fix: escalate paired step-done loops

src/paired-completion-signals.test.ts

@@ -94,6 +94,13 @@ describe('paired completion signals', () => {
         deadlockThreshold: 3,
       }),
     ).toEqual({ kind: 'request_owner_changes' });
+    expect(
+      resolveReviewerCompletionSignal({
+        visibleVerdict: 'step_done',
+        roundTripCount: 3,
+        deadlockThreshold: 3,
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({ kind: 'request_arbiter' });
     expect(
       resolveReviewerCompletionSignal({
         visibleVerdict: 'done',

src/paired-completion-signals.ts

@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ export function resolveReviewerCompletionSignal(args: {
     case 'done':
       return { kind: 'request_owner_finalize' };
     case 'step_done':
+      if (roundTripCount >= deadlockThreshold) {
+        return { kind: 'request_arbiter' };
+      }
       return { kind: 'request_owner_changes' };
     case 'blocked':
     case 'needs_context':

src/paired-execution-context-owner.ts

@@ -341,8 +341,16 @@ export function handleOwnerCompletion(args: {
   }
 
   const ownerVerdict = parseVisibleVerdict(summary);
+  const workspace = getPairedWorkspace(task.id, 'owner');
+  const hasNewChanges = workspace?.workspace_dir
+    ? hasCodeChangesSinceRef(workspace.workspace_dir, task.source_ref)
+    : null;
   const nextOwnerStepDoneStreak =
     ownerVerdict === 'step_done' ? (task.owner_step_done_streak ?? 0) + 1 : 0;
+  const nextEmptyStepDoneStreak =
+    ownerVerdict === 'step_done' && hasNewChanges === false
+      ? (task.empty_step_done_streak ?? 0) + 1
+      : 0;
   const signal = resolveOwnerCompletionSignal({
     phase: 'normal',
     visibleVerdict: ownerVerdict,
@@ -370,6 +378,37 @@ export function handleOwnerCompletion(args: {
     return;
   }
 
+  if (
+    ownerVerdict === 'step_done' &&
+    hasNewChanges === false &&
+    nextEmptyStepDoneStreak >= EMPTY_STEP_DONE_THRESHOLD
+  ) {
+    requestArbiterOrEscalate({
+      taskId,
+      currentStatus: task.status,
+      expectedUpdatedAt: task.updated_at,
+      now,
+      arbiterLogMessage:
+        'Owner repeated STEP_DONE without code changes — requesting arbiter',
+      escalateLogMessage:
+        'Owner repeated STEP_DONE without code changes — escalating to user',
+      logContext: {
+        taskId,
+        ownerVerdict,
+        hasNewChanges,
+        ownerStepDoneStreak: nextOwnerStepDoneStreak,
+        emptyStepDoneStreak: nextEmptyStepDoneStreak,
+        summary: summary?.slice(0, 100),
+      },
+      patch: {
+        owner_failure_count: 0,
+        owner_step_done_streak: nextOwnerStepDoneStreak,
+        empty_step_done_streak: nextEmptyStepDoneStreak,
+      },
+    });
+    return;
+  }
+
   if (nextOwnerStepDoneStreak !== (task.owner_step_done_streak ?? 0)) {
     applyPairedTaskPatch({
       taskId,
@@ -377,6 +416,7 @@ export function handleOwnerCompletion(args: {
       updatedAt: now,
       patch: {
         owner_step_done_streak: nextOwnerStepDoneStreak,
+        empty_step_done_streak: nextEmptyStepDoneStreak,
       },
     });
   }
@@ -385,5 +425,9 @@ export function handleOwnerCompletion(args: {
     taskId,
     now,
     logMessage: 'Auto-triggered reviewer after owner completion',
+    patch: {
+      owner_step_done_streak: nextOwnerStepDoneStreak,
+      empty_step_done_streak: nextEmptyStepDoneStreak,
+    },
   });
 }

src/paired-execution-context.test.ts

@@ -866,7 +866,7 @@ describe('paired execution context', () => {
       'task-1',
       expect.objectContaining({
         round_trip_count: 2,
-        owner_step_done_streak: 0,
+        owner_step_done_streak: 1,
         empty_step_done_streak: 0,
       }),
     );
@@ -875,7 +875,7 @@ describe('paired execution context', () => {
     ).toHaveBeenCalledWith('task-1');
   });
 
-  it('requests review instead of arbiter when active STEP_DONE repeats without code changes', () => {
+  it('requests arbiter when active STEP_DONE repeats without code changes', () => {
     vi.spyOn(config, 'isArbiterEnabled').mockReturnValue(true);
 
     const repoDir = createCanonicalRepoWithCommit('active step done loop');
@@ -911,20 +911,15 @@ describe('paired execution context', () => {
     expect(db.updatePairedTask).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       'task-1',
       expect.objectContaining({
-        round_trip_count: 1,
-        owner_step_done_streak: 0,
-        empty_step_done_streak: 0,
+        status: 'arbiter_requested',
+        arbiter_requested_at: expect.any(String),
+        owner_step_done_streak: 3,
+        empty_step_done_streak: 3,
       }),
     );
     expect(
       pairedWorkspaceManager.markPairedTaskReviewReady,
-    ).toHaveBeenCalledWith('task-1');
-    expect(db.updatePairedTask).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      'task-1',
-      expect.objectContaining({
-        status: 'arbiter_requested',
-      }),
-    );
+    ).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
   it('re-triggers review when the owner reports STEP_DONE during finalize', () => {