+    ));
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        settings.integrations.slack.default_channel.as_deref(),
+        Some("{{ env.SLACK_DEFAULT_CHANNEL }}")
+    );
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn server_sandbox_defaults_all_providers_enabled() {
     let settings = ServerSettingsBuilder::from_toml(
diff --git a/lib/crates/fabro-server/src/server.rs b/lib/crates/fabro-server/src/server.rs
index f51a299b6..8ba881fe1 100644
--- a/lib/crates/fabro-server/src/server.rs
+++ b/lib/crates/fabro-server/src/server.rs
@@ -2422,11 +2422,7 @@ pub(crate) fn build_app_state(config: AppStateConfig) -> anyhow::Result<Arc<AppS
     let slack_service = {
         let slack_settings = &current_server_settings.server.integrations.slack;
         if slack_settings.enabled {
-            let default_channel = slack_settings
-                .default_channel
-                .as_ref()
-                .map(|value| value.resolve(process_env_var).map_err(anyhow::Error::from))
-                .transpose()?;
+            let default_channel = slack_settings.default_channel.clone();
             let vault_guard = vault.try_read().ok();
             match resolve_slack_credentials_status_with_lookup(|name| {
                 vault_guard
diff --git a/lib/crates/fabro-server/src/server/handler/system.rs b/lib/crates/fabro-server/src/server/handler/system.rs
index 3d34bd674..ec3ee62c9 100644
--- a/lib/crates/fabro-server/src/server/handler/system.rs
+++ b/lib/crates/fabro-server/src/server/handler/system.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ use fabro_slack::config::{
     resolve_credentials_status_with_lookup as resolve_slack_credentials_status_with_lookup,
 };
 use fabro_static::EnvVars;
-use fabro_types::settings::InterpString;
 use fabro_types::settings::server::GithubIntegrationSettings;
 
 use super::super::{
@@ -181,18 +180,11 @@ fn github_integration_status(
     )
 }
 
-fn display_interp(state: &AppState, value: &InterpString) -> String {
-    value.resolve_or_source(|name| (state.env_lookup)(name))
-}
-
 fn slack_integration_status(state: &AppState) -> SystemIntegrationStatus {
     let settings = &state.server_settings().server.integrations.slack;
     let mut metadata = BTreeMap::new();
     if let Some(default_channel) = settings.default_channel.as_ref() {
-        metadata.insert(
-            "default_channel".to_string(),
-            display_interp(state, default_channel),
-        );
+        metadata.insert("default_channel".to_string(), default_channel.clone());
     }
 
     if !settings.enabled {
diff --git a/lib/crates/fabro-server/src/server/tests.rs b/lib/crates/fabro-server/src/server/tests.rs
index 214bff225..45e26df15 100644
--- a/lib/crates/fabro-server/src/server/tests.rs
+++ b/lib/crates/fabro-server/src/server/tests.rs
@@ -2073,23 +2073,24 @@ fn slack_app_state_with_settings_and_secret_sources(
     .expect("slack test app state should build")
 }
 
+fn slack_test_vault_tokens() -> [(&'static str, &'static str, SecretType); 2] {
+    [
+        (
+            EnvVars::FABRO_SLACK_BOT_TOKEN,
+            "xoxb-test",
+            SecretType::Token,
+        ),
+        (
+            EnvVars::FABRO_SLACK_APP_TOKEN,
+            "xapp-test",
+            SecretType::Token,
+        ),
+    ]
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn slack_service_ignores_vault_tokens_when_config_is_absent() {
-    let state = slack_app_state_with_secret_sources(
-        &[
-            (
-                EnvVars::FABRO_SLACK_BOT_TOKEN,
-                "xoxb-test",
-                SecretType::Token,
-            ),
-            (
-                EnvVars::FABRO_SLACK_APP_TOKEN,
-                "xapp-test",
-                SecretType::Token,
-            ),
-        ],
-        HashMap::new(),
-    );
+    let state = slack_app_state_with_secret_sources(&slack_test_vault_tokens(), HashMap::new());
 
     assert!(state.slack_service.is_none());
 }
@@ -2132,6 +2133,33 @@ enabled = true
     assert_eq!(connection.status, IntegrationConnectionState::Connecting);
     assert!(connection.last_connected_at.is_none());
     assert!(connection.last_error.is_none());
+    assert!(service.default_channel.is_none());
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn slack_service_receives_configured_default_channel_verbatim() {
+    let state = slack_app_state_with_settings_and_secret_sources(
+        server_settings_from_toml(
+            r##"
+_version = 1
+
+[server.auth]
+methods = ["dev-token"]
+
+[server.integrations.slack]
+enabled = true
+default_channel = "#releases"
+"##,
+        ),
+        &slack_test_vault_tokens(),
+        HashMap::new(),
+    );
+
+    let service = state
+        .slack_service
+        .as_ref()
+        .expect("slack service should be enabled by config and vault tokens");
+    assert_eq!(service.default_channel.as_deref(), Some("#releases"));
 }
 
 #[test]
diff --git a/lib/crates/fabro-types/src/settings/server.rs b/lib/crates/fabro-types/src/settings/server.rs
index 59055027c..ef8da68b8 100644
--- a/lib/crates/fabro-types/src/settings/server.rs
+++ b/lib/crates/fabro-types/src/settings/server.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ use serde::de::Error as _;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Deserializer, Serialize, Serializer};
 
 use super::duration::Duration;
-use super::interp::InterpString;
 
 /// A structurally resolved `[server]` view for consumers.
 ///
@@ -258,7 +257,7 @@ pub struct GithubIntegrationSettings {
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct SlackIntegrationSettings {
     pub enabled:         bool,
-    pub default_channel: Option<InterpString>,
+    pub default_channel: Option<String>,
 }
 
 impl Default for SlackIntegrationSettings {