Fix upstream map index resolution after placeholder expansion

airflow-core/src/airflow/models/taskinstance.py

@@ -2028,6 +2028,14 @@ def tg2(inp):
     # and "ti_count == ancestor_ti_count" does not work, since the further
     # expansion may be of length 1.
     if not _is_further_mapped_inside(relative, common_ancestor):
+        placeholder_index = resolve_placeholder_map_index(
+            task=task, relative=relative, map_index=ancestor_map_index, run_id=run_id, session=session
+        )
+        # Handle cases where an upstream mapped placeholder (map_index = -1) has already
+        # been expanded and replaced by its successor (map_index = 0) at evaluation time.
+        if placeholder_index is not None:
+            return placeholder_index
+
         return ancestor_map_index
 
     # Otherwise we need a partial aggregation for values from selected task
@@ -2102,6 +2110,54 @@ def _visit_relevant_relatives_for_mapped(mapped_tasks: Iterable[tuple[str, int]]
     return visited
 
 
+def resolve_placeholder_map_index(
+    *,
+    task: Operator,
+    relative: Operator,
+    map_index: int,
+    run_id: str,
+    session: Session,
+) -> int | None:
+    """
+    Resolve the correct map_index for upstream dependency evaluation.
+
+    This handles the transition from map_index = -1 (pre-expansion placeholder)
+    to map_index = 0 (post-expansion placeholder successor).
+
+    Returns:
+        - 0 if the placeholder has transitioned from -1 to 0
+        - None if no override should be applied
+    """
+    if map_index != -1:
+        return None
+
+    rows = session.execute(
+        select(TaskInstance.task_id, TaskInstance.map_index).where(
+            TaskInstance.dag_id == relative.dag_id,
+            TaskInstance.run_id == run_id,
+            TaskInstance.task_id.in_([task.task_id, relative.task_id]),
+            TaskInstance.map_index.in_([-1, 0]),
+        )
+    ).all()
+
+    task_to_map_indexes: dict[str, list[int]] = defaultdict(list)
+    for task_id, mi in rows:
+        task_to_map_indexes[task_id].append(mi)
+
+    # We only rewrite when:
+    # 1) the current task is still using the placeholder (-1)
+    # 2) the upstream placeholder (-1) no longer exists
+    # 3) the post-expansion placeholder (0) does exist
+    if (
+        -1 in task_to_map_indexes.get(task.task_id, [])
+        and -1 not in task_to_map_indexes.get(relative.task_id, [])
+        and 0 in task_to_map_indexes.get(relative.task_id, [])
+    ):
+        return 0
+
+    return None
+
+
 class TaskInstanceNote(Base):
     """For storage of arbitrary notes concerning the task instance."""
 

airflow-core/tests/unit/models/test_taskinstance.py

@@ -2981,6 +2981,95 @@ def g(v):
     assert result == expected
 
 
+def test_downstream_placeholder_handles_upstream_post_expansion(dag_maker, session):
+    """
+    Test dynamic task mapping behavior when an upstream placeholder task
+    (map_index = -1) has been replaced by the first expanded task
+    (map_index = 0).
+
+    This verifies that trigger rule evaluation correctly resolves relevant
+    upstream map indexes both when referencing the original placeholder
+    and when referencing the first expanded task instance.
+    """
+
+    with dag_maker(session=session) as dag:
+
+        @task
+        def get_mapping_source():
+            return ["one", "two", "three"]
+
+        @task
+        def mapped_task(x):
+            output = f"{x}"
+            return output
+
+        @task_group(prefix_group_id=False)
+        def the_task_group(x):
+            start = MockOperator(task_id="start")
+            upstream = mapped_task(x)
+
+            # Plain downstream inside task group (no mapping source).
+            downstream = MockOperator(task_id="downstream")
+
+            start >> upstream >> downstream
+
+        mapping_source = get_mapping_source()
+        mapped_tg = the_task_group.expand(x=mapping_source)
+
+        mapping_source >> mapped_tg
+
+    # Create DAG run and execute prerequisites.
+    dr = dag_maker.create_dagrun()
+
+    dag_maker.run_ti("get_mapping_source", map_index=-1, dag_run=dr, session=session)
+
+    # Force expansion of the upstream mapped task.
+    upstream_task = dag.get_task("mapped_task")
+    _, max_index = TaskMap.expand_mapped_task(
+        upstream_task,
+        dr.run_id,
+        session=session,
+    )
+    expanded_ti_count = max_index + 1
+
+    downstream_task = dag.get_task("downstream")
+
+    # Grab the downstream placeholder TI.
+    downstream_ti = dr.get_task_instance(task_id="downstream", map_index=-1, session=session)
+    downstream_ti.refresh_from_task(downstream_task)
+
+    result = downstream_ti.get_relevant_upstream_map_indexes(
+        upstream=upstream_task,
+        ti_count=expanded_ti_count,
+        session=session,
+    )
+
+    assert result == 0
+
+    # Now do the same for downstream expanded (map_index = 0) to ensure existing behavior is not broken.
+    # Force expansion of the downstream mapped task.
+    _, max_index = TaskMap.expand_mapped_task(
+        downstream_task,
+        dr.run_id,
+        session=session,
+    )
+    expanded_ti_count = max_index + 1
+
+    # Grab the first expanded downstream task. Behavior is the same for all cases where map_index >= 0.
+    downstream_ti = dr.get_task_instance(task_id="downstream", map_index=0, session=session)
+    downstream_ti.refresh_from_task(downstream_task)
+
+    result = downstream_ti.get_relevant_upstream_map_indexes(
+        upstream=upstream_task,
+        ti_count=expanded_ti_count,
+        session=session,
+    )
+
+    # Verify behavior remains unchanged once the downstream task itself
+    # has expanded (map_index >= 0).
+    assert result == 0
+
+
 def test_find_relevant_relatives_with_non_mapped_task_as_tuple(dag_maker, session):
     """Test that specifying a non-mapped task as a tuple doesn't raise NotMapped exception."""
     # t1 -> t2 (non-mapped) -> t3