Merge branch 'develop' into enhance-workflows

fix: pass augmented env to Claude CLI validation on macOS (#640 )
When Electron apps launch from Finder/Dock on macOS, they don't inherit the user's shell PATH. This causes Claude CLI detection to fail because the `claude` script (which uses `#!/usr/bin/env node`) cannot find the Node.js binary. The fix passes `getAugmentedEnv()` to `execFileSync` in `validateClaude()`, which includes `/opt/homebrew/bin` and other common binary locations in the PATH. This allows `env node` to find Node.js when validating the Claude CLI. Fixes an issue where Auto Claude would report "Claude CLI not found" even though it was properly installed via npm. Signed-off-by: Tallinn Terlich <tallinn1022@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: Andy <119136210+AndyMik90@users.noreply.github.com>
2026-01-06 12:10:36 +01:00 · 2026-01-06 11:39:14 +01:00 · 2026-01-06 10:47:10 +01:00 · 2026-01-06 07:30:05 +01:00 · 2026-01-05 23:02:50 +01:00 · 2026-01-05 23:02:34 +01:00
354 changed files with 45554 additions and 7382 deletions
@@ -97,13 +97,21 @@ jobs:
      - name: Install Rust toolchain (for building native Python packages)
        uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable

+      - name: Cache pip wheel cache (for compiled packages like real_ladybug)
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: ~/Library/Caches/pip
+          key: pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-x64-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-x64-
+
      - name: Cache bundled Python
        uses: actions/cache@v4
        with:
          path: apps/frontend/python-runtime
-          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8-rust
+          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8-rust-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
          restore-keys: |
-            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-
+            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8-rust-

      - name: Build application
        run: cd apps/frontend && npm run build
@@ -181,13 +189,21 @@ jobs:
      - name: Install dependencies
        run: cd apps/frontend && npm ci

+      - name: Cache pip wheel cache
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: ~/Library/Caches/pip
+          key: pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-arm64-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-arm64-
+
      - name: Cache bundled Python
        uses: actions/cache@v4
        with:
          path: apps/frontend/python-runtime
-          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-arm64-3.12.8
+          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-arm64-3.12.8-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
          restore-keys: |
-            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-arm64-
+            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-arm64-3.12.8-

      - name: Build application
        run: cd apps/frontend && npm run build
@@ -265,13 +281,21 @@ jobs:
      - name: Install dependencies
        run: cd apps/frontend && npm ci

+      - name: Cache pip wheel cache
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: ~\AppData\Local\pip\Cache
+          key: pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-x64-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-x64-
+
      - name: Cache bundled Python
        uses: actions/cache@v4
        with:
          path: apps/frontend/python-runtime
-          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8
+          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
          restore-keys: |
-            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-
+            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8-

      - name: Build application
        run: cd apps/frontend && npm run build
@@ -335,13 +359,21 @@ jobs:
          flatpak install -y --user flathub org.freedesktop.Platform//25.08 org.freedesktop.Sdk//25.08
          flatpak install -y --user flathub org.electronjs.Electron2.BaseApp//25.08

+      - name: Cache pip wheel cache
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: ~/.cache/pip
+          key: pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-x64-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-x64-
+
      - name: Cache bundled Python
        uses: actions/cache@v4
        with:
          path: apps/frontend/python-runtime
-          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8
+          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
          restore-keys: |
-            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-
+            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8-

      - name: Build application
        run: cd apps/frontend && npm run build
@@ -1,49 +1,386 @@
+# ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
+# ║                                                                               ║
+# ║                        AUTO CLAUDE - CI PIPELINE                              ║
+# ║                                                                               ║
+# ║  A unified, enterprise-grade CI workflow for pull request validation          ║
+# ║  and scheduled security scanning.                                             ║
+# ║                                                                               ║
+# ║  TRIGGERS:                                                                    ║
+# ║  - Pull requests to main/develop branches                                     ║
+# ║  - Weekly scheduled security scans (Monday 00:00 UTC)                         ║
+# ║  - Manual workflow dispatch                                                   ║
+# ║                                                                               ║
+# ║  WORKFLOW STAGES:                                                             ║
+# ║  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐  ║
+# ║  │ Stage 1: PR Setup        - Label PR and set "Checking" status          │  ║
+# ║  │ Stage 2: Change Detection - Determine which tests to run               │  ║
+# ║  │ Stage 3: Quality Gates   - Run tests, linting, and security scans      │  ║
+# ║  │ Stage 4: Status Update   - Update PR with final status                 │  ║
+# ║  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘  ║
+# ║                                                                               ║
+# ║  SMART PATH FILTERING (PR mode):                                              ║
+# ║  - Backend changes (apps/backend/**, tests/**)  → Python tests + lint        ║
+# ║  - Frontend changes (apps/frontend/**)          → Frontend tests + build     ║
+# ║  - No code changes (docs, CI configs only)      → Skip tests, mark ready     ║
+# ║                                                                               ║
+# ║  SCHEDULED SECURITY SCANS:                                                    ║
+# ║  - Weekly CodeQL analysis for Python and JavaScript/TypeScript               ║
+# ║  - Weekly Bandit security scan for Python backend                            ║
+# ║  - Detects newly discovered CVEs in existing code                            ║
+# ║                                                                               ║
+# ║  LABELS APPLIED (PR mode only):                                               ║
+# ║  - Status: 🔄 Checking → ✅ Ready for Review / ❌ Checks Failed              ║
+# ║  - Type: feature, bug, docs, refactor, ci, chore (from PR title)             ║
+# ║  - Area: area/frontend, area/backend, area/fullstack, area/ci                ║
+# ║  - Size: size/XS, size/S, size/M, size/L, size/XL                            ║
+# ║                                                                               ║
+# ║  MAINTAINERS: See CONTRIBUTING.md for workflow modification guidelines.       ║
+# ║                                                                               ║
+# ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
+
 name: CI

 on:
-  push:
-    branches: [main, develop]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main, develop]
+    types: [opened, synchronize, reopened]
+  # Weekly scheduled security scans to detect newly discovered CVEs
+  # Runs every Monday at midnight UTC
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '0 0 * * 1'
+  # Allow manual triggering for security scans
+  workflow_dispatch:

+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# CONCURRENCY: Cancel redundant runs when new commits are pushed to the same PR
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 concurrency:
-  group: ci-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.ref }}
+  group: ci-${{ github.head_ref || github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true

+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# PERMISSIONS: Minimal permissions required for this workflow
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 permissions:
-  contents: read
-  actions: read
+  contents: read          # Read repository contents
+  actions: read           # Read workflow runs
+  security-events: write  # Upload CodeQL results
+  pull-requests: write    # Update PR labels
+  checks: read            # Read check run status
+
+# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+#                                    JOBS
+# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

 jobs:
-  # Python tests
-  test-python:
+
+  # ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+  # │ STAGE 1: PR SETUP                                                           │
+  # │                                                                             │
+  # │ Purpose: Initialize PR with labels and "Checking" status                    │
+  # │ Runs: First, before any other job                                           │
+  # │ Labels: Status (Checking), Type, Area, Size                                 │
+  # └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+  stage-1-setup:
+    name: "Stage 1: PR Setup"
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Skip for fork PRs (they cannot write labels) and scheduled runs (no PR context)
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+
+    steps:
+      - name: "1.1 Apply Labels and Set Checking Status"
+        uses: actions/github-script@v7
+        with:
+          retries: 3
+          retry-exempt-status-codes: 400,401,403,404,422
+          script: |
+            const { owner, repo } = context.repo;
+            const pr = context.payload.pull_request;
+            const prNumber = pr.number;
+            const title = pr.title;
+
+            console.log(`\n${'═'.repeat(60)}`);
+            console.log(`  PR #${prNumber}: ${title}`);
+            console.log(`${'═'.repeat(60)}\n`);
+
+            const labelsToAdd = new Set();
+            const labelsToRemove = new Set();
+
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            // STATUS LABEL: Set to "Checking" while CI runs
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            const statusLabels = ['🔄 Checking', '✅ Ready for Review', '❌ Checks Failed'];
+            statusLabels.forEach(l => labelsToRemove.add(l));
+            labelsToAdd.add('🔄 Checking');
+            console.log('Status: 🔄 Checking');
+
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            // TYPE LABEL: Extracted from Conventional Commit prefix
+            // Format: type(scope)!: description
+            // Examples: feat:, fix(ui):, docs!:, refactor(api):
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            const typeMap = {
+              'feat': 'feature',      // New feature
+              'fix': 'bug',           // Bug fix
+              'docs': 'documentation',// Documentation only
+              'refactor': 'refactor', // Code refactoring
+              'test': 'test',         // Adding/updating tests
+              'ci': 'ci',             // CI/CD changes
+              'chore': 'chore',       // Maintenance tasks
+              'perf': 'performance',  // Performance improvements
+              'style': 'style',       // Code style changes
+              'build': 'build'        // Build system changes
+            };
+
+            const typeMatch = title.match(/^(\w+)(\(.+?\))?(!)?:/);
+            if (typeMatch) {
+              const type = typeMatch[1].toLowerCase();
+              const isBreaking = typeMatch[3] === '!';
+
+              if (typeMap[type]) {
+                labelsToAdd.add(typeMap[type]);
+                console.log(`Type: ${typeMap[type]}`);
+              }
+              if (isBreaking) {
+                labelsToAdd.add('breaking-change');
+                console.log('⚠️  Breaking change detected');
+              }
+            } else {
+              console.log('Type: (no conventional commit prefix detected)');
+            }
+
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            // AREA LABEL: Determined by which files were changed
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            let files = [];
+            try {
+              const { data } = await github.rest.pulls.listFiles({
+                owner, repo, pull_number: prNumber, per_page: 100
+              });
+              files = data;
+            } catch (e) {
+              console.log(`Warning: Could not fetch changed files: ${e.message}`);
+            }
+
+            const areas = { frontend: false, backend: false, ci: false };
+            for (const file of files) {
+              const path = file.filename;
+              if (path.startsWith('apps/frontend/')) areas.frontend = true;
+              if (path.startsWith('apps/backend/') || path.startsWith('tests/')) areas.backend = true;
+              if (path.startsWith('.github/')) areas.ci = true;
+            }
+
+            // Area labels are mutually exclusive
+            const areaLabels = ['area/frontend', 'area/backend', 'area/fullstack', 'area/ci'];
+            let areaLabel = null;
+
+            if (areas.frontend && areas.backend) {
+              areaLabel = 'area/fullstack';
+            } else if (areas.frontend) {
+              areaLabel = 'area/frontend';
+            } else if (areas.backend) {
+              areaLabel = 'area/backend';
+            } else if (areas.ci) {
+              areaLabel = 'area/ci';
+            }
+
+            if (areaLabel) {
+              labelsToAdd.add(areaLabel);
+              areaLabels.filter(l => l !== areaLabel).forEach(l => labelsToRemove.add(l));
+              console.log(`Area: ${areaLabel.replace('area/', '')}`);
+            }
+
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            // SIZE LABEL: Based on total lines changed
+            // XS: <10, S: <100, M: <500, L: <1000, XL: >=1000
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            const additions = pr.additions || 0;
+            const deletions = pr.deletions || 0;
+            const totalLines = additions + deletions;
+
+            const sizeLabels = ['size/XS', 'size/S', 'size/M', 'size/L', 'size/XL'];
+            const sizeLabel = totalLines < 10 ? 'size/XS' :
+                             totalLines < 100 ? 'size/S' :
+                             totalLines < 500 ? 'size/M' :
+                             totalLines < 1000 ? 'size/L' : 'size/XL';
+
+            labelsToAdd.add(sizeLabel);
+            sizeLabels.filter(l => l !== sizeLabel).forEach(l => labelsToRemove.add(l));
+            console.log(`Size: ${sizeLabel.replace('size/', '')} (+${additions}/-${deletions} = ${totalLines} lines)`);
+
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            // APPLY LABELS
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            console.log(`\n${'─'.repeat(60)}`);
+            console.log('Applying labels...');
+
+            // Remove old labels first
+            const removeArray = [...labelsToRemove].filter(l => !labelsToAdd.has(l));
+            for (const label of removeArray) {
+              try {
+                await github.rest.issues.removeLabel({
+                  owner, repo, issue_number: prNumber, name: label
+                });
+              } catch (e) {
+                // Ignore 404 (label not present)
+              }
+            }
+
+            // Add new labels
+            const addArray = [...labelsToAdd];
+            if (addArray.length > 0) {
+              try {
+                await github.rest.issues.addLabels({
+                  owner, repo, issue_number: prNumber, labels: addArray
+                });
+                console.log(`✓ Labels applied: ${addArray.join(', ')}`);
+              } catch (e) {
+                if (e.status === 404) {
+                  core.warning('Some labels do not exist. Please create them in Settings > Labels.');
+                  // Try adding labels one by one
+                  for (const label of addArray) {
+                    try {
+                      await github.rest.issues.addLabels({
+                        owner, repo, issue_number: prNumber, labels: [label]
+                      });
+                    } catch (e2) {
+                      console.log(`  ⚠ Label '${label}' does not exist`);
+                    }
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+
+            console.log(`${'─'.repeat(60)}\n`);
+
+  # ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+  # │ STAGE 2: CHANGE DETECTION                                                   │
+  # │                                                                             │
+  # │ Purpose: Analyze changed files to determine which tests to run              │
+  # │ Runs: After Stage 1 completes                                               │
+  # │ Outputs: backend, frontend, any_code, skip_tests                            │
+  # └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+  stage-2-changes:
+    name: "Stage 2: Detect Changes"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: stage-1-setup
+    # Always run even if stage-1 was skipped (fork PRs)
+    if: always()
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+
+    outputs:
+      backend: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.backend }}
+      frontend: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.frontend }}
+      any_code: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.any_code }}
+      skip_tests: ${{ steps.evaluate.outputs.skip_tests }}
+      scheduled_scan: ${{ steps.evaluate.outputs.scheduled_scan }}
+
+    steps:
+      - name: "2.1 Checkout Repository"
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: "2.2 Analyze Changed Files"
+        id: filter
+        uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
+        with:
+          filters: |
+            backend:
+              - 'apps/backend/**'
+              - 'tests/**'
+              - 'requirements*.txt'
+            frontend:
+              - 'apps/frontend/**'
+              - 'package*.json'
+            any_code:
+              - 'apps/**'
+              - 'tests/**'
+              - 'package*.json'
+              - 'requirements*.txt'
+
+      - name: "2.3 Evaluate Test Requirements"
+        id: evaluate
+        run: |
+          echo ""
+          echo "═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════"
+          echo "  CHANGE DETECTION RESULTS"
+          echo "═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════"
+          echo ""
+
+          # For scheduled runs, always run security scans on all code
+          if [ "${{ github.event_name }}" = "schedule" ] || [ "${{ github.event_name }}" = "workflow_dispatch" ]; then
+            echo "  Event type: ${{ github.event_name }}"
+            echo "  → Scheduled/manual security scan - running all checks"
+            echo ""
+            echo "skip_tests=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+            echo "scheduled_scan=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          else
+            echo "  Backend changes:  ${{ steps.filter.outputs.backend }}"
+            echo "  Frontend changes: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.frontend }}"
+            echo "  Any code changes: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.any_code }}"
+            echo ""
+            echo "scheduled_scan=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+            if [ "${{ steps.filter.outputs.any_code }}" = "false" ]; then
+              echo "skip_tests=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+              echo "  → No code changes detected"
+              echo "  → Tests will be SKIPPED (docs/config only changes)"
+            else
+              echo "skip_tests=false" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+              echo "  → Code changes detected"
+              echo "  → Tests will be EXECUTED"
+            fi
+          fi
+
+          echo ""
+          echo "═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════"
+
+  # ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+  # │ STAGE 3: QUALITY GATES                                                      │
+  # │                                                                             │
+  # │ Purpose: Run tests, linting, and security scans based on detected changes  │
+  # │ Runs: After Stage 2, jobs run in parallel where possible                    │
+  # │ Jobs: Python Tests, Frontend Tests, Python Lint, CodeQL, Bandit            │
+  # └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+
+  # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  # PYTHON TESTS: Run pytest across Python version matrix
+  # Triggered: When backend files change
+  # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  stage-3-test-python:
+    name: "Stage 3: Python Tests (${{ matrix.python-version }})"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: stage-2-changes
+    if: needs.stage-2-changes.outputs.backend == 'true'
+    timeout-minutes: 15
+
    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
      matrix:
        python-version: ['3.12', '3.13']

    steps:
-      - name: Checkout
+      - name: "3.1 Checkout Repository"
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

-      - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+      - name: "3.2 Setup Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}"
        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
        with:
          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}

-      - name: Install uv
+      - name: "3.3 Setup UV Package Manager"
        uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v4
        with:
          version: "latest"

-      - name: Install dependencies
+      - name: "3.4 Install Dependencies"
        working-directory: apps/backend
        run: |
          uv venv
          uv pip install -r requirements.txt
          uv pip install -r ../../tests/requirements-test.txt

-      - name: Run tests
+      - name: "3.5 Run Test Suite"
        working-directory: apps/backend
        env:
          PYTHONPATH: ${{ github.workspace }}/apps/backend
@@ -51,16 +388,20 @@ jobs:
          source .venv/bin/activate
          pytest ../../tests/ -v --tb=short -x

-      - name: Run tests with coverage
+      - name: "3.6 Run Tests with Coverage"
        if: matrix.python-version == '3.12'
        working-directory: apps/backend
        env:
          PYTHONPATH: ${{ github.workspace }}/apps/backend
        run: |
          source .venv/bin/activate
-          pytest ../../tests/ -v --cov=. --cov-report=xml --cov-report=term-missing --cov-fail-under=20
+          pytest ../../tests/ -v \
+            --cov=. \
+            --cov-report=xml \
+            --cov-report=term-missing \
+            --cov-fail-under=20

-      - name: Upload coverage reports
+      - name: "3.7 Upload Coverage to Codecov"
        if: matrix.python-version == '3.12'
        uses: codecov/codecov-action@v4
        with:
@@ -69,44 +410,366 @@ jobs:
        env:
          CODECOV_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CODECOV_TOKEN }}

-  # Frontend lint, typecheck, test, and build
-  test-frontend:
+  # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  # FRONTEND TESTS: Lint, typecheck, test, and build
+  # Triggered: When frontend files change
+  # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  stage-3-test-frontend:
+    name: "Stage 3: Frontend Tests"
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: stage-2-changes
+    if: needs.stage-2-changes.outputs.frontend == 'true'
+    timeout-minutes: 15
+
    steps:
-      - name: Checkout
+      - name: "3.1 Checkout Repository"
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

-      - name: Setup Node.js
+      - name: "3.2 Setup Node.js"
        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: '24'

-      - name: Get npm cache directory
-        id: npm-cache
-        run: echo "dir=$(npm config get cache)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-
-      - uses: actions/cache@v4
+      - name: "3.3 Cache npm Dependencies"
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
        with:
-          path: ${{ steps.npm-cache.outputs.dir }}
+          path: ~/.npm
          key: ${{ runner.os }}-npm-${{ hashFiles('**/package-lock.json') }}
          restore-keys: ${{ runner.os }}-npm-

-      - name: Install dependencies
+      - name: "3.4 Install Dependencies"
        working-directory: apps/frontend
        run: npm ci --ignore-scripts

-      - name: Lint
+      - name: "3.5 Run ESLint"
        working-directory: apps/frontend
        run: npm run lint

-      - name: Type check
+      - name: "3.6 Run TypeScript Type Check"
        working-directory: apps/frontend
        run: npm run typecheck

-      - name: Run tests
+      - name: "3.7 Run Unit Tests"
        working-directory: apps/frontend
        run: npm run test

-      - name: Build
+      - name: "3.8 Build Application"
        working-directory: apps/frontend
        run: npm run build
+
+  # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  # PYTHON LINT: Check code style and formatting with Ruff
+  # Triggered: When backend files change
+  # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  stage-3-lint-python:
+    name: "Stage 3: Python Lint"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: stage-2-changes
+    if: needs.stage-2-changes.outputs.backend == 'true'
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+
+    steps:
+      - name: "3.1 Checkout Repository"
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: "3.2 Setup Python"
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.12'
+
+      # Ruff version pinned to match .pre-commit-config.yaml
+      - name: "3.3 Install Ruff"
+        run: pip install ruff==0.14.10
+
+      - name: "3.4 Run Ruff Linter"
+        run: ruff check apps/backend/ --output-format=github
+
+      - name: "3.5 Check Code Formatting"
+        run: ruff format apps/backend/ --check --diff
+
+  # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  # CODEQL: Static analysis for security vulnerabilities
+  # Triggered: When any code files change OR on scheduled/manual security scans
+  # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  stage-3-codeql:
+    name: "Stage 3: CodeQL (${{ matrix.language }})"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: stage-2-changes
+    # Run on code changes OR scheduled/manual security scans
+    if: needs.stage-2-changes.outputs.any_code == 'true' || needs.stage-2-changes.outputs.scheduled_scan == 'true'
+    timeout-minutes: 30
+
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        language: [python, javascript-typescript]
+
+    steps:
+      - name: "3.1 Checkout Repository"
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: "3.2 Initialize CodeQL"
+        uses: github/codeql-action/init@v3
+        with:
+          languages: ${{ matrix.language }}
+          queries: +security-extended,security-and-quality
+
+      - name: "3.3 Autobuild"
+        uses: github/codeql-action/autobuild@v3
+
+      - name: "3.4 Run CodeQL Analysis"
+        uses: github/codeql-action/analyze@v3
+        with:
+          category: "/language:${{ matrix.language }}"
+
+  # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  # PYTHON SECURITY: Bandit security scanner for Python code
+  # Triggered: When backend files change OR on scheduled/manual security scans
+  # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+  stage-3-security-python:
+    name: "Stage 3: Python Security"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: stage-2-changes
+    # Run on backend changes OR scheduled/manual security scans
+    if: needs.stage-2-changes.outputs.backend == 'true' || needs.stage-2-changes.outputs.scheduled_scan == 'true'
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+
+    steps:
+      - name: "3.1 Checkout Repository"
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: "3.2 Setup Python"
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.12'
+
+      - name: "3.3 Install Bandit"
+        run: pip install bandit
+
+      - name: "3.4 Run Bandit Security Scan"
+        id: bandit
+        run: |
+          # Run Bandit and capture exit code
+          # Exit 0 = no issues, Exit 1 = issues found, Exit > 1 = real error
+          set +e
+          bandit -r apps/backend/ -ll -ii -f json -o bandit-report.json
+          BANDIT_EXIT=$?
+          set -e
+
+          if [ $BANDIT_EXIT -eq 0 ]; then
+            echo "✓ Bandit scan completed - no issues found"
+            echo "scan_status=clean" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          elif [ $BANDIT_EXIT -eq 1 ]; then
+            echo "⚠ Bandit scan completed - security issues found"
+            echo "scan_status=issues_found" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          else
+            echo "✗ Bandit scan failed with exit code $BANDIT_EXIT"
+            echo "  This indicates a configuration error or missing directory"
+            exit $BANDIT_EXIT
+          fi
+
+      - name: "3.5 Analyze Security Results"
+        uses: actions/github-script@v7
+        with:
+          script: |
+            const fs = require('fs');
+            const scanStatus = '${{ steps.bandit.outputs.scan_status }}';
+
+            if (!fs.existsSync('bandit-report.json')) {
+              core.setFailed('Bandit report not found - scan failed before producing output');
+              return;
+            }
+
+            // If scan was clean, we can skip detailed analysis
+            if (scanStatus === 'clean') {
+              console.log('\n' + '═'.repeat(60));
+              console.log('  BANDIT SECURITY SCAN RESULTS');
+              console.log('═'.repeat(60));
+              console.log('\n✓ No security issues found\n');
+              console.log('═'.repeat(60) + '\n');
+              return;
+            }
+
+            const report = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('bandit-report.json', 'utf8'));
+            const results = report.results || [];
+
+            // Categorize by severity
+            const high = results.filter(r => r.issue_severity === 'HIGH');
+            const medium = results.filter(r => r.issue_severity === 'MEDIUM');
+            const low = results.filter(r => r.issue_severity === 'LOW');
+
+            console.log('\n' + '═'.repeat(60));
+            console.log('  BANDIT SECURITY SCAN RESULTS');
+            console.log('═'.repeat(60));
+            console.log(`\n  HIGH:   ${high.length}`);
+            console.log(`  MEDIUM: ${medium.length}`);
+            console.log(`  LOW:    ${low.length}\n`);
+
+            if (high.length > 0) {
+              console.log('─'.repeat(60));
+              console.log('  HIGH SEVERITY ISSUES:');
+              console.log('─'.repeat(60));
+              for (const issue of high) {
+                console.log(`\n  📍 ${issue.filename}:${issue.line_number}`);
+                console.log(`     ${issue.issue_text}`);
+                console.log(`     Test: ${issue.test_id} (${issue.test_name})`);
+              }
+              console.log('\n' + '═'.repeat(60));
+              core.setFailed(`Found ${high.length} high severity security issue(s)`);
+            } else {
+              console.log('✓ No high severity security issues found');
+              console.log('═'.repeat(60) + '\n');
+            }
+
+  # ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+  # │ STAGE 4: STATUS UPDATE                                                      │
+  # │                                                                             │
+  # │ Purpose: Aggregate results from all quality gates and update PR status      │
+  # │ Runs: After ALL Stage 3 jobs complete (success, failure, or skipped)        │
+  # │ Updates: PR label to "Ready for Review" or "Checks Failed"                  │
+  # └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+  stage-4-status:
+    name: "Stage 4: Update PR Status"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs:
+      - stage-2-changes
+      - stage-3-test-python
+      - stage-3-test-frontend
+      - stage-3-lint-python
+      - stage-3-codeql
+      - stage-3-security-python
+    # Always run to update status, even if previous jobs failed or were skipped
+    # For scheduled runs, skip PR label updates (no PR context)
+    if: always() && (github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository || github.event_name == 'schedule' || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch')
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+
+    steps:
+      - name: "4.1 Evaluate CI Results and Update PR"
+        uses: actions/github-script@v7
+        with:
+          script: |
+            const { owner, repo } = context.repo;
+            const eventName = '${{ github.event_name }}';
+            const isScheduledRun = eventName === 'schedule' || eventName === 'workflow_dispatch';
+            const prNumber = context.payload.pull_request?.number;
+
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            // COLLECT RESULTS FROM ALL QUALITY GATE JOBS
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            const results = {
+              'Python Tests':    '${{ needs.stage-3-test-python.result }}',
+              'Frontend Tests':  '${{ needs.stage-3-test-frontend.result }}',
+              'Python Lint':     '${{ needs.stage-3-lint-python.result }}',
+              'CodeQL':          '${{ needs.stage-3-codeql.result }}',
+              'Python Security': '${{ needs.stage-3-security-python.result }}'
+            };
+
+            const skipTests = '${{ needs.stage-2-changes.outputs.skip_tests }}' === 'true';
+
+            console.log('\n' + '═'.repeat(60));
+            if (isScheduledRun) {
+              console.log('  SCHEDULED SECURITY SCAN RESULTS');
+            } else {
+              console.log('  CI PIPELINE RESULTS');
+            }
+            console.log('═'.repeat(60) + '\n');
+
+            if (skipTests && !isScheduledRun) {
+              console.log('  ℹ️  No code changes detected - tests were skipped\n');
+            }
+
+            console.log('  Job Results:');
+            console.log('  ' + '─'.repeat(40));
+            for (const [job, result] of Object.entries(results)) {
+              const icon = result === 'success' ? '✓' :
+                          result === 'skipped' ? '○' :
+                          result === 'failure' ? '✗' : '?';
+              console.log(`    ${icon} ${job}: ${result}`);
+            }
+            console.log('  ' + '─'.repeat(40) + '\n');
+
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            // DETERMINE FINAL STATUS
+            // Success and skipped are acceptable; failure is not
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            const acceptable = ['success', 'skipped'];
+            const failed = Object.entries(results)
+              .filter(([_, result]) => !acceptable.includes(result))
+              .map(([job, _]) => job);
+
+            const statusLabels = {
+              checking: '🔄 Checking',
+              passed: '✅ Ready for Review',
+              failed: '❌ Checks Failed'
+            };
+
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            // UPDATE PR LABELS (skip for scheduled runs - no PR context)
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            if (!isScheduledRun && prNumber) {
+              // Remove all status labels first
+              for (const label of Object.values(statusLabels)) {
+                try {
+                  await github.rest.issues.removeLabel({
+                    owner, repo, issue_number: prNumber, name: label
+                  });
+                } catch (e) {
+                  // Ignore 404 (label not present)
+                }
+              }
+
+              // Add appropriate status label
+              const newLabel = failed.length > 0 ? statusLabels.failed : statusLabels.passed;
+              try {
+                await github.rest.issues.addLabels({
+                  owner, repo, issue_number: prNumber, labels: [newLabel]
+                });
+              } catch (e) {
+                if (e.status === 404) {
+                  core.warning(`Label '${newLabel}' does not exist. Please create it in Settings > Labels.`);
+                }
+              }
+            }
+
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            // GENERATE SUMMARY
+            // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+            if (failed.length > 0) {
+              const resultType = isScheduledRun ? 'SECURITY SCAN FAILED' : 'CI FAILED';
+              console.log(`  ❌ RESULT: ${resultType}`);
+              console.log(`     Failed jobs: ${failed.join(', ')}`);
+              console.log('\n' + '═'.repeat(60) + '\n');
+
+              core.summary.addRaw(`## ❌ ${resultType}\n\n`);
+              core.summary.addRaw(`The following checks failed:\n`);
+              for (const job of failed) {
+                core.summary.addRaw(`- ${job}\n`);
+              }
+              core.setFailed(`${resultType}: ${failed.join(', ')}`);
+
+            } else if (isScheduledRun) {
+              console.log(`  ✅ RESULT: SECURITY SCAN PASSED`);
+              console.log(`     All security checks passed`);
+              console.log('\n' + '═'.repeat(60) + '\n');
+
+              core.summary.addRaw(`## ✅ Weekly Security Scan Passed\n\n`);
+              core.summary.addRaw(`All scheduled security checks (CodeQL, Bandit) completed successfully.\n`);
+
+            } else if (skipTests) {
+              console.log(`  ✅ RESULT: READY FOR REVIEW`);
+              console.log(`     No code changes - tests skipped`);
+              console.log('\n' + '═'.repeat(60) + '\n');
+
+              core.summary.addRaw(`## ✅ Ready for Review\n\n`);
+              core.summary.addRaw(`No code changes detected. Documentation or configuration changes only.\n`);
+
+            } else {
+              console.log(`  ✅ RESULT: READY FOR REVIEW`);
+              console.log(`     All quality gates passed`);
+              console.log('\n' + '═'.repeat(60) + '\n');
+
+              core.summary.addRaw(`## ✅ Ready for Review\n\n`);
+              core.summary.addRaw(`All CI checks passed successfully.\n`);
+            }
+
+            await core.summary.write();
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+name: Community
+
+# Consolidated community automation:
+# - Welcome messages for first-time contributors (issues & PRs)
+# - Auto-label issues based on form selection
+# - Mark and close stale issues
+
+on:
+  issues:
+    types: [opened]
+  pull_request_target:
+    types: [opened]
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '0 0 * * 0'  # Every Sunday at midnight UTC
+  workflow_dispatch:  # Allow manual trigger for stale check
+
+jobs:
+  # ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+  # WELCOME - First-time contributor welcome messages
+  # ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+  welcome:
+    name: Welcome New Contributors
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request_target' || github.event_name == 'issues'
+    permissions:
+      issues: write
+      pull-requests: write
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/first-interaction@v1.4.0
+        with:
+          repo-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          issue-message: |
+            Thanks for opening your first issue!
+
+            A maintainer will triage this soon. In the meantime:
+            - Make sure you've provided all the requested info
+            - Join our [Discord](https://discord.gg/QhRnz9m5HE) for faster help
+          pr-message: |
+            Thanks for your first PR!
+
+            A maintainer will review it soon. Please make sure:
+            - Your branch is synced with `develop`
+            - CI checks pass
+            - You've followed our [contribution guide](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/blob/develop/CONTRIBUTING.md)
+
+            Welcome to the Auto Claude community!
+
+  # ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+  # ISSUE LABELS - Auto-label issues based on form area selection
+  # ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+  issue-labels:
+    name: Label Issue by Area
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event_name == 'issues'
+    permissions:
+      issues: write
+    steps:
+      - name: Add area label from form
+        uses: actions/github-script@v7
+        with:
+          script: |
+            const issue = context.payload.issue;
+            const body = issue.body || '';
+
+            console.log(`Processing issue #${issue.number}: ${issue.title}`);
+
+            // Map form selection to label
+            const areaMap = {
+              'Frontend': 'area/frontend',
+              'Backend': 'area/backend',
+              'Fullstack': 'area/fullstack'
+            };
+
+            const labels = [];
+
+            for (const [key, label] of Object.entries(areaMap)) {
+              if (body.includes(key)) {
+                console.log(`Found area: ${key}, adding label: ${label}`);
+                labels.push(label);
+                break;
+              }
+            }
+
+            if (labels.length > 0) {
+              try {
+                await github.rest.issues.addLabels({
+                  owner: context.repo.owner,
+                  repo: context.repo.repo,
+                  issue_number: issue.number,
+                  labels: labels
+                });
+                console.log(`Successfully added labels: ${labels.join(', ')}`);
+              } catch (error) {
+                core.setFailed(`Failed to add labels: ${error.message}`);
+              }
+            } else {
+              console.log('No matching area found in issue body');
+            }
+
+  # ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+  # STALE - Mark and close inactive issues
+  # ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+  stale:
+    name: Mark Stale Issues
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event_name == 'schedule' || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
+    permissions:
+      issues: write
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/stale@v9
+        with:
+          stale-issue-message: |
+            This issue has been inactive for 60 days. It will be closed in 14 days if there's no activity.
+
+            - If this is still relevant, please comment or update the issue
+            - If you're working on this, add the `in-progress` label
+          close-issue-message: 'Closed due to inactivity. Feel free to reopen if still relevant.'
+          stale-issue-label: 'stale'
+          days-before-stale: 60
+          days-before-close: 14
+          exempt-issue-labels: 'priority/critical,priority/high,in-progress,blocked'
@@ -1,53 +0,0 @@
-name: Issue Auto Label
-
-on:
-  issues:
-    types: [opened]
-
-jobs:
-  label-area:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    permissions:
-      issues: write
-    steps:
-      - name: Add area label from form
-        uses: actions/github-script@v7
-        with:
-          script: |
-            const issue = context.payload.issue;
-            const body = issue.body || '';
-
-            console.log(`Processing issue #${issue.number}: ${issue.title}`);
-
-            // Map form selection to label
-            const areaMap = {
-              'Frontend': 'area/frontend',
-              'Backend': 'area/backend',
-              'Fullstack': 'area/fullstack'
-            };
-
-            const labels = [];
-
-            for (const [key, label] of Object.entries(areaMap)) {
-              if (body.includes(key)) {
-                console.log(`Found area: ${key}, adding label: ${label}`);
-                labels.push(label);
-                break;
-              }
-            }
-
-            if (labels.length > 0) {
-              try {
-                await github.rest.issues.addLabels({
-                  owner: context.repo.owner,
-                  repo: context.repo.repo,
-                  issue_number: issue.number,
-                  labels: labels
-                });
-                console.log(`Successfully added labels: ${labels.join(', ')}`);
-              } catch (error) {
-                core.setFailed(`Failed to add labels: ${error.message}`);
-              }
-            } else {
-              console.log('No matching area found in issue body');
-            }
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-name: Lint
-
-on:
-  push:
-    branches: [main, develop]
-  pull_request:
-    branches: [main, develop]
-
-concurrency:
-  group: lint-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || github.ref }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
-
-jobs:
-  # Python linting
-  python:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-      - name: Set up Python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
-        with:
-          python-version: '3.12'
-
-      # Pin ruff version to match .pre-commit-config.yaml (astral-sh/ruff-pre-commit rev)
-      - name: Install ruff
-        run: pip install ruff==0.14.10
-
-      - name: Run ruff check
-        run: ruff check apps/backend/ --output-format=github
-
-      - name: Run ruff format check
-        run: ruff format apps/backend/ --check --diff
@@ -1,227 +0,0 @@
-name: PR Auto Label
-
-on:
-  pull_request:
-    types: [opened, synchronize, reopened]
-
-# Cancel in-progress runs for the same PR
-concurrency:
-  group: pr-auto-label-${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
-
-permissions:
-  contents: read
-  pull-requests: write
-
-jobs:
-  label:
-    name: Auto Label PR
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    # Don't run on fork PRs (they can't write labels)
-    if: github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
-    timeout-minutes: 5
-    steps:
-      - name: Auto-label PR
-        uses: actions/github-script@v7
-        with:
-          retries: 3
-          retry-exempt-status-codes: 400,401,403,404,422
-          script: |
-            const { owner, repo } = context.repo;
-            const pr = context.payload.pull_request;
-            const prNumber = pr.number;
-            const title = pr.title;
-
-            console.log(`::group::PR #${prNumber} - Auto-labeling`);
-            console.log(`Title: ${title}`);
-
-            const labelsToAdd = new Set();
-            const labelsToRemove = new Set();
-
-            // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-            // TYPE LABELS (from PR title - Conventional Commits)
-            // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-            const typeMap = {
-              'feat': 'feature',
-              'fix': 'bug',
-              'docs': 'documentation',
-              'refactor': 'refactor',
-              'test': 'test',
-              'ci': 'ci',
-              'chore': 'chore',
-              'perf': 'performance',
-              'style': 'style',
-              'build': 'build'
-            };
-
-            const typeMatch = title.match(/^(\w+)(\(.+?\))?(!)?:/);
-            if (typeMatch) {
-              const type = typeMatch[1].toLowerCase();
-              const isBreaking = typeMatch[3] === '!';
-
-              if (typeMap[type]) {
-                labelsToAdd.add(typeMap[type]);
-                console.log(`  📝 Type: ${type} → ${typeMap[type]}`);
-              }
-
-              if (isBreaking) {
-                labelsToAdd.add('breaking-change');
-                console.log(`  ⚠️ Breaking change detected`);
-              }
-            } else {
-              console.log(`  ⚠️ No conventional commit prefix found in title`);
-            }
-
-            // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-            // AREA LABELS (from changed files)
-            // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-            let files = [];
-            try {
-              const { data } = await github.rest.pulls.listFiles({
-                owner,
-                repo,
-                pull_number: prNumber,
-                per_page: 100
-              });
-              files = data;
-            } catch (e) {
-              console.log(`  ⚠️ Could not fetch files: ${e.message}`);
-            }
-
-            const areas = {
-              frontend: false,
-              backend: false,
-              ci: false,
-              docs: false,
-              tests: false
-            };
-
-            for (const file of files) {
-              const path = file.filename;
-              if (path.startsWith('apps/frontend/')) areas.frontend = true;
-              if (path.startsWith('apps/backend/')) areas.backend = true;
-              if (path.startsWith('.github/')) areas.ci = true;
-              if (path.endsWith('.md') || path.startsWith('docs/')) areas.docs = true;
-              if (path.startsWith('tests/') || path.includes('.test.') || path.includes('.spec.')) areas.tests = true;
-            }
-
-            // Determine area label (mutually exclusive)
-            const areaLabels = ['area/frontend', 'area/backend', 'area/fullstack', 'area/ci'];
-
-            if (areas.frontend && areas.backend) {
-              labelsToAdd.add('area/fullstack');
-              areaLabels.filter(l => l !== 'area/fullstack').forEach(l => labelsToRemove.add(l));
-              console.log(`  📁 Area: fullstack (${files.length} files)`);
-            } else if (areas.frontend) {
-              labelsToAdd.add('area/frontend');
-              areaLabels.filter(l => l !== 'area/frontend').forEach(l => labelsToRemove.add(l));
-              console.log(`  📁 Area: frontend (${files.length} files)`);
-            } else if (areas.backend) {
-              labelsToAdd.add('area/backend');
-              areaLabels.filter(l => l !== 'area/backend').forEach(l => labelsToRemove.add(l));
-              console.log(`  📁 Area: backend (${files.length} files)`);
-            } else if (areas.ci) {
-              labelsToAdd.add('area/ci');
-              areaLabels.filter(l => l !== 'area/ci').forEach(l => labelsToRemove.add(l));
-              console.log(`  📁 Area: ci (${files.length} files)`);
-            }
-
-            // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-            // SIZE LABELS (from lines changed)
-            // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-            const additions = pr.additions || 0;
-            const deletions = pr.deletions || 0;
-            const totalLines = additions + deletions;
-
-            const sizeLabels = ['size/XS', 'size/S', 'size/M', 'size/L', 'size/XL'];
-            let sizeLabel;
-
-            if (totalLines < 10) sizeLabel = 'size/XS';
-            else if (totalLines < 100) sizeLabel = 'size/S';
-            else if (totalLines < 500) sizeLabel = 'size/M';
-            else if (totalLines < 1000) sizeLabel = 'size/L';
-            else sizeLabel = 'size/XL';
-
-            labelsToAdd.add(sizeLabel);
-            sizeLabels.filter(l => l !== sizeLabel).forEach(l => labelsToRemove.add(l));
-            console.log(`  📏 Size: ${sizeLabel} (+${additions}/-${deletions} = ${totalLines} lines)`);
-
-            console.log('::endgroup::');
-
-            // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-            // APPLY LABELS
-            // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-            console.log(`::group::Applying labels`);
-
-            // Remove old labels (in parallel)
-            const removeArray = [...labelsToRemove].filter(l => !labelsToAdd.has(l));
-            if (removeArray.length > 0) {
-              const removePromises = removeArray.map(async (label) => {
-                try {
-                  await github.rest.issues.removeLabel({
-                    owner,
-                    repo,
-                    issue_number: prNumber,
-                    name: label
-                  });
-                  console.log(`  ✓ Removed: ${label}`);
-                } catch (e) {
-                  if (e.status !== 404) {
-                    console.log(`  ⚠ Could not remove ${label}: ${e.message}`);
-                  }
-                }
-              });
-              await Promise.all(removePromises);
-            }
-
-            // Add new labels
-            const addArray = [...labelsToAdd];
-            if (addArray.length > 0) {
-              try {
-                await github.rest.issues.addLabels({
-                  owner,
-                  repo,
-                  issue_number: prNumber,
-                  labels: addArray
-                });
-                console.log(`  ✓ Added: ${addArray.join(', ')}`);
-              } catch (e) {
-                // Some labels might not exist
-                if (e.status === 404) {
-                  core.warning(`Some labels do not exist. Please create them in repository settings.`);
-                  // Try adding one by one
-                  for (const label of addArray) {
-                    try {
-                      await github.rest.issues.addLabels({
-                        owner,
-                        repo,
-                        issue_number: prNumber,
-                        labels: [label]
-                      });
-                    } catch (e2) {
-                      console.log(`  ⚠ Label '${label}' does not exist`);
-                    }
-                  }
-                } else {
-                  throw e;
-                }
-              }
-            }
-
-            console.log('::endgroup::');
-
-            // Summary
-            console.log(`✅ PR #${prNumber} labeled: ${addArray.join(', ')}`);
-
-            // Write job summary
-            core.summary
-              .addHeading(`PR #${prNumber} Auto-Labels`, 3)
-              .addTable([
-                [{data: 'Category', header: true}, {data: 'Label', header: true}],
-                ['Type', typeMatch ? typeMap[typeMatch[1].toLowerCase()] || 'none' : 'none'],
-                ['Area', areas.frontend && areas.backend ? 'fullstack' : areas.frontend ? 'frontend' : areas.backend ? 'backend' : 'other'],
-                ['Size', sizeLabel]
-              ])
-              .addRaw(`\n**Files changed:** ${files.length}\n`)
-              .addRaw(`**Lines:** +${additions} / -${deletions}\n`);
-            await core.summary.write();
@@ -1,72 +0,0 @@
-name: PR Status Check
-
-on:
-  pull_request:
-    types: [opened, synchronize, reopened]
-
-# Cancel in-progress runs for the same PR
-concurrency:
-  group: pr-status-${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
-
-permissions:
-  pull-requests: write
-
-jobs:
-  mark-checking:
-    name: Set Checking Status
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    # Don't run on fork PRs (they can't write labels)
-    if: github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name == github.repository
-    timeout-minutes: 5
-    steps:
-      - name: Update PR status label
-        uses: actions/github-script@v7
-        with:
-          retries: 3
-          retry-exempt-status-codes: 400,401,403,404,422
-          script: |
-            const { owner, repo } = context.repo;
-            const prNumber = context.payload.pull_request.number;
-            const statusLabels = ['🔄 Checking', '✅ Ready for Review', '❌ Checks Failed'];
-
-            console.log(`::group::PR #${prNumber} - Setting status to Checking`);
-
-            // Remove old status labels (parallel for speed)
-            const removePromises = statusLabels.map(async (label) => {
-              try {
-                await github.rest.issues.removeLabel({
-                  owner,
-                  repo,
-                  issue_number: prNumber,
-                  name: label
-                });
-                console.log(`  ✓ Removed: ${label}`);
-              } catch (e) {
-                if (e.status !== 404) {
-                  console.log(`  ⚠ Could not remove ${label}: ${e.message}`);
-                }
-              }
-            });
-
-            await Promise.all(removePromises);
-
-            // Add checking label
-            try {
-              await github.rest.issues.addLabels({
-                owner,
-                repo,
-                issue_number: prNumber,
-                labels: ['🔄 Checking']
-              });
-              console.log(`  ✓ Added: 🔄 Checking`);
-            } catch (e) {
-              // Label might not exist - create helpful error
-              if (e.status === 404) {
-                core.warning(`Label '🔄 Checking' does not exist. Please create it in repository settings.`);
-              }
-              throw e;
-            }
-
-            console.log('::endgroup::');
-            console.log(`✅ PR #${prNumber} marked as checking`);
@@ -1,191 +0,0 @@
-name: PR Status Gate
-
-on:
-  workflow_run:
-    workflows: [CI, Lint, Quality Security]
-    types: [completed]
-
-permissions:
-  pull-requests: write
-  checks: read
-
-jobs:
-  update-status:
-    name: Update PR Status
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    # Only run if this workflow_run is associated with a PR
-    if: github.event.workflow_run.pull_requests[0] != null
-    timeout-minutes: 5
-    steps:
-      - name: Check all required checks and update label
-        uses: actions/github-script@v7
-        with:
-          retries: 3
-          retry-exempt-status-codes: 400,401,403,404,422
-          script: |
-            const { owner, repo } = context.repo;
-            const prNumber = context.payload.workflow_run.pull_requests[0].number;
-            const headSha = context.payload.workflow_run.head_sha;
-            const triggerWorkflow = context.payload.workflow_run.name;
-
-            // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-            // REQUIRED CHECK RUNS - Job-level checks (not workflow-level)
-            // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-            // Format: "{Workflow Name} / {Job Name}" or "{Workflow Name} / {Job Custom Name}"
-            //
-            // To find check names: Go to PR → Checks tab → copy exact name
-            // To update: Edit this list when workflow jobs are added/renamed/removed
-            //
-            // Last validated: 2026-01-02
-            // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-            const requiredChecks = [
-              // CI workflow (ci.yml) - 3 checks
-              'CI / test-frontend',
-              'CI / test-python (3.12)',
-              'CI / test-python (3.13)',
-              // Lint workflow (lint.yml) - 1 check
-              'Lint / python',
-              // Quality Security workflow (quality-security.yml) - 4 checks
-              'Quality Security / CodeQL (javascript-typescript)',
-              'Quality Security / CodeQL (python)',
-              'Quality Security / Python Security (Bandit)',
-              'Quality Security / Security Summary'
-            ];
-
-            const statusLabels = {
-              checking: '🔄 Checking',
-              passed: '✅ Ready for Review',
-              failed: '❌ Checks Failed'
-            };
-
-            console.log(`::group::PR #${prNumber} - Checking required checks`);
-            console.log(`Triggered by: ${triggerWorkflow}`);
-            console.log(`Head SHA: ${headSha}`);
-            console.log(`Required checks: ${requiredChecks.length}`);
-            console.log('');
-
-            // Fetch all check runs for this commit
-            let allCheckRuns = [];
-            try {
-              const { data } = await github.rest.checks.listForRef({
-                owner,
-                repo,
-                ref: headSha,
-                per_page: 100
-              });
-              allCheckRuns = data.check_runs;
-              console.log(`Found ${allCheckRuns.length} total check runs`);
-            } catch (error) {
-              // Add warning annotation so maintainers are alerted
-              core.warning(`Failed to fetch check runs for PR #${prNumber}: ${error.message}. PR label may be outdated.`);
-              console.log(`::error::Failed to fetch check runs: ${error.message}`);
-              console.log('::endgroup::');
-              return;
-            }
-
-            let allComplete = true;
-            let anyFailed = false;
-            const results = [];
-
-            // Check each required check
-            for (const checkName of requiredChecks) {
-              const check = allCheckRuns.find(c => c.name === checkName);
-
-              if (!check) {
-                results.push({ name: checkName, status: '⏳ Pending', complete: false });
-                allComplete = false;
-              } else if (check.status !== 'completed') {
-                results.push({ name: checkName, status: '🔄 Running', complete: false });
-                allComplete = false;
-              } else if (check.conclusion === 'success') {
-                results.push({ name: checkName, status: '✅ Passed', complete: true });
-              } else if (check.conclusion === 'skipped') {
-                // Skipped checks are treated as passed (e.g., path filters, conditional jobs)
-                results.push({ name: checkName, status: '⏭️ Skipped', complete: true, skipped: true });
-              } else {
-                results.push({ name: checkName, status: '❌ Failed', complete: true, failed: true });
-                anyFailed = true;
-              }
-            }
-
-            // Print results table
-            console.log('');
-            console.log('Check Status:');
-            console.log('─'.repeat(70));
-            for (const r of results) {
-              const shortName = r.name.length > 55 ? r.name.substring(0, 52) + '...' : r.name;
-              console.log(`  ${r.status.padEnd(12)} ${shortName}`);
-            }
-            console.log('─'.repeat(70));
-            console.log('::endgroup::');
-
-            // Only update label if all required checks are complete
-            if (!allComplete) {
-              const pending = results.filter(r => !r.complete).length;
-              console.log(`⏳ ${pending}/${requiredChecks.length} checks still pending - keeping current label`);
-              return;
-            }
-
-            // Determine final label
-            const newLabel = anyFailed ? statusLabels.failed : statusLabels.passed;
-
-            console.log(`::group::Updating PR #${prNumber} label`);
-
-            // Remove old status labels
-            for (const label of Object.values(statusLabels)) {
-              try {
-                await github.rest.issues.removeLabel({
-                  owner,
-                  repo,
-                  issue_number: prNumber,
-                  name: label
-                });
-                console.log(`  ✓ Removed: ${label}`);
-              } catch (e) {
-                if (e.status !== 404) {
-                  console.log(`  ⚠ Could not remove ${label}: ${e.message}`);
-                }
-              }
-            }
-
-            // Add final status label
-            try {
-              await github.rest.issues.addLabels({
-                owner,
-                repo,
-                issue_number: prNumber,
-                labels: [newLabel]
-              });
-              console.log(`  ✓ Added: ${newLabel}`);
-            } catch (e) {
-              if (e.status === 404) {
-                core.warning(`Label '${newLabel}' does not exist. Please create it in repository settings.`);
-              }
-              throw e;
-            }
-
-            console.log('::endgroup::');
-
-            // Summary
-            const passedCount = results.filter(r => r.status === '✅ Passed').length;
-            const skippedCount = results.filter(r => r.skipped).length;
-            const failedCount = results.filter(r => r.failed).length;
-
-            if (anyFailed) {
-              console.log(`❌ PR #${prNumber} has ${failedCount} failing check(s)`);
-              core.summary.addRaw(`## ❌ PR #${prNumber} - Checks Failed\n\n`);
-              core.summary.addRaw(`**${failedCount}** of **${requiredChecks.length}** required checks failed.\n\n`);
-            } else {
-              const skippedNote = skippedCount > 0 ? ` (${skippedCount} skipped)` : '';
-              const totalSuccessful = passedCount + skippedCount;
-              console.log(`✅ PR #${prNumber} is ready for review (${totalSuccessful}/${requiredChecks.length} checks succeeded${skippedNote})`);
-              core.summary.addRaw(`## ✅ PR #${prNumber} - Ready for Review\n\n`);
-              core.summary.addRaw(`All **${requiredChecks.length}** required checks succeeded${skippedNote}.\n\n`);
-            }
-
-            // Add results to summary
-            core.summary.addTable([
-              [{data: 'Check', header: true}, {data: 'Status', header: true}],
-              ...results.map(r => [r.name, r.status])
-            ]);
-            await core.summary.write();
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 name: Prepare Release

 # Triggers when code is pushed to main (e.g., merging develop → main)
-# If package.json version is newer than the latest tag, creates a new tag
-# which then triggers the release.yml workflow
+# If package.json version is newer than the latest tag:
+# 1. Validates CHANGELOG.md has an entry for this version (FAILS if missing)
+# 2. Extracts release notes from CHANGELOG.md
+# 3. Creates a new tag which triggers release.yml

 on:
  push:
@@ -32,6 +34,70 @@ jobs:
          echo "version=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
          echo "Package version: $VERSION"

+      # Validate all version files are in sync before proceeding
+      - name: Validate version sync
+        run: |
+          echo "Validating version synchronization across all files..."
+
+          ROOT_VERSION=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
+          FRONTEND_VERSION=$(node -p "require('./apps/frontend/package.json').version")
+          # Extract Python version - handles both formats: __version__ = "X.Y.Z" or __version__="X.Y.Z"
+          BACKEND_VERSION=$(grep -oP '__version__\s*=\s*["\x27]\K[^"\x27]+' apps/backend/__init__.py || echo "NOT_FOUND")
+
+          echo "=========================================="
+          echo "Version Sync Validation"
+          echo "=========================================="
+          echo "Root package.json:          $ROOT_VERSION"
+          echo "Frontend package.json:      $FRONTEND_VERSION"
+          echo "Backend __init__.py:        $BACKEND_VERSION"
+          echo "=========================================="
+
+          ERRORS=0
+
+          if [ "$ROOT_VERSION" != "$FRONTEND_VERSION" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Version mismatch: root package.json ($ROOT_VERSION) != frontend package.json ($FRONTEND_VERSION)"
+            ERRORS=$((ERRORS + 1))
+          fi
+
+          if [ "$BACKEND_VERSION" = "NOT_FOUND" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Could not extract version from apps/backend/__init__.py"
+            ERRORS=$((ERRORS + 1))
+          elif [ "$ROOT_VERSION" != "$BACKEND_VERSION" ]; then
+            echo "::error::Version mismatch: root package.json ($ROOT_VERSION) != backend __init__.py ($BACKEND_VERSION)"
+            ERRORS=$((ERRORS + 1))
+          fi
+
+          if [ $ERRORS -gt 0 ]; then
+            echo ""
+            echo "::error::═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════"
+            echo "::error::  VERSION SYNC FAILED"
+            echo "::error::═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════"
+            echo "::error::"
+            echo "::error::  All version files must be in sync before releasing."
+            echo "::error::"
+            echo "::error::  To fix this, use the bump-version script:"
+            echo "::error::    node scripts/bump-version.js <patch|minor|major|X.Y.Z>"
+            echo "::error::"
+            echo "::error::  This will update all version files automatically."
+            echo "::error::═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════"
+
+            # Add to job summary
+            echo "## Version Sync Failed" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "| File | Version |" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "|------|---------|" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "| package.json | $ROOT_VERSION |" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "| apps/frontend/package.json | $FRONTEND_VERSION |" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "| apps/backend/__init__.py | $BACKEND_VERSION |" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "Use \`node scripts/bump-version.js <version>\` to sync all files." >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          echo ""
+          echo "All version files are in sync: $ROOT_VERSION"
+
      - name: Get latest tag version
        id: latest_tag
        run: |
@@ -67,8 +133,122 @@ jobs:
            echo "⏭️ No release needed (package version not newer than latest tag)"
          fi

-      - name: Create and push tag
+      # CRITICAL: Validate CHANGELOG.md has entry for this version BEFORE creating tag
+      - name: Validate and extract changelog
        if: steps.check.outputs.should_release == 'true'
+        id: changelog
+        run: |
+          VERSION="${{ steps.check.outputs.new_version }}"
+          CHANGELOG_FILE="CHANGELOG.md"
+
+          echo "🔍 Validating CHANGELOG.md for version $VERSION..."
+
+          if [ ! -f "$CHANGELOG_FILE" ]; then
+            echo "::error::CHANGELOG.md not found! Please create CHANGELOG.md with release notes."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          # Extract changelog section for this version
+          # Looks for "## X.Y.Z" header and captures until next "## " or "---" or end
+          CHANGELOG_CONTENT=$(awk -v ver="$VERSION" '
+            BEGIN { found=0; content="" }
+            /^## / {
+              if (found) exit
+              # Match version at start of header (e.g., "## 2.7.3 -" or "## 2.7.3")
+              if ($2 == ver || $2 ~ "^"ver"[[:space:]]*-") {
+                found=1
+                # Skip the header line itself, we will add our own
+                next
+              }
+            }
+            /^---$/ { if (found) exit }
+            found { content = content $0 "\n" }
+            END {
+              if (!found) {
+                print "NOT_FOUND"
+                exit 1
+              }
+              # Trim leading/trailing whitespace
+              gsub(/^[[:space:]]+|[[:space:]]+$/, "", content)
+              print content
+            }
+          ' "$CHANGELOG_FILE")
+
+          if [ "$CHANGELOG_CONTENT" = "NOT_FOUND" ] || [ -z "$CHANGELOG_CONTENT" ]; then
+            echo ""
+            echo "::error::═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════"
+            echo "::error::  CHANGELOG VALIDATION FAILED"
+            echo "::error::═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════"
+            echo "::error::"
+            echo "::error::  Version $VERSION not found in CHANGELOG.md!"
+            echo "::error::"
+            echo "::error::  Before releasing, please update CHANGELOG.md with an entry like:"
+            echo "::error::"
+            echo "::error::    ## $VERSION - Your Release Title"
+            echo "::error::"
+            echo "::error::    ### ✨ New Features"
+            echo "::error::    - Feature description"
+            echo "::error::"
+            echo "::error::    ### 🐛 Bug Fixes"
+            echo "::error::    - Fix description"
+            echo "::error::"
+            echo "::error::═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════"
+            echo ""
+
+            # Also add to job summary for visibility
+            echo "## ❌ Release Blocked: Missing Changelog" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "Version **$VERSION** was not found in CHANGELOG.md." >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "### How to fix:" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "1. Update CHANGELOG.md with release notes for version $VERSION" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "2. Commit and push the changes" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "3. The release will automatically retry" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "### Expected format:" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "\`\`\`markdown" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "## $VERSION - Release Title" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "### ✨ New Features" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "- Feature description" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "### 🐛 Bug Fixes" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "- Fix description" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "\`\`\`" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          echo "✅ Found changelog entry for version $VERSION"
+          echo ""
+          echo "--- Extracted Release Notes ---"
+          echo "$CHANGELOG_CONTENT"
+          echo "--- End Release Notes ---"
+
+          # Save changelog to file for artifact upload
+          echo "$CHANGELOG_CONTENT" > changelog-extract.md
+
+          # Also save to output (for short changelogs)
+          # Using heredoc for multiline output
+          {
+            echo "content<<CHANGELOG_EOF"
+            echo "$CHANGELOG_CONTENT"
+            echo "CHANGELOG_EOF"
+          } >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+          echo "changelog_valid=true" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+      # Upload changelog as artifact for release.yml to use
+      - name: Upload changelog artifact
+        if: steps.check.outputs.should_release == 'true' && steps.changelog.outputs.changelog_valid == 'true'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: changelog-${{ steps.check.outputs.new_version }}
+          path: changelog-extract.md
+          retention-days: 1
+
+      - name: Create and push tag
+        if: steps.check.outputs.should_release == 'true' && steps.changelog.outputs.changelog_valid == 'true'
        run: |
          VERSION="${{ steps.check.outputs.new_version }}"
          TAG="v$VERSION"
@@ -85,17 +265,19 @@ jobs:

      - name: Summary
        run: |
-          if [ "${{ steps.check.outputs.should_release }}" = "true" ]; then
+          if [ "${{ steps.check.outputs.should_release }}" = "true" ] && [ "${{ steps.changelog.outputs.changelog_valid }}" = "true" ]; then
            echo "## 🚀 Release Triggered" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "**Version:** v${{ steps.check.outputs.new_version }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "✅ Changelog validated and extracted from CHANGELOG.md" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "The release workflow has been triggered and will:" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "1. Build binaries for all platforms" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
-            echo "2. Generate changelog from PRs" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+            echo "2. Use changelog from CHANGELOG.md" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "3. Create GitHub release" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "4. Update README with new version" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
-          else
+          elif [ "${{ steps.check.outputs.should_release }}" = "false" ]; then
            echo "## ⏭️ No Release Needed" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
            echo "**Package version:** ${{ steps.package.outputs.version }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
@@ -1,178 +0,0 @@
-name: Quality Security
-
-on:
-  push:
-    branches: [main, develop]
-  pull_request:
-    branches: [main, develop]
-  schedule:
-    - cron: '0 0 * * 1' # Weekly on Monday at midnight UTC
-
-# Cancel in-progress runs for the same branch/PR
-concurrency:
-  group: security-${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
-  cancel-in-progress: true
-
-permissions:
-  contents: read
-  security-events: write
-  actions: read
-
-jobs:
-  codeql:
-    name: CodeQL (${{ matrix.language }})
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 30
-    strategy:
-      fail-fast: false
-      matrix:
-        language: [python, javascript-typescript]
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-      - name: Initialize CodeQL
-        uses: github/codeql-action/init@v3
-        with:
-          languages: ${{ matrix.language }}
-          queries: +security-extended,security-and-quality
-
-      - name: Autobuild
-        uses: github/codeql-action/autobuild@v3
-
-      - name: Perform CodeQL Analysis
-        uses: github/codeql-action/analyze@v3
-        with:
-          category: "/language:${{ matrix.language }}"
-
-  python-security:
-    name: Python Security (Bandit)
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 10
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-      - name: Set up Python
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
-        with:
-          python-version: '3.12'
-
-      - name: Install Bandit
-        run: pip install bandit
-
-      - name: Run Bandit security scan
-        id: bandit
-        run: |
-          echo "::group::Running Bandit security scan"
-          # Run Bandit; exit code 1 means issues found (expected), other codes are errors
-          # Flags: -r=recursive, -ll=severity LOW+, -ii=confidence LOW+, -f=format, -o=output
-          bandit -r apps/backend/ -ll -ii -f json -o bandit-report.json || BANDIT_EXIT=$?
-          if [ "${BANDIT_EXIT:-0}" -gt 1 ]; then
-            echo "::error::Bandit scan failed with exit code $BANDIT_EXIT"
-            exit 1
-          fi
-          echo "::endgroup::"
-
-      - name: Analyze Bandit results
-        uses: actions/github-script@v7
-        with:
-          script: |
-            const fs = require('fs');
-
-            // Check if report exists
-            if (!fs.existsSync('bandit-report.json')) {
-              core.setFailed('Bandit report not found - scan may have failed');
-              return;
-            }
-
-            const report = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('bandit-report.json', 'utf8'));
-            const results = report.results || [];
-
-            // Categorize by severity
-            const high = results.filter(r => r.issue_severity === 'HIGH');
-            const medium = results.filter(r => r.issue_severity === 'MEDIUM');
-            const low = results.filter(r => r.issue_severity === 'LOW');
-
-            console.log(`::group::Bandit Security Scan Results`);
-            console.log(`Found ${results.length} issues:`);
-            console.log(`  🔴 HIGH:   ${high.length}`);
-            console.log(`  🟡 MEDIUM: ${medium.length}`);
-            console.log(`  🟢 LOW:    ${low.length}`);
-            console.log('');
-
-            // Print high severity issues
-            if (high.length > 0) {
-              console.log('High Severity Issues:');
-              console.log('─'.repeat(60));
-              for (const issue of high) {
-                console.log(`  ${issue.filename}:${issue.line_number}`);
-                console.log(`    ${issue.issue_text}`);
-                console.log(`    Test: ${issue.test_id} (${issue.test_name})`);
-                console.log('');
-              }
-            }
-            console.log('::endgroup::');
-
-            // Build summary
-            let summary = `## 🔒 Python Security Scan (Bandit)\n\n`;
-            summary += `| Severity | Count |\n`;
-            summary += `|----------|-------|\n`;
-            summary += `| 🔴 High | ${high.length} |\n`;
-            summary += `| 🟡 Medium | ${medium.length} |\n`;
-            summary += `| 🟢 Low | ${low.length} |\n\n`;
-
-            if (high.length > 0) {
-              summary += `### High Severity Issues\n\n`;
-              for (const issue of high) {
-                summary += `- **${issue.filename}:${issue.line_number}**\n`;
-                summary += `  - ${issue.issue_text}\n`;
-                summary += `  - Test: \`${issue.test_id}\` (${issue.test_name})\n\n`;
-              }
-            }
-
-            core.summary.addRaw(summary);
-            await core.summary.write();
-
-            // Fail if high severity issues found
-            if (high.length > 0) {
-              core.setFailed(`Found ${high.length} high severity security issue(s)`);
-            } else {
-              console.log('✅ No high severity security issues found');
-            }
-
-  # Summary job that waits for all security checks
-  security-summary:
-    name: Security Summary
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: [codeql, python-security]
-    if: always()
-    timeout-minutes: 5
-    steps:
-      - name: Check security results
-        uses: actions/github-script@v7
-        with:
-          script: |
-            const codeql = '${{ needs.codeql.result }}';
-            const bandit = '${{ needs.python-security.result }}';
-
-            console.log('Security Check Results:');
-            console.log(`  CodeQL:        ${codeql}`);
-            console.log(`  Bandit:        ${bandit}`);
-
-            // Only 'failure' is a real failure; 'skipped' is acceptable (e.g., path filters)
-            const acceptable = ['success', 'skipped'];
-            const codeqlOk = acceptable.includes(codeql);
-            const banditOk = acceptable.includes(bandit);
-            const allPassed = codeqlOk && banditOk;
-
-            if (allPassed) {
-              console.log('\n✅ All security checks passed');
-              core.summary.addRaw('## ✅ Security Checks Passed\n\nAll security scans completed successfully.');
-            } else {
-              console.log('\n❌ Some security checks failed');
-              core.summary.addRaw('## ❌ Security Checks Failed\n\nOne or more security scans found issues.');
-              core.setFailed('Security checks failed');
-            }
-
-            await core.summary.write();
@@ -46,13 +46,21 @@ jobs:
      - name: Install Rust toolchain (for building native Python packages)
        uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable

+      - name: Cache pip wheel cache (for compiled packages like real_ladybug)
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: ~/Library/Caches/pip
+          key: pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-x64-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-x64-
+
      - name: Cache bundled Python
        uses: actions/cache@v4
        with:
          path: apps/frontend/python-runtime
-          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8-rust
+          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8-rust-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
          restore-keys: |
-            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-
+            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8-rust-

      - name: Build application
        run: cd apps/frontend && npm run build
@@ -93,6 +101,8 @@ jobs:
          path: |
            apps/frontend/dist/*.dmg
            apps/frontend/dist/*.zip
+            apps/frontend/dist/*.yml
+            apps/frontend/dist/*.blockmap

  # Apple Silicon build on ARM64 runner for native compilation
  build-macos-arm64:
@@ -123,13 +133,21 @@ jobs:
      - name: Install dependencies
        run: cd apps/frontend && npm ci

+      - name: Cache pip wheel cache
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: ~/Library/Caches/pip
+          key: pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-arm64-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-arm64-
+
      - name: Cache bundled Python
        uses: actions/cache@v4
        with:
          path: apps/frontend/python-runtime
-          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-arm64-3.12.8
+          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-arm64-3.12.8-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
          restore-keys: |
-            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-arm64-
+            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-arm64-3.12.8-

      - name: Build application
        run: cd apps/frontend && npm run build
@@ -170,6 +188,8 @@ jobs:
          path: |
            apps/frontend/dist/*.dmg
            apps/frontend/dist/*.zip
+            apps/frontend/dist/*.yml
+            apps/frontend/dist/*.blockmap

  build-windows:
    runs-on: windows-latest
@@ -200,13 +220,21 @@ jobs:
      - name: Install dependencies
        run: cd apps/frontend && npm ci

+      - name: Cache pip wheel cache
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: ~\AppData\Local\pip\Cache
+          key: pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-x64-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-x64-
+
      - name: Cache bundled Python
        uses: actions/cache@v4
        with:
          path: apps/frontend/python-runtime
-          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8
+          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
          restore-keys: |
-            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-
+            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8-

      - name: Build application
        run: cd apps/frontend && npm run build
@@ -224,6 +252,8 @@ jobs:
          name: windows-builds
          path: |
            apps/frontend/dist/*.exe
+            apps/frontend/dist/*.yml
+            apps/frontend/dist/*.blockmap

  build-linux:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -261,13 +291,21 @@ jobs:
          flatpak install -y --user flathub org.freedesktop.Platform//25.08 org.freedesktop.Sdk//25.08
          flatpak install -y --user flathub org.electronjs.Electron2.BaseApp//25.08

+      - name: Cache pip wheel cache
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: ~/.cache/pip
+          key: pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-x64-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            pip-wheel-${{ runner.os }}-x64-
+
      - name: Cache bundled Python
        uses: actions/cache@v4
        with:
          path: apps/frontend/python-runtime
-          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8
+          key: python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8-${{ hashFiles('apps/backend/requirements.txt') }}
          restore-keys: |
-            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-
+            python-bundle-${{ runner.os }}-x64-3.12.8-

      - name: Build application
        run: cd apps/frontend && npm run build
@@ -285,6 +323,8 @@ jobs:
            apps/frontend/dist/*.AppImage
            apps/frontend/dist/*.deb
            apps/frontend/dist/*.flatpak
+            apps/frontend/dist/*.yml
+            apps/frontend/dist/*.blockmap

  create-release:
    needs: [build-macos-intel, build-macos-arm64, build-windows, build-linux]
@@ -304,16 +344,30 @@ jobs:
      - name: Flatten and validate artifacts
        run: |
          mkdir -p release-assets
-          find dist -type f \( -name "*.dmg" -o -name "*.zip" -o -name "*.exe" -o -name "*.AppImage" -o -name "*.deb" -o -name "*.flatpak" \) -exec cp {} release-assets/ \;
+          find dist -type f \( -name "*.dmg" -o -name "*.zip" -o -name "*.exe" -o -name "*.AppImage" -o -name "*.deb" -o -name "*.flatpak" -o -name "*.yml" -o -name "*.blockmap" \) -exec cp {} release-assets/ \;

-          # Validate that at least one artifact was copied
-          artifact_count=$(find release-assets -type f \( -name "*.dmg" -o -name "*.zip" -o -name "*.exe" -o -name "*.AppImage" -o -name "*.deb" -o -name "*.flatpak" \) | wc -l)
-          if [ "$artifact_count" -eq 0 ]; then
-            echo "::error::No build artifacts found! Expected .dmg, .zip, .exe, .AppImage, .deb, or .flatpak files."
+          # Validate that installer files exist (not just manifests)
+          installer_count=$(find release-assets -type f \( -name "*.dmg" -o -name "*.zip" -o -name "*.exe" -o -name "*.AppImage" -o -name "*.deb" -o -name "*.flatpak" \) | wc -l)
+          if [ "$installer_count" -eq 0 ]; then
+            echo "::error::No installer artifacts found! Expected .dmg, .zip, .exe, .AppImage, .deb, or .flatpak files."
            exit 1
          fi

-          echo "Found $artifact_count artifact(s):"
+          echo "Found $installer_count installer(s):"
+          find release-assets -type f \( -name "*.dmg" -o -name "*.zip" -o -name "*.exe" -o -name "*.AppImage" -o -name "*.deb" -o -name "*.flatpak" \) -exec basename {} \;
+
+          # Validate that electron-updater manifest files are present (required for auto-updates)
+          yml_count=$(find release-assets -type f -name "*.yml" | wc -l)
+          if [ "$yml_count" -eq 0 ]; then
+            echo "::error::No update manifest (.yml) files found! Auto-update architecture detection will not work."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          echo "Found $yml_count manifest file(s):"
+          find release-assets -type f -name "*.yml" -exec basename {} \;
+
+          echo ""
+          echo "All release assets:"
          ls -la release-assets/

      - name: Generate checksums
@@ -473,23 +527,78 @@ jobs:
          cat release-assets/checksums.sha256 >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
          echo "\`\`\`" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY

-      - name: Generate changelog
-        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' || (github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && inputs.dry_run != true) }}
+      - name: Extract changelog from CHANGELOG.md
+        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' }}
        id: changelog
-        uses: release-drafter/release-drafter@v6
-        with:
-          config-name: release-drafter.yml
-        env:
-          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          # Extract version from tag (v2.7.2 -> 2.7.2)
+          VERSION=${GITHUB_REF_NAME#v}
+          CHANGELOG_FILE="CHANGELOG.md"
+
+          echo "📋 Extracting release notes for version $VERSION from CHANGELOG.md..."
+
+          if [ ! -f "$CHANGELOG_FILE" ]; then
+            echo "::warning::CHANGELOG.md not found, using minimal release notes"
+            echo "body=Release v$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+            exit 0
+          fi
+
+          # Extract changelog section for this version
+          # Looks for "## X.Y.Z" header and captures until next "## " or "---"
+          CHANGELOG_CONTENT=$(awk -v ver="$VERSION" '
+            BEGIN { found=0; content="" }
+            /^## / {
+              if (found) exit
+              # Match version at start of header (e.g., "## 2.7.3 -" or "## 2.7.3")
+              if ($2 == ver || $2 ~ "^"ver"[[:space:]]*-") {
+                found=1
+                next
+              }
+            }
+            /^---$/ { if (found) exit }
+            found { content = content $0 "\n" }
+            END {
+              if (!found) {
+                print "NOT_FOUND"
+                exit 0
+              }
+              # Trim leading/trailing whitespace
+              gsub(/^[[:space:]]+|[[:space:]]+$/, "", content)
+              print content
+            }
+          ' "$CHANGELOG_FILE")
+
+          if [ "$CHANGELOG_CONTENT" = "NOT_FOUND" ] || [ -z "$CHANGELOG_CONTENT" ]; then
+            echo "::warning::Version $VERSION not found in CHANGELOG.md, using minimal release notes"
+            CHANGELOG_CONTENT="Release v$VERSION
+
+See [CHANGELOG.md](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md) for details."
+          fi
+
+          echo "✅ Extracted changelog content"
+
+          # Save to file first (more reliable for multiline)
+          echo "$CHANGELOG_CONTENT" > changelog-body.md
+
+          # Use file-based output for multiline content
+          {
+            echo "body<<CHANGELOG_EOF"
+            cat changelog-body.md
+            echo "CHANGELOG_EOF"
+          } >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT

      - name: Create Release
-        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' || (github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && inputs.dry_run != true) }}
+        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' }}
        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
        with:
          body: |
            ${{ steps.changelog.outputs.body }}

+            ---
+
            ${{ steps.virustotal.outputs.vt_results }}
+
+            **Full Changelog**: https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md
          files: release-assets/*
          draft: false
          prerelease: ${{ contains(github.ref, 'beta') || contains(github.ref, 'alpha') }}
@@ -500,7 +609,8 @@ jobs:
  update-readme:
    needs: [create-release]
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' || (github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && inputs.dry_run != true) }}
+    # Only update README on actual releases (tag push), not dry runs
+    if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' }}
    permissions:
      contents: write
    steps:
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-name: Stale Issues
-
-on:
-  schedule:
-    - cron: '0 0 * * 0'  # Every Sunday
-  workflow_dispatch:
-
-jobs:
-  stale:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    permissions:
-      issues: write
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/stale@v9
-        with:
-          stale-issue-message: |
-            This issue has been inactive for 60 days. It will be closed in 14 days if there's no activity.
-
-            - If this is still relevant, please comment or update the issue
-            - If you're working on this, add the `in-progress` label
-          close-issue-message: 'Closed due to inactivity. Feel free to reopen if still relevant.'
-          stale-issue-label: 'stale'
-          days-before-stale: 60
-          days-before-close: 14
-          exempt-issue-labels: 'priority/critical,priority/high,in-progress,blocked'
@@ -1,63 +0,0 @@
-name: Test on Tag
-
-on:
-  push:
-    tags:
-      - 'v*'
-
-jobs:
-  # Python tests
-  test-python:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    strategy:
-      matrix:
-        python-version: ['3.12', '3.13']
-
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-      - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-        uses: actions/setup-python@v5
-        with:
-          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
-
-      - name: Install uv
-        uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@v4
-        with:
-          version: "latest"
-
-      - name: Install dependencies
-        working-directory: apps/backend
-        run: |
-          uv venv
-          uv pip install -r requirements.txt
-          uv pip install -r ../../tests/requirements-test.txt
-
-      - name: Run tests
-        working-directory: apps/backend
-        env:
-          PYTHONPATH: ${{ github.workspace }}/apps/backend
-        run: |
-          source .venv/bin/activate
-          pytest ../../tests/ -v --tb=short
-
-  # Frontend tests
-  test-frontend:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-      - name: Setup Node.js
-        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
-        with:
-          node-version: '24'
-
-      - name: Install dependencies
-        working-directory: apps/frontend
-        run: npm ci --ignore-scripts
-
-      - name: Run tests
-        working-directory: apps/frontend
-        run: npm run test
@@ -1,71 +0,0 @@
-name: Validate Version
-
-on:
-  push:
-    tags:
-      - 'v*'
-
-jobs:
-  validate-version:
-    name: Validate package.json version matches tag
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-
-      - name: Extract version from tag
-        id: tag_version
-        run: |
-          # Extract version from tag (e.g., v2.5.5 -> 2.5.5)
-          TAG_VERSION=${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/v}
-          echo "version=$TAG_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo "Tag version: $TAG_VERSION"
-
-      - name: Extract version from package.json
-        id: package_version
-        run: |
-          # Read version from package.json
-          PACKAGE_VERSION=$(node -p "require('./apps/frontend/package.json').version")
-          echo "version=$PACKAGE_VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          echo "Package.json version: $PACKAGE_VERSION"
-
-      - name: Compare versions
-        run: |
-          TAG_VERSION="${{ steps.tag_version.outputs.version }}"
-          PACKAGE_VERSION="${{ steps.package_version.outputs.version }}"
-
-          echo "=========================================="
-          echo "Version Validation"
-          echo "=========================================="
-          echo "Git tag version:      v$TAG_VERSION"
-          echo "package.json version: $PACKAGE_VERSION"
-          echo "=========================================="
-
-          if [ "$TAG_VERSION" != "$PACKAGE_VERSION" ]; then
-            echo ""
-            echo "❌ ERROR: Version mismatch detected!"
-            echo ""
-            echo "The version in package.json ($PACKAGE_VERSION) does not match"
-            echo "the git tag version ($TAG_VERSION)."
-            echo ""
-            echo "To fix this:"
-            echo "  1. Delete this tag: git tag -d v$TAG_VERSION"
-            echo "  2. Update package.json version to $TAG_VERSION"
-            echo "  3. Commit the change"
-            echo "  4. Recreate the tag: git tag -a v$TAG_VERSION -m 'Release v$TAG_VERSION'"
-            echo ""
-            echo "Or use the automated script:"
-            echo "  node scripts/bump-version.js $TAG_VERSION"
-            echo ""
-            exit 1
-          fi
-
-          echo ""
-          echo "✅ SUCCESS: Versions match!"
-          echo ""
-
-      - name: Version validation result
-        if: success()
-        run: |
-          echo "::notice::Version validation passed - package.json version matches tag v${{ steps.tag_version.outputs.version }}"
@@ -1,33 +0,0 @@
-name: Welcome
-
-on:
-  pull_request_target:
-    types: [opened]
-  issues:
-    types: [opened]
-
-jobs:
-  welcome:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    permissions:
-      issues: write
-      pull-requests: write
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/first-interaction@v1
-        with:
-          repo-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-          issue-message: |
-            👋 Thanks for opening your first issue!
-
-            A maintainer will triage this soon. In the meantime:
-            - Make sure you've provided all the requested info
-            - Join our [Discord](https://discord.gg/QhRnz9m5HE) for faster help
-          pr-message: |
-            🎉 Thanks for your first PR!
-
-            A maintainer will review it soon. Please make sure:
-            - Your branch is synced with `develop`
-            - CI checks pass
-            - You've followed our [contribution guide](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/blob/develop/CONTRIBUTING.md)
-
-            Welcome to the Auto Claude community!
@@ -163,3 +163,4 @@ _bmad-output/
 .claude/
 /docs
 OPUS_ANALYSIS_AND_IDEAS.md
+/.github/agents
@@ -1,3 +1,283 @@
+## 2.7.2 - Stability & Performance Enhancements
+
+### ✨ New Features
+
+- Added refresh button to Kanban board for manually reloading tasks
+
+- Terminal dropdown with built-in and external options in task review
+
+- Centralized CLI tool path management with customizable settings
+
+- Files tab in task details panel for better file organization
+
+- Enhanced PR review page with filtering capabilities
+
+- GitLab integration support
+
+- Automated PR review with follow-up support and structured outputs
+
+- UI scale feature with 75-200% range for accessibility
+
+- Python 3.12 bundled with packaged Electron app
+
+- OpenRouter support as LLM/embedding provider
+
+- Internationalization (i18n) system for multi-language support
+
+- Flatpak packaging support for Linux
+
+- Path-aware AI merge resolution with device code streaming
+
+### 🛠️ Improvements
+
+- Improved terminal experience with persistent state when switching projects
+
+- Enhanced PR review with structured outputs and fork support
+
+- Better UX for display and scaling changes
+
+- Convert synchronous I/O to async operations in worktree handlers
+
+- Enhanced logs for commit linting stage
+
+- Remove top navigation bars for cleaner UI
+
+- Enhanced PR detail area visual design
+
+- Improved CLI tool detection with more language support
+
+- Added iOS/Swift project detection
+
+- Optimize performance by removing projectTabs from useEffect dependencies
+
+- Improved Python detection and version validation for compatibility
+
+### 🐛 Bug Fixes
+
+- Fixed CI Python setup and PR status gate checks
+
+- Fixed cross-platform CLI path detection and clearing in settings
+
+- Preserve original task description after spec creation
+
+- Fixed learning loop to retrieve patterns and gotchas from memory
+
+- Resolved frontend lag and updated dependencies
+
+- Fixed Content-Security-Policy to allow external HTTPS images
+
+- Fixed PR review isolation by using temporary worktree
+
+- Fixed Homebrew Python detection to prefer versioned Python over system python3
+
+- Added support for Bun 1.2.0+ lock file format detection
+
+- Fixed infinite re-render loop in task selection
+
+- Fixed infinite loop in task detail merge preview loading
+
+- Resolved Windows EINVAL error when opening worktree in VS Code
+
+- Fixed fallback to prevent tasks stuck in ai_review status
+
+- Fixed SDK permissions to include spec_dir
+
+- Added --base-branch argument support to spec_runner
+
+- Allow Windows to run CC PR Reviewer
+
+- Fixed model selection to respect task_metadata.json
+
+- Improved GitHub PR review by passing repo parameter explicitly
+
+- Fixed electron-log imports with .js extension
+
+- Fixed Swift detection order in project analyzer
+
+- Prevent TaskEditDialog from unmounting when opened
+
+- Fixed subprocess handling for Python paths with spaces
+
+- Fixed file system race conditions and unused variables in security scanning
+
+- Resolved Python detection and backend packaging issues
+
+- Fixed version-specific links in README and pre-commit hooks
+
+- Fixed task status persistence reverting on refresh
+
+- Proper semver comparison for pre-release versions
+
+- Use virtual environment Python for all services to fix dotenv errors
+
+- Fixed explicit Windows System32 tar path for builds
+
+- Added augmented PATH environment to all GitHub CLI calls
+
+- Use PowerShell for tar extraction on Windows
+
+- Added --force-local flag to tar on Windows
+
+- Stop tracking spec files in git
+
+- Fixed GitHub API calls with explicit GET method for comment fetches
+
+- Support archiving tasks across all worktree locations
+
+- Validated backend source path before using it
+
+- Resolved spawn Python ENOENT error on Linux
+
+- Fixed CodeQL alerts for uncontrolled command line
+
+- Resolved GitHub follow-up review API issues
+
+- Fixed relative path normalization to POSIX format
+
+- Accepted bug_fix workflow_type alias during planning
+
+- Added global spec numbering lock to prevent collisions
+
+- Fixed ideation status sync
+
+- Stopped running process when task status changes away from in_progress
+
+- Removed legacy path from auto-claude source detection
+
+- Resolved Python environment race condition
+
+---
+
+## What's Changed
+
+- fix(ci): add Python setup to beta-release and fix PR status gate checks (#565) by @Andy in c2148bb9
+- fix: detect and clear cross-platform CLI paths in settings (#535) by @Andy in 29e45505
+- fix(ui): preserve original task description after spec creation (#536) by @Andy in 7990dcb4
+- fix(memory): fix learning loop to retrieve patterns and gotchas (#530) by @Andy in f58c2578
+- fix: resolve frontend lag and update dependencies (#526) by @Andy in 30f7951a
+- feat(kanban): add refresh button to manually reload tasks (#548) by @Adryan Serage in 252242f9
+- fix(csp): allow external HTTPS images in Content-Security-Policy (#549) by @Michael Ludlow in 3db02c5d
+- fix(pr-review): use temporary worktree for PR review isolation (#532) by @Andy in 344ec65e
+- fix: prefer versioned Homebrew Python over system python3 (#494) by @Navid in 8d58dd6f
+- fix(detection): support bun.lock text format for Bun 1.2.0+ (#525) by @Andy in 4da8cd66
+- chore: bump version to 2.7.2-beta.12 (#460) by @Andy in 8e5c11ac
+- Fix/windows issues (#471) by @Andy in 72106109
+- fix(ci): add Rust toolchain for Intel Mac builds (#459) by @Andy in 52a4fcc6
+- fix: create spec.md during roadmap-to-task conversion (#446) by @Mulaveesala Pranaveswar in fb6b7fc6
+- fix(pr-review): treat LOW-only findings as ready to merge (#455) by @Andy in 0f9c5b84
+- Fix/2.7.2 beta12 (#424) by @Andy in 5d8ede23
+- feat: remove top bars (#386) by @Vinícius Santos in da31b687
+- fix: prevent infinite re-render loop in task selection useEffect (#442) by @Abe Diaz in 2effa535
+- fix: accept Python 3.12+ in install-backend.js (#443) by @Abe Diaz in c15bb311
+- fix: infinite loop in useTaskDetail merge preview loading (#444) by @Abe Diaz in 203a970a
+- fix(windows): resolve EINVAL error when opening worktree in VS Code (#434) by @Vinícius Santos in 3c0708b7
+- feat(frontend): Add Files tab to task details panel (#430) by @Mitsu in 666794b5
+- refactor: remove deprecated TaskDetailPanel component (#432) by @Mitsu in ac8dfcac
+- fix(ui): add fallback to prevent tasks stuck in ai_review status (#397) by @Michael Ludlow in 798ca79d
+- feat: Enhance the look of the PR Detail area (#427) by @Alex in bdb01549
+- ci: remove conventional commits PR title validation workflow by @AndyMik90 in 515b73b5
+- fix(client): add spec_dir to SDK permissions (#429) by @Mitsu in 88c76059
+- fix(spec_runner): add --base-branch argument support (#428) by @Mitsu in 62a75515
+- feat: enhance pr review page to include PRs filters (#423) by @Alex in 717fba04
+- feat: add gitlab integration (#254) by @Mitsu in 0a571d3a
+- fix: Allow windows to run CC PR Reviewer (#406) by @Alex in 2f662469
+- fix(model): respect task_metadata.json model selection (#415) by @Andy in e7e6b521
+- feat(build): add Flatpak packaging support for Linux (#404) by @Mitsu in 230de5fc
+- fix(github): pass repo parameter to GHClient for explicit PR resolution (#413) by @Andy in 4bdf7a0c
+- chore(ci): remove redundant CLA GitHub Action workflow by @AndyMik90 in a39ea49d
+- fix(frontend): add .js extension to electron-log/main imports by @AndyMik90 in 9aef0dd0
+- fix: 2.7.2 bug fixes and improvements (#388) by @Andy in 05131217
+- fix(analyzer): move Swift detection before Ruby detection (#401) by @Michael Ludlow in 321c9712
+- fix(ui): prevent TaskEditDialog from unmounting when opened (#395) by @Michael Ludlow in 98b12ed8
+- fix: improve CLI tool detection and add Claude CLI path settings (#393) by @Joe in aaa83131
+- feat(analyzer): add iOS/Swift project detection (#389) by @Michael Ludlow in 68548e33
+- fix(github): improve PR review with structured outputs and fork support (#363) by @Andy in 7751588e
+- fix(ideation): update progress calculation to include just-completed ideation type (#381) by @Illia Filippov in 8b4ce58c
+- Fixes failing spec - "gh CLI Check Handler - should return installed: true when gh CLI is found" (#370) by @Ian in bc220645
+- fix: Memory Status card respects configured embedding provider (#336) (#373) by @Michael Ludlow in db0cbea3
+- fix: fixed version-specific links in readme and pre-commit hook that updates them (#378) by @Ian in 0ca2e3f6
+- docs: add security research documentation (#361) by @Brian in 2d3b7fb4
+- fix/Improving UX for Display/Scaling Changes (#332) by @Kevin Rajan in 9bbdef09
+- fix(perf): remove projectTabs from useEffect deps to fix re-render loop (#362) by @Michael Ludlow in 753dc8bb
+- fix(security): invalidate profile cache when file is created/modified (#355) by @Michael Ludlow in 20f20fa3
+- fix(subprocess): handle Python paths with spaces (#352) by @Michael Ludlow in eabe7c7d
+- fix: Resolve pre-commit hook failures with version sync, pytest path, ruff version, and broken quality-dco workflow (#334) by @Ian in 1fa7a9c7
+- fix(terminal): preserve terminal state when switching projects (#358) by @Andy in 7881b2d1
+- fix(analyzer): add C#/Java/Swift/Kotlin project files to security hash (#351) by @Michael Ludlow in 4e71361b
+- fix: make backend tests pass on Windows (#282) by @Oluwatosin Oyeladun in 4dcc5afa
+- fix(ui): close parent modal when Edit dialog opens (#354) by @Michael Ludlow in e9782db0
+- chore: bump version to 2.7.2-beta.10 by @AndyMik90 in 40d04d7c
+- feat: add terminal dropdown with inbuilt and external options in task review (#347) by @JoshuaRileyDev in fef07c95
+- refactor: remove deprecated code across backend and frontend (#348) by @Mitsu in 9d43abed
+- feat: centralize CLI tool path management (#341) by @HSSAINI Saad in d51f4562
+- refactor(components): remove deprecated TaskDetailPanel re-export (#344) by @Mitsu in 787667e9
+- chore: Refactor/kanban realtime status sync (#249) by @souky-byte in 9734b70b
+- refactor(settings): remove deprecated ProjectSettings modal and hooks (#343) by @Mitsu in fec6b9f3
+- perf: convert synchronous I/O to async operations in worktree handlers (#337) by @JoshuaRileyDev in d3a63b09
+- feat: bump version (#329) by @Alex in 50e3111a
+- fix(ci): remove version bump to fix branch protection conflict (#325) by @Michael Ludlow in 8a80b1d5
+- fix(tasks): sync status to worktree implementation plan to prevent reset (#243) (#323) by @Alex in cb6b2165
+- fix(ci): add auto-updater manifest files and version auto-update (#317) by @Michael Ludlow in 661e47c3
+- fix(project): fix task status persistence reverting on refresh (#246) (#318) by @Michael Ludlow in e80ef79d
+- fix(updater): proper semver comparison for pre-release versions (#313) by @Michael Ludlow in e1b0f743
+- fix(python): use venv Python for all services to fix dotenv errors (#311) by @Alex in 92c6f278
+- chore(ci): cancel in-progress runs (#302) by @Oluwatosin Oyeladun in 1c142273
+- fix(build): use explicit Windows System32 tar path (#308) by @Andy in c0a02a45
+- fix(github): add augmented PATH env to all gh CLI calls by @AndyMik90 in 086429cb
+- fix(build): use PowerShell for tar extraction on Windows by @AndyMik90 in d9fb8f29
+- fix(build): add --force-local flag to tar on Windows (#303) by @Andy in d0b0b3df
+- fix: stop tracking spec files in git (#295) by @Andy in 937a60f8
+- Fix/2.7.2 fixes (#300) by @Andy in 7a51cbd5
+- feat(merge,oauth): add path-aware AI merge resolution and device code streaming (#296) by @Andy in 26beefe3
+- feat: enhance the logs for the commit linting stage (#293) by @Alex in 8416f307
+- fix(github): add explicit GET method to gh api comment fetches (#294) by @Andy in 217249c8
+- fix(frontend): support archiving tasks across all worktree locations (#286) by @Andy in 8bb3df91
+- Potential fix for code scanning alert no. 224: Uncontrolled command line (#285) by @Andy in 5106c6e9
+- fix(frontend): validate backend source path before using it (#287) by @Andy in 3ff61274
+- feat(python): bundle Python 3.12 with packaged Electron app (#284) by @Andy in 7f19c2e1
+- fix: resolve spawn python ENOENT error on Linux by using getAugmentedEnv() (#281) by @Todd W. Bucy in d98e2830
+- fix(ci): add write permissions to beta-release update-version job by @AndyMik90 in 0b874d4b
+- chore(deps): bump @xterm/xterm from 5.5.0 to 6.0.0 in /apps/frontend (#270) by @dependabot[bot] in 50dd1078
+- fix(github): resolve follow-up review API issues by @AndyMik90 in f1cc5a09
+- fix(security): resolve CodeQL file system race conditions and unused variables (#277) by @Andy in b005fa5c
+- fix(ci): use correct electron-builder arch flags (#278) by @Andy in d79f2da4
+- chore(deps): bump jsdom from 26.1.0 to 27.3.0 in /apps/frontend (#268) by @dependabot[bot] in 5ac566e2
+- chore(deps): bump typescript-eslint in /apps/frontend (#269) by @dependabot[bot] in f49d4817
+- fix(ci): use develop branch for dry-run builds in beta-release workflow (#276) by @Andy in 1e1d7d9b
+- fix: accept bug_fix workflow_type alias during planning (#240) by @Daniel Frey in e74a3dff
+- fix(paths): normalize relative paths to posix (#239) by @Daniel Frey in 6ac8250b
+- chore(deps): bump @electron/rebuild in /apps/frontend (#271) by @dependabot[bot] in a2cee694
+- chore(deps): bump vitest from 4.0.15 to 4.0.16 in /apps/frontend (#272) by @dependabot[bot] in d4cad80a
+- feat(github): add automated PR review with follow-up support (#252) by @Andy in 596e9513
+- ci: implement enterprise-grade PR quality gates and security scanning (#266) by @Alex in d42041c5
+- fix: update path resolution for ollama_model_detector.py in memory handlers (#263) by @delyethan in a3f87540
+- feat: add i18n internationalization system (#248) by @Mitsu in f8438112
+- Revert "Feat/Auto Fix Github issues and do extensive AI PR reviews (#250)" (#251) by @Andy in 5e8c5308
+- Feat/Auto Fix Github issues and do extensive AI PR reviews (#250) by @Andy in 348de6df
+- fix: resolve Python detection and backend packaging issues (#241) by @HSSAINI Saad in 0f7d6e05
+- fix: add future annotations import to discovery.py (#229) by @Joris Slagter in 5ccdb6ab
+- Fix/ideation status sync (#212) by @souky-byte in 6ec8549f
+- fix(core): add global spec numbering lock to prevent collisions (#209) by @Andy in 53527293
+- feat: Add OpenRouter as LLM/embedding provider (#162) by @Fernando Possebon in 02bef954
+- fix: Add Python 3.10+ version validation and GitHub Actions Python setup (#180 #167) (#208) by @Fernando Possebon in f168bdc3
+- fix(ci): correct welcome workflow PR message (#206) by @Andy in e3eec68a
+- Feat/beta release (#193) by @Andy in 407a0bee
+- feat/beta-release (#190) by @Andy in 8f766ad1
+- fix/PRs from old main setup to apps structure (#185) by @Andy in ced2ad47
+- fix: hide status badge when execution phase badge is showing (#154) by @Andy in 05f5d303
+- feat: Add UI scale feature with 75-200% range (#125) by @Enes Cingöz in 6951251b
+- fix(task): stop running process when task status changes away from in_progress by @AndyMik90 in 30e7536b
+- Fix/linear 400 error by @Andy in 220faf0f
+- fix: remove legacy path from auto-claude source detection (#148) by @Joris Slagter in f96c6301
+- fix: resolve Python environment race condition (#142) by @Joris Slagter in ebd8340d
+- Feat: Ollama download progress tracking with new apps structure (#141) by @rayBlock in df779530
+- Feature/apps restructure v2.7.2 (#138) by @Andy in 0adaddac
+- docs: Add Git Flow branching strategy to CONTRIBUTING.md by @AndyMik90 in 91f7051d
+
+## Thanks to all contributors
+
+@Andy, @Adryan Serage, @Michael Ludlow, @Navid, @Mulaveesala Pranaveswar, @Vinícius Santos, @Abe Diaz, @Mitsu, @Alex, @AndyMik90, @Joe, @Illia Filippov, @Ian, @Brian, @Kevin Rajan, @Oluwatosin Oyeladun, @JoshuaRileyDev, @HSSAINI Saad, @souky-byte, @Todd W. Bucy, @dependabot[bot], @Daniel Frey, @delyethan, @Joris Slagter, @Fernando Possebon, @Enes Cingöz, @rayBlock
+
 ## 2.7.1 - Build Pipeline Enhancements

 ### 🛠️ Improvements
@@ -4,11 +4,9 @@

 ![Auto Claude Kanban Board](.github/assets/Auto-Claude-Kanban.png)

-<!-- TOP_VERSION_BADGE -->
-[![Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-2.7.2-blue?style=flat-square)](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/releases/tag/v2.7.2)
-<!-- TOP_VERSION_BADGE_END -->
 [![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-AGPL--3.0-green?style=flat-square)](./agpl-3.0.txt)
 [![Discord](https://img.shields.io/badge/Discord-Join%20Community-5865F2?style=flat-square&logo=discord&logoColor=white)](https://discord.gg/KCXaPBr4Dj)
+[![YouTube](https://img.shields.io/badge/YouTube-Subscribe-FF0000?style=flat-square&logo=youtube&logoColor=white)](https://www.youtube.com/@AndreMikalsen)
 [![CI](https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/ci.yml?branch=main&style=flat-square&label=CI)](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/actions)

 ---
@@ -24,11 +22,11 @@
 <!-- STABLE_DOWNLOADS -->
 | Platform | Download |
 |----------|----------|
-| **Windows** | [Auto-Claude-2.7.1-win32-x64.exe](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/releases/download/v2.7.1/Auto-Claude-2.7.1-win32-x64.exe) |
-| **macOS (Apple Silicon)** | [Auto-Claude-2.7.1-darwin-arm64.dmg](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/releases/download/v2.7.1/Auto-Claude-2.7.1-darwin-arm64.dmg) |
-| **macOS (Intel)** | [Auto-Claude-2.7.1-darwin-x64.dmg](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/releases/download/v2.7.1/Auto-Claude-2.7.1-darwin-x64.dmg) |
-| **Linux** | [Auto-Claude-2.7.1-linux-x86_64.AppImage](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/releases/download/v2.7.1/Auto-Claude-2.7.1-linux-x86_64.AppImage) |
-| **Linux (Debian)** | [Auto-Claude-2.7.1-linux-amd64.deb](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/releases/download/v2.7.1/Auto-Claude-2.7.1-linux-amd64.deb) |
+| **Windows** | [Auto-Claude-2.7.2-win32-x64.exe](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/releases/download/v2.7.2/Auto-Claude-2.7.2-win32-x64.exe) |
+| **macOS (Apple Silicon)** | [Auto-Claude-2.7.2-darwin-arm64.dmg](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/releases/download/v2.7.2/Auto-Claude-2.7.2-darwin-arm64.dmg) |
+| **macOS (Intel)** | [Auto-Claude-2.7.2-darwin-x64.dmg](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/releases/download/v2.7.2/Auto-Claude-2.7.2-darwin-x64.dmg) |
+| **Linux** | [Auto-Claude-2.7.2-linux-x86_64.AppImage](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/releases/download/v2.7.2/Auto-Claude-2.7.2-linux-x86_64.AppImage) |
+| **Linux (Debian)** | [Auto-Claude-2.7.2-linux-amd64.deb](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/releases/download/v2.7.2/Auto-Claude-2.7.2-linux-amd64.deb) |
 <!-- STABLE_DOWNLOADS_END -->

 ### Beta Release
@@ -59,7 +57,6 @@
 - **Claude Pro/Max subscription** - [Get one here](https://claude.ai/upgrade)
 - **Claude Code CLI** - `npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code`
 - **Git repository** - Your project must be initialized as a git repo
- **Python 3.12+** - Required for the backend and Memory Layer

 ---

@@ -148,113 +145,11 @@ See [guides/CLI-USAGE.md](guides/CLI-USAGE.md) for complete CLI documentation.

 ---

-## Configuration
+## Development

-Create `apps/backend/.env` from the example:
+Want to build from source or contribute? See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for complete development setup instructions.

-```bash
-cp apps/backend/.env.example apps/backend/.env
-```
-
-| Variable | Required | Description |
-|----------|----------|-------------|
-| `CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN` | Yes | OAuth token from `claude setup-token` |
-| `GRAPHITI_ENABLED` | No | Enable Memory Layer for cross-session context |
-| `AUTO_BUILD_MODEL` | No | Override the default Claude model |
-| `GITLAB_TOKEN` | No | GitLab Personal Access Token for GitLab integration |
-| `GITLAB_INSTANCE_URL` | No | GitLab instance URL (defaults to gitlab.com) |
-| `LINEAR_API_KEY` | No | Linear API key for task sync |
-
---
-
-## Building from Source
-
-For contributors and development:
-
-```bash
-# Clone the repository
-git clone https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude.git
-cd Auto-Claude
-
-# Install all dependencies
-npm run install:all
-
-# Run in development mode
-npm run dev
-
-# Or build and run
-npm start
-```
-
-**System requirements for building:**
- Node.js 24+
- Python 3.12+
- npm 10+
-
-**Installing dependencies by platform:**
-
-<details>
-<summary><b>Windows</b></summary>
-
-```bash
-winget install Python.Python.3.12
-winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS
-```
-
-</details>
-
-<details>
-<summary><b>macOS</b></summary>
-
-```bash
-brew install python@3.12 node@24
-```
-
-</details>
-
-<details>
-<summary><b>Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)</b></summary>
-
-```bash
-sudo apt install python3.12 python3.12-venv
-curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_24.x | sudo -E bash -
-sudo apt install -y nodejs
-```
-
-</details>
-
-<details>
-<summary><b>Linux (Fedora)</b></summary>
-
-```bash
-sudo dnf install python3.12 nodejs npm
-```
-
-</details>
-
-See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for detailed development setup.
-
-### Building Flatpak
-
-To build the Flatpak package, you need additional dependencies:
-
-```bash
-# Fedora/RHEL
-sudo dnf install flatpak-builder
-
-# Ubuntu/Debian
-sudo apt install flatpak-builder
-
-# Install required Flatpak runtimes
-flatpak install flathub org.freedesktop.Platform//25.08 org.freedesktop.Sdk//25.08
-flatpak install flathub org.electronjs.Electron2.BaseApp//25.08
-
-# Build the Flatpak
-cd apps/frontend
-npm run package:flatpak
-```
-
-The Flatpak will be created in `apps/frontend/dist/`.
+For Linux-specific builds (Flatpak, AppImage), see [guides/linux.md](guides/linux.md).

 ---

@@ -284,7 +179,7 @@ All releases are:
 | `npm run package:mac` | Package for macOS |
 | `npm run package:win` | Package for Windows |
 | `npm run package:linux` | Package for Linux |
-| `npm run package:flatpak` | Package as Flatpak |
+| `npm run package:flatpak` | Package as Flatpak (see [guides/linux.md](guides/linux.md)) |
 | `npm run lint` | Run linter |
 | `npm test` | Run frontend tests |
 | `npm run test:backend` | Run backend tests |
@@ -316,3 +211,11 @@ We welcome contributions! Please read [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for:
 Auto Claude is free to use. If you modify and distribute it, or run it as a service, your code must also be open source under AGPL-3.0.

 Commercial licensing available for closed-source use cases.
+
+---
+
+## Star History
+
+[![GitHub Repo stars](https://img.shields.io/github/stars/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude?style=social)](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/stargazers)
+
+[![Star History Chart](https://api.star-history.com/svg?repos=AndyMik90/Auto-Claude&type=Date)](https://star-history.com/#AndyMik90/Auto-Claude&Date)
@@ -69,9 +69,38 @@ This will:
 - Update `apps/frontend/package.json`
 - Update `package.json` (root)
 - Update `apps/backend/__init__.py`
+- Check if `CHANGELOG.md` has an entry for the new version (warns if missing)
 - Create a commit with message `chore: bump version to X.Y.Z`

-### Step 2: Push and Create PR
+### Step 2: Update CHANGELOG.md (REQUIRED)
+
+**IMPORTANT: The release will fail if CHANGELOG.md doesn't have an entry for the new version.**
+
+Add release notes to `CHANGELOG.md` at the top of the file:
+
+```markdown
+## 2.8.0 - Your Release Title
+
+### ✨ New Features
+- Feature description
+
+### 🛠️ Improvements
+- Improvement description
+
+### 🐛 Bug Fixes
+- Fix description
+
+---
+```
+
+Then amend the version bump commit:
+
+```bash
+git add CHANGELOG.md
+git commit --amend --no-edit
+```
+
+### Step 3: Push and Create PR

 ```bash
 # Push your branch
@@ -81,24 +110,25 @@ git push origin your-branch
 gh pr create --base main --title "Release v2.8.0"
 ```

-### Step 3: Merge to Main
+### Step 4: Merge to Main

 Once the PR is approved and merged to `main`, GitHub Actions will automatically:

 1. **Detect the version bump** (`prepare-release.yml`)
-2. **Create a git tag** (e.g., `v2.8.0`)
-3. **Trigger the release workflow** (`release.yml`)
-4. **Build binaries** for all platforms:
+2. **Validate CHANGELOG.md** has an entry for the new version (FAILS if missing)
+3. **Extract release notes** from CHANGELOG.md
+4. **Create a git tag** (e.g., `v2.8.0`)
+5. **Trigger the release workflow** (`release.yml`)
+6. **Build binaries** for all platforms:
   - macOS Intel (x64) - code signed & notarized
   - macOS Apple Silicon (arm64) - code signed & notarized
   - Windows (NSIS installer) - code signed
   - Linux (AppImage + .deb)
-5. **Generate changelog** from merged PRs (using release-drafter)
-6. **Scan binaries** with VirusTotal
-7. **Create GitHub release** with all artifacts
-8. **Update README** with new version badge and download links
+7. **Scan binaries** with VirusTotal
+8. **Create GitHub release** with release notes from CHANGELOG.md
+9. **Update README** with new version badge and download links

-### Step 4: Verify
+### Step 5: Verify

 After merging, check:
 - [GitHub Actions](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/actions) - ensure all workflows pass
@@ -113,28 +143,49 @@ We follow [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/):
 - **MINOR** (0.X.0): New features, backwards compatible
 - **PATCH** (0.0.X): Bug fixes, backwards compatible

-## Changelog Generation
+## Changelog Management

-Changelogs are automatically generated from merged PRs using [Release Drafter](https://github.com/release-drafter/release-drafter).
+Release notes are managed in `CHANGELOG.md` and used for GitHub releases.

-### PR Labels for Changelog Categories
+### Changelog Format

-| Label | Category |
-|-------|----------|
-| `feature`, `enhancement` | New Features |
-| `bug`, `fix` | Bug Fixes |
-| `improvement`, `refactor` | Improvements |
-| `documentation` | Documentation |
-| (any other) | Other Changes |
+Each version entry in `CHANGELOG.md` should follow this format:

-**Tip:** Add appropriate labels to your PRs for better changelog organization.
+```markdown
+## X.Y.Z - Release Title
+
+### ✨ New Features
+- Feature description with context
+
+### 🛠️ Improvements
+- Improvement description
+
+### 🐛 Bug Fixes
+- Fix description
+
+---
+```
+
+### Changelog Validation
+
+The release workflow **validates** that `CHANGELOG.md` has an entry for the version being released:
+
+- If the entry is **missing**, the release is **blocked** with a clear error message
+- If the entry **exists**, its content is used for the GitHub release notes
+
+### Writing Good Release Notes
+
+- **Be specific**: Instead of "Fixed bug", write "Fixed crash when opening large files"
+- **Group by impact**: Features first, then improvements, then fixes
+- **Credit contributors**: Mention contributors for significant changes
+- **Link issues**: Reference GitHub issues where relevant (e.g., "Fixes #123")

 ## Workflows

 | Workflow | Trigger | Purpose |
 |----------|---------|---------|
-| `prepare-release.yml` | Push to `main` | Detects version bump, creates tag |
-| `release.yml` | Tag `v*` pushed | Builds binaries, creates release |
+| `prepare-release.yml` | Push to `main` | Detects version bump, **validates CHANGELOG.md**, creates tag |
+| `release.yml` | Tag `v*` pushed | Builds binaries, extracts changelog, creates release |
 | `validate-version.yml` | Tag `v*` pushed | Validates tag matches package.json |
 | `update-readme` (in release.yml) | After release | Updates README with new version |

@@ -153,6 +204,22 @@ Changelogs are automatically generated from merged PRs using [Release Drafter](h
   git diff HEAD~1 --name-only | grep package.json
   ```

+### Release blocked: Missing changelog entry
+
+If you see "CHANGELOG VALIDATION FAILED" in the workflow:
+
+1. The `prepare-release.yml` workflow validated that `CHANGELOG.md` doesn't have an entry for the new version
+2. **Fix**: Add an entry to `CHANGELOG.md` with the format `## X.Y.Z - Title`
+3. Commit and push the changelog update
+4. The workflow will automatically retry when the changes are pushed to `main`
+
+```bash
+# Add changelog entry, then:
+git add CHANGELOG.md
+git commit -m "docs: add changelog for vX.Y.Z"
+git push origin main
+```
+
 ### Build failed after tag was created

 - The release won't be published if builds fail
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ auto-claude/agents/
 ### `utils.py` (3.6 KB)
 - Git operations: `get_latest_commit()`, `get_commit_count()`
 - Plan management: `load_implementation_plan()`, `find_subtask_in_plan()`, `find_phase_for_subtask()`
- Workspace sync: `sync_plan_to_source()`
+- Workspace sync: `sync_spec_to_source()`

 ### `memory.py` (13 KB)
 - Dual-layer memory system (Graphiti primary, file-based fallback)
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ from agents import (
    # Utilities
    get_latest_commit,
    load_implementation_plan,
-    sync_plan_to_source,
+    sync_spec_to_source,
 )
 ```

@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ This module provides:
 Uses lazy imports to avoid circular dependencies.
 """

+# Explicit import required by CodeQL static analysis
+# (CodeQL doesn't recognize __getattr__ dynamic exports)
+from .utils import sync_spec_to_source
+
 __all__ = [
    # Main API
    "run_autonomous_agent",
@@ -32,7 +36,7 @@ __all__ = [
    "load_implementation_plan",
    "find_subtask_in_plan",
    "find_phase_for_subtask",
-    "sync_plan_to_source",
+    "sync_spec_to_source",
    # Constants
    "AUTO_CONTINUE_DELAY_SECONDS",
    "HUMAN_INTERVENTION_FILE",
@@ -77,7 +81,7 @@ def __getattr__(name):
        "get_commit_count",
        "get_latest_commit",
        "load_implementation_plan",
-        "sync_plan_to_source",
+        "sync_spec_to_source",
    ):
        from .utils import (
            find_phase_for_subtask,
@@ -85,7 +89,7 @@ def __getattr__(name):
            get_commit_count,
            get_latest_commit,
            load_implementation_plan,
-            sync_plan_to_source,
+            sync_spec_to_source,
        )

        return locals()[name]
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ from .utils import (
    get_commit_count,
    get_latest_commit,
    load_implementation_plan,
-    sync_plan_to_source,
+    sync_spec_to_source,
 )

 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ async def run_autonomous_agent(
                    print_status("Linear notified of stuck subtask", "info")
        elif is_planning_phase and source_spec_dir:
            # After planning phase, sync the newly created implementation plan back to source
-            if sync_plan_to_source(spec_dir, source_spec_dir):
+            if sync_spec_to_source(spec_dir, source_spec_dir):
                print_status("Implementation plan synced to main project", "success")

        # Handle session status
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ from .utils import (
    get_commit_count,
    get_latest_commit,
    load_implementation_plan,
-    sync_plan_to_source,
+    sync_spec_to_source,
 )

 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ async def post_session_processing(
    print(muted("--- Post-Session Processing ---"))

    # Sync implementation plan back to source (for worktree mode)
-    if sync_plan_to_source(spec_dir, source_spec_dir):
+    if sync_spec_to_source(spec_dir, source_spec_dir):
        print_status("Implementation plan synced to main project", "success")

    # Check if implementation plan was updated
@@ -4,9 +4,16 @@ Session Memory Tools

 Tools for recording and retrieving session memory, including discoveries,
 gotchas, and patterns.
+
+Dual-storage approach:
+- File-based: Always available, works offline, spec-specific
+- LadybugDB: When Graphiti is enabled, also saves to graph database for
+  cross-session retrieval and Memory UI display
 """

+import asyncio
 import json
+import logging
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Any
@@ -19,6 +26,79 @@ except ImportError:
    SDK_TOOLS_AVAILABLE = False
    tool = None

+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+def _save_to_graphiti_sync(
+    spec_dir: Path,
+    project_dir: Path,
+    save_type: str,
+    data: dict,
+) -> bool:
+    """
+    Save data to Graphiti/LadybugDB (synchronous wrapper for async operation).
+
+    Args:
+        spec_dir: Spec directory for GraphitiMemory initialization
+        project_dir: Project root directory
+        save_type: Type of save - 'discovery', 'gotcha', or 'pattern'
+        data: Data to save
+
+    Returns:
+        True if save succeeded, False otherwise
+    """
+    try:
+        # Check if Graphiti is enabled
+        from graphiti_config import is_graphiti_enabled
+
+        if not is_graphiti_enabled():
+            return False
+
+        from integrations.graphiti.queries_pkg.graphiti import GraphitiMemory
+
+        async def _async_save():
+            memory = GraphitiMemory(spec_dir, project_dir)
+            try:
+                if save_type == "discovery":
+                    # Save as codebase discovery
+                    # Format: {file_path: description}
+                    result = await memory.save_codebase_discoveries(
+                        {data["file_path"]: data["description"]}
+                    )
+                elif save_type == "gotcha":
+                    # Save as gotcha
+                    gotcha_text = data["gotcha"]
+                    if data.get("context"):
+                        gotcha_text += f" (Context: {data['context']})"
+                    result = await memory.save_gotcha(gotcha_text)
+                elif save_type == "pattern":
+                    # Save as pattern
+                    result = await memory.save_pattern(data["pattern"])
+                else:
+                    result = False
+                return result
+            finally:
+                await memory.close()
+
+        # Run async operation in event loop
+        try:
+            asyncio.get_running_loop()
+            # If we're already in an async context, schedule the task
+            # Don't block - just fire and forget for the Graphiti save
+            # The file-based save is the primary, Graphiti is supplementary
+            asyncio.ensure_future(_async_save())
+            return False  # Can't confirm async success, file-based is source of truth
+        except RuntimeError:
+            # No running loop, create one
+            return asyncio.run(_async_save())
+
+    except ImportError as e:
+        logger.debug(f"Graphiti not available for memory tools: {e}")
+        return False
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.warning(f"Failed to save to Graphiti: {e}")
+        return False
+

 def create_memory_tools(spec_dir: Path, project_dir: Path) -> list:
    """
@@ -45,7 +125,7 @@ def create_memory_tools(spec_dir: Path, project_dir: Path) -> list:
        {"file_path": str, "description": str, "category": str},
    )
    async def record_discovery(args: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
-        """Record a discovery to the codebase map."""
+        """Record a discovery to the codebase map (file + Graphiti)."""
        file_path = args["file_path"]
        description = args["description"]
        category = args.get("category", "general")
@@ -54,8 +134,10 @@ def create_memory_tools(spec_dir: Path, project_dir: Path) -> list:
        memory_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)

        codebase_map_file = memory_dir / "codebase_map.json"
+        saved_to_graphiti = False

        try:
+            # PRIMARY: Save to file-based storage (always works)
            # Load existing map or create new
            if codebase_map_file.exists():
                with open(codebase_map_file) as f:
@@ -77,11 +159,23 @@ def create_memory_tools(spec_dir: Path, project_dir: Path) -> list:
            with open(codebase_map_file, "w") as f:
                json.dump(codebase_map, f, indent=2)

+            # SECONDARY: Also save to Graphiti/LadybugDB (for Memory UI)
+            saved_to_graphiti = _save_to_graphiti_sync(
+                spec_dir,
+                project_dir,
+                "discovery",
+                {
+                    "file_path": file_path,
+                    "description": f"[{category}] {description}",
+                },
+            )
+
+            storage_note = " (also saved to memory graph)" if saved_to_graphiti else ""
            return {
                "content": [
                    {
                        "type": "text",
-                        "text": f"Recorded discovery for '{file_path}': {description}",
+                        "text": f"Recorded discovery for '{file_path}': {description}{storage_note}",
                    }
                ]
            }
@@ -102,7 +196,7 @@ def create_memory_tools(spec_dir: Path, project_dir: Path) -> list:
        {"gotcha": str, "context": str},
    )
    async def record_gotcha(args: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
-        """Record a gotcha to session memory."""
+        """Record a gotcha to session memory (file + Graphiti)."""
        gotcha = args["gotcha"]
        context = args.get("context", "")

@@ -110,8 +204,10 @@ def create_memory_tools(spec_dir: Path, project_dir: Path) -> list:
        memory_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)

        gotchas_file = memory_dir / "gotchas.md"
+        saved_to_graphiti = False

        try:
+            # PRIMARY: Save to file-based storage (always works)
            timestamp = datetime.now(timezone.utc).strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M")

            entry = f"\n## [{timestamp}]\n{gotcha}"
@@ -126,7 +222,20 @@ def create_memory_tools(spec_dir: Path, project_dir: Path) -> list:
                    )
                f.write(entry)

-            return {"content": [{"type": "text", "text": f"Recorded gotcha: {gotcha}"}]}
+            # SECONDARY: Also save to Graphiti/LadybugDB (for Memory UI)
+            saved_to_graphiti = _save_to_graphiti_sync(
+                spec_dir,
+                project_dir,
+                "gotcha",
+                {"gotcha": gotcha, "context": context},
+            )
+
+            storage_note = " (also saved to memory graph)" if saved_to_graphiti else ""
+            return {
+                "content": [
+                    {"type": "text", "text": f"Recorded gotcha: {gotcha}{storage_note}"}
+                ]
+            }

        except Exception as e:
            return {
@@ -23,9 +23,10 @@ def get_latest_commit(project_dir: Path) -> str | None:
            capture_output=True,
            text=True,
            check=True,
+            timeout=10,
        )
        return result.stdout.strip()
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
+    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, subprocess.TimeoutExpired):
        return None


@@ -38,9 +39,10 @@ def get_commit_count(project_dir: Path) -> int:
            capture_output=True,
            text=True,
            check=True,
+            timeout=10,
        )
        return int(result.stdout.strip())
-    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, ValueError):
+    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, subprocess.TimeoutExpired, ValueError):
        return 0


@@ -74,16 +76,32 @@ def find_phase_for_subtask(plan: dict, subtask_id: str) -> dict | None:
    return None


-def sync_plan_to_source(spec_dir: Path, source_spec_dir: Path | None) -> bool:
+def sync_spec_to_source(spec_dir: Path, source_spec_dir: Path | None) -> bool:
    """
-    Sync implementation_plan.json from worktree back to source spec directory.
+    Sync ALL spec files from worktree back to source spec directory.

-    When running in isolated mode (worktrees), the agent updates the implementation
-    plan inside the worktree. This function syncs those changes back to the main
-    project's spec directory so the frontend/UI can see the progress.
+    When running in isolated mode (worktrees), the agent creates and updates
+    many files inside the worktree's spec directory. This function syncs ALL
+    of them back to the main project's spec directory.
+
+    IMPORTANT: Since .auto-claude/ is gitignored, this sync happens to the
+    local filesystem regardless of what branch the user is on. The worktree
+    may be on a different branch (e.g., auto-claude/093-task), but the sync
+    target is always the main project's .auto-claude/specs/ directory.
+
+    Files synced (all files in spec directory):
+    - implementation_plan.json - Task status and subtask completion
+    - build-progress.txt - Session-by-session progress notes
+    - task_logs.json - Execution logs
+    - review_state.json - QA review state
+    - critique_report.json - Spec critique findings
+    - suggested_commit_message.txt - Commit suggestions
+    - REGRESSION_TEST_REPORT.md - Test regression report
+    - spec.md, context.json, etc. - Original spec files (for completeness)
+    - memory/ directory - Codebase map, patterns, gotchas, session insights

    Args:
-        spec_dir: Current spec directory (may be inside worktree)
+        spec_dir: Current spec directory (inside worktree)
        source_spec_dir: Original spec directory in main project (outside worktree)

    Returns:
@@ -100,17 +118,68 @@ def sync_plan_to_source(spec_dir: Path, source_spec_dir: Path | None) -> bool:
    if spec_dir_resolved == source_spec_dir_resolved:
        return False  # Same directory, no sync needed

-    # Sync the implementation plan
-    plan_file = spec_dir / "implementation_plan.json"
-    if not plan_file.exists():
-        return False
+    synced_any = False

-    source_plan_file = source_spec_dir / "implementation_plan.json"
+    # Ensure source directory exists
+    source_spec_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)

    try:
-        shutil.copy2(plan_file, source_plan_file)
-        logger.debug(f"Synced implementation plan to source: {source_plan_file}")
-        return True
+        # Sync all files and directories from worktree spec to source spec
+        for item in spec_dir.iterdir():
+            # Skip symlinks to prevent path traversal attacks
+            if item.is_symlink():
+                logger.warning(f"Skipping symlink during sync: {item.name}")
+                continue
+
+            source_item = source_spec_dir / item.name
+
+            if item.is_file():
+                # Copy file (preserves timestamps)
+                shutil.copy2(item, source_item)
+                logger.debug(f"Synced {item.name} to source")
+                synced_any = True
+
+            elif item.is_dir():
+                # Recursively sync directory
+                _sync_directory(item, source_item)
+                synced_any = True
+
    except Exception as e:
-        logger.warning(f"Failed to sync implementation plan to source: {e}")
-        return False
+        logger.warning(f"Failed to sync spec directory to source: {e}")
+
+    return synced_any
+
+
+def _sync_directory(source_dir: Path, target_dir: Path) -> None:
+    """
+    Recursively sync a directory from source to target.
+
+    Args:
+        source_dir: Source directory (in worktree)
+        target_dir: Target directory (in main project)
+    """
+    # Create target directory if needed
+    target_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
+    for item in source_dir.iterdir():
+        # Skip symlinks to prevent path traversal attacks
+        if item.is_symlink():
+            logger.warning(
+                f"Skipping symlink during sync: {source_dir.name}/{item.name}"
+            )
+            continue
+
+        target_item = target_dir / item.name
+
+        if item.is_file():
+            shutil.copy2(item, target_item)
+            logger.debug(f"Synced {source_dir.name}/{item.name} to source")
+        elif item.is_dir():
+            # Recurse into subdirectories
+            _sync_directory(item, target_item)
+
+
+# Keep the old name as an alias for backward compatibility
+def sync_plan_to_source(spec_dir: Path, source_spec_dir: Path | None) -> bool:
+    """Alias for sync_spec_to_source for backward compatibility."""
+    return sync_spec_to_source(spec_dir, source_spec_dir)
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ Commands for creating and managing multiple tasks from batch files.
 """

 import json
+import shutil
+import subprocess
 from pathlib import Path

 from ui import highlight, print_status
@@ -184,7 +186,7 @@ def handle_batch_cleanup_command(project_dir: str, dry_run: bool = True) -> bool
        True if successful
    """
    specs_dir = Path(project_dir) / ".auto-claude" / "specs"
-    worktrees_dir = Path(project_dir) / ".worktrees"
+    worktrees_dir = Path(project_dir) / ".auto-claude" / "worktrees" / "tasks"

    if not specs_dir.exists():
        print_status("No specs directory found", "info")
@@ -209,8 +211,56 @@ def handle_batch_cleanup_command(project_dir: str, dry_run: bool = True) -> bool
            print(f"  - {spec_name}")
            wt_path = worktrees_dir / spec_name
            if wt_path.exists():
-                print(f"    └─ .worktrees/{spec_name}/")
+                print(f"    └─ .auto-claude/worktrees/tasks/{spec_name}/")
        print()
        print("Run with --no-dry-run to actually delete")
+    else:
+        # Actually delete specs and worktrees
+        deleted_count = 0
+        for spec_name in completed:
+            spec_path = specs_dir / spec_name
+            wt_path = worktrees_dir / spec_name
+
+            # Remove worktree first (if exists)
+            if wt_path.exists():
+                try:
+                    result = subprocess.run(
+                        ["git", "worktree", "remove", "--force", str(wt_path)],
+                        cwd=project_dir,
+                        capture_output=True,
+                        text=True,
+                        timeout=30,
+                    )
+                    if result.returncode == 0:
+                        print_status(f"Removed worktree: {spec_name}", "success")
+                    else:
+                        # Fallback: remove directory manually if git fails
+                        shutil.rmtree(wt_path, ignore_errors=True)
+                        print_status(
+                            f"Removed worktree directory: {spec_name}", "success"
+                        )
+                except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+                    # Timeout: fall back to manual removal
+                    shutil.rmtree(wt_path, ignore_errors=True)
+                    print_status(
+                        f"Worktree removal timed out, removed directory: {spec_name}",
+                        "warning",
+                    )
+                except Exception as e:
+                    print_status(
+                        f"Failed to remove worktree {spec_name}: {e}", "warning"
+                    )
+
+            # Remove spec directory
+            if spec_path.exists():
+                try:
+                    shutil.rmtree(spec_path)
+                    print_status(f"Removed spec: {spec_name}", "success")
+                    deleted_count += 1
+                except Exception as e:
+                    print_status(f"Failed to remove spec {spec_name}: {e}", "error")
+
+        print()
+        print_status(f"Cleaned up {deleted_count} spec(s)", "info")

    return True
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ def handle_build_command(
        base_branch: Base branch for worktree creation (default: current branch)
    """
    # Lazy imports to avoid loading heavy modules
-    from agent import run_autonomous_agent, sync_plan_to_source
+    from agent import run_autonomous_agent, sync_spec_to_source
    from debug import (
        debug,
        debug_info,
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ def handle_build_command(

                # Sync implementation plan to main project after QA
                # This ensures the main project has the latest status (human_review)
-                if sync_plan_to_source(spec_dir, source_spec_dir):
+                if sync_spec_to_source(spec_dir, source_spec_dir):
                    debug_info(
                        "run.py", "Implementation plan synced to main project after QA"
                    )
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@ from ui import (
    muted,
 )

-# Configuration
-DEFAULT_MODEL = "claude-opus-4-5-20251101"
+# Configuration - uses shorthand that resolves via API Profile if configured
+DEFAULT_MODEL = "sonnet"  # Changed from "opus" (fix #433)


 def setup_environment() -> Path:
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ def find_spec(project_dir: Path, spec_identifier: str) -> Path | None:
                    return spec_folder

    # Check worktree specs (for merge-preview, merge, review, discard operations)
-    worktree_base = project_dir / ".worktrees"
+    worktree_base = project_dir / ".auto-claude" / "worktrees" / "tasks"
    if worktree_base.exists():
        # Try exact match in worktree
        worktree_spec = (
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ def _detect_default_branch(project_dir: Path) -> str:
            cwd=project_dir,
            capture_output=True,
            text=True,
+            timeout=5,
        )
        if result.returncode == 0:
            return env_branch
@@ -78,6 +79,7 @@ def _detect_default_branch(project_dir: Path) -> str:
            cwd=project_dir,
            capture_output=True,
            text=True,
+            timeout=5,
        )
        if result.returncode == 0:
            return branch
@@ -90,18 +92,32 @@ def _get_changed_files_from_git(
    worktree_path: Path, base_branch: str = "main"
 ) -> list[str]:
    """
-    Get list of changed files from git diff between base branch and HEAD.
+    Get list of files changed by the task (not files changed on base branch).
+
+    Uses merge-base to accurately identify only the files modified in the worktree,
+    not files that changed on the base branch since the worktree was created.

    Args:
        worktree_path: Path to the worktree
        base_branch: Base branch to compare against (default: main)

    Returns:
-        List of changed file paths
+        List of changed file paths (task changes only)
    """
    try:
+        # First, get the merge-base (the point where the worktree branched)
+        merge_base_result = subprocess.run(
+            ["git", "merge-base", base_branch, "HEAD"],
+            cwd=worktree_path,
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            check=True,
+        )
+        merge_base = merge_base_result.stdout.strip()
+
+        # Use two-dot diff from merge-base to get only task's changes
        result = subprocess.run(
-            ["git", "diff", "--name-only", f"{base_branch}...HEAD"],
+            ["git", "diff", "--name-only", f"{merge_base}..HEAD"],
            cwd=worktree_path,
            capture_output=True,
            text=True,
@@ -113,10 +129,10 @@ def _get_changed_files_from_git(
        # Log the failure before trying fallback
        debug_warning(
            "workspace_commands",
-            f"git diff (three-dot) failed: returncode={e.returncode}, "
+            f"git diff with merge-base failed: returncode={e.returncode}, "
            f"stderr={e.stderr.strip() if e.stderr else 'N/A'}",
        )
-        # Fallback: try without the three-dot notation
+        # Fallback: try direct two-arg diff (less accurate but works)
        try:
            result = subprocess.run(
                ["git", "diff", "--name-only", base_branch, "HEAD"],
@@ -131,7 +147,7 @@ def _get_changed_files_from_git(
            # Log the failure before returning empty list
            debug_warning(
                "workspace_commands",
-                f"git diff (two-arg) failed: returncode={e.returncode}, "
+                f"git diff (fallback) failed: returncode={e.returncode}, "
                f"stderr={e.stderr.strip() if e.stderr else 'N/A'}",
            )
            return []
@@ -600,6 +616,13 @@ def handle_merge_preview_command(
            changed_files=all_changed_files[:10],  # Log first 10
        )

+        # NOTE: We intentionally do NOT have a fast path here.
+        # Even if commits_behind == 0 (main hasn't moved), we still need to:
+        # 1. Call refresh_from_git() to update evolution data for this task
+        # 2. Call preview_merge() to detect potential conflicts with OTHER parallel tasks
+        #    that may be tracked in the evolution data but haven't been merged yet.
+        # Skipping semantic analysis when commits_behind == 0 would miss these conflicts.
+
        debug(MODULE, "Initializing MergeOrchestrator for preview...")

        # Initialize the orchestrator
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ from agents import (
    run_followup_planner,
    save_session_memory,
    save_session_to_graphiti,
-    sync_plan_to_source,
+    sync_spec_to_source,
 )

 # Ensure all exports are available at module level
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ __all__ = [
    "load_implementation_plan",
    "find_subtask_in_plan",
    "find_phase_for_subtask",
-    "sync_plan_to_source",
+    "sync_spec_to_source",
    "AUTO_CONTINUE_DELAY_SECONDS",
    "HUMAN_INTERVENTION_FILE",
 ]
@@ -23,12 +23,21 @@ AUTH_TOKEN_ENV_VARS = [
 # Environment variables to pass through to SDK subprocess
 # NOTE: ANTHROPIC_API_KEY is intentionally excluded to prevent silent API billing
 SDK_ENV_VARS = [
+    # API endpoint configuration
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL",
    "ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN",
+    # Model overrides (from API Profile custom model mappings)
+    "ANTHROPIC_MODEL",
+    "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL",
+    "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL",
+    "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL",
+    # SDK behavior configuration
    "NO_PROXY",
    "DISABLE_TELEMETRY",
    "DISABLE_COST_WARNINGS",
    "API_TIMEOUT_MS",
+    # Windows-specific: Git Bash path for Claude Code CLI
+    "CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH",
 ]


@@ -208,6 +217,85 @@ def require_auth_token() -> str:
    return token


+def _find_git_bash_path() -> str | None:
+    """
+    Find git-bash (bash.exe) path on Windows.
+
+    Uses 'where git' to find git.exe, then derives bash.exe location from it.
+    Git for Windows installs bash.exe in the 'bin' directory alongside git.exe
+    or in the parent 'bin' directory when git.exe is in 'cmd'.
+
+    Returns:
+        Full path to bash.exe if found, None otherwise
+    """
+    if platform.system() != "Windows":
+        return None
+
+    # If already set in environment, use that
+    existing = os.environ.get("CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH")
+    if existing and os.path.exists(existing):
+        return existing
+
+    git_path = None
+
+    # Method 1: Use 'where' command to find git.exe
+    try:
+        # Use where.exe explicitly for reliability
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            ["where.exe", "git"],
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            timeout=5,
+            shell=False,
+        )
+
+        if result.returncode == 0 and result.stdout.strip():
+            git_paths = result.stdout.strip().splitlines()
+            if git_paths:
+                git_path = git_paths[0].strip()
+    except (subprocess.TimeoutExpired, FileNotFoundError, subprocess.SubprocessError):
+        # Intentionally suppress errors - best-effort detection with fallback to common paths
+        pass
+
+    # Method 2: Check common installation paths if 'where' didn't work
+    if not git_path:
+        common_git_paths = [
+            os.path.expandvars(r"%PROGRAMFILES%\Git\cmd\git.exe"),
+            os.path.expandvars(r"%PROGRAMFILES%\Git\bin\git.exe"),
+            os.path.expandvars(r"%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\Git\cmd\git.exe"),
+            os.path.expandvars(r"%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Git\cmd\git.exe"),
+        ]
+        for path in common_git_paths:
+            if os.path.exists(path):
+                git_path = path
+                break
+
+    if not git_path:
+        return None
+
+    # Derive bash.exe location from git.exe location
+    # Git for Windows structure:
+    #   C:\...\Git\cmd\git.exe     -> bash.exe is at C:\...\Git\bin\bash.exe
+    #   C:\...\Git\bin\git.exe     -> bash.exe is at C:\...\Git\bin\bash.exe
+    #   C:\...\Git\mingw64\bin\git.exe -> bash.exe is at C:\...\Git\bin\bash.exe
+    git_dir = os.path.dirname(git_path)
+    git_parent = os.path.dirname(git_dir)
+    git_grandparent = os.path.dirname(git_parent)
+
+    # Check common bash.exe locations relative to git installation
+    possible_bash_paths = [
+        os.path.join(git_parent, "bin", "bash.exe"),  # cmd -> bin
+        os.path.join(git_dir, "bash.exe"),  # If git.exe is in bin
+        os.path.join(git_grandparent, "bin", "bash.exe"),  # mingw64/bin -> bin
+    ]
+
+    for bash_path in possible_bash_paths:
+        if os.path.exists(bash_path):
+            return bash_path
+
+    return None
+
+
 def get_sdk_env_vars() -> dict[str, str]:
    """
    Get environment variables to pass to SDK.
@@ -215,6 +303,8 @@ def get_sdk_env_vars() -> dict[str, str]:
    Collects relevant env vars (ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL, etc.) that should
    be passed through to the claude-agent-sdk subprocess.

+    On Windows, auto-detects CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH if not already set.
+
    Returns:
        Dict of env var name -> value for non-empty vars
    """
@@ -223,6 +313,14 @@ def get_sdk_env_vars() -> dict[str, str]:
        value = os.environ.get(var)
        if value:
            env[var] = value
+
+    # On Windows, auto-detect git-bash path if not already set
+    # Claude Code CLI requires bash.exe to run on Windows
+    if platform.system() == "Windows" and "CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH" not in env:
+        bash_path = _find_git_bash_path()
+        if bash_path:
+            env["CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH"] = bash_path
+
    return env


@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import copy
 import json
 import logging
 import os
+import platform
 import threading
 import time
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -488,6 +489,12 @@ def create_client(
    # Collect env vars to pass to SDK (ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL, etc.)
    sdk_env = get_sdk_env_vars()

+    # Debug: Log git-bash path detection on Windows
+    if "CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH" in sdk_env:
+        logger.info(f"Git Bash path found: {sdk_env['CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH']}")
+    elif platform.system() == "Windows":
+        logger.warning("Git Bash path not detected on Windows!")
+
    # Check if Linear integration is enabled
    linear_enabled = is_linear_enabled()
    linear_api_key = os.environ.get("LINEAR_API_KEY", "")
@@ -52,4 +52,8 @@ def emit_phase(
        print(f"{PHASE_MARKER_PREFIX}{json.dumps(payload, default=str)}", flush=True)
    except (OSError, UnicodeEncodeError) as e:
        if _DEBUG:
-            print(f"[phase_event] emit failed: {e}", file=sys.stderr, flush=True)
+            try:
+                sys.stderr.write(f"[phase_event] emit failed: {e}\n")
+                sys.stderr.flush()
+            except (OSError, UnicodeEncodeError):
+                pass  # Truly silent on complete I/O failure
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Workspace Management - Per-Spec Architecture
 =============================================

 Handles workspace isolation through Git worktrees, where each spec
-gets its own isolated worktree in .worktrees/{spec-name}/.
+gets its own isolated worktree in .auto-claude/worktrees/tasks/{spec-name}/.

 This module has been refactored for better maintainability:
 - Models and enums: workspace/models.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Workspace Management Package
 =============================

 Handles workspace isolation through Git worktrees, where each spec
-gets its own isolated worktree in .worktrees/{spec-name}/.
+gets its own isolated worktree in .auto-claude/worktrees/tasks/{spec-name}/.

 This package provides:
 - Workspace setup and configuration
@@ -169,7 +169,15 @@ def handle_workspace_choice(
        if staging_path:
            print(highlight(f"  cd {staging_path}"))
        else:
-            print(highlight(f"  cd {project_dir}/.worktrees/{spec_name}"))
+            worktree_path = get_existing_build_worktree(project_dir, spec_name)
+            if worktree_path:
+                print(highlight(f"  cd {worktree_path}"))
+            else:
+                print(
+                    highlight(
+                        f"  cd {project_dir}/.auto-claude/worktrees/tasks/{spec_name}"
+                    )
+                )

        # Show likely test/run commands
        if staging_path:
@@ -232,7 +240,15 @@ def handle_workspace_choice(
        if staging_path:
            print(highlight(f"  cd {staging_path}"))
        else:
-            print(highlight(f"  cd {project_dir}/.worktrees/{spec_name}"))
+            worktree_path = get_existing_build_worktree(project_dir, spec_name)
+            if worktree_path:
+                print(highlight(f"  cd {worktree_path}"))
+            else:
+                print(
+                    highlight(
+                        f"  cd {project_dir}/.auto-claude/worktrees/tasks/{spec_name}"
+                    )
+                )
        print()
        print("When you're ready to add it:")
        print(highlight(f"  python auto-claude/run.py --spec {spec_name} --merge"))
@@ -222,10 +222,16 @@ def get_existing_build_worktree(project_dir: Path, spec_name: str) -> Path | Non
    Returns:
        Path to the worktree if it exists for this spec, None otherwise
    """
-    # Per-spec worktree path: .worktrees/{spec-name}/
-    worktree_path = project_dir / ".worktrees" / spec_name
-    if worktree_path.exists():
-        return worktree_path
+    # New path first
+    new_path = project_dir / ".auto-claude" / "worktrees" / "tasks" / spec_name
+    if new_path.exists():
+        return new_path
+
+    # Legacy fallback
+    legacy_path = project_dir / ".worktrees" / spec_name
+    if legacy_path.exists():
+        return legacy_path
+
    return None


@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ class SpecNumberLock:
        max_number = max(max_number, self._scan_specs_dir(main_specs_dir))

        # 2. Scan all worktree specs
-        worktrees_dir = self.project_dir / ".worktrees"
+        worktrees_dir = self.project_dir / ".auto-claude" / "worktrees" / "tasks"
        if worktrees_dir.exists():
            for worktree in worktrees_dir.iterdir():
                if worktree.is_dir():
@@ -267,6 +267,15 @@ def setup_workspace(
            f"Environment files copied: {', '.join(copied_env_files)}", "success"
        )

+    # Ensure .auto-claude/ is in the worktree's .gitignore
+    # This is critical because the worktree inherits .gitignore from the base branch,
+    # which may not have .auto-claude/ if that change wasn't committed/pushed.
+    # Without this, spec files would be committed to the worktree's branch.
+    from init import ensure_gitignore_entry
+
+    if ensure_gitignore_entry(worktree_info.path, ".auto-claude/"):
+        debug(MODULE, "Added .auto-claude/ to worktree's .gitignore")
+
    # Copy spec files to worktree if provided
    localized_spec_dir = None
    if source_spec_dir and source_spec_dir.exists():
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Git Worktree Manager - Per-Spec Architecture
 =============================================

 Each spec gets its own worktree:
- Worktree path: .worktrees/{spec-name}/
+- Worktree path: .auto-claude/worktrees/tasks/{spec-name}/
 - Branch name: auto-claude/{spec-name}

 This allows:
@@ -48,14 +48,14 @@ class WorktreeManager:
    """
    Manages per-spec Git worktrees.

-    Each spec gets its own worktree in .worktrees/{spec-name}/ with
+    Each spec gets its own worktree in .auto-claude/worktrees/tasks/{spec-name}/ with
    a corresponding branch auto-claude/{spec-name}.
    """

    def __init__(self, project_dir: Path, base_branch: str | None = None):
        self.project_dir = project_dir
        self.base_branch = base_branch or self._detect_base_branch()
-        self.worktrees_dir = project_dir / ".worktrees"
+        self.worktrees_dir = project_dir / ".auto-claude" / "worktrees" / "tasks"
        self._merge_lock = asyncio.Lock()

    def _detect_base_branch(self) -> str:
@@ -124,17 +124,37 @@ class WorktreeManager:
        return result.stdout.strip()

    def _run_git(
-        self, args: list[str], cwd: Path | None = None
+        self, args: list[str], cwd: Path | None = None, timeout: int = 60
    ) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
-        """Run a git command and return the result."""
-        return subprocess.run(
-            ["git"] + args,
-            cwd=cwd or self.project_dir,
-            capture_output=True,
-            text=True,
-            encoding="utf-8",
-            errors="replace",
-        )
+        """Run a git command and return the result.
+
+        Args:
+            args: Git command arguments (without 'git' prefix)
+            cwd: Working directory for the command
+            timeout: Command timeout in seconds (default: 60)
+
+        Returns:
+            CompletedProcess with command results. On timeout, returns a
+            CompletedProcess with returncode=-1 and timeout error in stderr.
+        """
+        try:
+            return subprocess.run(
+                ["git"] + args,
+                cwd=cwd or self.project_dir,
+                capture_output=True,
+                text=True,
+                encoding="utf-8",
+                errors="replace",
+                timeout=timeout,
+            )
+        except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+            # Return a failed result on timeout instead of raising
+            return subprocess.CompletedProcess(
+                args=["git"] + args,
+                returncode=-1,
+                stdout="",
+                stderr=f"Command timed out after {timeout} seconds",
+            )

    def _unstage_gitignored_files(self) -> None:
        """
@@ -194,7 +214,7 @@ class WorktreeManager:

    def setup(self) -> None:
        """Create worktrees directory if needed."""
-        self.worktrees_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+        self.worktrees_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)

    # ==================== Per-Spec Worktree Methods ====================

@@ -327,9 +347,33 @@ class WorktreeManager:
        # Delete branch if it exists (from previous attempt)
        self._run_git(["branch", "-D", branch_name])

-        # Create worktree with new branch from base
+        # Fetch latest from remote to ensure we have the most up-to-date code
+        # GitHub/remote is the source of truth, not the local branch
+        fetch_result = self._run_git(["fetch", "origin", self.base_branch])
+        if fetch_result.returncode != 0:
+            print(
+                f"Warning: Could not fetch {self.base_branch} from origin: {fetch_result.stderr}"
+            )
+            print("Falling back to local branch...")
+
+        # Determine the start point for the worktree
+        # Prefer origin/{base_branch} (remote) over local branch to ensure we have latest code
+        remote_ref = f"origin/{self.base_branch}"
+        start_point = self.base_branch  # Default to local branch
+
+        # Check if remote ref exists and use it as the source of truth
+        check_remote = self._run_git(["rev-parse", "--verify", remote_ref])
+        if check_remote.returncode == 0:
+            start_point = remote_ref
+            print(f"Creating worktree from remote: {remote_ref}")
+        else:
+            print(
+                f"Remote ref {remote_ref} not found, using local branch: {self.base_branch}"
+            )
+
+        # Create worktree with new branch from the start point (remote preferred)
        result = self._run_git(
-            ["worktree", "add", "-b", branch_name, str(worktree_path), self.base_branch]
+            ["worktree", "add", "-b", branch_name, str(worktree_path), start_point]
        )

        if result.returncode != 0:
@@ -478,14 +522,12 @@ class WorktreeManager:
        """List all spec worktrees."""
        worktrees = []

-        if not self.worktrees_dir.exists():
-            return worktrees
-
-        for item in self.worktrees_dir.iterdir():
-            if item.is_dir():
-                info = self.get_worktree_info(item.name)
-                if info:
-                    worktrees.append(info)
+        if self.worktrees_dir.exists():
+            for item in self.worktrees_dir.iterdir():
+                if item.is_dir():
+                    info = self.get_worktree_info(item.name)
+                    if info:
+                        worktrees.append(info)

        return worktrees

@@ -587,81 +629,12 @@ class WorktreeManager:

        return commands

-    # ==================== Backward Compatibility ====================
-    # These methods provide backward compatibility with the old single-worktree API
-
-    def get_staging_path(self) -> Path | None:
-        """
-        Backward compatibility: Get path to any existing spec worktree.
-        Prefer using get_worktree_path(spec_name) instead.
-        """
-        worktrees = self.list_all_worktrees()
-        if worktrees:
-            return worktrees[0].path
-        return None
-
-    def get_staging_info(self) -> WorktreeInfo | None:
-        """
-        Backward compatibility: Get info about any existing spec worktree.
-        Prefer using get_worktree_info(spec_name) instead.
-        """
-        worktrees = self.list_all_worktrees()
-        if worktrees:
-            return worktrees[0]
-        return None
-
-    def merge_staging(self, delete_after: bool = True) -> bool:
-        """
-        Backward compatibility: Merge first found worktree.
-        Prefer using merge_worktree(spec_name) instead.
-        """
-        worktrees = self.list_all_worktrees()
-        if worktrees:
-            return self.merge_worktree(worktrees[0].spec_name, delete_after)
-        return False
-
-    def remove_staging(self, delete_branch: bool = True) -> None:
-        """
-        Backward compatibility: Remove first found worktree.
-        Prefer using remove_worktree(spec_name) instead.
-        """
-        worktrees = self.list_all_worktrees()
-        if worktrees:
-            self.remove_worktree(worktrees[0].spec_name, delete_branch)
-
-    def get_or_create_staging(self, spec_name: str) -> WorktreeInfo:
-        """
-        Backward compatibility: Alias for get_or_create_worktree.
-        """
-        return self.get_or_create_worktree(spec_name)
-
-    def staging_exists(self) -> bool:
-        """
-        Backward compatibility: Check if any spec worktree exists.
-        Prefer using worktree_exists(spec_name) instead.
-        """
-        return len(self.list_all_worktrees()) > 0
-
-    def commit_in_staging(self, message: str) -> bool:
-        """
-        Backward compatibility: Commit in first found worktree.
-        Prefer using commit_in_worktree(spec_name, message) instead.
-        """
-        worktrees = self.list_all_worktrees()
-        if worktrees:
-            return self.commit_in_worktree(worktrees[0].spec_name, message)
-        return False
-
-    def has_uncommitted_changes(self, in_staging: bool = False) -> bool:
+    def has_uncommitted_changes(self, spec_name: str | None = None) -> bool:
        """Check if there are uncommitted changes."""
-        worktrees = self.list_all_worktrees()
-        if in_staging and worktrees:
-            cwd = worktrees[0].path
-        else:
-            cwd = None
+        cwd = None
+        if spec_name:
+            worktree_path = self.get_worktree_path(spec_name)
+            if worktree_path.exists():
+                cwd = worktree_path
        result = self._run_git(["status", "--porcelain"], cwd=cwd)
        return bool(result.stdout.strip())
-
-
-# Keep STAGING_WORKTREE_NAME for backward compatibility in imports
-STAGING_WORKTREE_NAME = "auto-claude"
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class IdeationConfigManager:
        include_roadmap_context: bool = True,
        include_kanban_context: bool = True,
        max_ideas_per_type: int = 5,
-        model: str = "claude-opus-4-5-20251101",
+        model: str = "sonnet",  # Changed from "opus" (fix #433)
        thinking_level: str = "medium",
        refresh: bool = False,
        append: bool = False,
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ from pathlib import Path
 sys.path.insert(0, str(Path(__file__).parent.parent))

 from client import create_client
-from phase_config import get_thinking_budget
+from phase_config import get_thinking_budget, resolve_model_id
 from ui import print_status

 # Ideation types
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ class IdeationGenerator:
        self,
        project_dir: Path,
        output_dir: Path,
-        model: str = "claude-opus-4-5-20251101",
+        model: str = "sonnet",  # Changed from "opus" (fix #433)
        thinking_level: str = "medium",
        max_ideas_per_type: int = 5,
    ):
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ class IdeationGenerator:
        client = create_client(
            self.project_dir,
            self.output_dir,
-            self.model,
+            resolve_model_id(self.model),
            max_thinking_tokens=self.thinking_budget,
        )

@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ Write the fixed JSON to the file now.
        client = create_client(
            self.project_dir,
            self.output_dir,
-            self.model,
+            resolve_model_id(self.model),
            max_thinking_tokens=self.thinking_budget,
        )

@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ class IdeationOrchestrator:
        include_roadmap_context: bool = True,
        include_kanban_context: bool = True,
        max_ideas_per_type: int = 5,
-        model: str = "claude-opus-4-5-20251101",
+        model: str = "sonnet",  # Changed from "opus" (fix #433)
        thinking_level: str = "medium",
        refresh: bool = False,
        append: bool = False,
@@ -31,6 +31,6 @@ class IdeationConfig:
    include_roadmap_context: bool = True
    include_kanban_context: bool = True
    max_ideas_per_type: int = 5
-    model: str = "claude-opus-4-5-20251101"
+    model: str = "sonnet"  # Changed from "opus" (fix #433)
    refresh: bool = False
    append: bool = False  # If True, preserve existing ideas when merging
@@ -118,6 +118,7 @@ def _create_linear_client() -> ClaudeSDKClient:
        get_sdk_env_vars,
        require_auth_token,
    )
+    from phase_config import resolve_model_id

    require_auth_token()  # Raises ValueError if no token found
    ensure_claude_code_oauth_token()
@@ -130,7 +131,7 @@ def _create_linear_client() -> ClaudeSDKClient:

    return ClaudeSDKClient(
        options=ClaudeAgentOptions(
-            model="claude-haiku-4-5",  # Fast & cheap model for simple API calls
+            model=resolve_model_id("haiku"),  # Resolves via API Profile if configured
            system_prompt="You are a Linear API assistant. Execute the requested Linear operation precisely.",
            allowed_tools=LINEAR_TOOLS,
            mcp_servers={
@@ -87,8 +87,8 @@ class ModificationTracker:

        # Get or create evolution
        if rel_path not in evolutions:
-            logger.warning(f"File {rel_path} not being tracked")
-            # Note: We could auto-create here, but for now return None
+            # Debug level: this is expected for files not in baseline (e.g., from main's changes)
+            logger.debug(f"File {rel_path} not in evolution tracking - skipping")
            return None

        evolution = evolutions.get(rel_path)
@@ -157,9 +157,21 @@ class ModificationTracker:
        )

        try:
-            # Get list of files changed in the worktree vs target branch
+            # Get the merge-base to accurately identify task-only changes
+            # Using two-dot diff (merge-base..HEAD) returns only files changed by the task,
+            # not files changed on the target branch since divergence
+            merge_base_result = subprocess.run(
+                ["git", "merge-base", target_branch, "HEAD"],
+                cwd=worktree_path,
+                capture_output=True,
+                text=True,
+                check=True,
+            )
+            merge_base = merge_base_result.stdout.strip()
+
+            # Get list of files changed in the worktree since the merge-base
            result = subprocess.run(
-                ["git", "diff", "--name-only", f"{target_branch}...HEAD"],
+                ["git", "diff", "--name-only", f"{merge_base}..HEAD"],
                cwd=worktree_path,
                capture_output=True,
                text=True,
@@ -176,19 +188,19 @@ class ModificationTracker:
            )

            for file_path in changed_files:
-                # Get the diff for this file
+                # Get the diff for this file (using merge-base for accurate task-only diff)
                diff_result = subprocess.run(
-                    ["git", "diff", f"{target_branch}...HEAD", "--", file_path],
+                    ["git", "diff", f"{merge_base}..HEAD", "--", file_path],
                    cwd=worktree_path,
                    capture_output=True,
                    text=True,
                    check=True,
                )

-                # Get content before (from target branch) and after (current)
+                # Get content before (from merge-base - the point where task branched)
                try:
                    show_result = subprocess.run(
-                        ["git", "show", f"{target_branch}:{file_path}"],
+                        ["git", "show", f"{merge_base}:{file_path}"],
                        cwd=worktree_path,
                        capture_output=True,
                        text=True,
@@ -19,6 +19,35 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from .types import ChangeType, SemanticChange, TaskSnapshot


+def detect_line_ending(content: str) -> str:
+    """
+    Detect line ending style in content using priority-based detection.
+
+    Uses a priority order (CRLF > CR > LF) to detect the line ending style.
+    CRLF is checked first because it contains LF, so presence of any CRLF
+    indicates Windows-style endings. This approach is fast and works well
+    for files that consistently use one style.
+
+    Note: This returns the first detected style by priority, not the most
+    frequent style. For files with mixed line endings, consider normalizing
+    to a single style before processing.
+
+    Args:
+        content: File content to analyze
+
+    Returns:
+        The detected line ending string: "\\r\\n", "\\r", or "\\n"
+    """
+    # Check for CRLF first (Windows) - must check before LF since CRLF contains LF
+    if "\r\n" in content:
+        return "\r\n"
+    # Check for CR (classic Mac, rare but possible)
+    if "\r" in content:
+        return "\r"
+    # Default to LF (Unix/modern Mac)
+    return "\n"
+
+
 def apply_single_task_changes(
    baseline: str,
    snapshot: TaskSnapshot,
@@ -37,6 +66,9 @@ def apply_single_task_changes(
    """
    content = baseline

+    # Detect line ending style once at the start to use consistently
+    line_ending = detect_line_ending(content)
+
    for change in snapshot.semantic_changes:
        if change.content_before and change.content_after:
            # Modification - replace
@@ -45,13 +77,13 @@ def apply_single_task_changes(
            # Addition - need to determine where to add
            if change.change_type == ChangeType.ADD_IMPORT:
                # Add import at top
-                lines = content.split("\n")
+                lines = content.splitlines()
                import_end = find_import_end(lines, file_path)
                lines.insert(import_end, change.content_after)
-                content = "\n".join(lines)
+                content = line_ending.join(lines)
            elif change.change_type == ChangeType.ADD_FUNCTION:
                # Add function at end (before exports)
-                content += f"\n\n{change.content_after}"
+                content += f"{line_ending}{line_ending}{change.content_after}"

    return content

@@ -74,6 +106,9 @@ def combine_non_conflicting_changes(
    """
    content = baseline

+    # Detect line ending style once at the start to use consistently
+    line_ending = detect_line_ending(content)
+
    # Group changes by type for proper ordering
    imports: list[SemanticChange] = []
    functions: list[SemanticChange] = []
@@ -96,13 +131,13 @@ def combine_non_conflicting_changes(

    # Add imports
    if imports:
-        lines = content.split("\n")
+        lines = content.splitlines()
        import_end = find_import_end(lines, file_path)
        for imp in imports:
            if imp.content_after and imp.content_after not in content:
                lines.insert(import_end, imp.content_after)
                import_end += 1
-        content = "\n".join(lines)
+        content = line_ending.join(lines)

    # Apply modifications
    for mod in modifications:
@@ -112,12 +147,12 @@ def combine_non_conflicting_changes(
    # Add functions
    for func in functions:
        if func.content_after:
-            content += f"\n\n{func.content_after}"
+            content += f"{line_ending}{line_ending}{func.content_after}"

    # Apply other changes
    for change in other:
        if change.content_after and not change.content_before:
-            content += f"\n{change.content_after}"
+            content += f"{line_ending}{change.content_after}"
        elif change.content_before and change.content_after:
            content = content.replace(change.content_before, change.content_after)

@@ -27,28 +27,19 @@ def find_worktree(project_dir: Path, task_id: str) -> Path | None:
    Returns:
        Path to the worktree, or None if not found
    """
-    # Check common locations
-    worktrees_dir = project_dir / ".worktrees"
-    if worktrees_dir.exists():
-        # Look for worktree with task_id in name
-        for entry in worktrees_dir.iterdir():
+    # Check new path first
+    new_worktrees_dir = project_dir / ".auto-claude" / "worktrees" / "tasks"
+    if new_worktrees_dir.exists():
+        for entry in new_worktrees_dir.iterdir():
            if entry.is_dir() and task_id in entry.name:
                return entry

-    # Try git worktree list
-    try:
-        result = subprocess.run(
-            ["git", "worktree", "list", "--porcelain"],
-            cwd=project_dir,
-            capture_output=True,
-            text=True,
-            check=True,
-        )
-        for line in result.stdout.split("\n"):
-            if line.startswith("worktree ") and task_id in line:
-                return Path(line.split(" ", 1)[1])
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
-        pass
+    # Legacy fallback for backwards compatibility
+    legacy_worktrees_dir = project_dir / ".worktrees"
+    if legacy_worktrees_dir.exists():
+        for entry in legacy_worktrees_dir.iterdir():
+            if entry.is_dir() and task_id in entry.name:
+                return entry

    return None

@@ -30,11 +30,16 @@ def analyze_with_regex(
    """
    changes: list[SemanticChange] = []

+    # Normalize line endings to LF for consistent cross-platform behavior
+    # This handles Windows CRLF, old Mac CR, and Unix LF
+    before_normalized = before.replace("\r\n", "\n").replace("\r", "\n")
+    after_normalized = after.replace("\r\n", "\n").replace("\r", "\n")
+
    # Get a unified diff
    diff = list(
        difflib.unified_diff(
-            before.splitlines(keepends=True),
-            after.splitlines(keepends=True),
+            before_normalized.splitlines(keepends=True),
+            after_normalized.splitlines(keepends=True),
            lineterm="",
        )
    )
@@ -89,8 +94,22 @@ def analyze_with_regex(
    # Detect function changes (simplified)
    func_pattern = get_function_pattern(ext)
    if func_pattern:
-        funcs_before = set(func_pattern.findall(before))
-        funcs_after = set(func_pattern.findall(after))
+        # For JS/TS patterns with alternation, findall() returns tuples
+        # Extract the non-empty match from each tuple
+        def extract_func_names(matches):
+            names = set()
+            for match in matches:
+                if isinstance(match, tuple):
+                    # Get the first non-empty group from the tuple
+                    name = next((m for m in match if m), None)
+                    if name:
+                        names.add(name)
+                elif match:
+                    names.add(match)
+            return names
+
+        funcs_before = extract_func_names(func_pattern.findall(before_normalized))
+        funcs_after = extract_func_names(func_pattern.findall(after_normalized))

        for func in funcs_after - funcs_before:
            changes.append(
@@ -211,12 +211,18 @@ class SemanticAnalyzer:
        """Analyze using tree-sitter AST parsing."""
        parser = self._parsers[ext]

-        tree_before = parser.parse(bytes(before, "utf-8"))
-        tree_after = parser.parse(bytes(after, "utf-8"))
+        # Normalize line endings to LF for consistent cross-platform behavior
+        # This ensures byte positions and line counts work correctly on all platforms
+        before_normalized = before.replace("\r\n", "\n").replace("\r", "\n")
+        after_normalized = after.replace("\r\n", "\n").replace("\r", "\n")
+
+        tree_before = parser.parse(bytes(before_normalized, "utf-8"))
+        tree_after = parser.parse(bytes(after_normalized, "utf-8"))

        # Extract structural elements from both versions
-        elements_before = self._extract_elements(tree_before, before, ext)
-        elements_after = self._extract_elements(tree_after, after, ext)
+        # Use normalized content to match tree-sitter byte positions
+        elements_before = self._extract_elements(tree_before, before_normalized, ext)
+        elements_after = self._extract_elements(tree_after, after_normalized, ext)

        # Compare and generate semantic changes
        changes = compare_elements(elements_before, elements_after, ext)
@@ -189,7 +189,14 @@ class TimelineGitHelper:
            task_id.replace("task-", "") if task_id.startswith("task-") else task_id
        )

-        worktree_path = self.project_path / ".worktrees" / spec_name / file_path
+        worktree_path = (
+            self.project_path
+            / ".auto-claude"
+            / "worktrees"
+            / "tasks"
+            / spec_name
+            / file_path
+        )
        if worktree_path.exists():
            try:
                return worktree_path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ Reads configuration from task_metadata.json and provides resolved model IDs.
 """

 import json
+import os
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Literal, TypedDict

@@ -46,10 +47,10 @@ SPEC_PHASE_THINKING_LEVELS: dict[str, str] = {
    "complexity_assessment": "medium",
 }

-# Default phase configuration (matches UI defaults)
+# Default phase configuration (fallback, matches 'Balanced' profile)
 DEFAULT_PHASE_MODELS: dict[str, str] = {
    "spec": "sonnet",
-    "planning": "opus",
+    "planning": "sonnet",  # Changed from "opus" (fix #433)
    "coding": "sonnet",
    "qa": "sonnet",
 }
@@ -94,17 +95,34 @@ def resolve_model_id(model: str) -> str:
    Resolve a model shorthand (haiku, sonnet, opus) to a full model ID.
    If the model is already a full ID, return it unchanged.

+    Priority:
+    1. Environment variable override (from API Profile)
+    2. Hardcoded MODEL_ID_MAP
+    3. Pass through unchanged (assume full model ID)
+
    Args:
        model: Model shorthand or full ID

    Returns:
        Full Claude model ID
    """
-    # Check if it's a shorthand
+    # Check for environment variable override (from API Profile custom model mappings)
    if model in MODEL_ID_MAP:
+        env_var_map = {
+            "haiku": "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL",
+            "sonnet": "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL",
+            "opus": "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL",
+        }
+        env_var = env_var_map.get(model)
+        if env_var:
+            env_value = os.environ.get(env_var)
+            if env_value:
+                return env_value
+
+        # Fall back to hardcoded mapping
        return MODEL_ID_MAP[model]

-    # Already a full model ID
+    # Already a full model ID or unknown shorthand
    return model


@@ -173,12 +173,16 @@ LANGUAGE_COMMANDS: dict[str, set[str]] = {
        "zig",
    },
    "dart": {
+        # Core Dart CLI (modern unified tool)
        "dart",
+        "pub",
+        # Flutter CLI (included in Dart language for SDK detection)
+        "flutter",
+        # Legacy commands (deprecated but may exist in older projects)
        "dart2js",
        "dartanalyzer",
        "dartdoc",
        "dartfmt",
-        "pub",
    },
 }

@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ PACKAGE_MANAGER_COMMANDS: dict[str, set[str]] = {
    "brew": {"brew"},
    "apt": {"apt", "apt-get", "dpkg"},
    "nix": {"nix", "nix-shell", "nix-build", "nix-env"},
+    # Dart/Flutter package managers
+    "pub": {"pub", "dart"},
+    "melos": {"melos", "dart", "flutter"},
 }


@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ VERSION_MANAGER_COMMANDS: dict[str, set[str]] = {
    "rustup": {"rustup"},
    "sdkman": {"sdk"},
    "jabba": {"jabba"},
+    # Dart/Flutter version managers
+    "fvm": {"fvm", "flutter"},
 }


@@ -164,6 +164,12 @@ class StackDetector:
        if self.parser.file_exists("build.gradle", "build.gradle.kts"):
            self.stack.package_managers.append("gradle")

+        # Dart/Flutter package managers
+        if self.parser.file_exists("pubspec.yaml", "pubspec.lock"):
+            self.stack.package_managers.append("pub")
+        if self.parser.file_exists("melos.yaml"):
+            self.stack.package_managers.append("melos")
+
    def detect_databases(self) -> None:
        """Detect databases from config files and dependencies."""
        # Check for database config files
@@ -358,3 +364,6 @@ class StackDetector:
            self.stack.version_managers.append("rbenv")
        if self.parser.file_exists("rust-toolchain.toml", "rust-toolchain"):
            self.stack.version_managers.append("rustup")
+        # Flutter Version Manager
+        if self.parser.file_exists(".fvm", ".fvmrc", "fvm_config.json"):
+            self.stack.version_managers.append("fvm")
@@ -634,7 +634,7 @@ The system **automatically scans for secrets** before every commit. If secrets a
   api_key = os.environ.get("API_KEY")
   ```
 3. **Update .env.example** - Add placeholder for the new variable
-4. **Re-stage and retry** - `git add . && git commit ...`
+4. **Re-stage and retry** - `git add . ':!.auto-claude' && git commit ...`

 **If it's a false positive:**
 - Add the file pattern to `.secretsignore` in the project root
@@ -643,7 +643,8 @@ The system **automatically scans for secrets** before every commit. If secrets a
 ### Create the Commit

 ```bash
-git add .
+# Add all files EXCEPT .auto-claude directory (spec files should never be committed)
+git add . ':!.auto-claude'
 git commit -m "auto-claude: Complete [subtask-id] - [subtask description]

 - Files modified: [list]
@@ -651,6 +652,9 @@ git commit -m "auto-claude: Complete [subtask-id] - [subtask description]
 - Phase progress: [X]/[Y] subtasks complete"
 ```

+**CRITICAL**: The `:!.auto-claude` pathspec exclusion ensures spec files are NEVER committed.
+These are internal tracking files that must stay local.
+
 ### DO NOT Push to Remote

 **IMPORTANT**: Do NOT run `git push`. All work stays local until the user reviews and approves.
@@ -956,6 +960,17 @@ Prepare → Test (small batch) → Execute (full) → Cleanup
 - Clean, working state
 - **Secret scan must pass before commit**

+### Git Configuration - NEVER MODIFY
+**CRITICAL**: You MUST NOT modify git user configuration. Never run:
+- `git config user.name`
+- `git config user.email`
+- `git config --local user.*`
+- `git config --global user.*`
+
+The repository inherits the user's configured git identity. Creating "Test User" or
+any other fake identity breaks attribution and causes serious issues. If you need
+to commit changes, use the existing git identity - do NOT set a new one.
+
 ### The Golden Rule
 **FIX BUGS NOW.** The next session has no memory.

@@ -6,6 +6,23 @@ You are a focused codebase fit review agent. You have been spawned by the orches

 Ensure new code integrates well with the existing codebase. Check for consistency with project conventions, reuse of existing utilities, and architectural alignment. Focus ONLY on codebase fit - not security, logic correctness, or general quality.

+## CRITICAL: PR Scope and Context
+
+### What IS in scope (report these issues):
+1. **Codebase fit issues in changed code** - New code not following project patterns
+2. **Missed reuse opportunities** - "Existing `utils.ts` has a helper for this"
+3. **Inconsistent with PR's own changes** - "You used `camelCase` here but `snake_case` elsewhere in the PR"
+4. **Breaking conventions in touched areas** - "Your change deviates from the pattern in this file"
+
+### What is NOT in scope (do NOT report):
+1. **Pre-existing inconsistencies** - Old code that doesn't follow patterns
+2. **Unrelated suggestions** - Don't suggest patterns for code the PR didn't touch
+
+**Key distinction:**
+- ✅ "Your new component doesn't follow the existing pattern in `components/`" - GOOD
+- ✅ "Consider using existing `formatDate()` helper instead of new implementation" - GOOD
+- ❌ "The old `legacy/` folder uses different naming conventions" - BAD (pre-existing)
+
 ## Codebase Fit Focus Areas

 ### 1. Naming Conventions
@@ -1,16 +1,37 @@
 # Finding Validator Agent

-You are a finding re-investigator. For each unresolved finding from a previous PR review, you must actively investigate whether it is a REAL issue or a FALSE POSITIVE.
+You are a finding re-investigator using EVIDENCE-BASED VALIDATION. For each unresolved finding from a previous PR review, you must actively investigate whether it is a REAL issue or a FALSE POSITIVE.
+
+**Core Principle: Evidence, not confidence scores.** Either you can prove the issue exists with actual code, or you can't. There is no middle ground.

 Your job is to prevent false positives from persisting indefinitely by actually reading the code and verifying the issue exists.

+## CRITICAL: Check PR Scope First
+
+**Before investigating any finding, verify it's within THIS PR's scope:**
+
+1. **Check if the file is in the PR's changed files list** - If not, likely out-of-scope
+2. **Check if the line number exists** - If finding cites line 710 but file has 600 lines, it's hallucinated
+3. **Check for PR references in commit messages** - Commits like `fix: something (#584)` are from OTHER PRs
+
+**Dismiss findings as `dismissed_false_positive` if:**
+- The finding references a file NOT in the PR's changed files list AND is not about impact on that file
+- The line number doesn't exist in the file (hallucinated)
+- The finding is about code from a merged branch commit (not this PR's work)
+
+**Keep findings valid if they're about:**
+- Issues in code the PR actually changed
+- Impact of PR changes on other code (e.g., "this change breaks callers in X")
+- Missing updates to related code (e.g., "you updated A but forgot B")
+
 ## Your Mission

 For each finding you receive:
-1. **READ** the actual code at the file/line location using the Read tool
-2. **ANALYZE** whether the described issue actually exists in the code
-3. **PROVIDE** concrete code evidence for your conclusion
-4. **RETURN** validation status with evidence
+1. **VERIFY SCOPE** - Is this file/line actually part of this PR?
+2. **READ** the actual code at the file/line location using the Read tool
+3. **ANALYZE** whether the described issue actually exists in the code
+4. **PROVIDE** concrete code evidence - the actual code that proves or disproves the issue
+5. **RETURN** validation status with evidence (binary decision based on what the code shows)

 ## Investigation Process

@@ -24,45 +45,61 @@ Read the file: {finding.file}
 Focus on lines around: {finding.line}
 ```

-### Step 2: Analyze with Fresh Eyes
+### Step 2: Analyze with Fresh Eyes - NEVER ASSUME

-**Do NOT assume the original finding is correct.** Ask yourself:
- Does the code ACTUALLY have this issue?
- Is the described vulnerability/bug/problem present?
- Could the original reviewer have misunderstood the code?
- Is there context that makes this NOT an issue (e.g., sanitization elsewhere)?
+**CRITICAL: Do NOT assume the original finding is correct.** The original reviewer may have:
+- Hallucinated line numbers that don't exist
+- Misread or misunderstood the code
+- Missed validation/sanitization in callers or surrounding code
+- Made assumptions without actually reading the implementation
+- Confused similar-looking code patterns

-Be skeptical. The original review may have hallucinated this finding.
+**You MUST actively verify by asking:**
+- Does the code at this exact line ACTUALLY have this issue?
+- Did I READ the actual implementation, not just the function name?
+- Is there validation/sanitization BEFORE this code is reached?
+- Is there framework protection I'm not accounting for?
+- Does this line number even EXIST in the file?
+
+**NEVER:**
+- Trust the finding description without reading the code
+- Assume a function is vulnerable based on its name
+- Skip checking surrounding context (±20 lines minimum)
+- Confirm a finding just because "it sounds plausible"
+
+Be HIGHLY skeptical. AI reviews frequently produce false positives. Your job is to catch them.

 ### Step 3: Document Evidence

 You MUST provide concrete evidence:
- **Exact code snippet** you examined (copy-paste from the file)
+- **Exact code snippet** you examined (copy-paste from the file) - this is the PROOF
 - **Line numbers** where you found (or didn't find) the issue
- **Your analysis** of whether the issue exists
- **Confidence level** (0.0-1.0) in your conclusion
+- **Your analysis** connecting the code to your conclusion
+- **Verification flag** - did this code actually exist at the specified location?

 ## Validation Statuses

 ### `confirmed_valid`
-Use when you verify the issue IS real:
+Use when your code evidence PROVES the issue IS real:
 - The problematic code pattern exists exactly as described
- The vulnerability/bug is present and exploitable
+- You can point to the specific lines showing the vulnerability/bug
 - The code quality issue genuinely impacts the codebase
+- **Key question**: Does your code_evidence field contain the actual problematic code?

 ### `dismissed_false_positive`
-Use when you verify the issue does NOT exist:
- The described code pattern is not actually present
- The original finding misunderstood the code
- There is mitigating code that prevents the issue (e.g., input validation elsewhere)
- The finding was based on incorrect assumptions
+Use when your code evidence PROVES the issue does NOT exist:
+- The described code pattern is not actually present (code_evidence shows different code)
+- There is mitigating code that prevents the issue (code_evidence shows the mitigation)
+- The finding was based on incorrect assumptions (code_evidence shows reality)
+- The line number doesn't exist or contains different code than claimed
+- **Key question**: Does your code_evidence field show code that disproves the original finding?

 ### `needs_human_review`
-Use when you cannot determine with confidence:
- The issue requires runtime analysis to verify
+Use when you CANNOT find definitive evidence either way:
+- The issue requires runtime analysis to verify (static code doesn't prove/disprove)
 - The code is too complex to analyze statically
- You have conflicting evidence
- Your confidence is below 0.70
+- You found the code but can't determine if it's actually a problem
+- **Key question**: Is your code_evidence inconclusive?

 ## Output Format

@@ -75,7 +112,7 @@ Return one result per finding:
  "code_evidence": "const query = `SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ${userId}`;",
  "line_range": [45, 45],
  "explanation": "SQL injection vulnerability confirmed. User input 'userId' is directly interpolated into the SQL query at line 45 without any sanitization. The query is executed via db.execute() on line 46.",
-  "confidence": 0.95
+  "evidence_verified_in_file": true
 }
 ```

@@ -85,8 +122,8 @@ Return one result per finding:
  "validation_status": "dismissed_false_positive",
  "code_evidence": "function processInput(data: string): string {\n  const sanitized = DOMPurify.sanitize(data);\n  return sanitized;\n}",
  "line_range": [23, 26],
-  "explanation": "The original finding claimed XSS vulnerability, but the code uses DOMPurify.sanitize() before output. The input is properly sanitized at line 24 before being returned.",
-  "confidence": 0.88
+  "explanation": "The original finding claimed XSS vulnerability, but the code uses DOMPurify.sanitize() before output. The input is properly sanitized at line 24 before being returned. The code evidence proves the issue does NOT exist.",
+  "evidence_verified_in_file": true
 }
 ```

@@ -96,38 +133,56 @@ Return one result per finding:
  "validation_status": "needs_human_review",
  "code_evidence": "async function handleRequest(req) {\n  // Complex async logic...\n}",
  "line_range": [100, 150],
-  "explanation": "The original finding claims a race condition, but verifying this requires understanding the runtime behavior and concurrency model. Cannot determine statically.",
-  "confidence": 0.45
+  "explanation": "The original finding claims a race condition, but verifying this requires understanding the runtime behavior and concurrency model. The static code doesn't provide definitive evidence either way.",
+  "evidence_verified_in_file": true
 }
 ```

-## Confidence Guidelines
+```json
+{
+  "finding_id": "HALLUC-004",
+  "validation_status": "dismissed_false_positive",
+  "code_evidence": "// Line 710 does not exist - file only has 600 lines",
+  "line_range": [600, 600],
+  "explanation": "The original finding claimed an issue at line 710, but the file only has 600 lines. This is a hallucinated finding - the code doesn't exist.",
+  "evidence_verified_in_file": false
+}
+```

-Rate your confidence based on how certain you are:
+## Evidence Guidelines

-| Confidence | Meaning |
-|------------|---------|
-| 0.90-1.00 | Definitive evidence - code clearly shows the issue exists/doesn't exist |
-| 0.80-0.89 | Strong evidence - high confidence with minor uncertainty |
-| 0.70-0.79 | Moderate evidence - likely correct but some ambiguity |
-| 0.50-0.69 | Uncertain - use `needs_human_review` |
-| Below 0.50 | Insufficient evidence - must use `needs_human_review` |
+Validation is binary based on what the code evidence shows:

-**Minimum thresholds:**
- To confirm as `confirmed_valid`: confidence >= 0.70
- To dismiss as `dismissed_false_positive`: confidence >= 0.80 (higher bar for dismissal)
- If below thresholds: must use `needs_human_review`
+| Scenario | Status | Evidence Required |
+|----------|--------|-------------------|
+| Code shows the exact problem claimed | `confirmed_valid` | Problematic code snippet |
+| Code shows issue doesn't exist or is mitigated | `dismissed_false_positive` | Code proving issue is absent |
+| Code couldn't be found (hallucinated line/file) | `dismissed_false_positive` | Note that code doesn't exist |
+| Code found but can't prove/disprove statically | `needs_human_review` | The inconclusive code |
+
+**Decision rules:**
+- If `code_evidence` contains problematic code → `confirmed_valid`
+- If `code_evidence` proves issue doesn't exist → `dismissed_false_positive`
+- If `evidence_verified_in_file` is false → `dismissed_false_positive` (hallucinated finding)
+- If you can't determine from the code → `needs_human_review`

 ## Common False Positive Patterns

 Watch for these patterns that often indicate false positives:

-1. **Sanitization elsewhere**: Input is validated/sanitized before reaching the flagged code
-2. **Internal-only code**: Code only handles trusted internal data, not user input
-3. **Framework protection**: Framework provides automatic protection (e.g., ORM parameterization)
-4. **Dead code**: The flagged code is never executed in the current codebase
-5. **Test code**: The issue is in test files where it's acceptable
-6. **Misread syntax**: Original reviewer misunderstood the language syntax
+1. **Non-existent line number**: The line number cited doesn't exist or is beyond EOF - hallucinated finding
+2. **Merged branch code**: Finding is about code from a commit like `fix: something (#584)` - another PR
+3. **Pre-existing issue, not impact**: Finding flags old bug in untouched code without showing how PR changes relate
+4. **Sanitization elsewhere**: Input is validated/sanitized before reaching the flagged code
+5. **Internal-only code**: Code only handles trusted internal data, not user input
+6. **Framework protection**: Framework provides automatic protection (e.g., ORM parameterization)
+7. **Dead code**: The flagged code is never executed in the current codebase
+8. **Test code**: The issue is in test files where it's acceptable
+9. **Misread syntax**: Original reviewer misunderstood the language syntax
+
+**Note**: Findings about files outside the PR's changed list are NOT automatically false positives if they're about:
+- Impact of PR changes on that file (e.g., "your change breaks X")
+- Missing related updates (e.g., "you forgot to update Y")

 ## Common Valid Issue Patterns

@@ -144,15 +199,16 @@ These patterns often confirm the issue is real:
 1. **ALWAYS read the actual code** - Never rely on memory or the original finding description
 2. **ALWAYS provide code_evidence** - No empty strings. Quote the actual code.
 3. **Be skeptical of original findings** - Many AI reviews produce false positives
-4. **Higher bar for dismissal** - Need 0.80 confidence to dismiss (vs 0.70 to confirm)
-5. **When uncertain, escalate** - Use `needs_human_review` rather than guessing
+4. **Evidence is binary** - The code either shows the problem or it doesn't
+5. **When evidence is inconclusive, escalate** - Use `needs_human_review` rather than guessing
 6. **Look for mitigations** - Check surrounding code for sanitization/validation
 7. **Check the full context** - Read ±20 lines, not just the flagged line
+8. **Verify code exists** - Set `evidence_verified_in_file` to false if the code/line doesn't exist

 ## Anti-Patterns to Avoid

- **Trusting the original finding blindly** - Always verify
- **Dismissing without reading code** - Must provide code_evidence
- **Low confidence dismissals** - Needs 0.80+ confidence to dismiss
- **Vague explanations** - Be specific about what you found
+- **Trusting the original finding blindly** - Always verify with actual code
+- **Dismissing without reading code** - Must provide code_evidence that proves your point
+- **Vague explanations** - Be specific about what the code shows and why it proves/disproves the issue
 - **Missing line numbers** - Always include line_range
+- **Speculative conclusions** - Only conclude what the code evidence actually proves
@@ -71,10 +71,12 @@ Review the diff since the last review for NEW issues:
 - Regressions that break previously working code
 - Missing error handling in new code paths

-**Apply the 80% confidence threshold:**
- Only report issues you're confident about
+**NEVER ASSUME - ALWAYS VERIFY:**
+- Actually READ the code before reporting any finding
+- Verify the issue exists at the exact line you cite
+- Check for validation/mitigation in surrounding code
 - Don't re-report issues from the previous review
- Focus on genuinely new problems
+- Focus on genuinely new problems with code EVIDENCE

 ### Phase 3: Comment Review

@@ -137,11 +139,11 @@ Return a JSON object with this structure:
      "id": "new-finding-1",
      "severity": "medium",
      "category": "security",
-      "confidence": 0.85,
      "title": "New hardcoded API key in config",
      "description": "A new API key was added in config.ts line 45 without using environment variables.",
      "file": "src/config.ts",
      "line": 45,
+      "evidence": "const API_KEY = 'sk-prod-abc123xyz789';",
      "suggested_fix": "Move to environment variable: process.env.EXTERNAL_API_KEY"
    }
  ],
@@ -175,11 +177,11 @@ Same format as initial review findings:
 - **id**: Unique identifier for new finding
 - **severity**: `critical` | `high` | `medium` | `low`
 - **category**: `security` | `quality` | `logic` | `test` | `docs` | `pattern` | `performance`
- **confidence**: Float 0.80-1.0
 - **title**: Short summary (max 80 chars)
 - **description**: Detailed explanation
 - **file**: Relative file path
 - **line**: Line number
+- **evidence**: **REQUIRED** - Actual code snippet proving the issue exists
 - **suggested_fix**: How to resolve

 ### verdict
@@ -11,6 +11,23 @@ Review the incremental diff for:
 4. Potential regressions
 5. Incomplete implementations

+## CRITICAL: PR Scope and Context
+
+### What IS in scope (report these issues):
+1. **Issues in changed code** - Problems in files/lines actually modified by this PR
+2. **Impact on unchanged code** - "This change breaks callers in `other_file.ts`"
+3. **Missing related changes** - "Similar pattern in `utils.ts` wasn't updated"
+4. **Incomplete implementations** - "New field added but not handled in serializer"
+
+### What is NOT in scope (do NOT report):
+1. **Pre-existing bugs** - Old bugs in code this PR didn't touch
+2. **Code from merged branches** - Commits with PR references like `(#584)` are from other PRs
+3. **Unrelated improvements** - Don't suggest refactoring untouched code
+
+**Key distinction:**
+- ✅ "Your change breaks the caller in `auth.ts`" - GOOD (impact analysis)
+- ❌ "The old code in `legacy.ts` has a bug" - BAD (pre-existing, not this PR)
+
 ## Focus Areas

 Since this is a follow-up review, focus on:
@@ -74,15 +91,29 @@ Since this is a follow-up review, focus on:
 - Minor optimizations
 - Documentation gaps

-## Confidence Scoring
+## NEVER ASSUME - ALWAYS VERIFY

-Rate confidence (0.0-1.0) based on:
- **>0.9**: Obvious, verifiable issue
- **0.8-0.9**: High confidence with clear evidence
- **0.7-0.8**: Likely issue but some uncertainty
- **<0.7**: Possible issue, needs verification
+**Before reporting ANY new finding:**

-Only report findings with confidence >0.7.
+1. **NEVER assume code is vulnerable** - Read the actual implementation
+2. **NEVER assume validation is missing** - Check callers and surrounding code
+3. **NEVER assume based on function names** - `unsafeQuery()` might actually be safe
+4. **NEVER report without reading the code** - Verify the issue exists at the exact line
+
+**You MUST:**
+- Actually READ the code at the file/line you cite
+- Verify there's no sanitization/validation before this code
+- Check for framework protections you might miss
+- Provide the actual code snippet as evidence
+
+## Evidence Requirements
+
+Every finding MUST include an `evidence` field with:
+- The actual problematic code copy-pasted from the diff
+- The specific line numbers where the issue exists
+- Proof that the issue is real, not speculative
+
+**No evidence = No finding**

 ## Output Format

@@ -99,7 +130,7 @@ Return findings in this structure:
    "description": "The new login validation query concatenates user input directly into the SQL string without sanitization.",
    "category": "security",
    "severity": "critical",
-    "confidence": 0.95,
+    "evidence": "query = f\"SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = '{email}'\"",
    "suggested_fix": "Use parameterized queries: cursor.execute('SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = ?', (email,))",
    "fixable": true,
    "source_agent": "new-code-reviewer",
@@ -113,7 +144,7 @@ Return findings in this structure:
    "description": "The fix for LOGIC-003 removed a null check that was protecting against undefined input. Now input.data can be null.",
    "category": "regression",
    "severity": "high",
-    "confidence": 0.88,
+    "evidence": "result = input.data.process()  # input.data can be null, was previously: if input and input.data:",
    "suggested_fix": "Restore null check: if (input && input.data) { ... }",
    "fixable": true,
    "source_agent": "new-code-reviewer",
@@ -9,6 +9,40 @@ Perform a focused, efficient follow-up review by:
 2. Delegating to specialized agents based on what needs verification
 3. Synthesizing findings into a final merge verdict

+## CRITICAL: PR Scope and Context
+
+### What IS in scope (report these issues):
+1. **Issues in changed code** - Problems in files/lines actually modified by this PR
+2. **Impact on unchanged code** - "You changed X but forgot to update Y that depends on it"
+3. **Missing related changes** - "This pattern also exists in Z, did you mean to update it too?"
+4. **Breaking changes** - "This change breaks callers in other files"
+
+### What is NOT in scope (do NOT report):
+1. **Pre-existing issues in unchanged code** - If old code has a bug but this PR didn't touch it, don't flag it
+2. **Code from merged branches** - Commits with PR references like `(#584)` are from OTHER already-reviewed PRs
+3. **Unrelated improvements** - Don't suggest refactoring code the PR didn't touch
+
+**Key distinction:**
+- ✅ "Your change to `validateUser()` breaks the caller in `auth.ts:45`" - GOOD (impact of PR changes)
+- ✅ "You updated this validation but similar logic in `utils.ts` wasn't updated" - GOOD (incomplete change)
+- ❌ "The existing code in `legacy.ts` has a SQL injection" - BAD (pre-existing issue, not this PR)
+- ❌ "This code from commit `fix: something (#584)` has an issue" - BAD (different PR)
+
+**Why this matters:**
+When authors merge the base branch into their feature branch, the commit range includes commits from other PRs. The context gathering system filters these out, but if any slip through, recognize them as out-of-scope.
+
+## Merge Conflicts
+
+**Check for merge conflicts in the follow-up context.** If `has_merge_conflicts` is `true`:
+
+1. **Report this prominently** - Merge conflicts block the PR from being merged
+2. **Add a CRITICAL finding** with category "merge_conflict" and severity "critical"
+3. **Include in verdict reasoning** - The PR cannot be merged until conflicts are resolved
+4. **This may be NEW since last review** - Base branch may have changed
+
+Note: GitHub's API tells us IF there are conflicts but not WHICH files. The finding should state:
+> "This PR has merge conflicts with the base branch that must be resolved before merging."
+
 ## Available Specialist Agents

 You have access to these specialist agents via the Task tool:
@@ -97,7 +131,21 @@ After all agents complete:

 ## Verdict Guidelines

+### CRITICAL: CI Status ALWAYS Factors Into Verdict
+
+**CI status is provided in the context and MUST be considered:**
+
+- ❌ **Failing CI = BLOCKED** - If ANY CI checks are failing, verdict MUST be BLOCKED regardless of code quality
+- ⏳ **Pending CI = NEEDS_REVISION** - If CI is still running, verdict cannot be READY_TO_MERGE
+- ⏸️ **Awaiting approval = BLOCKED** - Fork PR workflows awaiting maintainer approval block merge
+- ✅ **All passing = Continue with code analysis** - Only then do code findings determine verdict
+
+**Always mention CI status in your verdict_reasoning.** For example:
+- "BLOCKED: 2 CI checks failing (CodeQL, test-frontend). Fix CI before merge."
+- "READY_TO_MERGE: All CI checks passing and all findings resolved."
+
 ### READY_TO_MERGE
+- **All CI checks passing** (no failing, no pending)
 - All previous findings verified as resolved OR dismissed as false positives
 - No CONFIRMED_VALID critical/high issues remaining
 - No new critical/high issues
@@ -105,11 +153,13 @@ After all agents complete:
 - Contributor questions addressed

 ### MERGE_WITH_CHANGES
+- **All CI checks passing**
 - Previous findings resolved
 - Only LOW severity new issues (suggestions)
 - Optional polish items can be addressed post-merge

 ### NEEDS_REVISION (Strict Quality Gates)
+- **CI checks pending** OR
 - HIGH or MEDIUM severity findings CONFIRMED_VALID (not dismissed as false positive)
 - New HIGH or MEDIUM severity issues introduced
 - Important contributor concerns unaddressed
@@ -117,6 +167,8 @@ After all agents complete:
 - **Note: Only count findings that passed validation** (dismissed_false_positive findings don't block)

 ### BLOCKED
+- **Any CI checks failing** OR
+- **Workflows awaiting maintainer approval** (fork PRs) OR
 - CRITICAL findings remain CONFIRMED_VALID (not dismissed as false positive)
 - New CRITICAL issues introduced
 - Fundamental problems with the fix approach
@@ -171,16 +223,36 @@ Provide your synthesis as a structured response matching the ParallelFollowupRes
 }
 ```

+## CRITICAL: NEVER ASSUME - ALWAYS VERIFY
+
+**This applies to ALL agents you invoke:**
+
+1. **NEVER assume a finding is valid** - The finding-validator MUST read the actual code
+2. **NEVER assume a fix is correct** - The resolution-verifier MUST verify the change
+3. **NEVER assume line numbers are accurate** - Files may be shorter than cited lines
+4. **NEVER assume validation is missing** - Check callers and surrounding code
+5. **NEVER trust the original finding's description** - It may have been hallucinated
+
+**Before ANY finding blocks merge:**
+- The actual code at that location MUST be read
+- The problematic pattern MUST exist as described
+- There MUST NOT be mitigation/validation elsewhere
+- The evidence MUST be copy-pasted from the actual file
+
+**Why this matters:** AI reviewers sometimes hallucinate findings. Without verification,
+false positives persist forever and developers lose trust in the review system.
+
 ## Important Notes

 1. **Be efficient**: Follow-up reviews should be faster than initial reviews
 2. **Focus on changes**: Only review what changed since last review
-3. **Trust but verify**: Don't assume fixes are correct just because files changed
+3. **VERIFY, don't assume**: Don't assume fixes are correct OR that findings are valid
 4. **Acknowledge progress**: Recognize genuine effort to address feedback
 5. **Be specific**: Clearly state what blocks merge if verdict is not READY_TO_MERGE

 ## Context You Will Receive

+- **CI Status (CRITICAL)** - Passing/failing/pending checks and specific failed check names
 - Previous review summary and findings
 - New commits since last review (SHAs, messages)
 - Diff of changes since last review
@@ -10,6 +10,23 @@ For each previous finding, determine whether it has been:
 - **unresolved**: The issue remains or wasn't addressed
 - **cant_verify**: Not enough information to determine status

+## CRITICAL: Verify Finding is In-Scope
+
+**Before verifying any finding, check if it's within THIS PR's scope:**
+
+1. **Is the file in the PR's changed files list?** - If not AND the finding isn't about impact, mark as `cant_verify`
+2. **Does the line number exist?** - If finding cites line 710 but file has 600 lines, it was hallucinated
+3. **Was this from a merged branch?** - Commits with PR references like `(#584)` are from other PRs
+
+**Mark as `cant_verify` if:**
+- Finding references a file not in PR AND is not about impact of PR changes on that file
+- Line number doesn't exist (hallucinated finding)
+- Finding is about code from another PR's commits
+
+**Findings can reference files outside the PR if they're about:**
+- Impact of PR changes (e.g., "change to X breaks caller in Y")
+- Missing related updates (e.g., "you updated A but forgot B")
+
 ## Verification Process

 For each previous finding:
@@ -31,12 +48,26 @@ If the file was modified:
 - Is the fix approach sound?
 - Are there edge cases the fix misses?

-### 4. Assign Confidence
-Rate your confidence (0.0-1.0):
- **>0.9**: Clear evidence of resolution/non-resolution
- **0.7-0.9**: Strong indicators but some uncertainty
- **0.5-0.7**: Mixed signals, moderate confidence
- **<0.5**: Unclear, consider marking as cant_verify
+### 4. Provide Evidence
+For each verification, provide actual code evidence:
+- **Copy-paste the relevant code** you examined
+- **Show what changed** - before vs after
+- **Explain WHY** this proves resolution/non-resolution
+
+## NEVER ASSUME - ALWAYS VERIFY
+
+**Before marking ANY finding as resolved or unresolved:**
+
+1. **NEVER assume a fix is correct** based on commit messages alone - READ the actual code
+2. **NEVER assume the original finding was accurate** - The line might not even exist
+3. **NEVER assume a renamed variable fixes a bug** - Check the actual logic changed
+4. **NEVER assume "file was modified" means "issue was fixed"** - Verify the specific fix
+
+**You MUST:**
+- Read the actual code at the cited location
+- Verify the problematic pattern no longer exists (for resolved)
+- Verify the pattern still exists (for unresolved)
+- Check surrounding context for alternative fixes you might miss

 ## Resolution Criteria

@@ -84,23 +115,20 @@ Return verifications in this structure:
  {
    "finding_id": "SEC-001",
    "status": "resolved",
-    "confidence": 0.92,
-    "evidence": "The SQL query at line 45 now uses parameterized queries instead of string concatenation. The fix properly escapes all user inputs.",
-    "resolution_notes": "Changed from f-string to cursor.execute() with parameters"
+    "evidence": "cursor.execute('SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?', (user_id,))",
+    "resolution_notes": "Changed from f-string to cursor.execute() with parameters. The code at line 45 now uses parameterized queries."
  },
  {
    "finding_id": "QUAL-002",
    "status": "partially_resolved",
-    "confidence": 0.75,
-    "evidence": "Error handling was added for the main path, but the fallback path at line 78 still lacks try-catch.",
+    "evidence": "try:\n    result = process(data)\nexcept Exception as e:\n    log.error(e)\n# But fallback path at line 78 still has: result = fallback(data)  # no try-catch",
    "resolution_notes": "Main function fixed, helper function still needs work"
  },
  {
    "finding_id": "LOGIC-003",
    "status": "unresolved",
-    "confidence": 0.88,
-    "evidence": "The off-by-one error remains. The loop still uses `<= length` instead of `< length`.",
-    "resolution_notes": null
+    "evidence": "for i in range(len(items) + 1):  # Still uses <= length",
+    "resolution_notes": "The off-by-one error remains at line 52."
  }
 ]
 ```
@@ -6,6 +6,23 @@ You are a focused logic and correctness review agent. You have been spawned by t

 Verify that the code logic is correct, handles all edge cases, and doesn't introduce subtle bugs. Focus ONLY on logic and correctness issues - not style, security, or general quality.

+## CRITICAL: PR Scope and Context
+
+### What IS in scope (report these issues):
+1. **Logic issues in changed code** - Bugs in files/lines modified by this PR
+2. **Logic impact of changes** - "This change breaks the assumption in `caller.ts:50`"
+3. **Incomplete state changes** - "You updated state X but forgot to reset Y"
+4. **Edge cases in new code** - "New function doesn't handle empty array case"
+
+### What is NOT in scope (do NOT report):
+1. **Pre-existing bugs** - Old logic issues in untouched code
+2. **Unrelated improvements** - Don't suggest fixing bugs in code the PR didn't touch
+
+**Key distinction:**
+- ✅ "Your change to `sort()` breaks callers expecting stable order" - GOOD (impact analysis)
+- ✅ "Off-by-one error in your new loop" - GOOD (new code)
+- ❌ "The old `parser.ts` has a race condition" - BAD (pre-existing, not this PR)
+
 ## Logic Focus Areas

 ### 1. Algorithm Correctness
@@ -6,6 +6,34 @@ You are an expert PR reviewer orchestrating a comprehensive, parallel code revie

 **YOU decide which agents to invoke based on YOUR analysis of the PR.** There are no programmatic rules - you evaluate the PR's content, complexity, and risk areas, then delegate to the appropriate specialists.

+## CRITICAL: PR Scope and Context
+
+### What IS in scope (report these issues):
+1. **Issues in changed code** - Problems in files/lines actually modified by this PR
+2. **Impact on unchanged code** - "You changed X but forgot to update Y that depends on it"
+3. **Missing related changes** - "This pattern also exists in Z, did you mean to update it too?"
+4. **Breaking changes** - "This change breaks callers in other files"
+
+### What is NOT in scope (do NOT report):
+1. **Pre-existing issues** - Old bugs/issues in code this PR didn't touch
+2. **Unrelated improvements** - Don't suggest refactoring untouched code
+
+**Key distinction:**
+- ✅ "Your change to `validateUser()` breaks the caller in `auth.ts:45`" - GOOD (impact of PR)
+- ✅ "You updated this validation but similar logic in `utils.ts` wasn't updated" - GOOD (incomplete)
+- ❌ "The existing code in `legacy.ts` has a SQL injection" - BAD (pre-existing, not this PR)
+
+## Merge Conflicts
+
+**Check for merge conflicts in the PR context.** If `has_merge_conflicts` is `true`:
+
+1. **Report this prominently** - Merge conflicts block the PR from being merged
+2. **Add a CRITICAL finding** with category "merge_conflict" and severity "critical"
+3. **Include in verdict reasoning** - The PR cannot be merged until conflicts are resolved
+
+Note: GitHub's API tells us IF there are conflicts but not WHICH files. The finding should state:
+> "This PR has merge conflicts with the base branch that must be resolved before merging."
+
 ## Available Specialist Agents

 You have access to these specialized review agents via the Task tool:
@@ -6,6 +6,23 @@ You are a focused code quality review agent. You have been spawned by the orches

 Perform a thorough code quality review of the provided code changes. Focus on maintainability, correctness, and adherence to best practices.

+## CRITICAL: PR Scope and Context
+
+### What IS in scope (report these issues):
+1. **Quality issues in changed code** - Problems in files/lines modified by this PR
+2. **Quality impact of changes** - "This change increases complexity of `handler.ts`"
+3. **Incomplete refactoring** - "You cleaned up X but similar pattern in Y wasn't updated"
+4. **New code not following patterns** - "New function doesn't match project's error handling pattern"
+
+### What is NOT in scope (do NOT report):
+1. **Pre-existing quality issues** - Old code smells in untouched code
+2. **Unrelated improvements** - Don't suggest refactoring code the PR didn't touch
+
+**Key distinction:**
+- ✅ "Your new function has high cyclomatic complexity" - GOOD (new code)
+- ✅ "This duplicates existing helper in `utils.ts`, consider reusing it" - GOOD (guidance)
+- ❌ "The old `legacy.ts` file has 1000 lines" - BAD (pre-existing, not this PR)
+
 ## Quality Focus Areas

 ### 1. Code Complexity
@@ -4,24 +4,49 @@

 You are a senior software engineer and security specialist performing a comprehensive code review. You have deep expertise in security vulnerabilities, code quality, software architecture, and industry best practices. Your reviews are thorough yet focused on issues that genuinely impact code security, correctness, and maintainability.

-## Review Methodology: Chain-of-Thought Analysis
+## Review Methodology: Evidence-Based Analysis

 For each potential issue you consider:

 1. **First, understand what the code is trying to do** - What is the developer's intent? What problem are they solving?
 2. **Analyze if there are any problems with this approach** - Are there security risks, bugs, or design issues?
 3. **Assess the severity and real-world impact** - Can this be exploited? Will this cause production issues? How likely is it to occur?
-4. **Apply the 80% confidence threshold** - Only report if you have >80% confidence this is a genuine issue with real impact
+4. **REQUIRE EVIDENCE** - Only report if you can show the actual problematic code snippet
 5. **Provide a specific, actionable fix** - Give the developer exactly what they need to resolve the issue

-## Confidence Requirements
+## Evidence Requirements

-**CRITICAL: Quality over quantity**
+**CRITICAL: No evidence = No finding**

- Only report findings where you have **>80% confidence** this is a real issue
- If uncertain or it "could be a problem in theory," **DO NOT include it**
- **5 high-quality findings are far better than 15 low-quality ones**
- Each finding should pass the test: "Would I stake my reputation on this being a genuine issue?"
+- **Every finding MUST include actual code evidence** (the `evidence` field with a copy-pasted code snippet)
+- If you can't show the problematic code, **DO NOT report the finding**
+- The evidence must be verifiable - it should exist at the file and line you specify
+- **5 evidence-backed findings are far better than 15 speculative ones**
+- Each finding should pass the test: "Can I prove this with actual code from the file?"
+
+## NEVER ASSUME - ALWAYS VERIFY
+
+**This is the most important rule for avoiding false positives:**
+
+1. **NEVER assume code is vulnerable** - Read the actual implementation first
+2. **NEVER assume validation is missing** - Check callers and surrounding code for sanitization
+3. **NEVER assume a pattern is dangerous** - Verify there's no framework protection or mitigation
+4. **NEVER report based on function names alone** - A function called `unsafeQuery` might actually be safe
+5. **NEVER extrapolate from one line** - Read ±20 lines of context minimum
+
+**Before reporting ANY finding, you MUST:**
+- Actually read the code at the file/line you're about to cite
+- Verify the problematic pattern exists exactly as you describe
+- Check if there's validation/sanitization before or after
+- Confirm the code path is actually reachable
+- Verify the line number exists (file might be shorter than you think)
+
+**Common false positive causes to avoid:**
+- Reporting line 500 when the file only has 400 lines (hallucination)
+- Claiming "no validation" when validation exists in the caller
+- Flagging parameterized queries as SQL injection (framework protection)
+- Reporting XSS when output is auto-escaped by the framework
+- Citing code that was already fixed in an earlier commit

 ## Anti-Patterns to Avoid

@@ -214,14 +239,13 @@ Return a JSON array with this structure:
    "id": "finding-1",
    "severity": "critical",
    "category": "security",
-    "confidence": 0.95,
    "title": "SQL Injection vulnerability in user search",
    "description": "The search query parameter is directly interpolated into the SQL string without parameterization. This allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands by injecting malicious input like `' OR '1'='1`.",
    "impact": "An attacker can read, modify, or delete any data in the database, including sensitive user information, payment details, or admin credentials. This could lead to complete data breach.",
    "file": "src/api/users.ts",
    "line": 42,
    "end_line": 45,
-    "code_snippet": "const query = `SELECT * FROM users WHERE name LIKE '%${searchTerm}%'`",
+    "evidence": "const query = `SELECT * FROM users WHERE name LIKE '%${searchTerm}%'`",
    "suggested_fix": "Use parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection:\n\nconst query = 'SELECT * FROM users WHERE name LIKE ?';\nconst results = await db.query(query, [`%${searchTerm}%`]);",
    "fixable": true,
    "references": ["https://owasp.org/www-community/attacks/SQL_Injection"]
@@ -230,13 +254,12 @@ Return a JSON array with this structure:
    "id": "finding-2",
    "severity": "high",
    "category": "security",
-    "confidence": 0.88,
    "title": "Missing authorization check allows privilege escalation",
    "description": "The deleteUser endpoint only checks if the user is authenticated, but doesn't verify if they have admin privileges. Any logged-in user can delete other user accounts.",
    "impact": "Regular users can delete admin accounts or any other user, leading to service disruption, data loss, and potential account takeover attacks.",
    "file": "src/api/admin.ts",
    "line": 78,
-    "code_snippet": "router.delete('/users/:id', authenticate, async (req, res) => {\n  await User.delete(req.params.id);\n});",
+    "evidence": "router.delete('/users/:id', authenticate, async (req, res) => {\n  await User.delete(req.params.id);\n});",
    "suggested_fix": "Add authorization check:\n\nrouter.delete('/users/:id', authenticate, requireAdmin, async (req, res) => {\n  await User.delete(req.params.id);\n});\n\n// Or inline:\nif (!req.user.isAdmin) {\n  return res.status(403).json({ error: 'Admin access required' });\n}",
    "fixable": true,
    "references": ["https://owasp.org/Top10/A01_2021-Broken_Access_Control/"]
@@ -245,13 +268,13 @@ Return a JSON array with this structure:
    "id": "finding-3",
    "severity": "medium",
    "category": "quality",
-    "confidence": 0.82,
    "title": "Function exceeds complexity threshold",
    "description": "The processPayment function has 15 conditional branches, making it difficult to test all paths and maintain. High cyclomatic complexity increases bug risk.",
    "impact": "High complexity functions are more likely to contain bugs, harder to test comprehensively, and difficult for other developers to understand and modify safely.",
    "file": "src/payments/processor.ts",
    "line": 125,
    "end_line": 198,
+    "evidence": "async function processPayment(payment: Payment): Promise<Result> {\n  if (payment.type === 'credit') { ... } else if (payment.type === 'debit') { ... }\n  // 15+ branches follow\n}",
    "suggested_fix": "Extract sub-functions to reduce complexity:\n\n1. validatePaymentData(payment) - handle all validation\n2. calculateFees(amount, type) - fee calculation logic\n3. processRefund(payment) - refund-specific logic\n4. sendPaymentNotification(payment, status) - notification logic\n\nThis will reduce the main function to orchestration only.",
    "fixable": false,
    "references": []
@@ -270,19 +293,18 @@ Return a JSON array with this structure:
  - **medium** (Recommended): Improve code quality (maintainability concerns) - **Blocks merge: YES** (AI fixes quickly)
  - **low** (Suggestion): Suggestions for improvement (minor enhancements) - **Blocks merge: NO**
 - **category**: `security` | `quality` | `logic` | `test` | `docs` | `pattern` | `performance`
- **confidence**: Float 0.0-1.0 representing your confidence this is a genuine issue (must be ≥0.80)
 - **title**: Short, specific summary (max 80 chars)
 - **description**: Detailed explanation of the issue
 - **impact**: Real-world consequences if not fixed (business/security/user impact)
 - **file**: Relative file path
 - **line**: Starting line number
+- **evidence**: **REQUIRED** - Actual code snippet from the file proving the issue exists. Must be copy-pasted from the actual code.
 - **suggested_fix**: Specific code changes or guidance to resolve the issue
 - **fixable**: Boolean - can this be auto-fixed by a code tool?

 ### Optional Fields

 - **end_line**: Ending line number for multi-line issues
- **code_snippet**: The problematic code excerpt
 - **references**: Array of relevant URLs (OWASP, CVE, documentation)

 ## Guidelines for High-Quality Reviews
@@ -292,7 +314,7 @@ Return a JSON array with this structure:
 3. **Explain impact**: Don't just say what's wrong, explain the real-world consequences
 4. **Prioritize ruthlessly**: Focus on issues that genuinely matter
 5. **Consider context**: Understand the purpose of changed code before flagging issues
-6. **Validate confidence**: If you're not >80% sure, don't report it
+6. **Require evidence**: Always include the actual code snippet in the `evidence` field - no code, no finding
 7. **Provide references**: Link to OWASP, CVE databases, or official documentation when relevant
 8. **Think like an attacker**: For security issues, explain how it could be exploited
 9. **Be constructive**: Frame issues as opportunities to improve, not criticisms
@@ -314,13 +336,12 @@ Return a JSON array with this structure:
  "id": "finding-auth-1",
  "severity": "critical",
  "category": "security",
-  "confidence": 0.92,
  "title": "JWT secret hardcoded in source code",
  "description": "The JWT signing secret 'super-secret-key-123' is hardcoded in the authentication middleware. Anyone with access to the source code can forge authentication tokens for any user.",
  "impact": "An attacker can create valid JWT tokens for any user including admins, leading to complete account takeover and unauthorized access to all user data and admin functions.",
  "file": "src/middleware/auth.ts",
  "line": 12,
-  "code_snippet": "const SECRET = 'super-secret-key-123';\njwt.sign(payload, SECRET);",
+  "evidence": "const SECRET = 'super-secret-key-123';\njwt.sign(payload, SECRET);",
  "suggested_fix": "Move the secret to environment variables:\n\n// In .env file:\nJWT_SECRET=<generate-random-256-bit-secret>\n\n// In auth.ts:\nconst SECRET = process.env.JWT_SECRET;\nif (!SECRET) {\n  throw new Error('JWT_SECRET not configured');\n}\njwt.sign(payload, SECRET);",
  "fixable": true,
  "references": [
@@ -332,4 +353,4 @@ Return a JSON array with this structure:

 ---

-Remember: Your goal is to find **genuine, high-impact issues** that will make the codebase more secure, correct, and maintainable. Quality over quantity. Be thorough but focused.
+Remember: Your goal is to find **genuine, high-impact issues** that will make the codebase more secure, correct, and maintainable. **Every finding must include code evidence** - if you can't show the actual code, don't report the finding. Quality over quantity. Be thorough but focused.
@@ -6,6 +6,23 @@ You are a focused security review agent. You have been spawned by the orchestrat

 Perform a thorough security review of the provided code changes, focusing ONLY on security vulnerabilities. Do not review code quality, style, or other non-security concerns.

+## CRITICAL: PR Scope and Context
+
+### What IS in scope (report these issues):
+1. **Security issues in changed code** - Vulnerabilities introduced or modified by this PR
+2. **Security impact of changes** - "This change exposes sensitive data to the new endpoint"
+3. **Missing security for new features** - "New API endpoint lacks authentication"
+4. **Broken security assumptions** - "Change to auth.ts invalidates security check in handler.ts"
+
+### What is NOT in scope (do NOT report):
+1. **Pre-existing vulnerabilities** - Old security issues in code this PR didn't touch
+2. **Unrelated security improvements** - Don't suggest hardening untouched code
+
+**Key distinction:**
+- ✅ "Your new endpoint lacks rate limiting" - GOOD (new code)
+- ✅ "This change bypasses the auth check in `middleware.ts`" - GOOD (impact analysis)
+- ❌ "The old `legacy_auth.ts` uses MD5 for passwords" - BAD (pre-existing, not this PR)
+
 ## Security Focus Areas

 ### 1. Injection Vulnerabilities
@@ -167,7 +167,8 @@ If any issue is not fixed, go back to Phase 3.
 ## PHASE 6: COMMIT FIXES

 ```bash
-git add .
+# Add all files EXCEPT .auto-claude directory (spec files should never be committed)
+git add . ':!.auto-claude'
 git commit -m "fix: Address QA issues (qa-requested)

 Fixes:
@@ -182,6 +183,8 @@ Verified:
 QA Fix Session: [N]"
 ```

+**CRITICAL**: The `:!.auto-claude` pathspec exclusion ensures spec files are NEVER committed.
+
 **NOTE**: Do NOT push to remote. All work stays local until user reviews and approves.

 ---
@@ -304,6 +307,13 @@ npx prisma migrate dev --name [name]
 - How you verified
 - Commit messages

+### Git Configuration - NEVER MODIFY
+**CRITICAL**: You MUST NOT modify git user configuration. Never run:
+- `git config user.name`
+- `git config user.email`
+
+The repository inherits the user's configured git identity. Do NOT set test users.
+
 ---

 ## QA LOOP BEHAVIOR
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@ cat project_index.json
 # 4. Check build progress
 cat build-progress.txt

-# 5. See what files were changed
-git diff main --name-only
+# 5. See what files were changed (three-dot diff shows only spec branch changes)
+git diff {{BASE_BRANCH}}...HEAD --name-status

 # 6. Read QA acceptance criteria from spec
 grep -A 100 "## QA Acceptance Criteria" spec.md
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ All acceptance criteria verified:
 The implementation is production-ready.
 Sign-off recorded in implementation_plan.json.

-Ready for merge to main.
+Ready for merge to {{BASE_BRANCH}}.
 ```

 ### If Rejected:
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ Supports dynamic prompt assembly based on project type for context optimization.
 """

 import json
+import os
 import re
+import subprocess
 from pathlib import Path

 from .project_context import (
@@ -16,6 +18,133 @@ from .project_context import (
    load_project_index,
 )

+
+def _validate_branch_name(branch: str | None) -> str | None:
+    """
+    Validate a git branch name for safety and correctness.
+
+    Args:
+        branch: The branch name to validate
+
+    Returns:
+        The validated branch name, or None if invalid
+    """
+    if not branch or not isinstance(branch, str):
+        return None
+
+    # Trim whitespace
+    branch = branch.strip()
+
+    # Reject empty or whitespace-only strings
+    if not branch:
+        return None
+
+    # Enforce maximum length (git refs can be long, but 255 is reasonable)
+    if len(branch) > 255:
+        return None
+
+    # Require at least one alphanumeric character
+    if not any(c.isalnum() for c in branch):
+        return None
+
+    # Only allow common git-ref characters: letters, numbers, ., _, -, /
+    # This prevents prompt injection and other security issues
+    if not re.match(r"^[A-Za-z0-9._/-]+$", branch):
+        return None
+
+    # Reject suspicious patterns that could be prompt injection attempts
+    # (newlines, control characters are already blocked by the regex above)
+
+    return branch
+
+
+def _get_base_branch_from_metadata(spec_dir: Path) -> str | None:
+    """
+    Read baseBranch from task_metadata.json if it exists.
+
+    Args:
+        spec_dir: Directory containing the spec files
+
+    Returns:
+        The baseBranch from metadata, or None if not found or invalid
+    """
+    metadata_path = spec_dir / "task_metadata.json"
+    if metadata_path.exists():
+        try:
+            with open(metadata_path, encoding="utf-8") as f:
+                metadata = json.load(f)
+                base_branch = metadata.get("baseBranch")
+                # Validate the branch name before returning
+                return _validate_branch_name(base_branch)
+        except (json.JSONDecodeError, OSError):
+            pass
+    return None
+
+
+def _detect_base_branch(spec_dir: Path, project_dir: Path) -> str:
+    """
+    Detect the base branch for a project/task.
+
+    Priority order:
+    1. baseBranch from task_metadata.json (task-level override)
+    2. DEFAULT_BRANCH environment variable
+    3. Auto-detect main/master/develop (if they exist in git)
+    4. Fall back to "main"
+
+    Args:
+        spec_dir: Directory containing the spec files
+        project_dir: Project root directory
+
+    Returns:
+        The detected base branch name
+    """
+    # 1. Check task_metadata.json for task-specific baseBranch
+    metadata_branch = _get_base_branch_from_metadata(spec_dir)
+    if metadata_branch:
+        return metadata_branch
+
+    # 2. Check for DEFAULT_BRANCH env var
+    env_branch = _validate_branch_name(os.getenv("DEFAULT_BRANCH"))
+    if env_branch:
+        # Verify the branch exists (with timeout to prevent hanging)
+        try:
+            result = subprocess.run(
+                ["git", "rev-parse", "--verify", env_branch],
+                cwd=project_dir,
+                capture_output=True,
+                text=True,
+                encoding="utf-8",
+                errors="replace",
+                timeout=3,
+            )
+            if result.returncode == 0:
+                return env_branch
+        except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+            # Treat timeout as branch verification failure
+            pass
+
+    # 3. Auto-detect main/master/develop
+    for branch in ["main", "master", "develop"]:
+        try:
+            result = subprocess.run(
+                ["git", "rev-parse", "--verify", branch],
+                cwd=project_dir,
+                capture_output=True,
+                text=True,
+                encoding="utf-8",
+                errors="replace",
+                timeout=3,
+            )
+            if result.returncode == 0:
+                return branch
+        except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+            # Treat timeout as branch verification failure, try next branch
+            continue
+
+    # 4. Fall back to "main"
+    return "main"
+
+
 # Directory containing prompt files
 # prompts/ is a sibling directory of prompts_pkg/, so go up one level first
 PROMPTS_DIR = Path(__file__).parent.parent / "prompts"
@@ -304,6 +433,7 @@ def get_qa_reviewer_prompt(spec_dir: Path, project_dir: Path) -> str:
    1. Loads the base QA reviewer prompt
    2. Detects project capabilities from project_index.json
    3. Injects only relevant MCP tool documentation (Electron, Puppeteer, DB, API)
+    4. Detects and injects the correct base branch for git comparisons

    This saves context window by excluding irrelevant tool docs.
    For example, a CLI Python project won't get Electron validation docs.
@@ -315,9 +445,15 @@ def get_qa_reviewer_prompt(spec_dir: Path, project_dir: Path) -> str:
    Returns:
        The QA reviewer prompt with project-specific tools injected
    """
+    # Detect the base branch for this task (from task_metadata.json or auto-detect)
+    base_branch = _detect_base_branch(spec_dir, project_dir)
+
    # Load base QA reviewer prompt
    base_prompt = _load_prompt_file("qa_reviewer.md")

+    # Replace {{BASE_BRANCH}} placeholder with the actual base branch
+    base_prompt = base_prompt.replace("{{BASE_BRANCH}}", base_branch)
+
    # Load project index and detect capabilities
    project_index = load_project_index(project_dir)
    capabilities = detect_project_capabilities(project_index)
@@ -347,6 +483,17 @@ Your spec and progress files are located at:

 The project root is: `{project_dir}`

+## GIT BRANCH CONFIGURATION
+
+**Base branch for comparison:** `{base_branch}`
+
+When checking for unrelated changes, use three-dot diff syntax:
+```bash
+git diff {base_branch}...HEAD --name-status
+```
+
+This shows only changes made in the spec branch since it diverged from `{base_branch}`.
+
 ---

 ## PROJECT CAPABILITIES DETECTED
@@ -185,24 +185,31 @@ def cmd_get_memories(args):
        """

        result = conn.execute(query, parameters={"limit": limit})
-        df = result.get_as_df()

+        # Process results without pandas (iterate through result set directly)
        memories = []
-        for _, row in df.iterrows():
+        while result.has_next():
+            row = result.get_next()
+            # Row order: uuid, name, created_at, content, description, group_id
+            uuid_val = serialize_value(row[0]) if len(row) > 0 else None
+            name_val = serialize_value(row[1]) if len(row) > 1 else ""
+            created_at_val = serialize_value(row[2]) if len(row) > 2 else None
+            content_val = serialize_value(row[3]) if len(row) > 3 else ""
+            description_val = serialize_value(row[4]) if len(row) > 4 else ""
+            group_id_val = serialize_value(row[5]) if len(row) > 5 else ""
+
            memory = {
-                "id": row.get("uuid") or row.get("name", "unknown"),
-                "name": row.get("name", ""),
-                "type": infer_episode_type(row.get("name", ""), row.get("content", "")),
-                "timestamp": row.get("created_at") or datetime.now().isoformat(),
-                "content": row.get("content")
-                or row.get("description")
-                or row.get("name", ""),
-                "description": row.get("description", ""),
-                "group_id": row.get("group_id", ""),
+                "id": uuid_val or name_val or "unknown",
+                "name": name_val or "",
+                "type": infer_episode_type(name_val or "", content_val or ""),
+                "timestamp": created_at_val or datetime.now().isoformat(),
+                "content": content_val or description_val or name_val or "",
+                "description": description_val or "",
+                "group_id": group_id_val or "",
            }

            # Extract session number if present
-            session_num = extract_session_number(row.get("name", ""))
+            session_num = extract_session_number(name_val or "")
            if session_num:
                memory["session_number"] = session_num

@@ -251,24 +258,31 @@ def cmd_search(args):
        result = conn.execute(
            query, parameters={"search_query": search_query, "limit": limit}
        )
-        df = result.get_as_df()

+        # Process results without pandas
        memories = []
-        for _, row in df.iterrows():
+        while result.has_next():
+            row = result.get_next()
+            # Row order: uuid, name, created_at, content, description, group_id
+            uuid_val = serialize_value(row[0]) if len(row) > 0 else None
+            name_val = serialize_value(row[1]) if len(row) > 1 else ""
+            created_at_val = serialize_value(row[2]) if len(row) > 2 else None
+            content_val = serialize_value(row[3]) if len(row) > 3 else ""
+            description_val = serialize_value(row[4]) if len(row) > 4 else ""
+            group_id_val = serialize_value(row[5]) if len(row) > 5 else ""
+
            memory = {
-                "id": row.get("uuid") or row.get("name", "unknown"),
-                "name": row.get("name", ""),
-                "type": infer_episode_type(row.get("name", ""), row.get("content", "")),
-                "timestamp": row.get("created_at") or datetime.now().isoformat(),
-                "content": row.get("content")
-                or row.get("description")
-                or row.get("name", ""),
-                "description": row.get("description", ""),
-                "group_id": row.get("group_id", ""),
+                "id": uuid_val or name_val or "unknown",
+                "name": name_val or "",
+                "type": infer_episode_type(name_val or "", content_val or ""),
+                "timestamp": created_at_val or datetime.now().isoformat(),
+                "content": content_val or description_val or name_val or "",
+                "description": description_val or "",
+                "group_id": group_id_val or "",
                "score": 1.0,  # Keyword match score
            }

-            session_num = extract_session_number(row.get("name", ""))
+            session_num = extract_session_number(name_val or "")
            if session_num:
                memory["session_number"] = session_num

@@ -461,19 +475,26 @@ def cmd_get_entities(args):
        """

        result = conn.execute(query, parameters={"limit": limit})
-        df = result.get_as_df()

+        # Process results without pandas
        entities = []
-        for _, row in df.iterrows():
-            if not row.get("summary"):
+        while result.has_next():
+            row = result.get_next()
+            # Row order: uuid, name, summary, created_at
+            uuid_val = serialize_value(row[0]) if len(row) > 0 else None
+            name_val = serialize_value(row[1]) if len(row) > 1 else ""
+            summary_val = serialize_value(row[2]) if len(row) > 2 else ""
+            created_at_val = serialize_value(row[3]) if len(row) > 3 else None
+
+            if not summary_val:
                continue

            entity = {
-                "id": row.get("uuid") or row.get("name", "unknown"),
-                "name": row.get("name", ""),
-                "type": infer_entity_type(row.get("name", "")),
-                "timestamp": row.get("created_at") or datetime.now().isoformat(),
-                "content": row.get("summary", ""),
+                "id": uuid_val or name_val or "unknown",
+                "name": name_val or "",
+                "type": infer_entity_type(name_val or ""),
+                "timestamp": created_at_val or datetime.now().isoformat(),
+                "content": summary_val or "",
            }
            entities.append(entity)

@@ -488,6 +509,118 @@ def cmd_get_entities(args):
            output_error(f"Query failed: {e}")


+def cmd_add_episode(args):
+    """
+    Add a new episode to the memory database.
+
+    This is called from the Electron main process to save PR review insights,
+    patterns, gotchas, and other memories directly to the LadybugDB database.
+
+    Args:
+        args.db_path: Path to database directory
+        args.database: Database name
+        args.name: Episode name/title
+        args.content: Episode content (JSON string)
+        args.episode_type: Type of episode (session_insight, pattern, gotcha, task_outcome, pr_review)
+        args.group_id: Optional group ID for namespacing
+    """
+    if not apply_monkeypatch():
+        output_error("Neither kuzu nor LadybugDB is installed")
+        return
+
+    try:
+        import uuid as uuid_module
+
+        try:
+            import kuzu
+        except ImportError:
+            import real_ladybug as kuzu
+
+        # Parse content from JSON if provided
+        content = args.content
+        if content:
+            try:
+                # Try to parse as JSON to validate
+                parsed = json.loads(content)
+                # Re-serialize to ensure consistent formatting
+                content = json.dumps(parsed)
+            except json.JSONDecodeError:
+                # If not valid JSON, use as-is
+                pass
+
+        # Generate unique ID
+        episode_uuid = str(uuid_module.uuid4())
+        created_at = datetime.now().isoformat()
+
+        # Get database path - create directory if needed
+        full_path = Path(args.db_path) / args.database
+        if not full_path.exists():
+            # For new databases, create the parent directory
+            Path(args.db_path).mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+
+        # Open database (creates it if it doesn't exist)
+        db = kuzu.Database(str(full_path))
+        conn = kuzu.Connection(db)
+
+        # Always try to create the Episodic table if it doesn't exist
+        # This handles both new databases and existing databases without the table
+        try:
+            conn.execute("""
+                CREATE NODE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS Episodic (
+                    uuid STRING PRIMARY KEY,
+                    name STRING,
+                    content STRING,
+                    source_description STRING,
+                    group_id STRING,
+                    created_at STRING
+                )
+            """)
+        except Exception as schema_err:
+            # Table might already exist with different schema - that's ok
+            # The insert will fail if schema is incompatible
+            sys.stderr.write(f"Schema creation note: {schema_err}\n")
+
+        # Insert the episode
+        try:
+            insert_query = """
+                CREATE (e:Episodic {
+                    uuid: $uuid,
+                    name: $name,
+                    content: $content,
+                    source_description: $description,
+                    group_id: $group_id,
+                    created_at: $created_at
+                })
+            """
+            conn.execute(
+                insert_query,
+                parameters={
+                    "uuid": episode_uuid,
+                    "name": args.name,
+                    "content": content,
+                    "description": f"[{args.episode_type}] {args.name}",
+                    "group_id": args.group_id or "",
+                    "created_at": created_at,
+                },
+            )
+
+            output_json(
+                True,
+                data={
+                    "id": episode_uuid,
+                    "name": args.name,
+                    "type": args.episode_type,
+                    "timestamp": created_at,
+                },
+            )
+
+        except Exception as e:
+            output_error(f"Failed to insert episode: {e}")
+
+    except Exception as e:
+        output_error(f"Failed to add episode: {e}")
+
+
 def infer_episode_type(name: str, content: str = "") -> str:
    """Infer the episode type from its name and content."""
    name_lower = (name or "").lower()
@@ -580,6 +713,27 @@ def main():
        "--limit", type=int, default=20, help="Maximum results"
    )

+    # add-episode command (for saving memories from Electron app)
+    add_parser = subparsers.add_parser(
+        "add-episode",
+        help="Add an episode to the memory database (called from Electron)",
+    )
+    add_parser.add_argument("db_path", help="Path to database directory")
+    add_parser.add_argument("database", help="Database name")
+    add_parser.add_argument("--name", required=True, help="Episode name/title")
+    add_parser.add_argument(
+        "--content", required=True, help="Episode content (JSON string)"
+    )
+    add_parser.add_argument(
+        "--type",
+        dest="episode_type",
+        default="session_insight",
+        help="Episode type (session_insight, pattern, gotcha, task_outcome, pr_review)",
+    )
+    add_parser.add_argument(
+        "--group-id", dest="group_id", help="Optional group ID for namespacing"
+    )
+
    args = parser.parse_args()

    if not args.command:
@@ -594,6 +748,7 @@ def main():
        "search": cmd_search,
        "semantic-search": cmd_semantic_search,
        "get-entities": cmd_get_entities,
+        "add-episode": cmd_add_episode,
    }

    handler = commands.get(args.command)
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from typing import Any

 try:
    from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeAgentOptions, ClaudeSDKClient
+    from phase_config import resolve_model_id

    CLAUDE_SDK_AVAILABLE = True
 except ImportError:
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ except ImportError:
 class ClaudeAnalysisClient:
    """Wrapper for Claude SDK client with analysis-specific configuration."""

-    DEFAULT_MODEL = "claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929"
+    DEFAULT_MODEL = "sonnet"  # Shorthand - resolved via API Profile if configured
    ALLOWED_TOOLS = ["Read", "Glob", "Grep"]
    MAX_TURNS = 50

@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ class ClaudeAnalysisClient:

        return ClaudeSDKClient(
            options=ClaudeAgentOptions(
-                model=self.DEFAULT_MODEL,
+                model=resolve_model_id(self.DEFAULT_MODEL),  # Resolve via API Profile
                system_prompt=system_prompt,
                allowed_tools=self.ALLOWED_TOOLS,
                max_turns=self.MAX_TURNS,
@@ -1,16 +1,18 @@
 """
-Review Confidence Scoring
-=========================
+DEPRECATED: Review Confidence Scoring
+=====================================

-Adds confidence scores to review findings to help users prioritize.
+This module is DEPRECATED and will be removed in a future version.

-Features:
- Confidence scoring based on pattern matching, historical accuracy
- Risk assessment (false positive likelihood)
- Evidence tracking for transparency
- Calibration based on outcome tracking
+The confidence scoring approach has been replaced with EVIDENCE-BASED VALIDATION:
+- Instead of assigning confidence scores (0-100), findings now require concrete
+  code evidence proving the issue exists.
+- Simple rule: If you can't show the actual problematic code, don't report it.
+- Validation is binary: either the evidence exists in the file or it doesn't.

-Usage:
+For new code, use evidence-based validation in pydantic_models.py and models.py instead.
+
+Legacy Usage (deprecated):
    scorer = ConfidenceScorer(learning_tracker=tracker)

    # Score a finding
@@ -20,10 +22,24 @@ Usage:

    # Get explanation
    print(scorer.explain_confidence(scored))
+
+Migration:
+    - Instead of `confidence: float`, use `evidence: str` with actual code snippets
+    - Instead of filtering by confidence threshold, verify evidence exists in file
+    - See pr_finding_validator.md for the new evidence-based approach
 """

 from __future__ import annotations

+import warnings
+
+warnings.warn(
+    "The confidence module is deprecated. Use evidence-based validation instead. "
+    "See models.py 'evidence' field and pr_finding_validator.md for the new approach.",
+    DeprecationWarning,
+    stacklevel=2,
+)
+
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from enum import Enum
 from typing import Any
@@ -204,6 +204,11 @@ class PRContext:
    # Commit SHAs for worktree creation (PR review isolation)
    head_sha: str = ""  # Commit SHA of PR head (headRefOid)
    base_sha: str = ""  # Commit SHA of PR base (baseRefOid)
+    # Merge conflict status
+    has_merge_conflicts: bool = False  # True if PR has conflicts with base branch
+    merge_state_status: str = (
+        ""  # BEHIND, BLOCKED, CLEAN, DIRTY, HAS_HOOKS, UNKNOWN, UNSTABLE
+    )


 class PRContextGatherer:
@@ -276,6 +281,17 @@ class PRContextGatherer:
        # Check if diff was truncated (empty diff but files were changed)
        diff_truncated = len(diff) == 0 and len(changed_files) > 0

+        # Check merge conflict status
+        mergeable = pr_data.get("mergeable", "UNKNOWN")
+        merge_state_status = pr_data.get("mergeStateStatus", "UNKNOWN")
+        has_merge_conflicts = mergeable == "CONFLICTING"
+
+        if has_merge_conflicts:
+            print(
+                f"[Context] ⚠️  PR has merge conflicts (mergeStateStatus: {merge_state_status})",
+                flush=True,
+            )
+
        return PRContext(
            pr_number=self.pr_number,
            title=pr_data["title"],
@@ -296,6 +312,8 @@ class PRContextGatherer:
            diff_truncated=diff_truncated,
            head_sha=pr_data.get("headRefOid", ""),
            base_sha=pr_data.get("baseRefOid", ""),
+            has_merge_conflicts=has_merge_conflicts,
+            merge_state_status=merge_state_status,
        )

    async def _fetch_pr_metadata(self) -> dict:
@@ -317,6 +335,8 @@ class PRContextGatherer:
                "deletions",
                "changedFiles",
                "labels",
+                "mergeable",  # MERGEABLE, CONFLICTING, or UNKNOWN
+                "mergeStateStatus",  # BEHIND, BLOCKED, CLEAN, DIRTY, HAS_HOOKS, UNKNOWN, UNSTABLE
            ],
        )

@@ -1036,28 +1056,56 @@ class FollowupContextGatherer:
            f"[Followup] Comparing {previous_sha[:8]}...{current_sha[:8]}", flush=True
        )

-        # Get commit comparison
+        # Get PR-scoped files and commits (excludes merge-introduced changes)
+        # This solves the problem where merging develop into a feature branch
+        # would include commits from other PRs in the follow-up review.
+        # Pass reviewed_file_blobs for rebase-resistant comparison
+        reviewed_file_blobs = getattr(self.previous_review, "reviewed_file_blobs", {})
        try:
-            comparison = await self.gh_client.compare_commits(previous_sha, current_sha)
-        except Exception as e:
-            print(f"[Followup] Error comparing commits: {e}", flush=True)
-            return FollowupReviewContext(
-                pr_number=self.pr_number,
-                previous_review=self.previous_review,
-                previous_commit_sha=previous_sha,
-                current_commit_sha=current_sha,
-                error=f"Failed to compare commits: {e}",
+            pr_files, new_commits = await self.gh_client.get_pr_files_changed_since(
+                self.pr_number, previous_sha, reviewed_file_blobs=reviewed_file_blobs
            )
+            print(
+                f"[Followup] PR has {len(pr_files)} files, "
+                f"{len(new_commits)} commits since last review"
+                + (" (blob comparison used)" if reviewed_file_blobs else ""),
+                flush=True,
+            )
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(f"[Followup] Error getting PR files/commits: {e}", flush=True)
+            # Fallback to compare_commits if PR endpoints fail
+            print("[Followup] Falling back to commit comparison...", flush=True)
+            try:
+                comparison = await self.gh_client.compare_commits(
+                    previous_sha, current_sha
+                )
+                new_commits = comparison.get("commits", [])
+                pr_files = comparison.get("files", [])
+                print(
+                    f"[Followup] Fallback: Found {len(new_commits)} commits, "
+                    f"{len(pr_files)} files (may include merge-introduced changes)",
+                    flush=True,
+                )
+            except Exception as e2:
+                print(f"[Followup] Fallback also failed: {e2}", flush=True)
+                return FollowupReviewContext(
+                    pr_number=self.pr_number,
+                    previous_review=self.previous_review,
+                    previous_commit_sha=previous_sha,
+                    current_commit_sha=current_sha,
+                    error=f"Failed to get PR context: {e}, fallback: {e2}",
+                )

-        # Extract data from comparison
-        commits = comparison.get("commits", [])
-        files = comparison.get("files", [])
+        # Use PR files as the canonical list (excludes files from merged branches)
+        commits = new_commits
+        files = pr_files
        print(
            f"[Followup] Found {len(commits)} new commits, {len(files)} changed files",
            flush=True,
        )

        # Build diff from file patches
+        # Note: PR files endpoint returns 'filename' key, compare returns 'filename' too
        diff_parts = []
        files_changed = []
        for file_info in files:
@@ -1139,6 +1187,26 @@ class FollowupContextGatherer:
            flush=True,
        )

+        # Fetch current merge conflict status
+        has_merge_conflicts = False
+        merge_state_status = "UNKNOWN"
+        try:
+            pr_status = await self.gh_client.pr_get(
+                self.pr_number,
+                json_fields=["mergeable", "mergeStateStatus"],
+            )
+            mergeable = pr_status.get("mergeable", "UNKNOWN")
+            merge_state_status = pr_status.get("mergeStateStatus", "UNKNOWN")
+            has_merge_conflicts = mergeable == "CONFLICTING"
+
+            if has_merge_conflicts:
+                print(
+                    f"[Followup] ⚠️  PR has merge conflicts (mergeStateStatus: {merge_state_status})",
+                    flush=True,
+                )
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(f"[Followup] Could not fetch merge status: {e}", flush=True)
+
        return FollowupReviewContext(
            pr_number=self.pr_number,
            previous_review=self.previous_review,
@@ -1151,4 +1219,6 @@ class FollowupContextGatherer:
            + contributor_reviews,
            ai_bot_comments_since_review=ai_comments,
            pr_reviews_since_review=pr_reviews,
+            has_merge_conflicts=has_merge_conflicts,
+            merge_state_status=merge_state_status,
        )
@@ -822,14 +822,17 @@ class GHClient:

        Returns:
            Dict with:
-            - checks: List of check runs with name, status, conclusion
+            - checks: List of check runs with name, state
            - passing: Number of passing checks
            - failing: Number of failing checks
            - pending: Number of pending checks
            - failed_checks: List of failed check names
        """
        try:
-            args = ["pr", "checks", str(pr_number), "--json", "name,state,conclusion"]
+            # Note: gh pr checks --json only supports: bucket, completedAt, description,
+            # event, link, name, startedAt, state, workflow
+            # The 'state' field directly contains the result (SUCCESS, FAILURE, PENDING, etc.)
+            args = ["pr", "checks", str(pr_number), "--json", "name,state"]
            args = self._add_repo_flag(args)

            result = await self.run(args, timeout=30.0)
@@ -842,15 +845,14 @@ class GHClient:

            for check in checks:
                state = check.get("state", "").upper()
-                conclusion = check.get("conclusion", "").upper()
                name = check.get("name", "Unknown")

-                if state == "COMPLETED":
-                    if conclusion in ("SUCCESS", "NEUTRAL", "SKIPPED"):
-                        passing += 1
-                    elif conclusion in ("FAILURE", "TIMED_OUT", "CANCELLED"):
-                        failing += 1
-                        failed_checks.append(name)
+                # gh pr checks 'state' directly contains: SUCCESS, FAILURE, PENDING, NEUTRAL, etc.
+                if state in ("SUCCESS", "NEUTRAL", "SKIPPED"):
+                    passing += 1
+                elif state in ("FAILURE", "TIMED_OUT", "CANCELLED", "STARTUP_FAILURE"):
+                    failing += 1
+                    failed_checks.append(name)
                else:
                    # PENDING, QUEUED, IN_PROGRESS, etc.
                    pending += 1
@@ -872,3 +874,336 @@ class GHClient:
                "failed_checks": [],
                "error": str(e),
            }
+
+    async def get_workflows_awaiting_approval(self, pr_number: int) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """
+        Get workflow runs awaiting approval for a PR from a fork.
+
+        Workflows from forked repositories require manual approval before running.
+        These are NOT included in `gh pr checks` and must be queried separately.
+
+        Args:
+            pr_number: PR number
+
+        Returns:
+            Dict with:
+            - awaiting_approval: Number of workflows waiting for approval
+            - workflow_runs: List of workflow runs with id, name, html_url
+            - can_approve: Whether this token can approve workflows
+        """
+        try:
+            # First, get the PR's head SHA to filter workflow runs
+            pr_args = ["pr", "view", str(pr_number), "--json", "headRefOid"]
+            pr_args = self._add_repo_flag(pr_args)
+            pr_result = await self.run(pr_args, timeout=30.0)
+            pr_data = json.loads(pr_result.stdout) if pr_result.stdout.strip() else {}
+            head_sha = pr_data.get("headRefOid", "")
+
+            if not head_sha:
+                return {
+                    "awaiting_approval": 0,
+                    "workflow_runs": [],
+                    "can_approve": False,
+                }
+
+            # Query workflow runs with action_required status
+            # Note: We need to use the API endpoint as gh CLI doesn't have direct support
+            endpoint = (
+                "repos/{owner}/{repo}/actions/runs?status=action_required&per_page=100"
+            )
+            args = ["api", "--method", "GET", endpoint]
+
+            result = await self.run(args, timeout=30.0)
+            data = json.loads(result.stdout) if result.stdout.strip() else {}
+            all_runs = data.get("workflow_runs", [])
+
+            # Filter to only runs for this PR's head SHA
+            pr_runs = [
+                {
+                    "id": run.get("id"),
+                    "name": run.get("name"),
+                    "html_url": run.get("html_url"),
+                    "workflow_name": run.get("workflow", {}).get("name", "Unknown"),
+                }
+                for run in all_runs
+                if run.get("head_sha") == head_sha
+            ]
+
+            return {
+                "awaiting_approval": len(pr_runs),
+                "workflow_runs": pr_runs,
+                "can_approve": True,  # Assume token has permission, will fail if not
+            }
+        except (GHCommandError, GHTimeoutError, json.JSONDecodeError) as e:
+            logger.warning(
+                f"Failed to get workflows awaiting approval for #{pr_number}: {e}"
+            )
+            return {
+                "awaiting_approval": 0,
+                "workflow_runs": [],
+                "can_approve": False,
+                "error": str(e),
+            }
+
+    async def approve_workflow_run(self, run_id: int) -> bool:
+        """
+        Approve a workflow run that's waiting for approval (from a fork).
+
+        Args:
+            run_id: The workflow run ID to approve
+
+        Returns:
+            True if approval succeeded, False otherwise
+        """
+        try:
+            endpoint = f"repos/{{owner}}/{{repo}}/actions/runs/{run_id}/approve"
+            args = ["api", "--method", "POST", endpoint]
+
+            await self.run(args, timeout=30.0)
+            logger.info(f"Approved workflow run {run_id}")
+            return True
+        except (GHCommandError, GHTimeoutError) as e:
+            logger.warning(f"Failed to approve workflow run {run_id}: {e}")
+            return False
+
+    async def get_pr_checks_comprehensive(self, pr_number: int) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        """
+        Get comprehensive CI status including workflows awaiting approval.
+
+        This combines:
+        - Standard check runs from `gh pr checks`
+        - Workflows awaiting approval (for fork PRs)
+
+        Args:
+            pr_number: PR number
+
+        Returns:
+            Dict with all check information including awaiting_approval count
+        """
+        # Get standard checks
+        checks = await self.get_pr_checks(pr_number)
+
+        # Get workflows awaiting approval
+        awaiting = await self.get_workflows_awaiting_approval(pr_number)
+
+        # Merge the results
+        checks["awaiting_approval"] = awaiting.get("awaiting_approval", 0)
+        checks["awaiting_workflow_runs"] = awaiting.get("workflow_runs", [])
+
+        # Update pending count to include awaiting approval
+        checks["pending"] = checks.get("pending", 0) + awaiting.get(
+            "awaiting_approval", 0
+        )
+
+        return checks
+
+    async def get_pr_files(self, pr_number: int) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
+        """
+        Get files changed by a PR using the PR files endpoint.
+
+        IMPORTANT: This returns only files that are part of the PR's actual changes,
+        NOT files that came in from merging another branch (e.g., develop).
+        This is crucial for follow-up reviews to avoid reviewing code from other PRs.
+
+        Uses: GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pr_number}/files
+
+        Args:
+            pr_number: PR number
+
+        Returns:
+            List of file objects with:
+            - filename: Path to the file
+            - status: added, removed, modified, renamed, copied, changed
+            - additions: Number of lines added
+            - deletions: Number of lines deleted
+            - changes: Total number of line changes
+            - patch: The unified diff patch for this file (may be absent for large files)
+        """
+        files = []
+        page = 1
+        per_page = 100
+
+        while True:
+            endpoint = f"repos/{{owner}}/{{repo}}/pulls/{pr_number}/files?page={page}&per_page={per_page}"
+            args = ["api", "--method", "GET", endpoint]
+
+            result = await self.run(args, timeout=60.0)
+            page_files = json.loads(result.stdout) if result.stdout.strip() else []
+
+            if not page_files:
+                break
+
+            files.extend(page_files)
+
+            # Check if we got a full page (more pages might exist)
+            if len(page_files) < per_page:
+                break
+
+            page += 1
+
+            # Safety limit to prevent infinite loops
+            if page > 50:
+                logger.warning(
+                    f"PR #{pr_number} has more than 5000 files, stopping pagination"
+                )
+                break
+
+        return files
+
+    async def get_pr_commits(self, pr_number: int) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
+        """
+        Get commits that are part of a PR using the PR commits endpoint.
+
+        IMPORTANT: This returns only commits that are part of the PR's branch,
+        NOT commits that came in from merging another branch (e.g., develop).
+        This is crucial for follow-up reviews to avoid reviewing commits from other PRs.
+
+        Uses: GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pr_number}/commits
+
+        Args:
+            pr_number: PR number
+
+        Returns:
+            List of commit objects with:
+            - sha: Commit SHA
+            - commit: Object with message, author, committer info
+            - author: GitHub user who authored the commit
+            - committer: GitHub user who committed
+            - parents: List of parent commit SHAs
+        """
+        commits = []
+        page = 1
+        per_page = 100
+
+        while True:
+            endpoint = f"repos/{{owner}}/{{repo}}/pulls/{pr_number}/commits?page={page}&per_page={per_page}"
+            args = ["api", "--method", "GET", endpoint]
+
+            result = await self.run(args, timeout=60.0)
+            page_commits = json.loads(result.stdout) if result.stdout.strip() else []
+
+            if not page_commits:
+                break
+
+            commits.extend(page_commits)
+
+            # Check if we got a full page (more pages might exist)
+            if len(page_commits) < per_page:
+                break
+
+            page += 1
+
+            # Safety limit
+            if page > 10:
+                logger.warning(
+                    f"PR #{pr_number} has more than 1000 commits, stopping pagination"
+                )
+                break
+
+        return commits
+
+    async def get_pr_files_changed_since(
+        self,
+        pr_number: int,
+        base_sha: str,
+        reviewed_file_blobs: dict[str, str] | None = None,
+    ) -> tuple[list[dict[str, Any]], list[dict[str, Any]]]:
+        """
+        Get files and commits that are part of the PR and changed since a specific commit.
+
+        This method solves the "merge introduced commits" problem by:
+        1. Getting the canonical list of PR files (excludes files from merged branches)
+        2. Getting the canonical list of PR commits (excludes commits from merged branches)
+        3. Filtering to only include commits after base_sha
+
+        When a rebase/force-push is detected (base_sha not found in commits), and
+        reviewed_file_blobs is provided, uses blob SHA comparison to identify which
+        files actually changed content. This prevents re-reviewing unchanged files.
+
+        Args:
+            pr_number: PR number
+            base_sha: The commit SHA to compare from (e.g., last reviewed commit)
+            reviewed_file_blobs: Optional dict mapping filename -> blob SHA from the
+                previous review. Used as fallback when base_sha is not found (rebase).
+
+        Returns:
+            Tuple of:
+            - List of file objects that are part of the PR (filtered if blob comparison used)
+            - List of commit objects that are part of the PR and after base_sha.
+              NOTE: Returns empty list if rebase/force-push detected, since commit SHAs
+              are rewritten and we cannot determine which commits are truly "new".
+        """
+        # Get PR's canonical files (these are the actual PR changes)
+        pr_files = await self.get_pr_files(pr_number)
+
+        # Get PR's canonical commits
+        pr_commits = await self.get_pr_commits(pr_number)
+
+        # Find the position of base_sha in PR commits
+        # Use minimum 7-char prefix comparison (git's default short SHA length)
+        base_index = -1
+        min_prefix_len = 7
+        base_prefix = (
+            base_sha[:min_prefix_len] if len(base_sha) >= min_prefix_len else base_sha
+        )
+        for i, commit in enumerate(pr_commits):
+            commit_prefix = commit["sha"][:min_prefix_len]
+            if commit_prefix == base_prefix:
+                base_index = i
+                break
+
+        # Commits after base_sha (these are the new commits to review)
+        if base_index >= 0:
+            new_commits = pr_commits[base_index + 1 :]
+            return pr_files, new_commits
+
+        # base_sha not found in PR commits - this happens when:
+        # 1. The base_sha was from a merge commit (not a direct PR commit)
+        # 2. The PR was rebased/force-pushed
+        logger.warning(
+            f"base_sha {base_sha[:8]} not found in PR #{pr_number} commits. "
+            "PR was likely rebased or force-pushed."
+        )
+
+        # If we have blob SHAs from the previous review, use them to filter files
+        # Blob SHAs persist across rebases - same content = same blob SHA
+        if reviewed_file_blobs:  # Only use blob comparison if we have actual blob data
+            changed_files = []
+            unchanged_count = 0
+            for file in pr_files:
+                filename = file.get("filename", "")
+                current_blob_sha = file.get("sha", "")
+                file_status = file.get("status", "")
+                previous_blob_sha = reviewed_file_blobs.get(filename, "")
+
+                # Always include files that were added, removed, or renamed
+                # These are significant changes regardless of blob SHA
+                if file_status in ("added", "removed", "renamed"):
+                    changed_files.append(file)
+                elif not previous_blob_sha:
+                    # File wasn't in previous review - include it
+                    changed_files.append(file)
+                elif current_blob_sha != previous_blob_sha:
+                    # File content changed - include it
+                    changed_files.append(file)
+                else:
+                    # Same blob SHA = same content - skip it
+                    unchanged_count += 1
+
+            if unchanged_count > 0:
+                logger.info(
+                    f"Blob comparison: {len(changed_files)} files changed, "
+                    f"{unchanged_count} unchanged (skipped)"
+                )
+
+            # Return filtered files but empty commits list (can't determine "new" commits after rebase)
+            # After a rebase, all commit SHAs are rewritten so we can't identify which are truly new.
+            # The file changes via blob comparison are the reliable source of what changed.
+            return changed_files, []
+
+        # No blob data available - return all files but empty commits (can't determine new commits)
+        logger.warning(
+            "No reviewed_file_blobs available for blob comparison after rebase. "
+            "Returning all PR files with empty commits list."
+        )
+        return pr_files, []
@@ -214,19 +214,18 @@ class PRReviewFinding:
    end_line: int | None = None
    suggested_fix: str | None = None
    fixable: bool = False
-    # NEW: Support for verification and redundancy detection
-    confidence: float = 0.85  # AI's confidence in this finding (0.0-1.0)
+    # Evidence-based validation: actual code proving the issue exists
+    evidence: str | None = None  # Actual code snippet showing the issue
    verification_note: str | None = (
        None  # What evidence is missing or couldn't be verified
    )
    redundant_with: str | None = None  # Reference to duplicate code (file:line)

-    # NEW: Finding validation fields (from finding-validator re-investigation)
+    # Finding validation fields (from finding-validator re-investigation)
    validation_status: str | None = (
        None  # confirmed_valid, dismissed_false_positive, needs_human_review
    )
    validation_evidence: str | None = None  # Code snippet examined during validation
-    validation_confidence: float | None = None  # Confidence of validation (0.0-1.0)
    validation_explanation: str | None = None  # Why finding was validated/dismissed

    def to_dict(self) -> dict:
@@ -241,14 +240,13 @@ class PRReviewFinding:
            "end_line": self.end_line,
            "suggested_fix": self.suggested_fix,
            "fixable": self.fixable,
-            # NEW fields
-            "confidence": self.confidence,
+            # Evidence-based validation fields
+            "evidence": self.evidence,
            "verification_note": self.verification_note,
            "redundant_with": self.redundant_with,
            # Validation fields
            "validation_status": self.validation_status,
            "validation_evidence": self.validation_evidence,
-            "validation_confidence": self.validation_confidence,
            "validation_explanation": self.validation_explanation,
        }

@@ -265,14 +263,13 @@ class PRReviewFinding:
            end_line=data.get("end_line"),
            suggested_fix=data.get("suggested_fix"),
            fixable=data.get("fixable", False),
-            # NEW fields
-            confidence=data.get("confidence", 0.85),
+            # Evidence-based validation fields
+            evidence=data.get("evidence"),
            verification_note=data.get("verification_note"),
            redundant_with=data.get("redundant_with"),
            # Validation fields
            validation_status=data.get("validation_status"),
            validation_evidence=data.get("validation_evidence"),
-            validation_confidence=data.get("validation_confidence"),
            validation_explanation=data.get("validation_explanation"),
        )

@@ -383,6 +380,9 @@ class PRReviewResult:

    # Follow-up review tracking
    reviewed_commit_sha: str | None = None  # HEAD SHA at time of review
+    reviewed_file_blobs: dict[str, str] = field(
+        default_factory=dict
+    )  # filename → blob SHA at time of review (survives rebases)
    is_followup_review: bool = False  # True if this is a follow-up review
    previous_review_id: int | None = None  # Reference to the review this follows up on
    resolved_findings: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)  # Finding IDs now fixed
@@ -421,6 +421,7 @@ class PRReviewResult:
            "quick_scan_summary": self.quick_scan_summary,
            # Follow-up review fields
            "reviewed_commit_sha": self.reviewed_commit_sha,
+            "reviewed_file_blobs": self.reviewed_file_blobs,
            "is_followup_review": self.is_followup_review,
            "previous_review_id": self.previous_review_id,
            "resolved_findings": self.resolved_findings,
@@ -465,6 +466,7 @@ class PRReviewResult:
            quick_scan_summary=data.get("quick_scan_summary", {}),
            # Follow-up review fields
            reviewed_commit_sha=data.get("reviewed_commit_sha"),
+            reviewed_file_blobs=data.get("reviewed_file_blobs", {}),
            is_followup_review=data.get("is_followup_review", False),
            previous_review_id=data.get("previous_review_id"),
            resolved_findings=data.get("resolved_findings", []),
@@ -562,6 +564,16 @@ class FollowupReviewContext:
    # These are different from comments - they're full review submissions with body text
    pr_reviews_since_review: list[dict] = field(default_factory=list)

+    # Merge conflict status
+    has_merge_conflicts: bool = False  # True if PR has conflicts with base branch
+    merge_state_status: str = (
+        ""  # BEHIND, BLOCKED, CLEAN, DIRTY, HAS_HOOKS, UNKNOWN, UNSTABLE
+    )
+
+    # CI status - passed to AI orchestrator so it can factor into verdict
+    # Dict with: passing, failing, pending, failed_checks, awaiting_approval
+    ci_status: dict = field(default_factory=dict)
+
    # Error flag - if set, context gathering failed and data may be incomplete
    error: str | None = None

@@ -389,13 +389,29 @@ class GitHubOrchestrator:
                pr_number=pr_number,
            )

-            # Check CI status
-            ci_status = await self.gh_client.get_pr_checks(pr_number)
+            # Check CI status (comprehensive - includes workflows awaiting approval)
+            ci_status = await self.gh_client.get_pr_checks_comprehensive(pr_number)
+
+            # Log CI status with awaiting approval info
+            awaiting = ci_status.get("awaiting_approval", 0)
+            pending_without_awaiting = ci_status.get("pending", 0) - awaiting
+            ci_log_parts = [
+                f"{ci_status.get('passing', 0)} passing",
+                f"{ci_status.get('failing', 0)} failing",
+            ]
+            if pending_without_awaiting > 0:
+                ci_log_parts.append(f"{pending_without_awaiting} pending")
+            if awaiting > 0:
+                ci_log_parts.append(f"{awaiting} awaiting approval")
            print(
-                f"[DEBUG orchestrator] CI status: {ci_status.get('passing', 0)} passing, "
-                f"{ci_status.get('failing', 0)} failing, {ci_status.get('pending', 0)} pending",
+                f"[orchestrator] CI status: {', '.join(ci_log_parts)}",
                flush=True,
            )
+            if awaiting > 0:
+                print(
+                    f"[orchestrator] ⚠️ {awaiting} workflow(s) from fork need maintainer approval to run",
+                    flush=True,
+                )

            # Generate verdict (now includes CI status)
            verdict, verdict_reasoning, blockers = self._generate_verdict(
@@ -435,6 +451,25 @@ class GitHubOrchestrator:
            # Get HEAD SHA for follow-up review tracking
            head_sha = self.bot_detector.get_last_commit_sha(pr_context.commits)

+            # Get file blob SHAs for rebase-resistant follow-up reviews
+            # Blob SHAs persist across rebases - same content = same blob SHA
+            file_blobs: dict[str, str] = {}
+            try:
+                pr_files = await self.gh_client.get_pr_files(pr_number)
+                for file in pr_files:
+                    filename = file.get("filename", "")
+                    blob_sha = file.get("sha", "")
+                    if filename and blob_sha:
+                        file_blobs[filename] = blob_sha
+                print(
+                    f"[Review] Captured {len(file_blobs)} file blob SHAs for follow-up tracking",
+                    flush=True,
+                )
+            except Exception as e:
+                print(
+                    f"[Review] Warning: Could not capture file blobs: {e}", flush=True
+                )
+
            # Create result
            result = PRReviewResult(
                pr_number=pr_number,
@@ -452,6 +487,8 @@ class GitHubOrchestrator:
                quick_scan_summary=quick_scan,
                # Track the commit SHA for follow-up reviews
                reviewed_commit_sha=head_sha,
+                # Track file blobs for rebase-resistant follow-up reviews
+                reviewed_file_blobs=file_blobs,
            )

            # Post review if configured
@@ -479,6 +516,9 @@ class GitHubOrchestrator:
            # Save result
            await result.save(self.github_dir)

+            # Note: PR review memory is now saved by the Electron app after the review completes
+            # This ensures memory is saved to the embedded LadybugDB managed by the app
+
            # Mark as reviewed (head_sha already fetched above)
            if head_sha:
                self.bot_detector.mark_reviewed(pr_number, head_sha)
@@ -594,19 +634,29 @@ class GitHubOrchestrator:
                await result.save(self.github_dir)
                return result

-            # Check if there are new commits
-            if not followup_context.commits_since_review:
+            # Check if there are changes to review (commits OR files via blob comparison)
+            # After a rebase/force-push, commits_since_review will be empty (commit
+            # SHAs are rewritten), but files_changed_since_review will contain files
+            # that actually changed content based on blob SHA comparison.
+            has_commits = bool(followup_context.commits_since_review)
+            has_file_changes = bool(followup_context.files_changed_since_review)
+
+            if not has_commits and not has_file_changes:
+                base_sha = previous_review.reviewed_commit_sha[:8]
                print(
-                    f"[Followup] No new commits since last review at {previous_review.reviewed_commit_sha[:8]}",
+                    f"[Followup] No changes since last review at {base_sha}",
                    flush=True,
                )
                # Return a result indicating no changes
+                no_change_summary = (
+                    "No new commits since last review. Previous findings still apply."
+                )
                result = PRReviewResult(
                    pr_number=pr_number,
                    repo=self.config.repo,
                    success=True,
                    findings=previous_review.findings,
-                    summary="No new commits since last review. Previous findings still apply.",
+                    summary=no_change_summary,
                    overall_status=previous_review.overall_status,
                    verdict=previous_review.verdict,
                    verdict_reasoning="No changes since last review.",
@@ -618,13 +668,26 @@ class GitHubOrchestrator:
                await result.save(self.github_dir)
                return result

+            # Build progress message based on what changed
+            if has_commits:
+                num_commits = len(followup_context.commits_since_review)
+                change_desc = f"{num_commits} new commits"
+            else:
+                # Rebase detected - files changed but no trackable commits
+                num_files = len(followup_context.files_changed_since_review)
+                change_desc = f"{num_files} files (rebase detected)"
+
            self._report_progress(
                "analyzing",
                30,
-                f"Analyzing {len(followup_context.commits_since_review)} new commits...",
+                f"Analyzing {change_desc}...",
                pr_number=pr_number,
            )

+            # Fetch CI status BEFORE calling reviewer so AI can factor it into verdict
+            ci_status = await self.gh_client.get_pr_checks_comprehensive(pr_number)
+            followup_context.ci_status = ci_status
+
            # Use parallel orchestrator for follow-up if enabled
            if self.config.use_parallel_orchestrator:
                print(
@@ -669,9 +732,9 @@ class GitHubOrchestrator:
                )
                result = await reviewer.review_followup(followup_context)

-            # Check CI status and override verdict if failing
-            ci_status = await self.gh_client.get_pr_checks(pr_number)
-            failed_checks = ci_status.get("failed_checks", [])
+            # Fallback: ensure CI failures block merge even if AI didn't factor it in
+            # (CI status was already passed to AI via followup_context.ci_status)
+            failed_checks = followup_context.ci_status.get("failed_checks", [])
            if failed_checks:
                print(
                    f"[Followup] CI checks failing: {failed_checks}",
@@ -703,6 +766,9 @@ class GitHubOrchestrator:
            # Save result
            await result.save(self.github_dir)

+            # Note: PR review memory is now saved by the Electron app after the review completes
+            # This ensures memory is saved to the embedded LadybugDB managed by the app
+
            # Mark as reviewed with new commit SHA
            if result.reviewed_commit_sha:
                self.bot_detector.mark_reviewed(pr_number, result.reviewed_commit_sha)
@@ -780,6 +846,13 @@ class GitHubOrchestrator:
        for check_name in failed_checks:
            blockers.append(f"CI Failed: {check_name}")

+        # Workflows awaiting approval block merging (fork PRs)
+        awaiting_approval = ci_status.get("awaiting_approval", 0)
+        if awaiting_approval > 0:
+            blockers.append(
+                f"Workflows Pending: {awaiting_approval} workflow(s) awaiting maintainer approval"
+            )
+
        # NEW: Verification failures block merging
        for f in verification_failures:
            note = f" - {f.verification_note}" if f.verification_note else ""
@@ -821,6 +894,13 @@ class GitHubOrchestrator:
                    f"Blocked: {len(failed_checks)} CI check(s) failing. "
                    "Fix CI before merge."
                )
+            # Workflows awaiting approval block merging
+            elif awaiting_approval > 0:
+                verdict = MergeVerdict.BLOCKED
+                reasoning = (
+                    f"Blocked: {awaiting_approval} workflow(s) awaiting approval. "
+                    "Approve workflows on GitHub to run CI checks."
+                )
            # NEW: Prioritize verification failures
            elif verification_failures:
                verdict = MergeVerdict.BLOCKED
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ if TYPE_CHECKING:
    from ..models import FollowupReviewContext, GitHubRunnerConfig

 try:
+    from ..gh_client import GHClient
    from ..models import (
        MergeVerdict,
        PRReviewFinding,
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ try:
    from .prompt_manager import PromptManager
    from .pydantic_models import FollowupReviewResponse
 except (ImportError, ValueError, SystemError):
+    from gh_client import GHClient
    from models import (
        MergeVerdict,
        PRReviewFinding,
@@ -230,6 +232,27 @@ class FollowupReviewer:
            "complete", 100, "Follow-up review complete!", context.pr_number
        )

+        # Get file blob SHAs for rebase-resistant follow-up reviews
+        # Blob SHAs persist across rebases - same content = same blob SHA
+        file_blobs: dict[str, str] = {}
+        try:
+            gh_client = GHClient(
+                project_dir=self.project_dir,
+                default_timeout=30.0,
+                repo=self.config.repo,
+            )
+            pr_files = await gh_client.get_pr_files(context.pr_number)
+            for file in pr_files:
+                filename = file.get("filename", "")
+                blob_sha = file.get("sha", "")
+                if filename and blob_sha:
+                    file_blobs[filename] = blob_sha
+            logger.info(
+                f"Captured {len(file_blobs)} file blob SHAs for follow-up tracking"
+            )
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.warning(f"Could not capture file blobs: {e}")
+
        return PRReviewResult(
            pr_number=context.pr_number,
            repo=self.config.repo,
@@ -243,6 +266,7 @@ class FollowupReviewer:
            reviewed_at=datetime.now().isoformat(),
            # Follow-up specific fields
            reviewed_commit_sha=context.current_commit_sha,
+            reviewed_file_blobs=file_blobs,
            is_followup_review=True,
            previous_review_id=context.previous_review.review_id,
            resolved_findings=[f.id for f in resolved],
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import hashlib
 import logging
 import os
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+import uuid
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING

@@ -32,6 +35,8 @@ from claude_agent_sdk import AgentDefinition
 try:
    from ...core.client import create_client
    from ...phase_config import get_thinking_budget
+    from ..context_gatherer import _validate_git_ref
+    from ..gh_client import GHClient
    from ..models import (
        GitHubRunnerConfig,
        MergeVerdict,
@@ -43,7 +48,9 @@ try:
    from .pydantic_models import ParallelFollowupResponse
    from .sdk_utils import process_sdk_stream
 except (ImportError, ValueError, SystemError):
+    from context_gatherer import _validate_git_ref
    from core.client import create_client
+    from gh_client import GHClient
    from models import (
        GitHubRunnerConfig,
        MergeVerdict,
@@ -62,6 +69,9 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 # Check if debug mode is enabled
 DEBUG_MODE = os.environ.get("DEBUG", "").lower() in ("true", "1", "yes")

+# Directory for PR review worktrees (shared with initial reviewer)
+PR_WORKTREE_DIR = ".auto-claude/github/pr/worktrees"
+
 # Severity mapping for AI responses
 _SEVERITY_MAPPING = {
    "critical": ReviewSeverity.CRITICAL,
@@ -136,6 +146,122 @@ class ParallelFollowupReviewer:
        logger.warning(f"Prompt file not found: {prompt_file}")
        return ""

+    def _create_pr_worktree(self, head_sha: str, pr_number: int) -> Path:
+        """Create a temporary worktree at the PR head commit.
+
+        Args:
+            head_sha: The commit SHA of the PR head (validated before use)
+            pr_number: The PR number for naming
+
+        Returns:
+            Path to the created worktree
+
+        Raises:
+            RuntimeError: If worktree creation fails
+            ValueError: If head_sha fails validation (command injection prevention)
+        """
+        # SECURITY: Validate git ref before use in subprocess calls
+        if not _validate_git_ref(head_sha):
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"Invalid git ref: '{head_sha}'. "
+                "Must contain only alphanumeric characters, dots, slashes, underscores, and hyphens."
+            )
+
+        worktree_name = f"pr-followup-{pr_number}-{uuid.uuid4().hex[:8]}"
+        worktree_dir = self.project_dir / PR_WORKTREE_DIR
+
+        if DEBUG_MODE:
+            print(f"[Followup] DEBUG: project_dir={self.project_dir}", flush=True)
+            print(f"[Followup] DEBUG: worktree_dir={worktree_dir}", flush=True)
+            print(f"[Followup] DEBUG: head_sha={head_sha}", flush=True)
+
+        worktree_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        worktree_path = worktree_dir / worktree_name
+
+        if DEBUG_MODE:
+            print(f"[Followup] DEBUG: worktree_path={worktree_path}", flush=True)
+
+        # Fetch the commit if not available locally (handles fork PRs)
+        fetch_result = subprocess.run(
+            ["git", "fetch", "origin", head_sha],
+            cwd=self.project_dir,
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            timeout=60,
+        )
+        if DEBUG_MODE:
+            print(
+                f"[Followup] DEBUG: fetch returncode={fetch_result.returncode}",
+                flush=True,
+            )
+
+        # Create detached worktree at the PR commit
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            ["git", "worktree", "add", "--detach", str(worktree_path), head_sha],
+            cwd=self.project_dir,
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            timeout=120,
+        )
+
+        if DEBUG_MODE:
+            print(
+                f"[Followup] DEBUG: worktree add returncode={result.returncode}",
+                flush=True,
+            )
+            if result.stderr:
+                print(
+                    f"[Followup] DEBUG: worktree add stderr={result.stderr[:200]}",
+                    flush=True,
+                )
+
+        if result.returncode != 0:
+            raise RuntimeError(f"Failed to create worktree: {result.stderr}")
+
+        logger.info(f"[Followup] Created worktree at {worktree_path}")
+        return worktree_path
+
+    def _cleanup_pr_worktree(self, worktree_path: Path) -> None:
+        """Remove a temporary PR review worktree with fallback chain.
+
+        Args:
+            worktree_path: Path to the worktree to remove
+        """
+        if not worktree_path or not worktree_path.exists():
+            return
+
+        if DEBUG_MODE:
+            print(
+                f"[Followup] DEBUG: Cleaning up worktree at {worktree_path}",
+                flush=True,
+            )
+
+        # Try 1: git worktree remove
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            ["git", "worktree", "remove", "--force", str(worktree_path)],
+            cwd=self.project_dir,
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            timeout=30,
+        )
+
+        if result.returncode == 0:
+            logger.info(f"[Followup] Cleaned up worktree: {worktree_path.name}")
+            return
+
+        # Try 2: shutil.rmtree fallback
+        try:
+            shutil.rmtree(worktree_path, ignore_errors=True)
+            subprocess.run(
+                ["git", "worktree", "prune"],
+                cwd=self.project_dir,
+                capture_output=True,
+                timeout=30,
+            )
+            logger.warning(f"[Followup] Used shutil fallback for: {worktree_path.name}")
+        except Exception as e:
+            logger.error(f"[Followup] Failed to cleanup worktree {worktree_path}: {e}")
+
    def _define_specialist_agents(self) -> dict[str, AgentDefinition]:
        """
        Define specialist agents for follow-up review.
@@ -265,6 +391,44 @@ class ParallelFollowupReviewer:

        return "\n\n---\n\n".join(ai_content)

+    def _format_ci_status(self, context: FollowupReviewContext) -> str:
+        """Format CI status for the prompt."""
+        ci_status = context.ci_status
+        if not ci_status:
+            return "CI status not available."
+
+        passing = ci_status.get("passing", 0)
+        failing = ci_status.get("failing", 0)
+        pending = ci_status.get("pending", 0)
+        failed_checks = ci_status.get("failed_checks", [])
+        awaiting_approval = ci_status.get("awaiting_approval", 0)
+
+        lines = []
+
+        # Overall status
+        if failing > 0:
+            lines.append(f"⚠️ **{failing} CI check(s) FAILING** - PR cannot be merged")
+        elif pending > 0:
+            lines.append(f"⏳ **{pending} CI check(s) pending** - Wait for completion")
+        elif passing > 0:
+            lines.append(f"✅ **All {passing} CI check(s) passing**")
+        else:
+            lines.append("No CI checks configured")
+
+        # List failed checks
+        if failed_checks:
+            lines.append("\n**Failed checks:**")
+            for check in failed_checks:
+                lines.append(f"  - ❌ {check}")
+
+        # Awaiting approval (fork PRs)
+        if awaiting_approval > 0:
+            lines.append(
+                f"\n⏸️ **{awaiting_approval} workflow(s) awaiting maintainer approval** (fork PR)"
+            )
+
+        return "\n".join(lines)
+
    def _build_orchestrator_prompt(self, context: FollowupReviewContext) -> str:
        """Build full prompt for orchestrator with follow-up context."""
        # Load orchestrator prompt
@@ -277,6 +441,7 @@ class ParallelFollowupReviewer:
        commits = self._format_commits(context)
        contributor_comments = self._format_comments(context)
        ai_reviews = self._format_ai_reviews(context)
+        ci_status = self._format_ci_status(context)

        # Truncate diff if too long
        MAX_DIFF_CHARS = 100_000
@@ -295,6 +460,9 @@ class ParallelFollowupReviewer:
 **New Commits:** {len(context.commits_since_review)}
 **Files Changed:** {len(context.files_changed_since_review)}

+### CI Status (CRITICAL - Must Factor Into Verdict)
+{ci_status}
+
 ### Previous Review Summary
 {context.previous_review.summary[:500] if context.previous_review.summary else "No summary available."}

@@ -323,6 +491,7 @@ class ParallelFollowupReviewer:
 Now analyze this follow-up and delegate to the appropriate specialist agents.
 Remember: YOU decide which agents to invoke based on YOUR analysis.
 The SDK will run invoked agents in parallel automatically.
+**CRITICAL: Your verdict MUST account for CI status. Failing CI = BLOCKED verdict.**
 """

        return base_prompt + followup_context
@@ -341,6 +510,9 @@ The SDK will run invoked agents in parallel automatically.
            f"[ParallelFollowup] Starting follow-up review for PR #{context.pr_number}"
        )

+        # Track worktree for cleanup
+        worktree_path: Path | None = None
+
        try:
            self._report_progress(
                "orchestrating",
@@ -352,13 +524,48 @@ The SDK will run invoked agents in parallel automatically.
            # Build orchestrator prompt
            prompt = self._build_orchestrator_prompt(context)

-            # Get project root
+            # Get project root - default to local checkout
            project_root = (
                self.project_dir.parent.parent
                if self.project_dir.name == "backend"
                else self.project_dir
            )

+            # Create temporary worktree at PR head commit for isolated review
+            # This ensures agents read from the correct PR state, not the current checkout
+            head_sha = context.current_commit_sha
+            if head_sha and _validate_git_ref(head_sha):
+                try:
+                    if DEBUG_MODE:
+                        print(
+                            f"[Followup] DEBUG: Creating worktree for head_sha={head_sha}",
+                            flush=True,
+                        )
+                    worktree_path = self._create_pr_worktree(
+                        head_sha, context.pr_number
+                    )
+                    project_root = worktree_path
+                    print(
+                        f"[Followup] Using worktree at {worktree_path.name} for PR review",
+                        flush=True,
+                    )
+                except Exception as e:
+                    if DEBUG_MODE:
+                        print(
+                            f"[Followup] DEBUG: Worktree creation FAILED: {e}",
+                            flush=True,
+                        )
+                    logger.warning(
+                        f"[ParallelFollowup] Worktree creation failed, "
+                        f"falling back to local checkout: {e}"
+                    )
+                    # Fallback to original behavior if worktree creation fails
+            else:
+                logger.warning(
+                    f"[ParallelFollowup] Invalid or missing head_sha '{head_sha}', "
+                    "using local checkout"
+                )
+
            # Use model and thinking level from config (user settings)
            model = self.config.model or "claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929"
            thinking_level = self.config.thinking_level or "medium"
@@ -498,6 +705,27 @@ The SDK will run invoked agents in parallel automatically.
                ):
                    blockers.append(f"{finding.category.value}: {finding.title}")

+            # Get file blob SHAs for rebase-resistant follow-up reviews
+            # Blob SHAs persist across rebases - same content = same blob SHA
+            file_blobs: dict[str, str] = {}
+            try:
+                gh_client = GHClient(
+                    project_dir=self.project_dir,
+                    default_timeout=30.0,
+                    repo=self.config.repo,
+                )
+                pr_files = await gh_client.get_pr_files(context.pr_number)
+                for file in pr_files:
+                    filename = file.get("filename", "")
+                    blob_sha = file.get("sha", "")
+                    if filename and blob_sha:
+                        file_blobs[filename] = blob_sha
+                logger.info(
+                    f"Captured {len(file_blobs)} file blob SHAs for follow-up tracking"
+                )
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.warning(f"Could not capture file blobs: {e}")
+
            result = PRReviewResult(
                pr_number=context.pr_number,
                repo=self.config.repo,
@@ -509,6 +737,7 @@ The SDK will run invoked agents in parallel automatically.
                verdict_reasoning=verdict_reasoning,
                blockers=blockers,
                reviewed_commit_sha=context.current_commit_sha,
+                reviewed_file_blobs=file_blobs,
                is_followup_review=True,
                previous_review_id=context.previous_review.review_id
                or context.previous_review.pr_number,
@@ -543,6 +772,10 @@ The SDK will run invoked agents in parallel automatically.
                is_followup_review=True,
                reviewed_commit_sha=context.current_commit_sha,
            )
+        finally:
+            # Always cleanup worktree, even on error
+            if worktree_path:
+                self._cleanup_pr_worktree(worktree_path)

    def _parse_structured_output(
        self, data: dict, context: FollowupReviewContext
@@ -614,13 +847,11 @@ The SDK will run invoked agents in parallel automatically.
                            validation = validation_map.get(rv.finding_id)
                            validation_status = None
                            validation_evidence = None
-                            validation_confidence = None
                            validation_explanation = None

                            if validation:
                                validation_status = validation.validation_status
                                validation_evidence = validation.code_evidence
-                                validation_confidence = validation.confidence
                                validation_explanation = validation.explanation

                            findings.append(
@@ -636,7 +867,6 @@ The SDK will run invoked agents in parallel automatically.
                                    fixable=original.fixable,
                                    validation_status=validation_status,
                                    validation_evidence=validation_evidence,
-                                    validation_confidence=validation_confidence,
                                    validation_explanation=validation_explanation,
                                )
                            )
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ try:
    from ...core.client import create_client
    from ...phase_config import get_thinking_budget
    from ..context_gatherer import PRContext, _validate_git_ref
+    from ..gh_client import GHClient
    from ..models import (
        GitHubRunnerConfig,
        MergeVerdict,
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ try:
 except (ImportError, ValueError, SystemError):
    from context_gatherer import PRContext, _validate_git_ref
    from core.client import create_client
+    from gh_client import GHClient
    from models import (
        GitHubRunnerConfig,
        MergeVerdict,
@@ -584,7 +586,7 @@ The SDK will run invoked agents in parallel automatically.
            category=category,
            severity=severity,
            suggested_fix=finding_data.suggested_fix or "",
-            confidence=self._normalize_confidence(finding_data.confidence),
+            evidence=finding_data.evidence,
        )

    async def review(self, context: PRContext) -> PRReviewResult:
@@ -799,6 +801,27 @@ The SDK will run invoked agents in parallel automatically.
                latest_commit = context.commits[-1]
                head_sha = latest_commit.get("oid") or latest_commit.get("sha")

+            # Get file blob SHAs for rebase-resistant follow-up reviews
+            # Blob SHAs persist across rebases - same content = same blob SHA
+            file_blobs: dict[str, str] = {}
+            try:
+                gh_client = GHClient(
+                    project_dir=self.project_dir,
+                    default_timeout=30.0,
+                    repo=self.config.repo,
+                )
+                pr_files = await gh_client.get_pr_files(context.pr_number)
+                for file in pr_files:
+                    filename = file.get("filename", "")
+                    blob_sha = file.get("sha", "")
+                    if filename and blob_sha:
+                        file_blobs[filename] = blob_sha
+                logger.info(
+                    f"Captured {len(file_blobs)} file blob SHAs for follow-up tracking"
+                )
+            except Exception as e:
+                logger.warning(f"Could not capture file blobs: {e}")
+
            result = PRReviewResult(
                pr_number=context.pr_number,
                repo=self.config.repo,
@@ -810,6 +833,7 @@ The SDK will run invoked agents in parallel automatically.
                verdict_reasoning=verdict_reasoning,
                blockers=blockers,
                reviewed_commit_sha=head_sha,
+                reviewed_file_blobs=file_blobs,
            )

            self._report_progress(
@@ -945,7 +969,7 @@ The SDK will run invoked agents in parallel automatically.
            category=category,
            severity=severity,
            suggested_fix=f_data.get("suggested_fix", ""),
-            confidence=self._normalize_confidence(f_data.get("confidence", 85)),
+            evidence=f_data.get("evidence"),
        )

    def _parse_text_output(self, output: str) -> list[PRReviewFinding]:
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations

 from typing import Literal

-from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, field_validator
+from pydantic import BaseModel, Field

 # =============================================================================
 # Common Finding Types
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ class BaseFinding(BaseModel):
    line: int = Field(0, description="Line number of the issue")
    suggested_fix: str | None = Field(None, description="How to fix this issue")
    fixable: bool = Field(False, description="Whether this can be auto-fixed")
+    evidence: str | None = Field(
+        None,
+        description="Actual code snippet proving the issue exists. Required for validation.",
+    )


 class SecurityFinding(BaseFinding):
@@ -78,9 +82,6 @@ class DeepAnalysisFinding(BaseFinding):
        "performance",
        "logic",
    ] = Field(description="Issue category")
-    confidence: float = Field(
-        0.85, ge=0.0, le=1.0, description="AI's confidence in this finding (0.0-1.0)"
-    )
    verification_note: str | None = Field(
        None, description="What evidence is missing or couldn't be verified"
    )
@@ -315,21 +316,11 @@ class OrchestratorFinding(BaseModel):
        description="Issue severity level"
    )
    suggestion: str | None = Field(None, description="How to fix this issue")
-    confidence: float = Field(
-        0.85,
-        ge=0.0,
-        le=1.0,
-        description="Confidence (0.0-1.0 or 0-100, normalized to 0.0-1.0)",
+    evidence: str | None = Field(
+        None,
+        description="Actual code snippet proving the issue exists. Required for validation.",
    )

-    @field_validator("confidence", mode="before")
-    @classmethod
-    def normalize_confidence(cls, v: int | float) -> float:
-        """Normalize confidence to 0.0-1.0 range (accepts 0-100 or 0.0-1.0)."""
-        if v > 1:
-            return v / 100.0
-        return float(v)
-

 class OrchestratorReviewResponse(BaseModel):
    """Complete response schema for orchestrator PR review."""
@@ -355,9 +346,6 @@ class LogicFinding(BaseFinding):
    category: Literal["logic"] = Field(
        default="logic", description="Always 'logic' for logic findings"
    )
-    confidence: float = Field(
-        0.85, ge=0.0, le=1.0, description="Confidence in this finding (0.0-1.0)"
-    )
    example_input: str | None = Field(
        None, description="Concrete input that triggers the bug"
    )
@@ -366,14 +354,6 @@ class LogicFinding(BaseFinding):
        None, description="What the code should produce"
    )

-    @field_validator("confidence", mode="before")
-    @classmethod
-    def normalize_confidence(cls, v: int | float) -> float:
-        """Normalize confidence to 0.0-1.0 range."""
-        if v > 1:
-            return v / 100.0
-        return float(v)
-

 class CodebaseFitFinding(BaseFinding):
    """A codebase fit finding from the codebase fit review agent."""
@@ -381,9 +361,6 @@ class CodebaseFitFinding(BaseFinding):
    category: Literal["codebase_fit"] = Field(
        default="codebase_fit", description="Always 'codebase_fit' for fit findings"
    )
-    confidence: float = Field(
-        0.85, ge=0.0, le=1.0, description="Confidence in this finding (0.0-1.0)"
-    )
    existing_code: str | None = Field(
        None, description="Reference to existing code that should be used instead"
    )
@@ -391,14 +368,6 @@ class CodebaseFitFinding(BaseFinding):
        None, description="Description of the established pattern being violated"
    )

-    @field_validator("confidence", mode="before")
-    @classmethod
-    def normalize_confidence(cls, v: int | float) -> float:
-        """Normalize confidence to 0.0-1.0 range."""
-        if v > 1:
-            return v / 100.0
-        return float(v)
-

 class ParallelOrchestratorFinding(BaseModel):
    """A finding from the parallel orchestrator with source agent tracking."""
@@ -423,8 +392,9 @@ class ParallelOrchestratorFinding(BaseModel):
    severity: Literal["critical", "high", "medium", "low"] = Field(
        description="Issue severity level"
    )
-    confidence: float = Field(
-        0.85, ge=0.0, le=1.0, description="Confidence in this finding (0.0-1.0)"
+    evidence: str | None = Field(
+        None,
+        description="Actual code snippet proving the issue exists. Required for validation.",
    )
    suggested_fix: str | None = Field(None, description="How to fix this issue")
    fixable: bool = Field(False, description="Whether this can be auto-fixed")
@@ -436,14 +406,6 @@ class ParallelOrchestratorFinding(BaseModel):
        False, description="Whether multiple agents agreed on this finding"
    )

-    @field_validator("confidence", mode="before")
-    @classmethod
-    def normalize_confidence(cls, v: int | float) -> float:
-        """Normalize confidence to 0.0-1.0 range."""
-        if v > 1:
-            return v / 100.0
-        return float(v)
-

 class AgentAgreement(BaseModel):
    """Tracks agreement between agents on findings."""
@@ -496,22 +458,14 @@ class ResolutionVerification(BaseModel):
    status: Literal["resolved", "partially_resolved", "unresolved", "cant_verify"] = (
        Field(description="Resolution status after AI verification")
    )
-    confidence: float = Field(
-        0.85, ge=0.0, le=1.0, description="Confidence in the resolution status"
+    evidence: str = Field(
+        min_length=1,
+        description="Actual code snippet showing the resolution status. Required.",
    )
-    evidence: str = Field(description="What evidence supports this resolution status")
    resolution_notes: str | None = Field(
        None, description="Detailed notes on how the issue was addressed"
    )

-    @field_validator("confidence", mode="before")
-    @classmethod
-    def normalize_confidence(cls, v: int | float) -> float:
-        """Normalize confidence to 0.0-1.0 range."""
-        if v > 1:
-            return v / 100.0
-        return float(v)
-

 class ParallelFollowupFinding(BaseModel):
    """A finding from parallel follow-up review with source agent tracking."""
@@ -534,8 +488,9 @@ class ParallelFollowupFinding(BaseModel):
    severity: Literal["critical", "high", "medium", "low"] = Field(
        description="Issue severity level"
    )
-    confidence: float = Field(
-        0.85, ge=0.0, le=1.0, description="Confidence in this finding (0.0-1.0)"
+    evidence: str | None = Field(
+        None,
+        description="Actual code snippet proving the issue exists. Required for validation.",
    )
    suggested_fix: str | None = Field(None, description="How to fix this issue")
    fixable: bool = Field(False, description="Whether this can be auto-fixed")
@@ -546,14 +501,6 @@ class ParallelFollowupFinding(BaseModel):
        None, description="ID of related previous finding if this is a regression"
    )

-    @field_validator("confidence", mode="before")
-    @classmethod
-    def normalize_confidence(cls, v: int | float) -> float:
-        """Normalize confidence to 0.0-1.0 range."""
-        if v > 1:
-            return v / 100.0
-        return float(v)
-

 class CommentAnalysis(BaseModel):
    """Analysis of a contributor or AI comment."""
@@ -640,6 +587,9 @@ class FindingValidationResult(BaseModel):

    The finding-validator agent uses this to report whether a previous finding
    is a genuine issue or a false positive that should be dismissed.
+
+    EVIDENCE-BASED VALIDATION: No confidence scores - validation is binary.
+    Either the evidence shows the issue exists, or it doesn't.
    """

    finding_id: str = Field(description="ID of the finding being validated")
@@ -648,16 +598,17 @@ class FindingValidationResult(BaseModel):
    ] = Field(
        description=(
            "Validation result: "
-            "confirmed_valid = issue IS real, keep as unresolved; "
-            "dismissed_false_positive = original finding was incorrect, remove; "
-            "needs_human_review = cannot determine with confidence"
+            "confirmed_valid = code evidence proves issue IS real; "
+            "dismissed_false_positive = code evidence proves issue does NOT exist; "
+            "needs_human_review = cannot find definitive evidence either way"
        )
    )
    code_evidence: str = Field(
        min_length=1,
        description=(
            "REQUIRED: Exact code snippet examined from the file. "
-            "Must be actual code, not a description."
+            "Must be actual code copy-pasted from the file, not a description. "
+            "This is the proof that determines the validation status."
        ),
    )
    line_range: tuple[int, int] = Field(
@@ -666,27 +617,18 @@ class FindingValidationResult(BaseModel):
    explanation: str = Field(
        min_length=20,
        description=(
-            "Detailed explanation of why the finding is valid/invalid. "
-            "Must reference specific code and explain the reasoning."
+            "Detailed explanation connecting the code_evidence to the validation_status. "
+            "Must explain: (1) what the original finding claimed, (2) what the actual code shows, "
+            "(3) why this proves/disproves the issue."
        ),
    )
-    confidence: float = Field(
-        ge=0.0,
-        le=1.0,
+    evidence_verified_in_file: bool = Field(
        description=(
-            "Confidence in the validation result (0.0-1.0). "
-            "Must be >= 0.80 to dismiss as false positive, >= 0.70 to confirm valid."
-        ),
+            "True if the code_evidence was verified to exist at the specified line_range. "
+            "False if the code couldn't be found (indicates hallucination in original finding)."
+        )
    )

-    @field_validator("confidence", mode="before")
-    @classmethod
-    def normalize_confidence(cls, v: int | float) -> float:
-        """Normalize confidence to 0.0-1.0 range (accepts 0-100 or 0.0-1.0)."""
-        if v > 1:
-            return v / 100.0
-        return float(v)
-

 class FindingValidationResponse(BaseModel):
    """Complete response from the finding-validator agent."""
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@ except (ImportError, ValueError, SystemError):
        TriageResult,
    )

-# Confidence threshold for filtering findings (GitHub Copilot standard)
-CONFIDENCE_THRESHOLD = 0.80
+# Evidence-based validation replaces confidence scoring
+# Findings without evidence are filtered out instead of using confidence thresholds
+MIN_EVIDENCE_LENGTH = 20  # Minimum chars for evidence to be considered valid


 class ResponseParser:
@@ -65,9 +66,13 @@ class ResponseParser:

    @staticmethod
    def parse_review_findings(
-        response_text: str, apply_confidence_filter: bool = True
+        response_text: str, require_evidence: bool = True
    ) -> list[PRReviewFinding]:
-        """Parse findings from AI response with optional confidence filtering."""
+        """Parse findings from AI response with optional evidence validation.
+
+        Evidence-based validation: Instead of confidence scores, findings
+        require actual code evidence proving the issue exists.
+        """
        findings = []

        try:
@@ -77,14 +82,14 @@ class ResponseParser:
            if json_match:
                findings_data = json.loads(json_match.group(1))
                for i, f in enumerate(findings_data):
-                    # Get confidence (default to 0.85 if not provided for backward compat)
-                    confidence = float(f.get("confidence", 0.85))
+                    # Get evidence (code snippet proving the issue)
+                    evidence = f.get("evidence") or f.get("code_snippet") or ""

-                    # Apply confidence threshold filter
-                    if apply_confidence_filter and confidence < CONFIDENCE_THRESHOLD:
+                    # Apply evidence-based validation
+                    if require_evidence and len(evidence.strip()) < MIN_EVIDENCE_LENGTH:
                        print(
                            f"[AI] Dropped finding '{f.get('title', 'unknown')}': "
-                            f"confidence {confidence:.2f} < {CONFIDENCE_THRESHOLD}",
+                            f"insufficient evidence ({len(evidence.strip())} chars < {MIN_EVIDENCE_LENGTH})",
                            flush=True,
                        )
                        continue
@@ -105,8 +110,8 @@ class ResponseParser:
                            end_line=f.get("end_line"),
                            suggested_fix=f.get("suggested_fix"),
                            fixable=f.get("fixable", False),
-                            # NEW: Support verification and redundancy fields
-                            confidence=confidence,
+                            # Evidence-based validation fields
+                            evidence=evidence if evidence.strip() else None,
                            verification_note=f.get("verification_note"),
                            redundant_with=f.get("redundant_with"),
                        )
@@ -94,8 +94,8 @@ def main():
    parser.add_argument(
        "--model",
        type=str,
-        default="claude-opus-4-5-20251101",
-        help="Model to use (default: claude-opus-4-5-20251101)",
+        default="sonnet",  # Changed from "opus" (fix #433)
+        help="Model to use (haiku, sonnet, opus, or full model ID)",
    )
    parser.add_argument(
        "--thinking-level",
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ from debug import (
    debug_section,
    debug_success,
 )
+from phase_config import resolve_model_id


 def load_project_context(project_dir: str) -> str:
@@ -132,7 +133,7 @@ async def run_with_sdk(
    project_dir: str,
    message: str,
    history: list,
-    model: str = "claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929",
+    model: str = "sonnet",  # Shorthand - resolved via API Profile if configured
    thinking_level: str = "medium",
 ) -> None:
    """Run the chat using Claude SDK with streaming."""
@@ -180,7 +181,7 @@ Current question: {message}"""
        # Create Claude SDK client with appropriate settings for insights
        client = ClaudeSDKClient(
            options=ClaudeAgentOptions(
-                model=model,  # Use configured model
+                model=resolve_model_id(model),  # Resolve via API Profile if configured
                system_prompt=system_prompt,
                allowed_tools=[
                    "Read",
@@ -336,8 +337,8 @@ def main():
    )
    parser.add_argument(
        "--model",
-        default="claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929",
-        help="Claude model ID (default: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929)",
+        default="sonnet",
+        help="Model to use (haiku, sonnet, opus, or full model ID)",
    )
    parser.add_argument(
        "--thinking-level",
@@ -23,6 +23,6 @@ class RoadmapConfig:

    project_dir: Path
    output_dir: Path
-    model: str = "claude-opus-4-5-20251101"
+    model: str = "sonnet"  # Changed from "opus" (fix #433)
    refresh: bool = False  # Force regeneration even if roadmap exists
    enable_competitor_analysis: bool = False  # Enable competitor analysis phase
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class RoadmapOrchestrator:
        self,
        project_dir: Path,
        output_dir: Path | None = None,
-        model: str = "claude-opus-4-5-20251101",
+        model: str = "sonnet",  # Changed from "opus" (fix #433)
        thinking_level: str = "medium",
        refresh: bool = False,
        enable_competitor_analysis: bool = False,
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ def main():
    parser.add_argument(
        "--model",
        type=str,
-        default="claude-opus-4-5-20251101",
-        help="Model to use (default: claude-opus-4-5-20251101)",
+        default="sonnet",  # Changed from "opus" (fix #433)
+        help="Model to use (haiku, sonnet, opus, or full model ID)",
    )
    parser.add_argument(
        "--thinking-level",
@@ -62,7 +62,9 @@ from .validator import (
    validate_chmod_command,
    validate_dropdb_command,
    validate_dropuser_command,
+    validate_git_command,
    validate_git_commit,
+    validate_git_config,
    validate_init_script,
    validate_kill_command,
    validate_killall_command,
@@ -93,7 +95,9 @@ __all__ = [
    "validate_chmod_command",
    "validate_rm_command",
    "validate_init_script",
+    "validate_git_command",
    "validate_git_commit",
+    "validate_git_config",
    "validate_dropdb_command",
    "validate_dropuser_command",
    "validate_psql_command",
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 Git Validators
 ==============

-Validators for git operations (commit with secret scanning).
+Validators for git operations:
+- Commit with secret scanning
+- Config protection (prevent setting test users)
 """

 import shlex
@@ -10,8 +12,203 @@ from pathlib import Path

 from .validation_models import ValidationResult

+# =============================================================================
+# BLOCKED GIT CONFIG PATTERNS
+# =============================================================================

-def validate_git_commit(command_string: str) -> ValidationResult:
+# Git config keys that agents must NOT modify
+# These are identity settings that should inherit from the user's global config
+#
+# NOTE: This validation covers command-line arguments (git config, git -c).
+# Environment variables (GIT_AUTHOR_NAME, GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL, GIT_COMMITTER_NAME,
+# GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL) are NOT validated here as they require pre-execution
+# environment filtering, which is handled at the sandbox/hook level.
+BLOCKED_GIT_CONFIG_KEYS = {
+    "user.name",
+    "user.email",
+    "author.name",
+    "author.email",
+    "committer.name",
+    "committer.email",
+}
+
+
+def validate_git_config(command_string: str) -> ValidationResult:
+    """
+    Validate git config commands - block identity changes.
+
+    Agents should not set user.name, user.email, etc. as this:
+    1. Breaks commit attribution
+    2. Can create fake "Test User" identities
+    3. Overrides the user's legitimate git identity
+
+    Args:
+        command_string: The full git command string
+
+    Returns:
+        Tuple of (is_valid, error_message)
+    """
+    try:
+        tokens = shlex.split(command_string)
+    except ValueError:
+        return False, "Could not parse git command"  # Fail closed on parse errors
+
+    if len(tokens) < 2 or tokens[0] != "git" or tokens[1] != "config":
+        return True, ""  # Not a git config command
+
+    # Check for read-only operations first - these are always allowed
+    # --get, --get-all, --get-regexp, --list are all read operations
+    read_only_flags = {"--get", "--get-all", "--get-regexp", "--list", "-l"}
+    for token in tokens[2:]:
+        if token in read_only_flags:
+            return True, ""  # Read operation, allow it
+
+    # Extract the config key from the command
+    # git config [options] <key> [value] - key is typically after config and any options
+    config_key = None
+    for token in tokens[2:]:
+        # Skip options (start with -)
+        if token.startswith("-"):
+            continue
+        # First non-option token is the config key
+        config_key = token.lower()
+        break
+
+    if not config_key:
+        return True, ""  # No config key specified (e.g., git config --list)
+
+    # Check if the exact config key is blocked
+    for blocked_key in BLOCKED_GIT_CONFIG_KEYS:
+        if config_key == blocked_key:
+            return False, (
+                f"BLOCKED: Cannot modify git identity configuration\n\n"
+                f"You attempted to set '{blocked_key}' which is not allowed.\n\n"
+                f"WHY: Git identity (user.name, user.email) must inherit from the user's "
+                f"global git configuration. Setting fake identities like 'Test User' breaks "
+                f"commit attribution and causes serious issues.\n\n"
+                f"WHAT TO DO: Simply commit without setting any user configuration. "
+                f"The repository will use the correct identity automatically."
+            )
+
+    return True, ""
+
+
+def validate_git_inline_config(tokens: list[str]) -> ValidationResult:
+    """
+    Check for blocked config keys passed via git -c flag.
+
+    Git allows inline config with: git -c key=value <command>
+    This bypasses 'git config' validation, so we must check all git commands
+    for -c flags containing blocked identity keys.
+
+    Args:
+        tokens: Parsed command tokens
+
+    Returns:
+        Tuple of (is_valid, error_message)
+    """
+    i = 1  # Start after 'git'
+    while i < len(tokens):
+        token = tokens[i]
+
+        # Check for -c flag (can be "-c key=value" or "-c" "key=value")
+        if token == "-c":
+            # Next token should be the key=value
+            if i + 1 < len(tokens):
+                config_pair = tokens[i + 1]
+                # Extract the key from key=value
+                if "=" in config_pair:
+                    config_key = config_pair.split("=", 1)[0].lower()
+                    if config_key in BLOCKED_GIT_CONFIG_KEYS:
+                        return False, (
+                            f"BLOCKED: Cannot set git identity via -c flag\n\n"
+                            f"You attempted to use '-c {config_pair}' which sets a blocked "
+                            f"identity configuration.\n\n"
+                            f"WHY: Git identity (user.name, user.email) must inherit from the "
+                            f"user's global git configuration. Setting fake identities breaks "
+                            f"commit attribution and causes serious issues.\n\n"
+                            f"WHAT TO DO: Remove the -c flag and commit normally. "
+                            f"The repository will use the correct identity automatically."
+                        )
+                i += 2  # Skip -c and its value
+                continue
+        elif token.startswith("-c"):
+            # Handle -ckey=value format (no space)
+            config_pair = token[2:]  # Remove "-c" prefix
+            if "=" in config_pair:
+                config_key = config_pair.split("=", 1)[0].lower()
+                if config_key in BLOCKED_GIT_CONFIG_KEYS:
+                    return False, (
+                        f"BLOCKED: Cannot set git identity via -c flag\n\n"
+                        f"You attempted to use '{token}' which sets a blocked "
+                        f"identity configuration.\n\n"
+                        f"WHY: Git identity (user.name, user.email) must inherit from the "
+                        f"user's global git configuration. Setting fake identities breaks "
+                        f"commit attribution and causes serious issues.\n\n"
+                        f"WHAT TO DO: Remove the -c flag and commit normally. "
+                        f"The repository will use the correct identity automatically."
+                    )
+
+        i += 1
+
+    return True, ""
+
+
+def validate_git_command(command_string: str) -> ValidationResult:
+    """
+    Main git validator that checks all git security rules.
+
+    Currently validates:
+    - git -c: Block identity changes via inline config on ANY git command
+    - git config: Block identity changes
+    - git commit: Run secret scanning
+
+    Args:
+        command_string: The full git command string
+
+    Returns:
+        Tuple of (is_valid, error_message)
+    """
+    try:
+        tokens = shlex.split(command_string)
+    except ValueError:
+        return False, "Could not parse git command"
+
+    if not tokens or tokens[0] != "git":
+        return True, ""
+
+    if len(tokens) < 2:
+        return True, ""  # Just "git" with no subcommand
+
+    # Check for blocked -c flags on ANY git command (security bypass prevention)
+    is_valid, error_msg = validate_git_inline_config(tokens)
+    if not is_valid:
+        return is_valid, error_msg
+
+    # Find the actual subcommand (skip global options like -c, -C, --git-dir, etc.)
+    subcommand = None
+    for token in tokens[1:]:
+        # Skip options and their values
+        if token.startswith("-"):
+            continue
+        subcommand = token
+        break
+
+    if not subcommand:
+        return True, ""  # No subcommand found
+
+    # Check git config commands
+    if subcommand == "config":
+        return validate_git_config(command_string)
+
+    # Check git commit commands (secret scanning)
+    if subcommand == "commit":
+        return validate_git_commit_secrets(command_string)
+
+    return True, ""
+
+
+def validate_git_commit_secrets(command_string: str) -> ValidationResult:
    """
    Validate git commit commands - run secret scan before allowing commit.

@@ -99,3 +296,8 @@ def validate_git_commit(command_string: str) -> ValidationResult:
    )

    return False, "\n".join(error_lines)
+
+
+# Backwards compatibility alias - the registry uses this name
+# Now delegates to the comprehensive validator
+validate_git_commit = validate_git_command
@@ -65,11 +65,8 @@ async def bash_security_hook(
    if not command:
        return {}

-    # Get the working directory from context or use current directory
-    # In the actual client, this would be set by the ClaudeSDKClient
-    cwd = os.getcwd()
-    if context and hasattr(context, "cwd"):
-        cwd = context.cwd
+    # Get the working directory from input_data (SDK passes it there, not in context)
+    cwd = input_data.get("cwd") or os.getcwd()

    # Get or create security profile
    # Note: In actual use, spec_dir would be passed through context
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@ from .filesystem_validators import (
    validate_init_script,
    validate_rm_command,
 )
-from .git_validators import validate_git_commit
+from .git_validators import (
+    validate_git_command,
+    validate_git_commit,
+    validate_git_config,
+)
 from .process_validators import (
    validate_kill_command,
    validate_killall_command,
@@ -60,6 +64,8 @@ __all__ = [
    "validate_init_script",
    # Git validators
    "validate_git_commit",
+    "validate_git_command",
+    "validate_git_config",
    # Database validators
    "validate_dropdb_command",
    "validate_dropuser_command",
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ from core.simple_client import create_simple_client
 async def summarize_phase_output(
    phase_name: str,
    phase_output: str,
-    model: str = "claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929",
+    model: str = "sonnet",  # Shorthand - resolved via API Profile if configured
    target_words: int = 500,
 ) -> str:
    """
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class SpecOrchestrator:
        spec_name: str | None = None,
        spec_dir: Path
        | None = None,  # Use existing spec directory (for UI integration)
-        model: str = "claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929",
+        model: str = "sonnet",  # Shorthand - resolved via API Profile if configured
        thinking_level: str = "medium",  # Thinking level for extended thinking
        complexity_override: str | None = None,  # Force a specific complexity
        use_ai_assessment: bool = True,  # Use AI for complexity assessment (vs heuristics)
@@ -173,10 +173,11 @@ class SpecOrchestrator:
                return

            # Summarize the output
+            # Use sonnet shorthand - will resolve via API Profile if configured
            summary = await summarize_phase_output(
                phase_name,
                phase_output,
-                model="claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929",  # Use Sonnet for efficiency
+                model="sonnet",
                target_words=500,
            )

@@ -19,6 +19,34 @@
 # Shows detailed information about app update checks and downloads
 # DEBUG_UPDATER=true

+# ============================================
+# SENTRY ERROR REPORTING
+# ============================================
+
+# Sentry DSN for anonymous error reporting
+# If not set, error reporting is completely disabled (safe for forks)
+#
+# For official builds: Set in CI/CD secrets
+# For local testing: Uncomment and add your DSN
+#
+# SENTRY_DSN=https://your-dsn@sentry.io/project-id
+
+# Force enable Sentry in development mode (normally disabled in dev)
+# Only works when SENTRY_DSN is also set
+# SENTRY_DEV=true
+
+# Trace sample rate for performance monitoring (0.0 to 1.0)
+# Controls what percentage of transactions are sampled
+# Default: 0.1 (10%) in production, 0 in development
+# Set to 0 to disable performance monitoring entirely
+# SENTRY_TRACES_SAMPLE_RATE=0.1
+
+# Profile sample rate for profiling (0.0 to 1.0)
+# Controls what percentage of sampled transactions include profiling data
+# Default: 0.1 (10%) in production, 0 in development
+# Set to 0 to disable profiling entirely
+# SENTRY_PROFILES_SAMPLE_RATE=0.1
+
 # ============================================
 # HOW TO USE
 # ============================================
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
    "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit"
  },
  "dependencies": {
+    "@anthropic-ai/sdk": "^0.71.2",
    "@dnd-kit/core": "^6.3.1",
    "@dnd-kit/sortable": "^10.0.0",
    "@dnd-kit/utilities": "^3.2.2",
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@
    "@radix-ui/react-tabs": "^1.1.13",
    "@radix-ui/react-toast": "^1.2.15",
    "@radix-ui/react-tooltip": "^1.2.8",
+    "@sentry/electron": "^7.5.0",
    "@tailwindcss/typography": "^0.5.19",
    "@tanstack/react-virtual": "^3.13.13",
    "@xterm/addon-fit": "^0.11.0",
@@ -78,11 +80,14 @@
    "chokidar": "^5.0.0",
    "class-variance-authority": "^0.7.1",
    "clsx": "^2.1.1",
+    "dotenv": "^16.6.1",
    "electron-log": "^5.4.3",
    "electron-updater": "^6.6.2",
    "i18next": "^25.7.3",
    "lucide-react": "^0.562.0",
+    "minimatch": "^10.1.1",
    "motion": "^12.23.26",
+    "proper-lockfile": "^4.1.2",
    "react": "^19.2.3",
    "react-dom": "^19.2.3",
    "react-i18next": "^16.5.0",
@@ -102,7 +107,9 @@
    "@eslint/js": "^9.39.1",
    "@playwright/test": "^1.52.0",
    "@tailwindcss/postcss": "^4.1.17",
+    "@testing-library/jest-dom": "^6.9.1",
    "@testing-library/react": "^16.1.0",
+    "@types/minimatch": "^5.1.2",
    "@types/node": "^25.0.0",
    "@types/react": "^19.2.7",
    "@types/react-dom": "^19.2.3",
@@ -111,7 +118,7 @@
    "@vitejs/plugin-react": "^5.1.2",
    "autoprefixer": "^10.4.22",
    "cross-env": "^10.1.0",
-    "electron": "^39.2.7",
+    "electron": "39.2.7",
    "electron-builder": "^26.0.12",
    "electron-vite": "^5.0.0",
    "eslint": "^9.39.1",
@@ -207,7 +214,7 @@
      ]
    },
    "linux": {
-      "icon": "resources/icon.png",
+      "icon": "resources/icons",
      "target": [
        "AppImage",
        "deb",
--- a/Show More
+++ b/Show More