diff --git a/server/src/agents/gates.rs b/server/src/agents/gates.rs
index f27108d..9c46bd3 100644
--- a/server/src/agents/gates.rs
+++ b/server/src/agents/gates.rs
@@ -102,13 +102,29 @@ fn run_command_with_timeout(
     args: &[&str],
     dir: &Path,
 ) -> Result<(bool, String), String> {
-    let mut child = Command::new(program)
-        .args(args)
+    // On Linux, execve can return ETXTBSY (26) briefly after a file is written
+    // before the kernel releases its "write open" state. Retry once after a
+    // short pause to handle this race condition.
+    let mut last_err = None;
+    let mut cmd = Command::new(&program);
+    cmd.args(args)
         .current_dir(dir)
         .stdout(std::process::Stdio::piped())
-        .stderr(std::process::Stdio::piped())
-        .spawn()
-        .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to spawn command: {e}"))?;
+        .stderr(std::process::Stdio::piped());
+    let mut child = loop {
+        match cmd.spawn() {
+            Ok(c) => break c,
+            Err(e) if e.raw_os_error() == Some(26) => {
+                // ETXTBSY — wait briefly and retry once
+                if last_err.is_some() {
+                    return Err(format!("Failed to spawn command: {e}"));
+                }
+                last_err = Some(e);
+                std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(50));
+            }
+            Err(e) => return Err(format!("Failed to spawn command: {e}")),
+        }
+    };
 
     // Drain stdout/stderr in background threads so the pipe buffers never fill.
     let stdout_handle = child.stdout.take().map(|r| {
diff --git a/server/src/http/workflow/story_ops.rs b/server/src/http/workflow/story_ops.rs
index 48f317b..fa90d0c 100644
--- a/server/src/http/workflow/story_ops.rs
+++ b/server/src/http/workflow/story_ops.rs
@@ -183,6 +183,18 @@ pub fn add_criterion_to_file(
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// Encode a string value as a YAML scalar.
+///
+/// Booleans (`true`/`false`) and integers are written as native YAML types (unquoted).
+/// Everything else is written as a quoted string to avoid ambiguity.
+fn yaml_encode_scalar(value: &str) -> String {
+    match value {
+        "true" | "false" => value.to_string(),
+        s if s.parse::<i64>().is_ok() => s.to_string(),
+        s => format!("\"{}\"", s.replace('"', "\\\"").replace('\n', " ").replace('\r', "")),
+    }
+}
+
 /// Update the user story text and/or description in a story file.
 ///
 /// At least one of `user_story` or `description` must be provided.
@@ -209,7 +221,7 @@ pub fn update_story_in_file(
 
     if let Some(fields) = front_matter {
         for (key, value) in fields {
-            let yaml_value = format!("\"{}\"", value.replace('"', "\\\"").replace('\n', " ").replace('\r', ""));
+            let yaml_value = yaml_encode_scalar(value);
             contents = set_front_matter_field(&contents, key, &yaml_value);
         }
     }
@@ -589,4 +601,55 @@ mod tests {
         let contents = fs::read_to_string(&filepath).unwrap();
         assert!(contents.contains("agent: \"dev\""));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn update_story_bool_front_matter_written_unquoted() {
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let current = tmp.path().join(".storkit/work/2_current");
+        fs::create_dir_all(&current).unwrap();
+        let filepath = current.join("27_test.md");
+        fs::write(&filepath, "---\nname: T\n---\n\nNo sections.\n").unwrap();
+
+        let mut fields = HashMap::new();
+        fields.insert("blocked".to_string(), "false".to_string());
+        update_story_in_file(tmp.path(), "27_test", None, None, Some(&fields)).unwrap();
+
+        let result = fs::read_to_string(&filepath).unwrap();
+        assert!(result.contains("blocked: false"), "bool should be unquoted: {result}");
+        assert!(!result.contains("blocked: \"false\""), "bool must not be quoted: {result}");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn update_story_integer_front_matter_written_unquoted() {
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let current = tmp.path().join(".storkit/work/2_current");
+        fs::create_dir_all(&current).unwrap();
+        let filepath = current.join("28_test.md");
+        fs::write(&filepath, "---\nname: T\n---\n\nNo sections.\n").unwrap();
+
+        let mut fields = HashMap::new();
+        fields.insert("retry_count".to_string(), "0".to_string());
+        update_story_in_file(tmp.path(), "28_test", None, None, Some(&fields)).unwrap();
+
+        let result = fs::read_to_string(&filepath).unwrap();
+        assert!(result.contains("retry_count: 0"), "integer should be unquoted: {result}");
+        assert!(!result.contains("retry_count: \"0\""), "integer must not be quoted: {result}");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn update_story_bool_front_matter_parseable_after_write() {
+        let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let current = tmp.path().join(".storkit/work/2_current");
+        fs::create_dir_all(&current).unwrap();
+        let filepath = current.join("29_test.md");
+        fs::write(&filepath, "---\nname: My Story\n---\n\nNo sections.\n").unwrap();
+
+        let mut fields = HashMap::new();
+        fields.insert("blocked".to_string(), "false".to_string());
+        update_story_in_file(tmp.path(), "29_test", None, None, Some(&fields)).unwrap();
+
+        let contents = fs::read_to_string(&filepath).unwrap();
+        let meta = parse_front_matter(&contents).expect("front matter should parse");
+        assert_eq!(meta.name.as_deref(), Some("My Story"), "name preserved after writing bool field");
+    }
 }