Please describe the problem.

I do not remember trying to add that file "unlocked" anyhow, but git-annex, upon 2nd invocation of git status flips the file claiming it should get to the "unlocked" git link from original symlink:

❯ git annex version
git-annex version: 10.20240531+git214-g28f5c47b5a-1~ndall+1

❯ git status
On branch master
Your branch is ahead of 'origin/master' by 1 commit.
  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)

Changes not staged for commit:
  (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
  (use "git restore <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
    modified:   samples/UK_gla_3T_fMRI_consent_form_v3.0.docx

no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")

❯ git reset --hard
HEAD is now at 8700315 BF: fix leftover merge conflict in CONTRIBUTING.rst

so here from a clean state on first git status we get to dirty on subsequent:

❯ git status
git-annex: git status will show samples/UK_gla_3T_fMRI_consent_form_v3.0.docx to be modified, since content availability has changed and git-annex was unable to update the index. This is only a cosmetic problem affecting git status; git add, git commit, etc won't be affected. To fix the git status display, you can run: git-annex restage
On branch master
Your branch is ahead of 'origin/master' by 1 commit.
  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)

nothing to commit, working tree clean

❯ git status
On branch master
Your branch is ahead of 'origin/master' by 1 commit.
  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)

Changes not staged for commit:
  (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
  (use "git restore <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
    modified:   samples/UK_gla_3T_fMRI_consent_form_v3.0.docx

no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")

❯ git diff
diff --git a/samples/UK_gla_3T_fMRI_consent_form_v3.0.docx b/samples/UK_gla_3T_fMRI_consent_form_v3.0.docx
index 3215574..488e63f 100644
--- a/samples/UK_gla_3T_fMRI_consent_form_v3.0.docx
+++ b/samples/UK_gla_3T_fMRI_consent_form_v3.0.docx
@@ -1 +1 @@
-../.git/annex/objects/5M/wv/MD5E-s591826--1ca9251906259623f73a3aba47ef6369.0.docx/MD5E-s591826--1ca9251906259623f73a3aba47ef6369.0.docx
\ No newline at end of file
+/annex/objects/MD5E-s591826--1ca9251906259623f73a3aba47ef6369.0.docx

❯ git annex restage
restage  ok

❯ git diff

❯ git status
On branch master
Your branch is ahead of 'origin/master' by 1 commit.
  (use "git push" to publish your local commits)

Changes to be committed:
  (use "git restore --staged <file>..." to unstage)
    modified:   samples/UK_gla_3T_fMRI_consent_form_v3.0.docx

❯ git diff --cached
diff --git a/samples/UK_gla_3T_fMRI_consent_form_v3.0.docx b/samples/UK_gla_3T_fMRI_consent_form_v3.0.docx
index 3215574..488e63f 100644
--- a/samples/UK_gla_3T_fMRI_consent_form_v3.0.docx
+++ b/samples/UK_gla_3T_fMRI_consent_form_v3.0.docx
@@ -1 +1 @@
-../.git/annex/objects/5M/wv/MD5E-s591826--1ca9251906259623f73a3aba47ef6369.0.docx/MD5E-s591826--1ca9251906259623f73a3aba47ef6369.0.docx
\ No newline at end of file
+/annex/objects/MD5E-s591826--1ca9251906259623f73a3aba47ef6369.0.docx

This is on a local long-lived clone of http://github.com/con/open-brain-consent but seems to not happen on a fresh clone. So must be something about local "state".

Not sure if relates to the following issue under current investigation (but not yet addressed):