pr-merge lane: dispatch proof artifacts expire while the post-merge floor still counts older merges #7479

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1. github-actions

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   needs-triageNot yet classified. Floor until a type and one priority tier are set.Not yet classified. Floor until a type and one priority tier are set.

   on Oct 14, 2026
2. github-actions commented on Oct 14, 2026

   

   github-actionsBot

   on Oct 14, 2026 – with GitHub Actions

   Last edited by melodic-automation-lanes

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   Proposed work class: work-class: scoped
   Basis: automated intake triage; the lanes App applied this class.

   Size: Medium
   Complexity: Medium
   Uncertainty: Known
   Flags: none
   Blocked by: none

   Decision recorded.

   Question: The merge lane proves each dispatch with an artifact kept 90 days. The post-merge check re-judges every merge since a fixed floor, so lane merges older than 90 days start failing and hold the lane. Options: (a) record verification durably in an App-identity comment on the merged PR and stop re-judging; (b) check only merges newer than 90 days; (c) raise the floor on a schedule.

   Owner's answer: (a) The code already uses identity-authored pin comments with an edited-comment check, and a write collaborator cannot post as the App. Basis: .github/workflows/pr-merge.yml:484-486; babysit_postmerge.py:602-623, :1098-1123.

   [quote truncated; the full decision is at the link]

   #7479 (comment)

   The decision picks option (a), which settles the one open design question. The refinement's acceptance criteria cover the marker, its author and edit checks, failure handling and tests. This reads as a defect in the post-merge check. No duplicate found among open issues.

   _{Automated triage, applied by the lanes App.}
3. github-actions

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   needs-humanHuman-in-the-loop required; autonomous sessions must not resolve items carrying this.Human-in-the-loop required; autonomous sessions must not resolve items carrying this.

   on Oct 14, 2026
4. kyle-sexton

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   needs-triageNot yet classified. Floor until a type and one priority tier are set.Not yet classified. Floor until a type and one priority tier are set.

   on Oct 15, 2026
5. kyle-sexton

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   Bug

   issue type on Oct 15, 2026
6. kyle-sexton commented on Oct 18, 2026

   

   kyle-sexton

   on Oct 18, 2026

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   Decision recorded.

   Question: The merge lane proves each dispatch with an artifact kept 90 days. The post-merge check re-judges every merge since a fixed floor, so lane merges older than 90 days start failing and hold the lane. Options: (a) record verification durably in an App-identity comment on the merged PR and stop re-judging; (b) check only merges newer than 90 days; (c) raise the floor on a schedule.

   Owner's answer: (a) The code already uses identity-authored pin comments with an edited-comment check, and a write collaborator cannot post as the App. Basis: .github/workflows/pr-merge.yml:484-486; babysit_postmerge.py:602-623, :1098-1123.

   The owner accepted this recommendation as item D29 of a 32-decision batch in an attended backlog-shaping session on 2026-10-18. The batch question: "Accept all 32 recommendations, including the four flagged above (D2 close the relearn, D26 cross-repo sync without per-repo confirm, D10 narrow hook, D23 delete guard only)?" The owner answered: "Accept all 32 (Recommended)".

   Posted by AI from the owner's answer in that session.
7. kyle-sexton

   added

   status: confirmedA maintainer confirmed the item is real and in scope; ready to be worked.A maintainer confirmed the item is real and in scope; ready to be worked.

   and removed

   needs-humanHuman-in-the-loop required; autonomous sessions must not resolve items carrying this.Human-in-the-loop required; autonomous sessions must not resolve items carrying this.

   on Oct 19, 2026
8. kyle-sexton commented on Oct 22, 2026

   

   kyle-sexton

   on Oct 22, 2026

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   Still live after #9186 and #9208 (merged 2026-10-22): an expired lane record is now read as an empty listing, so the merge holds as unlisted-record instead of failing. #9208 then dispatches one recovery run; that run is recorded, covers the merge and clears it. So expiry now costs one full run per expired merge on every floor window, rather than a demotion. The fix here still applies: settle merges once a complete read judged them green.
9. kyle-sexton commented on Oct 22, 2026

   

   kyle-sexton

   on Oct 22, 2026

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   Correction to my comment above: for an old merge, any recent recorded lane run on main already contains it, so late is non-empty and the hold clears with no extra dispatch (babysit_postmerge.py _judge, after #9208). Expiry mostly costs re-reading old merges each sweep. The settle-once fix is still the clean answer.
10. kyle-sexton

    removed

    status: confirmedA maintainer confirmed the item is real and in scope; ready to be worked.A maintainer confirmed the item is real and in scope; ready to be worked.

    on Oct 31, 2026
11. github-actions

    added

    priority: mediumReal value, no hard deadline; normal backlog flow.Real value, no hard deadline; normal backlog flow.

    on Oct 31, 2026
12. melodic-automation-lanes

    added

    status: readyTriaged, unblocked, and fully specified; eligible to pick up.Triaged, unblocked, and fully specified; eligible to pick up.

    work-class: scopedA briefed fix or small feature; blast radius bounded by the brief, tests exist.A briefed fix or small feature; blast radius bounded by the brief, tests exist.

    status: needs-decisionAwaiting a human or maintainer judgment call.Awaiting a human or maintainer judgment call.

    and removed

    status: readyTriaged, unblocked, and fully specified; eligible to pick up.Triaged, unblocked, and fully specified; eligible to pick up.

    on Oct 31, 2026
13. melodic-automation-lanes commented on Oct 31, 2026

    

    melodic-automation-lanesBot

    on Oct 31, 2026

    Last edited by melodic-automation-lanes

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    Not admitted to the issue lane: a criterion names .github/workflows/pr-merge.yml, which the issue lane cannot push (patch-protected-path); a builder session takes it; its title or stated work names a charge (retention), which needs an owner decision. Admission takes the issue once each of those is met, when intake triages it again (.github/actions/resolve-config/admission-rules.json).
14. melodic-automation-lanes commented on Oct 31, 2026

    

    melodic-automation-lanesBot

    on Oct 31, 2026

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    The latest triage verdict holds nothing: admission moved the issue to status: needs-decision; its comment says why.
15. melodic-automation-lanes

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    needs-triageNot yet classified. Floor until a type and one priority tier are set.Not yet classified. Floor until a type and one priority tier are set.

    and removed

    status: needs-decisionAwaiting a human or maintainer judgment call.Awaiting a human or maintainer judgment call.

    on Oct 31, 2026
16. melodic-automation-lanes commented on Oct 31, 2026

    

    melodic-automation-lanesBot

    on Oct 31, 2026

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    Refinement. A read-only run explored this repository, searched its issues and pull requests, and read the allowed docs to draft what follows. On an issue a listed human filed, it counts as the issue's spec once posted, while unedited; it is still model text, so check it.

    Intended outcome: The post-merge check records each lane merge judged verified from a complete read as an App-identity comment on the merged PR, then reads that record and skips re-judging that merge, so expired dispatch artifacts no longer matter for it.

    Acceptance criteria

    • babysit_postmerge.py defines a settled-merge marker comment, authored by the agent identity, that is posted on a lane merge's PR when check judges it verified from a complete (non-partial) read of runs and artifacts
    • check() reads the settled marker for each lane merge since the floor and, when an identity-authored marker for that merge commit SHA exists, counts the merge as verified without calling lane_dispatched or reading its artifact
    • A marker written by anyone other than the agent identity, or an edited marker, is ignored, using the same author and edited-comment checks the pin comments use
    • A merge judged unverified, pending or failed, or read from an incomplete or unlisted artifact listing, gets no marker and is re-judged on the next run
    • A failure to post the marker does not change the verdict and is reported as a warning, and a retry on the next run posts it
    • A test shows a lane merge with a settled marker and no dispatch artifact stays verified and does not hold as unlisted-record or fail as dispatch
    • A test shows a merge with a marker from a non-identity author is still judged by its artifact
    • A test shows an unsettled merge whose artifact has expired is still not marked verified from the marker path
    • The pr-merge.yml comments and the babysit_postmerge.py docstring and artifact comment at line 87 are updated to say settled merges no longer depend on artifact retention
    • The repository's existing babysit_postmerge tests and lint pass

    External state: none

    Related work

    • perf(pr-pipeline): expire pr-merge-dispatched artifacts after 30 days #11446 (related): cut pr-merge-dispatched retention to 30 days (pr-merge.yml:523, :2649), which shortens the window this issue's settle-once fix removes the dependence on
    • perf(pr-pipeline): carry pr-merge's lane-dispatch answers between runs #9453 (related): carries lane-dispatch answers between runs (lane records file); the new marker must coexist with it
    • perf(pr-merge): start one full run inside the cap for uncovered lane merges #10853 (related): starts one full run for uncovered lane merges; settled merges should not need it
    • perf(source-control): keep the shared post-merge answer on run evidence #10603 (related): shared post-merge answer on run evidence; touches the same verdict
    • Intake triage skips every issue: repin the author-id gate and add dispatch intake #7886 (related): identity/author-id gating context; not a duplicate

    Sources read

    • context.json: owner's Decision recorded (2026-10-18) picks option (a), an identity-authored comment on the merged PR, and settles the design
    • context.json: maintainer comments of 2026-10-22 say the settle-once fix still applies after #​9186 and #​9208, since expiry costs re-reading old merges each sweep
    • plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_postmerge.py:87: comment says the dispatch proof is an artifact that _Context.lane_dispatched reads
    • plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_postmerge.py:1828: lane_dispatched reads the pr-merge-dispatched-<id> artifact
    • plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_postmerge.py:2565: check() re-judges every auto-merge since merged_since on each run, with no settled-merge record
    • plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_postmerge.py:1929: the lane records file carries answers between runs but only for unexpired artifacts
    • https:/​/github.com/melodic-software/claude-code-plugins: .base/.github/workflows/pr-merge.yml:523 and :2649 set the dispatched artifact retention-days to 30

    _{Automated refinement by the lanes App. Intake triages the issue again with it.}
17. github-actions

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    needs-triageNot yet classified. Floor until a type and one priority tier are set.Not yet classified. Floor until a type and one priority tier are set.

    on Oct 31, 2026
18. melodic-automation-lanes

    added

    status: readyTriaged, unblocked, and fully specified; eligible to pick up.Triaged, unblocked, and fully specified; eligible to pick up.

    status: needs-decisionAwaiting a human or maintainer judgment call.Awaiting a human or maintainer judgment call.

    and removed

    status: readyTriaged, unblocked, and fully specified; eligible to pick up.Triaged, unblocked, and fully specified; eligible to pick up.

    on Oct 31, 2026