diff --git a/server/src/agent_mode/claim.rs b/server/src/agent_mode/claim.rs
index 8f86aa37..3d50129b 100644
--- a/server/src/agent_mode/claim.rs
+++ b/server/src/agent_mode/claim.rs
@@ -103,11 +103,11 @@ mod tests {
         // Confirm the stale claim is in place.
         let before = read_item(story_id).expect("item should exist");
         assert_eq!(
-            before.claimed_by.as_deref(),
+            before.claimed_by(),
             Some(stale_holder),
             "pre-condition: item should be claimed by the stale holder"
         );
-        let age = chrono::Utc::now().timestamp() as f64 - before.claimed_at.unwrap_or(0.0);
+        let age = chrono::Utc::now().timestamp() as f64 - before.claimed_at().unwrap_or(0.0);
         assert!(
             age >= CLAIM_TIMEOUT_SECS,
             "pre-condition: claim age ({age}s) must exceed TTL ({CLAIM_TIMEOUT_SECS}s)"
@@ -134,12 +134,12 @@ mod tests {
         let our_id = our_node_id().expect("node id should be available after init_for_test");
         let after = read_item(story_id).expect("item should still exist");
         assert_eq!(
-            after.claimed_by.as_deref(),
+            after.claimed_by(),
             Some(our_id.as_str()),
             "new claim should have displaced the stale holder"
         );
         assert_ne!(
-            after.claimed_by.as_deref(),
+            after.claimed_by(),
             Some(stale_holder),
             "stale holder must no longer own the claim"
         );
diff --git a/server/src/agent_mode/loop_ops.rs b/server/src/agent_mode/loop_ops.rs
index bffa2d1e..03edb054 100644
--- a/server/src/agent_mode/loop_ops.rs
+++ b/server/src/agent_mode/loop_ops.rs
@@ -42,27 +42,28 @@ pub(super) async fn scan_and_claim(
 
     for item in &items {
         // Only claim stories in active stages.
-        if !crate::pipeline_state::Stage::from_dir(&item.stage).is_some_and(|s| s.is_active()) {
+        if !crate::pipeline_state::Stage::from_dir(item.stage_str()).is_some_and(|s| s.is_active())
+        {
             continue;
         }
 
         // Skip blocked stories.
-        if item.blocked == Some(true) {
+        if item.blocked() {
             continue;
         }
 
         // If already claimed by us, skip.
-        if item.claimed_by.as_deref() == Some(&our_node) {
+        if item.claimed_by() == Some(our_node.as_str()) {
             continue;
         }
 
         // If claimed by another node, respect the claim while it is fresh.
         // Once the TTL expires the claim is considered stale regardless of
         // whether the holder appears alive — displacement is purely TTL-driven.
-        if let Some(ref claimer) = item.claimed_by
+        if let Some(claimer) = item.claimed_by()
             && !claimer.is_empty()
-            && claimer != &our_node
-            && let Some(claimed_at) = item.claimed_at
+            && claimer != our_node.as_str()
+            && let Some(claimed_at) = item.claimed_at()
         {
             let now = chrono::Utc::now().timestamp() as f64;
             let age = now - claimed_at;
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ pub(super) async fn scan_and_claim(
             slog!(
                 "[agent-mode] Displacing stale claim on '{}' held by {:.12}… \
                  (age {}s > TTL {}s)",
-                item.story_id,
+                item.story_id(),
                 claimer,
                 age as u64,
                 CLAIM_TIMEOUT_SECS as u64,
@@ -97,10 +98,10 @@ pub(super) async fn scan_and_claim(
             })
             .map(|n| n.node_id)
             .collect();
-        if !should_self_claim(&our_node, &item.story_id, &alive_peers) {
+        if !should_self_claim(&our_node, item.story_id(), &alive_peers) {
             slog!(
                 "[agent-mode] Hash tie-break: deferring claim on '{}' to lower-hash peer",
-                item.story_id
+                item.story_id()
             );
             continue;
         }
@@ -108,11 +109,11 @@ pub(super) async fn scan_and_claim(
         // Try to claim this story.
         slog!(
             "[agent-mode] Claiming story '{}' for this node",
-            item.story_id
+            item.story_id()
         );
-        if crdt_state::write_claim(&item.story_id) {
+        if crdt_state::write_claim(item.story_id()) {
             let now = chrono::Utc::now().timestamp() as f64;
-            our_claims.insert(item.story_id.clone(), now);
+            our_claims.insert(item.story_id().to_string(), now);
         }
     }
 
@@ -165,27 +166,28 @@ pub(super) fn reclaim_timed_out_work(_project_root: &Path) {
     let now = chrono::Utc::now().timestamp() as f64;
 
     for item in &items {
-        if !crate::pipeline_state::Stage::from_dir(&item.stage).is_some_and(|s| s.is_active()) {
+        if !crate::pipeline_state::Stage::from_dir(item.stage_str()).is_some_and(|s| s.is_active())
+        {
             continue;
         }
 
         // Release the claim if the TTL has expired — regardless of whether the
         // holder is still alive.  A node actively working should refresh its
         // claim before the TTL window closes.
-        if let Some(ref claimer) = item.claimed_by {
+        if let Some(claimer) = item.claimed_by() {
             if claimer.is_empty() {
                 continue;
             }
-            if let Some(claimed_at) = item.claimed_at
+            if let Some(claimed_at) = item.claimed_at()
                 && now - claimed_at >= CLAIM_TIMEOUT_SECS
             {
                 slog!(
                     "[agent-mode] Releasing stale claim on '{}' held by {:.12}… (age {}s)",
-                    item.story_id,
+                    item.story_id(),
                     claimer,
                     (now - claimed_at) as u64,
                 );
-                crdt_state::release_claim(&item.story_id);
+                crdt_state::release_claim(item.story_id());
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/server/src/agents/pool/auto_assign/story_checks.rs b/server/src/agents/pool/auto_assign/story_checks.rs
index 4ca7db3e..7c74946b 100644
--- a/server/src/agents/pool/auto_assign/story_checks.rs
+++ b/server/src/agents/pool/auto_assign/story_checks.rs
@@ -19,10 +19,10 @@ pub(super) fn read_story_front_matter_agent(
     story_id: &str,
 ) -> Option<String> {
     if let Some(view) = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id)
-        && let Some(agent) = view.agent.as_ref()
+        && let Some(agent) = view.agent()
         && !agent.is_empty()
     {
-        return Some(agent.clone());
+        return Some(agent.to_string());
     }
     use crate::db::yaml_legacy::parse_front_matter;
     let contents = read_story_contents(project_root, story_id)?;
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ pub(super) fn has_mergemaster_attempted(
     story_id: &str,
 ) -> bool {
     crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id)
-        .and_then(|view| view.mergemaster_attempted)
+        .map(|view| view.mergemaster_attempted())
         .unwrap_or(false)
 }
 
diff --git a/server/src/agents/pool/auto_assign/watchdog/tests/limits_tests.rs b/server/src/agents/pool/auto_assign/watchdog/tests/limits_tests.rs
index f68ab556..78cde8fd 100644
--- a/server/src/agents/pool/auto_assign/watchdog/tests/limits_tests.rs
+++ b/server/src/agents/pool/auto_assign/watchdog/tests/limits_tests.rs
@@ -274,9 +274,10 @@ max_turns = 10
     let item = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id)
         .expect("story must be in CRDT after watchdog termination");
     assert_eq!(
-        item.stage, "2_blocked",
+        item.stage_str(),
+        "2_blocked",
         "story stage must be 2_blocked after limit termination with max_retries=1 — got: {}",
-        item.stage
+        item.stage_str()
     );
 
     // Sanity: the agent itself is also Failed with the right reason.
@@ -415,7 +416,8 @@ max_turns = 10
     let item = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id)
         .expect("story must be in CRDT after per-session overrun");
     assert_eq!(
-        item.stage, "2_blocked",
+        item.stage_str(),
+        "2_blocked",
         "story stage must be 2_blocked after per-session overrun with max_retries=1"
     );
 }
@@ -471,12 +473,12 @@ max_turns = 10
 
         let item = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id).expect("story must be in CRDT");
         assert_eq!(
-            item.retry_count,
-            Some(1),
+            item.retry_count(),
+            1,
             "after session 1, retry_count should be 1 in CRDT"
         );
         assert_ne!(
-            item.stage.as_str(),
+            item.stage_str(),
             "2_blocked",
             "story should NOT be blocked after session 1"
         );
@@ -491,12 +493,12 @@ max_turns = 10
 
         let item = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id).expect("story must be in CRDT");
         assert_eq!(
-            item.retry_count,
-            Some(2),
+            item.retry_count(),
+            2,
             "after session 2, retry_count should be 2 in CRDT"
         );
         assert_ne!(
-            item.stage.as_str(),
+            item.stage_str(),
             "2_blocked",
             "story should NOT be blocked after session 2"
         );
@@ -511,15 +513,16 @@ max_turns = 10
 
         let item = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id).expect("story must be in CRDT");
         assert_eq!(
-            item.stage, "2_blocked",
+            item.stage_str(),
+            "2_blocked",
             "story must be blocked after session 3 (retry_count=3 >= max_retries=3) — got: {}",
-            item.stage
+            item.stage_str()
         );
         // retry_count resets to 0 on stage transition (Bug 780) — the fact
         // that the story reached 2_blocked proves the retry limit was hit.
         assert_eq!(
-            item.retry_count,
-            Some(0),
+            item.retry_count(),
+            0,
             "retry_count should reset to 0 after stage transition to blocked"
         );
     }
diff --git a/server/src/agents/pool/pipeline/advance/helpers.rs b/server/src/agents/pool/pipeline/advance/helpers.rs
index 91da3ba4..05f0a4c9 100644
--- a/server/src/agents/pool/pipeline/advance/helpers.rs
+++ b/server/src/agents/pool/pipeline/advance/helpers.rs
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ pub(super) fn resolve_qa_mode_from_store(
 ) -> crate::io::story_metadata::QaMode {
     // CRDT register is the authoritative source; check it before the content store.
     if let Some(view) = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id)
-        && let Some(ref s) = view.qa_mode
+        && let Some(s) = view.qa_mode()
         && let Some(mode) = crate::io::story_metadata::QaMode::from_str(s)
     {
         return mode;
diff --git a/server/src/agents/pool/pipeline/advance/tests_regression.rs b/server/src/agents/pool/pipeline/advance/tests_regression.rs
index c757dd18..e8201c36 100644
--- a/server/src/agents/pool/pipeline/advance/tests_regression.rs
+++ b/server/src/agents/pool/pipeline/advance/tests_regression.rs
@@ -867,8 +867,8 @@ stage = "coder"
     let item =
         crate::crdt_state::read_item("9950_story_warm_resume").expect("story must be in CRDT");
     assert!(
-        item.retry_count.is_some_and(|rc| rc > 0),
-        "retry_count must be incremented after warm-resume: got {:?}",
-        item.retry_count
+        item.retry_count() > 0,
+        "retry_count must be incremented after warm-resume: got {}",
+        item.retry_count()
     );
 }
diff --git a/server/src/agents/pool/start/spawn.rs b/server/src/agents/pool/start/spawn.rs
index c36e095d..91e17eb7 100644
--- a/server/src/agents/pool/start/spawn.rs
+++ b/server/src/agents/pool/start/spawn.rs
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ fn inject_gate_failure_section(args: &mut Vec<String>, gate_output: &str) {
 /// prior failure context, even when session-resuming (story 881).
 pub(super) fn maybe_inject_gate_failure(args: &mut Vec<String>, story_id: &str) {
     let retry_count = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id)
-        .and_then(|item| item.retry_count)
+        .map(|item| item.retry_count())
         .unwrap_or(0);
     if retry_count > 0
         && let Some(gate_output) = crate::db::read_content(&format!("{story_id}:gate_output"))
@@ -767,8 +767,7 @@ mod tests {
 
             // retry_count must remain 0 — the abort path never calls bump_retry_count.
             let retry_count = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id)
-                .and_then(|item| item.retry_count)
-                .map(|r| r as u32)
+                .map(|item| item.retry_count())
                 .unwrap_or(0);
             assert_eq!(
                 retry_count, 0,
diff --git a/server/src/agents/pool/start/validation.rs b/server/src/agents/pool/start/validation.rs
index ae5e61f0..233fbedd 100644
--- a/server/src/agents/pool/start/validation.rs
+++ b/server/src/agents/pool/start/validation.rs
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@ pub(super) fn read_front_matter_agent(story_id: &str, agent_name: Option<&str>)
     // to legacy YAML parsing for stories whose CRDT entry doesn't yet have
     // the field populated.
     if let Some(view) = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id)
-        && let Some(agent) = view.agent.as_ref()
+        && let Some(agent) = view.agent()
         && !agent.is_empty()
     {
-        return Some(agent.clone());
+        return Some(agent.to_string());
     }
     crate::db::read_content(story_id).and_then(|contents| {
         crate::db::yaml_legacy::parse_front_matter(&contents)
diff --git a/server/src/chat/commands/depends.rs b/server/src/chat/commands/depends.rs
index 2d396e8c..ad1e8f02 100644
--- a/server/src/chat/commands/depends.rs
+++ b/server/src/chat/commands/depends.rs
@@ -192,8 +192,8 @@ mod tests {
         // CRDT register must hold the deps.
         let view = crate::crdt_state::read_item("9910_story_foo").expect("CRDT should have story");
         assert_eq!(
-            view.depends_on,
-            Some(vec![477, 478]),
+            view.depends_on(),
+            &[477, 478],
             "CRDT register should hold [477, 478]: {view:?}"
         );
         // Content store YAML must NOT be mutated with depends_on.
@@ -223,8 +223,8 @@ mod tests {
         );
         // CRDT register must be empty after clear.
         let view = crate::crdt_state::read_item("9911_story_bar").expect("CRDT should have story");
-        assert_eq!(
-            view.depends_on, None,
+        assert!(
+            view.depends_on().is_empty(),
             "CRDT register should be empty after clearing: {view:?}"
         );
         // Content store YAML must not be mutated.
@@ -260,8 +260,8 @@ mod tests {
         let view =
             crate::crdt_state::read_item("8790_story_chat_dep").expect("CRDT must have chat story");
         assert_eq!(
-            view.depends_on,
-            Some(vec![500, 501]),
+            view.depends_on(),
+            &[500, 501],
             "CRDT must hold [500, 501]: {view:?}"
         );
 
@@ -290,8 +290,8 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(out.contains("1"), "response should mention dep 1: {out}");
         let view = crate::crdt_state::read_item("9920_story_scr").expect("CRDT must have story");
         assert_eq!(
-            view.depends_on,
-            Some(vec![1, 2, 3]),
+            view.depends_on(),
+            &[1, 2, 3],
             "CRDT should hold [1,2,3]: {view:?}"
         );
 
@@ -299,9 +299,9 @@ mod tests {
         let out = depends_cmd_with_root(tmp.path(), "9920").unwrap();
         assert!(out.contains("Cleared"), "clear should confirm: {out}");
         let view = crate::crdt_state::read_item("9920_story_scr").expect("CRDT must have story");
-        assert_eq!(
-            view.depends_on, None,
-            "CRDT should be None after clear: {view:?}"
+        assert!(
+            view.depends_on().is_empty(),
+            "CRDT should be empty after clear: {view:?}"
         );
 
         // Replace with [4, 5] — must not append to old list.
@@ -309,8 +309,8 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(out.contains("4"), "response should mention dep 4: {out}");
         let view = crate::crdt_state::read_item("9920_story_scr").expect("CRDT must have story");
         assert_eq!(
-            view.depends_on,
-            Some(vec![4, 5]),
+            view.depends_on(),
+            &[4, 5],
             "CRDT should hold exactly [4,5] after replace: {view:?}"
         );
     }
diff --git a/server/src/chat/commands/unblock.rs b/server/src/chat/commands/unblock.rs
index 84d71fb1..c219a82c 100644
--- a/server/src/chat/commands/unblock.rs
+++ b/server/src/chat/commands/unblock.rs
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ fn unblock_by_story_id(story_id: &str) -> String {
     let crdt_item = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id);
     let story_name = crdt_item
         .as_ref()
-        .and_then(|i| i.name.clone())
+        .and_then(|i| i.name().map(str::to_string))
         .unwrap_or_else(|| story_id.to_string());
 
     // Canonical "is this story blocked?" comes from the typed pipeline state.
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ fn unblock_by_story_id(story_id: &str) -> String {
         Some(crate::pipeline_state::Stage::MergeFailure { .. })
     );
     // CRDT register fallback for items not yet projected into typed state.
-    let crdt_blocked = crdt_item.as_ref().and_then(|i| i.blocked).unwrap_or(false);
+    let crdt_blocked = crdt_item.as_ref().is_some_and(|i| i.blocked());
 
     if !typed_blocked && !crdt_blocked {
         return format!("**{story_name}** ({story_id}) is not blocked. Nothing to unblock.");
@@ -271,8 +271,8 @@ mod tests {
         let item = crate::crdt_state::read_item("9903_story_stuck")
             .expect("story should be in CRDT after unblock");
         assert_eq!(
-            item.retry_count,
-            Some(0),
+            item.retry_count(),
+            0,
             "retry_count should be reset to 0 in CRDT after unblock"
         );
     }
@@ -334,14 +334,13 @@ mod tests {
         let item = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id)
             .expect("story should still be in CRDT after unblock");
         assert_eq!(
-            item.retry_count,
-            Some(0),
+            item.retry_count(),
+            0,
             "retry_count must be reset to 0 in CRDT after unblock"
         );
         assert!(
-            !item.blocked.unwrap_or(false),
-            "blocked flag must be cleared in CRDT after unblock: {:?}",
-            item.blocked
+            !item.blocked(),
+            "blocked flag must be cleared in CRDT after unblock"
         );
     }
 
diff --git a/server/src/chat/lookup.rs b/server/src/chat/lookup.rs
index 2da9a22f..f6749151 100644
--- a/server/src/chat/lookup.rs
+++ b/server/src/chat/lookup.rs
@@ -32,14 +32,19 @@ pub(crate) fn find_story_by_number(
     // initialised (e.g. in unit tests or very early startup).
     if let Some(items) = crate::crdt_state::read_all_items() {
         for item in items {
-            if item.story_id.split('_').next().unwrap_or("") == number {
+            if item.story_id().split('_').next().unwrap_or("") == number {
                 let path = project_root
                     .join(".huskies")
                     .join("work")
-                    .join(&item.stage)
-                    .join(format!("{}.md", item.story_id));
-                let content = crate::db::read_content(&item.story_id);
-                return Some((item.story_id, item.stage, path, content));
+                    .join(item.stage_str())
+                    .join(format!("{}.md", item.story_id()));
+                let content = crate::db::read_content(item.story_id());
+                return Some((
+                    item.story_id().to_string(),
+                    item.stage_str().to_string(),
+                    path,
+                    content,
+                ));
             }
         }
     }
@@ -53,7 +58,7 @@ pub(crate) fn find_story_by_number(
             continue;
         }
         let stage_dir = crate::crdt_state::read_item(&id)
-            .map(|v| v.stage)
+            .map(|v| v.stage_str().to_string())
             .unwrap_or_else(|| "1_backlog".to_string());
         let path = project_root
             .join(".huskies")
diff --git a/server/src/crdt_state/mod.rs b/server/src/crdt_state/mod.rs
index 5ae73560..f1e376dd 100644
--- a/server/src/crdt_state/mod.rs
+++ b/server/src/crdt_state/mod.rs
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ pub use state::init;
 pub use types::{
     ActiveAgentCrdt, ActiveAgentView, AgentThrottleCrdt, AgentThrottleView, CrdtEvent,
     GatewayConfigCrdt, GatewayProjectCrdt, GatewayProjectView, MergeJobCrdt, MergeJobView,
-    NodePresenceCrdt, NodePresenceView, PipelineDoc, PipelineItemCrdt, PipelineItemView,
-    TestJobCrdt, TestJobView, TokenUsageCrdt, TokenUsageView, subscribe,
+    NodePresenceCrdt, NodePresenceView, PipelineDoc, PipelineItemCrdt, PipelineItemView, Stage,
+    TestJobCrdt, TestJobView, TokenUsageCrdt, TokenUsageView, WorkItem, subscribe,
 };
 pub use write::{
     bump_retry_count, migrate_names_from_slugs, migrate_story_ids_to_numeric, name_from_story_id,
diff --git a/server/src/crdt_state/read.rs b/server/src/crdt_state/read.rs
index 039f93f5..b0ea1ebf 100644
--- a/server/src/crdt_state/read.rs
+++ b/server/src/crdt_state/read.rs
@@ -406,10 +406,10 @@ pub fn check_unmet_deps_crdt(story_id: &str) -> Vec<u32> {
         Some(i) => i,
         None => return Vec::new(),
     };
-    let deps = match item.depends_on {
-        Some(d) => d,
-        None => return Vec::new(),
-    };
+    let deps = item.depends_on().to_vec();
+    if deps.is_empty() {
+        return Vec::new();
+    }
     deps.into_iter()
         .filter(|&dep| !dep_is_done_crdt(dep))
         .collect()
@@ -425,10 +425,10 @@ pub fn check_archived_deps_crdt(story_id: &str) -> Vec<u32> {
         Some(i) => i,
         None => return Vec::new(),
     };
-    let deps = match item.depends_on {
-        Some(d) => d,
-        None => return Vec::new(),
-    };
+    let deps = item.depends_on().to_vec();
+    if deps.is_empty() {
+        return Vec::new();
+    }
     deps.into_iter()
         .filter(|&dep| dep_is_archived_crdt(dep))
         .collect()
diff --git a/server/src/crdt_state/types.rs b/server/src/crdt_state/types.rs
index e60526d3..b6162ef2 100644
--- a/server/src/crdt_state/types.rs
+++ b/server/src/crdt_state/types.rs
@@ -112,31 +112,209 @@ pub struct NodePresenceCrdt {
 
 // ── Read-side view types ─────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-/// A snapshot of a single pipeline item derived from the CRDT document.
-#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
-pub struct PipelineItemView {
-    pub story_id: String,
-    pub stage: String,
-    pub name: Option<String>,
-    pub agent: Option<String>,
-    pub retry_count: Option<i64>,
-    pub blocked: Option<bool>,
-    pub depends_on: Option<Vec<u32>>,
-    /// Node ID of the node that claimed this item (hex-encoded Ed25519 pubkey).
-    pub claimed_by: Option<String>,
-    /// Unix timestamp when the item was claimed.
-    pub claimed_at: Option<f64>,
-    /// Unix timestamp (seconds) when the item was merged to master.
-    /// `None` for items that were never in `5_done` or for legacy items.
-    pub merged_at: Option<f64>,
-    /// QA mode override from the CRDT register: `"server"`, `"agent"`, or `"human"`.
-    /// `None` means the register is unset (use project default).
-    pub qa_mode: Option<String>,
-    /// Whether the auto-assigner has already spawned a mergemaster session for
-    /// this item.  `None` means the register has never been set (treat as false).
-    pub mergemaster_attempted: Option<bool>,
+/// Pipeline stage inferred from the CRDT `stage` register.
+///
+/// This is the low-level typed stage for [`WorkItem`] accessors.  For rich
+/// transition metadata (merge commits, timestamps, etc.) project via
+/// `pipeline_state::Stage` instead.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum Stage {
+    /// Story created but not yet triaged (`0_upcoming`).
+    Upcoming,
+    /// Waiting for dependencies or auto-assign (`1_backlog`).
+    Backlog,
+    /// Actively being coded (`2_current`).
+    Coding,
+    /// Blocked awaiting human resolution (`2_blocked`).
+    Blocked,
+    /// Coder done; gates running (`3_qa`).
+    Qa,
+    /// Gates passed; ready to merge (`4_merge`).
+    Merge,
+    /// Merge failed; awaiting intervention (`4_merge_failure`).
+    MergeFailure,
+    /// Merged to master (`5_done`).
+    Done,
+    /// Out of the active flow (`6_archived`).
+    Archived,
+    /// Frozen, awaiting human review (`7_frozen`).
+    Frozen,
+    /// An unrecognised stage string — forward-compatible catch-all.
+    Unknown(String),
 }
 
+impl Stage {
+    /// Parse a stage directory string into the typed enum.
+    pub fn from_dir(s: &str) -> Self {
+        match s {
+            "0_upcoming" => Stage::Upcoming,
+            "1_backlog" => Stage::Backlog,
+            "2_current" => Stage::Coding,
+            "2_blocked" => Stage::Blocked,
+            "3_qa" => Stage::Qa,
+            "4_merge" => Stage::Merge,
+            "4_merge_failure" => Stage::MergeFailure,
+            "5_done" => Stage::Done,
+            "6_archived" => Stage::Archived,
+            "7_frozen" => Stage::Frozen,
+            other => Stage::Unknown(other.to_string()),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Convert back to the filesystem directory name string.
+    pub fn as_dir(&self) -> &str {
+        match self {
+            Stage::Upcoming => "0_upcoming",
+            Stage::Backlog => "1_backlog",
+            Stage::Coding => "2_current",
+            Stage::Blocked => "2_blocked",
+            Stage::Qa => "3_qa",
+            Stage::Merge => "4_merge",
+            Stage::MergeFailure => "4_merge_failure",
+            Stage::Done => "5_done",
+            Stage::Archived => "6_archived",
+            Stage::Frozen => "7_frozen",
+            Stage::Unknown(s) => s.as_str(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// A typed snapshot of a single pipeline work item derived from the CRDT document.
+///
+/// Access fields exclusively through the typed accessor methods — raw field access is
+/// restricted to the `crdt_state` module tree.  All `JsonValue` interpretation is
+/// confined to `crdt_state::read::extract_item_view`, so no `JsonValue` escapes into
+/// the public API.
+///
+/// Adding a new field here without also reading it in an accessor produces an
+/// `unused field` compiler warning, enforcing the read-side contract at compile time.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub struct WorkItem {
+    pub(super) story_id: String,
+    pub(super) stage: String,
+    pub(super) name: Option<String>,
+    pub(super) agent: Option<String>,
+    pub(super) retry_count: Option<i64>,
+    pub(super) blocked: Option<bool>,
+    pub(super) depends_on: Option<Vec<u32>>,
+    /// Node ID of the node that claimed this item (hex-encoded Ed25519 pubkey).
+    pub(super) claimed_by: Option<String>,
+    /// Unix timestamp (seconds) when the claim was written.
+    pub(super) claimed_at: Option<f64>,
+    /// Unix timestamp (seconds) when the item was merged to master.
+    pub(super) merged_at: Option<f64>,
+    /// QA mode override: `"server"`, `"agent"`, or `"human"`.
+    pub(super) qa_mode: Option<String>,
+    /// Whether the auto-assigner has already attempted a mergemaster spawn.
+    pub(super) mergemaster_attempted: Option<bool>,
+}
+
+impl WorkItem {
+    /// The story identifier (e.g. `"42"` or `"42_story_my_feature"`).
+    pub fn story_id(&self) -> &str {
+        &self.story_id
+    }
+
+    /// Pipeline stage as a typed enum.
+    pub fn stage(&self) -> Stage {
+        Stage::from_dir(&self.stage)
+    }
+
+    /// Raw stage directory string (e.g. `"2_current"`).
+    pub fn stage_str(&self) -> &str {
+        &self.stage
+    }
+
+    /// Human-readable story name, or `None` when unset.
+    pub fn name(&self) -> Option<&str> {
+        self.name.as_deref()
+    }
+
+    /// Agent name pinned to this item, or `None` when unset.
+    pub fn agent(&self) -> Option<&str> {
+        self.agent.as_deref()
+    }
+
+    /// Whether the item is blocked. Returns `false` when the register is unset.
+    pub fn blocked(&self) -> bool {
+        self.blocked.unwrap_or(false)
+    }
+
+    /// Retry counter. Returns `0` when the register is unset.
+    pub fn retry_count(&self) -> u32 {
+        self.retry_count.unwrap_or(0).max(0) as u32
+    }
+
+    /// Dependency story numbers. Returns an empty slice when unset.
+    pub fn depends_on(&self) -> &[u32] {
+        self.depends_on.as_deref().unwrap_or(&[])
+    }
+
+    /// Node ID of the current claim holder, or `None` when unclaimed.
+    pub fn claimed_by(&self) -> Option<&str> {
+        self.claimed_by.as_deref()
+    }
+
+    /// Unix timestamp (seconds) when the current claim was written, or `None`.
+    pub fn claimed_at(&self) -> Option<f64> {
+        self.claimed_at
+    }
+
+    /// Unix timestamp (seconds) when the item was merged to master, or `None`.
+    pub fn merged_at(&self) -> Option<f64> {
+        self.merged_at
+    }
+
+    /// QA mode override (`"server"`, `"agent"`, or `"human"`), or `None` when unset.
+    pub fn qa_mode(&self) -> Option<&str> {
+        self.qa_mode.as_deref()
+    }
+
+    /// Whether a mergemaster spawn has already been attempted. Returns `false` when unset.
+    pub fn mergemaster_attempted(&self) -> bool {
+        self.mergemaster_attempted.unwrap_or(false)
+    }
+
+    /// Construct a `WorkItem` for use in tests outside `crdt_state::*`.
+    ///
+    /// Within `crdt_state` use a struct literal directly (fields are `pub(super)`).
+    /// Each field must be supplied — adding a new field to `WorkItem` without updating
+    /// this constructor produces a compile error, enforcing the read-side contract.
+    #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
+    pub fn for_test(
+        story_id: impl Into<String>,
+        stage: impl Into<String>,
+        name: Option<String>,
+        agent: Option<String>,
+        retry_count: Option<i64>,
+        blocked: Option<bool>,
+        depends_on: Option<Vec<u32>>,
+        claimed_by: Option<String>,
+        claimed_at: Option<f64>,
+        merged_at: Option<f64>,
+        qa_mode: Option<String>,
+        mergemaster_attempted: Option<bool>,
+    ) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            story_id: story_id.into(),
+            stage: stage.into(),
+            name,
+            agent,
+            retry_count,
+            blocked,
+            depends_on,
+            claimed_by,
+            claimed_at,
+            merged_at,
+            qa_mode,
+            mergemaster_attempted,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Backward-compatibility alias; prefer [`WorkItem`].
+pub type PipelineItemView = WorkItem;
+
 /// A snapshot of a single node presence entry derived from the CRDT document.
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, serde::Serialize)]
 pub struct NodePresenceView {
diff --git a/server/src/db/mod.rs b/server/src/db/mod.rs
index 8bc902c0..4aec9895 100644
--- a/server/src/db/mod.rs
+++ b/server/src/db/mod.rs
@@ -346,12 +346,12 @@ mod tests {
         write_item_with_content(story_id, "2_current", content, meta);
 
         let view = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id).expect("story exists in CRDT");
-        assert_eq!(view.stage, "2_current");
-        assert_eq!(view.name.as_deref(), Some("Typed Name"));
-        assert_eq!(view.agent.as_deref(), Some("coder-1"));
-        assert_eq!(view.retry_count, Some(2));
-        assert_eq!(view.blocked, Some(true));
-        assert_eq!(view.depends_on, Some(vec![100, 200]));
+        assert_eq!(view.stage_str(), "2_current");
+        assert_eq!(view.name(), Some("Typed Name"));
+        assert_eq!(view.agent(), Some("coder-1"));
+        assert_eq!(view.retry_count(), 2);
+        assert!(view.blocked());
+        assert_eq!(view.depends_on(), &[100, 200]);
 
         // Content is stored verbatim (no parsing, no rewrite).
         assert_eq!(read_content(story_id).as_deref(), Some(content));
@@ -371,13 +371,15 @@ mod tests {
         write_item_with_content(story_id, "2_current", content, ItemMeta::default());
 
         let view = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id).expect("story exists in CRDT");
-        assert_eq!(view.stage, "2_current");
+        assert_eq!(view.stage_str(), "2_current");
         assert_eq!(
-            view.name, None,
+            view.name(),
+            None,
             "name must come from typed meta, not parsed YAML"
         );
         assert_eq!(
-            view.agent, None,
+            view.agent(),
+            None,
             "agent must come from typed meta, not parsed YAML"
         );
     }
diff --git a/server/src/http/mcp/merge_tools.rs b/server/src/http/mcp/merge_tools.rs
index 253dd6c7..c7d18d01 100644
--- a/server/src/http/mcp/merge_tools.rs
+++ b/server/src/http/mcp/merge_tools.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ pub(super) async fn tool_merge_agent_work(
     // Check CRDT stage before attempting merge — if already done or archived,
     // return success immediately to avoid spurious error notifications.
     if let Some(item) = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id)
-        && crate::pipeline_state::Stage::from_dir(&item.stage).is_some_and(|s| {
+        && crate::pipeline_state::Stage::from_dir(item.stage_str()).is_some_and(|s| {
             matches!(
                 s,
                 crate::pipeline_state::Stage::Done { .. }
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ pub(super) async fn tool_merge_agent_work(
             "success": true,
             "message": format!(
                 "Story '{}' is already in '{}' — no merge needed.",
-                story_id, item.stage
+                story_id, item.stage_str()
             ),
         }))
         .map_err(|e| format!("Serialization error: {e}"));
diff --git a/server/src/http/mcp/status_tools.rs b/server/src/http/mcp/status_tools.rs
index 890056e2..f6f1915b 100644
--- a/server/src/http/mcp/status_tools.rs
+++ b/server/src/http/mcp/status_tools.rs
@@ -215,12 +215,12 @@ pub(super) async fn tool_status(args: &Value, ctx: &AppContext) -> Result<String
     // pass the read_typed / 2_current check above, but the code is present
     // for completeness and future-proofing).
     if let Some(view) = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id) {
-        if let Some(cb) = &view.claimed_by
+        if let Some(cb) = view.claimed_by()
             && !cb.is_empty()
         {
             front_matter.insert("claimed_by".to_string(), json!(cb));
         }
-        if let Some(ca) = view.claimed_at
+        if let Some(ca) = view.claimed_at()
             && ca > 0.0
         {
             front_matter.insert("claimed_at".to_string(), json!(ca));
diff --git a/server/src/http/mcp/story_tools/story/update.rs b/server/src/http/mcp/story_tools/story/update.rs
index b63cea1f..0a57b8e5 100644
--- a/server/src/http/mcp/story_tools/story/update.rs
+++ b/server/src/http/mcp/story_tools/story/update.rs
@@ -233,8 +233,8 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(r.is_ok(), "set [1,2,3] should succeed: {r:?}");
         let view = crate::crdt_state::read_item("888_deps_scr").expect("CRDT must have story");
         assert_eq!(
-            view.depends_on,
-            Some(vec![1, 2, 3]),
+            view.depends_on(),
+            &[1, 2, 3],
             "CRDT should hold [1,2,3] after set"
         );
 
@@ -245,9 +245,9 @@ mod tests {
         );
         assert!(r.is_ok(), "clear [] should succeed: {r:?}");
         let view = crate::crdt_state::read_item("888_deps_scr").expect("CRDT must have story");
-        assert_eq!(
-            view.depends_on, None,
-            "CRDT should be None after clearing to []"
+        assert!(
+            view.depends_on().is_empty(),
+            "CRDT should be empty after clearing to []"
         );
 
         // Replace with [4, 5] — must not append to previous [1,2,3].
@@ -258,8 +258,8 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(r.is_ok(), "replace [4,5] should succeed: {r:?}");
         let view = crate::crdt_state::read_item("888_deps_scr").expect("CRDT must have story");
         assert_eq!(
-            view.depends_on,
-            Some(vec![4, 5]),
+            view.depends_on(),
+            &[4, 5],
             "CRDT should hold exactly [4,5] after replace (not [1,2,3,4,5])"
         );
     }
@@ -290,7 +290,10 @@ mod tests {
         );
         assert!(r.is_ok(), "clear should succeed: {r:?}");
         let view = crate::crdt_state::read_item("888_deps_persist").expect("CRDT must have story");
-        assert_eq!(view.depends_on, None, "CRDT should be None after clear");
+        assert!(
+            view.depends_on().is_empty(),
+            "CRDT should be empty after clear"
+        );
 
         // Now update a different field — this triggers write_story_content with
         // the stale YAML (which still has depends_on: [100, 200]).
@@ -300,11 +303,11 @@ mod tests {
         );
         assert!(r.is_ok(), "subsequent name update should succeed: {r:?}");
 
-        // The CRDT must still be None — the YAML value must not have been restored.
+        // The CRDT must still be empty — the YAML value must not have been restored.
         let view = crate::crdt_state::read_item("888_deps_persist").expect("CRDT must have story");
-        assert_eq!(
-            view.depends_on, None,
-            "CRDT depends_on must remain None after unrelated update (write_story_content must not restore YAML value)"
+        assert!(
+            view.depends_on().is_empty(),
+            "CRDT depends_on must remain empty after unrelated update (write_story_content must not restore YAML value)"
         );
     }
 
@@ -327,8 +330,8 @@ mod tests {
         // CRDT register must hold the deps.
         let view = crate::crdt_state::read_item("504_arr_test").expect("CRDT must have the story");
         assert_eq!(
-            view.depends_on,
-            Some(vec![490, 491]),
+            view.depends_on(),
+            &[490, 491],
             "CRDT register should hold [490, 491]: {view:?}"
         );
 
diff --git a/server/src/io/story_metadata/parser.rs b/server/src/io/story_metadata/parser.rs
index 3001da10..891d7eb5 100644
--- a/server/src/io/story_metadata/parser.rs
+++ b/server/src/io/story_metadata/parser.rs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ pub fn parse_unchecked_todos(contents: &str) -> Vec<String> {
 /// spikes themselves.
 pub fn resolve_qa_mode(story_id: &str, default: QaMode) -> QaMode {
     crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id)
-        .and_then(|view| view.qa_mode)
+        .and_then(|view| view.qa_mode().map(str::to_string))
         .as_deref()
         .and_then(QaMode::from_str)
         .unwrap_or(default)
diff --git a/server/src/pipeline_state/projection.rs b/server/src/pipeline_state/projection.rs
index 16d29318..064d28c7 100644
--- a/server/src/pipeline_state/projection.rs
+++ b/server/src/pipeline_state/projection.rs
@@ -36,22 +36,22 @@ impl fmt::Display for ProjectionError {
 
 impl std::error::Error for ProjectionError {}
 
-// ── Projection: PipelineItemView → PipelineItem ─────────────────────────────
+// ── Projection: WorkItem → PipelineItem ─────────────────────────────────────
 
 impl TryFrom<&PipelineItemView> for PipelineItem {
     type Error = ProjectionError;
 
     fn try_from(view: &PipelineItemView) -> Result<Self, ProjectionError> {
-        let story_id = StoryId(view.story_id.clone());
-        let name = view.name.clone().unwrap_or_default();
+        let story_id = StoryId(view.story_id().to_string());
+        let name = view.name().unwrap_or("").to_string();
 
         let depends_on: Vec<StoryId> = view
-            .depends_on
-            .as_ref()
-            .map(|deps| deps.iter().map(|d| StoryId(d.to_string())).collect())
-            .unwrap_or_default();
+            .depends_on()
+            .iter()
+            .map(|d| StoryId(d.to_string()))
+            .collect();
 
-        let retry_count = view.retry_count.unwrap_or(0).max(0) as u32;
+        let retry_count = view.retry_count();
 
         let stage = project_stage(view)?;
 
@@ -65,11 +65,11 @@ impl TryFrom<&PipelineItemView> for PipelineItem {
     }
 }
 
-/// Project the stage string + associated fields from a PipelineItemView into
+/// Project the stage string + associated fields from a WorkItem into
 /// a typed Stage enum. This is the one carefully-controlled boundary where
 /// loose CRDT data becomes typed.
 pub fn project_stage(view: &PipelineItemView) -> Result<Stage, ProjectionError> {
-    match view.stage.as_str() {
+    match view.stage_str() {
         "0_upcoming" => Ok(Stage::Upcoming),
         "1_backlog" => Ok(Stage::Backlog),
         "2_blocked" => Ok(Stage::Blocked {
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ pub fn project_stage(view: &PipelineItemView) -> Result<Stage, ProjectionError>
             // commits_ahead — those are computed at transition time. For
             // projection from existing CRDT data, we synthesize defaults.
             // The feature branch follows the naming convention.
-            let branch = format!("feature/story-{}", view.story_id);
+            let branch = format!("feature/story-{}", view.story_id());
             // Existing CRDT data doesn't track commits_ahead, so we use 1 as
             // a safe non-zero default (the item is in merge, so there must be
             // at least one commit).
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ pub fn project_stage(view: &PipelineItemView) -> Result<Stage, ProjectionError>
             // to UNIX_EPOCH, which makes them older than any retention window
             // and therefore eligible for immediate sweep to 6_archived.
             let merged_at = view
-                .merged_at
+                .merged_at()
                 .map(|ts| {
                     DateTime::from_timestamp(ts as i64, 0).unwrap_or(DateTime::<Utc>::UNIX_EPOCH)
                 })
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ pub fn project_stage(view: &PipelineItemView) -> Result<Stage, ProjectionError>
         }
         "6_archived" => {
             // Determine the archive reason from the CRDT fields.
-            let reason = if view.blocked == Some(true) {
+            let reason = if view.blocked() {
                 ArchiveReason::Blocked {
                     reason: "migrated from legacy blocked field".to_string(),
                 }
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ pub fn project_stage(view: &PipelineItemView) -> Result<Stage, ProjectionError>
         "7_frozen" => {
             // The stage to resume to is stored in front matter as `resume_to_stage`.
             // Fall back to Coding if the field is absent (e.g. legacy frozen items).
-            let resume_to = crate::db::read_content(&view.story_id)
+            let resume_to = crate::db::read_content(view.story_id())
                 .and_then(|content| {
                     crate::db::yaml_legacy::parse_front_matter(&content)
                         .ok()
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ pub fn read_all_typed() -> Vec<PipelineItem> {
             Err(e) => {
                 crate::slog!(
                     "[pipeline_state] projection error for '{}': {e}",
-                    v.story_id
+                    v.story_id()
                 );
                 None
             }
@@ -221,42 +221,46 @@ mod tests {
         StoryId(s.to_string())
     }
 
+    fn make_view(story_id: &str, stage: &str, name: Option<&str>) -> PipelineItemView {
+        PipelineItemView::for_test(
+            story_id,
+            stage,
+            name.map(str::to_string),
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+        )
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn project_upcoming_item() {
-        let view = PipelineItemView {
-            story_id: "42_story_test".to_string(),
-            stage: "0_upcoming".to_string(),
-            name: Some("Test Story".to_string()),
-            agent: None,
-            retry_count: None,
-            blocked: None,
-            depends_on: None,
-            claimed_by: None,
-            claimed_at: None,
-            merged_at: None,
-            qa_mode: None,
-            mergemaster_attempted: None,
-        };
+        let view = make_view("42_story_test", "0_upcoming", Some("Test Story"));
         let item = PipelineItem::try_from(&view).unwrap();
         assert!(matches!(item.stage, Stage::Upcoming));
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn project_backlog_item() {
-        let view = PipelineItemView {
-            story_id: "42_story_test".to_string(),
-            stage: "1_backlog".to_string(),
-            name: Some("Test Story".to_string()),
-            agent: None,
-            retry_count: None,
-            blocked: None,
-            depends_on: Some(vec![10, 20]),
-            claimed_by: None,
-            claimed_at: None,
-            merged_at: None,
-            qa_mode: None,
-            mergemaster_attempted: None,
-        };
+        let view = PipelineItemView::for_test(
+            "42_story_test",
+            "1_backlog",
+            Some("Test Story".to_string()),
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            Some(vec![10, 20]),
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+        );
         let item = PipelineItem::try_from(&view).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(item.story_id, StoryId("42_story_test".to_string()));
         assert_eq!(item.name, "Test Story");
@@ -267,20 +271,20 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn project_current_item() {
-        let view = PipelineItemView {
-            story_id: "42_story_test".to_string(),
-            stage: "2_current".to_string(),
-            name: Some("Test".to_string()),
-            agent: Some("coder-1".to_string()),
-            retry_count: Some(2),
-            blocked: None,
-            depends_on: None,
-            claimed_by: None,
-            claimed_at: None,
-            merged_at: None,
-            qa_mode: None,
-            mergemaster_attempted: None,
-        };
+        let view = PipelineItemView::for_test(
+            "42_story_test",
+            "2_current",
+            Some("Test".to_string()),
+            Some("coder-1".to_string()),
+            Some(2),
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+        );
         let item = PipelineItem::try_from(&view).unwrap();
         assert!(matches!(item.stage, Stage::Coding));
         assert_eq!(item.retry_count, 2);
@@ -288,20 +292,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn project_merge_item() {
-        let view = PipelineItemView {
-            story_id: "42_story_test".to_string(),
-            stage: "4_merge".to_string(),
-            name: Some("Test".to_string()),
-            agent: None,
-            retry_count: None,
-            blocked: None,
-            depends_on: None,
-            claimed_by: None,
-            claimed_at: None,
-            merged_at: None,
-            qa_mode: None,
-            mergemaster_attempted: None,
-        };
+        let view = make_view("42_story_test", "4_merge", Some("Test"));
         let item = PipelineItem::try_from(&view).unwrap();
         assert!(matches!(item.stage, Stage::Merge { .. }));
         if let Stage::Merge {
@@ -316,40 +307,27 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn project_blocked_item() {
-        let view = PipelineItemView {
-            story_id: "42_story_test".to_string(),
-            stage: "2_blocked".to_string(),
-            name: Some("Test".to_string()),
-            agent: None,
-            retry_count: None,
-            blocked: None,
-            depends_on: None,
-            claimed_by: None,
-            claimed_at: None,
-            merged_at: None,
-            qa_mode: None,
-            mergemaster_attempted: None,
-        };
+        let view = make_view("42_story_test", "2_blocked", Some("Test"));
         let item = PipelineItem::try_from(&view).unwrap();
         assert!(matches!(item.stage, Stage::Blocked { .. }));
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn project_archived_blocked_item() {
-        let view = PipelineItemView {
-            story_id: "42_story_test".to_string(),
-            stage: "6_archived".to_string(),
-            name: Some("Test".to_string()),
-            agent: None,
-            retry_count: None,
-            blocked: Some(true),
-            depends_on: None,
-            claimed_by: None,
-            claimed_at: None,
-            merged_at: None,
-            qa_mode: None,
-            mergemaster_attempted: None,
-        };
+        let view = PipelineItemView::for_test(
+            "42_story_test",
+            "6_archived",
+            Some("Test".to_string()),
+            None,
+            None,
+            Some(true),
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+        );
         let item = PipelineItem::try_from(&view).unwrap();
         assert!(matches!(
             item.stage,
@@ -362,20 +340,20 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn project_archived_completed_item() {
-        let view = PipelineItemView {
-            story_id: "42_story_test".to_string(),
-            stage: "6_archived".to_string(),
-            name: Some("Test".to_string()),
-            agent: None,
-            retry_count: None,
-            blocked: Some(false),
-            depends_on: None,
-            claimed_by: None,
-            claimed_at: None,
-            merged_at: None,
-            qa_mode: None,
-            mergemaster_attempted: None,
-        };
+        let view = PipelineItemView::for_test(
+            "42_story_test",
+            "6_archived",
+            Some("Test".to_string()),
+            None,
+            None,
+            Some(false),
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+            None,
+        );
         let item = PipelineItem::try_from(&view).unwrap();
         assert!(matches!(
             item.stage,
@@ -388,20 +366,7 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn project_unknown_stage_returns_error() {
-        let view = PipelineItemView {
-            story_id: "42_story_test".to_string(),
-            stage: "9_invalid".to_string(),
-            name: Some("Test".to_string()),
-            agent: None,
-            retry_count: None,
-            blocked: None,
-            depends_on: None,
-            claimed_by: None,
-            claimed_at: None,
-            merged_at: None,
-            qa_mode: None,
-            mergemaster_attempted: None,
-        };
+        let view = make_view("42_story_test", "9_invalid", Some("Test"));
         let result = PipelineItem::try_from(&view);
         assert!(matches!(
             result,