diff --git a/server/src/db/ops.rs b/server/src/db/ops.rs
index 3f282945..6eb2aea0 100644
--- a/server/src/db/ops.rs
+++ b/server/src/db/ops.rs
@@ -132,24 +132,10 @@ pub fn move_item_stage(
         _ => None,
     };
 
-    let (name, agent, _ignored_retry_count, blocked, depends_on) = content
-        .as_deref()
-        .or(current_content.as_deref())
-        .and_then(|c| parse_front_matter(c).ok())
-        .map(|meta| {
-            (
-                meta.name,
-                meta.agent,
-                meta.retry_count.map(|r| r as i64),
-                meta.blocked,
-                meta.depends_on
-                    .as_ref()
-                    .and_then(|d| serde_json::to_string(d).ok()),
-            )
-        })
-        .unwrap_or((None, None, None, None, None));
-
-    // CRDT stage transition.
+    // Story 929: metadata (name/agent/blocked/depends_on) is owned by the
+    // CRDT typed registers — no need to re-derive it from the content body's
+    // YAML front matter on every stage transition.  Pass `None` for those
+    // fields so write_item leaves the existing registers untouched.
     let merged_at_ts = if crate::pipeline_state::Stage::from_dir(new_stage)
         .is_some_and(|s| matches!(s, crate::pipeline_state::Stage::Done { .. }))
     {
@@ -160,11 +146,11 @@ pub fn move_item_stage(
     crate::crdt_state::write_item(
         story_id,
         new_stage,
-        name.as_deref(),
-        agent.as_deref(),
         None,
-        blocked,
-        depends_on.as_deref(),
+        None,
+        None,
+        None,
+        None,
         None,
         None,
         merged_at_ts,
@@ -176,15 +162,24 @@ pub fn move_item_stage(
     // transitions.
     crate::crdt_state::set_retry_count(story_id, 0);
 
-    // Shadow table — always reset retry_count to 0 on stage transition.
-    let retry_count: Option<i64> = Some(0);
+    // Shadow table — read current metadata from the CRDT so the SQLite
+    // mirror stays in sync.  Always reset retry_count to 0 on stage transition.
     if let Some(db) = PIPELINE_DB.get() {
+        let view = crate::crdt_state::read_item(story_id);
+        let name = view.as_ref().and_then(|v| v.name().map(str::to_string));
+        let agent = view.as_ref().and_then(|v| v.agent().map(str::to_string));
+        let blocked = view.as_ref().map(|v| v.blocked());
+        let depends_on = view
+            .as_ref()
+            .map(|v| v.depends_on())
+            .filter(|d| !d.is_empty())
+            .and_then(|d| serde_json::to_string(d).ok());
         let msg = PipelineWriteMsg {
             story_id: story_id.to_string(),
             stage: new_stage.to_string(),
             name,
             agent,
-            retry_count,
+            retry_count: Some(0),
             blocked,
             depends_on,
             content,