operatorstack · operator-stack-publisher · Jul 18, 2026 · Jul 18, 2026
diff --git 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/697ce2f7d98eb3bfb249b33d3556efbd7e9365b1/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/bbed9588e74016250e3cf8968e70bdd375afb863/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/README.md b/README.md
@@ -58,12 +58,24 @@ In Claude Code and Cursor, that guidance moves through `/plan-gate` → `/build`
   <img src="assets/boatstack-journey.svg" width="960" alt="One feature moves from idea through planning, approval, building, tests, review, and pull request; its retained plans, decisions, gaps, evidence, and code state combine with the next idea to create the next plan">
 </p>
 
+## Change course without losing the delivery
+
+After Build, describe changes normally. Boatstack records them, preserves valid work, and resumes at the earliest boundary.
+
+```text
+“This is wrong” → record → repair → test → review
+                         ↘ changed intent → approve delta
+```
+
+Receipts remain as history; published corrections become linked deliveries.
+
 ## Features
 
 - **A guided path from idea to PR.** Start with `/auto-plan`; Boatstack presents one next action at a time through planning, approval, build, validation, review, and PR preparation.
 - **Human decisions stay human.** Material product questions remain open until a person answers them, and implementation waits for explicit approval.
 - **Evidence tied to the promise.** Tests and checks map to the outcomes the change claims to deliver instead of treating one green command as proof of everything.
 - **Context that survives the feature.** Plans, decisions, accepted gaps, evidence, review findings, and code state can inform the next feature rather than disappearing with the chat.
+- **Conversational repair after Build.** Describe what changed; Boatstack preserves valid work and reruns only affected boundaries.
 - **Safer agent execution.** High-confidence destructive recovery is stopped before execution; phased work is gated and published one approved delivery slice at a time.
 - **Reviewer-ready pull requests.** Boatstack carries the reason, actual changes, validation, risks, gaps, rollout, and rollback into a focused PR brief.
 - **Portable across your AI stack.** Cursor, Codex, Claude Code, different model tiers, and specialist skills use the same repository-owned delivery contract.

diff --git a/UPSTREAM.json b/UPSTREAM.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "canonical_context": {
-    "characters": 38485,
-    "estimated_tokens": 9622,
+    "characters": 39803,
+    "estimated_tokens": 9951,
     "estimator": "ceil(total characters / 4); compactness signal, not provider billing",
     "files": [
       "product-engineering-loop/references/workflow.md",
@@ -12,12 +12,12 @@
   },
   "files": {
     ".gitignore": "a7079e923a776f14f1bb3a6aa0a11a133a8e1dfb35af020f327623357b7e3957",
-    "CONTRIBUTING.md": "ca94e9856aab321b125ddeb9f9845c9a26f957585ba46e5547525875b34aa64b",
-    "README.md": "d52c9be1a91165e3bb22318e3014278eb5326d10a45da6311f677d704e5c086d",
+    "CONTRIBUTING.md": "6c29c112507af7f6661d7d3485da1f7974462b85f54b1075a014fdb5b9a4e546",
+    "README.md": "7d1473b75566901899b49a9f98cd5446ac40d2fceee3f168c5e6869c742e0b4a",
     "assets/boatstack-journey.svg": "c1f7fe2741f5e9ca66bb3fe9b103e6364ba5acbca8b7a8054768ffd85cf325ea",
     "assets/boatstack-mark.svg": "ec96165583b15cfd446c27049d49217973f3e9b1defa5771cc08eec0c9542ce4",
     "assets/boatstack-portability.svg": "ce648f5581d16586d25824d3a8132ef1b3d88b73329179173120129d4f74fd24",
-    "boatstack/SKILL.md": "3fde100e855b968cfca3bfebf324955a6440a1b7a14b1bd2ec21ad8e4b9613d8",
+    "boatstack/SKILL.md": "9443685e255a59de2f5e58928051b4f7385f7401831300b78376d48e41024ba1",
     "boatstack/agents/openai.yaml": "68a30a60859556c5a26e16d184594ca243a6043d99c8cf7d66b5dd6d50a93cd1",
     "boatstack/assets/templates/adr.md": "c577a3c1c1319061f61deb053597e6e853657022185fe28b8f733327e2a78565",
     "boatstack/assets/templates/approval.md": "74b0b816703a6dce3c96c8f95f981af910b020b6908e7f76cf5630778637e9f5",
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@
     "boatstack/assets/templates/test-plan.md": "6db8a9f27dd171fb80222a501cae50eb051e7278c04703fa43b5ff86dd4d2df4",
     "boatstack/atomic_unix.go": "89f2723361591de2bb8bd22ce7e34ec529d3278509f0df78fd5c4a7d4140fbe9",
     "boatstack/atomic_windows.go": "cefd775cbe7e7c3bd8a3f5673b11cdd784c6d3ebd6de7dcb8f39406b0bee511f",
-    "boatstack/cmd/boatstack-helper/main.go": "dbb8cb4bb403aa36a47bd9317e9a34845cabfa5b8e4152a7fb57ded1591d8957",
-    "boatstack/delivery.go": "d092ac67116d651938ed1e2912bb845c3b273d650cf88049304888be9683c59c",
-    "boatstack/delivery_test.go": "a8a5a7e6e8dcfee1538367d49c76c531e04211876c1685265884cff26ae04497",
-    "boatstack/export.go": "3f086d8615769f857ba704678fea78ec63bdf28c15acd4a7bf0c1414f132e285",
-    "boatstack/export_test.go": "87fc1aef65f3e437d3ca9660e31b9fa77bbb6d80f9b131adff1dbd422a71fdfe",
+    "boatstack/cmd/boatstack-helper/main.go": "fc979a21007107f6a2f52a2c1eb82c35be5dbe97a775a908e0d1ebc25864f040",
+    "boatstack/delivery.go": "907a0ff8dc3e6120387eef3c7d97cdadb0b9dd8f788cb39e149aa7a6c4a6260a",
+    "boatstack/delivery_test.go": "744d166757deafe5b9fc4f66b79b324de43dcc36a26a317572eaec73a8b21044",
+    "boatstack/export.go": "72ed801fcf52fc93e8446dd3b7d205d7ef8a0530b33f4e02891f7290bc243343",
+    "boatstack/export_test.go": "8f04947a5e1723df21f068b14ba295b0281a04b5037d251be0315100bdce65e8",
     "boatstack/go.mod": "57c377eccea51372d6664de4169e2ca45806b046f7e8a98a1e35a9eb454b4b8d",
     "boatstack/hooks.go": "1d5d8c4bf7e6e867c8bf07e391d86158347269f856647a5d256f345bbb8d3c96",
     "boatstack/hooks_test.go": "c3f359416ea53f258d8747d0247381e8946efd4d4a5bcf072c4147f885475ad3",
@@ -49,11 +49,11 @@
     "boatstack/planning_test.go": "6b156a64182ed76d4c3d392b4c5a26abe5d8b81cea27ee12ac7c4627c827e186",
     "boatstack/pr.go": "2e0ea90a991fe4504e54972506cb306f48124c8b34be8577d96f6c97079bdf0c",
     "boatstack/pr_test.go": "74afb1a9be3c4a95a426515be415149ae24b077454b486d8e69b7118c42f2916",
-    "boatstack/references/artifacts.md": "3a87b8f8d835329191bedb20c94e6056fe2251b3e9d510656909eb9d276069dc",
+    "boatstack/references/artifacts.md": "8f2e79b8af4bd3ad2e32aa3e8c07f10812555d0a3247e4991db75cc1cda395c3",
     "boatstack/references/failure-moves.md": "1d35126348d0b681976e8819665e16fd745fd65eca271492603cb80aab75bf49",
     "boatstack/references/irreversible-operation-boundary.md": "2a695f2d7de95cfc8750f107bef9c86581712aa1f02e7233b69b850d8c2af42e",
     "boatstack/references/portability.md": "fb683095991bb0cb06ec56fb8884c49038b283172a7d2f8b203483b7cacb4bae",
-    "boatstack/references/workflow.md": "6a7d146c2ad072c513324ad058d4b6c38ea967f2b9c199e055cfc528f4b826ad",
+    "boatstack/references/workflow.md": "6794ef2899e3cde7f8cdf182b65def8e371ae3ec3d38cc3cbe2009adb4321512",
     "boatstack/release.go": "fa2ac926df89c90c5844e938a2e02d4b8dbbaefbf85bb7a1a89fc51690bea520",
     "boatstack/release_test.go": "5cf2d76fe9b836a91ca68eba53d5585e2c4be5b9421aaf939ea0723063a24690",
     "boatstack/runtime.go": "f393745950e8ba2da7e25d5539ad536a6239a10c17109224bad20cf48445c380",
@@ -69,10 +69,10 @@
     "docs/account-recovery-walkthrough.md": "676034974594a7d1a559b24dbed31d7ccc429eb81404b203ca07bbdaa19ec3d3",
     "docs/benchmark-corpus-audit.md": "f2d206fe8579a514f9da82b2c96c19b343ac004be67617e1bd34f0f8e0e5e6c6",
     "docs/benchmark-submission-audit.md": "9518abdd17690729c6423f87cab20418ed47b0915b5faa44b9ef975e9e9c3b79",
-    "docs/evidence-engineered-coding.md": "8c79f43e67c6fa9dbd4f5eb84595ef7846b14a35d21c6be1403182f20551ab4c",
+    "docs/evidence-engineered-coding.md": "d9397b0ddb7ede2080a1a4d703b3272dcf31080cfc0f7b1cc732c847145386ee",
     "docs/generated-files.md": "136422baf0c7fc2bd5100cfe0ebdb3d9d0705dfd7e7d54bf745dd1037e63492c",
     "docs/getting-started.md": "4ef77719a01a2dbe98c5154d58fc03f51797ae0ef39a09d8804fe0708b8cc920",
-    "docs/public-claims.json": "0bcb69c56b2e6edd97d21b5b6d0f3ac3eb8554c46e9ea2324b46166c1814f180",
+    "docs/public-claims.json": "67f2b7c4a288ba11338b11e5db2cb7efa7e498c42dcc3264da641ecbadd59f2a",
     "docs/public-surface.md": "713f7a050b5f339cf948299103ef3800417dccfecf2cc1a4166397ea6f978907",
     "docs/research-and-design.md": "d65c66e323037bda5d45aacef5d48afa6bf93da55901378891d235aca3a5684f",
     "docs/safety.md": "7b9b5c515d36e683767ec8d3d9d6d119ac93650b2f629d351deadd4c600ed6a6",
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@
     "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": "de95c999eb36de930d3a0fcca0d5751c1087ae49bb26b8347ec90432291457d6",
+    "labs/diagram-json/plan.lock.json": "4fc2cba6a3a4bbe37d6e3591b583c023dccc8fff778ec00fd2c8ef789d6a6b0e",
     "labs/diagram-json/plan.md": "3cc4f533b8d69386deff16b3a594a3ba09d4c0c3db636cccd8c4380084ce6a51",
     "labs/diagram-json/questions.md": "74733b015002c8a6777c558e7e997fa48c94850b9bd39054fe9366c97ecf728d",
     "labs/diagram-json/request.md": "0808fc41c36779c404f4a3a121167da6e76cac56df526e70f9ed6d3e0d4c02ed",
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@
     "release-notes/2026-07-18-automated-releases.md": "6571eec442a27bd1a55667567f0659993c516171ef10ae71046cce80f7fd29fa",
     "release-notes/2026-07-18-base-aware-release-preflight.md": "cdface46ccd959a5299de4c363c9e4057e7257820dab77dcf0e587daef5d3d99",
     "release-notes/2026-07-18-claude-command-discovery.md": "bb42c23041916dee21e502449143620a8dcbd0dec4aad01162293499547f1114",
+    "release-notes/2026-07-18-conversational-delivery-repair.md": "3d1a13b4e2e423f923df6aec29947070b5fef39af15d07437523580fad82622a",
     "release-notes/2026-07-18-global-reply-shortcuts.md": "329d6fd104079bc5f66e7c3d477f4ff2a6bb264d429485c6f42f9c203d17fa29",
     "release-notes/2026-07-18-harbor-lab-namespace.md": "6419c049e5a3024c5a8604e4d9fb241c27ceb80bf1d4cc62f66d1a0eaf09ea21",
     "release-notes/2026-07-18-host-hook-migrations.md": "1c9f81d9318854214f72802045e8e39c9ca45435af0f9d2c28fcf4ff4c1e0071",
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@
   "generator": "operatorstack/intelligence-flow:boatstack-distribution",
   "schema_version": 1,
   "source": {
-    "commit": "697ce2f7d98eb3bfb249b33d3556efbd7e9365b1",
+    "commit": "bbed9588e74016250e3cf8968e70bdd375afb863",
     "path": "labs/12-product-engineering-loop",
     "repository": "operatorstack/intelligence-flow"
   }

diff --git a/boatstack/SKILL.md b/boatstack/SKILL.md
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ Map the request to one operation:
 - `auto-plan`: refine a saved host Plan-mode file into a reviewable draft feature package; refuse when that file is absent.
 - `plan-gate`: validate the Markdown draft, present it for explicit human acceptance, and record that acceptance in Markdown.
 - `build`: activate the approved Markdown plan, then implement only the active delivery slice's tasks.
+- `repair`: classify a free-form post-build change, record it durably, and resume from the earliest affected stage without silently changing approved intent.
 - `test-gate`: test requirements and relevant regressions using independent evidence.
 - `review-gate`: review the diff against the spec, project invariants, risks, and known gaps.
 - `ship-gate`: preview, then explicitly open or update, a reviewer-ready PR grounded in the approved diff and evidence.
@@ -132,6 +133,14 @@ All files created or updated by `auto-plan` and `plan-gate` must be Markdown. gs
 
 Do not branch the workflow on model brand, price, or a guessed capability tier. Branch only on observable work state: unresolved ambiguity, risk, convergence, repeated tactics, tool results, test fidelity, and gate evidence. A repository may choose any implementation model; the contract and gates stay the same.
 
+## Repair from ordinary conversation
+
+Before any product edit, read managed delivery status. If a delivery is active and the user reports a problem or requests a modification, use `repair` even when they do not name Boatstack or a slash command. Compare the exact request with the current lock, acceptance criteria, diff, evidence, and receipts. Classify it as `implementation_repair`, `verification_repair`, `review_repair`, `requirement_amendment`, or `needs_clarification`, then invoke `record-change` before editing.
+
+Same-intent repair resumes at the helper-reported stage and reuses the existing gates. A requirement amendment or ambiguous expected behavior blocks product edits and returns to a concise Plan Gate delta. Never edit `changes.md`, ignored delivery state, or receipts directly; those are emitted by controlled transitions. Conversation history is never workflow authority.
+
+A published delivery is immutable. Record the observation against it, then plan the correction under a new feature id whose structured plan sets `parent_delivery` to the published feature. Activation refuses to reset published slices; the corrective child receives its own lock and full gates.
+
 ## Enforce the gates
 
 ### Test gate

diff --git a/boatstack/cmd/boatstack-helper/main.go b/boatstack/cmd/boatstack-helper/main.go
@@ -302,6 +302,31 @@ func deliveryStatusCommand(arguments []string) int {
 	return 0
 }
 
+func recordChangeCommand(arguments []string) int {
+	flags := flag.NewFlagSet("record-change", flag.ContinueOnError)
+	options := boatstack.ChangeObservationOptions{}
+	flags.StringVar(&options.Repo, "repo", ".", "repository containing the managed delivery")
+	flags.StringVar(&options.Feature, "feature", "", "managed Boatstack feature slug")
+	flags.StringVar(&options.Message, "message", "", "exact user change request")
+	flags.StringVar(&options.SourceStage, "source-stage", "", "stage where the change was observed")
+	flags.StringVar(&options.Expected, "expected", "", "approved or requested expected behavior")
+	flags.StringVar(&options.Actual, "actual", "", "observed behavior")
+	flags.StringVar(&options.Evidence, "evidence", "", "bounded evidence or reproduction reference")
+	flags.StringVar(&options.Classification, "classification", "", "implementation_repair, verification_repair, review_repair, requirement_amendment, or needs_clarification")
+	if err := flags.Parse(arguments); err != nil {
+		return 2
+	}
+	if options.Feature == "" || options.Message == "" || options.SourceStage == "" || options.Classification == "" {
+		return fail(fmt.Errorf("record-change requires --feature, --message, --source-stage, and --classification"))
+	}
+	observation, state, err := boatstack.RecordChangeObservation(options)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fail(err)
+	}
+	fmt.Printf("PASS: change observation recorded\nOBSERVATION_ID=%s\nCLASSIFICATION=%s\nMODE=%s\nRESUME_STAGE=%s\n", observation.ID, observation.Classification, state.Mode, state.ResumeStage)
+	return 0
+}
+
 func doctorCommand(arguments []string) int {
 	flags := flag.NewFlagSet("doctor", flag.ContinueOnError)
 	repo := flags.String("repo", ".", "repository whose Boatstack installation should be checked")
@@ -464,7 +489,7 @@ func publishPRCommand(arguments []string) int {
 
 func run() int {
 	if len(os.Args) < 2 {
-		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "usage: boatstack-helper <init|update|check-update|release-classify|next-patch|export|check-source-plan|planning-write|check-plan|record-approval|activate-plan|delivery-status|record-delivery-gate|check-safety|safety-hook|pr-context|check-pr|publish-pr|doctor|version>")
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "usage: boatstack-helper <init|update|check-update|release-classify|next-patch|export|check-source-plan|planning-write|check-plan|record-approval|activate-plan|delivery-status|record-change|record-delivery-gate|check-safety|safety-hook|pr-context|check-pr|publish-pr|doctor|version>")
 		return 2
 	}
 	switch os.Args[1] {
@@ -492,6 +517,8 @@ func run() int {
 		return activatePlanCommand(os.Args[2:])
 	case "delivery-status":
 		return deliveryStatusCommand(os.Args[2:])
+	case "record-change":
+		return recordChangeCommand(os.Args[2:])
 	case "record-delivery-gate":
 		return recordDeliveryGateCommand(os.Args[2:])
 	case "pr-context":