diff --git a/src/db.ts b/src/db.ts
index d479d52..aef3bbb 100644
--- a/src/db.ts
+++ b/src/db.ts
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ export {
 } from './db/runtime-tasks-rooms.js';
 export {
   _clearPairedTurnReservationsForTests,
+  cancelPairedTurn,
   claimPairedTurnReservation,
   claimServiceHandoff,
   clearChannelOwnerLease,
diff --git a/src/db/paired-turns.ts b/src/db/paired-turns.ts
index 8636c74..299fbe7 100644
--- a/src/db/paired-turns.ts
+++ b/src/db/paired-turns.ts
@@ -463,6 +463,20 @@ export function failPairedTurnInDatabase(
   });
 }
 
+export function cancelPairedTurnInDatabase(
+  database: Database,
+  args: {
+    turnIdentity: PairedTurnIdentity;
+    error?: string | null;
+  },
+): void {
+  markPairedTurnTerminalStateInDatabase(database, {
+    turnIdentity: args.turnIdentity,
+    state: 'cancelled',
+    error: args.error,
+  });
+}
+
 export function getPairedTurnByIdFromDatabase(
   database: Database,
   turnId: string,
diff --git a/src/db/runtime-paired.ts b/src/db/runtime-paired.ts
index 3aee67c..fb875a4 100644
--- a/src/db/runtime-paired.ts
+++ b/src/db/runtime-paired.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ import {
   insertPairedTurnOutputInDatabase,
 } from './paired-turn-outputs.js';
 import {
+  cancelPairedTurnInDatabase,
   clearPairedTurnsInDatabase,
   completePairedTurnInDatabase,
   failPairedTurnInDatabase,
@@ -176,6 +177,13 @@ export function failPairedTurn(args: {
   failPairedTurnInDatabase(requireDatabase(), args);
 }
 
+export function cancelPairedTurn(args: {
+  turnIdentity: PairedTurnIdentity;
+  error?: string | null;
+}): void {
+  cancelPairedTurnInDatabase(requireDatabase(), args);
+}
+
 export function getPairedTurnById(
   turnId: string,
 ): PairedTurnRecord | undefined {
diff --git a/src/message-runtime-queue.test.ts b/src/message-runtime-queue.test.ts
index e4d1889..b38ab88 100644
--- a/src/message-runtime-queue.test.ts
+++ b/src/message-runtime-queue.test.ts
@@ -3,8 +3,11 @@ import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import {
   _initTestDatabase,
   createPairedTask,
+  getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat,
   getPairedTaskById,
+  getPairedTurnById,
   insertPairedTurnOutput,
+  markPairedTurnRunning,
   updatePairedTaskIfUnchanged,
 } from './db.js';
 import { claimPairedTurnExecution } from './paired-follow-up-scheduler.js';
@@ -13,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   runQueuedGroupTurn,
 } from './message-runtime-queue.js';
 import { resetPairedFollowUpScheduleState } from './paired-follow-up-scheduler.js';
+import { buildPairedTurnIdentity } from './paired-turn-identity.js';
 import type { Channel, PairedTask, RegisteredGroup } from './types.js';
 
 function makeGroup(): RegisteredGroup {
@@ -23,6 +27,7 @@ function makeGroup(): RegisteredGroup {
     added_at: '2026-03-30T00:00:00.000Z',
     requiresTrigger: false,
     agentType: 'codex',
+    workDir: '/repo',
   };
 }
 
@@ -343,4 +348,88 @@ describe('message-runtime-queue', () => {
       }),
     );
   });
+
+  it('splits merge_ready owner turns into a fresh task and cancels the stale finalize turn', async () => {
+    const task = makeTask({
+      id: 'task-merge-ready-owner',
+      status: 'merge_ready',
+      updated_at: '2026-03-30T00:00:00.000Z',
+    });
+    createPairedTask(task);
+    insertPairedTurnOutput(task.id, 1, 'reviewer', 'DONE\nreview finished');
+    const staleFinalizeTurn = buildPairedTurnIdentity({
+      taskId: task.id,
+      taskUpdatedAt: task.updated_at,
+      intentKind: 'finalize-owner-turn',
+      role: 'owner',
+    });
+    markPairedTurnRunning({
+      turnIdentity: staleFinalizeTurn,
+      executorServiceId: 'claude',
+      executorAgentType: 'claude-code',
+      runId: 'run-stale-finalize',
+    });
+    const executeTurn = vi.fn(async () => ({
+      outputStatus: 'success' as const,
+      deliverySucceeded: true,
+      visiblePhase: 'final',
+    }));
+
+    const outcome = await runQueuedGroupTurn({
+      chatJid: task.chat_jid,
+      group: makeGroup(),
+      runId: 'run-owner-after-merge-ready',
+      log: { info: vi.fn(), warn: vi.fn(), error: vi.fn() } as any,
+      timezone: 'UTC',
+      missedMessages: [
+        {
+          id: 'human-merge-ready-1',
+          chat_jid: task.chat_jid,
+          sender: 'user@test',
+          sender_name: 'User',
+          content: '새 질문입니다',
+          timestamp: '2026-03-30T00:00:02.000Z',
+          seq: 47,
+          is_bot_message: false,
+        },
+      ],
+      task,
+      roleToChannel: {
+        owner: null,
+        reviewer: makeChannel(),
+        arbiter: null,
+      },
+      ownerChannel: makeChannel(),
+      lastAgentTimestamps: {},
+      saveState: vi.fn(),
+      executeTurn,
+      getFixedRoleChannelName: () => 'discord-review',
+      labelPairedSenders: (_chatJid, messages) => messages,
+      formatMessages: () => 'formatted prompt',
+    });
+
+    expect(outcome).toBe(true);
+    const freshTask = getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat(task.chat_jid);
+    expect(freshTask).toBeDefined();
+    expect(freshTask?.id).not.toBe(task.id);
+    expect(getPairedTaskById(task.id)).toMatchObject({
+      status: 'completed',
+      completion_reason: 'superseded',
+    });
+    expect(getPairedTurnById(staleFinalizeTurn.turnId)).toMatchObject({
+      state: 'cancelled',
+    });
+    expect(executeTurn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        prompt: expect.not.stringContaining('DONE\nreview finished'),
+        deliveryRole: 'owner',
+        forcedRole: 'owner',
+        pairedTurnIdentity: expect.objectContaining({
+          taskId: freshTask?.id,
+          intentKind: 'owner-turn',
+          role: 'owner',
+        }),
+      }),
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/message-runtime-queue.ts b/src/message-runtime-queue.ts
index 485dde0..698b444 100644
--- a/src/message-runtime-queue.ts
+++ b/src/message-runtime-queue.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   buildArbiterPromptForTask,
   buildPairedTurnPrompt,
 } from './message-runtime-prompts.js';
+import { resolveOwnerTaskForHumanMessage } from './paired-execution-context.js';
 import {
   buildPendingPairedTurn,
   executePendingPairedTurn,
@@ -157,16 +158,32 @@ export async function runQueuedGroupTurn(args: {
 }): Promise<boolean> {
   const { chatJid, group, runId, log, missedMessages, task, roleToChannel } =
     args;
-  const taskStatus = task?.status;
+  let currentTask = task;
   const hasHumanMsg = task
     ? !missedMessages.every(
         (message) => message.is_from_me === true || !!message.is_bot_message,
       )
     : !isBotOnlyPairedRoomTurn(chatJid, missedMessages);
-  const lastTurnOutputRole = task
-    ? (getPairedTurnOutputs(task.id).at(-1)?.role ?? null)
+  let fallbackMessages = missedMessages;
+  if (currentTask && hasHumanMsg) {
+    const resolvedTask = resolveOwnerTaskForHumanMessage({
+      group,
+      chatJid,
+      existingTask: currentTask,
+    });
+    currentTask = resolvedTask.task;
+    if (resolvedTask.supersededTask) {
+      fallbackMessages = getRecentChatMessages(chatJid, 20).filter(
+        (message) => !message.is_bot_message,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+  const taskStatus = currentTask?.status;
+  const turnOutputs = currentTask ? getPairedTurnOutputs(currentTask.id) : [];
+  const lastTurnOutputRole = currentTask
+    ? (turnOutputs.at(-1)?.role ?? null)
     : null;
-  const turnRole = task
+  const turnRole = currentTask
     ? hasHumanMsg
       ? resolveQueuedTurnRole({
           taskStatus,
@@ -203,43 +220,46 @@ export async function runQueuedGroupTurn(args: {
   const turnChannel =
     turnRole === 'owner' ? args.ownerChannel : roleToChannel[turnRole];
   const cursorKey = resolveCursorKeyForRole(chatJid, turnRole);
-  const forcedRole = task ? turnRole : undefined;
-  const queuedIntentKind = task
+  const forcedRole = currentTask ? turnRole : undefined;
+  const queuedIntentKind = currentTask
     ? resolveQueuedTurnReservationIntent({
-        task,
+        task: currentTask,
         turnRole,
         hasHumanMessage: hasHumanMsg,
       })
     : null;
   const pairedTurnIdentity =
-    task && queuedIntentKind
+    currentTask && queuedIntentKind
       ? buildPairedTurnIdentity({
-          taskId: task.id,
-          taskUpdatedAt: task.updated_at,
+          taskId: currentTask.id,
+          taskUpdatedAt: currentTask.updated_at,
           intentKind: queuedIntentKind,
           role: turnRole,
         })
       : undefined;
 
   let prompt: string;
-  if (turnRole === 'arbiter' && task) {
+  if (turnRole === 'arbiter' && currentTask) {
     const recentMessages = getRecentChatMessages(chatJid, 20);
     prompt = buildArbiterPromptForTask({
-      task,
+      task: currentTask,
       chatJid,
       timezone: args.timezone,
-      turnOutputs: getPairedTurnOutputs(task.id),
+      turnOutputs,
       recentMessages,
       labeledRecentMessages: args.labelPairedSenders(chatJid, recentMessages),
     });
-  } else if (task) {
+  } else if (currentTask) {
     prompt = buildPairedTurnPrompt({
-      taskId: task.id,
+      taskId: currentTask.id,
       chatJid,
       timezone: args.timezone,
       missedMessages,
-      labeledFallbackMessages: args.labelPairedSenders(chatJid, missedMessages),
-      turnOutputs: getPairedTurnOutputs(task.id),
+      labeledFallbackMessages: args.labelPairedSenders(
+        chatJid,
+        fallbackMessages,
+      ),
+      turnOutputs,
     });
   } else {
     prompt = args.formatMessages(
@@ -272,19 +292,19 @@ export async function runQueuedGroupTurn(args: {
     return false;
   }
 
-  if (task) {
+  if (currentTask) {
     const claimed = claimPairedTurnExecution({
       chatJid,
       runId,
-      task,
+      task: currentTask,
       intentKind: queuedIntentKind!,
     });
     if (!claimed) {
       log.info(
         {
-          taskId: task.id,
+          taskId: currentTask.id,
           taskStatus,
-          taskUpdatedAt: task.updated_at,
+          taskUpdatedAt: currentTask.updated_at,
           intentKind: queuedIntentKind,
           turnRole,
         },
@@ -310,7 +330,7 @@ export async function runQueuedGroupTurn(args: {
     chatJid,
     runId,
     channel: turnChannel,
-    deliveryRole: task ? turnRole : undefined,
+    deliveryRole: currentTask ? turnRole : undefined,
     startSeq,
     endSeq,
     hasHumanMessage: hasHumanMsg,
diff --git a/src/message-runtime.test.ts b/src/message-runtime.test.ts
index 9fc06d2..d227839 100644
--- a/src/message-runtime.test.ts
+++ b/src/message-runtime.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 
 import { TASK_STATUS_MESSAGE_PREFIX } from './task-watch-status.js';
+import * as pairedExecutionContext from './paired-execution-context.js';
 
 /** Prefix helper for progress message assertions */
 const P = (text: string) => `${TASK_STATUS_MESSAGE_PREFIX}${text}`;
@@ -34,6 +35,10 @@ vi.mock('./config.js', () => ({
 vi.mock('./paired-execution-context.js', () => ({
   preparePairedExecutionContext: vi.fn(() => undefined),
   completePairedExecutionContext: vi.fn(),
+  resolveOwnerTaskForHumanMessage: vi.fn((args?: { existingTask?: unknown }) => ({
+    task: args?.existingTask ?? null,
+    supersededTask: null,
+  })),
 }));
 
 vi.mock('./db.js', () => {
@@ -693,6 +698,131 @@ describe('createMessageRuntime', () => {
     expect(enqueueMessageCheck).toHaveBeenCalledWith(chatJid);
   });
 
+  it('suppresses a stale owner work item when a new human message supersedes a merge_ready task', async () => {
+    const chatJid = 'group@test';
+    const group = makeGroup('codex');
+    const channel = makeChannel(chatJid);
+    const enqueueMessageCheck = vi.fn();
+    const oldTask = {
+      id: 'task-merge-ready-old',
+      chat_jid: chatJid,
+      group_folder: group.folder,
+      owner_service_id: 'claude',
+      reviewer_service_id: 'codex-main',
+      title: null,
+      source_ref: 'HEAD',
+      plan_notes: null,
+      review_requested_at: '2026-03-30T00:00:00.000Z',
+      round_trip_count: 1,
+      status: 'merge_ready',
+      arbiter_verdict: null,
+      arbiter_requested_at: null,
+      completion_reason: null,
+      created_at: '2026-03-30T00:00:00.000Z',
+      updated_at: '2026-03-30T00:00:00.000Z',
+    } as any;
+    const newTask = {
+      ...oldTask,
+      id: 'task-fresh-owner-turn',
+      status: 'active',
+      completion_reason: null,
+      created_at: '2026-03-30T00:00:05.000Z',
+      updated_at: '2026-03-30T00:00:05.000Z',
+    } as any;
+
+    vi.mocked(serviceRouting.hasReviewerLease).mockReturnValue(true);
+    vi.mocked(db.getOpenWorkItem).mockReturnValue({
+      id: 99,
+      group_folder: group.folder,
+      chat_jid: chatJid,
+      agent_type: 'codex',
+      service_id: 'claude',
+      delivery_role: 'owner',
+      status: 'delivery_retry',
+      start_seq: 1,
+      end_seq: 1,
+      result_payload: '이전 final입니다.',
+      delivery_attempts: 1,
+      created_at: new Date().toISOString(),
+      updated_at: new Date().toISOString(),
+      delivered_at: null,
+      delivery_message_id: null,
+      last_error: 'discord send failed',
+    });
+    vi.mocked(db.getMessagesSince).mockReturnValue([
+      {
+        id: 'msg-1',
+        chat_jid: chatJid,
+        sender: 'user@test',
+        sender_name: 'User',
+        content: '새 작업입니다.',
+        timestamp: '2026-03-30T00:00:10.000Z',
+        seq: 10,
+      },
+    ]);
+    vi.mocked(db.getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat)
+      .mockReturnValueOnce(oldTask)
+      .mockReturnValue(newTask);
+    vi.mocked(
+      pairedExecutionContext.resolveOwnerTaskForHumanMessage,
+    ).mockReturnValue({
+      task: newTask,
+      supersededTask: oldTask,
+    });
+    vi.mocked(agentRunner.runAgentProcess).mockImplementation(
+      async (_group, input, _onProcess, onOutput) => {
+        expect(input.prompt).toContain('새 작업입니다.');
+        expect(input.prompt).not.toContain('이전 final입니다.');
+        await onOutput?.({
+          status: 'success',
+          phase: 'final',
+          result: 'DONE\n새 작업 처리',
+          output: { visibility: 'public', text: 'DONE\n새 작업 처리' },
+        } as any);
+        return {
+          status: 'success',
+          result: 'DONE\n새 작업 처리',
+        };
+      },
+    );
+
+    const runtime = createMessageRuntime({
+      assistantName: 'Andy',
+      idleTimeout: 1_000,
+      pollInterval: 1_000,
+      timezone: 'UTC',
+      triggerPattern: /^@Andy\b/i,
+      channels: [channel],
+      queue: {
+        registerProcess: vi.fn(),
+        closeStdin: vi.fn(),
+        notifyIdle: vi.fn(),
+        enqueueMessageCheck,
+      } as any,
+      getRoomBindings: () => ({ [chatJid]: group }),
+      getSessions: () => ({}),
+      getLastTimestamp: () => '',
+      setLastTimestamp: vi.fn(),
+      getLastAgentTimestamps: () => ({}),
+      saveState: vi.fn(),
+      persistSession: vi.fn(),
+      clearSession: vi.fn(),
+    });
+
+    const result = await runtime.processGroupMessages(chatJid, {
+      runId: 'run-supersede-owner-work-item',
+      reason: 'messages',
+    });
+
+    expect(result).toBe(true);
+    expect(db.markWorkItemDelivered).toHaveBeenCalledWith(99);
+    expect(agentRunner.runAgentProcess).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(channel.sendMessage).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      chatJid,
+      '이전 final입니다.',
+    );
+  });
+
   it('suppresses duplicate stale work item delivery and logs the suppression reason', async () => {
     const chatJid = 'group@test';
     const group = makeGroup('codex');
diff --git a/src/message-runtime.ts b/src/message-runtime.ts
index eba3a1c..de06cbe 100644
--- a/src/message-runtime.ts
+++ b/src/message-runtime.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import {
   getOpenWorkItemForChat,
   getMessagesSinceSeq,
   getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat,
+  markWorkItemDelivered,
   getPairedTaskById,
 } from './db.js';
 import {
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ import {
   getProcessableMessages,
   shouldSkipBotOnlyCollaboration,
 } from './message-runtime-rules.js';
+import { resolveOwnerTaskForHumanMessage } from './paired-execution-context.js';
 import {
   enqueuePairedFollowUpAfterEvent,
   schedulePairedFollowUpWithMessageCheck,
@@ -345,14 +347,55 @@ export function createMessageRuntime(deps: MessageRuntimeDeps): {
 
     // Delivery retries can come from forced fallback runs whose agent_type
     // differs from the room owner's registered agent type.
-    const openWorkItem = getOpenWorkItemForChat(chatJid, SERVICE_SESSION_SCOPE);
+    let pendingTask = hasReviewerLease(chatJid)
+      ? getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat(chatJid)
+      : null;
+    let openWorkItem = getOpenWorkItemForChat(chatJid, SERVICE_SESSION_SCOPE);
+    if (
+      pendingTask?.status === 'merge_ready' &&
+      openWorkItem?.delivery_role === 'owner'
+    ) {
+      const sinceSeqCursor = deps.getLastAgentTimestamps()[chatJid] || '0';
+      const preflightRawMessages = getMessagesSinceSeq(
+        chatJid,
+        sinceSeqCursor,
+        deps.assistantName,
+      );
+      const preflightMessages = filterLoopingPairedBotMessages(
+        chatJid,
+        getProcessableMessages(chatJid, preflightRawMessages, channel),
+        FAILURE_FINAL_TEXT,
+      );
+      const hasFreshHumanMessage = preflightMessages.some(
+        (message) => message.is_from_me !== true && !message.is_bot_message,
+      );
+      if (hasFreshHumanMessage) {
+        const resolvedTask = resolveOwnerTaskForHumanMessage({
+          group,
+          chatJid,
+          existingTask: pendingTask,
+        });
+        pendingTask = resolvedTask.task;
+        if (resolvedTask.supersededTask) {
+          markWorkItemDelivered(openWorkItem.id);
+          log.info(
+            {
+              chatJid,
+              workItemId: openWorkItem.id,
+              supersededTaskId: resolvedTask.supersededTask.id,
+              replacementTaskId: resolvedTask.task?.id ?? null,
+            },
+            'Suppressed stale owner delivery retry because a new human message superseded the merge_ready task',
+          );
+          openWorkItem = undefined;
+        }
+      }
+    }
     const openWorkItemOutcome = await processOpenWorkItemDelivery({
       chatJid,
       runId,
       openWorkItem,
-      pendingTask: hasReviewerLease(chatJid)
-        ? getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat(chatJid)
-        : null,
+      pendingTask,
       channel,
       roleToChannel,
       log,
diff --git a/src/paired-execution-context.test.ts b/src/paired-execution-context.test.ts
index 6caef09..f737260 100644
--- a/src/paired-execution-context.test.ts
+++ b/src/paired-execution-context.test.ts
@@ -12,10 +12,12 @@ import { afterAll, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 vi.mock('./db.js', () => {
   const updatePairedTask = vi.fn();
   return {
+    cancelPairedTurn: vi.fn(),
     createPairedTask: vi.fn(),
     getLatestPairedTaskForChat: vi.fn(),
     getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat: vi.fn(),
     getPairedTaskById: vi.fn(),
+    getPairedTurnById: vi.fn(),
     getPairedWorkspace: vi.fn(),
     updatePairedTask,
     updatePairedTaskIfUnchanged: vi.fn((id, _expectedUpdatedAt, updates) => {
diff --git a/src/paired-execution-context.ts b/src/paired-execution-context.ts
index 9461095..799a663 100644
--- a/src/paired-execution-context.ts
+++ b/src/paired-execution-context.ts
@@ -18,10 +18,12 @@ import {
   REVIEWER_AGENT_TYPE,
 } from './config.js';
 import {
+  cancelPairedTurn,
   createPairedTask,
   getLatestPairedTaskForChat,
   getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat,
   getPairedTaskById,
+  getPairedTurnById,
   getPairedWorkspace,
   hasActiveCiWatcherForChat,
   releasePairedTaskExecutionLease,
@@ -52,7 +54,10 @@ import {
   prepareReviewerWorkspaceForExecution,
   provisionOwnerWorkspaceForPairedTask,
 } from './paired-workspace-manager.js';
-import type { PairedTurnIdentity } from './paired-turn-identity.js';
+import {
+  buildPairedTurnIdentity,
+  type PairedTurnIdentity,
+} from './paired-turn-identity.js';
 import type {
   AgentType,
   PairedRoomRole,
@@ -97,32 +102,12 @@ function resolvePairedTaskServiceShadow(
   return role === 'owner' ? CODEX_MAIN_SERVICE_ID : CODEX_REVIEW_SERVICE_ID;
 }
 
-// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// ensureActiveTask
-// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-function ensureActiveTask(
-  group: RegisteredGroup,
-  chatJid: string,
-  roomRoleContext: RoomRoleContext,
-  hasHumanMessage?: boolean,
-): PairedTask | null {
-  const canonicalWorkDir = ensurePairedProject(group, chatJid);
-  if (!canonicalWorkDir) {
-    return null;
-  }
-
-  const existing = getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat(chatJid);
-  if (existing) {
-    return existing;
-  }
-
-  // Don't create a new task for bot-only messages — prevents
-  // ESCALATE → completed → bot message triggers new task → loop.
-  if (!hasHumanMessage) {
-    return null;
-  }
-
+function createActiveTaskForRoom(args: {
+  group: RegisteredGroup;
+  chatJid: string;
+  canonicalWorkDir: string;
+}): PairedTask {
+  const { group, chatJid, canonicalWorkDir } = args;
   const now = new Date().toISOString();
   const rolePlan = resolveRoleAgentPlan({
     paired: true,
@@ -172,6 +157,137 @@ function ensureActiveTask(
   return task;
 }
 
+function cancelOutstandingFinalizeOwnerTurn(task: PairedTask): void {
+  const turnIdentity = buildPairedTurnIdentity({
+    taskId: task.id,
+    taskUpdatedAt: task.updated_at,
+    intentKind: 'finalize-owner-turn',
+    role: 'owner',
+  });
+  const existingTurn = getPairedTurnById(turnIdentity.turnId);
+  if (
+    !existingTurn ||
+    (existingTurn.state !== 'running' && existingTurn.state !== 'delegated')
+  ) {
+    return;
+  }
+  cancelPairedTurn({
+    turnIdentity,
+    error: 'Superseded by a newer human message before owner finalize delivery.',
+  });
+  logger.info(
+    {
+      taskId: task.id,
+      turnId: turnIdentity.turnId,
+      turnState: existingTurn.state,
+    },
+    'Cancelled stale finalize-owner turn after a new human message superseded the merge_ready task',
+  );
+}
+
+export interface ResolvedOwnerHumanTask {
+  task: PairedTask | null;
+  supersededTask: PairedTask | null;
+}
+
+export function resolveOwnerTaskForHumanMessage(args: {
+  group: RegisteredGroup;
+  chatJid: string;
+  existingTask?: PairedTask | null;
+}): ResolvedOwnerHumanTask {
+  const canonicalWorkDir = ensurePairedProject(args.group, args.chatJid);
+  const existing =
+    args.existingTask ?? getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat(args.chatJid) ?? null;
+
+  if (!existing) {
+    return {
+      task: canonicalWorkDir
+        ? createActiveTaskForRoom({
+            group: args.group,
+            chatJid: args.chatJid,
+            canonicalWorkDir,
+          })
+        : null,
+      supersededTask: null,
+    };
+  }
+
+  if (existing.status !== 'merge_ready' || !canonicalWorkDir) {
+    return {
+      task: existing,
+      supersededTask: null,
+    };
+  }
+
+  const now = new Date().toISOString();
+  const superseded = transitionPairedTaskStatus({
+    taskId: existing.id,
+    currentStatus: existing.status,
+    nextStatus: 'completed',
+    expectedUpdatedAt: existing.updated_at,
+    updatedAt: now,
+    patch: {
+      completion_reason: 'superseded',
+    },
+  });
+
+  if (!superseded) {
+    return {
+      task: getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat(args.chatJid) ?? existing,
+      supersededTask: null,
+    };
+  }
+
+  cancelOutstandingFinalizeOwnerTurn(existing);
+
+  return {
+    task: createActiveTaskForRoom({
+      group: args.group,
+      chatJid: args.chatJid,
+      canonicalWorkDir,
+    }),
+    supersededTask: existing,
+  };
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// ensureActiveTask
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+function ensureActiveTask(
+  group: RegisteredGroup,
+  chatJid: string,
+  roomRoleContext: RoomRoleContext,
+  hasHumanMessage?: boolean,
+): PairedTask | null {
+  const existing = getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat(chatJid);
+  if (roomRoleContext.role === 'owner' && hasHumanMessage) {
+    return resolveOwnerTaskForHumanMessage({
+      group,
+      chatJid,
+      existingTask: existing ?? null,
+    }).task;
+  }
+  if (existing) {
+    return existing;
+  }
+
+  // Don't create a new task for bot-only messages — prevents
+  // ESCALATE → completed → bot message triggers new task → loop.
+  if (!hasHumanMessage) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  const canonicalWorkDir = ensurePairedProject(group, chatJid);
+  if (!canonicalWorkDir) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return createActiveTaskForRoom({
+    group,
+    chatJid,
+    canonicalWorkDir,
+  });
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // preparePairedExecutionContext
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -236,17 +352,12 @@ export function preparePairedExecutionContext(args: {
   const now = new Date().toISOString();
 
   if (roomRoleContext.role === 'owner') {
-    // New human message → new ping-pong cycle. Reset round trip counter
-    // AND status so the owner turn is not treated as a finalize turn.
-    // Reset status on new human message so the owner gets a fresh working
-    // turn. merge_ready is only reset when a human message is present —
-    // without it, this is a finalize turn after reviewer approval and
-    // resetting would prevent task completion.
+    // New human message keeps the same task only for active review loops.
+    // merge_ready is split into a fresh task before this function runs.
     // Only reset round_trip_count when a human message is present —
     // bot-only ping-pong must accumulate the counter for loop detection.
     const hasHuman = args.hasHumanMessage === true;
     const needsStatusReset =
-      (latestTask.status === 'merge_ready' && hasHuman) ||
       latestTask.status === 'review_ready' ||
       latestTask.status === 'in_review';
     if (hasHuman || needsStatusReset) {