huskies: merge 893

server/src/pipeline_state/tests.rs

@@ -750,6 +750,34 @@ fn repeated_merge_failure_apply_transition_no_error_no_duplicate_notification()
     );
 }
 
+// ── Story 893: MergeFailure + Unblock → Coding (retry) ─────────────
+
+/// AC1: `MergeFailure + Unblock` transitions to `Coding` (retry), not `Backlog`.
+#[test]
+fn merge_failure_unblock_returns_to_coding() {
+    let s = Stage::MergeFailure {
+        reason: "conflicts in server/src/main.rs".into(),
+    };
+    let result = transition(s, PipelineEvent::Unblock).unwrap();
+    assert!(
+        matches!(result, Stage::Coding),
+        "MergeFailure + Unblock should return to Coding for immediate retry, got: {result:?}"
+    );
+}
+
+/// AC1 (complement): `MergeFailure + Demote` still goes to `Backlog` for manual parking.
+#[test]
+fn merge_failure_demote_returns_to_backlog() {
+    let s = Stage::MergeFailure {
+        reason: "conflicts".into(),
+    };
+    let result = transition(s, PipelineEvent::Demote).unwrap();
+    assert!(
+        matches!(result, Stage::Backlog),
+        "MergeFailure + Demote should park the story in Backlog, got: {result:?}"
+    );
+}
+
 // ── Story 892: MergeFailure → Done (manual recovery) ───────────────
 
 /// Regression test (story 892): `accept_story` on a story in `MergeFailure`

server/src/pipeline_state/transition.rs

@@ -242,8 +242,17 @@ pub fn transition(state: Stage, event: PipelineEvent) -> Result<Stage, Transitio
         // ── Unblock: Blocked → Coding ─────────────────────────────────
         (Blocked { .. }, Unblock) => Ok(Coding),
 
-        // ── Unblock MergeFailure → Backlog ───────────────────────────────
-        (MergeFailure { .. }, Unblock) => Ok(Backlog),
+        // ── Unblock MergeFailure → Coding (retry) ────────────────────────
+        // `unblock_story` on a failed merge re-enters the coding stage so a
+        // coder agent can rework the branch, rather than routing back through
+        // the backlog (which would require an extra DepsMet promotion step).
+        (MergeFailure { .. }, Unblock) => Ok(Coding),
+
+        // ── Demote MergeFailure → Backlog (manual parking) ───────────────
+        // Lets operators park a failed-merge story in the backlog without an
+        // agent retry. Complements `Unblock` (→ Coding) which triggers an
+        // immediate retry by a coder agent.
+        (MergeFailure { .. }, Demote) => Ok(Backlog),
 
         // ── Legacy unblock: Archived(Blocked|MergeFailed) → Backlog ──
         (

server/src/pipeline_state/types.rs

@@ -108,7 +108,8 @@ pub enum Stage {
 
     /// Merge pipeline failed (conflicts or gate failures). Story is held here
     /// awaiting human intervention or retry.  Unlike `Archived(MergeFailed)`,
-    /// this is a recoverable intermediate state — `Unblock` returns to `Backlog`.
+    /// this is a recoverable intermediate state — `Unblock` returns to `Coding`
+    /// (immediate agent retry) and `Demote` returns to `Backlog` (manual park).
     MergeFailure { reason: String },
 }