diff --git a/.beads/formulas/mol-sync-workspace.formula.toml b/.beads/formulas/mol-sync-workspace.formula.toml
index 495a990d..ee8fb5cf 100644
--- a/.beads/formulas/mol-sync-workspace.formula.toml
+++ b/.beads/formulas/mol-sync-workspace.formula.toml
@@ -84,143 +84,50 @@ This information guides decisions in subsequent steps.
 **Exit criteria:** Context primed, starting state documented."""
 
 [[steps]]
-id = "handle-uncommitted"
-title = "Handle uncommitted changes"
+id = "handle-dirty-state"
+title = "Handle uncommitted and untracked work"
 needs = ["assess-state"]
 description = """
-Handle staged and unstaged changes before syncing.
-
-**Check for uncommitted changes:**
-```bash
-git status --porcelain | grep -v '^??'  # Exclude untracked
-```
-
-**If no uncommitted changes:** Skip to next step.
+Clean up any in-flight work before syncing.
 
 **If uncommitted changes exist:**
 
-**Option A - Commit if ready:**
-Changes are complete enough to commit (even as WIP):
+Option A - Commit if ready:
 ```bash
 git add -A && git commit -m "WIP: <description>"
 ```
 
-Use this when:
-- Changes are coherent (one logical unit)
-- You want to preserve them through sync
-- They're ready for potential rebase
-
-**Option B - Stash if not ready:**
-Changes are experimental or incomplete:
+Option B - Stash if not ready:
 ```bash
 git stash push -m "pre-sync stash $(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
 ```
 
-Use this when:
-- Changes are scattered/incomplete
-- You're unsure if you want to keep them
-- You need to temporarily set them aside
+**If untracked files exist:**
 
-**Exit criteria:** No staged or unstaged changes (git status clean except untracked)."""
+For each untracked file, decide:
+- **Keep**: Add to .gitignore or commit
+- **Delete**: `rm <file>`
+- **Stash**: Can't stash untracked directly; commit or delete
 
-[[steps]]
-id = "handle-untracked"
-title = "Handle untracked files"
-needs = ["handle-uncommitted"]
-description = """
-Review and handle untracked files before syncing.
+**WARN the agent**: Report untracked files prominently. They may be:
+- WIP that should be preserved
+- Build artifacts that should be gitignored
+- Cruft that should be deleted
 
-**List untracked files:**
-```bash
-git status --porcelain | grep '^??'
-```
+Don't auto-delete without confirmation.
 
-**If no untracked files:** Skip to next step.
+**If stash entries exist:**
 
-**For each untracked file, decide:**
-
-| File Type | Action |
-|-----------|--------|
-| Build artifacts (.exe, .o, *.test) | Add to .gitignore |
-| IDE/editor files (.idea/, .vscode/) | Add to .gitignore |
-| Log files (*.log) | Delete or gitignore |
-| WIP code files | Commit or delete |
-| Config with secrets | Add to .gitignore, WARN |
-| Unknown | Ask before deleting |
-
-**Actions:**
-
-- **Keep (gitignore):**
-  ```bash
-  echo "<pattern>" >> .gitignore
-  ```
-
-- **Keep (commit):**
-  ```bash
-  git add <file>
-  git commit -m "add: <file description>"
-  ```
-
-- **Delete:**
-  ```bash
-  rm <file>
-  ```
-
-**WARN the agent**: Untracked files may contain valuable WIP.
-Never auto-delete without review. When in doubt, gitignore.
-
-**Exit criteria:** All untracked files handled (committed, gitignored, or deleted)."""
-
-[[steps]]
-id = "handle-stashes"
-title = "Review and clean stash entries"
-needs = ["handle-untracked"]
-description = """
-Review stash entries and clean up old ones.
-
-**List stashes:**
+List and assess:
 ```bash
 git stash list
+git stash show -p stash@{0}  # Preview each
 ```
 
-**If no stashes:** Skip to next step.
+Old stashes (>1 week) are likely stale. Consider dropping.
+Recent stashes may contain valuable WIP - preserve or commit.
 
-**For each stash entry:**
-
-1. **Check age:**
-   ```bash
-   git log -1 --format="%ar" stash@{N}  # "2 weeks ago"
-   ```
-
-2. **Preview contents:**
-   ```bash
-   git stash show stash@{N}           # Files changed
-   git stash show -p stash@{N}        # Full diff
-   ```
-
-**Decision matrix:**
-
-| Age | Contents | Action |
-|-----|----------|--------|
-| < 1 week | Valuable WIP | Keep or apply |
-| < 1 week | Obsolete | Drop |
-| > 1 week | Any | Likely stale, consider dropping |
-| > 1 month | Any | Almost certainly stale, drop |
-
-**Actions:**
-
-- **Keep:** Leave in stash list (no action)
-- **Apply:** `git stash apply stash@{N}` then handle as uncommitted
-- **Drop:** `git stash drop stash@{N}`
-
-**Caution:** Stash indices shift when you drop! Drop from highest index first:
-```bash
-git stash drop stash@{2}  # Drop this first
-git stash drop stash@{1}  # Then this
-git stash drop stash@{0}  # Then this
-```
-
-**Exit criteria:** Stash reviewed, old/stale entries dropped."""
+**Exit criteria:** Working tree clean or explicitly stashed."""
 
 [[steps]]
 id = "sync-git"
@@ -467,7 +374,7 @@ However, they must be tracked.
 [[steps]]
 id = "cleanup-worktrees"
 title = "Clean up stale worktrees"
-needs = ["handle-stashes"]
+needs = ["handle-dirty-state"]
 description = """
 Remove orphaned worktrees from cross-rig work.