diff --git a/server/src/chat/commands/unblock.rs b/server/src/chat/commands/unblock.rs
index a07d9588..570b1917 100644
--- a/server/src/chat/commands/unblock.rs
+++ b/server/src/chat/commands/unblock.rs
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@
 
 use super::CommandContext;
 use crate::io::story_metadata::{
-    clear_front_matter_field, clear_front_matter_field_in_content, parse_front_matter,
-    set_front_matter_field,
+    clear_front_matter_field_in_content, parse_front_matter, set_front_matter_field,
 };
 use std::path::Path;
 
@@ -34,9 +33,9 @@ pub(super) fn handle_unblock(ctx: &CommandContext) -> Option<String> {
 /// Returns a Markdown-formatted response string suitable for all transports.
 /// Also used by the MCP `unblock` tool.
 ///
-/// Lookup priority: CRDT → content store → filesystem (Story 512).
+/// Lookup priority: CRDT → content store.
 pub(crate) fn unblock_by_number(project_root: &Path, story_number: &str) -> String {
-    let (story_id, _stage_dir, path, _content) =
+    let (story_id, _, _, _) =
         match crate::chat::lookup::find_story_by_number(project_root, story_number) {
             Some(found) => found,
             None => {
@@ -44,15 +43,7 @@ pub(crate) fn unblock_by_number(project_root: &Path, story_number: &str) -> Stri
             }
         };
 
-    // Prefer DB-backed unblock when the story is in the content store.
-    // Note: `content` may have come from the filesystem fallback in
-    // `find_story_by_number`, so we must re-check the DB rather than
-    // relying on `content.is_some()` alone.
-    if crate::db::read_content(&story_id).is_some() {
-        unblock_by_story_id(&story_id)
-    } else {
-        unblock_by_path(&path, &story_id)
-    }
+    unblock_by_story_id(&story_id)
 }
 
 /// Unblock a story using the content store (DB-backed).
@@ -105,64 +96,6 @@ fn unblock_by_story_id(story_id: &str) -> String {
     )
 }
 
-/// Core unblock logic: reset blocked state for a known story file path.
-///
-/// Reads front matter, verifies the story is blocked, clears the `blocked`
-/// flag, and resets `retry_count` to 0.  Also used by the MCP `unblock` tool
-/// when the caller has already resolved the story path from a full `story_id`.
-pub(crate) fn unblock_by_path(path: &Path, story_id: &str) -> String {
-    let contents = match std::fs::read_to_string(path) {
-        Ok(c) => c,
-        Err(e) => return format!("Failed to read story file: {e}"),
-    };
-
-    let meta = match parse_front_matter(&contents) {
-        Ok(m) => m,
-        Err(e) => return format!("Failed to parse front matter for **{story_id}**: {e}"),
-    };
-
-    let story_name = meta.name.as_deref().unwrap_or(story_id).to_string();
-
-    let has_blocked = meta.blocked == Some(true);
-    let has_merge_failure = meta.merge_failure.is_some();
-
-    if !has_blocked && !has_merge_failure {
-        return format!("**{story_name}** ({story_id}) is not blocked. Nothing to unblock.");
-    }
-
-    // Clear the blocked flag if present.
-    if has_blocked && let Err(e) = clear_front_matter_field(path, "blocked") {
-        return format!("Failed to clear blocked flag on **{story_id}**: {e}");
-    }
-
-    // Clear merge_failure if present.
-    if has_merge_failure && let Err(e) = clear_front_matter_field(path, "merge_failure") {
-        return format!("Failed to clear merge_failure on **{story_id}**: {e}");
-    }
-
-    // Reset retry_count to 0 (re-read the updated file, modify, write).
-    let updated_contents = match std::fs::read_to_string(path) {
-        Ok(c) => c,
-        Err(e) => return format!("Failed to re-read story file after unblocking: {e}"),
-    };
-    let with_retry_reset = set_front_matter_field(&updated_contents, "retry_count", "0");
-    if let Err(e) = std::fs::write(path, &with_retry_reset) {
-        return format!("Failed to reset retry_count on **{story_id}**: {e}");
-    }
-
-    let mut cleared = Vec::new();
-    if has_blocked {
-        cleared.push("blocked");
-    }
-    if has_merge_failure {
-        cleared.push("merge_failure");
-    }
-    format!(
-        "Unblocked **{story_name}** ({story_id}). Cleared: {}. Retry count reset to 0.",
-        cleared.join(", ")
-    )
-}
-
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Tests
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------