diff --git a/server/src/agents.rs b/server/src/agents.rs
index c22ab23..d33fd4d 100644
--- a/server/src/agents.rs
+++ b/server/src/agents.rs
@@ -1283,6 +1283,12 @@ impl AgentPool {
             false
         };
 
+        // Mergemaster slot is now free — trigger auto-assign so remaining
+        // items in 4_merge/ (or other stages) get picked up.  The normal
+        // server-owned completion handler won't run because we already
+        // removed the agent entry above.
+        self.auto_assign_available_work(project_root).await;
+
         Ok(MergeReport {
             story_id: story_id.to_string(),
             success: true,
@@ -2797,57 +2803,17 @@ fn run_squash_merge(
         });
     }
 
-    // ── Install frontend dependencies for quality gates ──────────────
-    let frontend_dir_for_install = merge_wt_path.join("frontend");
-    if frontend_dir_for_install.exists() {
-        // Ensure frontend/dist/ exists so cargo clippy (RustEmbed) can compile
-        // even before `pnpm build` has run.
-        let dist_dir = frontend_dir_for_install.join("dist");
-        std::fs::create_dir_all(&dist_dir)
-            .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to create frontend/dist: {e}"))?;
-
-        all_output.push_str("=== pnpm install (merge worktree) ===\n");
-        let pnpm_install = Command::new("pnpm")
-            .args(["install"])
-            .current_dir(&frontend_dir_for_install)
-            .output()
-            .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to run pnpm install: {e}"))?;
-
-        let install_out = format!(
-            "{}{}",
-            String::from_utf8_lossy(&pnpm_install.stdout),
-            String::from_utf8_lossy(&pnpm_install.stderr)
-        );
-        all_output.push_str(&install_out);
-        all_output.push('\n');
-
-        if !pnpm_install.status.success() {
-            all_output.push_str("=== pnpm install FAILED — aborting merge ===\n");
-            cleanup_merge_workspace(project_root, &merge_wt_path, &merge_branch);
-            return Ok(SquashMergeResult {
-                success: false,
-                had_conflicts,
-                conflicts_resolved,
-                conflict_details,
-                output: all_output,
-                gates_passed: false,
-            });
-        }
-    }
-
     // ── Install frontend dependencies for quality gates ──────────
     let frontend_dir = merge_wt_path.join("frontend");
     if frontend_dir.exists() {
         // Ensure frontend/dist exists so RustEmbed (cargo clippy) doesn't fail
         // even before pnpm build runs.
         let dist_dir = frontend_dir.join("dist");
-        if !dist_dir.exists() {
-            let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all(&dist_dir);
-        }
+        let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all(&dist_dir);
 
         all_output.push_str("=== pnpm install (merge worktree) ===\n");
         let pnpm_install = Command::new("pnpm")
-            .args(["install", "--frozen-lockfile"])
+            .args(["install"])
             .current_dir(&frontend_dir)
             .output()
             .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to run pnpm install: {e}"))?;
diff --git a/server/src/log_buffer.rs b/server/src/log_buffer.rs
index f0810c8..473cb51 100644
--- a/server/src/log_buffer.rs
+++ b/server/src/log_buffer.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 //! `get_server_logs` MCP tool.
 
 use std::collections::VecDeque;
+use std::fs::OpenOptions;
+use std::io::Write;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
 use std::sync::{Mutex, OnceLock};
 
 const CAPACITY: usize = 1000;
@@ -68,12 +71,22 @@ impl LogEntry {
 
 pub struct LogBuffer {
     entries: Mutex<VecDeque<LogEntry>>,
+    log_file: Mutex<Option<PathBuf>>,
 }
 
 impl LogBuffer {
     fn new() -> Self {
         Self {
             entries: Mutex::new(VecDeque::with_capacity(CAPACITY)),
+            log_file: Mutex::new(None),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Set the persistent log file path. Call once at startup after the
+    /// project root is known.
+    pub fn set_log_file(&self, path: PathBuf) {
+        if let Ok(mut f) = self.log_file.lock() {
+            *f = Some(path);
         }
     }
 
@@ -86,6 +99,15 @@ impl LogBuffer {
             message,
         };
         eprintln!("{}", entry.colored_formatted());
+
+        // Append to persistent log file (best-effort).
+        if let Ok(guard) = self.log_file.lock()
+            && let Some(ref path) = *guard
+            && let Ok(mut file) = OpenOptions::new().create(true).append(true).open(path)
+        {
+            let _ = writeln!(file, "{}", entry.formatted());
+        }
+
         if let Ok(mut buf) = self.entries.lock() {
             if buf.len() >= CAPACITY {
                 buf.pop_front();
@@ -188,6 +210,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn evicts_oldest_at_capacity() {
         let buf = LogBuffer {
             entries: Mutex::new(VecDeque::with_capacity(CAPACITY)),
+            log_file: Mutex::new(None),
         };
         // Fill past capacity
         for i in 0..=CAPACITY {
diff --git a/server/src/main.rs b/server/src/main.rs
index 17d477f..f5d4773 100644
--- a/server/src/main.rs
+++ b/server/src/main.rs
@@ -100,6 +100,13 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
         }
     }
 
+    // Enable persistent server log file now that the project root is known.
+    if let Some(ref root) = *app_state.project_root.lock().unwrap() {
+        let log_dir = root.join(".story_kit").join("logs");
+        let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all(&log_dir);
+        log_buffer::global().set_log_file(log_dir.join("server.log"));
+    }
+
     let workflow = Arc::new(std::sync::Mutex::new(WorkflowState::default()));
 
     // Filesystem watcher: broadcast channel for work/ pipeline changes.