Improve CheckStaleness error handling

## Problem

CheckStaleness returns 'false' (not stale) for multiple error conditions instead of returning errors. This masks problems.

**Location:** internal/autoimport/autoimport.go:253-285

## Edge Cases That Return False

1. **Invalid last_import_time format** (line 259-262)
   - Corrupted metadata returns 'not stale'
   - Could show stale data

2. **No JSONL file found** (line 267-277)
   - If glob fails, falls back to 'issues.jsonl'
   - If that's empty, returns 'not stale'

3. **JSONL stat fails** (line 279-282)
   - Permission denied, file missing
   - Returns 'not stale' even though can't verify

## Current Code

```go
lastImportTime, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, lastImportStr)
if err \!= nil {
    return false, nil  // ← Should return error
}

// ...

if jsonlPath == "" {
    return false, nil  // ← Should return error
}

stat, err := os.Stat(jsonlPath)
if err \!= nil {
    return false, nil  // ← Should return error
}
```

## Fix

```go
lastImportTime, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, lastImportStr)
if err \!= nil {
    return false, fmt.Errorf("corrupted last_import_time: %w", err)
}

// ...

if jsonlPath == "" {
    return false, fmt.Errorf("no JSONL file found")
}

stat, err := os.Stat(jsonlPath)
if err \!= nil {
    return false, fmt.Errorf("cannot stat JSONL: %w", err)
}
```

## Impact
Medium - edge cases are rare but should be handled

## Effort
30 minutes - requires updating callers in RPC server

## Dependencies
Requires: bd-n4td (warning on errors)


Support local-only git repos without remote origin

Daemon crashes when working with local git repos that don't have origin remote configured. Should gracefully degrade to local-only mode: skip git pull/push operations but maintain daemon features (RPC server, auto-flush, JSONL export).


Phase 3: Enhance daemon robustness for GH #353

Improve daemon health checks and metadata refresh to prevent staleness issues.

**Tasks:**
1. Enhance daemon health checks to detect unreachable daemons
2. Add daemon metadata refresh (check disk every 5s)
3. Comprehensive testing in sandbox environments

**Implementation:**
- cmd/bd/main.go: Better health check error handling (lines 300-367)
- cmd/bd/daemon_event_loop.go: Periodic metadata refresh
- cmd/bd/daemon_unix.go: Permission-aware process checks

**References:**
- docs/GH353_INVESTIGATION.md (Solutions 4 & 5, lines 161-209)
- Depends on: Phase 2 (bd-u3t)

**Acceptance Criteria:**
- Daemon detects when it's unreachable and auto-switches to direct mode
- Daemon picks up external import operations without restart
- All edge cases handled gracefully


Split internal/rpc/server.go into focused modules

The file `internal/rpc/server.go` is 2,273 lines with 50+ methods, making it difficult to navigate and prone to merge conflicts. Split into 8 focused files with clear responsibilities.

Current structure: Single 2,273-line file with:
- Connection handling
- Request routing
- All 40+ RPC method implementations
- Storage caching
- Health checks & metrics
- Cleanup loops

Target structure:
```
internal/rpc/
├── server.go          # Core server, connection handling (~300 lines)
├── methods_issue.go   # Issue operations (~400 lines)
├── methods_deps.go    # Dependency operations (~200 lines)
├── methods_labels.go  # Label operations (~150 lines)
├── methods_ready.go   # Ready work queries (~150 lines)
├── methods_compact.go # Compaction operations (~200 lines)
├── methods_comments.go # Comment operations (~150 lines)
├── storage_cache.go   # Storage caching logic (~300 lines)
└── health.go          # Health & metrics (~200 lines)
```

Migration strategy:
1. Create new files with appropriate methods
2. Keep `server.go` as main file with core server logic
3. Test incrementally after each file split
4. Final verification with full test suite


Test simple issue


bd init creates nested .beads directories

bd init sometimes creates .beads/.beads/ nested directories, which should never happen. This occurs fairly often and can cause confusion about which .beads directory is active. Need to add validation to detect if already inside a .beads directory and either error or use the parent .beads location.


Clarify exclusive lock protocol compatibility with multi-repo

The contributor-workflow-analysis.md proposes per-repo file locking (Decision #7) using flock on JSONL files. However, VC (a downstream library consumer) uses an exclusive lock protocol (vc-195, requires Beads v0.17.3+) that allows bd daemon and VC executor to coexist.

Need to clarify:
- Does the proposed per-repo file locking work with VC's existing exclusive lock protocol?
- Do library consumers like VC need to adapt their locking logic?
- Can multiple repos be locked atomically for cross-repo operations?

Context: contributor-workflow-analysis.md lines 662-681


Extract database search logic into helper function

The logic for finding a database in a beads directory is duplicated:
- FindDatabasePath() BEADS_DIR section (beads.go:141-169)
- findDatabaseInTree() (beads.go:248-280)

Both implement the same search order:
1. Check config.json first (single source of truth)
2. Fall back to canonical beads.db
3. Search for *.db files, filtering backups and vc.db

Refactoring suggestion:
Extract to a helper function like:
  func findDatabaseInBeadsDir(beadsDir string) string

Benefits:
- Single source of truth for database search logic
- Easier to maintain and update search order
- Reduces code duplication

Related to [deleted:bd-e16b] implementation.


Add index usage verification test for external_ref lookups

Currently we test that idx_issues_external_ref index exists, but we don't verify that it's actually being used by the query planner.

Proposed solution:
- Add test using EXPLAIN QUERY PLAN
- Verify that 'SEARCH TABLE issues USING INDEX idx_issues_external_ref' appears in plan
- Ensures O(1) lookup performance is maintained

Related: bd-1022
Files: internal/storage/sqlite/external_ref_test.go:260


bd detect-pollution - Test pollution detector

Detect test issues that leaked into production DB.

Pattern matching for:
- Titles starting with 'test', 'benchmark', 'sample'
- Sequential numbering (test-1, test-2)
- Generic descriptions
- Created in rapid succession

Optional AI scoring for confidence.

Files: cmd/bd/detect_pollution.go (new)


Investigate and optimize test suite performance

Test suite is taking very long to run (>45s for cmd/bd tests, full suite timing unknown but was cancelled).

This impacts development velocity and CI/CD performance.

Investigation needed:
- Profile which tests are slowest
- Identify bottlenecks (disk I/O, network, excessive setup/teardown?)
- Consider parallelization opportunities
- Look for redundant test cases
- Check if integration tests can be optimized


Audit Current Cache Usage

Understand exactly what code depends on the storage cache

Audit complete. See CACHE_AUDIT.md for full findings.

Summary:
- Cache was already removed in commit 322ab63 (2025-10-28)
- server_cache_storage.go deleted (~286 lines)
- All getStorageForRequest calls replaced with s.storage
- All environment variables removed
- MCP multi-repo works via per-project daemon architecture
- All tests updated and passing
- Only stale comment in server.go needed fixing


Document 3-clone ID non-determinism in collision resolution

Document the known behavior of 3+ way collision resolution where ID assignments may vary based on sync order, even though content always converges correctly.

Updates needed:
- Update bd-71107098 notes to mark 2-clone case as solved
- Document 3-clone ID non-determinism as known limitation
- Add explanation to ADVANCED.md or collision resolution docs
- Explain why this happens (pairwise hash comparison is deterministic, but multi-way ID allocation uses sync-order dependent counters)
- Clarify trade-offs: content convergence ✅ vs ID stability ❌

Key points to document:
- Hash-based resolution is pairwise deterministic
- Content always converges correctly (all issues present with correct data)
- Numeric ID assignments in 3+ way collisions depend on sync order
- This is acceptable for most use cases (content convergence is primary goal)
- Full determinism would require complex multi-way comparison


Design tombstone storage format

Define the JSON schema for tombstone records. Options: minimal (id, deleted_at, deleted_by, expires_at) vs full preservation (keep all original fields). Trade-offs: storage size vs audit trail. Consider: should tombstones be distinguishable from regular issues by status field or separate record type?


Test Epic

## Overview

[Describe the high-level goal and scope of this epic]

## Success Criteria

- [ ] Criteria 1
- [ ] Criteria 2
- [ ] Criteria 3

## Background

[Provide context and motivation]

## Scope

**In Scope:**
- Item 1
- Item 2

**Out of Scope:**
- Item 1
- Item 2


No logging/debugging for tombstone resurrection events

Per the design document bd-zvg Open Question 1: Should resurrection log a warning? Recommendation was Yes. Currently, when an expired tombstone loses to a live issue (resurrection), there is no logging or debugging output. This makes it hard to understand why an issue reappeared. Recommendation: Add optional debug logging when resurrection occurs, e.g., Issue bd-abc resurrected (tombstone expired). Files: internal/merge/merge.go:359-366, 371-378, 400-405, 410-415


Investigate bd export/import sync issue - database and JSONL out of sync

Observed in VC repo: database has 1137 issues but beads.jsonl only has 309. Running 'bd export -o .beads/issues.jsonl' doesn't update the file. Running 'bd import' hangs indefinitely.

Reproduction context:
- VC repo: 1137 issues in DB, 309 in JSONL
- Created 4 new issues with bd create
- bd export didn't write them to JSONL
- bd import hung (possibly daemon lock conflict?)

Need to investigate:
1. Why export doesn't update JSONL when DB has more issues
2. Why import hangs
3. Daemon lock interaction with export/import
4. File path handling (issues.jsonl vs beads.jsonl)

## Root Cause Analysis

The issue was NOT about file path handling or export failing to update JSONL. The actual problem was:

**Import/Export hanging when daemon is running** due to SQLite lock contention:

1. When daemon is connected, `PersistentPreRun` in main.go returns early without initializing the `store` variable
2. Import/Export commands then tried to open the database directly with `sqlite.New(dbPath)`
3. This blocked waiting for the database lock that the daemon already holds → **HANGS INDEFINITELY**

## Solution Implemented

Modified both import.go and export.go to:
1. Detect when `daemonClient` is connected
2. Explicitly close the daemon connection before opening direct SQLite access
3. Added debug logging to help diagnose similar issues

This ensures import/export commands always run in direct mode, avoiding lock contention.

## File Path Handling

The file path confusion (issues.jsonl vs beads.jsonl) was a red herring. The code uses `filepath.Glob("*.jsonl")` which correctly finds ANY `.jsonl` file in `.beads/` directory, so both filenames work.


Test exclusive file reservations with two agents

Simulate two agents racing to claim the same issue and verify that exclusive reservations prevent collision.

Acceptance Criteria:
- Agent A reserves bd-123 → succeeds
- Agent B tries to reserve bd-123 → fails with clear error message
- Agent B can see who has the reservation
- Reservation expires after TTL
- Agent B can claim after expiration

Successfully tested file reservations:
- Agent BrownBear reserved bd-123 → granted
- Agent ChartreuseHill tried same → conflicts returned
- System correctly prevents collision


Verify MCP Server Compatibility

Ensure MCP server works with cache-free daemon


Exclude tombstones from SearchIssues by default

SearchIssues() returns tombstones if they match search criteria. Per design, users generally shouldn't see deleted issues in search results.

Location: internal/storage/sqlite/queries.go:1155-1311 and transaction.go:887-1044

Options:
1. Add default tombstone exclusion unless explicitly filtering for them
2. Add IncludeTombstones field to IssueFilter

Recommendation: Add 'status != tombstone' to WHERE clause unless filter.Status == StatusTombstone


Fix Windows-specific test failures in CI

Several tests are failing on Windows but passing on Linux:

**Failing tests:**
- TestFindDatabasePathEnvVar
- TestHashIDs_MultiCloneConverge
- TestHashIDs_IdenticalContentDedup
- TestDatabaseReinitialization (all 5 subtests):
  - fresh_clone_auto_import
  - database_removal_scenario
  - legacy_filename_support
  - precedence_test
  - init_safety_check
- TestFindBeadsDir_NotFound
- TestMetricsSnapshot/uptime (in internal/rpc)

**CI Run:** https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/actions/runs/19015638968

These are likely path separator or filesystem behavior differences between Windows and Linux.

Fixed all Windows path issues:
1. TestFindDatabasePathEnvVar - expects canonicalized paths ✅
2. TestHashIDs tests - use platform-specific bd.exe command ✅
3. TestMetricsSnapshot/uptime - enforce minimum 1 second uptime ✅
4. TestFindBeadsDir_NotFound - allow finding .beads in parent dirs ✅
5. TestDatabaseReinitialization - fix git path conversion on Windows (git returns /c/Users/... but filepath needs C:\Users\...) ✅

CI run in progress to verify all fixes.


Add 'bd message send' command for Agent Mail messaging

Agent Mail server supports messaging between agents, but bd CLI only uses it for file reservations. Add commands for inter-agent messaging.

## Background
- Agent Mail server running at http://127.0.0.1:8765
- 12 workspaces configured across 3 channels (beads.dev, vc.dev, wyvern.dev)
- Current integration: file reservations only
- Gap: no way to send messages from bd CLI

## Proposed Commands

```bash
# Send message to another agent
bd message send <to-agent> <message> [options]
  --subject <subject>
  --thread-id <thread-id>     # Optional - group related messages
  --project-id <project>      # Defaults to BEADS_PROJECT_ID

# List inbox messages
bd message inbox [options]
  --limit <N>
  --unread-only

# Read specific message
bd message read <message-id>

# Mark message as acknowledged
bd message ack <message-id>
```

## Example Usage

```bash
# Send message to agent in same channel
bd message send cino-beads-stevey-macbook "Working on bd-z0yn, need your review" \
  --subject "Review request" \
  --thread-id bd-z0yn

# Check inbox
bd message inbox --unread-only

# Read and acknowledge
bd message read msg-abc123
bd message ack msg-abc123
```

## Design Notes
- Use same env vars (BEADS_AGENT_MAIL_URL, BEADS_AGENT_NAME, BEADS_PROJECT_ID)
- Graceful degradation if Agent Mail unavailable
- JSON output support for all commands
- Consider integrating with bd update/close (auto-notify on status changes)

## References
- Agent Mail README: ~/src/mcp_agent_mail/README.md
- Beads integration docs: docs/AGENT_MAIL.md

## Implementation Summary

Added four new commands to bd CLI for Agent Mail messaging:

1. `bd message send <to-agent> <message>` - Send messages to other agents
   - Flags: --subject, --thread-id, --importance, --ack-required
   - Supports markdown content
   - Thread conversations by issue ID

2. `bd message inbox` - List inbox messages
   - Flags: --limit, --unread-only, --urgent-only, --json
   - Shows subject, sender, age, importance
   - Highlights unread and ACK-required messages

3. `bd message read <message-id>` - Read and mark message as read
   - Automatically marks message as read
   - Shows message content

4. `bd message ack <message-id>` - Acknowledge a message
   - Marks message as acknowledged
   - Also marks as read if not already

## Implementation Details

- Uses JSON-RPC over HTTP to communicate with Agent Mail server
- Configuration via environment variables (BEADS_AGENT_MAIL_URL, BEADS_AGENT_NAME, BEADS_PROJECT_ID)
- Graceful error messages when Agent Mail not configured
- Full JSON output support for programmatic use
- Follows same patterns as existing bd commands

## Documentation

Updated:
- docs/AGENT_MAIL.md - Added "Messaging Commands" section with examples and best practices
- README.md - Added "Messaging (Agent Mail)" section in Usage

## Testing

- Compiles successfully
- Help output works correctly
- Ready for integration testing with Agent Mail server


bd sync false positive: conflict detection triggers on JSON-encoded angle brackets in issue content

The bd sync --import-only command incorrectly detects conflict markers when issue descriptions contain the text '<<<<<<<' or '>>>>>>>' as legitimate content (e.g., documentation about git conflict markers).

**Reproduction:**
1. Create issue with design field containing: 'Read file, extract <<<<<<< / ======= / >>>>>>> markers'
2. Export to JSONL (gets JSON-encoded as \u003c\u003c\u003c...)
3. Commit and push
4. Pull from remote
5. bd sync --import-only fails with: 'Git conflict markers detected in JSONL file'

**Root cause:**
The conflict detection appears to decode JSON before checking for conflict markers, causing false positives when issue content legitimately contains these strings.

**Expected behavior:**
Conflict detection should only trigger on actual git conflict markers (literal '<<<<<<<' bytes in the raw file), not on JSON-encoded content within issue fields.

**Test case:**
VC project at ~/src/dave/vc has vc-85 'JSONL Conflict Parser' which documents conflict parsing and triggers this bug.

**Suggested fixes:**
1. Only scan for literal '<<<<<<<' bytes (not decoded JSON content)
2. Parse JSONL first and only flag unparseable lines
3. Check git merge state (git status) to confirm actual conflict
4. Add --skip-conflict-check flag for override


Add integration tests for adapter library

Test suite for beads_mail_adapter.py covering all scenarios.

Acceptance Criteria:
- Test enabled mode (server available)
- Test disabled mode (server unavailable)
- Test graceful degradation (server dies mid-operation)
- Test reservation conflicts
- Test message sending/receiving
- Mock HTTP server for testing
- 90%+ code coverage

File: lib/test_beads_mail_adapter.py

Test suite completed with 29 comprehensive tests covering:
- Enabled mode (server available): 10 tests
- Disabled mode (server unavailable): 2 tests
- Graceful degradation: 4 tests
- Reservation conflicts: 2 tests
- Configuration: 5 tests
- Health check scenarios: 3 tests
- HTTP error handling: 3 tests

**Performance**: All tests run in 10ms (fast!)

**Coverage highlights**:
✅ Server health checks (ok, degraded, error, timeout)
✅ All API operations (reserve, release, notify, check_inbox, get_reservations)
✅ HTTP errors (404, 409 conflict, 500, 503)
✅ Network errors (timeout, connection refused)
✅ Malformed responses (bad JSON, empty body, plain text errors)
✅ Environment variable configuration
✅ Graceful degradation when server dies mid-operation
✅ Conflict handling with both JSON and plain text errors
✅ Dict wrapper responses ({"messages": [...]} and {"reservations": [...]})
✅ Custom TTL for reservations
✅ Default agent name fallback

No external dependencies, no slow integration tests, just fast unit tests with mocks.


Implement `bd setup cursor` for Cursor IDE integration

Create a `bd setup cursor` command that integrates Beads workflow into Cursor IDE via .cursorrules file. Unlike Claude Code (which has hooks), Cursor uses a static rules file to provide context to its AI.


GH#245: Windows MCP subprocess timeout for git rev-parse

User reports git detection timing out on Windows in MCP server, but CLI works fine.

Path: C:\Users\chris\Documents\DEV_R\quarto-cli
Error: Git repository detection timed out after 5s
Works fine in CLI: `git rev-parse --show-toplevel` succeeds

Hypothesis: subprocess.run() with asyncio.to_thread() may have Windows-specific issues or the MCP runtime environment may not have proper PATH/git access.

Potential fixes:
1. Add subprocess shell=True on Windows
2. Increase timeout further for Windows
3. Add better error logging to capture subprocess stderr
4. Skip git resolution entirely on timeout and just use provided path


Upgrade notification persists after running suggested commands

The upgrade notification kept showing even after running 'bd upgrade review' and 'bd doctor' as suggested.

Expected: Notification should be dismissed after running either/both commands
Actual: Notification persisted on every bd command

Investigation findings:
- metadata.json correctly shows last_bd_version=0.28.0
- The notification stopped appearing after a few more invocations
- May be related to daemon caching or a race condition
- The 'upgradeAcknowledged' flag in version_tracking.go:115 only persists per-session (in-memory)

Possible causes:
1. Daemon vs direct mode inconsistency - daemon may have stale version info
2. The version is checked/updated before daemon connection, but daemon has cached state
3. Race between trackBdVersion() and daemon startup

Status: May have resolved itself, but root cause unclear. Close if no longer reproducible.


Priority 0 in merge may incorrectly win over set priorities

In mergePriority(), priority 0 (which may mean 'unset' due to Go's zero value) beats any explicitly set priority like P1, P2, etc. Should probably treat 0 as 'no priority set' and not let it win conflicts.


Add transaction + retry logic for N-way collision resolution

## Problem
Current N-way collision resolution fails on UNIQUE constraint violations during convergence rounds when 5+ clones sync. The RemapCollisions function is non-atomic and performs operations sequentially:
1. Delete old issues (CASCADE deletes dependencies)
2. Create remapped issues (can fail with UNIQUE constraint)
3. Recreate dependencies
4. Update text references

Failure at step 2 leaves database in inconsistent state.

## Solution
Wrap collision resolution in database transaction with retry logic:
- Make entire RemapCollisions operation atomic
- Retry up to 3 times on UNIQUE constraint failures
- Re-sync counters between retries
- Add better error messages for debugging

## Implementation
Location: internal/storage/sqlite/collision.go:342 (RemapCollisions function)

```go
// Retry up to 3 times on UNIQUE constraint failures
for attempt := 0; attempt < 3; attempt++ {
    err := s.db.ExecInTransaction(func(tx *sql.Tx) error {
        // All collision resolution operations
    })
    if !isUniqueConstraintError(err) {
        return err
    }
    s.SyncAllCounters(ctx)
}
```

## Success Criteria
- 5-clone collision test passes reliably
- No partial state on UNIQUE constraint errors
- Automatic recovery from transient ID conflicts

## References
- See beads_nway_test.go:124 for the KNOWN LIMITATION comment
- Related to-7c5915ae (transaction support)

## Progress Made

1. Added `ExecInTransaction` helper to SQLiteStorage for atomic database operations
2. Added `IsUniqueConstraintError` function to detect UNIQUE constraint violations
3. Wrapped `RemapCollisions` with retry logic (up to 3 attempts) with counter sync between retries
4. Enhanced `handleRename` to detect and handle race conditions where target ID already exists
5. Added defensive checks for when old ID has been deleted by another clone

## Test Results

The changes improve N-way collision handling but don't fully solve the problem:
- Original error: `UNIQUE constraint failed: issues.id` during first convergence round
- With changes: Test proceeds further but encounters different collision scenarios
- New error: `target ID already exists with different content` in later convergence rounds

## Root Cause Analysis

The issue is more complex than initially thought. In N-way scenarios:
1. Clone A remaps bd-1c63eb84 → test-2 → test-4
2. Clone B remaps bd-1c63eb84 → test-3 → test-4
3. Both try to create test-4, but with different intermediate states
4. This creates legitimate content collisions that require additional resolution

## Next Steps

The full solution requires:
1. Making remapping fully deterministic across clones (same input → same remapped ID)
2. OR making `handleRename` more tolerant of mid-flight collisions
3. OR implementing full transaction support for multi-step collision resolution -7c5915ae)

The retry logic added here provides a foundation but isn't sufficient for complex N-way scenarios.


Investigate and upgrade to modernc.org/sqlite 1.39.1+

We had to pin modernc.org/sqlite to v1.38.2 due to a FOREIGN KEY constraint regression in v1.39.1 (SQLite 3.50.4).

**Issue:** [deleted:bd-47], GH #144

**Symptom:** CloseIssue fails with "FOREIGN KEY constraint failed (787)" when called via MCP/daemon, but works fine via CLI.

**Root Cause:** Unknown - likely stricter FK enforcement in SQLite 3.50.4 or modernc.org wrapper changes.

**Workaround:** Pinned to v1.38.2 (SQLite 3.49.x)

**TODO:**
1. Monitor modernc.org/sqlite releases for fixes
2. Check SQLite 3.50.5+ changelogs for FK-related fixes
3. Investigate why daemon mode fails but CLI succeeds (connection reuse? transaction isolation?)
4. Consider filing upstream issue with reproducible test case
5. Upgrade when safe


Create npm package structure with package.json

Set up initial npm package structure for @beads/bd:

## Files to create
- npm/package.json - Package metadata, dependencies, scripts
- npm/bin/bd - CLI wrapper script that invokes native binary
- npm/.gitignore - Ignore downloaded binaries
- npm/README.md - Installation and usage instructions

## package.json structure
- Name: @beads/bd (scoped package)
- Main: index.js (exports binary path)
- Bin: bin/bd (CLI entry point)
- Scripts: postinstall (download binary)
- Keywords: issue-tracker, cli, beads, bd
- License: MIT

## Bin wrapper
Simple Node.js script that:
- Spawns native binary with child_process.spawn
- Passes through all arguments and stdio
- Exits with binary's exit code


Invert control for compact: provide tools for agent-driven compaction

Currently compact requires Anthropic API key because bd calls the AI directly. This is backwards - we should provide tools (like all other bd commands) that let an AI agent perform the compaction. The agent decides what to keep/merge, not bd. Related to GH #243 complaint about API key requirement.


MCP server loses workspace context after Amp restart - causes silent failures

**CRITICAL BUG**: The beads MCP server loses workspace context when Amp restarts, leading to silent failures and potential data corruption.

## Reproduction
1. Start Amp with beads MCP server configured
2. Call `mcp__beads__set_context(workspace_root="/path/to/project")`
3. Use MCP tools successfully (e.g., `mcp__beads__show`, `mcp__beads__list`)
4. Restart Amp (new thread/session)
5. Try to use MCP tools without calling `set_context` again
6. **Result**: "Not connected" or "No workspace set" errors

## Impact
- Amp agents silently fail when trying to read/update beads issues
- May attempt to create duplicate issues because they can't see existing ones
- Potential for data corruption if operating on wrong database
- Breaks multi-session workflows
- Creates confusion: CLI works (`./bd`) but MCP tools don't

## Current Workaround
Manually call `mcp__beads__set_context()` at start of every Amp session.

## Root Cause
MCP server is stateful and doesn't persist workspace context across restarts.

## Proposed Fix
**Option 1 (Best)**: Auto-detect workspace from current working directory
- Match behavior of CLI `./bd` commands
- Check for `.beads/` directory in current dir or parents
- No manual context setting needed

**Option 2**: Persist context in MCP server state file
- Save last workspace_root to `~/.config/beads/mcp_context.json`
- Restore on server startup

**Option 3**: Require explicit context in every MCP call
- Add optional `workspace_root` parameter to all MCP tools
- Fall back to saved context if not provided

Acceptance:
- MCP tools work across Amp restarts without manual set_context()
- Auto-detection matches CLI behavior (walks up from CWD)
- Clear error message when no workspace found
- set_context() still works for explicit override
- BEADS_WORKING_DIR env var support
- Integration test validates restart behavior


Extract hash ID generation functions to hash_ids.go

Move generateHashID, getNextChildNumber, GetNextChildID to hash_ids.go


Document CLI + hooks as recommended approach over MCP

Update documentation to position CLI + bd prime hooks as the primary recommended approach over MCP server, explaining why minimizing context matters even with large context windows (compute cost, energy, environment, latency).


Remove Daemon Storage Cache

The daemon's multi-repo storage cache is the root cause of stale data bugs. Since global daemon is deprecated, we only ever serve one repository, making the cache unnecessary complexity. This epic removes the cache entirely for simpler, more reliable direct storage access.


Merge3Way public API does not expose TTL parameter

The public Merge3Way() function in merge.go does not allow callers to configure the tombstone TTL. It hard-codes the default via merge3WayWithTTL(). While merge3WayWithTTL() exists, it is unexported (lowercase). This means the CLI and tests cannot configure TTL at merge time. Use cases: testing with different TTL values, per-repository TTL configuration, debugging with short TTL, supporting --ttl flag in bd merge command (mentioned in design doc bd-zvg). Recommendation: Export Merge3WayWithTTL (rename to uppercase). Files: internal/merge/merge.go:77, 292-298


Review multi-repo deletion tracking implementation

Thoroughly review the multi-repo deletion tracking fix (bd-4oob):

Files changed:
- cmd/bd/deletion_tracking.go: Added getMultiRepoJSONLPaths() helper
- cmd/bd/daemon_sync.go: Updated snapshot capture/update logic for multi-repo
- cmd/bd/deletion_tracking_test.go: Added 2 new tests (287 lines)

Review focus areas:
1. Correctness: Does getMultiRepoJSONLPaths() handle all edge cases?
2. Performance: Calling getMultiRepoJSONLPaths() 3x per sync (snapshot capture, merge, base update) - should we cache?
3. Error handling: What if some repos fail snapshot operations but others succeed?
4. Race conditions: Multiple daemons in different repos?
5. Test coverage: Are TestMultiRepoDeletionTracking and TestMultiRepoSnapshotIsolation sufficient?
6. Path handling: Absolute vs relative paths, tilde expansion

This is fresh code - needs careful review before considering deletion tracking production-ready.

Code review completed. Overall assessment: Core deletion tracking logic is sound, but error handling and path handling issues make this not yet production-ready for multi-repo scenarios.

Key findings:

CRITICAL ISSUES (Priority 1):
1. Inconsistent error handling in daemon_sync.go - snapshot/merge fail hard but base update warns. Can leave DB in inconsistent state with no rollback. See bd-sjmr.
2. No path normalization in getMultiRepoJSONLPaths() - tilde expansion, relative paths, duplicates not handled. See bd-iye7.

SHOULD FIX (Priority 2):
3. Missing test coverage for edge cases - empty paths, duplicates, partial failures. See bd-kdoh.
4. Performance - getMultiRepoJSONLPaths() called 3x per sync (minor issue). See bd-we4p.

WHAT WORKS WELL:
- Atomic file operations with PID-based temp files
- Good snapshot isolation between repos
- Race condition protection via exclusive locks
- Solid test coverage for happy path scenarios

VERDICT: Address bd-iye7 and bd-sjmr before considering deletion tracking production-ready for multi-repo mode.

Detailed review notes available in conversation history.


Create Go adapter library (optional)

For agents written in Go, provide native adapter library instead of shelling out to curl.

Acceptance Criteria:
- agentmail.Client struct
- HTTP client with timeout/retry logic
- Same API as Python adapter
- Example usage in examples/go-agent/
- Unit tests

File: pkg/agentmail/client.go

Note: Lower priority - can shell out to curl initially


Review and document rarely-used commands

Document use cases or consider deprecation for infrequently-used commands.

**Commands to review:**
1. bd rename-prefix - How often is this used? Document use cases
2. bd detect-pollution - Consider integrating into bd validate
3. bd migrate-hash-ids - One-time migration, keep but document as legacy

**For each command:**
- Document typical use cases
- Add examples to help text
- Consider if it should be a subcommand instead
- Add deprecation warning if appropriate

**Not changing:**
- duplicates ✓ (useful for data quality)
- repair-deps ✓ (useful for fixing broken refs)
- restore ✓ (critical for compacted issues)
- compact ✓ (performance feature)

**Deliverable:**
- Updated help text
- Documentation in ADVANCED.md
- Deprecation plan if needed


Parent: bd-imj

Ensure deletions.jsonl is tracked in git (not ignored).

Update bd init and gitignore upgrade logic to:
1. NOT add deletions.jsonl to .gitignore
2. Ensure it is committed alongside beads.jsonl

The file must be in git for cross-clone propagation to work.

Acceptance criteria:
- bd init does not ignore deletions.jsonl
- Existing .gitignore files are not broken
- File appears in git status when modified


Add tests for daemon config module


Fix Nix flake build test failures

Nix build is failing during test phase with same test errors as Windows.

**Error:**
```
error: Cannot build '/nix/store/rgyi1j44dm6ylrzlg2h3z97axmfq9hzr-beads-0.9.9.drv'.
Reason: builder failed with exit code 1.
FAIL github.com/steveyegge/beads/cmd/bd 16.141s
```

This may be related to test environment setup or the same issues affecting Windows tests.


Address gosec security warnings (102 issues)

Security linter warnings: file permissions (0755 should be 0750), G304 file inclusion via variable, G204 subprocess launches. Many are false positives but should be reviewed.


Fix multi-round convergence for N-way collisions

## Problem

N-way collision resolution is working (IDs get remapped correctly), but clones don't fully converge after a single final pull. Each clone is missing some issues that other clones have.

From TestFiveCloneCollision results:
- Clone A has: A, B
- Clone B has: A, B
- Clone C has: A, B, C
- Clone D has: A, B, C, D
- Clone E has: A, B, C, E

**Expected**: All clones should have A, B, C, D, E after final pull.

## Root Cause

The current sync workflow does:
1. Each clone syncs in order (resolving collisions locally)
2. Final pull to get all changes

But the final pull itself may need import with collision resolution, which creates new commits. These new commits aren't propagated to other clones, so they remain incomplete.

## Proposed Solution

**Option 1: Multi-round final sync**
- After final pull, do additional sync rounds until all clones converge
- Check convergence by comparing issue counts or content hashes
- Maximum N rounds for N clones

**Option 2: Iterative pull-import-push**
- Each clone: pull → import with --resolve-collisions → push
- Repeat until no new changes
- Guaranteed convergence but may create commit spam

**Option 3: Fix auto-import to be truly idempotent**
- Ensure importing same JSONL multiple times produces no new commits
- May require smarter content-based deduplication

## Acceptance Criteria

- TestFiveCloneCollision passes without t.Skip
- All N clones have all N issues after convergence
- Convergence happens in bounded rounds (≤ N)
- No data loss or duplication
- Works for arbitrary N (tested with 5, 10 clones)

## Impact

This is the final blocker for bd-cbed9619 epic completion.


Frontend task


Investigate why test issues persist in database

Test issues (bd-0do3, bd-cjxp, bd-phr2, etc.) keep appearing in ready/list output, cluttering real work. These appear to be leftover test data from test runs.

Need to investigate:
1. Why are test issues not being cleaned up after tests?
2. Are tests creating issues in the main database instead of test databases?
3. Should we add better test isolation or cleanup hooks?
4. Can we add a label/prefix to distinguish test issues from real issues?

These test issues have characteristics:
- Empty descriptions
- Generic titles like "Test issue 0", "Bug P0", "Issue to reopen with reason"
- Created around 2025-11-07 19:00-19:07
- Some assigned to test users like "alice", "bob", "testuser"

## Root Cause Analysis

**Problem**: Python MCP integration tests created test issues in production `.beads/beads.db` instead of isolated test databases.

**Evidence**:
- 29 test issues created on Nov 7, 2025 at 19:00-19:07
- Patterns: "Bug P0", "Test issue X", assignees "alice"/"bob"/"testuser"
- Git commit 0e8936b shows test issues committed to .beads/beads.jsonl
- Tests were being fixed for workspace isolation around the same time

**Why It Happened**:
1. Before commit 0e8936b, `test_client_lazy_initialization()` didn't set `BEADS_WORKING_DIR`
2. Tests fell back to discovering `.beads/` in the project root directory
3. Auto-sync committed test issues to production database

**Resolution**:
1. ✅ Closed 29 test pollution issues (bd-0do3, bd-cjxp, etc.)
2. ✅ Added `failIfProductionDatabase()` guard in Go test helpers
3. ✅ Added production pollution checks in RPC test setup
4. ✅ Created `conftest.py` with pytest safety checks for Python tests
5. ✅ Added `BEADS_TEST_MODE` env var to mark test execution
6. ✅ Tests now fail fast if they detect production database usage

**Prevention**:
- All test helper functions now verify database paths are in temp directories
- Python tests fail immediately if BEADS_DB points to production
- BEADS_TEST_MODE flag helps identify test vs production execution
- Clear error messages guide developers to use proper test isolation

**Files Modified**:
- cmd/bd/test_helpers_test.go - Added failIfProductionDatabase()
- internal/rpc/rpc_test.go - Added temp directory verification
- integrations/beads-mcp/tests/conftest.py - New file with pytest safeguards


Add #nosec G304 comments to JSONL file reads in sync.go

sync.go:610 uses os.ReadFile(jsonlPath) without #nosec comment, inconsistent with other JSONL reads that have '// #nosec G304 - controlled path'.

Add comment for consistency with integrity.go:43 and import.go:316.


Git history fallback doesn't escape regex special chars in IDs

## Problem

In `batchCheckGitHistory`, IDs are directly interpolated into a regex pattern:

```go
patterns = append(patterns, fmt.Sprintf(\`"id":"%s"\`, id))
searchPattern := strings.Join(patterns, "|")
cmd := exec.Command("git", "log", "--all", "-G", searchPattern, ...)
```

If an ID contains regex special characters (e.g., `bd-foo.bar` or `bd-test+1`), the pattern will be malformed or match unintended strings.

## Location
`internal/importer/importer.go:923-926`

## Impact
- False positives: IDs with `.` could match any character
- Regex errors: IDs with `[` or `(` could cause git to fail
- Security: potential for regex injection (low risk since IDs are validated)

## Fix
Escape regex special characters:

```go
import "regexp"

escapedID := regexp.QuoteMeta(id)
patterns = append(patterns, fmt.Sprintf(\`"id":"%s"\`, escapedID))
```


Need --no-git-history flag to disable git history backfill during import

During JSONL migration (beads.jsonl → issues.jsonl), the git history backfill mechanism causes data loss by finding issues in the old beads.jsonl git history and incorrectly treating them as deleted.

A --no-git-history flag for 'bd import' and 'bd sync' would allow users to disable the git history fallback when it's causing problems.

Use cases:
- JSONL filename migrations
- Repos with complex git history
- Debugging import issues
- Performance (skip slow git scans)

Related: bd-0gh (migration causes spurious deletions)


Update AGENTS.md and README.md with "bd daemons" documentation

Document the new "bd daemons" command and all subcommands in AGENTS.md and README.md. Include examples and troubleshooting guidance.


bd import fails on duplicate external_ref with no resolution options

When JSONL contains duplicate external_ref values (e.g., two issues both have external_ref='BS-170'), bd import fails entirely with no resolution options.

User must manually edit JSONL to remove duplicates, which is error-prone.

Example error:
```
batch import contains duplicate external_ref values:
external_ref 'BS-170' appears in issues: [opal-39 opal-43]
```

Should handle this similar to duplicate issue detection - offer to merge, pick one, or clear duplicates.


Fix bd doctor to recommend issues.jsonl as canonical (not beads.jsonl)


Wire config to import pipeline

Connect import.orphan_handling config to importer.go and sqlite validation functions. Pass mode flag through call chain. Implement all four modes (strict/resurrect/skip/allow) with proper error messages and logging.


Add functional tests for FlushManager correctness verification


Update 3-way merge to handle tombstones

Modify internal/merge/merge.go to detect tombstones, implement tombstone-wins-unless-expired logic, add TTL parameter to merge functions. Per design bd-zvg.


Refactor sqlite.go into focused modules

Split sqlite.go (2,298 lines) into focused modules: migrations.go, ids.go, issues.go, events.go, dirty.go, db.go. This will improve maintainability and reduce cognitive load.


Test Issue


Replace BEADS_DB with BEADS_DIR environment variable

Implement BEADS_DIR as a replacement for BEADS_DB to point to the .beads directory instead of the database file directly.

Rationale:
- With --no-db mode, there's no .db file to point to
- The .beads directory is the logical unit (contains config.yaml, db files, jsonl files)
- More intuitive: point to the beads directory not the database file

Implementation:
1. Add BEADS_DIR environment variable support
2. Maintain backward compatibility with BEADS_DB
3. Priority order: BEADS_DIR > BEADS_DB > auto-discovery
4. If BEADS_DIR is set, look for config.yaml in that directory to find actual database path
5. Update documentation and migration guide

Files to modify:
- beads.go (FindDatabasePath function)
- cmd/bd/main.go (initialization)
- Documentation (CLI_REFERENCE.md, TROUBLESHOOTING.md, etc.)
- MCP integration (integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/config.py)

Testing:
- Ensure BEADS_DB still works (backward compatibility)
- Test BEADS_DIR with both db and --no-db modes
- Test priority order when both are set
- Update integration tests

Related to GitHub issue #179


Measure git operation reduction

Quantify the reduction in git operations (pulls, commits, pushes) when using Agent Mail for coordination.

Acceptance Criteria:
- Baseline: count git ops for 10 issues without Agent Mail
- With Agent Mail: count git ops for 10 issues
- Document reduction percentage
- Verify 70-80% reduction claim
- Measure impact on .git directory size growth

Success Metric: ≥70% reduction in git operations


Extract SQLite migrations into separate files

The file `internal/storage/sqlite/sqlite.go` is 2,136 lines and contains 11 sequential migrations alongside core storage logic. Extract migrations into a versioned system.

Current issues:
- 11 migration functions mixed with core logic
- Hard to see migration history
- Sequential migrations slow database open
- No clear migration versioning

Migration functions to extract:
- `migrateDirtyIssuesTable()`
- `migrateIssueCountersTable()`
- `migrateExternalRefColumn()`
- `migrateCompositeIndexes()`
- `migrateClosedAtConstraint()`
- `migrateCompactionColumns()`
- `migrateSnapshotsTable()`
- `migrateCompactionConfig()`
- `migrateCompactedAtCommitColumn()`
- `migrateExportHashesTable()`
- Plus 1 more (11 total)

Target structure:
```
internal/storage/sqlite/
├── sqlite.go          # Core storage (~800 lines)
├── schema.go          # Table definitions (~200 lines)
├── migrations.go      # Migration orchestration (~200 lines)
└── migrations/        # Individual migrations
    ├── 001_initial_schema.go
    ├── 002_dirty_issues.go
    ├── 003_issue_counters.go
    [... through 011_export_hashes.go]
```

Benefits:
- Clear migration history
- Each migration self-contained
- Easier to review migration changes in PRs
- Future migrations easier to add


Implement content-first idempotent import

## Overview
Phase 4: Refactor import to be content-first and idempotent, ensuring importing same JSONL multiple times always converges correctly.

## Current Problem
Current import is ID-first:
1. Look up by ID
2. If exists, update
3. If not exists, create

This causes issues when:
- Same content arrives with different IDs (renames not detected)
- Multiple rounds of import needed for convergence
- Import order affects final state

## Solution
Make import content-first and idempotent:
1. Hash all incoming and existing issues
2. Match by content hash first (detect renames)
3. Handle ID conflicts second (using global resolution)
4. Ensure importing same data multiple times = no-op

## Implementation Tasks

### 1. Refactor ImportIssues to be content-first
File: internal/importer/importer.go

```go
func ImportIssues(ctx context.Context, dbPath string, store storage.Storage,
    issues []*types.Issue, opts Options) (*Result, error) {

    result := &Result{...}

    sqliteStore, needCloseStore, err := getOrCreateStore(ctx, dbPath, store)
    if err != nil {
        return nil, err
    }
    if needCloseStore {
        defer func() { _ = sqliteStore.Close() }()
    }

    // Phase 1: Compute content hashes for all incoming issues
    for _, issue := range issues {
        issue.ContentHash = issue.ComputeContentHash()
    }

    // Phase 2: Build content hash maps
    incomingByHash := buildHashMap(issues)
    dbIssues, _ := sqliteStore.SearchIssues(ctx, "", types.IssueFilter{})
    dbByHash := buildHashMap(dbIssues)
    dbByID := buildIDMap(dbIssues)

    // Phase 3: Content-first matching
    var newIssues []*types.Issue
    var idConflicts []*CollisionDetail

    for hash, incoming := range incomingByHash {
        if existing, found := dbByHash[hash]; found {
            // Same content exists
            if existing.ID == incoming.ID {
                // Exact match - idempotent case
                result.Unchanged++
            } else {
                // Same content, different ID - rename detected
                // Delete old ID, keep new ID (incoming is canonical)
                if err := handleRename(ctx, sqliteStore, existing, incoming); err != nil {
                    return nil, err
                }
                result.Updated++
            }
        } else {
            // New content - check for ID collision
            if existingWithID, found := dbByID[incoming.ID]; found {
                // ID exists but different content - collision
                idConflicts = append(idConflicts, &CollisionDetail{
                    ID:            incoming.ID,
                    IncomingIssue: incoming,
                    ExistingIssue: existingWithID,
                })
            } else {
                // Truly new issue
                newIssues = append(newIssues, incoming)
            }
        }
    }

    // Phase 4: Resolve ID conflicts using global algorithm
    if len(idConflicts) > 0 {
        if !opts.ResolveCollisions {
            return nil, fmt.Errorf("collision detected")
        }

        idMapping, err := sqlite.ResolveNWayCollisions(ctx, sqliteStore,
            idConflicts, issues)
        if err != nil {
            return nil, err
        }

        if err := applyIDMapping(ctx, sqliteStore, idMapping); err != nil {
            return nil, err
        }

        result.IDMapping = idMapping
        result.Collisions = len(idConflicts)
    }

    // Phase 5: Create new issues
    if len(newIssues) > 0 {
        if err := sqliteStore.CreateIssues(ctx, newIssues, "import"); err != nil {
            return nil, err
        }
        result.Created = len(newIssues)
    }

    // Phase 6: Import dependencies, labels, comments (existing logic)
    // ...

    return result, nil
}
```

### 2. Implement helper functions

```go
// buildHashMap creates a map of content hash → issue
func buildHashMap(issues []*types.Issue) map[string]*types.Issue {
    result := make(map[string]*types.Issue)
    for _, issue := range issues {
        result[issue.ContentHash] = issue
    }
    return result
}

// buildIDMap creates a map of ID → issue
func buildIDMap(issues []*types.Issue) map[string]*types.Issue {
    result := make(map[string]*types.Issue)
    for _, issue := range issues {
        result[issue.ID] = issue
    }
    return result
}

// handleRename handles content match with different IDs
func handleRename(ctx context.Context, s *SQLiteStorage,
    existing *types.Issue, incoming *types.Issue) error {

    // Delete old ID
    if err := s.DeleteIssue(ctx, existing.ID); err != nil {
        return fmt.Errorf("failed to delete old ID %s: %w", existing.ID, err)
    }

    // Create with new ID
    if err := s.CreateIssue(ctx, incoming, "import-rename"); err != nil {
        return fmt.Errorf("failed to create renamed issue %s: %w",
            incoming.ID, err)
    }

    // Update references from old ID to new ID
    idMapping := map[string]string{existing.ID: incoming.ID}
    return updateReferences(ctx, s, idMapping)
}
```

### 3. Add idempotency tests

Test cases:
1. Import same JSONL twice → second import reports all Unchanged
2. Import, modify DB, import again → reports Updated
3. Import with rename, import again → idempotent
4. Import with collision resolution, import again → idempotent

### 4. Update handleCollisions to use new flow
Current handleCollisions in importer.go needs to be updated to:
- Use content-first matching
- Call new ResolveNWayCollisions
- Apply results using ApplyCollisionResolution

## Acceptance Criteria
- Import matches by content hash before checking IDs
- Importing same JSONL multiple times is idempotent (reports Unchanged)
- Rename detection works (same content, different ID)
- ID conflicts resolved using global algorithm
- Result.Unchanged correctly tracks idempotent imports
- TestThreeCloneCollision passes
- All existing import tests still pass

## Testing Strategy

### Unit Tests
- buildHashMap correctly indexes by content hash
- buildIDMap correctly indexes by ID
- handleRename deletes old, creates new, updates references

### Integration Tests
- Import same data twice → idempotent
- Import renamed issue → handled correctly
- Import with collision → resolved globally
- Final pull after 3-way collision → all clones converge

### Property Tests
- Idempotency: Import(x); Import(x) ≡ Import(x)
- Commutativity: Import(a); Import(b) ≡ Import(b); Import(a) (for non-colliding issues)
- Convergence: After N rounds of sync, all clones identical

## Files to Modify
- internal/importer/importer.go (major refactor of ImportIssues)
- internal/importer/importer_test.go (new tests)
- cmd/bd/import_bug_test.go (update for new behavior)

## Dependencies
- Requires bd-cbed9619.5 (ContentHash field)
- Requires bd-cbed9619.4 (read-only detection)
- Requires bd-cbed9619.3 (global resolution)

## Risk Mitigation
Major refactor of import logic. Recommend:
1. Comprehensive tests before modifying
2. Feature flag to enable/disable
3. Keep old import code path for rollback
4. Test with all existing import tests
5. Manual testing with real repositories

## Success Metrics
After this phase:
- TestThreeCloneCollision should PASS
- All clones converge after final pull
- Import is demonstrably idempotent
- No data loss in N-way scenarios


[CRITICAL] Sync validation false positive - legitimate deletions trigger 'data loss detected'

Sync preflight validation incorrectly detects 'data loss' when legitimate deletions occur. This blocks all syncs and is the highest priority fix.


Export deduplication breaks when JSONL and export_hashes table diverge

## Problem

The export deduplication feature (timestamp-only skipping) breaks when the JSONL file and export_hashes table get out of sync, causing exports to skip issues that aren't actually in the file.

## Symptoms

- `bd export` reports "Skipped 128 issue(s) with timestamp-only changes"
- JSONL file only has 38 lines but DB has 149 issues
- export_hashes table has 149 entries
- Auto-import doesn't trigger (hash matches despite missing data)
- Two repos on same commit show different issue counts

## Root Cause

shouldSkipExport() in autoflush.go compares current issue hash with stored export_hashes entry. If they match, it skips export assuming the issue is already in the JSONL.

This assumption fails when:
1. Git operations (pull, reset, checkout) change JSONL without clearing export_hashes
2. Manual JSONL edits or corruption
3. Import operations that modify DB but don't update export_hashes
4. Partial exports that update export_hashes but don't complete

## Impact

- **Critical data loss risk**: Issues appear to be tracked but aren't persisted to git
- Breaks multi-repo sync (root cause of today's debugging session)
- Auto-import fails to detect staleness (hash matches despite missing data)
- Silent data corruption (no error messages, just missing issues)

## Reproduction

1. Have DB with 149 issues, all in export_hashes table
2. Truncate JSONL to 38 lines (simulate git reset or corruption)
3. Run `bd export` - it skips 128 issues
4. JSONL still has only 38 lines but export thinks it succeeded

## Current Workaround

```bash
sqlite3 .beads/beads.db "DELETE FROM export_hashes"
bd export -o .beads/beads.jsonl
```

## Proposed Solutions

**Option 1: Verify JSONL integrity before skipping**
- Count lines in JSONL, compare with export_hashes count
- If mismatch, clear export_hashes and force full export
- Safe but adds I/O overhead

**Option 2: Hash-based JSONL validation**
- Store hash of entire JSONL file in metadata
- Before export, check if JSONL hash matches
- If mismatch, clear export_hashes
- More efficient, detects any JSONL corruption

**Option 3: Disable timestamp-only deduplication**
- Remove the feature entirely
- Always export all issues
- Simplest and safest, but creates larger git commits

**Option 4: Clear export_hashes on git operations**
- Add post-merge hook to clear export_hashes
- Clear on any import operation
- Defensive approach but may over-clear

## Recommended Fix

Combination of Options 2 + 4:
1. Store JSONL file hash in metadata after export
2. Check hash before export, clear export_hashes if mismatch
3. Clear export_hashes on import operations
4. Add `bd validate` check for JSONL/export_hashes sync

## Files Involved

- cmd/bd/autoflush.go (shouldSkipExport)
- cmd/bd/export.go (export with deduplication)
- internal/storage/sqlite/metadata.go (export_hashes table)

## Recovery Session (2025-10-29 21:30)

### What Happened
- Created 14 new hash ID issues (bd-f8b764c9 through bd-f8b764c9.1)
- bd sync appeared to succeed
- Canonical repo (~/src/beads): 162 issues in DB + JSONL ✓
- Secondary repo (fred/beads): Only 145 issues vs 162 in canonical ✗
- Both repos on same git commit but different issue counts!

### Bug Manifestation During Recovery

1. **Initial state**: fred/beads had 145 issues, 145 lines in JSONL, 145 export_hashes entries

2. **After git reset --hard origin/main**:
   - JSONL: 162 lines (from git)
   - DB: 150 issues (auto-import partially worked)
   - Auto-import failed with UNIQUE constraint error

3. **After manual import --resolve-collisions**:
   - DB: 160 issues
   - JSONL: Still 162 lines
   - export_hashes: 159 entries

4. **After bd export**:
   - **JSONL reduced to 17 lines!** ← The bug in action
   - export_hashes: 159 entries (skipped exporting 142 issues)
   - Silent data loss - no error message

5. **After clearing export_hashes and re-export**:
   - JSONL: 159 lines (missing 3 issues still)
   - DB: 159 issues
   - Still diverged from canonical

### The Bug Loop
Once export_hashes and JSONL diverge:
- Export skips issues already in export_hashes
- But those issues aren't actually in JSONL
- This creates corrupt JSONL with missing issues
- Auto-import can't detect the problem (file hash matches what was exported)
- Data is lost with no error messages

### Recovery Solution
Couldn't break the loop with export alone. Had to:
1. Copy .beads/beads.db from canonical repo
2. Clear export_hashes
3. Full re-export
4. Finally converged to 162 issues

### Key Learnings

1. **The bug is worse than we thought**: It can create corrupt exports (17 lines instead of 162!)

2. **Auto-import can't save you**: Once export is corrupt, auto-import just imports the corrupt data

3. **Silent failure**: No warnings, no errors, just missing issues

4. **Git operations trigger it**: git reset, git pull, etc. change JSONL without clearing export_hashes

5. **Import operations populate export_hashes**: Even manual imports update export_hashes, setting up future export failures

### Immediate Action Required

**DISABLE EXPORT DEDUPLICATION NOW**

This feature is fundamentally broken and causes data loss. Should be disabled until properly fixed.

Quick fix options:
- Set environment variable to disable feature
- Comment out shouldSkipExport check
- Always clear export_hashes before export
- Add validation that DB count == JSONL line count before allowing export

### Long-term Fix

Need Option 2 + 4 from proposed solutions:
1. Store JSONL file hash after every successful export
2. Before export, verify JSONL hash matches expected
3. If mismatch, log WARNING and clear export_hashes
4. Clear export_hashes on every import operation
5. Add git post-merge hook to clear export_hashes
6. Add `bd validate` command to detect divergence


Fix TestTwoCloneCollision to compare content not timestamps

The test at beads_twoclone_test.go:204-207 currently compares full JSON output including timestamps, causing false negative failures.

Current behavior:
- Both clones converge to identical semantic content
- Clone A: test-2="Issue from clone A", test-1="Issue from clone B"
- Clone B: test-1="Issue from clone B", test-2="Issue from clone A"
- Titles match IDs correctly, no data corruption
- Only timestamps differ (expected and acceptable)

Fix needed:
- Replace exact JSON comparison with content-aware comparison
- Normalize or ignore timestamp fields when asserting convergence
- Test should PASS after this fix

This blocks completion of bd-71107098.


CRDT-based architecture for guaranteed convergence (v2.0)

## Vision
Redesign beads around Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs) to provide mathematical guarantees for N-way collision resolution at arbitrary scale.

## Current Limitations
- Content-hash based collision resolution fails at 5+ clones
- Non-deterministic convergence in multi-round scenarios
- UNIQUE constraint violations during rename operations
- No formal proof of convergence properties

## CRDT Benefits
- Provably convergent (Strong Eventual Consistency)
- Commutative/Associative/Idempotent operations
- No coordination required between clones
- Scales to 100+ concurrent workers
- Well-understood mathematical foundations

## Proposed Architecture

### 1. UUID-Based IDs
Replace sequential IDs with UUIDs:
- Current: bd-1c63eb84, bd-9063acda, bd-4d80b7b1
- CRDT: bd-a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890
- Human aliases maintained separately: #42 maps to UUID

### 2. Last-Write-Wins (LWW) Elements
Each field becomes an LWW register:
- title: (timestamp, clone_id, value)
- status: (timestamp, clone_id, value)
- Deterministic conflict resolution via Lamport timestamp + clone_id tiebreaker

### 3. Operation Log
Track all operations as CRDT ops:
- CREATE(uuid, timestamp, clone_id, fields)
- UPDATE(uuid, field, timestamp, clone_id, value)
- DELETE(uuid, timestamp, clone_id) - tombstone, not hard delete

### 4. Sync as Merge
Syncing becomes merging two CRDT states:
- No merge conflicts possible
- Deterministic merge function
- Guaranteed convergence

## Implementation Phases

### Phase 1: Research & Design (4 weeks)
- Study existing CRDT implementations (Automerge, Yjs, Loro)
- Design schema for CRDT-based issue tracking
- Prototype LWW-based Issue CRDT
- Benchmark performance vs current system

### Phase 2: Parallel Implementation (6 weeks)
- Implement CRDT storage layer alongside SQLite
- Build conversion tools: SQLite ↔ CRDT
- Maintain backward compatibility with v1.x format
- Migration path for existing databases

### Phase 3: Testing & Validation (4 weeks)
- Formal verification of convergence properties
- Stress testing with 100+ clone scenario
- Performance profiling and optimization
- Documentation and examples

### Phase 4: Migration & Rollout (4 weeks)
- Release v2.0-beta with CRDT backend
- Gradual migration from v1.x
- Monitoring and bug fixes
- Final v2.0 release

## Risks & Mitigations

**Risk 1: Performance overhead**
- Mitigation: Benchmark early, optimize hot paths
- CRDTs can be slower than append-only logs
- May need compaction strategy

**Risk 2: Storage bloat**
- Mitigation: Implement operation log compaction
- Tombstone garbage collection for deleted issues
- Periodic snapshots to reduce log size

**Risk 3: Breaking changes**
- Mitigation: Maintain v1.x compatibility layer
- Gradual migration tools
- Dual-mode operation during transition

**Risk 4: Complexity**
- Mitigation: Use battle-tested CRDT libraries
- Comprehensive documentation
- Clear migration guide

## Success Criteria
- 100-clone collision test passes without failures
- Formal proof of convergence properties
- Performance within 2x of current system
- Zero manual conflict resolution required
- Backward compatible with v1.x databases

## Timeline
18-20 weeks total (4-5 months)

## References
- Automerge: https://automerge.org
- Yjs: https://docs.yjs.dev
- Loro: https://loro.dev
- CRDT theory: Shapiro et al, A comprehensive study of CRDTs
- Related issues: bd-e6d71828, bd-7a2b58fc, bd-81abb639


Refactor AGENTS.md to use external references

Suggestion to use external references (e.g., "ALWAYS REFER TO ./beads/prompt.md") instead of including all instructions directly within AGENTS.md.
Reasons:
1. Agents can follow external references.
2. Prevents context pollution/stuffing in AGENTS.md as more tools append instructions.


Add concurrent import race condition tests

Currently no tests verify behavior when multiple clones import simultaneously with external_ref matching.

Scenarios to test:
1. Two clones import same external_ref update at same time
2. Clone A imports while Clone B updates same issue
3. Verify transaction isolation prevents corruption
4. Document expected behavior (last-write-wins vs timestamp-based)

Related: bd-1022
Files: internal/importer/external_ref_test.go


Create Docker image for Agent Mail

Containerize Agent Mail server for easy deployment.

Acceptance Criteria:
- Dockerfile with Python 3.14
- Health check endpoint
- Volume mount for storage
- Environment variable configuration
- Multi-arch builds (amd64, arm64)

File: deployment/agent-mail/Dockerfile


Workaround for FastMCP outputSchema bug in Claude Code

The beads MCP server (v0.23.1) successfully connects to Claude Code, but all tools fail to load with a schema validation error due to a bug in FastMCP 2.13.1.

Error: "Invalid literal value, expected \"object\"" in outputSchema.

Root Cause: FastMCP generates outputSchema with $ref at root level without "type": "object" for self-referential models (Issue).

Workaround: Use slash commands (/beads:ready) or wait for FastMCP fix.


Complete and commit beads-mcp type safety improvements

Uncommitted type safety work in beads-mcp needs review and completion


Fix TestFallbackToDirectModeEnablesFlush deadlock causing 10min test timeout

## Problem

TestFallbackToDirectModeEnablesFlush in direct_mode_test.go deadlocks for 9m59s before timing out, causing the entire test suite to take 10+ minutes instead of <10 seconds.

## Root Cause

Database lock contention between test cleanup and flushToJSONL():
- Test cleanup (line 36) tries to close DB via defer
- flushToJSONL() (line 132) is still accessing DB
- Results in deadlock: database/sql.(*DB).Close() waits for mutex while GetJSONLFileHash() holds it

## Stack Trace Evidence

```
goroutine 512 [sync.Mutex.Lock, 9 minutes]:
database/sql.(*DB).Close(0x14000643790)
  .../database/sql/sql.go:927 +0x84
github.com/steveyegge/beads/cmd/bd.TestFallbackToDirectModeEnablesFlush.func1()
  .../direct_mode_test.go:36 +0xf4

While goroutine running flushToJSONL() holds DB connection via GetJSONLFileHash()
```

## Impact

- Test suite: 10+ minutes → should be <10 seconds
- ALL other tests pass in ~4 seconds
- This ONE test accounts for 99.9% of test runtime

## Related

This is the EXACT same issue documented in MAIN_TEST_REFACTOR_NOTES.md for why main_test.go refactoring was deferred - global state manipulation + DB cleanup = deadlock.

## Fix Approaches

1. **Add proper cleanup sequencing** - stop flush goroutines BEFORE closing DB
2. **Use test-specific DB lifecycle** - ensure flush completes before cleanup
3. **Mock the flush mechanism** - avoid real DB for testing this code path
4. **Add explicit timeout handling** - fail fast with clear error instead of hanging

## Files

- cmd/bd/direct_mode_test.go:36-132
- cmd/bd/autoflush.go:353 (validateJSONLIntegrity)
- cmd/bd/autoflush.go:508 (flushToJSONLWithState)

## Acceptance

- Test passes without timeout
- Test suite completes in <10 seconds
- No deadlock between cleanup and flush operations


Add unit tests for import ordering

Test topological sort: import [child, parent] should succeed, import [parent.1.2, parent, parent.1] should sort correctly. Verify depth-based batching works. Test max depth limits.


bd-hv01: Brittle string comparison breaks with JSON field reordering

## Problem
deletion_tracking.go:125 uses string comparison to detect unchanged issues:

```go
if leftLine, existsInLeft := leftIndex[id]; existsInLeft && leftLine == baseLine {
    deletions = append(deletions, id)
}
```

This breaks if:
- JSON field order changes (legal in JSON)
- Timestamps updated by import/export
- Whitespace/formatting changes
- Floating point precision varies

## Example Failure
```json
// baseLine
{"id":"bd-1","priority":1,"status":"open"}
// leftLine (same data, different order)
{"id":"bd-1","status":"open","priority":1}
```
These are semantically identical but string comparison fails.

## Fix
Parse and compare JSON semantically:
```go
func jsonEquals(a, b string) bool {
    var objA, objB map[string]interface{}
    json.Unmarshal([]byte(a), &objA)
    json.Unmarshal([]byte(b), &objB)
    return reflect.DeepEqual(objA, objB)
}
```

## Files Affected
- cmd/bd/deletion_tracking.go:125
- cmd/bd/deletion_tracking.go:134-170 (buildIDToLineMap)


Export doesn't update last_import_hash metadata causing perpetual 'JSONL content has changed' errors

After a successful export, the daemon doesn't update last_import_hash or last_import_mtime metadata. This causes hasJSONLChanged to return true on the next export attempt, blocking with 'refusing to export: JSONL content has changed since last import'.

Related to GH #334.

Scenario:
1. Daemon exports successfully → JSONL updated, hash changes
2. Metadata NOT updated (last_import_hash still points to old hash)
3. Next mutation triggers export
4. validatePreExport calls hasJSONLChanged
5. hasJSONLChanged sees current JSONL hash != last_import_hash
6. Export blocked with 'JSONL content has changed since last import'
7. Issue stuck: can't export, can't make progress

This creates a catch-22 where the system thinks JSONL changed externally when it was the daemon itself that changed it.

Current behavior:
- Import updates metadata (import.go:310-336)
- Export does NOT update metadata (daemon_sync.go:307)
- Result: metadata becomes stale after every export


Migration tool: sequential → hash IDs

Create migration tool to convert existing sequential-ID databases to hash-ID format.

## Command: bd migrate --hash-ids

```bash
bd migrate --hash-ids [--dry-run]
```

## Migration Process

### 1. Backup Database
```bash
cp .beads/beads.db .beads/beads.db.backup-1761798384
echo "✓ Backup created: .beads/beads.db.backup-1234567890"
```

### 2. Generate Hash IDs for Existing Issues
```go
func migrateToHashIDs(db *SQLiteStorage) error {
    // Read all issues
    issues, err := db.ListIssues(ctx, ListOptions{Status: "all"})

    // Generate mapping: old ID → new hash ID
    mapping := make(map[string]string)
    for _, issue := range issues {
        hashID := GenerateHashID(
            issue.Title,
            issue.Description,
            issue.CreatedAt,
            db.workspaceID,
        )
        mapping[issue.ID] = hashID
    }

    // Detect hash collisions (extremely rare)
    if hasCollisions(mapping) {
        return fmt.Errorf("hash collision detected, aborting")
    }

    return nil
}
```

### 3. Update Database Schema
```sql
-- Add alias column
ALTER TABLE issues ADD COLUMN alias INTEGER UNIQUE;

-- Populate aliases from old IDs
UPDATE issues SET alias = CAST(SUBSTR(id, 4) AS INTEGER)
  WHERE id LIKE 'bd-%' AND SUBSTR(id, 4) GLOB '[0-9]*';

-- Create new issues_new table with hash IDs
CREATE TABLE issues_new (
    id TEXT PRIMARY KEY,  -- Hash IDs now
    alias INTEGER UNIQUE,
    title TEXT NOT NULL,
    -- ... rest of schema
);

-- Copy data with ID mapping
INSERT INTO issues_new SELECT
    <new_hash_id>,  -- From mapping
    alias,
    title,
    -- ...
FROM issues;

-- Drop old table, rename new
DROP TABLE issues;
ALTER TABLE issues_new RENAME TO issues;
```

### 4. Update Dependencies
```sql
-- Update depends_on_id using mapping
UPDATE dependencies
SET issue_id = <new_hash_id>,
    depends_on_id = <new_depends_on_hash_id>
FROM mapping;
```

### 5. Update Text References
```go
// Update all text fields that mention old IDs
func updateTextReferences(db *SQLiteStorage, mapping map[string]string) error {
    for oldID, newID := range mapping {
        // Update description, notes, design, acceptance_criteria
        db.Exec(`UPDATE issues SET
            description = REPLACE(description, ?, ?),
            notes = REPLACE(notes, ?, ?),
            design = REPLACE(design, ?, ?),
            acceptance_criteria = REPLACE(acceptance_criteria, ?, ?)
        `, oldID, newID, oldID, newID, oldID, newID, oldID, newID)
    }
}
```

### 6. Export to JSONL
```bash
bd export  # Writes hash IDs to .beads/issues.jsonl
git add .beads/issues.jsonl
git commit -m "Migrate to hash-based IDs"
```

## Output
```bash
$ bd migrate --hash-ids
Migrating to hash-based IDs...
✓ Backup created: .beads/beads.db.backup-1730246400
✓ Generated 150 hash IDs
✓ No hash collisions detected
✓ Updated issues table schema
✓ Updated 150 issue IDs
✓ Updated 87 dependencies
✓ Updated 234 text references
✓ Exported to .beads/issues.jsonl
✓ Migration complete!

Next steps:
  1. Test: bd list, bd show #1, etc.
  2. Commit: git commit -m "Migrate to hash-based IDs"
  3. Push: git push origin main
  4. Notify collaborators to pull and re-init
```

## Dry Run Mode
```bash
$ bd migrate --hash-ids --dry-run
[DRY RUN] Would migrate 150 issues:
  bd-1c63eb84   → bd-af78e9a2  (alias: #1)
  bd-9063acda   → bd-e5f6a7b8  (alias: #2)
  ...
  bd-150 → bd-9a8b7c6d  (alias: #150)

[DRY RUN] Would update:
  - 150 issue IDs
  - 87 dependencies
  - 234 text references in descriptions/notes

No changes made. Run without --dry-run to apply.
```

## Files to Create
- cmd/bd/migrate.go (new command)
- internal/storage/sqlite/migrations/hash_ids.go

## Testing
- Test migration on small database (10 issues)
- Test migration on large database (1000 issues)
- Test hash collision detection (inject collision artificially)
- Test text reference updates
- Test rollback (restore from backup)
- Test migrated database works correctly

## Rollback Procedure
```bash
# If migration fails or has issues
mv .beads/beads.db.backup-1234567890 .beads/beads.db
bd export  # Restore JSONL from backup DB
```

## Multi-Clone Coordination
**Important**: All clones must migrate before syncing:

1. Coordinator sends message: "Migrating to hash IDs on 2025-10-30 at 10:00 UTC"
2. All collaborators pull latest changes
3. All run: `bd migrate --hash-ids`
4. All push changes
5. New work can continue with hash IDs

**Do NOT**:
- Mix sequential and hash IDs in same database
- Sync before all clones migrate


Support separate branch for beads commits

Allow beads to commit to a separate branch (e.g., beads-metadata) using git worktrees to support protected main branch workflows.

Solves GitHub Issue #205 - Users need to protect main branch while maintaining beads workflow.

Key advantages:
- Works on any git platform
- Main branch stays protected
- No disruption to user's working directory
- Backward compatible (opt-in via config)
- Minimal disk overhead (sparse checkout)

Total estimate: 17-24 days (4-6 weeks with parallel work)


Performance Validation

Confirm no performance regression from cache removal


Issue with labels

This is a description


Debug test 2


Event-driven daemon architecture

Replace 5-second polling sync loop with event-driven architecture that reacts instantly to changes. Eliminates stale data issues while reducing CPU ~60%. Key components: FileWatcher (fsnotify), Debouncer (500ms), RPC mutation events, optional git hooks. Target latency: <500ms (vs 5000ms). See event_driven_daemon.md for full design.


TestImportIssues_LegacyDeletionsConvertedToTombstones is failing

The test TestImportIssues_LegacyDeletionsConvertedToTombstones in internal/importer/importer_test.go is failing:

Expected 3 created (1 regular + 2 tombstones from deletions.jsonl), got 2
Expected tombstone for test-deleted2 not found

The test expects legacy deletions.jsonl entries to be converted to tombstones during import, but test-deleted2 is not being converted.

Location: internal/importer/importer_test.go:1344


Add path normalization to getMultiRepoJSONLPaths()

From bd-xo6b code review: getMultiRepoJSONLPaths() does not handle non-standard paths correctly.

Problems:
- No tilde expansion: ~/repos/foo treated as literal path
- No absolute path conversion: ../other-repo breaks if working directory changes
- No duplicate detection: If Primary=. and Additional=[.], same JSONL processed twice
- No empty string handling: Empty paths create invalid /.beads/issues.jsonl

Impact:
Config with tilde or relative paths will fail

Fix needed:
1. Use filepath.Abs() for all paths
2. Add tilde expansion via os.UserHomeDir()
3. Deduplicate paths (use map to track seen paths)
4. Filter out empty strings
5. Validate paths exist and are readable

Files:
- cmd/bd/deletion_tracking.go:333-358 (getMultiRepoJSONLPaths function)


Add database maintenance commands section to QUICKSTART.md

**Problem:**
Users don't discover `bd compact` or `bd cleanup` commands until their database grows large. These maintenance commands aren't mentioned in quickstart documentation.

Related to issue #349 item #4.

**Current state:**
docs/QUICKSTART.md ends at line 217 with "See README.md for full documentation" but has no mention of maintenance operations.

**Proposed addition:**
Add a "Database Maintenance" section after line 140 (before "Advanced: Agent Mail" section) covering:
- When database grows (many closed issues)
- How to view compaction statistics
- How to compact old issues
- How to delete closed issues
- Warning about permanence

**Example content:**
```markdown
## Database Maintenance

As your project accumulates closed issues, the database grows. Use these commands to manage size:

```bash
# View compaction statistics
bd compact --stats

# Preview compaction candidates (30+ days closed)
bd compact --analyze --json

# Apply agent-generated summary
bd compact --apply --id bd-42 --summary summary.txt

# Immediately delete closed issues (use with caution!)
bd cleanup --force
```

**When to compact:**
- Database file > 10MB with many old closed issues
- After major project milestones
- Before archiving a project phase
```

**Files to modify:**
- docs/QUICKSTART.md (add section after line 140)


Add comprehensive filters to bd export

Enhance bd export with filtering options for selective exports.

**Currently only has:**
- --status

**Add filters:**
- --label, --label-any
- --assignee
- --type
- --priority, --priority-min, --priority-max
- --created-after, --created-before
- --updated-after, --updated-before

**Use case:**
- Export only open issues: bd export --status open
- Export high-priority bugs: bd export --type bug --priority-max 1
- Export recent issues: bd export --created-after 2025-01-01

**Files to modify:**
- cmd/bd/export.go
- Reuse filter logic from list.go


Windows binaries lack SQLite support (GH #253)

Windows users installing via install.ps1 get "sql: unknown driver sqlite" error. Root cause: GoReleaser was building with CGO_ENABLED=0, which excludes SQLite driver.

Fixed by:
1. Enabling CGO in .goreleaser.yml
2. Installing MinGW cross-compiler in release workflow
3. Splitting builds per platform to set correct CC for Windows

Needs new release to fix for users.


Improve timestamp comparison readability in import

The timestamp comparison logic uses double-negative which can be confusing:

Current code:
if !incoming.UpdatedAt.After(existing.UpdatedAt) {
    // skip update
}

More readable:
if incoming.UpdatedAt.After(existing.UpdatedAt) {
    // perform update
} else {
    // skip (local is newer)
}

This is a minor refactor for code clarity.

Related: bd-1022
Files: internal/importer/importer.go:411, 488


Implement health checks in daemon event loop

Add health checks to checkDaemonHealth() function in daemon_event_loop.go:170:
- Database integrity check
- Disk space check
- Memory usage check

Currently it's just a no-op placeholder.


Bug P0


Blocking issue


Document error handling strategy for metadata update failures

Multiple places silently ignore metadata update failures (sync.go:614-617, import.go:320-322) with non-fatal warnings. This is intentional (degrades gracefully to mtime-based approach) but not well documented.

Add comments explaining:
- Why these failures are non-fatal
- How system degrades gracefully
- What the fallback behavior is (mtime-based detection)


bd sync --import-only doesn't update DB mtime causing bd doctor false warning


bd show --json doesn't include dependency type field

Fix GitHub issue #202. The JSON output from bd show and bd list commands should include the dependency type field (and optionally created_at, created_by) to match internal storage format and enable better tooling integration.

PR #203 updated with cleaner implementation: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/pull/203

## Final Implementation

Cleanest possible approach - no internal helper methods needed:

**Design:**
- `GetDependenciesWithMetadata()` / `GetDependentsWithMetadata()` - canonical implementations with full SQL query
- `GetDependencies()` / `GetDependents()` - thin wrappers that strip metadata for backward compat
- `scanIssuesWithDependencyType()` - shared helper for scanning rows with dependency type

**Benefits:**
- Single source of truth - the `...WithMetadata()` methods ARE the implementation
- Eliminated ~139 lines of duplicated SQL and scanning code
- All tests passing (14 dependency-related tests)
- Backward compatible
- dependency_type field appears correctly in JSON output

**Note on scan helpers:**
The duplication between `scanIssues()` and `scanIssuesWithDependencyType()` is necessary because they handle different SQL result shapes (16 vs 17 columns). This is justified as they serve fundamentally different purposes based on query structure.


Implement tombstone TTL and expiration logic

Add IsExpired() method to tombstones, implement TTL config reading from config.yaml, add clock skew grace period. Per design bd-1r5.


Merge timestamp tie-breaker should prefer local (left)

In mergeFieldByUpdatedAt, when timestamps are exactly equal, right wins. For consistency with IssueType (where local/left wins), equal timestamps should prefer left. Minor inconsistency.


Integrate beads-merge tool by @neongreen

**Context**: @neongreen built a production-ready 3-way merge tool for JSONL files that works with both Git and Jujutsu. This is superior to our planned bd resolve-conflicts because it prevents conflicts proactively instead of resolving them after the fact.

**Tool**: https://github.com/neongreen/mono/tree/main/beads-merge

**What it does**:
- 3-way merge of JSONL files (base, left, right)
- Field-level merging (titles, status, priority, etc.)
- Smart dependency merging (union + dedup)
- Conflict markers for unresolvable conflicts
- Exit code 1 for conflicts (standard)

**Integration options**:

1. **Recommend (minimal effort)** - Document in AGENTS.md + TROUBLESHOOTING.md
2. **Bundle binary** - Include in releases (cross-platform builds)
3. **Port to Go** - Reimplement in bd codebase
4. **Auto-install hook** - During bd init, offer to install merge driver

**Recommendation**: Start with option 1 (document), then option 2 (bundle) once proven.

**Related**: bd-5f483051 (bd resolve-conflicts - can close as superseded)

Created GitHub issue to discuss integration approach with @neongreen: https://github.com/neongreen/mono/issues/240

Awaiting their preference on:
1. Vendor with attribution (fastest)
2. Extract as importable module (best long-term)
3. Keep as separate tool (current state)

Next: Wait for response before proceeding with integration.

UPDATE 2025-11-06: @neongreen gave permission to vendor! Quote: "I switched from beads to my own thing (tk) so I'm very happy to give beads-merge away — feel free to move it into the beads repo and I will point mono's readme to beads"

Next: Vendor beads-merge with full attribution


Publish @beads/bd package to npm registry

Publish the npm package to the public npm registry:

## Prerequisites
- npm account created
- Organization @beads created (or use different namespace)
- npm login completed locally
- Package tested locally (bd-f282 completed)

## Publishing steps
1. Verify package.json version matches current bd version
2. Run npm pack and inspect tarball contents
3. Test installation from tarball one more time
4. Run npm publish --access public
5. Verify package appears on https://www.npmjs.com/package/@beads/bd
6. Test installation from registry: npm install -g @beads/bd

## Post-publish
- Add npm badge to README.md
- Update CHANGELOG.md with npm package release
- Announce in release notes

## Note
- May need to choose different name if @beads namespace unavailable
- Alternative: beads-cli, bd-cli, or unscoped beads-issue-tracker


Add embedding generation for duplicate detection

Use embeddings for scalable duplicate detection.

Model: text-embedding-3-small (OpenAI) or all-MiniLM-L6-v2 (local)
Storage: SQLite vector extension or in-memory
Cost: ~/bin/bash.0002 per 100 issues

Much cheaper than LLM comparisons for large databases.

Files: internal/embeddings/ (new package)


Merge PR #300: gitignore upgrade feature

PR #300 is ready to merge but has rebase conflicts with main.

**Context:**
- PR implements 3 mechanisms for .beads/.gitignore upgrade (bd doctor --fix, daemon auto-upgrade, bd init idempotent)
- Conflicts resolved locally but diverged branches make push difficult
- All fixes applied: removed merge artifact, applied new gitignore template
- Clean scope: only 6 files changed (+194/-42)

**Next steps:**
1. Option A: Merge via GitHub UI (resolve conflicts in web interface)
2. Option B: Fresh rebase on main and force push
3. Verify CI passes
4. Squash and merge

PR URL: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/pull/300
Fixes: #274


Fix bd doctor hash ID detection for short all-numeric hashes

bd doctor incorrectly flags hash-based IDs as sequential when they are short (3-4 chars) and all-numeric (e.g., pf-158).

Root cause: isHashID() in cmd/bd/migrate_hash_ids.go:328-358 uses faulty heuristic:
- For IDs < 5 chars, only returns true if contains letters
- But base36 hash IDs can be 3+ chars and all-numeric (MinLength: 3)
- Example: pf-158 is valid hash ID but flagged as sequential

Fix: Check multiple IDs (10-20 samples) instead of single-ID pattern matching:
- Sample IDs across database
- Check majority pattern (sequential vs hash format)
- Sequential: 1-4 digits (bd-1, bd-2...)
- Hash: 3-8 chars base36 (pf-158, pf-3s9...)

Impact: False positive warnings in bd doctor output


Remove unreachable RPC methods

Several RPC server and client methods are unreachable and should be removed:

Server methods (internal/rpc/server.go):
- `Server.GetLastImportTime` (line 2116)
- `Server.SetLastImportTime` (line 2123)
- `Server.findJSONLPath` (line 2255)

Client methods (internal/rpc/client.go):
- `Client.Import` (line 311) - RPC import not used (daemon uses autoimport)

Evidence:
```bash
go run golang.org/x/tools/cmd/deadcode@latest -test ./...
```

Impact: Removes ~80 LOC of unused RPC code


Fix MCP tools failing to load in Claude Code (GH#346)

Fix FastMCP schema generation bug by refactoring `Issue` model to avoid recursion.

    - Refactored `Issue` in `models.py` to use `LinkedIssue` for dependencies/dependents.
    - Restored missing `Mail*` models to `models.py`.
    - Fixed `tests/test_mail.py` mock assertion.

    Fixes GH#346.


Isolate RPC server startup into rpc_server.go

Create internal/daemonrunner/rpc_server.go with StartRPC function. Move startRPCServer logic here and return typed handle.


Fix bd init to bootstrap from sync-branch when configured

When sync-branch is configured in config.yaml, bd init should import from that branch instead of HEAD. Currently it reads HEAD:.beads/issues.jsonl which may be empty or stale when issues are on the sync branch. Location: cmd/bd/autoimport.go:97 checkGitForIssues()


Extract validation functions to validators.go

Move validatePriority, validateStatus, validateIssueType, validateTitle, validateEstimatedMinutes, validateFieldUpdate to validators.go


Update Metrics and Health Endpoints

Remove cache-related metrics from health/metrics endpoints


Tombstone export includes tombstones even with --status filter

In export.go, we set IncludeTombstones: true unconditionally. However, if a user runs:

  bd export --status=open

They might not expect tombstones in the output. The IncludeTombstones flag should probably only be set when no status filter is specified, or when --status=tombstone is explicitly requested.

Current behavior: exports tombstones regardless of status filter
Expected behavior: respect status filter, only include tombstones when explicitly requested or no filter


Make DetectCollisions read-only (separate detection from modification)

## Overview
Phase 2: Separate collision detection from state modification to enable safe, composable collision resolution.

## Current Problem
DetectCollisions (collision.go:38-111) modifies database state during detection:
- Line 83-86: Deletes issues when content matches but ID differs
- This violates separation of concerns
- Causes race conditions when processing multiple issues
- Makes contentToDBIssue map stale after first deletion
- Partial failures leave DB in inconsistent state

## Solution
Make DetectCollisions purely read-only. Move all modifications to a separate ApplyCollisionResolution function.

## Implementation Tasks

### 1. Add RenameDetail to CollisionResult
File: internal/storage/sqlite/collision.go
```go
type CollisionResult struct {
    ExactMatches []string
    Collisions   []*CollisionDetail
    NewIssues    []string
    Renames      []*RenameDetail  // NEW
}

type RenameDetail struct {
    OldID string        // ID in database
    NewID string        // ID in incoming
    Issue *types.Issue  // The issue with new ID
}
```

### 2. Remove deletion from DetectCollisions
Replace lines 83-86:
```go
// OLD (DELETE THIS):
if err := s.DeleteIssue(ctx, dbMatch.ID); err != nil {
    return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to delete renamed issue...")
}

// NEW (ADD THIS):
result.Renames = append(result.Renames, &RenameDetail{
    OldID: dbMatch.ID,
    NewID: incoming.ID,
    Issue: incoming,
})
continue  // Don't mark as NewIssue yet
```

### 3. Create ApplyCollisionResolution function
New function to apply all modifications atomically:
```go
func ApplyCollisionResolution(ctx context.Context, s *SQLiteStorage,
    result *CollisionResult, mapping map[string]string) error {

    // Phase 1: Handle renames (delete old IDs)
    for _, rename := range result.Renames {
        if err := s.DeleteIssue(ctx, rename.OldID); err != nil {
            return fmt.Errorf("failed to delete renamed issue %s: %w",
                rename.OldID, err)
        }
    }

    // Phase 2: Create new IDs (from mapping)
    // Phase 3: Update references
    return nil
}
```

### 4. Update callers to use two-phase approach
File: internal/importer/importer.go (handleCollisions)
```go
// Phase 1: Detect (read-only)
collisionResult, err := sqlite.DetectCollisions(ctx, sqliteStore, issues)

// Phase 2: Resolve (compute mapping)
mapping, err := sqlite.ResolveNWayCollisions(ctx, sqliteStore, collisionResult)

// Phase 3: Apply (modify DB)
err = sqlite.ApplyCollisionResolution(ctx, sqliteStore, collisionResult, mapping)
```

### 5. Update tests
- Verify DetectCollisions doesn't modify DB
- Test ApplyCollisionResolution separately
- Add test for rename detection without modification

## Acceptance Criteria
- DetectCollisions performs zero writes to database
- DetectCollisions returns RenameDetail entries for content matches
- ApplyCollisionResolution handles all modifications
- All existing tests still pass
- New test verifies read-only detection
- contentToDBIssue map stays consistent throughout detection

## Files to Modify
- internal/storage/sqlite/collision.go (DetectCollisions, new function)
- internal/importer/importer.go (handleCollisions caller)
- internal/storage/sqlite/collision_test.go (add tests)

## Testing
- Unit test: DetectCollisions with content match doesn't delete DB issue
- Unit test: RenameDetail correctly populated
- Unit test: ApplyCollisionResolution applies renames
- Integration test: Full flow still works end-to-end

## Risk Mitigation
This is a significant refactor of core collision logic. Recommend:
1. Add comprehensive tests before modifying
2. Use feature flag to enable/disable new behavior
3. Test thoroughly with TestTwoCloneCollision first


Test issue 1


Change default JSONL filename from beads.jsonl back to issues.jsonl throughout codebase


Git history fallback has incorrect logic for detecting deletions

## Problem

The `wasInGitHistory` function in `internal/importer/importer.go:891` returns true if the ID is found **anywhere** in git history. But finding an ID in history doesn't necessarily mean it was deleted - it could mean:

1. The issue was added (appears in a commit adding it)
2. The issue was modified (appears in commits updating it)
3. The issue was deleted (appears in a commit removing it)

The current logic incorrectly treats all three cases as 'deleted'.

## Correct Logic

`git log -S` with `--oneline` shows commits where the string was added OR removed. To detect deletion specifically:

1. ID appears in git history (was once in JSONL)
2. ID is NOT currently in JSONL

The second condition is already checked by the caller (`purgeDeletedIssues`), so technically the logic is correct in context. But the function name and doc comment are misleading.

## Fix Options

1. **Rename function** to `wasEverInJSONL` and update doc comment to clarify
2. **Add explicit check** for current JSONL state in the function itself

Option 1 is simpler and correct since caller already filters.


Widespread double JSON encoding bug in daemon mode RPC calls

Multiple CLI commands had the same double JSON encoding bug found in bd-1048. All commands that called ResolveID via RPC used string(resp.Data) instead of properly unmarshaling the JSON response. This caused IDs to retain JSON quotes ("bd-1048" instead of bd-1048), which then got double-encoded when passed to subsequent RPC calls.

Affected commands:
- bd show (3 instances)
- bd dep add/remove/tree (5 instances)
- bd label add/remove/list (3 instances)
- bd reopen (1 instance)

Root cause: resp.Data is json.RawMessage (already JSON-encoded), so string() conversion preserves quotes.

Fix: Replace all string(resp.Data) with json.Unmarshal(resp.Data, &id) for proper deserialization.

All commands now tested and working correctly with daemon mode.


Fix FOREIGN KEY constraint failures in AddComment and ApplyCompaction

The 'CloseIssue', 'UpdateIssueID', and 'RemoveLabel' methods were fixed in PR #348 to prevent foreign key constraint failures when operating on non-existent issues.

However, the Oracle identified two other methods that follow the same problematic pattern:
1. `AddComment` (in `internal/storage/sqlite/events.go`)
2. `ApplyCompaction` (in `internal/storage/sqlite/compact.go`)

These methods attempt to insert an event record after updating the issue, without verifying that the issue update actually affected any rows. This leads to a foreign key constraint failure if the issue does not exist.

We need to:
1. Create reproduction tests for these failure cases
2. Apply the same fix pattern: check `RowsAffected()` after the update, and return a proper "issue not found" error if it is 0, before attempting to insert the event.
3. Standardize the error message format to "issue %s not found" or "issue not found: %s" for consistency.


Optimize GetReadyWork performance - 752ms on 10K database (target: <50ms)

# Performance Analysis (10K Issue Database)

Analyzed using CPU profiles from benchmark suite on Apple M2 Pro.

## Operation Performance

| Operation                        | Time    | Allocations | Memory |
|----------------------------------|---------|-------------|--------|
| bd ready (GetReadyWork)          | ~752ms  | 167,466     | 16MB   |
| bd list (SearchIssues no filter) | ~11.6ms | 89,214      | 5.8MB  |
| bd list (SearchIssues filtered)  | ~9.2ms  | 62,365      | 3.5MB  |
| bd create (CreateIssue)          | ~2.6ms  | 146         | 8.6KB  |
| bd update (UpdateIssue)          | ~0.32ms | 364         | 15KB   |
| bd close (UpdateIssue)           | ~0.32ms | 364         | 15KB   |

**Target: <50ms for all operations on 10K database**

**Current issue: GetReadyWork is 15x over target (752ms vs 50ms)**

## Root Cause

GetReadyWork (internal/storage/sqlite/ready.go:90-128) uses recursive CTE to propagate blocking:
- 65x slower than SearchIssues
- Recalculates entire blocked issue tree on every call
- Algorithm:
  1. Find directly blocked issues via 'blocks' dependencies
  2. Recursively propagate blockage to descendants (max depth: 50)
  3. Exclude all blocked issues from results

## CPU Profile Analysis

- Database syscalls (pthread_cond_signal, syscall6): ~75%
- SQLite engine overhead: inherent to recursive CTE
- Application code (query construction): <1%

**Bottleneck is the recursive CTE query execution, not application code.**

## Optimization Recommendations

### High Impact (Likely to achieve <50ms target)

1. **Cache blocked issue calculation**
   - Add `blocked_issues` table updated on dependency changes
   - Trade write complexity for read speed (ready called >> dependency changes)
   - Eliminates recursive CTE on every read

2. **Add/verify database indexes**
   ```sql
   CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_dependencies_blocked
     ON dependencies(issue_id, type, depends_on_id);
   CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_issues_status
     ON issues(status);
   ```

### Medium Impact

3. **Reduce allocations** (167K allocations for GetReadyWork)
   - Profile `scanIssues()` for object pooling opportunities
   - Reuse slice capacity for repeated calls

### Low Impact (Not recommended)
- Query optimization for CRUD operations (already <3ms)
- Connection pooling tuning (not showing in profiles)

## Verification

Run benchmarks to validate optimization:
```bash
make bench-quick
go tool pprof -http=:8080 internal/storage/sqlite/bench-cpu-*.prof
```

Profile files automatically generated in `internal/storage/sqlite/`.


Latency test manual


Run final validation and cleanup checks

Final validation pass to ensure all cleanup objectives met and no regressions introduced.

Validation checklist:
1. Dead code verification: `go run golang.org/x/tools/cmd/deadcode@latest -test ./...`
2. Test coverage: `go test -cover ./...`
3. Build verification: `go build ./cmd/bd/`
4. Linting: `golangci-lint run`
5. Integration tests
6. Metrics verification
7. Git clean check

Final metrics to report:
- LOC removed: ~____
- Files deleted: ____
- Files created: ____
- Test coverage: ____%
- Build time: ____ (before/after)
- Test run time: ____ (before/after)

Impact: Confirms all cleanup objectives achieved successfully

## Validation Results (Oct 31, 2025)

**Dead Code:** ✅ Removed 5 unreachable functions (~200 LOC)
- computeIssueContentHash, shouldSkipExport (autoflush.go)
- addDependencyUnchecked, removeDependencyIfExists (dependencies.go)
- isUniqueConstraintError (util.go)

**Tests:** ✅ All pass
**Coverage:**
- Main package: 39.6%
- cmd/bd: 19.5%
- internal/daemon: 37.8%
- internal/storage/sqlite: 58.1%
- internal/rpc: 58.6%

**Build:** ✅ Clean (24.5 MB binary)
**Linting:** 247 issues (mostly errcheck on defer/Close statements)
**Integration Tests:** ✅ All pass
**Metrics:** 55,622 LOC across 200 Go files
**Git:** 3 files modified (dead code removal)


Add BEADS_DAEMON_MODE flag handling

Add environment variable BEADS_DAEMON_MODE (values: poll, events). Default to 'poll' for Phase 1. Wire into daemon startup to select runEventLoop vs runEventDrivenLoop.


bd resolve-conflicts - Git merge conflict resolver

Automatically resolve JSONL merge conflicts.

Modes:
- Mechanical: ID remapping (no AI)
- AI-assisted: Smart merge/keep decisions
- Interactive: Review each conflict

Handles <<<<<<< conflict markers in .beads/beads.jsonl

Files: cmd/bd/resolve_conflicts.go (new)


Unit tests for Debouncer

Test debouncer batches multiple triggers into single action. Test timer reset on subsequent triggers. Test cancel during wait. Test thread safety.


bd-hv01: Refactor snapshot management into dedicated module

Problem: Snapshot logic is scattered across deletion_tracking.go. Would benefit from abstraction with SnapshotManager type.

Benefits: cleaner separation of concerns, easier to test in isolation, better encapsulation, could add observability/metrics.

Suggested improvements: add magic constants, track merge statistics, better error messages.

Files: cmd/bd/deletion_tracking.go (refactor into new snapshot_manager.go)


bd message: Add HTTP client timeout to prevent hangs

HTTP client in `sendAgentMailRequest` uses default http.Post with no timeout.

**Location:** cmd/bd/message.go:181

**Problem:**
- Can hang indefinitely if server is unresponsive
- No way to cancel stuck requests
- Poor UX in flaky networks

**Fix:**
```go
client := &http.Client{Timeout: 30 * time.Second}
resp, err := client.Post(url, "application/json", bytes.NewReader(reqBody))
```

**Impact:** Production reliability and security issue


GH#146: No color showing in terminal for some users

User reports color not working in macOS (Taho 26.0.1) with iTerm 3.6.4 and Terminal.app, despite color working elsewhere in terminal. Python rich and printf escape codes work.

Need to investigate:
- Is NO_COLOR env var set?
- Terminal type detection?
- fatih/color library configuration
- Does bd list show colors? bd ready? bd init?
- What's the output of: echo $TERM, echo $NO_COLOR