diff --git a/decnet/orchestrator/emailgen/scheduler.py b/decnet/orchestrator/emailgen/scheduler.py
index 51d0f735..1a05f6ff 100644
--- a/decnet/orchestrator/emailgen/scheduler.py
+++ b/decnet/orchestrator/emailgen/scheduler.py
@@ -131,13 +131,13 @@ async def _resolve_personas(
         topology = await repo.get_topology(topology_id)
         if not topology:
             return [], source
-        return (
-            parse_personas(
-                topology.get("email_personas"),
-                language_default=topology.get("language_default") or "en",
-            ),
-            source,
-        )
+        if isinstance(topology, dict):
+            raw = topology.get("email_personas")
+            lang = topology.get("language_default") or "en"
+        else:
+            raw = topology.email_personas
+            lang = topology.language_default or "en"
+        return parse_personas(raw, language_default=lang), source
     # Fleet / shard / anything else → global pool.
     return global_pool.load(), source
 
diff --git a/tests/swarm/test_heartbeat_topology_resync.py b/tests/swarm/test_heartbeat_topology_resync.py
index fbe8114d..2ec90b5f 100644
--- a/tests/swarm/test_heartbeat_topology_resync.py
+++ b/tests/swarm/test_heartbeat_topology_resync.py
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ async def test_heartbeat_matching_hash_does_not_flag(
     )
     assert resp.status_code == 204, resp.text
     row = await repo.get_topology(tid)
-    assert row["needs_resync"] is False
+    assert row.needs_resync is False
 
 
 @pytest.mark.anyio
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ async def test_heartbeat_hash_mismatch_flags_resync(
     )
     assert resp.status_code == 204, resp.text
     row = await repo.get_topology(tid)
-    assert row["needs_resync"] is True
+    assert row.needs_resync is True
 
 
 @pytest.mark.anyio
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ async def test_heartbeat_agent_reports_no_topology_flags_resync(
     )
     assert resp.status_code == 204, resp.text
     row = await repo.get_topology(tid)
-    assert row["needs_resync"] is True
+    assert row.needs_resync is True
 
 
 @pytest.mark.anyio
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ async def test_heartbeat_without_topology_block_is_noop_for_resync(
     row = await repo.get_topology(tid)
     # Absence of the topology block means agent hasn't reported anything
     # → treat like no topology reported → flag.
-    assert row["needs_resync"] is True
+    assert row.needs_resync is True
 
 
 @pytest.mark.anyio
@@ -221,4 +221,4 @@ async def test_heartbeat_other_host_topology_unaffected(
     )
     assert resp.status_code == 204, resp.text
     row = await repo.get_topology(tid_a)
-    assert row["needs_resync"] is False
+    assert row.needs_resync is False