diff --git a/.beads/issues.jsonl b/.beads/issues.jsonl
index 1600e05d..8a013c1e 100644
--- a/.beads/issues.jsonl
+++ b/.beads/issues.jsonl
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@
 {"id":"gt-92l","title":"Daemon: integration test with real lifecycle","description":"Need an end-to-end test that:\n1. Starts daemon\n2. Starts a test agent session\n3. Sends lifecycle request to daemon\n4. Verifies session was killed and restarted\n5. Cleans up\n\nCould use a mock 'agent' that's just a shell script.","status":"closed","priority":2,"issue_type":"task","created_at":"2025-12-18T13:38:17.261096-08:00","updated_at":"2025-12-19T17:22:52.555739-08:00","closed_at":"2025-12-19T16:31:23.543204-08:00","dependencies":[{"issue_id":"gt-92l","depends_on_id":"gt-99m","type":"blocks","created_at":"2025-12-18T13:38:26.962642-08:00","created_by":"daemon"}]}
 {"id":"gt-95x","title":"Remove stale migration docs from gastown-py","description":"The gastown-py repo has migration-related documentation that is now misinformation since we have made design decisions. Remove or clearly mark as obsolete: any docs about migration paths, old architecture assumptions, or superseded designs.","status":"closed","priority":1,"issue_type":"task","created_at":"2025-12-15T20:24:08.642373-08:00","updated_at":"2025-12-15T21:04:39.516436-08:00","closed_at":"2025-12-15T21:04:39.516436-08:00"}
 {"id":"gt-974","title":"Refinery background daemon mode","description":"The refinery 'gt refinery start' command only works in foreground mode (--foreground). Need to implement background daemon mode for production use.\n\nOptions:\n1. Use a separate tmux session for the refinery\n2. Implement proper daemonization\n3. Use Claude Code session for the refinery agent\n\nFor MVP, option 1 (tmux session) is probably simplest.","status":"closed","priority":1,"issue_type":"task","created_at":"2025-12-16T22:08:04.799753-08:00","updated_at":"2025-12-19T14:27:33.858745-08:00","closed_at":"2025-12-19T14:27:33.858745-08:00"}
-{"id":"gt-975","title":"Molecule execution support for polecats and crew","description":"Enable agents to run bonded molecules through the full lifecycle.\n\n## The Model\n1. BOND - bd mol bond \u003ctemplate\u003e --assignee \u003cidentity\u003e\n   Creates concrete issues, assigns root to agent\n\n2. DISCOVER - Agent finds assigned molecules via bd ready\n   DAG structure shows unblocked steps\n\n3. WORK - Agent works through DAG, closing steps as done\n   Can delegate children to lower-tier agents (haiku)\n\n4. SURVIVE - Agent dies → beads persist\n   Any agent resumes from DAG state\n\n5. SUPERVISE - Witness monitors for stalled molecules\n   Nudges owner or reassigns if dead\n\n## Questions to Resolve\n- Seed node terminology: seed vs root vs pole vs nucleus\n- Assignee inheritance: single owner vs delegation model\n- Stall detection: heartbeat vs activity timeout vs session monitoring\n\n## Implementation\n- Polecat startup: check for assigned molecules\n- Polecat work loop: follow molecule DAG\n- Witness: monitor molecule progress, detect stalls\n- Mayor: can assign molecules, handle escalations\n\n## Depends On\n- beads: bd mol bond command (bd-usro in beads repo)","status":"open","priority":1,"issue_type":"feature","created_at":"2025-12-20T16:57:01.09104-08:00","updated_at":"2025-12-20T16:57:01.09104-08:00"}
+{"id":"gt-975","title":"Molecule execution support for polecats and crew","description":"Enable agents to run bonded molecules through the full lifecycle.\n\n## The Model\n1. BOND - bd mol bond \u003ctemplate\u003e --assignee \u003cidentity\u003e\n   Creates concrete issues, assigns root to agent\n\n2. DISCOVER - Agent finds assigned molecules via bd ready\n   DAG structure shows unblocked steps\n\n3. WORK - Agent works through DAG, closing steps as done\n   Can delegate children to lower-tier agents (haiku)\n\n4. SURVIVE - Agent dies → beads persist\n   Any agent resumes from DAG state\n\n5. SUPERVISE - Witness monitors for stalled molecules\n   Nudges owner or reassigns if dead\n\n## Questions to Resolve\n- Seed node terminology: seed vs root vs pole vs nucleus\n- Assignee inheritance: single owner vs delegation model\n- Stall detection: heartbeat vs activity timeout vs session monitoring\n\n## Implementation\n- Polecat startup: check for assigned molecules\n- Polecat work loop: follow molecule DAG\n- Witness: monitor molecule progress, detect stalls\n- Mayor: can assign molecules, handle escalations\n\n## Depends On\n- beads: bd mol bond command (bd-usro in beads repo)","status":"in_progress","priority":1,"issue_type":"feature","created_at":"2025-12-20T16:57:01.09104-08:00","updated_at":"2025-12-21T11:53:35.499364-08:00"}
 {"id":"gt-976","title":"Add crew lifecycle support to Deacon","description":"Currently crew sessions (like gastown/crew/max, beads/crew/dave) are marked as 'human-managed' and excluded from automated lifecycle.\n\n## Current State\n- `getManager(RoleCrew)` returns `\"human\"` (handoff.go:273)\n- `gt handoff` for crew just prints a message, no lifecycle request sent\n- Crew cannot request automated refresh from Deacon\n\n## Desired State\nCrew members should be able to request lifecycle actions from Deacon:\n- `gt handoff --cycle` sends request to Deacon, which kills/restarts the crew session\n- Useful when: context full, running molecules that need fresh session, automation\n\n## Implementation\n1. Change `getManager(RoleCrew)` to return `\"deacon/\"` (or new crew manager)\n2. Teach Deacon to recognize crew session naming pattern\n3. Add crew to Deacon's respawn loop handling\n4. Test with `gt nudge` for reliable message delivery\n\n## Use Case\nRunning a molecule (e.g., version-bump) and discovering mid-workflow that a fresh session is needed. Agent should be able to request refresh automatically rather than requiring human intervention.\n\n## Related\n- gt nudge: reliable message delivery to Claude sessions\n- bd mol bond: molecule instantiation (coming in beads)","status":"open","priority":2,"issue_type":"feature","created_at":"2025-12-20T17:19:46.854829-08:00","updated_at":"2025-12-20T17:19:46.854829-08:00"}
 {"id":"gt-977","title":"Work request: gt-976 crew lifecycle support","description":"Hey Max, filed gt-976 for you - adding crew lifecycle support to Deacon.\n\nCurrently crew is 'human-managed' and can't request automated refresh. Would be useful for molecules that need fresh sessions mid-workflow.\n\nKey changes:\n- getManager(RoleCrew) → return deacon/ instead of human\n- Teach Deacon crew session patterns\n- Test with gt nudge\n\nPriority 2, no rush but would unblock molecule automation for crew.\n\n- Dave (beads/crew/dave)","status":"open","priority":2,"issue_type":"message","created_at":"2025-12-20T17:19:55.964718-08:00","updated_at":"2025-12-20T17:19:55.964718-08:00"}
 {"id":"gt-98oo","title":"Merge: gt-y5o","description":"branch: polecat/Doof\ntarget: main\nsource_issue: gt-y5o\nrig: gastown","status":"closed","priority":2,"issue_type":"merge-request","created_at":"2025-12-19T16:29:03.837448-08:00","updated_at":"2025-12-19T18:26:14.102603-08:00","closed_at":"2025-12-19T17:47:03.619784-08:00"}
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@
 {"id":"gt-b2hj","title":"gt orphans: Find lost polecat work","description":"Add a command to find orphaned commits that were never merged to main.\n\n## Problem\nPolecat work can get lost when:\n- Session killed before merge\n- Refinery fails to process\n- Network issues during push\n\n## Solution\nAdd `gt orphans` command that:\n1. Uses `git fsck --unreachable` to find dangling commits\n2. Filters to recent commits (default: 7 days, configurable)\n3. Excludes stash/index entries (WIP on, index on)\n4. Shows commit details and suggests recovery\n\n## Usage\n```\ngt orphans              # Last 7 days\ngt orphans --days=14    # Last 2 weeks\ngt orphans --recover    # Interactive cherry-pick\n```\n\n## Found orphans (Dec 16-20, 2025)\n- 3b146c11: Fix mail read auto-ack and add Mayor startup directive\n- b6fdc561: Add persistent theme config and fix crew session theming\n- 97aba756: Unify gt prime to call bd prime and mail check\n- ce769ca5: Add mol-bootstrap molecule for Gas Town installation\n- b2219de7: Add bootstrap documentation for new Gas Town installations\n- bc82348: feat: Add gt done command (already recovered)","status":"closed","priority":1,"issue_type":"feature","created_at":"2025-12-20T16:27:25.584819-08:00","updated_at":"2025-12-21T11:11:11.149526-08:00","closed_at":"2025-12-21T11:11:11.149526-08:00","close_reason":"Implemented gt orphans command"}
 {"id":"gt-b3p","title":"Resource Beads: Leases, locks, and quotas","description":"Resource beads represent reserved resources. Types: vm, lock, slot, quota. Fields: holder, expires, renewable. Daemon monitors for expiry and manages contention.","status":"open","priority":2,"issue_type":"epic","created_at":"2025-12-18T18:08:12.745602-08:00","updated_at":"2025-12-18T18:08:12.745602-08:00"}
 {"id":"gt-b5sh","title":"test-after-fix","description":"test","status":"open","priority":2,"issue_type":"message","created_at":"2025-12-19T16:05:08.538763-08:00","updated_at":"2025-12-19T16:05:08.538763-08:00"}
+{"id":"gt-bcwn","title":"Auto-handoff: self-cycling with guaranteed work pickup","description":"## Summary\n\nA mechanism for agents to self-cycle: send handoff mail, request Deacon to kill the process, and automatically restart to pick up the work.\n\n## Use Case\n\nUser says: `auto-handoff: gt-bug3`\n\nThe agent:\n1. Sends handoff mail documenting current state\n2. Requests Deacon to terminate the session\n3. Deacon restarts the agent in background\n4. New session picks up the handoff and continues working\n\nWhen the user returns to terminal, the old session is gone but work continues in background. User can reattach.\n\n## Key Requirements\n\n- **Guaranteed pickup**: Something in the hook and/or handoff must ensure the new session picks up the work (not just a passive \"check inbox\")\n- **Background execution**: Work continues without user presence\n- **Reattachability**: User can reconnect to see progress\n\n## Design Questions\n\n1. Can molecules help coordinate this? (e.g., molecule binds the handoff + auto-restart)\n2. What hook handles the pickup guarantee? \n3. How does Deacon know to restart vs just kill?\n4. How does user reattach to a background agent?\n\n## Related\n\n- Molecules system\n- Deacon lifecycle management\n- Handoff hooks","status":"open","priority":2,"issue_type":"feature","created_at":"2025-12-21T11:59:50.352286-08:00","updated_at":"2025-12-21T12:00:06.867846-08:00"}
 {"id":"gt-beqp","title":"Merge: gt-72so","description":"branch: polecat/Doof\ntarget: main\nsource_issue: gt-72so\nrig: gastown","status":"closed","priority":1,"issue_type":"merge-request","created_at":"2025-12-19T16:19:11.814962-08:00","updated_at":"2025-12-19T18:26:14.103556-08:00","closed_at":"2025-12-19T17:47:03.61793-08:00"}
 {"id":"gt-bfd","title":"Keepalive signal from bd/gt commands","description":"Every bd and gt command should touch a keepalive file to signal 'agent is alive/working'.\n\n## Implementation\n\nTouch `\u003cworkspace\u003e/.gastown/keepalive.json`:\n```json\n{\"last_command\": \"bd show gt-99m\", \"timestamp\": \"2025-12-18T13:45:00Z\"}\n```\n\n## Usage by Daemon\n\n- Fresh (\u003c 2 min) → agent is working, skip heartbeat\n- Stale (2-5 min) → might be thinking, gentle poke\n- Very stale (\u003e 5 min) → likely idle, safe to interrupt\n\n## Benefits\n\n- Zero cost (just file I/O)\n- Works during long tool calls\n- Doesn't require agent cooperation\n- Foundation for smarter backoff strategies","status":"closed","priority":1,"issue_type":"task","created_at":"2025-12-18T14:19:26.241957-08:00","updated_at":"2025-12-18T20:03:43.816952-08:00","closed_at":"2025-12-18T20:03:43.816952-08:00","dependencies":[{"issue_id":"gt-bfd","depends_on_id":"gt-99m","type":"blocks","created_at":"2025-12-18T14:19:46.407664-08:00","created_by":"daemon"}]}
 {"id":"gt-bj6f","title":"gt prime: Refinery context detection and output","description":"Update gt prime to detect Refinery role:\n- Detect from directory: refinery/rig/ = Refinery\n- Show handoff bead reference\n- Show merge queue status\n- Show polecat branches with unmerged commits\n- Show last actions summary","status":"open","priority":1,"issue_type":"task","created_at":"2025-12-19T18:09:09.31791-08:00","updated_at":"2025-12-19T18:09:09.31791-08:00","dependencies":[{"issue_id":"gt-bj6f","depends_on_id":"gt-ktal","type":"blocks","created_at":"2025-12-19T18:09:39.462238-08:00","created_by":"daemon"}]}