diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index a668518..dde8e42 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # Contributing
 
-Boatstack is a generated content distribution. Propose changes to workflow semantics, templates, evidence rules, or generated presentation in [Intelligence Flow](https://github.com/operatorstack/intelligence-flow/tree/5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1/labs/12-product-engineering-loop).
+Boatstack is a generated content distribution. Propose changes to workflow semantics, templates, evidence rules, or generated presentation in [Intelligence Flow](https://github.com/operatorstack/intelligence-flow/tree/4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b/labs/12-product-engineering-loop).
 
 The Boatstack repository receives product/runtime changes through a generated pull request. Review the PR's `UPSTREAM.json`, tests, adapter diff, and context-size change; do not hand-edit generated output on `main`. `.github/workflows` is the exception: it is Boatstack's executable control plane, excluded from scheduled projection and changed only through a separate manually reviewed Boatstack PR.
 
diff --git a/UPSTREAM.json b/UPSTREAM.json
index a21eb22..bac2ea2 100644
--- a/UPSTREAM.json
+++ b/UPSTREAM.json
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
   },
   "files": {
     ".gitignore": "a7079e923a776f14f1bb3a6aa0a11a133a8e1dfb35af020f327623357b7e3957",
-    "CONTRIBUTING.md": "16a84cf6a740fe70a920537a534dfb11f00273204d83a9f8f23661dca7d5331d",
+    "CONTRIBUTING.md": "eac65d45c4f20dd219708eeee3f435d37663fbf23e6383cca97b1324e0d0d781",
     "README.md": "3ce3e95e511089b44e946a44b8d5f4f81d019ece5336db65b2cab1f9dc4d4dad",
     "assets/boatstack-journey.svg": "e465befc50c8ce30f3e07e8fd97012931beeb053392c8fbf38ad645023b3cc63",
     "assets/boatstack-mark.svg": "be1f984da1bfa69fa5d1f986d8343d21f7e20921b71db888c928b4d2e54b09b5",
@@ -49,16 +49,18 @@
     "boatstack/command.go": "4726ac515dedab4947be7eb48f88c6cb8b53d674124504b69f03e6396b080ee8",
     "boatstack/command_test.go": "9f707abba3640add81c3e97ba7e72fedbf98f3394b1c060a9ca4b4a28e919968",
     "boatstack/compiled_artifact_resolution_test.go": "0748d67643263e698211eb04d46464e1dd3db15d94537f5fd5092b5aa689745b",
-    "boatstack/config_documentation_test.go": "aaecea04ee178ecf7872fff23a64014a3968dce1e7624e61a9453567e99969a9",
+    "boatstack/config_documentation_test.go": "cb0ab6f13162909a0a0b60bddc0dfb10b3492639b336a4d2eb36e819c25cc3be",
     "boatstack/content_effect_conformance_test.go": "ebf4f6d50af0a76722177c717c79d33921948b9c06bec2e9d062769dce32b8aa",
     "boatstack/context.go": "02510af176d2d040c0080086f06d1235e76a1d47fef5176f96f740ad18d27660",
     "boatstack/decision.go": "257ca328da6ae19ab252f10ee5d06bd7daf49dd8141d083ab1b32f106ea7a94c",
     "boatstack/decision_test.go": "1a92ff832610f9559bd47ccac7fc1755a8b4f8261c35bc72a092830dff05f7c0",
-    "boatstack/delivery.go": "1cbc917eaa7df569f09c71352db157dff743827d5310dccb63acb7be72ccf9d5",
+    "boatstack/delivery.go": "a9a266d0413b25276d9bcfeb8328ac3ca4b3020ada1f97912251f68b4a9b5019",
     "boatstack/delivery_boundary_conformance_test.go": "53dde765046420b9119e82034d137742e600019938ed908c608f725d8a0c84c6",
     "boatstack/delivery_migrate.go": "7566e49f9c1838d4d563866e941c7aacd61ac918c9e886222282398d287ca780",
     "boatstack/delivery_migrate_conformance_test.go": "b8ba53681e1d0361ac62b06586c62b7763d55a65b5427976b5289e1fb1503bdc",
     "boatstack/delivery_reactivation_test.go": "573a2dba0034bc4290478414e3bdd8670b06a326128eb0295d77e748ecc8689e",
+    "boatstack/delivery_terminal.go": "56fd8bec4d2c00ee3757bde5999417e5be763ab83cd7b68d4bccbbdea23af26a",
+    "boatstack/delivery_terminal_conformance_test.go": "50b88bdfb9bdfc9dc50c11f46276e1eb13eed61618e75b4c951dfa2ac6075df0",
     "boatstack/delivery_test.go": "45c48ff7581c911bcaf821c3e4241d4ae2a9bb4aa682485cc58b6ad8fe1c85bf",
     "boatstack/deliverycontrol_parity_test.go": "f8662cfc35043395a0e1eef8a87051c2120752f38b09c56b78f82896008f1b65",
     "boatstack/denial.go": "ce77240edafb2589565ff3821b4e2cf8be3cf5884b1467d606265ca877188d3e",
@@ -71,11 +73,11 @@
     "boatstack/detached_test.go": "6cc70d15baa9a69afacf66ea29ce112efeb166836acb0a52bf9c4bb4c898cee5",
     "boatstack/docs/control-law-scoping.md": "0ae984821248eabda8c0eeaf201b367991e6742984e7c718df20ecc24caee475",
     "boatstack/evidence.go": "497a31e6ff632cb1d7c3adfc9f269af3f6aa84e948dd5d417c162767542a27df",
-    "boatstack/export.go": "ca5c284fc658b112f58145e80b2bbfdd33a72b153a97922e2cf8c3f6e98fefb3",
+    "boatstack/export.go": "12c4e8c3b0692736ead73c613e0410b0ed5f7cb4c6b6a9fcc96e59547f2fe566",
     "boatstack/export_test.go": "dce5aa3ab5499c82d05859cf86b46dfcee308482491366d83e10ca3fb8605bb6",
     "boatstack/flow_coding.go": "9fa53a0204f98a25f97775c3acf37392a591c14ce850b44aa587b5806e770bb9",
     "boatstack/flow_coding_test.go": "dddcd7a85892d4fa10af42739d4c1ff265721b0313e27b6e7a1bbb019d5c3b51",
-    "boatstack/flow_control.go": "43204356017b837148bd1505779611fbe781097839c2944f41a437a4ec755a82",
+    "boatstack/flow_control.go": "193dcae29e0611001b33ea23011beeb921d626562a5c733658c585ebca62b7fe",
     "boatstack/flow_control_test.go": "02d788c83be55ebd79ffc73875bfd019de45325151eb1f70f506980eb8e77f29",
     "boatstack/flow_drive.go": "a501ceda390dfd3605e22cf7ecfa15f9d50240b3fac6ebb2bb2d80c615d0a9fc",
     "boatstack/flow_drive_conformance_test.go": "23edea926c271a1f5718fb9dae1da11e4bf03cceb1357290cd61cd8ffb73beda",
@@ -164,7 +166,7 @@
     "boatstack/reexec_unix.go": "ff86157a9aa20c82a56fcd859b70669b7eacf4e0a9f61a4546ef33808437939e",
     "boatstack/reexec_windows.go": "f5335c8c28cb4e89048b058b1c4d12f78644f99acb4f6167ff60e622dfb9e742",
     "boatstack/references/artifacts.md": "4f27170227ffa2715d632eab4cbdca229726c5fc03c4b0f2af980fa50bb24725",
-    "boatstack/references/config-schema.md": "eff8586850eca9941df1cea29ac7edb779277ed9bd6d938a1980db5028d28cf4",
+    "boatstack/references/config-schema.md": "a6860ec7e1cd155e7e36dc465b8cae79de896714751e1c04dfa68d3f5c4a45e0",
     "boatstack/references/failure-moves.md": "b65ef72035afa6ad0dce589a0b38f84bc40cde3864c9ecf973f08fc687f001c3",
     "boatstack/references/host-hook-contracts.md": "2a89d44d0e418a53f2e3b6300fed957cdf878f45ea97ce24b55b66065f0eaa1d",
     "boatstack/references/irreversible-operation-boundary.md": "e0076f0fea3bf729b2e9bdf353eaeaaf7cdafabfaf26b8d9b27287e5414c2441",
@@ -175,7 +177,7 @@
     "boatstack/repair_state_test.go": "f3779ac47c3db3927175a545728d3b2e020dbc85f41394d8235753b52afc3739",
     "boatstack/run.go": "3127e8c054b80e41413011e423ba9463fe06a7e6c9e1e71750ab98587871d89d",
     "boatstack/run_test.go": "5b291510fa90cefdc26eb89e18a3443385456a6ebc73408325ac1945b7c084d6",
-    "boatstack/runtime.go": "7dc5d033ec11bbcf9a4561da66d4d6692a071bc79ac2fe4eb66feaced358d3c3",
+    "boatstack/runtime.go": "368bb43a0e3042bde2d4bab1b62df560a93f5928384c7c8f5e27e8a836628af4",
     "boatstack/runtime_cache.go": "e026ffc1906f7e1e98b768bae63e6658164d2826c07169c9121ce0f23c73faf8",
     "boatstack/runtime_cache_test.go": "b981467ddc9f0f562da6bff5de7a80a9fe5a433a0317541d1e48df268546ac85",
     "boatstack/runtime_provenance_test.go": "1d52f1e6b0691cf4667729cc9b9f3c55c128f0aa3321f3a2843a9aa6fd0e73dc",
@@ -209,11 +211,11 @@
     "docs/account-recovery-walkthrough.md": "676034974594a7d1a559b24dbed31d7ccc429eb81404b203ca07bbdaa19ec3d3",
     "docs/benchmark-corpus-audit.md": "f2d206fe8579a514f9da82b2c96c19b343ac004be67617e1bd34f0f8e0e5e6c6",
     "docs/benchmark-submission-audit.md": "9518abdd17690729c6423f87cab20418ed47b0915b5faa44b9ef975e9e9c3b79",
-    "docs/configuration.md": "060775c73431f28bd16066bdf9e0f89034d2855c7ca0f5544f660d24b91211d0",
-    "docs/evidence-engineered-coding.md": "f0567d8bb1fdf42d78ca7dac28603042a78e2290487a6fce8518ff16b8307fd2",
+    "docs/configuration.md": "221f979506a3a9de357e5277f1329c345bf175346ec8dfc8fdd1212fb100dea1",
+    "docs/evidence-engineered-coding.md": "223d5b3a75c66eccbaa8d4a0b755bfb873fe0684106004b841e8319653e702ef",
     "docs/generated-files.md": "437791765b0a4015032ae21d1a6618563cad92b7402819e4f963bf5ae16284a3",
     "docs/getting-started.md": "51c2823f21e35140d31e6d5083dc4b89fddd24721ac6acc474154a4da53ee9f8",
-    "docs/public-claims.json": "ff6bba756adaa499998016d2e4986c7fdfe7bc6f5d3ae7531bbc4471a6371a8b",
+    "docs/public-claims.json": "9f640af54667625048eddfbb78dd63a0c055c556affc4c105d186ca164467e2f",
     "docs/public-surface.md": "713f7a050b5f339cf948299103ef3800417dccfecf2cc1a4166397ea6f978907",
     "docs/research-and-design.md": "8d78678108f0a6c924e1ff9b32c0f81aae9d1f779e0082843b6f99ad993ae2b6",
     "docs/safety.md": "7b9b5c515d36e683767ec8d3d9d6d119ac93650b2f629d351deadd4c600ed6a6",
@@ -227,7 +229,7 @@
     "labs/diagram-json/compiled/evidence.md": "1ba1c989ade070a8ef9a508fbd788d100d7292f2dbacbb2bce895468019f619d",
     "labs/diagram-json/compiled/tasks.json": "88f60851abf79d851e9fccc754ff3040034ae595306bc87d64784c19eb403e71",
     "labs/diagram-json/compiled/test-matrix.json": "424657ff505768e50fa113801fd8363364a18269d5297480907a993d44063a39",
-    "labs/diagram-json/plan.lock.json": "73fe60031dd4c5b25b28fbbb29654416359a4040b1d7bf124618aede0e482633",
+    "labs/diagram-json/plan.lock.json": "030278e2649c63a717a744ef91926fef25fc1648cedef91b4d2edafaf9e8d4ce",
     "labs/diagram-json/plan.md": "3cc4f533b8d69386deff16b3a594a3ba09d4c0c3db636cccd8c4380084ce6a51",
     "labs/diagram-json/questions.md": "74733b015002c8a6777c558e7e997fa48c94850b9bd39054fe9366c97ecf728d",
     "labs/diagram-json/request.md": "0808fc41c36779c404f4a3a121167da6e76cac56df526e70f9ed6d3e0d4c02ed",
@@ -356,6 +358,7 @@
     "release-notes/2026-07-27-repeated-denials-escalate.md": "ee54b597e593ce74d8d9acbc67c74d2d8cb972ff206f618e08a047d4d962d7af",
     "release-notes/2026-07-27-sandboxed-migration-grading.md": "03cebc372bbdfed37cc70d18f3b6374d1aa5e585bafefa073dbcced58bd0336a",
     "release-notes/2026-07-27-state-ownership-map.md": "d032547aafc1a4acbeb520f6cbb59d7757de4f33fe824701d7b5ea8cd8c8b9e7",
+    "release-notes/2026-07-28-configurable-delivery-terminal.md": "54f42d8ee04f16429f7f6db484c12247a75dd365d9028ec6c24b2efb92f9e700",
     "release-notes/2026-07-28-flow-frontier-dashboard.md": "9a768e0fd67f122bc0aef99899314f0a8530189164fb560b536ee03f20e29081",
     "release-notes/2026-07-28-flow-watch-loop.md": "54833887e733c65626c3bb7f0e6430eca8028f0fe19aa2cd31cdbdcc6ff4d8ba",
     "release-notes/2026-07-28-minimum-app-permissions.md": "9ef97e32e5591966ef34ba23f4e0a7aa14d061a4ac5f72f5f4dcecc9bfb62a89",
@@ -367,7 +370,7 @@
   "generator": "operatorstack/intelligence-flow:boatstack-distribution",
   "schema_version": 1,
   "source": {
-    "commit": "5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1",
+    "commit": "4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b",
     "path": "labs/12-product-engineering-loop",
     "repository": "operatorstack/intelligence-flow"
   }
diff --git a/boatstack/config_documentation_test.go b/boatstack/config_documentation_test.go
index 3ea7db1..322b185 100644
--- a/boatstack/config_documentation_test.go
+++ b/boatstack/config_documentation_test.go
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ func TestSerializedConfigurationSurfaceIsDocumentedInternally(t *testing.T) {
 func TestPublicConfigurationGuideContainsOnlySupportedUserControls(t *testing.T) {
 	want := []string{
 		"adapters",
+		"delivery.terminal",
 		"project.commands",
 		"project.context",
 		"project.default_branch",
diff --git a/boatstack/delivery.go b/boatstack/delivery.go
index c802778..dde618d 100644
--- a/boatstack/delivery.go
+++ b/boatstack/delivery.go
@@ -66,6 +66,13 @@ type DeliveryState struct {
 	RepairAttempt       int             `json:"repair_attempt,omitempty"`
 	SupersededReceipts  []string        `json:"superseded_receipts,omitempty"`
 	ParentDelivery      string          `json:"parent_delivery,omitempty"`
+	// Goal snapshots the non-default delivery terminal ("merged") this
+	// delivery was activated under, so a mid-flight config change never
+	// silently changes an in-progress delivery's goal. Empty means: resolve
+	// from config at read time (and keeps a default-config state file
+	// byte-identical to the pre-field format).
+	// control-law: terminal-goal-defaults-to-published-and-hydrates-from-state-then-config
+	Goal string `json:"goal,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type DeliveryGateReceipt struct {
@@ -377,6 +384,7 @@ func initializeDeliveryState(repo, feature, planPath, lockPath string) error {
 		SchemaVersion: deliveryStateSchemaVersion, Feature: feature, PlanLockHash: lockHash,
 		ActiveIndex: 0, Slices: slices, Mode: "NORMAL",
 		ParentDelivery: strings.TrimSpace(stringValue(plan["parent_delivery"])),
+		Goal:           deliveryGoalSnapshot(repo),
 	})
 }
 
@@ -485,6 +493,7 @@ func reconcileAmendedDeliveryState(existing DeliveryState, newSlices []DeliveryS
 		Slices:            merged,
 		Mode:              "NORMAL",
 		ParentDelivery:    existing.ParentDelivery,
+		Goal:              existing.Goal,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/boatstack/delivery_terminal.go b/boatstack/delivery_terminal.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7fb2ac3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/boatstack/delivery_terminal.go
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+package boatstack
+
+import "strings"
+
+// The delivery terminal is the standing goal of the flow — the state past
+// which nothing more is owed. It resolves in a fixed order: the goal the
+// delivery was ACTIVATED under (state.Goal — hysteresis, so a mid-flight
+// config change never silently changes an in-progress delivery's goal), then
+// the repository config (delivery.terminal), then the published default.
+// Every unreadable or invalid input resolves to the narrower published goal:
+// a goal is widened only by an explicit, verifiable operator choice.
+// control-law: terminal-goal-defaults-to-published-and-hydrates-from-state-then-config
+type DeliveryTerminal string
+
+const (
+	// TerminalPublished — the flow is done when the slice's PR is open.
+	TerminalPublished DeliveryTerminal = "published"
+	// TerminalMerged — the flow keeps naming read-only post-publish steps
+	// until the PR is observed merged.
+	TerminalMerged DeliveryTerminal = "merged"
+)
+
+func normalizeDeliveryTerminal(value string) (DeliveryTerminal, bool) {
+	switch strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(value)) {
+	case string(TerminalPublished):
+		return TerminalPublished, true
+	case string(TerminalMerged):
+		return TerminalMerged, true
+	default:
+		return "", false
+	}
+}
+
+// configuredDeliveryTerminal reads the repository's standing terminal from
+// the project config. Absent, invalid, or unreadable configuration resolves
+// to published — never an error, because the terminal is consulted from
+// read-only paths that must not gain a new failure mode.
+func configuredDeliveryTerminal(repo string) DeliveryTerminal {
+	config, _, err := LoadConfig(WorkspaceFor(repo).ProjectConfigPath())
+	if err != nil || config.Delivery == nil {
+		return TerminalPublished
+	}
+	if terminal, ok := normalizeDeliveryTerminal(config.Delivery.Terminal); ok {
+		return terminal
+	}
+	return TerminalPublished
+}
+
+// resolveDeliveryTerminal resolves the terminal for one feature: the
+// activation snapshot first, then config, then the default.
+func resolveDeliveryTerminal(repo, feature string) DeliveryTerminal {
+	if strings.TrimSpace(feature) != "" {
+		if state, err := LoadDeliveryState(repo, feature); err == nil {
+			if terminal, ok := normalizeDeliveryTerminal(state.Goal); ok {
+				return terminal
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return configuredDeliveryTerminal(repo)
+}
+
+// deliveryGoalSnapshot is what activation records on the new delivery state.
+// Only the non-default goal is snapshotted: a default-config delivery keeps
+// an empty Goal, so its persisted state is byte-identical to before this
+// field existed.
+func deliveryGoalSnapshot(repo string) string {
+	if configuredDeliveryTerminal(repo) == TerminalMerged {
+		return string(TerminalMerged)
+	}
+	return ""
+}
diff --git a/boatstack/delivery_terminal_conformance_test.go b/boatstack/delivery_terminal_conformance_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..49a7f0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/boatstack/delivery_terminal_conformance_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+package boatstack
+
+// control-law: terminal-goal-defaults-to-published-and-hydrates-from-state-then-config
+//
+// The delivery terminal — the standing goal of the flow — resolves in a fixed
+// order: the goal the delivery was ACTIVATED under (state.Goal), then the
+// repository config (delivery.terminal), then the published default. The
+// default is a hard no-op: with no delivery block (or an explicit
+// "published"), every advisory output is identical to the pre-field
+// behavior, because a goal this standing is widened only by an explicit
+// operator choice, never by an upgrade. Invalid and unreadable inputs
+// resolve to the NARROWER published goal (fail-closed direction: the wider
+// goal implies more agent-owned steps).
+//
+// Test classes: positive (config merged → Terminal merged; activation
+// snapshots the non-default goal), relation (state.Goal overrides config both
+// ways — hysteresis), negative (invalid config value fails validation;
+// invalid state.Goal is ignored), bypass (default vs explicit published →
+// byte-identical rendering and JSON across the slice lifecycle), failure-state
+// (a pre-field state file without goal loads clean and resolves from config).
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func writeTerminalConfig(t *testing.T, repo, terminal string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	config := testConfig()
+	if terminal != "" {
+		config.Delivery = &DeliveryPolicy{Terminal: terminal}
+	}
+	value, err := MarshalJSON(config)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(repo, ".product-loop", "project.json"), value, 0o644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
+
+// Positive: the configured terminal surfaces on the advisory, and only the
+// widened goal earns a rendered line.
+func TestConfiguredTerminalSurfacesOnAdvisory(t *testing.T) {
+	repo := nextTestRepo(t)
+	writeNextDelivery(t, repo, "feature", "BUILD", 0)
+	writeTerminalConfig(t, repo, "merged")
+
+	next, err := NextControl(repo, "feature")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if next.Terminal != TerminalMerged {
+		t.Fatalf("terminal = %q, want merged", next.Terminal)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(FormatFlowNext(next), "Terminal goal: merged") {
+		t.Fatal("widened goal must be visible in the rendering")
+	}
+}
+
+// Relation: the activation snapshot outranks config in BOTH directions — a
+// delivery keeps the goal it was started under when config flips mid-flight.
+func TestActivationSnapshotOverridesConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	repo := nextTestRepo(t)
+	writeNextDelivery(t, repo, "feature", "BUILD", 0)
+
+	// Delivery activated under merged; config later narrowed to published.
+	state, err := LoadDeliveryState(repo, "feature")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	state.Goal = string(TerminalMerged)
+	if err := saveDeliveryState(repo, state); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	writeTerminalConfig(t, repo, "published")
+	if got := resolveDeliveryTerminal(repo, "feature"); got != TerminalMerged {
+		t.Fatalf("mid-flight narrowing changed the goal: %q", got)
+	}
+
+	// Delivery activated under the default; config later widened to merged.
+	// The empty snapshot means "resolve from config", so the widening applies.
+	state.Goal = ""
+	if err := saveDeliveryState(repo, state); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	writeTerminalConfig(t, repo, "merged")
+	if got := resolveDeliveryTerminal(repo, "feature"); got != TerminalMerged {
+		t.Fatalf("config terminal not hydrated: %q", got)
+	}
+
+	// An invalid snapshot value is ignored, never trusted.
+	state.Goal = "deployed"
+	if err := saveDeliveryState(repo, state); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	writeTerminalConfig(t, repo, "")
+	if got := resolveDeliveryTerminal(repo, "feature"); got != TerminalPublished {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid snapshot must resolve to published: %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// Positive: first activation snapshots the non-default goal onto the new
+// delivery state; the default snapshots nothing (byte-stable state files).
+func TestActivationSnapshotsNonDefaultGoalOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, test := range []struct {
+		terminal string
+		wantGoal string
+	}{
+		{"merged", "merged"},
+		{"published", ""},
+		{"", ""},
+	} {
+		repo := nextTestRepo(t)
+		writeTerminalConfig(t, repo, test.terminal)
+		if got := deliveryGoalSnapshot(repo); got != test.wantGoal {
+			t.Fatalf("terminal %q: snapshot = %q, want %q", test.terminal, got, test.wantGoal)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// Negative: an explicit invalid enum fails config validation fail-closed.
+func TestInvalidTerminalRejectedByValidation(t *testing.T) {
+	config := testConfig()
+	config.Delivery = &DeliveryPolicy{Terminal: "deployed"}
+	if err := ValidateConfig(config); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "delivery.terminal") {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid terminal accepted: %v", err)
+	}
+	config.Delivery = &DeliveryPolicy{}
+	if err := ValidateConfig(config); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("empty terminal must stay legal: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// Bypass: the default is a hard no-op — for every slice-lifecycle stage, the
+// advisory under an absent delivery block is byte-identical (JSON and
+// rendering) to an explicit published terminal, and carries no merged
+// wording anywhere.
+func TestDefaultTerminalIsByteIdenticalToExplicitPublished(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, stage := range []string{"BUILD", "TEST_PASSED", "REVIEW_PASSED", "PUBLISHED"} {
+		capture := func(terminal string) (string, string) {
+			repo := nextTestRepo(t)
+			activeIndex := 0
+			if stage == "PUBLISHED" {
+				activeIndex = 1
+			}
+			writeNextDelivery(t, repo, "feature", stage, activeIndex)
+			writeTerminalConfig(t, repo, terminal)
+			if stage == "PUBLISHED" {
+				updateRecoveryDelivery(t, repo, "feature", "feat/phase", "https://example.invalid/pr/9", "")
+				withRecoveryGh(t, phaseObservationPayload("OPEN", "", "CLEAN", rollupCheckRunPass))
+			}
+			next, err := NextControl(repo, "feature")
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			// The repo path differs per fixture; blank it out of the compared
+			// values so only behavior is compared. JSON escapes Windows path
+			// separators, so the escaped form must be blanked too.
+			value, err := MarshalJSON(next)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			escaped, err := json.Marshal(repo)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err)
+			}
+			blank := func(s string) string {
+				s = strings.ReplaceAll(s, strings.Trim(string(escaped), `"`), "<repo>")
+				return strings.ReplaceAll(s, repo, "<repo>")
+			}
+			return blank(string(value)), blank(FormatFlowNext(next))
+		}
+		defaultJSON, defaultText := capture("")
+		publishedJSON, publishedText := capture("published")
+		if defaultJSON != publishedJSON {
+			t.Fatalf("stage %s: default and explicit published diverge:\n%s\n---\n%s", stage, defaultJSON, publishedJSON)
+		}
+		if defaultText != publishedText {
+			t.Fatalf("stage %s: rendering diverges:\n%s\n---\n%s", stage, defaultText, publishedText)
+		}
+		if strings.Contains(defaultText, "merged (delivery.terminal)") {
+			t.Fatalf("stage %s: default rendering mentions the widened goal:\n%s", stage, defaultText)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// Failure-state: a pre-field state file (no goal key) loads clean and
+// resolves from config — the migration law is untouched by the additive
+// field.
+func TestPreFieldStateResolvesFromConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	repo := nextTestRepo(t)
+	writeNextDelivery(t, repo, "feature", "BUILD", 0)
+	statePath, err := deliveryStatePath(repo, "feature")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	raw, err := os.ReadFile(statePath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(string(raw), "\"goal\"") {
+		t.Fatal("fixture unexpectedly contains a goal key")
+	}
+	writeTerminalConfig(t, repo, "merged")
+	if got := resolveDeliveryTerminal(repo, "feature"); got != TerminalMerged {
+		t.Fatalf("pre-field state did not hydrate from config: %q", got)
+	}
+	if _, err := LoadDeliveryState(repo, "feature"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("pre-field state failed to load: %v", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/boatstack/export.go b/boatstack/export.go
index e9ebdfa..d3a7baa 100644
--- a/boatstack/export.go
+++ b/boatstack/export.go
@@ -128,6 +128,9 @@ func ValidateConfig(config ProjectConfig) error {
 	if err := validateWorkspaceConfig(config.Workspace); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if err := validateDeliveryConfig(config.Delivery); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	if policy := strings.TrimSpace(config.Workflow.PRVisualEvidence); policy != "" && policy != "off" && policy != "suggest" && policy != "require" {
 		return fmt.Errorf("workflow.pr_visual_evidence must be \"off\", \"suggest\", or \"require\"")
 	}
@@ -137,6 +140,18 @@ func ValidateConfig(config ProjectConfig) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+// validateDeliveryConfig rejects only explicit invalid enum values. A nil
+// block or empty terminal resolves to the published default at use.
+func validateDeliveryConfig(delivery *DeliveryPolicy) error {
+	if delivery == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if terminal := delivery.Terminal; terminal != "" && terminal != "published" && terminal != "merged" {
+		return fmt.Errorf("delivery.terminal must be \"published\" or \"merged\"")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // validateVisualEvidencePublish rejects only explicit invalid enum values. A nil
 // block or empty fields are legal and resolve to defaults at use, so configs written
 // before this block existed remain valid.
diff --git a/boatstack/flow_control.go b/boatstack/flow_control.go
index 6d39eaf..887e63b 100644
--- a/boatstack/flow_control.go
+++ b/boatstack/flow_control.go
@@ -173,9 +173,17 @@ func classifyNextActor(status NextStatus, next FlowNext) NextActor {
 // authority. Resolved is false when the oracle cannot place the flow, in which
 // case only the real recommendation is meaningful.
 type FlowNext struct {
-	Resolved      bool                         `json:"resolved"`
-	State         deliverycontrol.StateID      `json:"state,omitempty"`
-	Goal          deliverycontrol.StateID      `json:"goal"`
+	Resolved bool                    `json:"resolved"`
+	State    deliverycontrol.StateID `json:"state,omitempty"`
+	Goal     deliverycontrol.StateID `json:"goal"`
+	// Terminal is the standing goal of this delivery ("published" or
+	// "merged"), resolved state-then-config-then-default. Goal above remains
+	// the ORACLE's sink (always StatePublished — the delivery machine has no
+	// modeled transition past it); Terminal is the operator-facing setpoint
+	// that decides whether anything is still owed after publish. In this
+	// slice it is surfaced only; post-publish prescriptions follow.
+	// control-law: terminal-goal-defaults-to-published-and-hydrates-from-state-then-config
+	Terminal DeliveryTerminal `json:"terminal"`
 	RecommendedOp string                       `json:"recommended_operation"`
 	OracleNext    deliverycontrol.TransitionID `json:"oracle_next_transition,omitempty"`
 	RemainingCost int                          `json:"remaining_flow_cost"`
@@ -432,6 +440,7 @@ func NextControl(repo, feature string) (FlowNext, error) {
 func nextControlFromStatus(repo string, status NextStatus) (FlowNext, error) {
 	out := FlowNext{
 		Goal:          flowGoal,
+		Terminal:      resolveDeliveryTerminal(repo, status.Feature),
 		RecommendedOp: status.NextOperation,
 		Reason:        status.Reason,
 	}
@@ -493,6 +502,11 @@ func FormatFlowNext(next FlowNext) string {
 	if next.Actor != "" {
 		fmt.Fprintf(&b, "Next actor: %s\n", next.Actor)
 	}
+	// The published default renders exactly as before; only the widened goal
+	// earns a line, so opting in is visible and not opting in changes nothing.
+	if next.Terminal == TerminalMerged {
+		fmt.Fprintf(&b, "Terminal goal: merged (delivery.terminal)\n")
+	}
 	if next.Resolved {
 		fmt.Fprintf(&b, "Flow state: %s -> goal %s\n", next.State, next.Goal)
 		fmt.Fprintf(&b, "Advisory (flow oracle): next %s, remaining cost %d\n", next.OracleNext, next.RemainingCost)
diff --git a/boatstack/references/config-schema.md b/boatstack/references/config-schema.md
index 0b4d214..2d29ce7 100644
--- a/boatstack/references/config-schema.md
+++ b/boatstack/references/config-schema.md
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ boatstack-config-field:workflow.visual_evidence_publish.mode
 boatstack-config-field:workflow.visual_evidence_publish.host
 boatstack-config-field:workflow.visual_evidence_publish.expiry
 boatstack-config-field:workflow.ignored_deliveries
+boatstack-config-field:delivery
+boatstack-config-field:delivery.terminal
 boatstack-config-field:workspace
 boatstack-config-field:workspace.enabled
 boatstack-config-field:workspace.mode
@@ -53,6 +55,7 @@ This is the exhaustive serialization contract, not a list of recommended user ed
 - `project` (object, required): General project definition.
 - `workflow` (object, required): Flags controlling state machine transitions and safety gates.
 - `workspace` (object, optional): Opt-in per-feature branch or worktree management.
+- `delivery` (object, optional): The standing goal of the delivery flow.
 - `adapters` (array of strings, optional): Enabled host environment adapters. If empty, defaults to enabling all.
 - `integrations` (object, optional): Installer-owned state for third-party integrations.
 
@@ -91,6 +94,10 @@ This is the exhaustive serialization contract, not a list of recommended user ed
 - `cleanup_after` (string, optional): `merge` or `ship`. Defaults to `merge`.
 - `reap` (string, optional): `confirm`, `auto`, or `off`. Defaults to `confirm`. Governs the post-merge sweep that reclaims all terminal (merged or abandoned) Boatstack workspaces at once. `confirm` prompts the operator once when reclaimable workspaces exist; `auto` reclaims them without prompting; `off` disables the sweep and its prompt.
 
+### delivery Fields
+
+- `terminal` (string, optional): `published` or `merged`. Defaults to `published`. Deterministic goal control: the state a delivery pursues before the flow reports nothing left to do. `published` ends the flow when the slice's pull request is open (the prior behavior, unchanged). `merged` keeps the read-only flow advisors naming post-publish steps until the pull request is observed merged. The goal a delivery is activated under is snapshotted on its state, so changing this value mid-flight never changes an in-progress delivery's goal; every invalid or unreadable value resolves to `published`.
+
 ### adapters Values
 
 Supported values are `cursor`, `claude`, `codex`, `gemini`, and `github`. An empty or omitted array enables all supported adapters.
diff --git a/boatstack/runtime.go b/boatstack/runtime.go
index da16dde..f3a839d 100644
--- a/boatstack/runtime.go
+++ b/boatstack/runtime.go
@@ -34,10 +34,23 @@ type ProjectConfig struct {
 	Project       Project                     `json:"project"`
 	Workflow      Workflow                    `json:"workflow"`
 	Workspace     Workspace                   `json:"workspace,omitempty"`
+	Delivery      *DeliveryPolicy             `json:"delivery,omitempty"`
 	Adapters      []string                    `json:"adapters"`
 	Integrations  map[string]IntegrationState `json:"integrations,omitempty"`
 }
 
+// DeliveryPolicy declares the standing goal of the delivery flow. Terminal
+// names the state a delivery pursues before the flow reports "nothing left to
+// do": "published" (default — the flow ends when the slice's PR is open) or
+// "merged" (the flow keeps naming read-only post-publish steps until the PR
+// is observed merged). The nil zero value preserves the prior behavior
+// exactly: a goal this standing is widened only by an explicit operator
+// choice, never by an upgrade.
+// control-law: terminal-goal-defaults-to-published-and-hydrates-from-state-then-config
+type DeliveryPolicy struct {
+	Terminal string `json:"terminal,omitempty"` // "" | "published" | "merged"
+}
+
 type Project struct {
 	Name          string            `json:"name"`
 	DefaultBranch string            `json:"default_branch,omitempty"`
diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index dd4f4d1..1b12b04 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ boatstack-user-config-field:workflow.visual_evidence_publish.mode
 boatstack-user-config-field:workflow.visual_evidence_publish.host
 boatstack-user-config-field:workflow.visual_evidence_publish.expiry
 boatstack-user-config-field:workflow.ignored_deliveries
+boatstack-user-config-field:delivery.terminal
 boatstack-user-config-field:workspace.enabled
 boatstack-user-config-field:workspace.mode
 boatstack-user-config-field:workspace.cleanup
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ Boatstack's installer owns the complete `.boatstack-project.json` shape. Edit on
 | Add frontend PR screenshots | `workflow.pr_visual_evidence` | `suggest` exposes missing screenshots as a gap; `require` blocks completed publication. |
 | Render screenshots inline on a private PR | `workflow.visual_evidence_publish.*` | `mode: external-host` uploads the captured PNGs to an anonymous expiring host so the comment renders inline even on a private repo; opt-in, never automatic. |
 | Ignore old ambiguous deliveries | `workflow.ignored_deliveries` | Listed feature slugs are excluded from delivery-ambiguity resolution so past work stops blocking new work; new, unlisted ambiguous deliveries still pause. |
+| Pursue the PR to merge, not just to open | `delivery.terminal` | `merged` keeps the read-only flow advisors naming post-publish steps (watch checks, route corrections) until the PR is observed merged; the default `published` ends the flow when the PR is open, exactly as before. |
 | Use fresh feature workspaces | `workspace.*` | Boatstack creates and cleans branches or linked worktrees under the selected policy. |
 | Limit generated host surfaces | `adapters` | Export generates only the selected supported adapters. |
 
@@ -143,6 +145,18 @@ List feature slugs here to drop past deliveries from the ambiguity check so hist
 
 Workspace `mode` is `worktree` or `branch`; cleanup is `confirm`, `auto`, or `off`; and cleanup eligibility begins after `merge` or `ship`. `reap` is `confirm`, `auto`, or `off`: when a delivery's PR is confirmed merged, Boatstack sweeps every terminal (merged or abandoned) Boatstack workspace at once — `confirm` asks the operator once before reclaiming them, `auto` reclaims without asking, and `off` disables the sweep. Supported adapters are `cursor`, `claude`, `codex`, `gemini`, and `github`. Empty or omitted adapters enable all supported surfaces.
 
+## Delivery goal
+
+```json
+{
+  "delivery": {
+    "terminal": "merged"
+  }
+}
+```
+
+`delivery.terminal` names the state a delivery pursues before the flow reports nothing left to do. The default `published` ends the flow when the slice's pull request is open, exactly as before. `merged` keeps the read-only flow advisors (`next-status`, `flow next`, `flow frontier`, `flow watch`) naming post-publish steps — watch the checks, route a correction, surface merge eligibility — until the pull request is observed merged. The goal a delivery starts under is snapshotted with the delivery, so changing this value never changes an in-progress delivery's goal. Boatstack itself never merges a pull request under any setting.
+
 ## Installer-owned fields
 
 The installer maintains `schema_version`, `project.name`, and integration records. Select gstack or Spec Kit through installation and update flows. Their `requested`, `status`, `version`, and `detail` values are receipts and provenance, not hand-edited workflow switches.
diff --git a/docs/evidence-engineered-coding.md b/docs/evidence-engineered-coding.md
index 964e22e..9727366 100644
--- a/docs/evidence-engineered-coding.md
+++ b/docs/evidence-engineered-coding.md
@@ -146,6 +146,6 @@ Delivery and system improvement also remain separate. A failed task may suggest
 
 ## What is evidence-backed
 
-The current moves were derived from the Intelligence Flow benchmark corpus and product-repository studies. The generated source commit is [`5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1`](https://github.com/operatorstack/intelligence-flow/tree/5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1/labs/12-product-engineering-loop).
+The current moves were derived from the Intelligence Flow benchmark corpus and product-repository studies. The generated source commit is [`4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b`](https://github.com/operatorstack/intelligence-flow/tree/4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b/labs/12-product-engineering-loop).
 
 The evidence supports specific failure mechanisms and guardrails. It does not establish that Boatstack is optimal, that control-theory notation proves software quality, or that one workflow dominates every team. Those are evaluation questions, so the distribution preserves measurements, provenance, gaps, and negative results.
diff --git a/docs/public-claims.json b/docs/public-claims.json
index 25100e3..d386e40 100644
--- a/docs/public-claims.json
+++ b/docs/public-claims.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "schema_version": 1,
-  "source_commit": "5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1",
+  "source_commit": "4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b",
   "statuses": ["verified", "observed", "still_being_evaluated"],
   "claims": [
     {
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
       "readable_evidence": "why-these-steps.md#portable-workflow-and-state",
       "implementation": ["../boatstack/export.go", "../boatstack/references/artifacts.md", "../boatstack/references/workflow.md"],
       "verification": ["../boatstack/export_test.go"],
-      "last_verified_version": "source:5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1"
+      "last_verified_version": "source:4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b"
     },
     {
       "id": "human-decisions",
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
       "readable_evidence": "why-these-steps.md#human-decisions",
       "implementation": ["../boatstack/references/workflow.md", "../boatstack/plan.go"],
       "verification": ["../boatstack/plan_test.go", "../boatstack/planning_test.go"],
-      "last_verified_version": "source:5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1"
+      "last_verified_version": "source:4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b"
     },
     {
       "id": "validation-provenance",
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
       "readable_evidence": "why-these-steps.md#validation-provenance",
       "implementation": ["validation-and-evidence.md", "../boatstack/plan.go"],
       "verification": ["../boatstack/plan_test.go"],
-      "last_verified_version": "source:5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1"
+      "last_verified_version": "source:4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b"
     },
     {
       "id": "irreversible-operations",
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
       "readable_evidence": "why-these-steps.md#irreversible-operations",
       "implementation": ["safety.md", "../boatstack/safety.go", "../boatstack/hooks.go"],
       "verification": ["../boatstack/safety_test.go", "../boatstack/hooks_test.go"],
-      "last_verified_version": "source:5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1"
+      "last_verified_version": "source:4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b"
     },
     {
       "id": "reviewer-ready-pr",
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
       "readable_evidence": "why-these-steps.md#reviewer-ready-pr",
       "implementation": ["../boatstack/pr.go", "getting-started.md"],
       "verification": ["../boatstack/pr_test.go"],
-      "last_verified_version": "source:5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1"
+      "last_verified_version": "source:4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b"
     },
     {
       "id": "phase-scoped-delivery",
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
       "readable_evidence": "why-these-steps.md#phase-scoped-delivery",
       "implementation": ["../boatstack/delivery.go", "../boatstack/safety.go", "../boatstack/hooks.go", "../boatstack/references/workflow.md"],
       "verification": ["../boatstack/delivery_test.go", "../boatstack/pr_test.go"],
-      "last_verified_version": "source:5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1"
+      "last_verified_version": "source:4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b"
     },
     {
       "id": "model-neutral-contract",
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
       "readable_evidence": "why-these-steps.md#model-choice-and-budget",
       "implementation": ["research-and-design.md", "../boatstack/references/workflow.md"],
       "verification": ["../boatstack/export_test.go", "../boatstack/planning_test.go"],
-      "last_verified_version": "source:5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1"
+      "last_verified_version": "source:4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b"
     },
     {
       "id": "cross-model-failures",
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
       "readable_evidence": "why-these-steps.md#model-choice-and-budget",
       "implementation": ["research-and-design.md"],
       "verification": ["benchmark-corpus-audit.md", "benchmark-submission-audit.md"],
-      "last_verified_version": "source:5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1"
+      "last_verified_version": "source:4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b"
     },
     {
       "id": "lower-cost-outcomes",
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@
       "readable_evidence": "why-these-steps.md#model-choice-and-budget",
       "implementation": ["research-and-design.md"],
       "verification": ["benchmark-corpus-audit.md", "benchmark-submission-audit.md"],
-      "last_verified_version": "source:5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1"
+      "last_verified_version": "source:4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b"
     },
     {
       "id": "git-worktree-activation",
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@
       "readable_evidence": "why-these-steps.md#git-worktree-activation",
       "implementation": ["../boatstack/runtime_cache.go", "../boatstack/hooks.go"],
       "verification": ["../boatstack/runtime_cache_test.go", "../boatstack/hooks_test.go"],
-      "last_verified_version": "source:5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1"
+      "last_verified_version": "source:4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b"
     },
     {
       "id": "visible-updates",
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@
       "readable_evidence": "why-these-steps.md#visible-updates",
       "implementation": ["../boatstack/update.go", "../boatstack/init.go"],
       "verification": ["../boatstack/update_test.go", "../boatstack/init_test.go", "../boatstack/export_test.go"],
-      "last_verified_version": "source:5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1"
+      "last_verified_version": "source:4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b"
     }
   ]
 }
diff --git a/labs/diagram-json/plan.lock.json b/labs/diagram-json/plan.lock.json
index 92f2cd4..ea240b6 100644
--- a/labs/diagram-json/plan.lock.json
+++ b/labs/diagram-json/plan.lock.json
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
   "plan_path": "labs/diagram-json/plan.md",
   "plan_sha256": "3cc4f533b8d69386deff16b3a594a3ba09d4c0c3db636cccd8c4380084ce6a51",
   "schema_version": 1,
-  "source_commit": "5850912e0d947f9fbee5048d9ed6a79a5d614ff1",
+  "source_commit": "4db21095ddbad477daa4a04cd4d0827d9ba2fb8b",
   "source_plan_path": "labs/diagram-json/source-plan.md",
   "source_plan_sha256": "e10593ddaa7522ab80cc991d0a09399257139799e37f737794cd49d68a39985b",
   "spec_path": "labs/diagram-json/spec.md",
diff --git a/release-notes/2026-07-28-configurable-delivery-terminal.md b/release-notes/2026-07-28-configurable-delivery-terminal.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6970713
--- /dev/null
+++ b/release-notes/2026-07-28-configurable-delivery-terminal.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+### You can now tell Boatstack the goal is a merged PR, not just an open one
+
+A new `delivery.terminal` setting names the state a delivery pursues before the flow reports nothing left to do. The default, `published`, keeps today's behavior exactly: the flow ends when your pull request is open. Setting `merged` tells the read-only flow advisors to keep reporting the standing goal until the pull request is observed merged; the prescribed post-publish steps arrive in the next update.
+
+The goal a delivery starts under is saved with that delivery, so changing the setting mid-flight never silently changes an in-progress delivery's goal, and a fresh session hydrates the goal from your repository instead of you restating it. Invalid or unreadable values always resolve to the narrower `published` goal, and Boatstack itself never merges a pull request under any setting.