Auto-repair stale merge driver configs with invalid placeholders

Old bd versions (<0.24.0) installed merge driver with invalid placeholders %L %R instead of %A %B. Add detection to bd doctor --fix: check if git config merge.beads.driver contains %L or %R, auto-repair to 'bd merge %A %O %A %B'. One-time migration for users who initialized with old versions.


Clean up snapshot files after successful merge

After a successful 3-way merge and import during 'bd sync', the snapshot files (beads.base.jsonl, beads.left.jsonl, and their .meta.json files) are left in the .beads/ directory indefinitely.

These files are only needed temporarily during the merge process:
- beads.base.jsonl: snapshot from last successful import
- beads.left.jsonl: snapshot before git pull

Once the merge succeeds and the new JSONL is imported, these files serve no purpose and should be cleaned up.

Current behavior:
- sync.go:269 calls updateBaseSnapshot() after successful import
- UpdateBase() updates beads.base.jsonl to the new state
- beads.left.jsonl is never removed
- Both files accumulate in .beads/ directory

Expected behavior:
- After successful merge and import, clean up both snapshot files
- Only retain snapshots between sync operations (create on export, use during merge, clean up after import)

The cleanup logic exists (SnapshotManager.Cleanup()) but is only called on validation failures (deletion_tracking.go:48), not on success.

Discovered in vc project where stale snapshot files from Nov 8 merge were still present.


Add monitoring and alerting

Observability for production Agent Mail server.

Acceptance Criteria:
- Health check endpoint (/health)
- Prometheus metrics export
- Grafana dashboard
- Alerts for server downtime
- Alerts for high error rate
- Log aggregation config

File: deployment/agent-mail/monitoring/


Issue 2 to reopen


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


Add UNIQUE constraint on external_ref column

The external_ref column should have a UNIQUE constraint to prevent multiple issues from having the same external reference. This ensures data integrity when syncing from external systems (Jira, GitHub, Linear).

Current behavior:
- Multiple issues can have the same external_ref
- GetIssueByExternalRef returns first match (non-deterministic with duplicates)

Proposed solution:
- Add UNIQUE constraint to external_ref column
- Add migration to check for and resolve existing duplicates
- Update tests to verify constraint enforcement

Related: bd-1022


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.

## Implementation Progress

**Completed:**
1. ✅ Mutation events infrastructure (bd-143 equivalent)
   - MutationEvent channel in RPC server
   - Events emitted for all write operations: create, update, close, label add/remove, dep add/remove, comment add
   - Non-blocking emission with dropped event counter

2. ✅ FileWatcher with fsnotify (bd-b0c7f7ef related)
   - Watches .beads/issues.jsonl and .git/refs/heads
   - 500ms debounce
   - Polling fallback if fsnotify unavailable

3. ✅ Debouncer (bd-144 equivalent)
   - 500ms debounce for both export and import triggers
   - Thread-safe trigger/cancel

4. ✅ Separate export-only and import-only functions
   - createExportFunc(): exports + optional commit/push (no pull/import)
   - createAutoImportFunc(): pull + import (no export)
   - Target latency <500ms achieved by avoiding full sync

5. ✅ Dropped events safety net (bd-eef03e0a related)
   - Atomic counter tracks dropped mutation events
   - 60-second health check triggers export if events were dropped
   - Prevents silent data loss from event storms

**Still Needed:**
- Platform-specific tests (bd-69bce74a)
- Integration test for mutation→export latency (bd-140)
- Unit tests for FileWatcher (bd-b0c7f7ef)
- Unit tests for Debouncer (bd-144)
- Event storm stress test (bd-eef03e0a)
- Documentation update (bd-142)

**Next Steps:**
Add comprehensive test coverage before enabling events mode by default.


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


bd-hv01: No snapshot versioning or timestamps causes stale data usage

Problem: If sync is interrupted (crash, kill -9, power loss), stale snapshots persist indefinitely. Next sync uses stale data leading to incorrect deletions.

Fix: Add metadata to snapshots with timestamp, version, and commit SHA. Validate snapshots are recent (< 1 hour old), from compatible version, and from expected git commit.

Files: cmd/bd/deletion_tracking.go (all snapshot functions)


bd-hv01: Storage backend extensibility broken by type assertion

Problem: deletion_tracking.go:69-82 uses type assertion for DeleteIssue which breaks if someone adds a new storage backend.

Fix: Check capability before starting merge or add DeleteIssue to Storage interface.

Files: cmd/bd/deletion_tracking.go:69-82, internal/storage/storage.go


Audit and standardize JSON output across all commands

Ensure consistent JSON format and error handling when --json flag is used.

**Scope:**
1. Verify all commands respect --json flag
2. Standardize success response format
3. Standardize error response format
4. Document JSON schemas

**Commands to audit:**
- Core CRUD: create, update, delete, show, list, search ✓
- Queries: ready, blocked, stale, count, stats, status
- Deps: dep add/remove/tree/cycles
- Labels: label commands
- Comments: comments add/list/delete
- Epics: epic status/close-eligible
- Export/import: already support --json ✓

**Testing:**
- Success cases return valid JSON
- Error cases return valid JSON (not plain text)
- Consistent field naming (snake_case vs camelCase)
- Array vs object wrapping consistency


Repair Commands & AI-Assisted Tooling

Add specialized repair tools to reduce agent repair burden:
1. Git merge conflicts in JSONL
2. Duplicate issues from parallel work
3. Semantic inconsistencies
4. Orphaned references

See ~/src/fred/beads/repair_commands.md for full design doc.

Reduces agent repair time from 5-10 minutes to <30 seconds per repair.


Add tests for Comments API (AddIssueComment, GetIssueComments)

Comments API currently has 0% coverage. Need tests for:
- AddIssueComment - adding comments to issues
- GetIssueComments - retrieving comments
- Comment ordering and pagination
- Edge cases (non-existent issues, empty comments)


Code Review: PR #551 - Persist close_reason to issues table

Code review of PR #551 which fixes close_reason persistence bug.

## Summary
The PR correctly fixes a bug where close_reason was only stored in the events table, not in the issues.close_reason column. This caused `bd show --json` to return empty close_reason.

## What Was Fixed
- ✅ CloseIssue now updates both close_reason and closed_at
- ✅ ReOpenIssue clears both close_reason and closed_at
- ✅ Comprehensive tests added for both storage and CLI layers
- ✅ Clear documentation in queries.go about dual storage strategy

## Quality Assessment
✅ Tests cover both storage layer and CLI JSON output
✅ Handles reopen case (clearing close_reason)
✅ Good comments explaining dual-storage design
✅ No known issues

## Potential Followups
See linked issues for suggestions.


Add ON DELETE CASCADE to child_counters schema

Update schema.go child_counters table foreign key with ON DELETE CASCADE. When parent deleted, child counter should also be deleted. If parent is resurrected, counter gets recreated from scratch. Add migration for existing databases.


GH#486: Claude forgets beads workflow mid-session

Claude progressively reverts to TodoWrite or skips tracking despite CLAUDE.md instructions. Happens after context resets or long sessions. Need stronger prompting or hooks. See: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/486


Implement content-hash based collision resolution for deterministic convergence

The current collision resolution uses creation timestamps to decide which issue to keep vs. remap. This is non-deterministic when two clones create issues at nearly the same time.

Root cause of bd-71107098:
- Clone A creates test-1="Issue from clone A" at T0
- Clone B creates test-1="Issue from clone B" at T0+30ms
- Clone B syncs first, remaps Clone A's to test-2
- Clone A syncs second, sees collision, remaps Clone B's to test-2
- Result: titles are swapped between clones

Solution:
- Use content-based hashing (title + description + priority + type)
- Deterministic winner: always keep issue with lower hash
- Same collision on different clones produces same result (idempotent)

Implementation:
- Modify ScoreCollisions in internal/storage/sqlite/collision.go
- Replace timestamp-based scoring with content hash comparison
- Ensure hash function is stable across platforms


Test all core bd commands in WASM for feature parity

Comprehensive testing of bd-wasm against native bd:
- Test all CRUD operations (create, update, show, close)
- Test dependency management (dep add, dep tree)
- Test sync operations (sync, import, export)
- Verify JSONL output matches native bd
- Run existing Go test suite in WASM if possible
- Benchmark performance (should be within 2x of native)


WASM integration testing

Comprehensive testing of WASM build. Child of epic bd-44d0.

## Tasks
- [ ] Unit tests for WASM module
- [ ] Integration tests with real JSONL files
- [ ] Test all bd commands for parity
- [ ] Performance benchmarks
- [ ] Test in actual Claude Code Web sandbox
- [ ] Document any limitations

## Test Coverage Target
- >90% of bd CLI commands work identically


bd init UX Improvements

bd init leaves users with incomplete setup, requiring manual bd doctor --fix. Issues found: (1) git hooks not installed if user declines prompt, (2) no auto-migration when CLI is upgraded, (3) stale merge driver configs from old versions. Fix by making bd init more robust with better defaults and auto-migration.


Test child issue


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


Fix bd --version and bd completion to work without database


Daemon fails to auto-import after git pull updates JSONL

After git pull updates .beads/issues.jsonl, daemon doesn't automatically re-import changes, causing stale data to be shown until next sync cycle (up to 5 minutes).

Reproduction:
1. Repo A: Close issues, export, commit, push
2. Repo B: git pull (successfully updates .beads/issues.jsonl)
3. bd show <issue> shows OLD status from daemon's SQLite db
4. JSONL on disk has correct new status

Root cause: Daemon sync cycle runs on timer (5min). When user manually runs git pull, daemon doesn't detect JSONL was updated externally and continues serving stale data from SQLite.

Impact:
- High for AI agents using beads in git workflows
- Breaks fundamental git-as-source-of-truth model
- Confusing UX: git log shows commit, bd shows old state
- Data consistency issues between JSONL and daemon

See WYVERN_SYNC_ISSUE.md for full analysis.

**Fixed in v0.21.2!**

The daemon auto-import is fully implemented:
- internal/autoimport package handles staleness detection
- internal/importer package provides shared import logic (used by both CLI and daemon)
- daemon's checkAndAutoImportIfStale() calls autoimport.AutoImportIfNewer()
- importFunc uses importer.ImportIssues() with auto-rename enabled
- All tests passing

The critical data corruption bug is FIXED:
✅ After git pull, daemon detects JSONL is newer (mtime check)
✅ Daemon auto-imports before serving requests
✅ No stale data served
✅ No data loss in multi-agent workflows

Verification needed: Run two-repo test to confirm end-to-end behavior.


Review PR #513: fix hooks install docs

Review and merge PR #513 from aspiers. This PR fixes incorrect docs for how to install git hooks - updates README to use bd hooks install instead of removed install.sh. Simple 1-line change. URL: https://github.com/anthropics/beads/pull/513


Comprehensive testing for separate branch workflow including unit tests, integration tests, and performance testing.

Tasks:
- Unit tests for worktree management
- Unit tests for config parsing
- Integration tests: create/update/close → beads branch
- Integration test: merge beads → main
- Integration test: protected branch scenario
- Integration test: network failure recovery
- Integration test: config change handling
- Manual testing guide
- Performance testing (worktree overhead)

Test scenarios: fresh setup, issue operations, merge workflow, protected branch, error handling, migration, multiple workspaces, sparse checkout

Estimated effort: 4-5 days

Completed comprehensive test coverage. Added 4 new integration tests: config change handling, multiple concurrent clones (3-way), performance testing (avg 77ms < 150ms target), and network failure recovery. All tests pass. Coverage includes fresh setup, issue ops, error handling, multiple workspaces, sparse checkout, config changes, network failures, and performance.


Tombstone import creates duplicate entries when deletions.jsonl has entries already in JSONL

In the tombstone import logic (bd-dve), when a non-tombstone issue is in both JSONL and deletions.jsonl, we:
1. Skip the issue (line 149-155)
2. Create a tombstone from deletions.jsonl (lines 161-171)

This means if the JSONL contains issue 'bd-abc' (non-tombstone) and deletions.jsonl also has 'bd-abc', we skip the JSONL version but then add a tombstone version from deletions.jsonl. This is intentional but the skipped issue count may be confusing.

Consider: should we track converted-to-tombstone separately from skipped-deleted in the Result struct?


Refactor path canonicalization into helper function

The path canonicalization logic (filepath.Abs + EvalSymlinks) is duplicated in 3 places:
- beads.go:131-137 (BEADS_DIR handling)
- cmd/bd/main.go:446-451 (--no-db cleanup)
- cmd/bd/nodb.go:26-31 (--no-db initialization)

Refactoring suggestion:
Extract to a helper function like:
  func canonicalizePath(path string) string

This would:
- Reduce code duplication
- Make the logic easier to maintain
- Ensure consistent behavior across all path handling

Related to bd-e16b implementation.


Add mutation channel to internal/rpc/server.go

Add mutationChan chan MutationEvent to Server struct. Emit events on CreateIssue, UpdateIssue, DeleteIssue, AddComment. Non-blocking send with default case for full channel.


Migration guide documentation

Write comprehensive migration guide covering: OSS contributor workflow, team workflow, multi-phase development, multiple personas. Include step-by-step instructions, troubleshooting, and backward compatibility notes.


Sync should cleanup snapshot files after completion

## Problem
`bd sync` leaves orphaned merge artifact files (beads.base.jsonl, beads.left.jsonl) after completion, causing:
1. Doctor warnings about 'Multiple JSONL files found'
2. Confusion during debugging
3. Potential stale data issues on next sync

## Root Cause
`SnapshotManager` creates these files for 3-way merge deletion tracking but `Cleanup()` is never called after sync completes (success or failure).

## Fix
Call `SnapshotManager.Cleanup()` at end of successful sync:

```go
// sync.go after successful validation
sm := NewSnapshotManager(jsonlPath)
sm.Cleanup()
```

## Files
- cmd/bd/sync.go (add cleanup call)
- cmd/bd/snapshot_manager.go (Cleanup method exists at line 188)


Support Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (glibc compatibility issue)

Starting at v0.22, precompiled binaries require GLIBC 2.32+ which is not available on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (Focal Fossa). Ubuntu 20.04 has GLIBC 2.31.

Error:
```
bd: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.34' not found (required by bd)
bd: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.32' not found (required by bd)
```

Current workarounds:
1. Upgrade to Ubuntu 22.04+
2. Build from source: `go build -o bd ./cmd/bd/`

Root cause: Go 1.24+ runtime requires newer glibc. CGO is already disabled in .goreleaser.yml.

Possible solutions:
- Pin Go version to 1.21 or 1.22 for releases
- Use Docker/cross-compile with older build environment
- Provide separate build for older distros
- Document minimum requirements clearly

Decision: Document minimum requirements in README instead of pinning Go version.

Rationale:
- Ubuntu 20.04 LTS standard support ended April 2025 (already EOL)
- Pinning Go prevents security fixes, performance improvements, and new features
- Users on EOL distros can upgrade OS or build from source
- Added Requirements section to README with clear glibc 2.32+ requirement


bd cleanup fails with CHECK constraint on status/closed_at mismatch

## Problem

Running `bd cleanup --force` fails with:

```
Error: failed to create tombstone for bd-okh: sqlite3: constraint failed: CHECK constraint failed: (status = 'closed') = (closed_at IS NOT NULL)
```

## Root Cause

The database has a CHECK constraint ensuring closed issues have `closed_at` set and non-closed issues don't. When `bd cleanup` tries to convert a closed issue to a tombstone, this constraint fails if:
1. The issue has status='closed' but closed_at is NULL, OR
2. The issue is being converted but the tombstone creation doesn't properly handle the closed_at field

## Impact

- `bd cleanup --force` cannot complete
- 722 closed issues cannot be cleaned up
- Blocks routine maintenance

## Investigation Needed

1. Check the bd-okh record in the database:
   ```sql
   SELECT id, status, closed_at, deleted_at FROM issues WHERE id = 'bd-okh';
   ```
2. Determine if this is data corruption or a bug in tombstone creation

## Proposed Solutions

1. **If data corruption**: Add a `bd doctor --fix` check that repairs status/closed_at mismatches
2. **If code bug**: Fix the tombstone creation to properly handle the constraint

## Files to Investigate

- `internal/storage/sqlite/sqlite.go` - DeleteIssue / tombstone creation
- Schema CHECK constraint definition

## Acceptance Criteria

- [ ] Identify root cause (data vs code bug)
- [ ] `bd cleanup --force` completes successfully
- [ ] `bd doctor` detects status/closed_at mismatches


Add 'When to use daemon mode' decision tree to daemon.md

**Problem:**
Users (especially local-only developers) see daemon-related messages but don't understand:
- What daemon mode does (git sync automation)
- Whether they need it
- Why they see "daemon_unsupported" messages

Related to issue #349 item #3.

**Current state:**
commands/daemon.md explains WHAT daemon does but not WHEN to use it.

**Proposed addition:**
Add a "When to Use Daemon Mode" section after line 20 in commands/daemon.md with clear decision criteria:

**✅ You SHOULD use daemon mode if:**
- Working in a team with git remote sync
- Want automatic commit/push of issue changes
- Need background auto-sync (5-second debounce)
- Making frequent bd commands (performance benefit)

**❌ You DON'T need daemon mode if:**
- Solo developer with local-only tracking
- Working in git worktrees (use --no-daemon)
- Running one-off commands/scripts
- Debugging database issues

**Local-only users:** Direct mode is perfectly fine. Daemon mainly helps with git sync automation. You can use `bd sync` manually when needed.

**Files to modify:**
- commands/daemon.md (add section after line 20)


Extract daemon sync functions to daemon_sync.go


Add date and priority filters to bd search

Add filter parity with bd list for consistent querying.

**Missing filters to add:**
- --priority, --priority-min, --priority-max
- --created-after, --created-before
- --updated-after, --updated-before
- --closed-after, --closed-before
- --empty-description, --no-assignee, --no-labels
- --desc-contains, --notes-contains

**Files to modify:**
- cmd/bd/search.go
- internal/rpc/protocol.go (SearchArgs)
- internal/storage/storage.go (Search method)

**Testing:**
- All filter combinations
- Date format parsing
- Daemon and direct mode


Implement topological sort for import ordering

Refactor upsertIssues() to sort issues by hierarchy depth before batch creation. Ensures parents are created before children, fixing latent bug where parent-child pairs in same batch can fail if ordered wrong. Sort by dot count, create in depth-order batches (0→1→2→3).


Create architecture decision record (ADR)

Document why we chose Agent Mail, alternatives considered, and tradeoffs.

Acceptance Criteria:
- Problem statement (git traffic, no locks)
- Alternatives considered (custom RPC, Redis, etc.)
- Why Agent Mail fits Beads
- Integration principles (optional, graceful degradation)
- Future considerations

File: docs/adr/002-agent-mail-integration.md


Imperator clone on beads-sync branch causes bd sync failures


Fix mypy errors in beads-mcp

Running `mypy .` in `integrations/beads-mcp` reports 287 errors. These should be addressed to improve type safety and code quality.


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


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 issue 2


Fix TestTwoCloneCollision timeout


Add TestNWayCollision for 5+ clones

## Overview
Add comprehensive tests for N-way (5+) collision resolution to verify the solution scales beyond 3 clones.

## Purpose
While TestThreeCloneCollision validates the basic N-way case, we need to verify:
1. Solution scales to arbitrary N
2. Performance is acceptable with more clones
3. Convergence time is bounded
4. No edge cases in larger collision groups

## Implementation Tasks

### 1. Create TestFiveCloneCollision
File: beads_twoclone_test.go (or new beads_nway_test.go)

```go
func TestFiveCloneCollision(t *testing.T) {
    // Test with 5 clones creating same ID with different content
    // Verify all 5 clones converge after sync rounds

    t.Run("SequentialSync", func(t *testing.T) {
        testNCloneCollision(t, 5, "A", "B", "C", "D", "E")
    })

    t.Run("ReverseSync", func(t *testing.T) {
        testNCloneCollision(t, 5, "E", "D", "C", "B", "A")
    })

    t.Run("RandomSync", func(t *testing.T) {
        testNCloneCollision(t, 5, "C", "A", "E", "B", "D")
    })
}
```

### 2. Implement generalized testNCloneCollision
Generalize the 3-clone test to handle arbitrary N:

```go
func testNCloneCollision(t *testing.T, numClones int, syncOrder ...string) {
    t.Helper()

    if len(syncOrder) != numClones {
        t.Fatalf("syncOrder length (%d) must match numClones (%d)",
            len(syncOrder), numClones)
    }

    tmpDir := t.TempDir()

    // Setup remote and N clones
    remoteDir := setupBareRepo(t, tmpDir)
    cloneDirs := make(map[string]string)

    for i := 0; i < numClones; i++ {
        name := string(rune('A' + i))
        cloneDirs[name] = setupClone(t, tmpDir, remoteDir, name)
    }

    // Each clone creates issue with same ID but different content
    for name, dir := range cloneDirs {
        createIssue(t, dir, fmt.Sprintf("Issue from clone %s", name))
    }

    // Sync in specified order
    for _, name := range syncOrder {
        syncClone(t, cloneDirs[name], name)
    }

    // Final pull for convergence
    for name, dir := range cloneDirs {
        finalPull(t, dir, name)
    }

    // Verify all clones have all N issues
    expectedTitles := make(map[string]bool)
    for i := 0; i < numClones; i++ {
        name := string(rune('A' + i))
        expectedTitles[fmt.Sprintf("Issue from clone %s", name)] = true
    }

    for name, dir := range cloneDirs {
        titles := getTitles(t, dir)
        if !compareTitleSets(titles, expectedTitles) {
            t.Errorf("Clone %s missing issues: expected %v, got %v",
                name, expectedTitles, titles)
        }
    }

    t.Log("✓ All", numClones, "clones converged successfully")
}
```

### 3. Add performance benchmarks
Test convergence time and memory usage:

```go
func BenchmarkNWayCollision(b *testing.B) {
    for _, n := range []int{3, 5, 10, 20} {
        b.Run(fmt.Sprintf("N=%d", n), func(b *testing.B) {
            for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
                // Run N-way collision and measure time
                testNCloneCollisionBench(b, n)
            }
        })
    }
}
```

### 4. Add convergence time tests
Verify bounded convergence:

```go
func TestConvergenceTime(t *testing.T) {
    // Test that convergence happens within expected rounds
    // For N clones, should converge in at most N-1 sync rounds

    for n := 3; n <= 10; n++ {
        t.Run(fmt.Sprintf("N=%d", n), func(t *testing.T) {
            rounds := measureConvergenceRounds(t, n)
            maxExpected := n - 1
            if rounds > maxExpected {
                t.Errorf("Convergence took %d rounds, expected ≤ %d",
                    rounds, maxExpected)
            }
        })
    }
}
```

### 5. Add edge case tests
Test boundary conditions:
- All N clones have identical content (dedup works)
- N-1 clones have same content, 1 differs
- All N clones have unique content
- Mix of collisions and non-collisions

## Acceptance Criteria
- TestFiveCloneCollision passes with all sync orders
- All 5 clones converge to identical content
- Performance is acceptable (< 5 seconds for 5 clones)
- Convergence time is bounded (≤ N-1 rounds)
- Edge cases handled correctly
- Benchmarks show scalability to 10+ clones

## Files to Create/Modify
- beads_twoclone_test.go or beads_nway_test.go
- Add helper functions for N-clone setup

## Testing Strategy

### Test Matrix
| N Clones | Sync Orders | Expected Result |
|----------|-------------|-----------------|
| 3        | A→B→C       | Pass            |
| 3        | C→B→A       | Pass            |
| 5        | A→B→C→D→E   | Pass            |
| 5        | E→D→C→B→A   | Pass            |
| 5        | Random      | Pass            |
| 10       | Sequential  | Pass            |

### Performance Targets
- 3 clones: < 2 seconds
- 5 clones: < 5 seconds
- 10 clones: < 15 seconds

## Dependencies
- Requires bd-cbed9619.5, bd-cbed9619.4, bd-cbed9619.3, bd-dcd6f14b to be completed
- TestThreeCloneCollision must pass first

## Success Metrics
- All tests pass for N ∈ {3, 5, 10}
- Convergence time scales linearly (O(N))
- Memory usage reasonable (< 100MB for 10 clones)
- No data corruption or loss in any scenario


Add global verbosity flags (--verbose, --quiet)

Add consistent verbosity controls across all commands.

**Current state:**
- bd init has --quiet flag
- No other commands have verbosity controls
- Debug output controlled by BD_VERBOSE env var

**Proposal:**
Add persistent flags:
- --verbose / -v: Enable debug output
- --quiet / -q: Suppress non-essential output

**Implementation:**
- Add to rootCmd.PersistentFlags()
- Replace BD_VERBOSE checks with flag checks
- Standardize output levels:
  * Quiet: Errors only
  * Normal: Errors + success messages
  * Verbose: Errors + success + debug info

**Files to modify:**
- cmd/bd/main.go (add flags)
- internal/debug/debug.go (respect flags)
- Update all commands to respect quiet mode

**Testing:**
- Verify --verbose shows debug output
- Verify --quiet suppresses normal output
- Ensure errors always show regardless of mode


Second worktree test


Dogfood: Migrate beads repo to hash IDs

Final validation: migrate the beads project itself to hash-based IDs.

## Purpose
Dogfooding the migration on beads' own issue database to:
1. Validate migration tool works on real data
2. Discover edge cases
3. Verify all workflows still work
4. Build confidence for users

## Pre-Migration Checklist
- [ ] All bd-f8b764c9 child tasks completed
- [ ] All tests pass: `go test ./...`
- [ ] Migration tool tested on test databases
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] MCP server updated and published
- [ ] Clean git status

## Migration Steps

### 1. Create Backup
```bash
# Backup database
cp -r .beads .beads.backup-1761798568

# Backup JSONL
cp .beads/beads.jsonl .beads/beads.jsonl.backup

# Create git branch for migration
git checkout -b hash-id-migration
git add .beads.backup-*
git commit -m "Pre-migration backup"
```

### 2. Run Migration (Dry Run)
```bash
bd migrate --hash-ids --dry-run > migration-plan.txt
cat migration-plan.txt

# Review:
# - Number of issues to migrate
# - Hash collision check (should be zero)
# - Text reference updates
# - Dependency updates
```

### 3. Run Migration (Real)
```bash
bd migrate --hash-ids 2>&1 | tee migration-log.txt

# Expected output:
# ✓ Backup created: .beads/beads.db.backup-1234567890
# ✓ 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/beads.jsonl
# ✓ Migration complete!
```

### 4. Validation

#### Database Integrity
```bash
# Check all issues have hash IDs
bd list | grep -v "bd-[a-f0-9]\{8\}" && echo "FAIL: Non-hash IDs found"

# Check all issues have aliases
sqlite3 .beads/beads.db "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM issues WHERE alias IS NULL"
# Should be 0

# Check no alias duplicates
sqlite3 .beads/beads.db "SELECT alias, COUNT(*) FROM issues GROUP BY alias HAVING COUNT(*) > 1"
# Should be empty
```

#### Functionality Tests
```bash
# Test show by hash ID
bd show bd-

# Test show by alias
bd show #1

# Test create new issue
bd create "Test issue after migration" -p 2
# Should get hash ID + alias

# Test update
bd update #1 --priority 1

# Test dependencies
bd dep tree #1

# Test export
bd export
git diff .beads/beads.jsonl
# Should show hash IDs
```

#### Text Reference Validation
```bash
# Check that old IDs were updated in descriptions
grep -r "bd-[0-9]\{1,3\}[^a-f0-9]" .beads/beads.jsonl && echo "FAIL: Old ID format found"

# Verify hash ID references exist
grep -o "bd-[a-f0-9]\{8\}" .beads/beads.jsonl | sort -u | wc -l
# Should match number of hash IDs
```

### 5. Commit Migration
```bash
git add .beads/beads.jsonl .beads/beads.db
git commit -m "Migrate to hash-based IDs (v2.0)

- Migrated 150 issues to hash IDs
- Preserved aliases (#1-#150)
- Updated 87 dependencies
- Updated 234 text references
- Zero hash collisions

Migration log: migration-log.txt"

git push origin hash-id-migration
```

### 6. Create PR
```bash
gh pr create --title "Migrate to hash-based IDs (v2.0)" --body "## Summary
Migrates beads project to hash-based IDs as part of v2.0 release.

## Migration Stats
- Issues migrated: 150
- Dependencies updated: 87
- Text references updated: 234
- Hash collisions: 0
- Aliases assigned: 150

## Validation
- ✅ All tests pass
- ✅ Database integrity verified
- ✅ All workflows tested (show, update, create, deps)
- ✅ Text references updated correctly
- ✅ Export produces valid JSONL

## Files Changed
- `.beads/beads.jsonl` - Hash IDs in all entries
- `.beads/beads.db` - Schema updated with aliases

## Rollback
If issues arise:
\`\`\`bash
mv .beads.backup-1234567890 .beads
bd export
\`\`\`

See migration-log.txt for full details."
```

### 7. Merge and Cleanup
```bash
# After PR approval
git checkout main
git merge hash-id-migration
git push origin main

# Tag release
git tag v2.0.0
git push origin v2.0.0

# Cleanup
rm migration-log.txt migration-plan.txt
git checkout .beads.backup-*  # Keep in git history
```

## Rollback Procedure
If migration fails or has issues:

```bash
# Restore backup
mv .beads .beads.failed-migration
mv .beads.backup-1234567890 .beads

# Regenerate JSONL
bd export

# Verify restoration
bd list
git diff .beads/beads.jsonl

# Cleanup
git checkout hash-id-migration
git reset --hard main
```

## Post-Migration Communication

### GitHub Issue/Discussion
```markdown
## Beads v2.0 Released: Hash-Based IDs

We've migrated beads to hash-based IDs! 🎉

**What changed:**
- Issues now use hash IDs (bd-af78e9a2) instead of sequential (bd-cb64c226.3)
- Human-friendly aliases (#42) for easy reference
- Zero collision risk in distributed workflows

**Action required:**
If you have a local clone, you need to migrate:

\`\`\`bash
git pull origin main
bd migrate --hash-ids
git push origin main
\`\`\`

See MIGRATION.md for details.

**Benefits:**
- ✅ No more ID collisions
- ✅ Work offline without coordination
- ✅ Simpler codebase (-2,100 LOC)

Questions? Reply here or see docs/HASH_IDS.md
```

## Success Criteria
- [ ] Migration completes without errors
- [ ] All validation checks pass
- [ ] PR merged to main
- [ ] v2.0.0 tagged and released
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] Community notified
- [ ] No rollback needed within 1 week

## Files to Create
- migration-log.txt (transient)
- migration-plan.txt (transient)

## Timeline
Execute after all other bd-f8b764c9 tasks complete (estimated: ~8 weeks from start)


bd prime: AI context loading and Claude Code integration

Implement `bd prime` command and Claude Code hooks for context recovery. Hooks work with BOTH MCP server and CLI approaches - they solve the context memory problem (keeping bd workflow fresh after compaction) not the tool access problem (MCP vs CLI).


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


getLocalSyncBranch YAML parsing is fragile

The getLocalSyncBranch() function in autoimport.go uses a simple line-by-line YAML parser that could fail on:
- Indented sync-branch: (nested in a section)
- Comments containing sync-branch:
- Multi-line values
- Values with special characters

Current implementation at autoimport.go:161-172 does:
```go
for _, line := range strings.Split(string(data), "\n") {
    line = strings.TrimSpace(line)
    if strings.HasPrefix(line, "sync-branch:") {
        value := strings.TrimPrefix(line, "sync-branch:")
        ...
    }
}
```

The reason we can't use viper's cached config is that it's initialized at process startup from the main repo's CWD, not from the current directory at runtime. This causes issues in tests where t.Chdir() changes the directory.

Options:
1. Accept the limitation (sync-branch must be top-level, unquoted)
2. Use a proper YAML library (gopkg.in/yaml.v3) to parse just this value
3. Refactor config package to support re-initialization per directory


Add tests for daemon lifecycle module


Implement "bd daemons logs" subcommand

Add command to view daemon logs for a specific workspace. Requires daemon logging to file (may need separate issue for log infrastructure).


bd message: Fix inefficient client-side filtering for --unread-only


Document CompactedResult response format in CONTEXT_ENGINEERING.md

The CompactedResult is a new response format that MCP clients need to understand, but it's not documented in CONTEXT_ENGINEERING.md.

## What's Missing
- Example CompactedResult JSON response
- How to detect if a result is compacted
- How to request full results (disable compaction or increase limit)
- Guidance on handling both list[IssueMinimal] and CompactedResult return types
- Migration guide for clients expecting list[Issue] from ready() and list()

## Documentation Gaps
Currently CONTEXT_ENGINEERING.md explains the optimization strategy but doesn't show:
1. Sample CompactedResult response
2. Client-side code examples for handling compaction
3. When compaction is triggered (>20 results)
4. How to get all results if needed

## Suggested Additions
Add new section \"Handling Large Result Sets\" with:
- CompactedResult schema documentation
- Python client example for handling both response types
- Guidance on re-issuing queries with better filters


Test issue 1


Centralize error handling patterns in storage layer

80+ instances of inconsistent error handling across sqlite.go with mix of %w, %v, and no wrapping.

Location: internal/storage/sqlite/sqlite.go (throughout)

Problem:
- Some use fmt.Errorf("op failed: %w", err) - correct wrapping
- Some use fmt.Errorf("op failed: %v", err) - loses error chain
- Some return err directly - no context
- Hard to debug production issues
- Can't distinguish error types

Solution: Create internal/storage/sqlite/errors.go:
- Define sentinel errors (ErrNotFound, ErrInvalidID, etc.)
- Create wrapDBError(op string, err error) helper
- Convert sql.ErrNoRows to ErrNotFound
- Always wrap with operation context

Impact: Lost error context; inconsistent messages; hard to debug

Effort: 5-7 hours


Extract Daemon struct and config into internal/daemonrunner

Create internal/daemonrunner with Config struct and Daemon struct. Move daemon runtime logic from cmd/bd/daemon.go Run function into Daemon.Start/Stop methods.

Refactoring complete! Created internal/daemonrunner package with:
- Config struct (config.go)
- Daemon struct with Start/Stop methods (daemon.go)
- RPC server lifecycle (rpc.go)
- Sync loop implementation (sync.go)
- Git operations (git.go)
- Process management (process.go, flock_*.go)
- Logger setup (logger.go)
- Platform-specific signal handling (signals_*.go)
- Database fingerprint validation (fingerprint.go)

Build succeeds and most daemon tests pass. Import functionality still delegated to cmd/bd (marked with TODO(bd-b5a3)).


Debug MCP Agent Mail tool execution errors

**EXTERNAL WORK**: Debug the standalone MCP Agent Mail server (separate from beads integration).

The Agent Mail server runs as an independent service at ~/src/mcp_agent_mail. This is NOT beads code - it's a separate GitHub project we're evaluating for optional coordination features.

Current Issue:
- MCP API endpoint returns errors when calling ensure_project tool
- Error: "Server encountered an unexpected error while executing tool"
- Core HTTP server works, web UI functional, but tool wrapper layer fails

Server Details:
- Location: ~/src/mcp_agent_mail (separate repo)
- Repository: https://github.com/Dicklesworthstone/mcp_agent_mail
- Runs on: http://127.0.0.1:8765
- Bearer token: In .env file

Investigation Steps:
1. Check tool execution logs for full stack trace
2. Verify Git storage initialization at ~/.mcp_agent_mail_git_mailbox_repo
3. Review database setup (storage.sqlite3)
4. Test with simpler MCP tools if available
5. Compare with working test cases in tests/

Why This Matters:
- Blocks [deleted:bd-6hji] (testing file reservations)
- Need working MCP API to validate Agent Mail benefits
- Proof of concept for lightweight beads integration later

Note: The actual beads integration (bd-wfmw) will be lightweight HTTP client code only.


Fix: bd migrate-tombstones corrupts deletions manifest

When running 'bd migrate-tombstones' followed by 'bd sync', the operation adds thousands of issues to deletions.jsonl with author 'bd-doctor-hydrate' that should never have been deleted. This causes:
1. Issues are marked as deleted that were never intended for deletion
2. Subsequent 'bd sync' fails with 3-way merge errors
3. The migration operation corrupts database state

## Root Cause
The tombstone migration logic incorrectly identifies issues that should be migrated as 'deleted issues' and adds them to the deletions manifest instead of converting them to inline tombstones.

## Reproduction
1. bd sync --import-only
2. bd migrate-tombstones
3. bd sync
Result: See thousands of 'Skipping bd-xxxx (in deletions manifest: deleted 2025-12-14 by bd-doctor-hydrate)' lines and 3-way merge failures

## Impact
- Database becomes inconsistent
- Issues permanently lost from local database
- Requires full reset to recover

## Files to Investigate
- cmd/bd/migrate_tombstones.go - migration logic
- deletions manifest handling during migration


CRITICAL: bd sync exports before pull, allowing stale DB to corrupt JSONL statuses

## Root Cause

The fix in bd-53c (reverse ZFC check) only checks COUNTS, not content. The real corruption happens when:

1. Polecat A has stale DB with old status values (e.g., status=closed for issues that are now open on remote)
2. Polecat A runs bd sync:
   - **Export FIRST**: DB (status=closed) → JSONL (overwrites correct status=open)
   - Commit: Stale JSONL committed
   - Pull: 3-way merge with remote
   - Merge uses 'closed wins' rule → status stays closed
3. Polecat A pushes → Remote now corrupted with status=closed

## Why bd-53c didn't fix it

The reverse ZFC check compares COUNTS:
```go
if jsonlCount > dbCount  // Only catches count mismatch
```

But in the corruption scenario:
- JSONL count = 5, DB count = 5 (same count!)
- Only the STATUS field differs

## The Real Fix

**PULL BEFORE EXPORT**. The sync order must be:
1. Pull from remote (get latest state)
2. Import merged JSONL to DB
3. THEN export DB changes (if any)

Current order is: Export → Commit → Pull → Import → Push

This is a fundamental architecture change to the sync flow.

## Workaround

Use --no-auto-flush and manually control the sync order, or disable daemon auto-export.

## Evidence

From user investigation:
- At 595b7943 (13:20:30): 5 open issues
- At 10239812 (13:28:39): 0 open issues
- All 5 issues had their status changed from open to closed
- Count stayed at 5 (not a deletion issue)


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


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 ready taking 5 seconds with 132 issues (89 closed)

User reports bd ready is annoyingly slow on M2 Mac - 5 seconds for 132 issues (89 closed). Started noticing after hash-based IDs update. Need to investigate performance regression. Reported in GH #243.

Root cause identified: Not a query performance issue, but stale daemon locks causing 5s timeout delays.

Fixed in bd-ndyz (closed) via 5 sub-issues:
- bd-expt: Fast-fail socket checks (200ms timeout)
- bd-wgu4: Lock probe before RPC attempts
- bd-1mzt: Self-heal stale artifacts
- bd-vcg5: Panic recovery + socket cleanup
- bd-j7e2: RPC diagnostics (BD_RPC_DEBUG)

All fixes merged. Ready for v0.22.2 release.


Update documentation for bd prime and Claude integration

Update AGENTS.md, README.md, and QUICKSTART.md to document the new `bd prime` command, `bd setup claude` command, and tip system.


YABB: Spurious issue updates during normal operations

Issue bd-627d was updated during config refactoring session without any actual changes to it. Only timestamps and content_hash changed.

Observed: Running various bd commands (list, create, etc.) caused bd-627d updated_at to change from 14:14 to 14:31.

Expected: Issues should only be updated when explicitly modified.

This causes:
- Dirty JSONL after every session
- False conflicts in git
- Confusing git history

Likely culprit: Daemon auto-import/export cycle or database migration touching all issues.

Investigated thoroughly - unable to reproduce. The import logic has IssueDataChanged() checks before calling UpdateIssue (importer/importer.go:458). All tests pass. May have been fixed by recent refactorings. Closing as cannot reproduce - please reopen with specific repro steps if it occurs again.


bd export should verify JSONL line count matches database count

After export completes, bd should verify that the JSONL file line count matches the number of issues exported. This would catch silent failures where the export appears to succeed but doesn't actually write all issues.

Real-world scenario from VC project:
- Ran direct SQL DELETE to remove 240 issues
- Ran 'bd export -o .beads/issues.jsonl'
- No error shown, appeared to succeed
- But JSONL file was not updated (still had old line count)
- Later session found all 240 issues still in JSONL
- Had to repeat the cleanup

If export had verified line count, it would have immediately shown:
  Error: Export verification failed
    Expected: 276 issues
    JSONL file: 516 lines
    Mismatch indicates export failed to write all issues

This is especially important because:
1. JSONL is source of truth in git
2. Silent export failures cause data inconsistency
3. Users assume export succeeded if no error shown
4. The verification is cheap (just count lines)

Implementation:
- After writing JSONL, count lines in file
- Compare to len(exportedIDs)
- If mismatch, remove temp file and return error
- Show clear error message with both counts


Don't search parent directories for .beads databases

bd currently walks up the directory tree looking for .beads directories, which can find unrelated databases (e.g., ~/.beads). This causes confusing warnings and potential data pollution.

Should either:
1. Stop at git root (don't search above it)
2. Only use explicit BEADS_DB env var or local .beads
3. At minimum, don't search in home directory


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.


Vendor beads-merge Go code into internal/merge/

Copy beads-merge source code from @neongreen's repo into bd codebase.

**Tasks**:
- Create `internal/merge/` package
- Copy merge algorithm code
- Add attribution header to all files
- Update imports to use bd's internal types
- Add LICENSE/ATTRIBUTION file crediting @neongreen
- Keep original algorithm intact

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


Document sync.require_confirmation_on_mass_delete config option


Code Review Sweep: thorough

Perform thorough code review sweep based on accumulated activity.

**AI Reasoning:**
Significant code activity with 7608 lines added and 120 files changed indicates substantial modifications. Multiple high-churn areas (cmd/bd, internal/rpc) suggest potential for subtle issues and emerging patterns that warrant review.

**Scope:** thorough
**Target Areas:** cmd/bd, internal/rpc, .beads
**Estimated Files:** 12
**Estimated Cost:** $5

**Task:**
Review files for non-obvious issues that agents miss during focused work:
- Inefficiencies (algorithmic, resource usage)
- Subtle bugs (race conditions, off-by-one, copy-paste)
- Poor patterns (coupling, complexity, duplication)
- Missing best practices (error handling, docs, tests)
- Unnamed anti-patterns

File discovered issues with detailed reasoning and suggestions.


Add unit tests for reset package

Comprehensive unit tests for internal/reset package.

## Test Cases

### ValidateState tests
- .beads/ exists → success
- .beads/ missing → appropriate error
- git dirty state detection

### CountImpact tests
- Empty .beads/ → zero counts
- With issues → correct count (open vs closed)
- With tombstones → correct count
- Returns HasUncommitted correctly

### Backup tests
- Creates backup with correct timestamp format
- Preserves all files and permissions
- Returns correct path
- Handles missing .beads/ gracefully
- Errors on pre-existing backup dir

### Git operation tests
- CheckGitState detects dirty, detached, not-a-repo
- GitRemoveBeads removes correct files
- GitCommitReset creates commit with message
- Operations skip gracefully when not in git repo

### Reset tests (with mocks/temp dirs)
- Soft reset removes files, calls init
- Hard reset includes git operations
- Dry run doesn't modify anything
- SkipInit flag prevents re-initialization
- Daemon killall is called
- Backup is created when requested

## Approach
- Can start with interface definitions (TDD style)
- Use testify for assertions
- Create temp directories for isolation
- Mock git operations where needed
- Test completion depends on implementation tasks

## File Location
`internal/reset/reset_test.go`
`internal/reset/backup_test.go`
`internal/reset/git_test.go`


Improve test coverage for cmd/bd/setup (28.4% → 50%)

The setup package has only 28.4% test coverage. Setup commands are critical for first-time user experience.

Current coverage: 28.4%
Target coverage: 50%


Need comprehensive daemon health check command (bd daemon doctor?)


Integration Testing

Verify cache removal doesn't break any workflows


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


Add comprehensive tests for show.go commands (show, update, edit, close)

Need to add tests for cmd/bd/show.go which contains show, update, edit, and close commands.

**Challenge**: The existing test patterns use rootCmd.SetArgs() and rootCmd.Execute(), but the global `store` variable needs to match what the commands use. Initial attempt created tests that failed with "no issue found" because the test's store instance wasn't the same as the command's store.

**Files to test**:
- show.go (contains showCmd, updateCmd, editCmd, closeCmd)

**Coverage needed**:
- show command (single issue, multiple issues, JSON output, with dependencies, with labels, with compaction)
- update command (status, priority, title, assignee, description, multiple fields, multiple issues)
- edit command (requires $EDITOR, may need mocking)
- close command (single issue, multiple issues, with reason, JSON output)

**Test approach**:
1. Study working test patterns in init_test.go, list_test.go, etc.
2. Ensure BEADS_NO_DAEMON=1 is set
3. Properly initialize database with bd init
4. Use the command's global store, not a separate instance
5. May need to reset global state between tests

**Success criteria**:
- All test functions pass
- Coverage for show.go increases significantly
- Tests follow existing patterns in cmd/bd/*_test.go


bd message: Improve type safety with typed parameter structs


Add bd init --contributor wizard

Interactive wizard for OSS contributor setup. Guides user through: fork workflow setup, separate planning repo configuration, auto-detection of fork relationships, examples of common OSS workflows.


convertDeletionToTombstone uses hardcoded default values

The convertDeletionToTombstone helper (importer.go:1114-1130) uses hardcoded defaults:
- Priority: 2
- IssueType: types.TypeTask
- Title: "(deleted)"

These defaults work but could be improved:
1. Consider using Priority: 0 (unset) to distinguish from user-set priority
2. OriginalType is empty string - consider setting IssueType to empty to be consistent
3. Title could include the original ID for debugging: "(deleted: bd-xyz)"

Low priority cleanup for consistency.


Add sync resilience guardrails for forced pushes and prefix mismatches

Beads can get into unrecoverable sync states when remote forces pushes occur (e.g., rebases) combined with prefix mismatches from multi-worker scenarios. Add detection, prevention, and auto-recovery features to handle this gracefully.


Latency test 1


Optimize Memory backend GetIssueByExternalRef with index

Currently GetIssueByExternalRef in Memory storage uses O(n) linear search through all issues.

Current code (memory.go:282-308):
for _, issue := range m.issues {
    if issue.ExternalRef != nil && *issue.ExternalRef == externalRef {
        return &issueCopy, nil
    }
}

Proposed optimization:
- Add externalRefToID map[string]string to MemoryStorage
- Maintain it in CreateIssue, UpdateIssue, DeleteIssue
- Achieve O(1) lookup like SQLite's index

Impact: Low (--no-db mode typically has smaller datasets)
Related: bd-1022


Add --body-file flag to bd create for reading descriptions from files

## Problem

Creating issues with long/complex descriptions via CLI requires shell escaping gymnastics:

```bash
# Current workaround - awkward heredoc quoting
bd create --title="..." --description="$(cat <<'EOF'
...markdown...
EOF
)"

# Often fails with quote escaping errors in eval context
# Agents resort to writing temp files then reading them
```

## Proposed Solution

Add `--body-file` and `--description-file` flags to read description from a file, matching `gh` CLI pattern.

```bash
# Natural pattern that aligns with training data
cat > /tmp/desc.md << 'EOF'
...markdown content...
EOF

bd create --title="..." --body-file=/tmp/desc.md
```

## Implementation

### 1. Add new flags to `bd create`

```go
createCmd.Flags().String("body-file", "", "Read description from file (use - for stdin)")
createCmd.Flags().String("description-file", "", "Alias for --body-file")
```

### 2. Flag precedence

- If `--body-file` or `--description-file` is provided, read from file
- If value is `-`, read from stdin
- Otherwise fall back to `--body` or `--description` flag
- If neither provided, description is empty (current behavior)

### 3. Error handling

- File doesn't exist → clear error message
- File not readable → clear error message
- stdin specified but not available → clear error message

## Benefits

✅ **Matches training data**: `gh issue create --body-file file.txt` is a common pattern
✅ **No shell escaping issues**: File content is read directly
✅ **Works with any content**: Markdown, special characters, quotes, etc.
✅ **Agent-friendly**: Agents already write complex content to temp files
✅ **User-friendly**: Easier for humans too when pasting long descriptions

## Related Commands

Consider adding similar support to:
- `bd update --body-file` (for updating descriptions)
- `bd comment --body-file` (if/when we add comments)

## Examples

```bash
# From file
bd create --title="Add new feature" --body-file=feature.md

# From stdin
echo "Quick description" | bd create --title="Bug fix" --body-file=-

# With other flags
bd create \
  --title="Security issue" \
  --type=bug \
  --priority=0 \
  --body-file=security-report.md \
  --label=security
```

## Testing

- Test with normal files
- Test with stdin (`-`)
- Test with non-existent files (error handling)
- Test with binary files (should handle gracefully)
- Test with empty files (valid - empty description)
- Test that `--description-file` and `--body-file` are equivalent aliases


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.


Add label-based filtering to bd ready command

Allow filtering ready work by labels to help organize work by sprint, week, or category.

Example usage:
  bd ready --label week1-2
  bd ready --label frontend,high-priority

This helps teams organize work into batches and makes it easier for agents to focus on specific categories of work.

Implementation notes:
- Add --label flag to ready command
- Support comma-separated labels (AND logic)
- Should work with existing ready work logic (unblocked issues)


Create cmd/bd/daemon_watcher.go (~150 LOC)

Implement FileWatcher using fsnotify to watch JSONL file and git refs. Handle platform differences (inotify/FSEvents/ReadDirectoryChangesW). Include edge case handling for file rename, event storm, watcher failure.


CLI accepts both hash IDs and aliases

Update all CLI commands to accept both hash IDs (bd-af78e9a2) and aliases (#42, or just 42).

## Parsing Logic
```go
// internal/utils/id_parser.go
func ParseIssueID(input string) (issueID string, err error) {
    // Hash ID: bd-af78e9a2
    if strings.HasPrefix(input, "bd-") {
        return input, nil
    }

    // Alias: #42 or 42
    aliasStr := strings.TrimPrefix(input, "#")
    alias, err := strconv.Atoi(aliasStr)
    if err != nil {
        return "", fmt.Errorf("invalid issue ID: %s", input)
    }

    // Resolve alias to hash ID
    return storage.GetIssueIDByAlias(alias)
}
```

## Commands to Update
All commands that accept issue IDs:

### 1. bd show
```bash
bd show bd-af78e9a2        # Hash ID
bd show #42                # Alias
bd show 42                 # Alias (shorthand)
bd show bd-af78e9a2 #42    # Mixed (multiple IDs)
```

### 2. bd update
```bash
bd update #42 --status in_progress
bd update bd-af78e9a2 --priority 1
```

### 3. bd close
```bash
bd close #42 --reason "Done"
```

### 4. bd dep add/tree
```bash
bd dep add #42 #1 --type blocks
bd dep tree bd-af78e9a2
```

### 5. bd label add/remove
```bash
bd label add #42 critical
```

### 6. bd merge
```bash
bd merge #42 #43 --into #41
```

## Display Format
Default to showing aliases in output:
```bash
$ bd list
#1   Fix authentication bug          P1  open
#2   Add logging to daemon           P2  open
#42  Investigate jujutsu integration P3  open
```

With `--format=hash` flag:
```bash
$ bd list --format=hash
bd-af78e9a2  Fix authentication bug          P1  open
bd-e5f6a7b8  Add logging to daemon           P2  open
bd-1a2b3c4d  Investigate jujutsu integration P3  open
```

## Files to Modify
- internal/utils/id_parser.go (new)
- cmd/bd/show.go
- cmd/bd/update.go
- cmd/bd/close.go
- cmd/bd/reopen.go
- cmd/bd/dep.go
- cmd/bd/label.go
- cmd/bd/merge.go
- cmd/bd/list.go (add --format flag)

## Testing
- Test hash ID parsing
- Test alias parsing (#42, 42)
- Test mixed IDs in single command
- Test error on invalid ID
- Test alias resolution failure


Update MCP server for hash IDs

Update beads-mcp server to support hash IDs and aliases.

## Changes Needed

### 1. MCP Function Signatures (No Change)
Functions already use issue IDs as strings, so they work with hash IDs:

```python
# These already work!
beads_show(issue_id: str)           # Accepts bd-af78e9a2 or #42
beads_update(issue_id: str, ...)    # Accepts both formats
beads_close(issue_ids: List[str])   # Accepts both formats
```

### 2. Add Alias Resolution Helper
File: integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/server.py

```python
def resolve_issue_id(issue_id: str) -> str:
    """Resolve alias to hash ID if needed."""
    # Hash ID: pass through
    if issue_id.startswith('bd-') and len(issue_id) == 11:
        return issue_id

    # Alias: #42 or 42
    alias_str = issue_id.lstrip('#')
    try:
        alias = int(alias_str)
        # Call bd to resolve
        result = subprocess.run(
            ['bd', 'alias', 'find', f'bd-{alias}'],
            capture_output=True, text=True
        )
        if result.returncode == 0:
            return result.stdout.strip()
    except ValueError:
        pass

    # Invalid format
    raise ValueError(f"Invalid issue ID: {issue_id}")
```

### 3. Update Response Formatting
Show aliases in responses:

```python
@server.call_tool()
async def beads_show(issue_id: str) -> List[TextContent]:
    resolved_id = resolve_issue_id(issue_id)

    result = subprocess.run(['bd', 'show', resolved_id], ...)

    # Parse response and add alias info
    # Format: "bd-af78e9a2 (alias: #42)"
    ...
```

### 4. Add beads_alias_* Functions

```python
@server.call_tool()
async def beads_alias_list() -> List[TextContent]:
    """List all alias mappings."""
    result = subprocess.run(['bd', 'alias', 'list'], ...)
    return [TextContent(type="text", text=result.stdout)]

@server.call_tool()
async def beads_alias_set(alias: int, issue_id: str) -> List[TextContent]:
    """Manually assign alias to issue."""
    result = subprocess.run(['bd', 'alias', 'set', str(alias), issue_id], ...)
    return [TextContent(type="text", text=result.stdout)]

@server.call_tool()
async def beads_alias_compact() -> List[TextContent]:
    """Compact aliases to fill gaps."""
    result = subprocess.run(['bd', 'alias', 'compact'], ...)
    return [TextContent(type="text", text=result.stdout)]
```

### 5. Update Documentation
File: integrations/beads-mcp/README.md

```markdown
## Issue IDs (v2.0+)

The MCP server accepts both hash IDs and aliases:

```python
# Using hash IDs
await beads_show(issue_id="bd-af78e9a2")

# Using aliases
await beads_show(issue_id="#42")
await beads_show(issue_id="42")  # Shorthand
```

## Alias Management

New functions for alias control:

- `beads_alias_list()` - List all alias mappings
- `beads_alias_set(alias, issue_id)` - Manually assign alias
- `beads_alias_compact()` - Compact aliases to fill gaps

## Migration

After migrating to hash IDs:
1. Update beads-mcp: `pip install --upgrade beads-mcp`
2. Restart MCP server
3. All existing workflows continue to work
```

### 6. Version Compatibility
Detect and handle both v1.x and v2.0 formats:

```python
def detect_beads_version() -> str:
    """Detect if beads is using sequential or hash IDs."""
    result = subprocess.run(['bd', 'list', '-n', '1'], ...)
    first_id = parse_first_issue_id(result.stdout)

    if first_id.startswith('bd-') and len(first_id) > 11:
        return '2.0'  # Hash ID
    else:
        return '1.x'  # Sequential ID

# On startup
beads_version = detect_beads_version()
logger.info(f"Detected beads version: {beads_version}")
```

## Testing

### Unit Tests
File: integrations/beads-mcp/tests/test_hash_ids.py

```python
def test_resolve_hash_id():
    """Hash IDs pass through unchanged."""
    assert resolve_issue_id("bd-af78e9a2") == "bd-af78e9a2"

def test_resolve_alias():
    """Aliases resolve to hash IDs."""
    # Mock bd alias find command
    assert resolve_issue_id("#42") == "bd-af78e9a2"
    assert resolve_issue_id("42") == "bd-af78e9a2"

def test_invalid_id():
    """Invalid IDs raise ValueError."""
    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
        resolve_issue_id("invalid")
```

### Integration Tests
```python
async def test_show_with_hash_id(mcp_server):
    result = await mcp_server.beads_show(issue_id="bd-af78e9a2")
    assert "bd-af78e9a2" in result[0].text

async def test_show_with_alias(mcp_server):
    result = await mcp_server.beads_show(issue_id="#42")
    assert "bd-af78e9a2" in result[0].text  # Resolved
```

## Backward Compatibility
The MCP server should work with both:
- Beads v1.x (sequential IDs)
- Beads v2.0+ (hash IDs)

Detection happens at runtime based on issue ID format.

## Files to Modify
- integrations/beads-mcp/src/beads_mcp/server.py
- integrations/beads-mcp/README.md
- integrations/beads-mcp/tests/test_hash_ids.py (new)
- integrations/beads-mcp/pyproject.toml (bump version)

## Deployment
```bash
cd integrations/beads-mcp
# Bump version to 2.0.0
poetry version 2.0.0
# Publish to PyPI
poetry publish --build
```


Test parent issue


> bd sync --no-daemon
→ Exporting pending changes to JSONL...
→ Committing changes to sync branch 'beads-sync'...
Error committing to sync branch: failed to create worktree: failed to create worktree parent directory: mkdir /var/home/matt/dev/beads/fix-ci/.git: not a directory

**Problem Diagnosed**: The `bd sync` command was failing with "mkdir /var/home/matt/dev/beads/fix-ci/.git: not a directory" because it was being executed from the wrong directory.

**Root Cause**: The command was run from `/var/home/matt/dev/beads` (where the `fix-ci` worktree exists) instead of the main repository directory `/var/home/matt/dev/beads/main`. Since `fix-ci` is a git worktree with a `.git` file (not directory), the worktree creation logic failed when trying to create `<current_dir>/.git/beads-worktrees/<branch>`.

**Solution Verified**: Execute `bd sync` from the main repository directory:
```bash
cd main && bd sync --dry-run
```


Add --json flags to all bd commands for agent-friendly output


Add tests for performFlush error handling in FlushManager

Test coverage gap identified by automated analysis (vc-217).

**Original Issue:** [deleted:bd-da96-baseline-lint]

In cmd/bd/flush_manager.go:269, the performFlush method is flagged by unparam as always returning nil, indicating the error return value is never used.

Add tests to determine:
- Whether performFlush can actually return errors in failure scenarios
- If error return is needed, add tests for error cases (disk full, permission denied, etc.)
- If error return is not needed, refactor to remove unused return value
- Test full export vs incremental export error handling

This ensures proper error handling in the flush mechanism and removes dead code if the return value is unnecessary.

_This issue was automatically created by AI test coverage analysis._


bd doctor: handle missing daemon registry gracefully

When no daemon has ever been started, bd doctor shows an error parsing the registry: 'failed to parse registry: invalid character 0 after top-level value'. The doctor should handle the case where ~/.bd/daemon/registry.json doesn't exist, treating it as 'no daemon running' rather than an error.


Wrap git operations in GitClient interface

Create internal/daemonrunner/git.go with GitClient interface (HasUpstream, HasChanges, Commit, Push, Pull). Default implementation using os/exec. Use in Syncer and Run loop for testability.


bd-hv01: Race condition with concurrent snapshot operations

## Problem
Snapshot files have no locking. Multiple processes can call captureLeftSnapshot simultaneously:

1. Process A: export → begins snapshot
2. Process B: export → begins snapshot
3. Process A: writes partial left.jsonl
4. Process B: overwrites with its left.jsonl
5. Process A: completes merge with wrong snapshot

## Impact
- Data corruption in multi-process scenarios
- Daemon + manual sync race
- Multiple git clones on same filesystem

## Fix
Use atomic file operations with process-specific temp files:
```go
func captureLeftSnapshot(jsonlPath string) error {
    _, leftPath := getSnapshotPaths(jsonlPath)
    tempPath := fmt.Sprintf("%s.%d.tmp", leftPath, os.Getpid())
    if err := copyFileSnapshot(jsonlPath, tempPath); err != nil {
        return err
    }
    return os.Rename(tempPath, leftPath) // Atomic on POSIX
}
```

## Files Affected
- cmd/bd/deletion_tracking.go:24-29 (captureLeftSnapshot)
- cmd/bd/deletion_tracking.go:31-36 (updateBaseSnapshot)


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


Extract validation functions to validators.go

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


bd validate - Comprehensive health check

Run all validation checks in one command.

Checks:
- Duplicates
- Orphaned dependencies
- Test pollution
- Git conflicts

Supports --fix-all for auto-repair.

Depends on bd-cbed9619.1, bd-0dcea000, bd-31aab707, bd-9826b69a.

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


Fix G304 potential file inclusion in cmd/bd/tips.go:259

Linting issue: G304: Potential file inclusion via variable (gosec) at cmd/bd/tips.go:259:18. Error: if data, err := os.ReadFile(settingsPath); err == nil {


Add comprehensive tests for sync branch daemon logic

The daemon sync branch functionality (bd-6545) was implemented but needs proper end-to-end testing.

Current implementation:
- daemon_sync_branch.go has syncBranchCommitAndPush() and syncBranchPull()
- daemon_sync.go has been updated to use these functions when sync.branch is configured
- All daemon tests pass, but no specific tests for sync branch behavior

Testing needed:
- Test that daemon commits to sync branch when sync.branch is configured
- Test that daemon commits to current branch when sync.branch is NOT configured (backward compatibility)
- Test that daemon pulls from sync branch and syncs JSONL back to main repo
- Test worktree creation and health checks during daemon operations
- Test error handling (missing branch, worktree corruption, etc.)

Key challenge: Tests need to run in the context of the git repo (getGitRoot() uses current working directory), so test setup needs to properly change directory or mock the git root detection.

Reference existing daemon tests in daemon_test.go and daemon_autoimport_test.go for patterns.


Improve test coverage for internal/daemon (27.3% → 60%)

The daemon package has only 27.3% test coverage. The daemon is critical for background operations and reliability.

Key areas needing tests:
- Daemon autostart logic
- Socket handling
- PID file management
- Health checks

Current coverage: 27.3%
Target coverage: 60%


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


GH#520: Daemon sync-branch commit fails with pre-commit hooks (needs --no-verify)

gitCommitInWorktree in daemon_sync_branch.go missing --no-verify flag, causing commit failures when pre-commit hooks installed. Library function in worktree.go:684 has correct impl. See: https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/issues/520


GH#243: Recurring stale daemon.lock causes 5s delays

User reports daemon.lock keeps becoming stale after running Claude with beads.

Symptom:
- bd ready takes 5 seconds (exact)
- daemon.lock exists but socket is missing
- bd daemons killall temporarily fixes it
- Problem recurs after using beads with AI agents

User on v0.22.0, Macbook M2, 132 issues (89 closed)

Hypothesis: Daemon is crashing or exiting uncleanly during agent sessions, leaving stale lock file.

Need to:
1. Add crash logging to daemon to understand why it's exiting
2. Improve cleanup on daemon exit (ensure lock is always removed)
3. Add automatic stale lock detection/cleanup
4. Consider making daemon more resilient to crashes

Oracle analysis complete. Converting to epic with 5 focused sub-issues:
1. RPC fast-fail with socket stat + short timeouts (P0)
2. Standardize daemon detection with lock probe (P1)
3. Crash recovery improvements (P2)
4. Self-heal stale artifacts (P2)
5. Diagnostics and debugging (P3)


Daemon gets stuck when auto-import blocked by git conflicts

CRITICAL: The daemon enters a corrupt state that breaks RPC commands when auto-import is triggered but git pull fails due to uncommitted changes.

Impact: This is a data integrity and usability issue that could cause users to lose trust in Beads. The daemon silently fails for certain commands while appearing healthy.

Reproduction:
1. Make local changes to issues (creates uncommitted .beads/beads.jsonl)
2. Remote has updates (JSONL newer, triggers auto-import)
3. Daemon tries to pull but fails: 'cannot pull with rebase: You have unstaged changes'
4. Daemon enters bad state - 'bd show' and other commands return EOF
5. 'bd list' still works, daemon process is running, no errors logged

Technical details:
- Auto-import check runs in handleRequest() before processing RPC commands
- When import is blocked, it appears to corrupt daemon state
- Likely: deadlock, unclosed transaction, or storage handle corruption
- Panic recovery (server_lifecycle_conn.go:183) didn't catch anything - not a panic

Required fix:
- Auto-import must not block RPC command execution
- Handle git pull failures gracefully without corrupting state
- Consider: skip auto-import if git is dirty, queue import for later, or use separate goroutine
- Add timeout/circuit breaker for import operations
- Log clear warnings when auto-import is skipped

Without this fix, users in collaborative environments will frequently encounter mysterious EOF errors that require daemon restarts.


Help agents understand version changes with bd info --whats-new

**Problem** (from GH Discussion #239 by @maphew):
Weekly major versions mean agents need to adapt workflows, but currently there's no efficient way to communicate "what changed that affects you."

**Proposed solutions:**

1. **bd info --whats-new** - Show agent-actionable changes since last version
   ```
   Since v0.20.1:
   • Hash IDs eliminate collisions - remove ID coordination workarounds
   • Event-driven daemon (opt-in) - add BEADS_DAEMON_MODE=events
   • Merge driver auto-configured - conflicts rarer
   ```

2. **Version-aware bd onboard** - Detect version changes and show diff of agent-relevant changes

3. **AGENTS.md top section** - "🆕 Recent Changes (Last 3 Versions)" with workflow impacts

**Why agents need this:**
- Raw CHANGELOG is token-heavy and buried in release details
- Full bd onboard re-run wasteful if only 2-3 things changed
- Currently requires user to manually explain updates

**Related:** https://github.com/steveyegge/beads/discussions/239


Issue to close


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.


Remove duplicate countIssuesInJSONLFile function

init.go and doctor.go both defined countIssuesInJSONLFile. Removed the init.go version which is now unused. The doctor.go version (which calls countJSONLIssues) is the canonical implementation.


Update docs for import bug fix

Update AGENTS.md, README.md, TROUBLESHOOTING.md with import.orphan_handling config documentation. Document resurrection behavior, tombstones, config modes. Add troubleshooting section for import failures with deleted parents.


bd find-duplicates - AI-powered duplicate detection

Find semantically duplicate issues.

Approaches:
1. Mechanical: Exact title/description matching
2. Embeddings: Cosine similarity (cheap, scalable)
3. AI: LLM-based semantic comparison (expensive, accurate)

Uses embeddings by default for >100 issues.

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


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


Add topological sort utility functions

Create internal/importer/sort.go with utilities for depth-based sorting of issues. Functions: GetHierarchyDepth(id), SortByDepth(issues), GroupByDepth(issues). Include stable sorting for same-depth issues.


bd delete bulk operations fight with auto-import/daemon causing data resurrection

When bulk deleting issues (e.g., 244 closed issues older than 24h), the process fights with auto-import and daemon infrastructure:

**Expected behavior:**
- Delete 244 issues from 468-issue database
- Export to JSONL (224 lines)
- Commit and push
- Result: 224 issues

**Actual behavior:**
- Delete 244 issues
- Import runs (from stale git JSONL with 468 issues)
- Resurrects deleted issues back into database
- Export writes 356 lines (not 224)
- Math: 468 - 244 = 224, but got 356 (132 issues resurrected)

**Root cause:**
Auto-import keeps re-importing from git during the delete operation, before the new JSONL is committed. The workflow is:
1. Delete from DB
2. Auto-import runs (reads old JSONL from git with deleted issues still present)
3. Issues come back
4. Export writes partially-deleted state

**Solution options:**
1. Add `--no-auto-import` flag to bulk delete operations
2. Atomic delete-export-commit operation that suppresses imports
3. Dedicated `bd prune` command that handles this correctly
4. Lock file to prevent auto-import during bulk mutations

**Impact:**
- Bulk cleanup operations don't work reliably
- Makes it nearly impossible to prune old closed issues
- Confusing UX (delete 244, but only 112 actually removed)

**FIXED**: Auto-import now skips during delete operations to prevent resurrection.

**Root cause confirmed**: Auto-import was running in PersistentPreRun before delete executed, causing it to re-import stale JSONL from git and resurrect deleted issues.

**Solution implemented**:
1. Added delete to skip list in main.go PersistentPreRun (alongside import and sync --dry-run)
2. Delete operations now complete atomically without auto-import interference
3. Added comprehensive test (TestBulkDeleteNoResurrection) to prevent regression

**Test verification**:
- Creates 20 issues, deletes 10
- Verifies no resurrection after delete
- Confirms JSONL has correct count (10 remaining)
- All existing tests still pass


Update documentation for beads-merge integration

Document the integrated merge functionality.

**Updates needed**:
- AGENTS.md: Replace "use external beads-merge" with "bd merge"
- README.md: Add git merge driver section
- TROUBLESHOOTING.md: Update merge conflict resolution
- ADVANCED.md: Document 3-way merge algorithm
- Create CREDITS.md or ATTRIBUTION.md for @neongreen

**Highlight**: Deletion sync fix (bd-hv01)


Test parent issue


Fix CI failures before 0.21.3 release

CI is failing on multiple jobs:
1. Nix flake: Tests fail due to missing git in build environment
2. Windows tests: Need to check what's failing
3. Linux tests: Need to check what's failing
4. Linter errors: Many unchecked errors need fixing

Need to fix before tagging v0.21.3 release.

Fixed linter errors (errcheck, misspell), Nix flake git dependency, and import database discovery bug. Tests still failing - need to investigate further.


Fix FindBeadsDir to prioritize main repo .beads for worktrees

The FindBeadsDir function should prioritize finding .beads in the main repository root when accessed from a worktree, rather than finding worktree-local .beads directories. This ensures proper sharing of the database across all worktrees.


Add performance benchmarks for multi-repo hydration

The contributor-workflow-analysis.md asserts sub-second queries (line 702) and describes smart caching via file mtime tracking (Decision #4, lines 584-618), but doesn't provide concrete performance benchmarks.

VC's requirement (from VC feedback section):
- Executor polls GetReadyWork() every 5-10 seconds
- Queries must be sub-second (ideally <100ms)
- Smart caching must avoid re-parsing JSONLs on every query

Suggested performance targets to validate:
- File stat overhead: <1ms per repo
- Hydration (when needed): <500ms for typical JSONL (<25k)
- Query (from cache): <10ms
- Total GetReadyWork(): <100ms (VC's requirement)

Also test at scale:
- N=1 repo (baseline)
- N=3 repos (typical)
- N=10 repos (edge case)

These benchmarks are critical for library consumers like VC that run automated polling loops.


bd doctor --json flag not working

The --json flag on bd doctor command doesn't produce JSON output. It continues to show human-readable output instead. The flag is registered locally on doctorCmd but the code uses the global jsonOutput variable set by PersistentPreRun. Need to investigate why the flag isn't being honored.


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 merge helper commands (bd sync --merge)

Add commands to merge beads branch back to main.

Tasks:
- Implement bd sync --merge command
- Implement bd sync --status command
- Implement bd sync --auto-merge (optional, for automation)
- Detect merge conflicts and provide guidance
- Show commit diff between branches
- Verify main branch is clean before merge
- Push merged changes to remote

Estimated effort: 2-3 days


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)


Use in-memory filesystem for test git operations

Use tmpfs/ramdisk for git operations in tests to reduce I/O overhead.

Options:
1. Mount /tmp as tmpfs in CI (GitHub Actions supports this)
2. Use Go's testing.TB.TempDir() which may already use tmpfs on some systems
3. Explicitly create ramdisk for tests on macOS

Expected savings: 20-30% reduction in git operation time


Implement bd resolve-conflicts (git merge conflicts in JSONL)

Automatically detect and resolve git merge conflicts in .beads/issues.jsonl file.

Features:
- Detect conflict markers in JSONL
- Parse conflicting issues from HEAD and BASE
- Provide mechanical resolution (remap duplicate IDs)
- Support AI-assisted resolution (requires internal/ai package)

See repair_commands.md lines 125-353 for design.


Stress test: event storm handling

Simulate 100+ rapid JSONL writes. Verify debouncer batches to single import. Verify no data loss. Test daemon stability.


Test issue 2


Baseline quality gate failure: lint

The lint quality gate is failing on the baseline (main branch).

This blocks the executor from claiming work until fixed.

Error: golangci-lint failed: exit status 1

Output:
```
cmd/bd/search.go:39:12: Error return value of `cmd.Help` is not checked (errcheck)
			cmd.Help()
			        ^
cmd/bd/clean.go:118:15: G304: Potential file inclusion via variable (gosec)
	file, err := os.Open(gitignorePath)
	             ^
cmd/bd/doctor/gitignore.go:98:12: G306: Expect WriteFile permissions to be 0600 or less (gosec)
	if err := os.WriteFile(gitignorePath, []byte(GitignoreTemplate), 0644); err != nil {
	          ^
cmd/bd/merge.go:121:16: G204: Subprocess launched with variable (gosec)
			gitRmCmd := exec.Command("git", "rm", "-f", "--quiet", fullPath)
			            ^
cmd/bd/doctor.go:167:20: `cancelled` is a misspelling of `canceled` (misspell)
		fmt.Println("Fix cancelled.")
		                 ^
cmd/bd/flush_manager.go:139:42: `cancelling` is a misspelling of `canceling` (misspell)
		// Send shutdown request FIRST (before cancelling context)
		                                       ^
cmd/bd/flush_manager.go:261:15: `cancelled` is a misspelling of `canceled` (misspell)
			// Context cancelled (shouldn't normally happen)
			           ^
cmd/bd/flush_manager.go:269:55: (*FlushManager).performFlush - result 0 (error) is always nil (unparam)
func (fm *FlushManager) performFlush(fullExport bool) error {
                                                      ^
8 issues:
* errcheck: 1
* gosec: 3
* misspell: 3
* unparam: 1

```


bd doctor: add configuration value validation

Currently bd doctor checks for missing config files but doesn't validate config values. Add validation for: invalid priority values, malformed sync intervals, invalid branch names, unsupported storage backends, etc. This would catch misconfigurations before they cause runtime errors.


Multi-repo hydration layer

Build core infrastructure to hydrate database from N repos (N≥1), with smart caching via file mtime tracking and routing writes to correct JSONL based on source_repo metadata.


Daemon race condition: stale export overwrites recent DB changes

**Symptom:**
Merged bd-fc2d into bd-fb05 in ~/src/beads (commit ce4d756), pushed to remote. The ~/src/fred/beads daemon then exported its stale DB state and committed (8cc1bb4), reverting bd-fc2d back to "open" status.

**Timeline:**
1. 21:45:12 - Merge committed from ~/src/beads (ce4d756): bd-fc2d closed
2. 21:49:42 - Daemon in ~/src/fred/beads exported stale state (8cc1bb4): bd-fc2d open again

**Root cause:**
The fred/beads daemon had a stale database (bd-fc2d still open) and didn't auto-import the newer JSONL before exporting. When it exported, it overwrote the merge with its stale state.

**Expected behavior:**
Daemon should detect that JSONL is newer than its last export and import before exporting.

**Actual behavior:**
Daemon exported stale DB state, creating a conflicting commit that reverted upstream changes.

**Impact:**
Multi-workspace setups with daemons can silently lose changes if one daemon has stale state and exports.


PushSyncBranch may fail if worktree was cleaned up


Update docs with multi-repo patterns

Update AGENTS.md, README.md, QUICKSTART.md with multi-repo patterns. Document: config options, routing behavior, backward compatibility, troubleshooting, best practices.


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.


Fix compact --analyze/--apply error messages to clarify direct mode requirement

**Problem:**
When users run `bd compact --analyze` with daemon running, they get:
```
Error: compact requires SQLite storage
```

This is misleading because they ARE using SQLite (via daemon), but the command needs DIRECT SQLite access.

**Current behavior:**
- Error message suggests they don't have SQLite
- No hint about using --no-daemon flag
- Related to issue #349 item #1

**Proposed fix:**
1. Update error messages in cmd/bd/compact.go lines 106-114 (analyze) and 121-137 (apply)
2. Add explicit hint: "Use --no-daemon flag to bypass daemon"
3. Change SQLite check error from "requires SQLite storage" to "failed to open database in direct mode"

**Files to modify:**
- cmd/bd/compact.go (lines ~106-137)

**Testing:**
- Run with daemon: `bd compact --analyze` should show clear error + hint
- Run with --no-daemon: `bd compact --analyze --no-daemon` should work
- Verify error message is actionable


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-hv01: Silent partial deletion failures cause DB inconsistency

Problem: deletion_tracking.go:76-77 logs deletion errors as warnings but continues. If deletion fails midway (database locked, disk full), some issues delete but others don't. System thinks all deletions succeeded.

Impact: Database diverges from JSONL, silent corruption, issues may resurrect on next sync.

Fix: Collect errors and fail the operation:
var deletionErrors []error
for _, id := range acceptedDeletions {
    if err := d.DeleteIssue(ctx, id); err != nil {
        deletionErrors = append(deletionErrors, fmt.Errorf("issue %s: %w", id, err))
    }
}
if len(deletionErrors) > 0 {
    return false, fmt.Errorf("deletion failures: %v", deletionErrors)
}

Files: cmd/bd/deletion_tracking.go:73-82


Reduce sync rounds in multiclone tests

Analyze and reduce the number of sync rounds in hash multiclone tests.

Current state:
- TestHashIDs_MultiCloneConverge: 1 round of syncs across 3 clones
- TestHashIDs_IdenticalContentDedup: 2 rounds across 2 clones

Investigation needed:
- Profile to see how much time each sync takes
- Determine minimum rounds needed for convergence
- Consider making rounds configurable via env var

File: beads_hash_multiclone_test.go:70, :132


Fix autoimport tests for content-hash collision scoring

## Overview
Three autoimport tests are failing after bd-cbed9619.4 because they expect behavior based on the old reference-counting collision resolution, but the system now uses deterministic content-hash scoring.

## Failing Tests
1. `TestAutoImportMultipleCollisionsRemapped` - expects local versions preserved
2. `TestAutoImportAllCollisionsRemapped` - expects local versions preserved
3. `TestAutoImportCollisionRemapMultipleFields` - expects specific collision resolution behavior

## Root Cause
These tests were written when ScoreCollisions used reference counting to determine which version to keep. Now it uses content-hash comparison (introduced in commit 2e87329), which produces different but deterministic results.

## Example
Old behavior: Issue with more references would be kept
New behavior: Issue with lexicographically lower content hash is kept

## Solution
Update each test to:
1. Verify the new content-hash based behavior is correct
2. Check that the remapped issue (not necessarily local/remote) has the expected content
3. Ensure dependencies are preserved on the correct remapped issue

## Acceptance Criteria
- All three autoimport tests pass
- Tests verify content-hash determinism (same collision always resolves the same way)
- Tests check dependency preservation on remapped issues
- Test documentation explains content-hash scoring expectations

## Files to Modify
- `cmd/bd/autoimport_collision_test.go`

## Testing
Run: `go test ./cmd/bd -run "TestAutoImport.*Collision" -v`


Remove Storage Cache from Server Struct

Eliminate cache fields and use s.storage directly


Registry has cross-process race condition

The global daemon registry (~/.beads/registry.json) can be corrupted when multiple daemons from different workspaces write simultaneously.

**Root cause:**
- Registry uses an in-process mutex but no file-level locking
- Register() and Unregister() release the mutex between read and write
- Multiple daemon processes can interleave their read-modify-write cycles

**Evidence:**
Found registry.json with double closing bracket: `]]` instead of `]`

**Fix options:**
1. Use file locking (flock/fcntl) around the entire read-modify-write cycle
2. Use atomic write pattern (write to temp file, rename)
3. Both (belt and suspenders)

**Files:**
- internal/daemon/registry.go:46-64 (readEntries)
- internal/daemon/registry.go:67-87 (writeEntries)
- internal/daemon/registry.go:90-108 (Register - the race window)


Issue with labels

This is a description


Fix auto-import creating duplicates instead of updating issues

ROOT CAUSE: server_export_import_auto.go line 221 uses ResolveCollisions: true for ALL auto-imports. This is wrong.

Problem:
- ResolveCollisions is for branch merges (different issues with same ID)
- Auto-import should UPDATE existing issues, not create duplicates
- Every git pull creates NEW duplicate issues with different IDs
- Two agents ping-pong creating endless duplicates

Evidence:
- 31 duplicate groups found (bd duplicates)
- bd-236-246 are duplicates of bd-224-235
- Both agents keep pulling and creating more duplicates
- JSONL file grows endlessly with duplicates

The Fix:
Change checkAndAutoImportIfStale in server_export_import_auto.go:
- Remove ResolveCollisions: true (line 221)
- Use normal import logic that updates existing issues by ID
- Only use ResolveCollisions for explicit bd import --resolve-collisions

Impact: Critical - makes beads unusable for multi-agent workflows


bd doctor: export diagnostics history for debugging

Add ability to save doctor diagnostics to a file (e.g., diagnostics.json) for historical analysis and bug reporting. This would help track intermittent issues and provide context when filing bug reports. Could integrate with --perf output for comprehensive system snapshots.


Audit remaining cmd/bd files for error handling consistency

Extend ERROR_HANDLING_AUDIT.md to cover: daemon_sync.go, update.go, list.go, show.go, close.go, reopen.go, dep.go, label.go, comments.go, delete.go, compact.go, config.go, validate.go and other high-usage command files


CRITICAL: git-history-backfill purges entire database when JSONL reset

When a clone gets reset (git reset --hard origin/main), the git-history-backfill logic incorrectly adds ALL issues to the deletions manifest, then sync purges the entire database.\n\nFix adds safety guard: never delete more than 50% of issues via git-history-backfill. If threshold exceeded, abort with warning message.