story-kit: create 161_bug_auto_assign_only_triggers_on_agent_completion_not_on_failure_or_periodically

.story_kit/work/1_upcoming/161_bug_auto_assign_only_triggers_on_agent_completion_not_on_failure_or_periodically.md

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+---
+name: "Auto-assign only triggers on agent completion, not on failure or periodically"
+---
+
+# Bug 161: Auto-assign only triggers on agent completion, not on failure or periodically
+
+## Description
+
+`auto_assign_available_work()` is only called in two places:
+1. On server startup (`server/src/main.rs:128`)
+2. Inside `run_pipeline_advance_for_completed_agent` (`server/src/agents.rs` lines 830, 883, 945)
+
+This means when agents **fail** (e.g. after a server restart kills their PTY processes), work items sitting in `2_current/`, `3_qa/`, or `4_merge/` are never picked up by free agents. Auto-assign only fires when an agent completes successfully, not when one fails.
+
+## How to Reproduce
+
+1. Have agents running on stories
+2. Restart the server — agents become Failed (orphaned PTY processes)
+3. Move new stories into `2_current/`
+4. Observe that no coder picks them up, even though coders are free (Failed status)
+
+## Expected Behavior
+
+Auto-assign should also trigger when:
+- An agent transitions to Failed status
+- A work item file appears in a pipeline stage directory (watcher event)
+
+## Suggested Fix
+
+Add an `auto_assign_available_work` call in the watcher event handler. When a `WatcherEvent::WorkItem` fires for `2_current/`, `3_qa/`, or `4_merge/`, trigger auto-assign. This way, moving a story file into a pipeline directory automatically tries to assign a free agent.
+
+Alternatively (or additionally), trigger auto-assign when `check_orphaned_agents` marks an agent as Failed.
+
+## Key Files
+
+- `server/src/agents.rs:1276` — `auto_assign_available_work()`
+- `server/src/agents.rs:830,883,945` — only call sites after startup
+- `server/src/agents.rs:1828` — `check_orphaned_agents()` — marks agents Failed but doesn't trigger auto-assign
+- `server/src/main.rs:128` — startup call
+
+## Acceptance Criteria
+
+- [ ] When an agent fails, auto-assign runs to pick up unassigned work
+- [ ] When a story file is moved into `2_current/`, `3_qa/`, or `4_merge/`, auto-assign runs
+- [ ] Free agents pick up waiting work items without manual intervention