diff --git a/.agents/pm/history/pm-gh1610.jsonl b/.agents/pm/history/pm-gh1610.jsonl
index 9ca599ffb..61f37157b 100644
--- a/.agents/pm/history/pm-gh1610.jsonl
+++ b/.agents/pm/history/pm-gh1610.jsonl
@@ -1,2 +1,15 @@
 {"hash_algorithm":"sha256","ts":"2026-10-27T10:20:14.486Z","author":"harness:codex","author_source":"detected","agent_harness":"codex","agent_model":"gpt-6.1-sol","agent_model_source":"probe","agent_instance":"7efbcd86a29946bbfe9221c3","agent_provenance":{"model":{"value":"gpt-6.1-sol","source":"probe"},"effort":{"value":"xhigh","source":"probe"},"role":{"value":"implementer","source":"argv"},"topic":null},"op":"create","patch":[{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/id","value":"pm-gh1610"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/title","value":"GH-1610: compact lean refusals and expose structured claim context"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/description","value":"GitHub report https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/issues/1610 measures redundant refusal headlines and generic recovery boilerplate, with lean text larger than default. Investigate current public SDK normalization and renderers, preserve actionable recovery, and expose existing claim holder metadata as typed fields. Reported2026.10.27 behavior has not been independently reproduced; earlier completed lean-error work remains completed."},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/type","value":"Issue"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/status","value":"open"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/priority","value":2},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/tags","value":["agent-ux","github"]},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/created_at","value":"2026-10-27T10:20:14.486Z"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/updated_at","value":"2026-10-27T10:20:14.486Z"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/author","value":"harness:codex"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/estimated_minutes","value":120},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/acceptance_criteria","value":"Reproduce the reported claim-conflict bytes in isolated trackers; remove duplicated and constant lean boilerplate without deleting specific recovery; preserve default compatibility and sensitive-value redaction; verify CLI and public SDK structured holder metadata; add meaningful before/after controls."},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/value","value":"Reduce repeated agent refusal context while retaining executable recovery"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/impact","value":"CLI text and structured SDK refusal consumers"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/parent","value":"pm-mpbb"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/risk","value":"medium"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/confidence","value":"medium"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/expected_result","value":"Lean refusals preserve code-specific recovery and typed claim metadata while never exceeding equivalent default output; shared SDK normalization owns semantics."},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/dependencies","value":[{"id":"pm-g9xk","kind":"related","created_at":"2026-10-27T10:20:14.486Z","author":"harness:codex","source_kind":"cli:create:dep","author_source":"detected"},{"id":"pm-q0kr","kind":"related","created_at":"2026-10-27T10:20:14.486Z","author":"harness:codex","source_kind":"cli:create:dep","author_source":"detected"}]},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/comments","value":[{"created_at":"2026-10-27T10:20:14.486Z","author":"harness:codex","text":"Duplicate check: strict complete3137-item all-status corpus with no omissions plus request-specific hybrid and keyword searches and refreshed open/in_progress lists; full live completed lean and guidance lineages and parent metadata/history inspected. Existing closed lean implementation does not own this newly reported byte-size and claim-metadata acceptance; no matching active item found. Intake is open and unclaimed; no reproduction or repair claimed."}]}],"before_hash":"3cc22dff72be7b14824654a7a64ea62b04799939b2fee54c1b5f52ca60bf6df0","after_hash":"140c6290eb5a9f6e6601880c0ca52b6a9cbb77d39adf04a071bff8021b414057","item_hash_version":3,"message":"","context":{"agent_provenance_outcomes":{"model":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"codex_session_file","rule_version":"v1"},"effort":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"codex_session_file","rule_version":"v1"},"version":{"status":"unavailable","reason":"harness_unavailable","resolver":"ai_agent_version","rule_version":"v1"}}},"event_class":"substantive","record_hash_version":1,"record_hash":"6500a38fb62f41c013af183a03686079da172880a7c36e3e954157820ffa7a2a"}
 {"hash_algorithm":"sha256","ts":"2026-10-27T17:28:06.469Z","author":"harness:codex","author_source":"detected","agent_harness":"codex","agent_model":"gpt-6.1-sol","agent_model_source":"probe","agent_instance":"4f9b0131c245b9f712c46790","agent_provenance":{"model":{"value":"gpt-6.1-sol","source":"probe"},"effort":{"value":"xhigh","source":"probe"},"role":{"value":"implementer","source":"inferred","confidence":"medium","rule_version":"v2","evidence":["claim:pm-gh1611","claim:pm-gh1613","claim:pm-vkckiv","claim:pm-wb25c1","lineage:pm-vkckiv","lineage:pm-qwoy","lineage:pm-doxj"]},"topic":{"value":"workset:pm-gh1611+pm-gh1613+pm-vkckiv+pm-wb25c1","source":"inferred","confidence":"medium","rule_version":"v2","evidence":["claim:pm-gh1611","claim:pm-gh1613","claim:pm-vkckiv","claim:pm-wb25c1","lineage:pm-vkckiv","lineage:pm-qwoy","lineage:pm-doxj"]}},"op":"comment_add","patch":[{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/comments/1","value":{"created_at":"2026-10-27T17:28:06.468Z","author":"harness:codex","text":"Additional observed refusal duplication under the same existing UX owner: pm guide capabilities --depth brief with the optional guide package absent prints two separate Next steps entries naming the same package install, once as pm install guide-shell and again as pm package install guide-shell --project. No package was installed to mask the refusal. The core contracts --summary surface remains an available discovery path. This is separate from the typed validation facts and portable completion scope currently implemented in the sibling items."}},{"op":"replace","path":"/metadata/updated_at","value":"2026-10-27T17:28:06.469Z"}],"before_hash":"140c6290eb5a9f6e6601880c0ca52b6a9cbb77d39adf04a071bff8021b414057","after_hash":"4f68c5714ed326780b1fbd60d91c171ad8b305231c2d3fbee1cf78fb4d156e4e","item_hash_version":3,"context":{"agent_provenance_outcomes":{"model":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"codex_session_file","rule_version":"v1"},"effort":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"codex_session_file","rule_version":"v1"},"version":{"status":"unavailable","reason":"harness_unavailable","resolver":"ai_agent_version","rule_version":"v1"}}},"event_class":"substantive","record_hash_version":1,"record_hash":"61ac0770a56c5b959efd1bd0c8ac0a18de04a4045ddb378aa67c743361e19880"}
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+{"hash_algorithm":"sha256","ts":"2026-10-31T01:52:14.438Z","author":"harness:claude-code","author_source":"detected","agent_harness":"claude-code","agent_model":"claude-fable-5-1","agent_model_source":"probe","agent_instance":"fe411f5ac7c0c68c436d07f8","agent_provenance":{"model":{"value":"claude-fable-5-1","source":"probe"},"effort":{"value":"xhigh","source":"environment"},"role":{"value":"release-operator","source":"inferred","confidence":"medium","rule_version":"v2","evidence":["claim:pm-gh1610","release:pm-gh1627"]},"topic":{"value":"pm-gh1610","source":"inferred","confidence":"medium","rule_version":"v2","evidence":["claim:pm-gh1610","release:pm-gh1627"]},"version":{"value":"2.1.314","source":"probe"}},"op":"update","patch":[{"op":"replace","path":"/metadata/updated_at","value":"2026-10-31T01:52:14.438Z"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/escape_class","value":"production_defect"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/gate_evidence","value":{"disposition":"gate_added","owner":"pm-gh1610","gate_id":"tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts lean refusals (GH-1610): lean never larger than default across six refusal codes and no constant line shared by every lean output","negative_control":"git stash push src/cli/error-guidance.ts src/cli/main.ts src/sdk/cli-contracts/agent-output-contracts.ts src/sdk/lifecycle/claim.ts src/sdk/ownership-source.ts && node scripts/run-tests.mjs test -- tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts -t \"GH-1610\" ; git stash pop (lean text 813 > default 798 bytes before the fix)","local_checks":["node scripts/run-tests.mjs test -- tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/claim-command.spec.ts tests/unit/cli/cli-main-errors.spec.ts","node scripts/release/agent-task-token-gate.mjs","node scripts/release/refusal-closure-gate.mjs","node scripts/release/docs-skills-gate.mjs"],"hosted_checks":["CI / Gates (static)","CI / Gates (coverage)"]}}],"before_hash":"a5c5c428e99f4bb686484b9a0871d19506952f970128b49afce4e56c7cdbd18d","after_hash":"6edde4a04dcf68163ddbf73cd527527a41523b735d0c131d526023a07bffab9d","item_hash_version":3,"context":{"agent_provenance_outcomes":{"model":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"claude_session_file","rule_version":"v1"},"version":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"claude_session_file","rule_version":"v1"}}},"event_class":"substantive","record_hash_version":1,"record_hash":"f0450104f9e34694eff1f09c84023d14cf53cdbd0ed86edba2480963dcd01a7e"}
+{"hash_algorithm":"sha256","ts":"2026-10-31T01:52:15.100Z","author":"harness:claude-code","author_source":"detected","agent_harness":"claude-code","agent_model":"claude-fable-5-1","agent_model_source":"probe","agent_instance":"fe411f5ac7c0c68c436d07f8","agent_provenance":{"model":{"value":"claude-fable-5-1","source":"probe"},"effort":{"value":"xhigh","source":"environment"},"role":{"value":"release-operator","source":"inferred","confidence":"medium","rule_version":"v2","evidence":["claim:pm-gh1610","release:pm-gh1627"]},"topic":{"value":"pm-gh1610","source":"inferred","confidence":"medium","rule_version":"v2","evidence":["claim:pm-gh1610","release:pm-gh1627"]},"version":{"value":"2.1.314","source":"probe"}},"op":"close","patch":[{"op":"remove","path":"/metadata/assignee"},{"op":"replace","path":"/metadata/updated_at","value":"2026-10-31T01:52:15.100Z"},{"op":"replace","path":"/metadata/status","value":"closed"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/closed_at","value":"2026-10-31T01:52:15.075Z"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/completed_at","value":"2026-10-31T01:52:15.075Z"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/resolution","value":"The SDK declares the constant refusal boilerplate once (PM_GENERIC_REFUSAL_GUIDANCE, PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS, isGenericRefusal*, projectLeanRecoveryPayload) and both lean projections consume it: lean text drops the generic requirement, generic why, pm --help examples and the invocation echo while keeping next steps, specific recovery and verifier findings; lean JSON drops generic required/examples and the recovery echo on top of title/why. Text refusals no longer repeat a single-line message under What happened. already_claimed_by carries item_id, claimed_by, claimed_at and claim_source in PmCliErrorContext, the JSON envelope and the classification (resolveItemOwnershipConflict is public), rendered in text as Held by: <holder> (<source> since <time>)."},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/actual_result","value":"Isolated-tracker claim conflict: text 798 -> 719 bytes, --lean text 813 -> 494, --json 1,172 -> 1,299 (typed holder fields added), --json --lean 968 -> 648; an invalid-value refusal 771 -> 602 under --lean. Property test over six refusal codes: lean never larger than default (text and JSON) and no non-label line shared by every lean output. Claim-conflict tests assert claimed_by/claim_source (claim vs assignment) and claimed_at (ISO, null on corrupt history). refusal.exit_code is retained because refusal is the stable identity used by the refusal-closure tooling. Agent-task-token, refusal-closure, docs-skills, static quality gates and the linked test run pass."},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/close_reason","value":"Lean refusals drop constant boilerplate and the claim holder is typed"}],"before_hash":"6edde4a04dcf68163ddbf73cd527527a41523b735d0c131d526023a07bffab9d","after_hash":"819a2557da5de4c9565d7c588b9c8673e3cc950a7dd2fc6da75079b152fdd222","item_hash_version":3,"context":{"completion":{"timestamp":"2026-10-31T01:52:15.075Z","source":"close_time"},"agent_provenance_outcomes":{"model":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"claude_session_file","rule_version":"v1"},"version":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"claude_session_file","rule_version":"v1"}}},"event_class":"substantive","record_hash_version":1,"record_hash":"5463383ac95345486e4808e3b6e372d88c3636a2ac55b5a58bb647e0e8d1d198"}
+{"hash_algorithm":"sha256","ts":"2026-10-31T01:52:15.698Z","author":"harness:claude-code","author_source":"detected","agent_harness":"claude-code","agent_model":"claude-fable-5-1","agent_model_source":"probe","agent_instance":"fe411f5ac7c0c68c436d07f8","agent_provenance":{"model":{"value":"claude-fable-5-1","source":"probe"},"effort":{"value":"xhigh","source":"environment"},"role":{"value":"release-operator","source":"inferred","confidence":"medium","rule_version":"v2","evidence":["claim:pm-gh1610","release:pm-gh1627"]},"topic":{"value":"pm-gh1610","source":"inferred","confidence":"medium","rule_version":"v2","evidence":["claim:pm-gh1610","release:pm-gh1627"]},"version":{"value":"2.1.314","source":"probe"}},"op":"release","patch":[{"op":"remove","path":"/metadata/claim_principal"},{"op":"replace","path":"/metadata/updated_at","value":"2026-10-31T01:52:15.698Z"}],"before_hash":"819a2557da5de4c9565d7c588b9c8673e3cc950a7dd2fc6da75079b152fdd222","after_hash":"6d50356e3248c0fb708d66fa5c0f557d41e6548074cce0d268745192d97c9513","item_hash_version":3,"context":{"agent_provenance_outcomes":{"model":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"claude_session_file","rule_version":"v1"},"version":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"claude_session_file","rule_version":"v1"}}},"event_class":"maintenance","record_hash_version":1,"record_hash":"f6bd5e5ef29589226c817b0ccbbb5d5d0e012e63f185f76d0fd918f99caaf34e"}
+{"hash_algorithm":"sha256","ts":"2026-10-31T08:39:00.736Z","author":"harness:claude-code","author_source":"detected","agent_harness":"claude-code","agent_model":"claude-opus-5-5","agent_model_source":"probe","agent_instance":"eda2446424a05ba568a1cb08","agent_provenance":{"model":{"value":"claude-opus-5-5","source":"probe"},"effort":{"value":"xhigh","source":"environment"},"role":null,"topic":null,"version":{"value":"2.1.314","source":"probe"}},"op":"comment_add","patch":[{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/comments/4","value":{"created_at":"2026-10-31T08:39:00.736Z","author":"harness:claude-code","text":"Review follow-up on PR #1637 (CodeRabbit, 2026-10-31): three fixes to the lean refusal contract and the typed holder.\n\n1. **Lean JSON kept code-specific `why` out.** `projectLeanErrorEnvelope` destructured `why` away for every envelope, while lean text and the documented contract keep a code-specific rationale. It now drops `why` only when `isGenericRefusalWhy` is true, so `--lean --json` on `already_claimed_by` carries the claim rationale like lean text does.\n2. **Mixed example lists kept the generic `pm --help`.** `isGenericRefusalExamples` is all-or-nothing. A new SDK helper `withoutGenericRefusalExamples` (exported from `@unbrained/pm-cli/sdk`, `/sdk/contracts`, `/sdk/runtime`) filters each generic entry; text and JSON lean projections both use it and drop the field only when nothing specific remains.\n3. **Unknown holder origin reported as `assignment`.** When history is unreadable or records no assignee change, `resolveItemOwnershipConflict` now returns `source: \"unknown\"` (and `claim_source: \"unknown\"` on the refusal) instead of claiming an assignment it cannot prove. The prose keeps the `assigned to` wording. The SDK surface snapshot acknowledges the union widening; both types were introduced unreleased on this branch.\n\nCoverage: holder rendering without a recorded time or origin, generic-why removal and per-entry example filtering are asserted in `tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts`; the corrupt-history case in `tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/claim-command.spec.ts` now expects `unknown`.\n"}},{"op":"replace","path":"/metadata/updated_at","value":"2026-10-31T08:39:00.736Z"}],"before_hash":"6d50356e3248c0fb708d66fa5c0f557d41e6548074cce0d268745192d97c9513","after_hash":"c571a5a5224d734b32122244cc288b00eae1fe18aa30d8651082ec2df05f6e70","item_hash_version":3,"context":{"agent_provenance_outcomes":{"model":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"claude_session_file","rule_version":"v1"},"version":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"claude_session_file","rule_version":"v1"}}},"event_class":"substantive","record_hash_version":1,"record_hash":"70ad4426e20941a785f965e679cd3959abe8b972734d622f3fc7b6b69b8a356e"}
+{"hash_algorithm":"sha256","ts":"2026-10-31T09:14:59.888Z","author":"harness:claude-code","author_source":"detected","agent_harness":"claude-code","agent_model":"claude-opus-5-5","agent_model_source":"probe","agent_instance":"eda2446424a05ba568a1cb08","agent_provenance":{"model":{"value":"claude-opus-5-5","source":"probe"},"effort":{"value":"xhigh","source":"environment"},"role":null,"topic":null,"version":{"value":"2.1.314","source":"probe"}},"op":"comment_edit","patch":[{"op":"replace","path":"/metadata/comments/4/text","value":"Review follow-up on PR #1637 (CodeRabbit, 2026-10-31): three fixes to the lean refusal contract and the typed holder.\n\n1. **Lean JSON kept code-specific `why` out.** `projectLeanErrorEnvelope` destructured `why` away for every envelope, while lean text and the documented contract keep a code-specific rationale. It now drops `why` only when `isGenericRefusalWhy` is true, so `--lean --json` on `already_claimed_by` carries the claim rationale like lean text does.\n2. **Mixed example lists kept the generic `pm --help`.** The all-or-nothing `isGenericRefusalExamples` predicate is replaced by a new SDK helper `withoutGenericRefusalExamples` (exported from `@unbrained/pm-cli/sdk`, `/sdk/contracts`, `/sdk/runtime`) which filters each generic entry; text and JSON lean projections both use it and drop the field only when nothing specific remains. The predicate had no remaining caller and never shipped (absent from main and v2026.10.30), so it is removed from the SDK barrels rather than kept as a dead export.\n3. **Unknown holder origin reported as `assignment`.** When history is unreadable or records no assignee change, `resolveItemOwnershipConflict` now returns `source: \"unknown\"` (and `claim_source: \"unknown\"` on the refusal) instead of claiming an assignment it cannot prove. The prose keeps the `assigned to` wording. The SDK surface snapshot acknowledges the union widening; both types were introduced unreleased on this branch.\n\nCoverage: holder rendering without a recorded time or origin, generic-why removal and per-entry example filtering are asserted in `tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts`; the corrupt-history case in `tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/claim-command.spec.ts` now expects `unknown`."},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/comments/4/edited_at","value":"2026-10-31T09:14:59.888Z"},{"op":"replace","path":"/metadata/updated_at","value":"2026-10-31T09:14:59.888Z"}],"before_hash":"c571a5a5224d734b32122244cc288b00eae1fe18aa30d8651082ec2df05f6e70","after_hash":"f272fd9bbf7bbc885470553b5eead6dc614078ce909c671764ff543308e0aa77","item_hash_version":3,"context":{"agent_provenance_outcomes":{"model":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"claude_session_file","rule_version":"v1"},"version":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"claude_session_file","rule_version":"v1"}}},"event_class":"substantive","record_hash_version":1,"record_hash":"54ffaea52ddef03c9f904dcf95857b328dd580e06804de943e34318d25dc1946"}
diff --git a/.agents/pm/history/pm-gh1627.jsonl b/.agents/pm/history/pm-gh1627.jsonl
index e3f91e1e1..267e77fcf 100644
--- a/.agents/pm/history/pm-gh1627.jsonl
+++ b/.agents/pm/history/pm-gh1627.jsonl
@@ -1 +1,13 @@
 {"hash_algorithm":"sha256","ts":"2026-10-29T20:35:41.836Z","author":"harness:codex","author_source":"detected","agent_harness":"codex","agent_model":"gpt-6.1-sol","agent_model_source":"probe","agent_instance":"6bf23ca256a5142e59ec9539","agent_provenance":{"model":{"value":"gpt-6.1-sol","source":"probe"},"effort":{"value":"xhigh","source":"probe"},"role":{"value":"implementer","source":"argv"},"topic":null},"op":"create","patch":[{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/id","value":"pm-gh1627"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/title","value":"GH-1627: bound the entire next response and compact optional TOON sections losslessly"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/description","value":"https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/issues/1627\n\nReported behavior on published2026.10.28; current-source reproduction and implementation are pending. Preserve the completed predecessor scope when evaluating this report.\n\nFound while orienting an agent session with pm 2026.10.28 on a real tracker (~400 items, 95 ready).\n\nSeverity: medium (paid on every `pm next`, the first command an agent runs to pick work).\n\n`pm next --limit 5` (TOON, default) prints **6,847 bytes / 72 lines** while its own `filters.token_budget` says **640**. `--token-budget` is documented as bounding only \"the ranked ready\" rows; every other section is unbudgeted and the total cost is never reported. Measured bytes by section:\n\n| Section | Bytes |\n| --- | ---: |\n| `blocked[5]` | 1,821 |\n| `containers[5]` | 1,469 |\n| `ready[5]` (the budgeted part) | 1,331 |\n| `decision_needed[3]` | 947 |\n| `recommended` | 397 |\n| `summary` + `filters` + `held_by_others` + four `*_encoding` blocks | ~780 |\n\nThree avoidable costs inside that:\n\n1. **Side sections ignore the budget and the include flags.** `filters` reports `include_decisions: false` and `include_containers: false`, yet `decision_needed[3]` and `containers[5]` are printed in full (15–18 columns each). Agents read the false flags and the printed sections as a contradiction.\n2. **Escaped tag JSON in TOON rows.** 162 `\\\"` sequences, e.g. `\"[\\\"hosted\\\",\\\"tests\\\",\\\"website\\\"]\"`, plus a `json_columns` `*_encoding` block per section. #1603 removed this from `pm context`; `pm next` still has it.\n3. **All-null columns.** 63 `,null` cells (`order`, `deadline`, `assignee`, `parent` are null in almost every row) across the four tables.\n\nExpected (same contract #1401 gave `pm context`): one budget covers the whole response, or the response reports its own total `estimated_tokens` with a per-section breakdown. Side sections collapse to counts plus ids unless explicitly requested (`--include-decisions` / `--include-containers` / `--blocked-limit`). Tags render as TOON arrays, and columns that are null in every row are omitted with an absent-columns receipt. A contract test that `pm next` output stays within `--token-budget` (± a declared envelope) on a large fixture would keep this from regressing.\n"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/type","value":"Issue"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/status","value":"open"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/priority","value":2},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/tags","value":["agent-ux","github","sdk"]},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/created_at","value":"2026-10-29T20:35:41.836Z"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/updated_at","value":"2026-10-29T20:35:41.836Z"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/author","value":"harness:codex"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/estimated_minutes","value":180},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/acceptance_criteria","value":"Independently measure the reported large ready-work fixture; Account for every response section and total output cost; Honor explicit side-section includes and preserve resumability; Verify lossless tag encoding null-column receipts and JSON/TOON contracts"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/parent","value":"pm-5t33or"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/risk","value":"medium"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/confidence","value":"medium"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/expected_result","value":"The complete next response discloses and obeys its effective budget, respects include controls, and preserves tags/null omission receipts without changing full SDK data."},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/dependencies","value":[{"id":"pm-gh1603","kind":"related","created_at":"2026-10-29T20:35:41.836Z","author":"harness:codex","source_kind":"cli:create:dep","author_source":"detected"}]},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/comments","value":[{"created_at":"2026-10-29T20:35:41.836Z","author":"harness:codex","text":"Duplicate check: complete strict all-status corpus3157 with no omissions or unreadable records, request-specific GH-number and semantic searches, current open/in_progress inventories, and full live predecessor data/comments/history. The predecessor scope is delivered; this report names a distinct boundary. New intake is open and unclaimed. Source report: https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/issues/1627"}]}],"before_hash":"3cc22dff72be7b14824654a7a64ea62b04799939b2fee54c1b5f52ca60bf6df0","after_hash":"fdb180404d78c60b629003cca5f86ffb00b111c5f37eba26ffaa2495d98134bc","item_hash_version":3,"message":"","context":{"agent_provenance_outcomes":{"model":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"codex_session_file","rule_version":"v1"},"effort":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"codex_session_file","rule_version":"v1"},"version":{"status":"unavailable","reason":"harness_unavailable","resolver":"ai_agent_version","rule_version":"v1"}}},"event_class":"substantive","record_hash_version":1,"record_hash":"0822a521abd73e47bb9aa451c97adaa93aed12c6cb864b2a0c33a0fe2638afad"}
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diff --git a/.agents/pm/history/pm-gh1628.jsonl b/.agents/pm/history/pm-gh1628.jsonl
index e75e45c0b..786e85784 100644
--- a/.agents/pm/history/pm-gh1628.jsonl
+++ b/.agents/pm/history/pm-gh1628.jsonl
@@ -1 +1,14 @@
 {"hash_algorithm":"sha256","ts":"2026-10-29T20:35:42.930Z","author":"harness:codex","author_source":"detected","agent_harness":"codex","agent_model":"gpt-6.1-sol","agent_model_source":"probe","agent_instance":"6bf23ca256a5142e59ec9539","agent_provenance":{"model":{"value":"gpt-6.1-sol","source":"probe"},"effort":{"value":"xhigh","source":"probe"},"role":{"value":"implementer","source":"argv"},"topic":null},"op":"create","patch":[{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/id","value":"pm-gh1628"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/title","value":"GH-1628: preserve terminal timestamps for identical forced SDK updates"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/description","value":"https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/issues/1628\n\nReported behavior on published2026.10.28; current-source reproduction and implementation are pending. Preserve the completed predecessor scope when evaluating this report.\n\nWith `@unbrained/pm-cli@2026.10.28`, updating an already closed item with the same title, status and close reason and `force: true` changes both `closed_at` and `updated_at`. The same operation on an open item is a no-op. The behavior also occurs through `commitItemMutations`, independently of pm-github.\n\nThis makes retries change the recorded closure time. An importer that restores the source closure time afterwards can leave only `updated_at` changed, causing daily repeat-import verification to fail.\n\nReproduction in a fresh non-git directory with the package installed:\n\n```js\nimport { mkdtempSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs';\nimport { tmpdir } from 'node:os';\nimport { join } from 'node:path';\nimport { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';\nimport { create, update, get } from '@unbrained/pm-cli/sdk';\nconst root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'sdk-noop-'));\ntry {\n  execFileSync('pm', ['--path', root, 'init', 'fixture']);\n  const options = { pmRoot: root, noExtensions: true };\n  const { item } = await create({ title: 'Synthetic issue', type: 'Issue',\n    status: 'closed', closeReason: 'Synthetic closure' }, options);\n  const before = (await get(item.id, {}, options)).item;\n  await update(item.id, { title: before.title, status: before.status,\n    closeReason: before.close_reason, force: true }, options);\n  const after = (await get(item.id, {}, options)).item;\n  console.log({ closureChanged: before.closed_at !== after.closed_at,\n    clockChanged: before.updated_at !== after.updated_at });\n  // Observed: { closureChanged: true, clockChanged: true }\n} finally { rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true }); }\n```\n\nExpected: applying identical normalized fields to an item already in the requested terminal status preserves its closure timestamp and mutation clock. Force should permit a required transition without creating a new closure when no transition is needed.\n\nThe package-side fix will independently compare normalized desired fields before invoking either update path, including mixed batches. Duplicate searches covered `updated_at no-op`, `force closed update`, `closed_at force`, `terminal idempotent` and `updated_at unchanged`; #597 concerns a different empty-append operation.\n"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/type","value":"Issue"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/status","value":"open"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/priority","value":2},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/tags","value":["agent-ux","github","sdk"]},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/created_at","value":"2026-10-29T20:35:42.930Z"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/updated_at","value":"2026-10-29T20:35:42.930Z"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/author","value":"harness:codex"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/estimated_minutes","value":120},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/acceptance_criteria","value":"Reproduce direct SDK update and commitItemMutations in isolated non-Git trackers; Preserve both closure and mutation clocks for semantic no-ops; Retain legitimate terminal transitions and required force/ownership protection; Cover mixed batches retry idempotency and no-write negatives"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/parent","value":"pm-doxj"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/risk","value":"high"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/confidence","value":"medium"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/expected_result","value":"A forced identical normalized update of an already terminal item preserves closure time mutation time and audit history across direct SDK and transaction paths."},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/dependencies","value":[{"id":"pm-45mb","kind":"related","created_at":"2026-10-29T20:35:42.930Z","author":"harness:codex","source_kind":"cli:create:dep","author_source":"detected"},{"id":"pm-gh1597","kind":"related","created_at":"2026-10-29T20:35:42.930Z","author":"harness:codex","source_kind":"cli:create:dep","author_source":"detected"}]},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/comments","value":[{"created_at":"2026-10-29T20:35:42.930Z","author":"harness:codex","text":"Duplicate check: complete strict all-status corpus3157 with no omissions or unreadable records, request-specific GH-number and semantic searches, current open/in_progress inventories, and full live predecessor data/comments/history. The predecessor scope is delivered; this report names a distinct boundary. New intake is open and unclaimed. Source report: https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/issues/1628"}]}],"before_hash":"3cc22dff72be7b14824654a7a64ea62b04799939b2fee54c1b5f52ca60bf6df0","after_hash":"e1194b4c6a82daeff4028aafc6ad4a1b3b7c02ed2008d7c9e9b7811ebefe70cd","item_hash_version":3,"message":"","context":{"agent_provenance_outcomes":{"model":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"codex_session_file","rule_version":"v1"},"effort":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"codex_session_file","rule_version":"v1"},"version":{"status":"unavailable","reason":"harness_unavailable","resolver":"ai_agent_version","rule_version":"v1"}}},"event_class":"substantive","record_hash_version":1,"record_hash":"92562fa65d8147f6b3ffc563b2ef284b437b44f3b4f017be5becb346671c8b5c"}
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+{"hash_algorithm":"sha256","ts":"2026-10-31T01:44:54.770Z","author":"harness:claude-code","author_source":"detected","agent_harness":"claude-code","agent_model":"claude-fable-5-1","agent_model_source":"probe","agent_instance":"fe411f5ac7c0c68c436d07f8","agent_provenance":{"model":{"value":"claude-fable-5-1","source":"probe"},"effort":{"value":"xhigh","source":"environment"},"role":{"value":"release-operator","source":"inferred","confidence":"medium","rule_version":"v2","evidence":["claim:pm-gh1610","claim:pm-gh1627","release:pm-gh1628"]},"topic":{"value":"workset:pm-gh1610+pm-gh1627","source":"inferred","confidence":"medium","rule_version":"v2","evidence":["claim:pm-gh1610","claim:pm-gh1627","release:pm-gh1628"]},"version":{"value":"2.1.314","source":"probe"}},"op":"close","patch":[{"op":"replace","path":"/metadata/expected_result","value":"A forced identical normalized update of an already terminal item preserves closure time, mutation time and audit history across direct SDK and transaction paths."},{"op":"replace","path":"/metadata/updated_at","value":"2026-10-31T01:44:54.770Z"},{"op":"replace","path":"/metadata/status","value":"closed"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/closed_at","value":"2026-10-31T01:44:54.751Z"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/completed_at","value":"2026-10-31T01:44:54.751Z"},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/resolution","value":"routeCloseStatusUpdate reads the stored item and, when the requested close status, trimmed reason and completed_at already describe it, applies only the remaining fields through the ordinary skipNoop update path and reports terminal_state_unchanged; a bare identical update returns changed_fields [] without --force. A different reason stays a repeat closure routed to runClose behind the existing force gate. The helpers live in src/sdk/lifecycle/repeated-terminal-state.ts; commitItemMutations reuses update() so transactions inherit the fix."},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/actual_result","value":"Reproduction against the built SDK: before the fix closureChanged=true/clockChanged=true, after the fix both false while the open-item control stays a no-op. Four update-command tests (forced identical, unforced identical with padded reason, other fields applied without re-stamping closed_at, different reason still routed) and one mixed-batch commitItemMutations retry test pass; with update.ts stashed three of the four fail. Linked test run recorded; docs/COMMANDS.md documents the receipt."},{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/close_reason","value":"Identical terminal updates no longer re-stamp closure clocks"}],"before_hash":"942179e21403526582f31c0bdd570625b64913c32c2b59a2db0de1c550af9aa7","after_hash":"7d011c460e34fc13c90d10a6cb12760033eeb7dbb08ec91919031046384bf014","item_hash_version":3,"context":{"completion":{"timestamp":"2026-10-31T01:44:54.751Z","source":"close_time"},"agent_provenance_outcomes":{"model":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"claude_session_file","rule_version":"v1"},"version":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"claude_session_file","rule_version":"v1"}}},"event_class":"substantive","record_hash_version":1,"record_hash":"599b44957959215ab833efcd7a8201cb563bf401280e864b26cf77c65474d16c"}
+{"hash_algorithm":"sha256","ts":"2026-10-31T08:38:58.578Z","author":"harness:claude-code","author_source":"detected","agent_harness":"claude-code","agent_model":"claude-opus-5-5","agent_model_source":"probe","agent_instance":"eda2446424a05ba568a1cb08","agent_provenance":{"model":{"value":"claude-opus-5-5","source":"probe"},"effort":{"value":"xhigh","source":"environment"},"role":null,"topic":null,"version":{"value":"2.1.314","source":"probe"}},"op":"comment_add","patch":[{"op":"add","path":"/metadata/comments/3","value":{"created_at":"2026-10-31T08:38:58.578Z","author":"harness:claude-code","text":"Review follow-up on PR #1637 (CodeRabbit, 2026-10-31): two correctness gaps in the repeated-terminal-state no-op path, both fixed with regression tests.\n\n1. **Blank reason under required-reason governance.** `describesCurrentTerminalState` normalized a whitespace-only `--close-reason` to \"absent\", so with `governance.require_close_reason` enabled an already-closed item answered `terminal_state_unchanged` while the same blank reason on an open item is refused with `close_reason_required`. The predicate now takes `requireCloseReason` and returns false for a supplied-but-blank reason only when a reason is required, so the close route refuses it. With the reason optional the blank value stays a no-op (routing it would re-stamp `closed_at`, the defect this item fixed).\n2. **Concurrent reopen between classification and the field write.** The classification read holds no item lock. If another writer reopened the item before the title-only retry, the retry dropped `status` and the request reported `terminal_state_unchanged` on an open item. `applyRepeatedTerminalStateUpdate` now checks the status the locked write returned and hands a reopened item to the closure writer (`closeRoutedItem`, the same helper the ordinary route now shares), so the request is never silently downgraded.\n\nAlso covered: a changed `--completed-at` is a closure and its exact repeat a no-op; a routed close for a missing id refuses with the shared not-found guidance. `docs/COMMANDS.md` now states that other requested fields move `updated_at` and write history only when they change a stored value.\n\nEvidence: `tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/update-command.spec.ts` (GH-1628 block, 8 cases) and module coverage 100% lines/branches for `src/sdk/lifecycle/repeated-terminal-state.ts`.\n"}},{"op":"replace","path":"/metadata/updated_at","value":"2026-10-31T08:38:58.578Z"}],"before_hash":"7d011c460e34fc13c90d10a6cb12760033eeb7dbb08ec91919031046384bf014","after_hash":"fcee623c11aa4f934028281a44fa85c6b376409be133510a5cdedd7aa0eb3949","item_hash_version":3,"context":{"agent_provenance_outcomes":{"model":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"claude_session_file","rule_version":"v1"},"version":{"status":"resolved","resolver":"claude_session_file","rule_version":"v1"}}},"event_class":"substantive","record_hash_version":1,"record_hash":"52350dfe8a09cc541b583ce659f167d5373afee2a927bcd730ed67fd90377f1b"}
diff --git a/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1610.toon b/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1610.toon
index 97ddb0c8d..93ffad657 100644
--- a/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1610.toon
+++ b/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1610.toon
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@ id: pm-gh1610
 title: "GH-1610: compact lean refusals and expose structured claim context"
 description: "GitHub report https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/issues/1610 measures redundant refusal headlines and generic recovery boilerplate, with lean text larger than default. Investigate current public SDK normalization and renderers, preserve actionable recovery, and expose existing claim holder metadata as typed fields. Reported2026.10.27 behavior has not been independently reproduced; earlier completed lean-error work remains completed."
 type: Issue
-status: open
+status: closed
 priority: 2
 tags[2]: agent-ux,github
 created_at: "2026-10-27T10:20:14.486Z"
-updated_at: "2026-10-27T17:28:06.469Z"
+updated_at: "2026-10-31T09:14:59.888Z"
+closed_at: "2026-10-31T01:52:15.075Z"
+completed_at: "2026-10-31T01:52:15.075Z"
 author: "harness:codex"
 estimated_minutes: 120
 acceptance_criteria: Reproduce the reported claim-conflict bytes in isolated trackers; remove duplicated and constant lean boilerplate without deleting specific recovery; preserve default compatibility and sensitive-value redaction; verify CLI and public SDK structured holder metadata; add meaningful before/after controls.
@@ -15,11 +17,66 @@ impact: CLI text and structured SDK refusal consumers
 parent: pm-mpbb
 risk: medium
 confidence: medium
+resolution: "The SDK declares the constant refusal boilerplate once (PM_GENERIC_REFUSAL_GUIDANCE, PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS, isGenericRefusal*, projectLeanRecoveryPayload) and both lean projections consume it: lean text drops the generic requirement, generic why, pm --help examples and the invocation echo while keeping next steps, specific recovery and verifier findings; lean JSON drops generic required/examples and the recovery echo on top of title/why. Text refusals no longer repeat a single-line message under What happened. already_claimed_by carries item_id, claimed_by, claimed_at and claim_source in PmCliErrorContext, the JSON envelope and the classification (resolveItemOwnershipConflict is public), rendered in text as Held by: <holder> (<source> since <time>)."
 expected_result: Lean refusals preserve code-specific recovery and typed claim metadata while never exceeding equivalent default output; shared SDK normalization owns semantics.
+actual_result: "Isolated-tracker claim conflict: text 798 -> 719 bytes, --lean text 813 -> 494, --json 1,172 -> 1,299 (typed holder fields added), --json --lean 968 -> 648; an invalid-value refusal 771 -> 602 under --lean. Property test over six refusal codes: lean never larger than default (text and JSON) and no non-label line shared by every lean output. Claim-conflict tests assert claimed_by/claim_source (claim vs assignment) and claimed_at (ISO, null on corrupt history). refusal.exit_code is retained because refusal is the stable identity used by the refusal-closure tooling. Agent-task-token, refusal-closure, docs-skills, static quality gates and the linked test run pass."
 dependencies[2]{id,kind,created_at,author,source_kind,author_source}:
   pm-g9xk,related,"2026-10-27T10:20:14.486Z","harness:codex","cli:create:dep",detected
   pm-q0kr,related,"2026-10-27T10:20:14.486Z","harness:codex","cli:create:dep",detected
-comments[2]{created_at,author,text}:
-  "2026-10-27T10:20:14.486Z","harness:codex","Duplicate check: strict complete3137-item all-status corpus with no omissions plus request-specific hybrid and keyword searches and refreshed open/in_progress lists; full live completed lean and guidance lineages and parent metadata/history inspected. Existing closed lean implementation does not own this newly reported byte-size and claim-metadata acceptance; no matching active item found. Intake is open and unclaimed; no reproduction or repair claimed."
-  "2026-10-27T17:28:06.468Z","harness:codex","Additional observed refusal duplication under the same existing UX owner: pm guide capabilities --depth brief with the optional guide package absent prints two separate Next steps entries naming the same package install, once as pm install guide-shell and again as pm package install guide-shell --project. No package was installed to mask the refusal. The core contracts --summary surface remains an available discovery path. This is separate from the typed validation facts and portable completion scope currently implemented in the sibling items."
+comments[5]:
+  - created_at: "2026-10-27T10:20:14.486Z"
+    author: "harness:codex"
+    text: "Duplicate check: strict complete3137-item all-status corpus with no omissions plus request-specific hybrid and keyword searches and refreshed open/in_progress lists; full live completed lean and guidance lineages and parent metadata/history inspected. Existing closed lean implementation does not own this newly reported byte-size and claim-metadata acceptance; no matching active item found. Intake is open and unclaimed; no reproduction or repair claimed."
+  - created_at: "2026-10-27T17:28:06.468Z"
+    author: "harness:codex"
+    text: "Additional observed refusal duplication under the same existing UX owner: pm guide capabilities --depth brief with the optional guide package absent prints two separate Next steps entries naming the same package install, once as pm install guide-shell and again as pm package install guide-shell --project. No package was installed to mask the refusal. The core contracts --summary surface remains an available discovery path. This is separate from the typed validation facts and portable completion scope currently implemented in the sibling items."
+  - created_at: "2026-10-31T01:37:13.954Z"
+    author: "harness:claude-code"
+    text: "Reproduced on current source in an isolated non-git tracker (claim held by agent-a, second claim by agent-b): text 798 bytes, --lean text 813 bytes (larger: --lean landed in attempted_command and provided_fields), --json 1,172, --json --lean 968. The headline was printed twice (Error: and What happened: byte-identical; JSON title === detail), the generic required/why/examples survived --lean, and the holder existed only inside the sentence: PmCliError context carried no claimed_by/claimed_at, so applyPmCliErrorContext had nothing to copy and the JSON envelope exposed no typed holder field."
+  - created_at: "2026-10-31T01:37:14.516Z"
+    author: "harness:claude-code"
+    text: "Fix: (1) the SDK declares the constant refusal boilerplate once (PM_GENERIC_REFUSAL_GUIDANCE, PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS, isGenericRefusal*, projectLeanRecoveryPayload in agent-output-contracts, exported from ./sdk, ./sdk/runtime and ./sdk/contracts) so text and JSON lean projections agree; (2) renderGuidanceMessage takes { lean }: lean text drops the generic requirement, generic why, pm --help examples and the invocation echo while keeping next steps, specific recovery and verifier findings, and the text headline is no longer repeated under What happened when it equals the single-line message (default mode too); (3) projectLeanErrorEnvelope also drops generic required/examples and the recovery echo; (4) claim.ts resolves the holder through the new resolveItemOwnershipConflict and the refusal context carries item_id, claimed_by, claimed_at (latest assignee change from history, null when unavailable) and claim_source (claim|assignment); applyPmCliErrorContext/attachItemDiagnostics project them into GuidanceMessage, the JSON envelope and the classification, and text prints Held by: <holder> (<source> since <time>). After: text 719, --lean text 494, --json 1,299 (+127 bytes of typed holder fields), --json --lean 648; an invalid-value refusal drops 771 -> 602 under --lean. refusal.exit_code stays because refusal is the stable identity consumed by the refusal-closure tooling. Property test: six refusal codes, lean never larger than default (text and JSON) and no non-label line shared by every lean output. Gates: agent-task-token, refusal-closure, docs-skills and static quality pass; the SDK surface snapshot records the context fields and new exports."
+  - created_at: "2026-10-31T08:39:00.736Z"
+    author: "harness:claude-code"
+    text: "Review follow-up on PR #1637 (CodeRabbit, 2026-10-31): three fixes to the lean refusal contract and the typed holder.\n\n1. **Lean JSON kept code-specific `why` out.** `projectLeanErrorEnvelope` destructured `why` away for every envelope, while lean text and the documented contract keep a code-specific rationale. It now drops `why` only when `isGenericRefusalWhy` is true, so `--lean --json` on `already_claimed_by` carries the claim rationale like lean text does.\n2. **Mixed example lists kept the generic `pm --help`.** The all-or-nothing `isGenericRefusalExamples` predicate is replaced by a new SDK helper `withoutGenericRefusalExamples` (exported from `@unbrained/pm-cli/sdk`, `/sdk/contracts`, `/sdk/runtime`) which filters each generic entry; text and JSON lean projections both use it and drop the field only when nothing specific remains. The predicate had no remaining caller and never shipped (absent from main and v2026.10.30), so it is removed from the SDK barrels rather than kept as a dead export.\n3. **Unknown holder origin reported as `assignment`.** When history is unreadable or records no assignee change, `resolveItemOwnershipConflict` now returns `source: \"unknown\"` (and `claim_source: \"unknown\"` on the refusal) instead of claiming an assignment it cannot prove. The prose keeps the `assigned to` wording. The SDK surface snapshot acknowledges the union widening; both types were introduced unreleased on this branch.\n\nCoverage: holder rendering without a recorded time or origin, generic-why removal and per-entry example filtering are asserted in `tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts`; the corrupt-history case in `tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/claim-command.spec.ts` now expects `unknown`."
+    edited_at: "2026-10-31T09:14:59.888Z"
+files[11]{path,scope}:
+  sdk/public-surface.json,project
+  src/cli/error-guidance.ts,project
+  src/cli/main.ts,project
+  src/core/shared/errors.ts,project
+  src/sdk/cli-contracts.ts,project
+  src/sdk/cli-contracts/agent-output-contracts.ts,project
+  src/sdk/index.ts,project
+  src/sdk/lifecycle/claim.ts,project
+  src/sdk/ownership-source.ts,project
+  tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts,project
+  tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/claim-command.spec.ts,project
+tests[1]{command,scope,provenance{author,created_at,source_kind,source_ref}}:
+  node scripts/run-tests.mjs test -- tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/claim-command.spec.ts tests/unit/cli/cli-main-errors.spec.ts,project,"harness:claude-code","2026-10-31T01:37:13.107Z",local_mutation,fix/terminal-noop-and-bounded-next
+test_runs[1]:
+  - run_id: test-local-mvvqn6rk-5yyb21
+    kind: test
+    status: passed
+    started_at: "2026-10-31T01:44:08.961Z"
+    finished_at: "2026-10-31T01:44:25.856Z"
+    recorded_at: "2026-10-31T01:44:25.856Z"
+    passed: 1
+    failed: 0
+    skipped: 0
+    executions[1]{command,requested_pm_context_mode,pm_context_mode,workspace_context_mode,trust_reason}:
+      node scripts/run-tests.mjs test -- tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/claim-command.spec.ts tests/unit/cli/cli-main-errors.spec.ts,schema,schema,source,local_source_ref
+docs[3]{path,scope}:
+  docs/AGENT_GUIDE.md,project
+  docs/AGENT_UX_CONTRACTS.md,project
+  docs/COMMANDS.md,project
+close_reason: Lean refusals drop constant boilerplate and the claim holder is typed
+escape_class: production_defect
+gate_evidence:
+  disposition: gate_added
+  owner: pm-gh1610
+  gate_id: "tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts lean refusals (GH-1610): lean never larger than default across six refusal codes and no constant line shared by every lean output"
+  negative_control: "git stash push src/cli/error-guidance.ts src/cli/main.ts src/sdk/cli-contracts/agent-output-contracts.ts src/sdk/lifecycle/claim.ts src/sdk/ownership-source.ts && node scripts/run-tests.mjs test -- tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts -t \"GH-1610\" ; git stash pop (lean text 813 > default 798 bytes before the fix)"
+  local_checks[4]: node scripts/run-tests.mjs test -- tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/claim-command.spec.ts tests/unit/cli/cli-main-errors.spec.ts,node scripts/release/agent-task-token-gate.mjs,node scripts/release/refusal-closure-gate.mjs,node scripts/release/docs-skills-gate.mjs
+  hosted_checks[2]: CI / Gates (static),CI / Gates (coverage)
 body: ""
diff --git a/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1627.toon b/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1627.toon
index a36858fed..c8d69c594 100644
--- a/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1627.toon
+++ b/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1627.toon
@@ -2,20 +2,61 @@ id: pm-gh1627
 title: "GH-1627: bound the entire next response and compact optional TOON sections losslessly"
 description: "https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/issues/1627\n\nReported behavior on published2026.10.28; current-source reproduction and implementation are pending. Preserve the completed predecessor scope when evaluating this report.\n\nFound while orienting an agent session with pm 2026.10.28 on a real tracker (~400 items, 95 ready).\n\nSeverity: medium (paid on every `pm next`, the first command an agent runs to pick work).\n\n`pm next --limit 5` (TOON, default) prints **6,847 bytes / 72 lines** while its own `filters.token_budget` says **640**. `--token-budget` is documented as bounding only \"the ranked ready\" rows; every other section is unbudgeted and the total cost is never reported. Measured bytes by section:\n\n| Section | Bytes |\n| --- | ---: |\n| `blocked[5]` | 1,821 |\n| `containers[5]` | 1,469 |\n| `ready[5]` (the budgeted part) | 1,331 |\n| `decision_needed[3]` | 947 |\n| `recommended` | 397 |\n| `summary` + `filters` + `held_by_others` + four `*_encoding` blocks | ~780 |\n\nThree avoidable costs inside that:\n\n1. **Side sections ignore the budget and the include flags.** `filters` reports `include_decisions: false` and `include_containers: false`, yet `decision_needed[3]` and `containers[5]` are printed in full (15–18 columns each). Agents read the false flags and the printed sections as a contradiction.\n2. **Escaped tag JSON in TOON rows.** 162 `\\\"` sequences, e.g. `\"[\\\"hosted\\\",\\\"tests\\\",\\\"website\\\"]\"`, plus a `json_columns` `*_encoding` block per section. #1603 removed this from `pm context`; `pm next` still has it.\n3. **All-null columns.** 63 `,null` cells (`order`, `deadline`, `assignee`, `parent` are null in almost every row) across the four tables.\n\nExpected (same contract #1401 gave `pm context`): one budget covers the whole response, or the response reports its own total `estimated_tokens` with a per-section breakdown. Side sections collapse to counts plus ids unless explicitly requested (`--include-decisions` / `--include-containers` / `--blocked-limit`). Tags render as TOON arrays, and columns that are null in every row are omitted with an absent-columns receipt. A contract test that `pm next` output stays within `--token-budget` (± a declared envelope) on a large fixture would keep this from regressing.\n"
 type: Issue
-status: open
+status: closed
 priority: 2
 tags[3]: agent-ux,github,sdk
 created_at: "2026-10-29T20:35:41.836Z"
-updated_at: "2026-10-29T20:35:41.836Z"
+updated_at: "2026-10-31T08:39:03.580Z"
+closed_at: "2026-10-31T01:51:58.329Z"
+completed_at: "2026-10-31T01:51:58.329Z"
 author: "harness:codex"
 estimated_minutes: 180
 acceptance_criteria: Independently measure the reported large ready-work fixture; Account for every response section and total output cost; Honor explicit side-section includes and preserve resumability; Verify lossless tag encoding null-column receipts and JSON/TOON contracts
 parent: pm-5t33or
 risk: medium
 confidence: medium
+resolution: "The TOON codec records omitted null columns by position (null_column_index) instead of repeating the full column list, so the compact table wins for ready and containers and every pm next section list-encodes tags. --token-budget on next is no longer a read-output cost alias, so the universal default ceiling keeps binding the complete response; requesting a selection budget audits the whole envelope (read_output with budget_source default, budget_tokens and estimated_tokens beside truncation.ready_budget) unless an enforced intent receipt already discloses it; filters.token_budget echoes the requested selection ceiling or null. SDK surface snapshot acknowledges NextResult.filters.token_budget (number|null) and PmTableCellEncoding.null_column_index; docs/COMMANDS.md and docs/AGENT_OUTPUT_ENCODINGS.md describe the two budget scopes."
 expected_result: "The complete next response discloses and obeys its effective budget, respects include controls, and preserves tags/null omission receipts without changing full SDK data."
+actual_result: "Measured on the real tracker (229 open, 112 ready): pm next --limit 5 TOON 9,148 -> 8,718 bytes, escaped-quote sequences 182 -> 76 (the remainder is the blockers object column on blocked/containers rows), null cells 30 -> 15, all four sections list-encode tags; --token-budget 640 --json now carries read_output {budget_source: default, budget_tokens: 6000, estimated_tokens: 4119, within_budget: true} and filters.token_budget 640; the default run reports token_budget null and no receipt. Include flags remain dispatch opt-ins, documented as such. Token-budget gate (32 surfaces), context-intent calibration, flag-lexicon/parity/grammar gates and the linked test run pass; negative control fails 3 of 3 new tests before the fix."
 dependencies[1]{id,kind,created_at,author,source_kind,author_source}:
   pm-gh1603,related,"2026-10-29T20:35:41.836Z","harness:codex","cli:create:dep",detected
-comments[1]{created_at,author,text}:
+comments[4]{created_at,author,text}:
   "2026-10-29T20:35:41.836Z","harness:codex","Duplicate check: complete strict all-status corpus3157 with no omissions or unreadable records, request-specific GH-number and semantic searches, current open/in_progress inventories, and full live predecessor data/comments/history. The predecessor scope is delivered; this report names a distinct boundary. New intake is open and unclaimed. Source report: https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/issues/1627"
+  "2026-10-31T00:44:50.340Z","harness:claude-code","Independent measurement on current source (229 open items, 112 ready) before the fix: pm next --limit 5 TOON 9,148 bytes / 83 lines, 182 escaped-quote sequences, 30 null cells, 4 *_encoding blocks; filters.token_budget reported 640 while nothing enforced it and no read_output receipt was emitted. --token-budget 640 trimmed only recommended+ready (ready_budget estimated 628 within_budget true) and the response stayed 8,879 bytes: the legacy cost alias replaced the universal default ceiling (4000 TOON / 6000 JSON) and resolveBindingReadOutputBudget ignores legacy cost outside context, so the whole-response ceiling was removed rather than applied. The canonical --output-budget 640 omitted the entire result (requested_budget_infeasible; floor of one row per collection + envelope = 1,251 tokens). Codec probe: the compact table candidate lost for ready (1,634 vs 1,592 bytes) and containers (1,805 vs 1,767) only because omitting one all-null column emitted a 15-name column_order list, so those sections fell back to escaped tag JSON; decision_needed and blocked already used list columns."
+  "2026-10-31T00:44:50.845Z","harness:claude-code","Fix: (1) PmTableCellEncoding emits null_column_index (original position per omitted null column) instead of the full column_order list; decoders still accept legacy column_order. (2) --token-budget is no longer a read-output cost alias for next, so the universal default ceiling keeps binding the complete response. (3) A requested selection budget always audits the complete envelope: read_output now reports budget_source default, budget_tokens and estimated_tokens beside truncation.ready_budget; an enforced --for intent receipt suppresses the duplicate audit. (4) filters.token_budget is the requested selection ceiling or null. After the fix on the same tracker: TOON default 8,718 bytes (-430), escaped quotes 76 (-106; the remainder is the blockers object column on blocked/containers rows), null cells 15, every section list-encodes tags; pm next --limit 5 --token-budget 640 --json carries read_output {budget_source: default, budget_tokens: 6000, estimated_tokens: 4119, within_budget: true} and filters.token_budget 640; the default run reports token_budget null and no receipt. Gates: token-budget gate (32 surfaces) and context-intent calibration pass; SDK surface snapshot updated with an acknowledgement for NextResult.filters.token_budget (number|null) and the new codec field. Negative control: with the four source files stashed the three new tests fail (expected 640 to be null; null_column_index undefined; legacy order b,a,c)."
+  "2026-10-31T08:39:03.580Z","harness:claude-code","Hosted coverage on PR #1637 found two branches only reached through spawned CLI processes (not instrumented): `requiresNextSelectionBudgetAudit` past its command and budget guards, and the null-column restore for columns without a recorded position. Both now have in-process tests: `tests/unit/sdk/read-output-contracts.spec.ts` asserts the audit for `tokenBudget` and the snake-case `token_budget` spelling, no audit without a selection budget, and suppression when an enforced intent receipt already discloses the cost; `tests/unit/sdk/output/table-rows.spec.ts` decodes a partial `null_column_index` and a legacy encoding with neither positions nor `column_order`.\n"
+files[7]{path,scope}:
+  sdk/public-surface.json,project
+  src/sdk/output/table-rows.ts,project
+  src/sdk/query/next.ts,project
+  src/sdk/read-output-contracts.ts,project
+  src/sdk/read-output/surfaces.ts,project
+  tests/unit/commands/query/next-command.spec.ts,project
+  tests/unit/sdk/output/table-rows.spec.ts,project
+tests[1]{command,scope,provenance{author,created_at,source_kind,source_ref}}:
+  node scripts/run-tests.mjs test -- tests/unit/commands/query/next-command.spec.ts tests/unit/sdk/output/table-rows.spec.ts tests/unit/sdk/read-output-contracts.spec.ts,project,"harness:claude-code","2026-10-31T00:44:49.705Z",local_mutation,fix/terminal-noop-and-bounded-next
+test_runs[1]:
+  - run_id: test-local-mvvqmtbo-77p7fp
+    kind: test
+    status: passed
+    started_at: "2026-10-31T01:43:56.646Z"
+    finished_at: "2026-10-31T01:44:08.436Z"
+    recorded_at: "2026-10-31T01:44:08.436Z"
+    passed: 1
+    failed: 0
+    skipped: 0
+    executions[1]{command,requested_pm_context_mode,pm_context_mode,workspace_context_mode,trust_reason}:
+      node scripts/run-tests.mjs test -- tests/unit/commands/query/next-command.spec.ts tests/unit/sdk/output/table-rows.spec.ts tests/unit/sdk/read-output-contracts.spec.ts,schema,schema,source,local_source_ref
+docs[2]{path,scope}:
+  docs/AGENT_OUTPUT_ENCODINGS.md,project
+  docs/COMMANDS.md,project
+close_reason: pm next discloses and obeys its budgets and encodes tags losslessly
+escape_class: production_defect
+gate_evidence:
+  disposition: gate_strengthened
+  owner: pm-gh1627
+  gate_id: tests/unit/commands/query/next-command.spec.ts selection budget audit (GH-1627) + tests/unit/sdk/output/table-rows.spec.ts null_column_index
+  negative_control: "git stash push src/sdk/output/table-rows.ts src/sdk/read-output/surfaces.ts src/sdk/read-output-contracts.ts src/sdk/query/next.ts && node scripts/run-tests.mjs test -- tests/unit/commands/query/next-command.spec.ts tests/unit/sdk/output/table-rows.spec.ts -t \"GH-1627|legacy column_order\"; git stash pop (3 fail before the fix)"
+  local_checks[4]: node scripts/run-tests.mjs test -- tests/unit/commands/query/next-command.spec.ts tests/unit/sdk/output/table-rows.spec.ts tests/unit/sdk/read-output-contracts.spec.ts,node scripts/release/token-budget-gate.mjs,node scripts/release/context-intent-calibration-gate.mjs,node scripts/sdk-surface-snapshot.mjs --check
+  hosted_checks[2]: CI / Gates (static),CI / Gates (coverage)
 body: ""
diff --git a/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1628.toon b/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1628.toon
index 3a79dd558..e05d43005 100644
--- a/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1628.toon
+++ b/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1628.toon
@@ -2,21 +2,59 @@ id: pm-gh1628
 title: "GH-1628: preserve terminal timestamps for identical forced SDK updates"
 description: "https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/issues/1628\n\nReported behavior on published2026.10.28; current-source reproduction and implementation are pending. Preserve the completed predecessor scope when evaluating this report.\n\nWith `@unbrained/pm-cli@2026.10.28`, updating an already closed item with the same title, status and close reason and `force: true` changes both `closed_at` and `updated_at`. The same operation on an open item is a no-op. The behavior also occurs through `commitItemMutations`, independently of pm-github.\n\nThis makes retries change the recorded closure time. An importer that restores the source closure time afterwards can leave only `updated_at` changed, causing daily repeat-import verification to fail.\n\nReproduction in a fresh non-git directory with the package installed:\n\n```js\nimport { mkdtempSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs';\nimport { tmpdir } from 'node:os';\nimport { join } from 'node:path';\nimport { execFileSync } from 'node:child_process';\nimport { create, update, get } from '@unbrained/pm-cli/sdk';\nconst root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'sdk-noop-'));\ntry {\n  execFileSync('pm', ['--path', root, 'init', 'fixture']);\n  const options = { pmRoot: root, noExtensions: true };\n  const { item } = await create({ title: 'Synthetic issue', type: 'Issue',\n    status: 'closed', closeReason: 'Synthetic closure' }, options);\n  const before = (await get(item.id, {}, options)).item;\n  await update(item.id, { title: before.title, status: before.status,\n    closeReason: before.close_reason, force: true }, options);\n  const after = (await get(item.id, {}, options)).item;\n  console.log({ closureChanged: before.closed_at !== after.closed_at,\n    clockChanged: before.updated_at !== after.updated_at });\n  // Observed: { closureChanged: true, clockChanged: true }\n} finally { rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true }); }\n```\n\nExpected: applying identical normalized fields to an item already in the requested terminal status preserves its closure timestamp and mutation clock. Force should permit a required transition without creating a new closure when no transition is needed.\n\nThe package-side fix will independently compare normalized desired fields before invoking either update path, including mixed batches. Duplicate searches covered `updated_at no-op`, `force closed update`, `closed_at force`, `terminal idempotent` and `updated_at unchanged`; #597 concerns a different empty-append operation.\n"
 type: Issue
-status: open
+status: closed
 priority: 2
 tags[3]: agent-ux,github,sdk
 created_at: "2026-10-29T20:35:42.930Z"
-updated_at: "2026-10-29T20:35:42.930Z"
+updated_at: "2026-10-31T08:38:58.578Z"
+closed_at: "2026-10-31T01:44:54.751Z"
+completed_at: "2026-10-31T01:44:54.751Z"
 author: "harness:codex"
 estimated_minutes: 120
 acceptance_criteria: Reproduce direct SDK update and commitItemMutations in isolated non-Git trackers; Preserve both closure and mutation clocks for semantic no-ops; Retain legitimate terminal transitions and required force/ownership protection; Cover mixed batches retry idempotency and no-write negatives
 parent: pm-doxj
 risk: high
 confidence: medium
-expected_result: A forced identical normalized update of an already terminal item preserves closure time mutation time and audit history across direct SDK and transaction paths.
+resolution: "routeCloseStatusUpdate reads the stored item and, when the requested close status, trimmed reason and completed_at already describe it, applies only the remaining fields through the ordinary skipNoop update path and reports terminal_state_unchanged; a bare identical update returns changed_fields [] without --force. A different reason stays a repeat closure routed to runClose behind the existing force gate. The helpers live in src/sdk/lifecycle/repeated-terminal-state.ts; commitItemMutations reuses update() so transactions inherit the fix."
+expected_result: "A forced identical normalized update of an already terminal item preserves closure time, mutation time and audit history across direct SDK and transaction paths."
+actual_result: "Reproduction against the built SDK: before the fix closureChanged=true/clockChanged=true, after the fix both false while the open-item control stays a no-op. Four update-command tests (forced identical, unforced identical with padded reason, other fields applied without re-stamping closed_at, different reason still routed) and one mixed-batch commitItemMutations retry test pass; with update.ts stashed three of the four fail. Linked test run recorded; docs/COMMANDS.md documents the receipt."
 dependencies[2]{id,kind,created_at,author,source_kind,author_source}:
   pm-45mb,related,"2026-10-29T20:35:42.930Z","harness:codex","cli:create:dep",detected
   pm-gh1597,related,"2026-10-29T20:35:42.930Z","harness:codex","cli:create:dep",detected
-comments[1]{created_at,author,text}:
+comments[4]{created_at,author,text}:
   "2026-10-29T20:35:42.930Z","harness:codex","Duplicate check: complete strict all-status corpus3157 with no omissions or unreadable records, request-specific GH-number and semantic searches, current open/in_progress inventories, and full live predecessor data/comments/history. The predecessor scope is delivered; this report names a distinct boundary. New intake is open and unclaimed. Source report: https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/issues/1628"
+  "2026-10-31T00:26:34.405Z","harness:claude-code","Reproduced on current source (branch base 1a72d089d, built SDK): create closed item, then update(id, {title, status: closed, closeReason: same, force: true}) -> closureChanged=true, clockChanged=true (closed_at 00:17:26.978Z -> 00:17:27.105Z, updated_at -> 00:17:27.110Z). Open-item control with an identical payload: clockChanged=false. Root cause: routeCloseStatusUpdate in src/sdk/lifecycle/update.ts sends any update naming the close status to runClose without checking whether the item is already closed; mutateCloseMetadata then re-stamps closed_at unconditionally and closeItem passes no skipNoop, so item-store stamps updated_at. commitItemMutations reuses update(), so the transaction path shares the defect; update-many already compared before routing and was unaffected."
+  "2026-10-31T00:26:34.927Z","harness:claude-code","Fix: routeCloseStatusUpdate now reads the stored item and, when the requested close status, trimmed reason and completed_at already describe it, applies only the remaining fields through the ordinary update path (skipNoop) and reports terminal_state_unchanged; a bare identical update returns changed_fields [] without force. A different reason remains a repeat closure routed to runClose with the existing force gate. After the fix the same repro reports closureChanged=false, clockChanged=false. Negative control: with src/sdk/lifecycle/update.ts stashed, 3 of the 4 new update-command tests fail (changed_fields [status, closed_at, close_reason] vs []); the fourth guards the preserved repeat-closure behaviour and passes both ways. Mixed-batch retry test on commitItemMutations keeps closed_at/updated_at byte-identical across two commits."
+  "2026-10-31T08:38:58.578Z","harness:claude-code","Review follow-up on PR #1637 (CodeRabbit, 2026-10-31): two correctness gaps in the repeated-terminal-state no-op path, both fixed with regression tests.\n\n1. **Blank reason under required-reason governance.** `describesCurrentTerminalState` normalized a whitespace-only `--close-reason` to \"absent\", so with `governance.require_close_reason` enabled an already-closed item answered `terminal_state_unchanged` while the same blank reason on an open item is refused with `close_reason_required`. The predicate now takes `requireCloseReason` and returns false for a supplied-but-blank reason only when a reason is required, so the close route refuses it. With the reason optional the blank value stays a no-op (routing it would re-stamp `closed_at`, the defect this item fixed).\n2. **Concurrent reopen between classification and the field write.** The classification read holds no item lock. If another writer reopened the item before the title-only retry, the retry dropped `status` and the request reported `terminal_state_unchanged` on an open item. `applyRepeatedTerminalStateUpdate` now checks the status the locked write returned and hands a reopened item to the closure writer (`closeRoutedItem`, the same helper the ordinary route now shares), so the request is never silently downgraded.\n\nAlso covered: a changed `--completed-at` is a closure and its exact repeat a no-op; a routed close for a missing id refuses with the shared not-found guidance. `docs/COMMANDS.md` now states that other requested fields move `updated_at` and write history only when they change a stored value.\n\nEvidence: `tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/update-command.spec.ts` (GH-1628 block, 8 cases) and module coverage 100% lines/branches for `src/sdk/lifecycle/repeated-terminal-state.ts`.\n"
+files[5]{path,scope}:
+  docs/COMMANDS.md,project
+  src/sdk/lifecycle/repeated-terminal-state.ts,project
+  src/sdk/lifecycle/update.ts,project
+  tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/update-command.spec.ts,project
+  tests/unit/sdk/item-transaction.spec.ts,project
+tests[1]{command,scope,provenance{author,created_at,source_kind,source_ref}}:
+  node scripts/run-tests.mjs test -- tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/update-command.spec.ts tests/unit/sdk/item-transaction.spec.ts,project,"harness:claude-code","2026-10-31T00:26:21.616Z",local_mutation,fix/terminal-noop-and-bounded-next
+test_runs[1]:
+  - run_id: test-local-mvvqmjum-zqw7jf
+    kind: test
+    status: passed
+    started_at: "2026-10-31T01:43:38.379Z"
+    finished_at: "2026-10-31T01:43:56.158Z"
+    recorded_at: "2026-10-31T01:43:56.158Z"
+    passed: 1
+    failed: 0
+    skipped: 0
+    executions[1]{command,requested_pm_context_mode,pm_context_mode,workspace_context_mode,trust_reason}:
+      node scripts/run-tests.mjs test -- tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/update-command.spec.ts tests/unit/sdk/item-transaction.spec.ts,schema,schema,source,local_source_ref
+docs[1]{path,scope}:
+  docs/COMMANDS.md,project
+close_reason: Identical terminal updates no longer re-stamp closure clocks
+escape_class: production_defect
+gate_evidence:
+  disposition: gate_added
+  owner: pm-gh1628
+  gate_id: tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/update-command.spec.ts repeated terminal state updates (GH-1628)
+  negative_control: git stash push src/sdk/lifecycle/update.ts src/sdk/lifecycle/repeated-terminal-state.ts && node scripts/run-tests.mjs test -- tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/update-command.spec.ts -t GH-1628; git stash pop (3 of 4 fail before the fix)
+  local_checks[2]: node scripts/run-tests.mjs test -- tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/update-command.spec.ts tests/unit/sdk/item-transaction.spec.ts,node --import tsx scripts/release/static-quality-gate.mts
+  hosted_checks[2]: CI / Gates (static),CI / Gates (coverage)
 body: ""
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 05dab390b..4184566bc 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@
 - GH-1602: keep preflight warnings inside JSON error envelopes ([pm-gh1602](https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/blob/main/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1602.toon))
 - Bound independent native receipt regression cases ([pm-native-index-proof](https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/blob/main/.agents/pm/issues/pm-native-index-proof.toon))
 - GH-1558: Settle Windows generation-fixture rename rejections without weakening lock assertions ([pm-gh1558](https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/blob/main/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1558.toon))
+- GH-1610: compact lean refusals and expose structured claim context ([pm-gh1610](https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/blob/main/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1610.toon))
+- GH-1627: bound the entire next response and compact optional TOON sections losslessly ([pm-gh1627](https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/blob/main/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1627.toon))
+- GH-1628: preserve terminal timestamps for identical forced SDK updates ([pm-gh1628](https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/blob/main/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1628.toon))
 - Pull-request CI requests 33 hosted-runner jobs per push against the account's 20-job concurrency cap, so required checks wait hours before they start ([pm-m6ig79](https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/blob/main/.agents/pm/issues/pm-m6ig79.toon))
 - Text refusals drop the specific What happened detail when an echoed argv overflows the diagnostic ceiling ([pm-4oc353](https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/blob/main/.agents/pm/issues/pm-4oc353.toon))
 - GH-1622: investigate pm-presets SDK-loading fault blocking daily release ([pm-gh1622](https://github.com/unbraind/pm-cli/blob/main/.agents/pm/issues/pm-gh1622.toon))
diff --git a/docs/AGENT_GUIDE.md b/docs/AGENT_GUIDE.md
index 2aff7e66a..46d680e7e 100644
--- a/docs/AGENT_GUIDE.md
+++ b/docs/AGENT_GUIDE.md
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ Use the canonical [guide topic map](README.md#guide-topic-map) when local in-CLI
 ## Ownership Rules
 
 - Claim before heavy edits.
-- `pm claim <id>` is an atomic test-and-set. A non-terminal item already held by a different principal refuses with `already_claimed_by`; the same principal re-claiming is a no-op.
+- `pm claim <id>` is an atomic test-and-set. A non-terminal item already held by a different principal refuses with `already_claimed_by` and names the holder in typed fields (`claimed_by`, `claim_source`, `claimed_at`); the same principal re-claiming is a no-op.
 - Pass `--if-available` to treat a held item as a skip (`skipped: true`, exit 0) instead of a failure, for example when several agents pull from one queue. The terminal check runs first, so a terminal item still refuses without `--force` even when `--if-available` is set.
 - Use `--force` only for a coordinated takeover of another owner's claim; it is also required to claim terminal items, and to override stale locks when the `governance.force_required_for_stale_lock` policy is enabled (the `minimal` and custom governance presets can disable it). Never force a takeover without explicit approval.
 - Release when pausing, handing off, or after close.
diff --git a/docs/AGENT_OUTPUT_ENCODINGS.md b/docs/AGENT_OUTPUT_ENCODINGS.md
index 8160d000c..2b6135f0f 100644
--- a/docs/AGENT_OUTPUT_ENCODINGS.md
+++ b/docs/AGENT_OUTPUT_ENCODINGS.md
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ including scalar cells, so strings that resemble JSON remain distinguishable.
 `absent` contains `[row_index, column_name]` pairs for missing fields. Null padding
 does not imply an explicit null in the original object. Column order follows
 first occurrence; row order, ranking, identities, and nested facts are preserved.
+A compact candidate omits columns that are null in every row and names them in
+`null_columns`; `null_column_index` records each omitted column's original
+position, so restoration is exact without repeating the full column list
+(decoders still accept the legacy `column_order`).
 A producer-owned `<collection>_encoding` field prevents this transformation.
 
 Package authors can use `encodePmTableRows` and `decodePmTableRows` from
@@ -117,3 +121,11 @@ answer returns an explicit omission receipt and recovery; it does not pretend
 that omitted work is an empty population. Use `--output-budget unbounded` to
 request the complete result. Markdown, NDJSON, and other command-specific
 streaming budgets remain separate contracts.
+
+`pm next --token-budget` is a selection ceiling for `recommended` and `ready`,
+not a response cost: it never replaces the universal ceiling, and requesting it
+audits the complete envelope under that ceiling, so `read_output` discloses
+`budget_source: default`, `budget_tokens`, and the measured `estimated_tokens`
+beside `truncation.ready_budget`. `filters.token_budget` is `null` unless a
+selection budget was requested. An enforced `--for` intent receipt already
+discloses the whole-response cost and suppresses the duplicate audit.
diff --git a/docs/AGENT_UX_CONTRACTS.md b/docs/AGENT_UX_CONTRACTS.md
index 726bacf9e..5517238bb 100644
--- a/docs/AGENT_UX_CONTRACTS.md
+++ b/docs/AGENT_UX_CONTRACTS.md
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ Claim conflicts distinguish stored assignment from an explicit claim:
 - `claimed by <identity>` means the latest ownership mutation was `pm claim`.
 
 The structured conflict code remains `already_claimed_by` for compatibility with atomic claim retry loops.
+The refusal also carries the holder as typed fields (`claimed_by`, `claim_source`, `claimed_at`) in the error context, the JSON envelope and the public SDK `PmCliErrorContext`, so a retry loop can decide to wait, skip or coordinate without parsing the sentence; `resolveItemOwnershipConflict` exposes the same evidence to packages.
 
 ## Input and tracker recovery
 
diff --git a/docs/COMMANDS.md b/docs/COMMANDS.md
index 0af2d5572..24a13dbcb 100644
--- a/docs/COMMANDS.md
+++ b/docs/COMMANDS.md
@@ -169,6 +169,18 @@ pm next --parent pm-epic01              # scope readiness to one epic's subtree
 pm next --ready-only --limit 3 --json   # tightest agent-loop projection
 ```
 
+`pm next` has two budgets with different scopes. `--token-budget <n>` bounds
+only the selection (`recommended` plus `ready`) and reports it under
+`truncation.ready_budget`; `filters.token_budget` echoes that request and is
+`null` when none was made. The complete response, including `decision_needed`,
+`containers`, `blocked` and `held_by_others`, is bounded by the universal
+output budget (`--output-budget`, default ceiling of the read class) and
+disclosed by the `read_output` receipt, which a selection budget now always
+triggers so the total cost and the ceiling that bound it are visible. Use
+`--token-accounting` for per-section bytes. Companion sections are not
+visibility toggles: `--include-decisions`, `--include-gates` and
+`--include-containers` move those rows into the claimable `ready` queue.
+
 Use `context` first for a compact active-work snapshot. Use `search` when the request names a concept, component, or prior issue.
 Use `duplicates --status all` for a true whole-history duplicate check. The
 result echoes `filters.statuses: null` for the unrestricted corpus; named or
@@ -645,9 +657,20 @@ pm --id-only create "Probe item"             # output is only id + status
 
 For strict JSON consumers, the global `--lean` flag recursively omits null,
 undefined, empty-array, and empty-object noise while preserving meaningful
-false/zero/empty-string values. On usage failures it keeps only actionable
-error fields (`type`, `code`, `detail`, `exit_code`, examples, next steps, and
-recovery), reducing retry context without hiding the deterministic fix:
+false/zero/empty-string values. On refusals it keeps only the fields that
+change the next action: `type`, `code`, `detail`, `exit_code`, `next_steps`,
+code-specific `required`/`examples`/`why`, specific recovery
+(`suggested_retry`, `missing`, `allowed_values`, `next_best_command`) and
+typed evidence such as the holder fields below. The generic requirement, the
+`pm --help` examples and the invocation echo (`attempted_command`,
+`normalized_args`, `provided_fields`) are dropped, in text as well as JSON,
+so a lean refusal is never larger than its default rendering (GH-1610). Text
+refusals print a single-line message once, as the headline, and repeat it
+under `What happened` only when the headline is a classification.
+An `already_claimed_by` refusal carries the holder as typed fields in every
+mode: `claimed_by`, `claim_source` (`claim` or `assignment`) and
+`claimed_at` (the latest assignee change, or `null` when history is silent);
+text output renders them as `Held by: <holder> (<source> since <time>)`.
 
 ```bash
 pm --json --lean get pm-a1b2
@@ -861,6 +884,19 @@ Template-defined custom type options accept string, number, and boolean defaults
 Tracker reference: [pm-l6rz](../.agents/pm/issues/pm-l6rz.toon).
 
 Use `pm close <id> "<reason>"` instead of `pm update --status closed`.
+An update that still names the close status routes through `pm close` and
+reports `auto_routed_from_update_to_close`. When the item is already closed
+with the same reason (and the same `--completed-at`, if given), the update is
+not a transition: it keeps `closed_at`, writes no closure history, and reports
+`terminal_state_unchanged` instead, even with `--force` (GH-1628). Any other
+requested fields take the ordinary update path: `updated_at` moves and a
+history entry is written only when one of them changes a stored value, so a
+request whose every field already matches leaves the item untouched. A
+different reason is a repeat closure, which still needs `--force`. A blank
+reason while `governance.require_close_reason` is enabled goes to the close
+route, which refuses it exactly as it would on an open item. If another writer
+reopens the item before the other fields are written, the request is closed
+through `pm close` as usual.
 
 ## Lifecycle Aliases
 
diff --git a/sdk/public-surface.json b/sdk/public-surface.json
index 030a5db2f..91cdf8d81 100644
--- a/sdk/public-surface.json
+++ b/sdk/public-surface.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "aggregate_completeness": {
-    "covered_symbols": 2027,
+    "covered_symbols": 2033,
     "excluded": [
       {
         "name": "_testOnlyCliContracts",
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
       }
     ],
     "missing": [],
-    "required_symbols": 2028
+    "required_symbols": 2034
   },
   "breaking_acknowledgements": [
     {
@@ -2910,6 +2910,53 @@
       ],
       "package_version": "2026.10.28",
       "reason": "pm-gh1630: TestResult gains the optional tests_omitted receipt; a selector-narrowed run now lists only its selected tests while count, selection and pm test --list keep the full collection"
+    },
+    {
+      "changes": [
+        "signature ./sdk:NextResult",
+        "signature ./sdk:PmTableCellEncoding",
+        "signature ./sdk/core:NextResult",
+        "signature ./sdk/query:NextResult",
+        "signature ./sdk/runtime:NextResult"
+      ],
+      "package_version": "2026.10.30",
+      "reason": "GH-1627 (pm-gh1627): NextResult.filters.token_budget is null unless a selection budget was requested; PmTableCellEncoding gains null_column_index and keeps column_order as a legacy decode input."
+    },
+    {
+      "changes": [
+        "signature ./sdk:PmCliErrorContext"
+      ],
+      "package_version": "2026.10.30",
+      "reason": "GH-1610 (pm-gh1610) and GH-1628 (pm-gh1628): PmCliErrorContext gains claimed_by/claimed_at/claim_source holder evidence; the SDK exports resolveItemOwnershipConflict, ItemOwnershipConflict, the shared lean refusal boilerplate declaration (PM_GENERIC_REFUSAL_GUIDANCE, PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS, isGenericRefusal*, projectLeanRecoveryPayload); CloseRouteContext is exported for the repeated-terminal-state module."
+    },
+    {
+      "changes": [
+        "signature ./sdk:isGenericRefusalExamples",
+        "signature ./sdk:isGenericRefusalRequired",
+        "signature ./sdk:isGenericRefusalWhy",
+        "signature ./sdk:PM_GENERIC_REFUSAL_GUIDANCE",
+        "signature ./sdk:PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS",
+        "signature ./sdk:projectLeanRecoveryPayload"
+      ],
+      "package_version": "2026.10.30",
+      "reason": "GH-1610 (pm-gh1610): projectLeanRecoveryPayload and the other shared lean refusal helpers are now reachable from the aggregate ./sdk entrypoint as well as ./sdk/runtime and ./sdk/contracts."
+    },
+    {
+      "changes": [
+        "signature ./sdk:ItemOwnershipConflict",
+        "signature ./sdk:PmCliErrorContext"
+      ],
+      "package_version": "2026.10.30",
+      "reason": "claim_source gains an explicit unknown origin (GH-1610 review); ItemOwnershipConflict.source and PmCliErrorContext.claim_source were introduced unreleased on this branch"
+    },
+    {
+      "changes": [
+        "symbol ./sdk:isGenericRefusalExamples removed",
+        "symbol ./sdk/contracts:isGenericRefusalExamples removed",
+        "symbol ./sdk/runtime:isGenericRefusalExamples removed"
+      ],
+      "package_version": "2026.10.30",
+      "reason": "isGenericRefusalExamples was introduced unreleased on this stack (absent from main and v2026.10.30) and is superseded by withoutGenericRefusalExamples, which filters per entry"
     }
   ],
   "entrypoints": {
@@ -10548,6 +10595,18 @@
           "name": "isFileMissingError",
           "signature": "(error: unknown) => boolean | calls: (error: unknown) => boolean"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "function",
+          "name": "isGenericRefusalRequired",
+          "signature": "(value: string | undefined) => boolean | calls: (value: string | undefined) => boolean"
+        },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "function",
+          "name": "isGenericRefusalWhy",
+          "signature": "(value: string | undefined) => boolean | calls: (value: string | undefined) => boolean"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "advanced_export",
           "kind": "function",
@@ -10908,6 +10967,12 @@
           "name": "ItemMutationUpsertOptions",
           "signature": "export interface ItemMutationUpsertOptions { key: string; existing: readonly ItemMutationUpsertCandidate[]; }"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "advanced_export",
+          "kind": "interface",
+          "name": "ItemOwnershipConflict",
+          "signature": "export interface ItemOwnershipConflict { phrase: string; holder: string; source: \"claim\" | \"assignment\" | \"unknown\"; since: string | null; }"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "supported",
           "kind": "type",
@@ -12016,7 +12081,7 @@
           "classification": "supported",
           "kind": "interface",
           "name": "NextResult",
-          "signature": "export interface NextResult { output_default: \"toon\"; now: string; recommended: NextRecommendation | null; ready: NextActionableItem[]; decision_needed: NextActionableItem[]; gate_needed?: NextActionableItem[]; containers?: NextActionableItem[]; blocked: NextActionableItem[]; held_by_others: Array<{ id: string; assignee: string; }>; summary: NextSummary; filters: { type: string | null; tag: string | null; priority: string | number | null; assignee: string | null; assignee_filter: string | null; sprint: string | null; release: string | null; parent: string | null; limit: number; blocked_limit: number; ready_only: boolean; include_decisions: boolean; include_gates?: boolean; include_containers?: boolean; token_budget: number; }; suggestions?: string[]; warnings?: string[]; ranking?: ContextRankingSummary; packing?: ContextPackingSummary; truncation?: { ready_total?: number; ready_budget?: NextReadyBudgetReceipt; decision_needed_total?: number; held_by_others_total?: number; gate_needed_total?: number; containers_total?: number; }; }"
+          "signature": "export interface NextResult { output_default: \"toon\"; now: string; recommended: NextRecommendation | null; ready: NextActionableItem[]; decision_needed: NextActionableItem[]; gate_needed?: NextActionableItem[]; containers?: NextActionableItem[]; blocked: NextActionableItem[]; held_by_others: Array<{ id: string; assignee: string; }>; summary: NextSummary; filters: { type: string | null; tag: string | null; priority: string | number | null; assignee: string | null; assignee_filter: string | null; sprint: string | null; release: string | null; parent: string | null; limit: number; blocked_limit: number; ready_only: boolean; include_decisions: boolean; include_gates?: boolean; include_containers?: boolean; token_budget: number | null; }; suggestions?: string[]; warnings?: string[]; ranking?: ContextRankingSummary; packing?: ContextPackingSummary; truncation?: { ready_total?: number; ready_budget?: NextReadyBudgetReceipt; decision_needed_total?: number; held_by_others_total?: number; gate_needed_total?: number; containers_total?: number; }; }"
         },
         {
           "classification": "supported",
@@ -13458,6 +13523,12 @@
           "name": "PM_EXTENSION_TRUST_MODE_CONTRACTS",
           "signature": "readonly [\"off\", \"warn\", \"enforce\"]"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "value",
+          "name": "PM_GENERIC_REFUSAL_GUIDANCE",
+          "signature": "Readonly<{ required: \"Adjust command input or tracker state and retry.\"; why: readonly string[]; examples: readonly string[]; }>"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "supported",
           "kind": "value",
@@ -13830,6 +13901,12 @@
           "name": "PM_READ_ROW_JQ_SELECTOR",
           "signature": "\".row_contract.row_keys[] as $key | getpath($key | split(\\\".\\\")) | if type == \\\"array\\\" then .[] else if type == \\\"object\\\" then to_entries[] else empty end end\""
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "value",
+          "name": "PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS",
+          "signature": "readonly [\"attempted_command\", \"normalized_args\", \"provided_fields\"]"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "advanced_export",
           "kind": "value",
@@ -14068,7 +14145,7 @@
           "classification": "advanced_export",
           "kind": "interface",
           "name": "PmCliErrorContext",
-          "signature": "export interface PmCliErrorContext { side_effects?: Array<{ path: string; op: string; record_hash?: string; }>; changed?: false; code?: string; original_code?: string; id?: string; path?: string; item_id?: string; transaction_operation?: { index: number; op: string; id: string; }; preview_storage?: { storage_area: string; relative_entry?: string; entry_redacted: boolean; }; tombstone?: { deleted: true; deleted_at: string; recoverable: boolean; last_materialized_version: number | null; }; policy_violations?: Array<{ policy_id: string; rule: string; description?: string; missing_fields: string[]; }>; policy_violation_count?: number; item_path?: string; paths?: string[]; byte_length?: number; empty?: boolean; reason?: string; field?: string; allowed?: string[]; history_merge?: { branch: \"ours\" | \"theirs\"; line: number; op: string; patch_index: number; patch_path: string; }; gate_id?: string; assertion_id?: string; measurement_id?: string; source_kind?: string; source_id?: string; source_created_at?: string; target_id?: string; target_created_at?: string; temporal_order?: string; relationship_cardinality?: { kind: string; direction: \"outgoing\" | \"incoming\"; node_id: string; endpoint_ids: string[]; }; check?: string; format?: string; flag?: string; value?: string; format_version?: number; type?: string; required?: string; why?: string; resolved_path?: string; requested_path?: string; suggested_path?: string; examples?: string[]; nextSteps?: string[]; unmatched?: string[]; unmatched_selectors?: Array<{ id: string; kind?: string; source_kind?: string; author?: string; created_at?: string; }>; available_dependencies?: Array<{ id: string; kind: string; source_kind?: string; author?: string; created_at?: string; }>; verification_errors?: string[]; unresolved_targets?: string[]; valid_range?: { first_version: number | null; last_version: number | null; first_timestamp: string | null; last_timestamp: string | null; }; lease?: { owner: string; acquired_at: string; ttl_seconds: number; expires_at: string; }; current_owner?: { owner: string; pid: number; created_at: string; ttl_seconds: number; } | null; recovery?: PmCliErrorRecoveryPayload; }"
+          "signature": "export interface PmCliErrorContext { side_effects?: Array<{ path: string; op: string; record_hash?: string; }>; changed?: false; code?: string; original_code?: string; id?: string; path?: string; item_id?: string; transaction_operation?: { index: number; op: string; id: string; }; preview_storage?: { storage_area: string; relative_entry?: string; entry_redacted: boolean; }; tombstone?: { deleted: true; deleted_at: string; recoverable: boolean; last_materialized_version: number | null; }; policy_violations?: Array<{ policy_id: string; rule: string; description?: string; missing_fields: string[]; }>; policy_violation_count?: number; item_path?: string; paths?: string[]; byte_length?: number; empty?: boolean; reason?: string; field?: string; allowed?: string[]; history_merge?: { branch: \"ours\" | \"theirs\"; line: number; op: string; patch_index: number; patch_path: string; }; gate_id?: string; assertion_id?: string; measurement_id?: string; source_kind?: string; source_id?: string; source_created_at?: string; target_id?: string; target_created_at?: string; temporal_order?: string; relationship_cardinality?: { kind: string; direction: \"outgoing\" | \"incoming\"; node_id: string; endpoint_ids: string[]; }; check?: string; format?: string; flag?: string; value?: string; format_version?: number; type?: string; required?: string; why?: string; resolved_path?: string; requested_path?: string; suggested_path?: string; examples?: string[]; nextSteps?: string[]; unmatched?: string[]; unmatched_selectors?: Array<{ id: string; kind?: string; source_kind?: string; author?: string; created_at?: string; }>; available_dependencies?: Array<{ id: string; kind: string; source_kind?: string; author?: string; created_at?: string; }>; verification_errors?: string[]; unresolved_targets?: string[]; valid_range?: { first_version: number | null; last_version: number | null; first_timestamp: string | null; last_timestamp: string | null; }; claimed_by?: string; claimed_at?: string | null; claim_source?: \"claim\" | \"assignment\" | \"unknown\"; lease?: { owner: string; acquired_at: string; ttl_seconds: number; expires_at: string; }; current_owner?: { owner: string; pid: number; created_at: string; ttl_seconds: number; } | null; recovery?: PmCliErrorRecoveryPayload; }"
         },
         {
           "classification": "advanced_export",
@@ -15286,7 +15363,7 @@
           "classification": "advanced_export",
           "kind": "interface",
           "name": "PmTableCellEncoding",
-          "signature": "export interface PmTableCellEncoding { json_columns: string[]; list_columns?: Record<string, string>; null_columns?: string[]; column_order?: string[]; absent: Array<[ number, string ]>; }"
+          "signature": "export interface PmTableCellEncoding { json_columns: string[]; list_columns?: Record<string, string>; null_columns?: string[]; null_column_index?: number[]; column_order?: string[]; absent: Array<[ number, string ]>; }"
         },
         {
           "classification": "contract_data",
@@ -15786,6 +15863,12 @@
           "name": "projectHistoryProvenance",
           "signature": "(entry: HistoryEntry, vocabulary?: AuthorIdentityVocabulary, coordinates?: { itemId?: string; version?: number; }) => HistoryProvenanceRow | calls: (entry: HistoryEntry, vocabulary?: AuthorIdentityVocabulary, coordinates?: { itemId?: string; version?: number; }) => HistoryProvenanceRow"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "function",
+          "name": "projectLeanRecoveryPayload",
+          "signature": "<Recovery extends Partial<Record<(typeof PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS)[number], unknown>>>(recovery: Recovery | undefined) => Omit<Recovery, (typeof PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS)[number]> | undefined | calls: <Recovery extends Partial<Record<(typeof PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS)[number], unknown>>>(recovery: Recovery | undefined) => Omit<Recovery, (typeof PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS)[number]> | undefined"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "advanced_export",
           "kind": "function",
@@ -17844,6 +17927,12 @@
           "name": "ResolveItemMutationDocumentOptions",
           "signature": "export interface ResolveItemMutationDocumentOptions { transactionId: string; idPrefix: string; runtimeFields?: readonly RuntimeFieldDefinitionResolved[]; upsert?: ItemMutationUpsertOptions; }"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "advanced_export",
+          "kind": "function",
+          "name": "resolveItemOwnershipConflict",
+          "signature": "(pmRoot: string, itemId: string, assignee: string) => Promise<ItemOwnershipConflict> | calls: (pmRoot: string, itemId: string, assignee: string) => Promise<ItemOwnershipConflict>"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "advanced_export",
           "kind": "function",
@@ -21774,6 +21863,12 @@
           "name": "withMcpCachePolicy",
           "signature": "<Payload extends Record<string, unknown>>(payload: Payload, policy: PmMcpCachePolicy) => Payload & PmMcpCachePolicy | calls: <Payload extends Record<string, unknown>>(payload: Payload, policy: PmMcpCachePolicy) => Payload & PmMcpCachePolicy"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "function",
+          "name": "withoutGenericRefusalExamples",
+          "signature": "(values: readonly string[] | undefined) => string[] | calls: (values: readonly string[] | undefined) => string[]"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "supported",
           "kind": "value",
@@ -24354,6 +24449,18 @@
           "name": "INSTALL_FLAG_CONTRACTS",
           "signature": "CliFlagContract[]"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "function",
+          "name": "isGenericRefusalRequired",
+          "signature": "(value: string | undefined) => boolean | calls: (value: string | undefined) => boolean"
+        },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "function",
+          "name": "isGenericRefusalWhy",
+          "signature": "(value: string | undefined) => boolean | calls: (value: string | undefined) => boolean"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "contract_data",
           "kind": "function",
@@ -24762,6 +24869,12 @@
           "name": "PM_EXTENSION_TRUST_MODE_CONTRACTS",
           "signature": "readonly [\"off\", \"warn\", \"enforce\"]"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "value",
+          "name": "PM_GENERIC_REFUSAL_GUIDANCE",
+          "signature": "Readonly<{ required: \"Adjust command input or tracker state and retry.\"; why: readonly string[]; examples: readonly string[]; }>"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "contract_data",
           "kind": "value",
@@ -24888,6 +25001,12 @@
           "name": "PM_READ_OUTPUT_SURFACES",
           "signature": "readonly [\"list\", \"context\", \"search\", \"get\", \"next\", \"health\", \"deps\", \"graph\", \"history\", \"activity\", \"validate\", \"events\", \"contracts\", \"comments\", \"notes\", \"files\", \"docs\", \"stats\", \"aggregate\", \"duplicates\", \"package-catalog\", \"package-manage\", \"comments-audit\", \"assurance\"]"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "value",
+          "name": "PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS",
+          "signature": "readonly [\"attempted_command\", \"normalized_args\", \"provided_fields\"]"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "contract_data",
           "kind": "value",
@@ -25656,6 +25775,12 @@
           "name": "PROFILE_FLAG_CONTRACTS",
           "signature": "CliFlagContract[]"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "function",
+          "name": "projectLeanRecoveryPayload",
+          "signature": "<Recovery extends Partial<Record<(typeof PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS)[number], unknown>>>(recovery: Recovery | undefined) => Omit<Recovery, (typeof PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS)[number]> | undefined | calls: <Recovery extends Partial<Record<(typeof PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS)[number], unknown>>>(recovery: Recovery | undefined) => Omit<Recovery, (typeof PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS)[number]> | undefined"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "contract_data",
           "kind": "function",
@@ -26208,6 +26333,12 @@
           "name": "withFlagAliasMetadata",
           "signature": "(flagContracts: CliFlagContract[]) => CliFlagContract[] | calls: (flagContracts: CliFlagContract[]) => CliFlagContract[]"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "function",
+          "name": "withoutGenericRefusalExamples",
+          "signature": "(values: readonly string[] | undefined) => string[] | calls: (values: readonly string[] | undefined) => string[]"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "contract_data",
           "kind": "value",
@@ -26974,7 +27105,7 @@
           "classification": "supported",
           "kind": "interface",
           "name": "NextResult",
-          "signature": "export interface NextResult { output_default: \"toon\"; now: string; recommended: NextRecommendation | null; ready: NextActionableItem[]; decision_needed: NextActionableItem[]; gate_needed?: NextActionableItem[]; containers?: NextActionableItem[]; blocked: NextActionableItem[]; held_by_others: Array<{ id: string; assignee: string; }>; summary: NextSummary; filters: { type: string | null; tag: string | null; priority: string | number | null; assignee: string | null; assignee_filter: string | null; sprint: string | null; release: string | null; parent: string | null; limit: number; blocked_limit: number; ready_only: boolean; include_decisions: boolean; include_gates?: boolean; include_containers?: boolean; token_budget: number; }; suggestions?: string[]; warnings?: string[]; ranking?: ContextRankingSummary; packing?: ContextPackingSummary; truncation?: { ready_total?: number; ready_budget?: NextReadyBudgetReceipt; decision_needed_total?: number; held_by_others_total?: number; gate_needed_total?: number; containers_total?: number; }; }"
+          "signature": "export interface NextResult { output_default: \"toon\"; now: string; recommended: NextRecommendation | null; ready: NextActionableItem[]; decision_needed: NextActionableItem[]; gate_needed?: NextActionableItem[]; containers?: NextActionableItem[]; blocked: NextActionableItem[]; held_by_others: Array<{ id: string; assignee: string; }>; summary: NextSummary; filters: { type: string | null; tag: string | null; priority: string | number | null; assignee: string | null; assignee_filter: string | null; sprint: string | null; release: string | null; parent: string | null; limit: number; blocked_limit: number; ready_only: boolean; include_decisions: boolean; include_gates?: boolean; include_containers?: boolean; token_budget: number | null; }; suggestions?: string[]; warnings?: string[]; ranking?: ContextRankingSummary; packing?: ContextPackingSummary; truncation?: { ready_total?: number; ready_budget?: NextReadyBudgetReceipt; decision_needed_total?: number; held_by_others_total?: number; gate_needed_total?: number; containers_total?: number; }; }"
         },
         {
           "classification": "supported",
@@ -32590,7 +32721,7 @@
           "classification": "supported",
           "kind": "interface",
           "name": "NextResult",
-          "signature": "export interface NextResult { output_default: \"toon\"; now: string; recommended: NextRecommendation | null; ready: NextActionableItem[]; decision_needed: NextActionableItem[]; gate_needed?: NextActionableItem[]; containers?: NextActionableItem[]; blocked: NextActionableItem[]; held_by_others: Array<{ id: string; assignee: string; }>; summary: NextSummary; filters: { type: string | null; tag: string | null; priority: string | number | null; assignee: string | null; assignee_filter: string | null; sprint: string | null; release: string | null; parent: string | null; limit: number; blocked_limit: number; ready_only: boolean; include_decisions: boolean; include_gates?: boolean; include_containers?: boolean; token_budget: number; }; suggestions?: string[]; warnings?: string[]; ranking?: ContextRankingSummary; packing?: ContextPackingSummary; truncation?: { ready_total?: number; ready_budget?: NextReadyBudgetReceipt; decision_needed_total?: number; held_by_others_total?: number; gate_needed_total?: number; containers_total?: number; }; }"
+          "signature": "export interface NextResult { output_default: \"toon\"; now: string; recommended: NextRecommendation | null; ready: NextActionableItem[]; decision_needed: NextActionableItem[]; gate_needed?: NextActionableItem[]; containers?: NextActionableItem[]; blocked: NextActionableItem[]; held_by_others: Array<{ id: string; assignee: string; }>; summary: NextSummary; filters: { type: string | null; tag: string | null; priority: string | number | null; assignee: string | null; assignee_filter: string | null; sprint: string | null; release: string | null; parent: string | null; limit: number; blocked_limit: number; ready_only: boolean; include_decisions: boolean; include_gates?: boolean; include_containers?: boolean; token_budget: number | null; }; suggestions?: string[]; warnings?: string[]; ranking?: ContextRankingSummary; packing?: ContextPackingSummary; truncation?: { ready_total?: number; ready_budget?: NextReadyBudgetReceipt; decision_needed_total?: number; held_by_others_total?: number; gate_needed_total?: number; containers_total?: number; }; }"
         },
         {
           "classification": "supported",
@@ -34332,6 +34463,18 @@
           "name": "inspectCompleteListResult",
           "signature": "(candidate: unknown) => PmCompleteListInspection | calls: (candidate: unknown) => PmCompleteListInspection"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "function",
+          "name": "isGenericRefusalRequired",
+          "signature": "(value: string | undefined) => boolean | calls: (value: string | undefined) => boolean"
+        },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "function",
+          "name": "isGenericRefusalWhy",
+          "signature": "(value: string | undefined) => boolean | calls: (value: string | undefined) => boolean"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "supported",
           "kind": "function",
@@ -34642,7 +34785,7 @@
           "classification": "supported",
           "kind": "interface",
           "name": "NextResult",
-          "signature": "export interface NextResult { output_default: \"toon\"; now: string; recommended: NextRecommendation | null; ready: NextActionableItem[]; decision_needed: NextActionableItem[]; gate_needed?: NextActionableItem[]; containers?: NextActionableItem[]; blocked: NextActionableItem[]; held_by_others: Array<{ id: string; assignee: string; }>; summary: NextSummary; filters: { type: string | null; tag: string | null; priority: string | number | null; assignee: string | null; assignee_filter: string | null; sprint: string | null; release: string | null; parent: string | null; limit: number; blocked_limit: number; ready_only: boolean; include_decisions: boolean; include_gates?: boolean; include_containers?: boolean; token_budget: number; }; suggestions?: string[]; warnings?: string[]; ranking?: ContextRankingSummary; packing?: ContextPackingSummary; truncation?: { ready_total?: number; ready_budget?: NextReadyBudgetReceipt; decision_needed_total?: number; held_by_others_total?: number; gate_needed_total?: number; containers_total?: number; }; }"
+          "signature": "export interface NextResult { output_default: \"toon\"; now: string; recommended: NextRecommendation | null; ready: NextActionableItem[]; decision_needed: NextActionableItem[]; gate_needed?: NextActionableItem[]; containers?: NextActionableItem[]; blocked: NextActionableItem[]; held_by_others: Array<{ id: string; assignee: string; }>; summary: NextSummary; filters: { type: string | null; tag: string | null; priority: string | number | null; assignee: string | null; assignee_filter: string | null; sprint: string | null; release: string | null; parent: string | null; limit: number; blocked_limit: number; ready_only: boolean; include_decisions: boolean; include_gates?: boolean; include_containers?: boolean; token_budget: number | null; }; suggestions?: string[]; warnings?: string[]; ranking?: ContextRankingSummary; packing?: ContextPackingSummary; truncation?: { ready_total?: number; ready_budget?: NextReadyBudgetReceipt; decision_needed_total?: number; held_by_others_total?: number; gate_needed_total?: number; containers_total?: number; }; }"
         },
         {
           "classification": "supported",
@@ -34848,6 +34991,12 @@
           "name": "PM_DIAGNOSTIC_OUTPUT_CLASSES",
           "signature": "readonly [\"error\", \"warning\", \"validation_summary\", \"recovery_bundle\"]"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "value",
+          "name": "PM_GENERIC_REFUSAL_GUIDANCE",
+          "signature": "Readonly<{ required: \"Adjust command input or tracker state and retry.\"; why: readonly string[]; examples: readonly string[]; }>"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "advanced_export",
           "kind": "value",
@@ -34872,6 +35021,12 @@
           "name": "PM_OUTPUT_DEGRADATION_STEPS",
           "signature": "readonly [\"full\", \"compact\", \"brief\", \"summary\", \"counts\"]"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "value",
+          "name": "PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS",
+          "signature": "readonly [\"attempted_command\", \"normalized_args\", \"provided_fields\"]"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "supported",
           "kind": "type",
@@ -35208,6 +35363,12 @@
           "name": "ProgressEntry",
           "signature": "export interface ProgressEntry { id: string; title: string; type: string; total: number; closed: number; open: number; in_progress: number; blocked: number; completion_pct: number; }"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "function",
+          "name": "projectLeanRecoveryPayload",
+          "signature": "<Recovery extends Partial<Record<(typeof PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS)[number], unknown>>>(recovery: Recovery | undefined) => Omit<Recovery, (typeof PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS)[number]> | undefined | calls: <Recovery extends Partial<Record<(typeof PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS)[number], unknown>>>(recovery: Recovery | undefined) => Omit<Recovery, (typeof PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS)[number]> | undefined"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "contract_data",
           "kind": "function",
@@ -36354,6 +36515,12 @@
           "name": "withLiteralMutationInput",
           "signature": "<T extends object>(options: T) => T | calls: <T extends object>(options: T) => T"
         },
+        {
+          "classification": "contract_data",
+          "kind": "function",
+          "name": "withoutGenericRefusalExamples",
+          "signature": "(values: readonly string[] | undefined) => string[] | calls: (values: readonly string[] | undefined) => string[]"
+        },
         {
           "classification": "supported",
           "kind": "value",
diff --git a/src/cli/error-guidance.ts b/src/cli/error-guidance.ts
index 9c974b4c6..3c08886a7 100644
--- a/src/cli/error-guidance.ts
+++ b/src/cli/error-guidance.ts
@@ -12,9 +12,13 @@ import {
 import { resolveRecoveryCommandName } from "../sdk/agent/command-recovery.js";
 import {
   estimatePmOutputTokens,
+  isGenericRefusalRequired,
+  isGenericRefusalWhy,
+  projectLeanRecoveryPayload,
   projectPmDiagnosticOutput,
   projectPmDiagnosticText,
   resolvePmDiagnosticOutputBudget,
+  withoutGenericRefusalExamples,
   type PmDiagnosticOutputReceipt,
   type PmProjectedDiagnostic,
 } from "../sdk/cli-contracts/agent-output-contracts.js";
@@ -40,6 +44,12 @@ interface GuidanceMessage {
   lease?: PmCliErrorContext["lease"];
   /** Lock generation observed at a refused lock_lost commit. */
   currentOwner?: PmCliErrorContext["current_owner"];
+  /** Principal holding the item behind an already_claimed_by refusal. */
+  claimedBy?: string;
+  /** When that holder took the item; null when history was silent. */
+  claimedAt?: string | null;
+  /** Whether the holder arrived through a claim or an assignment. */
+  claimSource?: PmCliErrorContext["claim_source"];
   code: string;
   type: string;
   title: string;
@@ -107,6 +117,12 @@ export interface JsonErrorEnvelope extends PreflightWarningDiagnostics {
   lease?: PmCliErrorContext["lease"];
   /** Lock generation observed at a refused lock_lost commit, or null when none exists. */
   current_owner?: PmCliErrorContext["current_owner"];
+  /** Principal holding the item behind an already_claimed_by refusal. */
+  claimed_by?: string;
+  /** When that holder took the item, or null when history was silent. */
+  claimed_at?: string | null;
+  /** Whether the holder arrived through an explicit claim or a metadata assignment. */
+  claim_source?: PmCliErrorContext["claim_source"];
   /** Schema type that determines the shape and validation rules for this value. */
   type: string;
   /** Value that configures or reports code for this contract. */
@@ -149,11 +165,26 @@ export interface JsonErrorEnvelope extends PreflightWarningDiagnostics {
 export type ProjectedJsonErrorEnvelope =
   PmProjectedDiagnostic<JsonErrorEnvelope>;
 
-/** Compact an error envelope to fields that change the caller's next action. */
+/**
+ * Compact an error envelope to fields that change the caller's next action:
+ * the duplicated title, generic `required`/`why`/examples and the invocation
+ * echo go; code-specific rationale, examples, recovery and typed holder
+ * evidence stay (GH-1610).
+ */
 export function projectLeanErrorEnvelope(
   envelope: ProjectedJsonErrorEnvelope,
 ): ProjectedJsonErrorEnvelope {
-  const { why: _why, title: _title, ...actionable } = envelope;
+  const { title: _title, ...actionable } = envelope;
+  if (isGenericRefusalWhy(actionable.why)) delete actionable.why;
+  if (isGenericRefusalRequired(actionable.required)) {
+    delete (actionable as Partial<ProjectedJsonErrorEnvelope>).required;
+  }
+  const examples = withoutGenericRefusalExamples(actionable.examples);
+  if (examples.length > 0) actionable.examples = examples;
+  else delete actionable.examples;
+  const recovery = projectLeanRecoveryPayload(actionable.recovery);
+  if (recovery === undefined) delete actionable.recovery;
+  else actionable.recovery = recovery;
   return actionable;
 }
 
@@ -175,6 +206,12 @@ export interface ErrorClassification {
   lease?: PmCliErrorContext["lease"];
   /** Lock generation observed at a refused lock_lost commit, or null when none exists. */
   current_owner?: PmCliErrorContext["current_owner"];
+  /** Principal holding the item behind an already_claimed_by refusal. */
+  claimed_by?: string;
+  /** When that holder took the item, or null when history was silent. */
+  claimed_at?: string | null;
+  /** Whether the holder arrived through an explicit claim or a metadata assignment. */
+  claim_source?: PmCliErrorContext["claim_source"];
   /** Schema type that determines the shape and validation rules for this value. */
   type: string;
   /** Value that configures or reports code for this contract. */
@@ -690,34 +727,71 @@ function renderRecoveryBundle(
   return lines;
 }
 
-/** Implements render guidance message for the public runtime surface of this module. */
-export function renderGuidanceMessage(message: GuidanceMessage): string {
-  const lines: string[] = [
-    `Error: ${message.title}`,
-    "",
-    "What is required:",
-    `  ${message.required}`,
-  ];
+/** Presentation controls for text refusals. */
+export interface RenderGuidanceOptions {
+  /** Omit constant boilerplate and the invocation echo; keep code-specific recovery (GH-1610). */
+  lean?: boolean;
+}
+
+/** Render the typed holder evidence of an already_claimed_by refusal on one line. */
+function renderClaimHolderLine(message: GuidanceMessage): string | undefined {
+  if (message.claimedBy === undefined) return undefined;
+  const since = message.claimedAt ? ` since ${message.claimedAt}` : "";
+  return `Held by: ${message.claimedBy} (${message.claimSource ?? "claim"}${since})`;
+}
+
+/** Headline, requirement, next steps, the non-duplicated detail and typed holder evidence. */
+function renderGuidanceLead(message: GuidanceMessage, lean: boolean): string[] {
+  const lines: string[] = [`Error: ${message.title}`];
+  if (!lean || !isGenericRefusalRequired(message.required)) {
+    lines.push("", "What is required:", `  ${message.required}`);
+  }
   if (message.nextSteps && message.nextSteps.length > 0) {
     lines.push("");
     lines.push(...renderList("Next steps:", message.nextSteps));
   }
-  lines.push("", "What happened:", `  ${message.happened}`);
-  if (message.why) {
-    lines.push("", "Why:");
-    lines.push(`  ${message.why}`);
+  // The headline already carries a single-line message; repeat it only when
+  // the title is a classification that differs from what happened.
+  if (message.happened !== message.title) {
+    lines.push("", "What happened:", `  ${message.happened}`);
   }
-  if (message.examples && message.examples.length > 0) {
-    lines.push("");
-    lines.push(...renderList("Examples:", message.examples));
+  const holderLine = renderClaimHolderLine(message);
+  if (holderLine !== undefined) lines.push("", holderLine);
+  return lines;
+}
+
+/** Rationale, examples and verifier findings; lean output drops the constant rationale and generic examples. */
+function renderGuidanceExplanation(message: GuidanceMessage, lean: boolean): string[] {
+  const lines: string[] = [];
+  if (message.why && !(lean && isGenericRefusalWhy(message.why))) {
+    lines.push("", "Why:", `  ${message.why}`);
   }
-  if (message.verificationErrors && message.verificationErrors.length > 0) {
-    lines.push("");
-    lines.push(
-      ...renderList("Verification errors:", message.verificationErrors),
-    );
+  const examples = lean
+    ? withoutGenericRefusalExamples(message.examples)
+    : (message.examples ?? []);
+  if (examples.length > 0) {
+    lines.push("", ...renderList("Examples:", examples));
   }
-  const recoveryLines = renderRecoveryBundle(message.recovery);
+  const verificationErrors = message.verificationErrors ?? [];
+  if (verificationErrors.length > 0) {
+    lines.push("", ...renderList("Verification errors:", verificationErrors));
+  }
+  return lines;
+}
+
+/** Implements render guidance message for the public runtime surface of this module. */
+export function renderGuidanceMessage(
+  message: GuidanceMessage,
+  options: RenderGuidanceOptions = {},
+): string {
+  const lean = options.lean === true;
+  const lines = [
+    ...renderGuidanceLead(message, lean),
+    ...renderGuidanceExplanation(message, lean),
+  ];
+  const recoveryLines = renderRecoveryBundle(
+    lean ? projectLeanRecoveryPayload(message.recovery) : message.recovery,
+  );
   if (recoveryLines.length > 0) {
     lines.push("");
     lines.push(...recoveryLines);
@@ -756,8 +830,11 @@ function compactTextRecovery(
  * the specific "What happened" line survives an oversized echo; only text that
  * still overflows falls through to the action-only projection.
  */
-function renderBoundedGuidanceMessage(message: GuidanceMessage): string {
-  const full = renderGuidanceMessage(message);
+function renderBoundedGuidanceMessage(
+  message: GuidanceMessage,
+  options: RenderGuidanceOptions = {},
+): string {
+  const full = renderGuidanceMessage(message, options);
   const budget =
     resolvePmDiagnosticOutputBudget("error").default_max_estimated_tokens_by_format.text;
   const fits = (text: string): boolean =>
@@ -784,7 +861,7 @@ function renderBoundedGuidanceMessage(message: GuidanceMessage): string {
         : message.happened,
   };
   for (const candidate of [withoutExplanation, limitedCollections, compactRecovery, boundedHappened]) {
-    const text = `${renderGuidanceMessage(candidate)}\n\n${TEXT_DIAGNOSTIC_OMISSION_NOTICE}`;
+    const text = `${renderGuidanceMessage(candidate, options)}\n\n${TEXT_DIAGNOSTIC_OMISSION_NOTICE}`;
     if (fits(text)) return text;
   }
   return full;
@@ -804,6 +881,12 @@ function attachItemDiagnostics(
     payload.current_owner = message.currentOwner ?? null;
     payload.item_id = message.itemId;
   }
+  if (message.claimedBy !== undefined) {
+    payload.claimed_by = message.claimedBy;
+    payload.claimed_at = message.claimedAt ?? null;
+    payload.claim_source = message.claimSource ?? "claim";
+    payload.item_id = message.itemId;
+  }
 }
 
 /** Attach optional actionable fields shared by JSON and classification envelopes. */
@@ -1161,6 +1244,9 @@ function applyPmCliErrorContext(
     tombstone: context.tombstone,
     lease: context.lease,
     currentOwner: context.current_owner,
+    claimedBy: context.claimed_by,
+    claimedAt: context.claimed_at,
+    claimSource: context.claim_source,
     availableDependencies: context.available_dependencies,
     recovery,
   };
@@ -2317,6 +2403,7 @@ function buildCommanderErrorGuidance(
 export function formatPmCliErrorForDisplay(
   rawMessage: string,
   context?: PmCliErrorContext,
+  options: RenderGuidanceOptions = {},
 ): string {
   const guidance = buildPmCliErrorGuidance(rawMessage, context);
   if (
@@ -2332,7 +2419,7 @@ export function formatPmCliErrorForDisplay(
     ].join("\n");
   }
   return projectPmDiagnosticText(
-    renderBoundedGuidanceMessage(guidance),
+    renderBoundedGuidanceMessage(guidance, options),
     guidance.required,
   ).output;
 }
diff --git a/src/cli/main.ts b/src/cli/main.ts
index 6527e3499..d2f69b04d 100644
--- a/src/cli/main.ts
+++ b/src/cli/main.ts
@@ -1856,7 +1856,7 @@ async function handleRunPmCliKnownError(context: RunPmCliErrorContext, numericEx
         null,
         2,
       )
-    : formatPmCliErrorForDisplay(errorMessage, enrichedContext);
+    : formatPmCliErrorForDisplay(errorMessage, enrichedContext, { lean: context.bootstrapGlobal.lean === true });
   if (context.jsonErrors) writeStderr(`${renderedError}\n`);
   else printError(renderedError);
   const { errorCategory, commandResolution } = await context.emitTelemetryCommandError({
diff --git a/src/core/shared/errors.ts b/src/core/shared/errors.ts
index 4fad0e68d..b17edf3d9 100644
--- a/src/core/shared/errors.ts
+++ b/src/core/shared/errors.ts
@@ -275,6 +275,12 @@ export interface PmCliErrorContext {
     /** Latest available history timestamp, or null for an empty stream. */
     last_timestamp: string | null;
   };
+  /** Principal that currently holds the item behind an `already_claimed_by` refusal. */
+  claimed_by?: string;
+  /** When that holder took the item, from the latest assignee change in history; null when history is unavailable. */
+  claimed_at?: string | null;
+  /** Whether the holder arrived through an explicit claim or a metadata assignment; `unknown` when history cannot say. */
+  claim_source?: "claim" | "assignment" | "unknown";
   /** Lease a refused `lock_lost` commit held when it tried to commit. */
   lease?: {
     /** Principal recorded as the lease owner. */
diff --git a/src/sdk/cli-contracts.ts b/src/sdk/cli-contracts.ts
index e89f38a66..379416ecd 100644
--- a/src/sdk/cli-contracts.ts
+++ b/src/sdk/cli-contracts.ts
@@ -276,4 +276,10 @@ export {
   type PmOutputDegradationStep,
   type PmProjectedDiagnostic,
   type PmProjectedTextDiagnostic,
+  PM_GENERIC_REFUSAL_GUIDANCE,
+  PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS,
+  isGenericRefusalRequired,
+  isGenericRefusalWhy,
+  projectLeanRecoveryPayload,
+  withoutGenericRefusalExamples,
 } from "./cli-contracts/agent-output-contracts.js";
diff --git a/src/sdk/cli-contracts/agent-output-contracts.ts b/src/sdk/cli-contracts/agent-output-contracts.ts
index 5746213c4..4ab199cec 100644
--- a/src/sdk/cli-contracts/agent-output-contracts.ts
+++ b/src/sdk/cli-contracts/agent-output-contracts.ts
@@ -739,3 +739,64 @@ export function projectPmDiagnosticText(
     },
   };
 }
+
+/**
+ * Guidance that every refusal can carry regardless of its code. Lean output
+ * omits it because it never changes the caller's next action; default output
+ * keeps it for human readers (GH-1610). Declared once here so the text and
+ * JSON lean projections agree on what counts as boilerplate.
+ */
+export const PM_GENERIC_REFUSAL_GUIDANCE = Object.freeze({
+  required: "Adjust command input or tracker state and retry.",
+  why: Object.freeze([
+    "pm enforces explicit, deterministic contracts for data and command semantics.",
+    "Commander validates CLI contracts before execution.",
+    "Unexpected runtime failures can occur from environment or extension-level issues.",
+    "Validation protects data consistency and deterministic behavior across commands.",
+    "Required options define command intent and enforce deterministic write contracts.",
+  ]),
+  examples: Object.freeze(["pm --help", "pm <command> --help"]),
+});
+
+/** True when the `What is required` text is the generic constant. */
+export function isGenericRefusalRequired(value: string | undefined): boolean {
+  return value?.trim() === PM_GENERIC_REFUSAL_GUIDANCE.required;
+}
+
+/** True when the `Why` text carries no code-specific rationale. */
+export function isGenericRefusalWhy(value: string | undefined): boolean {
+  const trimmed = value?.trim();
+  return trimmed !== undefined && PM_GENERIC_REFUSAL_GUIDANCE.why.includes(trimmed);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Drop each generic help pointer from an example list so a mixed list keeps
+ * only its code-specific entries; an all-generic list becomes empty.
+ */
+export function withoutGenericRefusalExamples(
+  values: readonly string[] | undefined,
+): string[] {
+  return (values ?? []).filter(
+    (value) => !PM_GENERIC_REFUSAL_GUIDANCE.examples.includes(value.trim()),
+  );
+}
+
+/** Recovery fields that only echo the caller's own invocation. */
+export const PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS = Object.freeze([
+  "attempted_command",
+  "normalized_args",
+  "provided_fields",
+] as const);
+
+/**
+ * Drop the invocation echo from a recovery payload. Specific recovery such as
+ * `suggested_retry`, `missing`, `allowed_values` and `next_best_command`
+ * survives; an empty remainder is omitted entirely.
+ */
+export function projectLeanRecoveryPayload<
+  Recovery extends Partial<Record<(typeof PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS)[number], unknown>>,
+>(recovery: Recovery | undefined): Omit<Recovery, (typeof PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS)[number]> | undefined {
+  if (!recovery) return undefined;
+  const { attempted_command: _attempted, normalized_args: _args, provided_fields: _fields, ...specific } = recovery;
+  return Object.keys(specific).length > 0 ? specific : undefined;
+}
diff --git a/src/sdk/index.ts b/src/sdk/index.ts
index f6e829450..ae74e45f8 100644
--- a/src/sdk/index.ts
+++ b/src/sdk/index.ts
@@ -333,7 +333,11 @@ export {
   type StaleInProgressItem,
   type StaleInProgressScan,
 } from "./governance/stale-work.js";
-export { describeItemOwnershipConflict } from "./ownership-source.js";
+export {
+  describeItemOwnershipConflict,
+  resolveItemOwnershipConflict,
+  type ItemOwnershipConflict,
+} from "./ownership-source.js";
 export { discoverNearbyPmRoot } from "./tracker-root-discovery.js";
 export {
   assertInitializedTracker,
@@ -559,6 +563,12 @@ export {
   inferPmOutputBudgetClass,
   projectPmDiagnosticOutput,
   projectPmDiagnosticText,
+  PM_GENERIC_REFUSAL_GUIDANCE,
+  PM_RECOVERY_ECHO_FIELDS,
+  isGenericRefusalRequired,
+  isGenericRefusalWhy,
+  projectLeanRecoveryPayload,
+  withoutGenericRefusalExamples,
   analyzeSdkCliParameterCompleteness,
   isPmExtensionCapabilityContract,
   isPmExtensionPolicyModeContract,
diff --git a/src/sdk/lifecycle/claim.ts b/src/sdk/lifecycle/claim.ts
index 373de8404..f9eda64d1 100644
--- a/src/sdk/lifecycle/claim.ts
+++ b/src/sdk/lifecycle/claim.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import {
   normalizeStatusForRegistry,
 } from "../runtime-primitives.js";
 import { wrapOwnershipConflict } from "../annotations.js";
-import { describeItemOwnershipConflict } from "../ownership-source.js";
+import { resolveItemOwnershipConflict } from "../ownership-source.js";
 import { applyReleaseHandoff, resolveReleaseHandoff } from "./release-handoff.js";
 import {
   runNext,
@@ -208,16 +208,20 @@ export async function runClaim(
           return { changedFields: [] };
         }
         if (!force) {
-          const ownershipPhrase = await describeItemOwnershipConflict(
+          const ownership = await resolveItemOwnershipConflict(
             pmRoot,
             document.metadata.id,
             currentAssigneeText,
           );
           throw new PmCliError(
-            `Item ${document.metadata.id} is already ${ownershipPhrase}. Use --force to take over, or --if-available to skip without failing.`,
+            `Item ${document.metadata.id} is already ${ownership.phrase}. Use --force to take over, or --if-available to skip without failing.`,
             EXIT_CODE.CONFLICT,
             {
               code: "already_claimed_by",
+              item_id: document.metadata.id,
+              claimed_by: ownership.holder,
+              claimed_at: ownership.since,
+              claim_source: ownership.source,
               why: "Claim is an atomic test-and-set so parallel agents never proceed believing they own the same item.",
               nextSteps: [
                 "Run pm next to pick a different unclaimed item.",
diff --git a/src/sdk/lifecycle/repeated-terminal-state.ts b/src/sdk/lifecycle/repeated-terminal-state.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8cff2819f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sdk/lifecycle/repeated-terminal-state.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+/**
+ * @module sdk/lifecycle/repeated-terminal-state
+ *
+ * An update that names the close status for an item that already holds that
+ * status with the same reason is not a transition. Routing it to the closure
+ * writer re-stamped `closed_at` and `updated_at` on every retry (GH-1628)
+ * while the same payload on an open item was a no-op. These helpers detect
+ * the repeated state and apply only the remaining fields.
+ */
+import {
+  buildItemNotFoundError,
+  locateItem,
+  normalizeStatusInput,
+  readLocatedItem,
+  toItemRecord,
+  transferMutationStdinTokenPolicy,
+  type GlobalOptions,
+  type RuntimeStatusRegistry,
+} from "../runtime-primitives.js";
+import type { ItemMetadata } from "../../types/index.js";
+import type { CloseRouteContext, UpdateCommandOptions, UpdateResult } from "./update.js";
+
+/** Receipt for an update that repeats the item's current terminal state, so no closure clock is re-stamped (GH-1628). */
+export const TERMINAL_STATE_UNCHANGED_WARNING = "terminal_state_unchanged";
+
+function normalizeTerminalReasonInput(
+  value: string | undefined,
+): string | undefined {
+  const trimmed = value?.trim();
+  return trimmed !== undefined && trimmed.length > 0 ? trimmed : undefined;
+}
+
+/** True when a stored or returned status is the registry's configured close status. */
+function isCloseStatus(
+  status: unknown,
+  statusRegistry: RuntimeStatusRegistry,
+): boolean {
+  return (
+    normalizeStatusInput(status, statusRegistry) === statusRegistry.close_status
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * True when the requested close status, reason and completion time already
+ * describe the stored item. Such an update is not a transition: routing it to
+ * the closure writer would re-stamp `closed_at` and `updated_at` on every
+ * retry (GH-1628), while the same identical payload on an open item is a
+ * no-op. A blank reason under `governance.require_close_reason` is not a
+ * repetition either: the closure writer must refuse it exactly as it would on
+ * an open item.
+ */
+export function describesCurrentTerminalState(
+  metadata: ItemMetadata,
+  options: UpdateCommandOptions,
+  statusRegistry: RuntimeStatusRegistry,
+  requireCloseReason = false,
+): boolean {
+  if (!isCloseStatus(metadata.status, statusRegistry)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  const requestedReason = normalizeTerminalReasonInput(options.closeReason);
+  if (
+    requireCloseReason &&
+    options.closeReason !== undefined &&
+    requestedReason === undefined
+  ) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (
+    requestedReason !== undefined &&
+    requestedReason !== normalizeTerminalReasonInput(metadata.close_reason)
+  ) {
+    return false;
+  }
+  return (
+    options.completedAt === undefined ||
+    options.completedAt === metadata.completed_at
+  );
+}
+
+/** Read the stored metadata of the item an update is routing, refusing with the shared not-found guidance. */
+export async function readRoutedItemMetadata(
+  context: CloseRouteContext,
+): Promise<ItemMetadata> {
+  const located = await locateItem(
+    context.pmRoot,
+    context.id,
+    context.settings.id_prefix,
+    context.settings.item_format,
+    context.typeRegistry.type_to_folder,
+  );
+  if (!located) {
+    throw await buildItemNotFoundError(
+      context.pmRoot,
+      context.id,
+      context.settings.id_prefix,
+      context.typeRegistry.type_to_folder,
+    );
+  }
+  const { document } = await readLocatedItem(located, {
+    schema: context.settings.schema,
+  });
+  return document.metadata;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Apply the non-terminal fields of an update whose close status, reason and
+ * completion time already match the stored item. The closure clocks and the
+ * terminal history stay untouched; the remaining fields take the ordinary
+ * update path, which skips the write when nothing changes. The classification
+ * read holds no item lock, so when the locked write returns an item another
+ * writer has reopened meanwhile, the request still names the close status and
+ * `closeReopened` hands it to the closure writer instead of dropping it.
+ */
+export async function applyRepeatedTerminalStateUpdate(
+  context: CloseRouteContext,
+  metadata: ItemMetadata,
+  otherFieldKeys: readonly string[],
+  runUpdate: (
+    id: string,
+    options: UpdateCommandOptions,
+    global: GlobalOptions,
+  ) => Promise<UpdateResult>,
+  closeReopened: (fieldUpdate: UpdateResult) => Promise<UpdateResult>,
+): Promise<UpdateResult> {
+  if (otherFieldKeys.length === 0) {
+    return {
+      item: toItemRecord(metadata),
+      changed_fields: [],
+      warnings: [
+        ...context.workflowTransitionWarnings,
+        TERMINAL_STATE_UNCHANGED_WARNING,
+      ],
+    };
+  }
+  const remainingOptions = transferMutationStdinTokenPolicy(context.options, {
+    ...context.options,
+    status: undefined,
+    closeReason: undefined,
+    completedAt: undefined,
+  });
+  const result = await runUpdate(context.id, remainingOptions, context.global);
+  if (!isCloseStatus(result.item.status, context.statusRegistry)) {
+    return closeReopened(result);
+  }
+  return {
+    item: result.item,
+    changed_fields: result.changed_fields,
+    warnings: [
+      ...context.workflowTransitionWarnings,
+      ...result.warnings,
+      TERMINAL_STATE_UNCHANGED_WARNING,
+    ],
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/sdk/lifecycle/update.ts b/src/sdk/lifecycle/update.ts
index b01de00b2..58ce9e572 100644
--- a/src/sdk/lifecycle/update.ts
+++ b/src/sdk/lifecycle/update.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
  *
  * Implements the pm update command surface and its agent-facing runtime behavior.
  */
+import {
+  applyRepeatedTerminalStateUpdate,
+  describesCurrentTerminalState,
+  readRoutedItemMetadata,
+} from "./repeated-terminal-state.js";
 import { assertInitializedTracker } from "../environment/tracker-preflight.js";
 import { isLiteralMutationInput } from "../../core/item/literal-mutation-input.js";
 import { resolveMutationStdinTokenFields } from "../../core/item/parse.js";
@@ -1340,13 +1345,26 @@ interface UpdateMutationContext {
   pmRoot: string;
 }
 
-interface CloseRouteContext {
+/** Inputs shared by the close-status routing of an update and its repeated-terminal-state check. */
+export interface CloseRouteContext {
+  /** Normalized update options of the invocation. */
   options: UpdateCommandOptions;
+  /** Which update fields the invocation set, keyed by option name. */
   fieldFlags: Record<string, boolean>;
+  /** Runtime status registry that names the configured close status. */
   statusRegistry: RuntimeStatusRegistry;
+  /** Workflow transition warnings collected before routing. */
   workflowTransitionWarnings: readonly string[];
+  /** Global CLI options forwarded to nested commands. */
   global: GlobalOptions;
+  /** Target item id. */
   id: string;
+  /** Resolved tracker root. */
+  pmRoot: string;
+  /** Tracker settings in effect. */
+  settings: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof readSettings>>;
+  /** Item type registry used to locate the item document. */
+  typeRegistry: ReturnType<typeof resolveItemTypeRegistry>;
 }
 
 // `rank` is a legacy alias for `order`; keep it out of the scalar loop if the
@@ -2088,8 +2106,24 @@ async function routeCloseStatusUpdate(
         key !== "completedAt",
     )
     .map(([key]) => key);
-  const routeWarnings: string[] = [];
-  let preChangedFields: string[] = [];
+  const currentMetadata = await readRoutedItemMetadata(context);
+  if (
+    describesCurrentTerminalState(
+      currentMetadata,
+      context.options,
+      context.statusRegistry,
+      context.settings.governance.require_close_reason,
+    )
+  ) {
+    return applyRepeatedTerminalStateUpdate(
+      context,
+      currentMetadata,
+      otherFieldKeys,
+      runUpdate,
+      (fieldUpdate) => closeRoutedItem(context, fieldUpdate),
+    );
+  }
+  let preUpdate: UpdateResult | undefined;
   if (otherFieldKeys.length > 0) {
     const preUpdateOptions = transferMutationStdinTokenPolicy(context.options, {
       ...context.options,
@@ -2097,15 +2131,16 @@ async function routeCloseStatusUpdate(
       closeReason: undefined,
       message: undefined,
     });
-    const preUpdate = await runUpdate(
-      context.id,
-      preUpdateOptions,
-      context.global,
-    );
-    preChangedFields = preUpdate.changed_fields;
-    routeWarnings.push(...preUpdate.warnings);
+    preUpdate = await runUpdate(context.id, preUpdateOptions, context.global);
   }
+  return closeRoutedItem(context, preUpdate);
+}
 
+/** Run the closure writer for a routed close status, keeping the fields and warnings an earlier field update recorded. */
+async function closeRoutedItem(
+  context: CloseRouteContext,
+  preUpdate: UpdateResult | undefined,
+): Promise<UpdateResult> {
   const closeResult = await runClose(
     context.id,
     context.options.closeReason,
@@ -2120,13 +2155,16 @@ async function routeCloseStatusUpdate(
 
   const warnings = [
     ...context.workflowTransitionWarnings,
-    ...routeWarnings,
+    ...(preUpdate?.warnings ?? []),
     ...closeResult.warnings,
     "auto_routed_from_update_to_close",
   ];
   return {
     item: closeResult.item,
-    changed_fields: [...preChangedFields, ...closeResult.changed_fields],
+    changed_fields: [
+      ...(preUpdate?.changed_fields ?? []),
+      ...closeResult.changed_fields,
+    ],
     warnings,
   };
 }
@@ -3350,6 +3388,9 @@ async function runUpdateWithContext(
     workflowTransitionWarnings,
     global,
     id,
+    pmRoot,
+    settings,
+    typeRegistry,
   });
   if (routedClose) {
     return routedClose;
diff --git a/src/sdk/output/table-rows.ts b/src/sdk/output/table-rows.ts
index 7c0ecf7dc..bd9f1f4f8 100644
--- a/src/sdk/output/table-rows.ts
+++ b/src/sdk/output/table-rows.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,13 @@ export interface PmTableCellEncoding {
   list_columns?: Record<string, string>;
   /** Columns omitted from every encoded row because every source value is explicit null. */
   null_columns?: string[];
-  /** Original first-occurrence column order when omitted null columns need reinsertion. */
+  /** Zero-based original position of each omitted null column, parallel to `null_columns`. */
+  null_column_index?: number[];
+  /**
+   * Legacy full column list accepted on decode. Encoders emit
+   * `null_column_index` instead, so one omitted column no longer costs the
+   * whole column list in metadata.
+   */
   column_order?: string[];
   /** Missing field coordinates, expressed as [zero-based row, column name]. */
   absent: Array<[number, string]>;
@@ -74,10 +80,26 @@ export function encodePmTableRows(
   );
   return { rows: encoded, encoding: { json_columns: jsonColumns, absent,
     ...(listColumns.length ? { list_columns: Object.fromEntries(listColumns.map(column => [column, ";"])) } : {}),
-    ...(nullColumns.length ? { null_columns: nullColumns, column_order: columns } : {}),
+    ...(nullColumns.length
+      ? { null_columns: nullColumns, null_column_index: nullColumns.map((column) => columns.indexOf(column)) }
+      : {}),
   } };
 }
 
+/** Reinsert omitted null columns at their recorded original positions. */
+function restoreColumnOrder(encodedColumns: readonly string[], encoding: PmTableCellEncoding): string[] {
+  const nullColumns = encoding.null_columns ?? [];
+  const positions = encoding.null_column_index ?? [];
+  const columns = [...encodedColumns];
+  const insertions = nullColumns
+    .map((column, index) => ({ column, position: positions[index] }))
+    .filter((entry): entry is { column: string; position: number } => typeof entry.position === "number")
+    .sort((left, right) => left.position - right.position);
+  for (const { column, position } of insertions) columns.splice(Math.min(position, columns.length), 0, column);
+  for (const column of nullColumns) if (!columns.includes(column)) columns.push(column);
+  return columns;
+}
+
 /**
  * Restore rows emitted by {@link encodePmTableRows}. Metadata is explicit, so
  * strings resembling JSON stay strings unless their column declares JSON.
@@ -103,7 +125,7 @@ export function decodePmTableRows(
       }),
     );
     for (const column of table.encoding.null_columns ?? []) cells.set(column, null);
-    const columns = table.encoding.column_order ?? [...cells.keys()];
+    const columns = table.encoding.column_order ?? restoreColumnOrder(Object.keys(row), table.encoding);
     return Object.fromEntries(columns.filter(column => cells.has(column)).map(column => [column, cells.get(column)!]));
   });
 }
diff --git a/src/sdk/ownership-source.ts b/src/sdk/ownership-source.ts
index c19b43f04..587880693 100644
--- a/src/sdk/ownership-source.ts
+++ b/src/sdk/ownership-source.ts
@@ -7,23 +7,60 @@
 import { readHistoryEntries } from "../core/history/read.js";
 import { getHistoryPath } from "../core/store/paths.js";
 
-/** Describe the current ownership source for an atomic claim conflict. */
-export async function describeItemOwnershipConflict(
+/** Typed holder evidence behind an `already_claimed_by` refusal (GH-1610). */
+export interface ItemOwnershipConflict {
+  /** Prose used by the refusal message: `claimed by <holder>` or `assigned to <holder>`. */
+  phrase: string;
+  /** Principal that currently holds the item. */
+  holder: string;
+  /**
+   * Whether the latest ownership mutation was an explicit claim or a metadata
+   * assignment; `unknown` when history is unreadable or records no assignee
+   * change, so an unproven origin is never reported as either.
+   */
+  source: "claim" | "assignment" | "unknown";
+  /** Timestamp of the latest assignee change, or null when history is unavailable or silent. */
+  since: string | null;
+}
+
+/** Map the operation of the latest assignee change to the holder's origin. */
+function classifyOwnershipSource(
+  operation: string | undefined,
+): ItemOwnershipConflict["source"] {
+  if (operation === undefined) return "unknown";
+  return operation === "claim" ? "claim" : "assignment";
+}
+
+/** Resolve the current holder, its source and its start time for an atomic claim conflict. */
+export async function resolveItemOwnershipConflict(
   pmRoot: string,
   itemId: string,
   assignee: string,
-): Promise<string> {
+): Promise<ItemOwnershipConflict> {
   const history = await Promise.resolve()
     .then(() => readHistoryEntries(getHistoryPath(pmRoot, itemId), itemId))
     .catch(() => []);
-  const latestOwnershipOperation = [...history]
+  const latestOwnershipEntry = [...history]
     .reverse()
     .find((entry) =>
       entry.patch.some(
         (operation) => operation.path === "/metadata/assignee",
       ),
-    )?.op;
-  return latestOwnershipOperation === "claim"
-    ? `claimed by ${assignee}`
-    : `assigned to ${assignee}`;
+    );
+  const source = classifyOwnershipSource(latestOwnershipEntry?.op);
+  return {
+    phrase: source === "claim" ? `claimed by ${assignee}` : `assigned to ${assignee}`,
+    holder: assignee,
+    source,
+    since: latestOwnershipEntry?.ts ?? null,
+  };
+}
+
+/** Describe the current ownership source for an atomic claim conflict. */
+export async function describeItemOwnershipConflict(
+  pmRoot: string,
+  itemId: string,
+  assignee: string,
+): Promise<string> {
+  return (await resolveItemOwnershipConflict(pmRoot, itemId, assignee)).phrase;
 }
diff --git a/src/sdk/query/next.ts b/src/sdk/query/next.ts
index 68d9738dd..348d61e52 100644
--- a/src/sdk/query/next.ts
+++ b/src/sdk/query/next.ts
@@ -198,7 +198,12 @@ export interface NextResult {
     include_decisions: boolean;
     include_gates?: boolean;
     include_containers?: boolean;
-    token_budget: number;
+    /**
+     * Requested recommended+ready selection ceiling, or null when none was
+     * requested. The complete response is bounded by the universal output
+     * budget and disclosed by its `read_output` receipt (GH-1627).
+     */
+    token_budget: number | null;
   };
   /** Value that configures or reports suggestions for this contract. */
   suggestions?: string[];
@@ -599,7 +604,7 @@ async function finalizeNextResult(params: {
   author: string;
   packingBudget: number;
   featureStore: ContextSignalStoreReadResult;
-  tokenBudget?: number;
+  tokenBudget: number | null;
   hasIntentBudget: boolean;
 }): Promise<NextResult> {
   const warnings = [
@@ -616,7 +621,7 @@ async function finalizeNextResult(params: {
     params.blockedRows,
     params.gateCount,
   );
-  if (params.tokenBudget !== undefined) {
+  if (params.tokenBudget !== null) {
     applyNextReadyBudget(params.result, params.tokenBudget, params.hasIntentBudget);
   }
   if (params.explainRanking) {
@@ -736,6 +741,14 @@ function resolveNextCallerAuthor(
   );
 }
 
+/** Echo the requested selection ceiling; null when the caller requested none. */
+function requestedSelectionBudget(
+  options: NextOptions,
+  resolved: number,
+): number | null {
+  return options.tokenBudget === undefined ? null : resolved;
+}
+
 /** Implements `pm next`: computes the ranked ready/blocked actionable queues and a single recommended next item with rationale for the public runtime surface. */
 export async function runNext(
   options: NextOptions,
@@ -755,6 +768,7 @@ export async function runNext(
     options.tokenBudget,
     Math.max(192, limit * 128),
   );
+  const requestedTokenBudget = requestedSelectionBudget(options, tokenBudget);
   const blockedLimit = parseNextLimit(
     options.blockedLimit,
     "--blocked-limit",
@@ -885,7 +899,7 @@ export async function runNext(
       include_decisions: options.includeDecisions === true,
       include_gates: options.includeGates === true,
       include_containers: options.includeContainers === true,
-      token_budget: tokenBudget,
+      token_budget: requestedTokenBudget,
     },
     truncation: Object.keys(truncation).length > 0 ? truncation : undefined,
   };
@@ -903,7 +917,7 @@ export async function runNext(
     author: callerAuthor,
     packingBudget: tokenBudget,
     featureStore,
-    tokenBudget: options.tokenBudget === undefined ? undefined : tokenBudget,
+    tokenBudget: requestedTokenBudget,
     hasIntentBudget: typeof options.for === "string",
   });
 }
diff --git a/src/sdk/read-output-contracts.ts b/src/sdk/read-output-contracts.ts
index bb0e394b6..6e7c7f6c5 100644
--- a/src/sdk/read-output-contracts.ts
+++ b/src/sdk/read-output-contracts.ts
@@ -1562,6 +1562,26 @@ function hasContextIntentBudgetReceipt(
   );
 }
 
+/**
+ * A `next` selection budget (`--token-budget`) bounds only the recommended and
+ * ready rows, so the complete envelope is audited under the universal ceiling
+ * whenever one is requested. An enforced intent receipt already discloses the
+ * whole-response cost and suppresses the duplicate audit (GH-1627).
+ */
+function requiresNextSelectionBudgetAudit(
+  resolved: PmResolvedReadOutputDimensions,
+  options: Record<string, unknown>,
+  result: Record<string, unknown>,
+): boolean {
+  if (resolved.command !== "next") return false;
+  if ((options.tokenBudget ?? options.token_budget) === undefined) return false;
+  return !(
+    isRecord(result.context_intent) &&
+    result.context_intent.command === "next" &&
+    result.context_intent.within_budget === true
+  );
+}
+
 /** Disclose ceilings not otherwise carried by a canonical, intent, or session control. */
 function readOutputBudgetReceiptFields(
   budget:
@@ -1649,6 +1669,7 @@ function requiresReadOutputAudit(
     (resolved.command === "context" &&
       resolved.cost?.source === "legacy" &&
       !hasContextIntentBudgetReceipt(result, resolved.cost.value)) ||
+    requiresNextSelectionBudgetAudit(resolved, options, result) ||
     options.outputRowContract === true ||
     options.output_row_contract === true ||
     resolved.canonical_options_used!.includes("--output-include") ||
diff --git a/src/sdk/read-output/surfaces.ts b/src/sdk/read-output/surfaces.ts
index 8afaf2976..0bcdfd294 100644
--- a/src/sdk/read-output/surfaces.ts
+++ b/src/sdk/read-output/surfaces.ts
@@ -40,9 +40,10 @@ export const LEGACY_FLAGS_BY_COMMAND: Readonly<
     cost: ["--token-budget"],
     encoding: ["--format"],
   },
+  // `--token-budget` on next is the recommended+ready selection ceiling, not a
+  // response cost dimension; the universal default ceiling keeps binding.
   next: {
     amount: ["--blocked-limit", "--limit"],
-    cost: ["--token-budget"],
     encoding: ["--format"],
   },
   health: {
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/contracts/full.json b/tests/fixtures/contracts/full.json
index e1f5f4ad0..f9ad56201 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/contracts/full.json
+++ b/tests/fixtures/contracts/full.json
@@ -44280,14 +44280,7 @@
           "canonical_option": "--output-budget",
           "dimension": "cost",
           "inapplicable_reason": null,
-          "legacy_aliases": [
-            {
-              "flag": "--token-budget",
-              "migration_hint": "--token-budget is a compatibility alias; prefer --output-budget <tokens>.",
-              "semantics": "replacement",
-              "visibility": "hidden_alias"
-            }
-          ]
+          "legacy_aliases": []
         },
         "encoding": {
           "applicable": true,
diff --git a/tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts b/tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts
index b4089cd1c..d4ed325b8 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/cli/error-guidance.spec.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
   formatPmCliErrorForDisplay,
   formatPmCliErrorForJson,
   formatUnknownErrorForJson,
+  projectLeanErrorEnvelope,
 } from "../../../src/cli/error-guidance.js";
 
 describe("pm cli error guidance context plumbing", () => {
@@ -174,9 +175,183 @@ describe("pm cli error guidance context plumbing", () => {
       "Run pm history <id> --verify and resolve conflicts.",
     );
     expect(text).toContain("retry_after_ms: 250");
-    expect(text.indexOf("What is required:")).toBeLessThan(
-      text.indexOf("What happened:"),
-    );
+    // A single-line message already heads the refusal, so it is not repeated
+    // under "What happened" (GH-1610); the sections keep their order.
+    expect(text).not.toContain("What happened:");
+    expect(text.indexOf("What is required:")).toBeLessThan(text.indexOf("Next steps:"));
+    expect(text.indexOf("Next steps:")).toBeLessThan(text.indexOf("Why:"));
+    const multiline = formatPmCliErrorForDisplay(
+      "History replay failed due to merge conflict markers.\nSecond line names the marker.",
+      { code: "history_merge_conflict_markers_detected" },
+    );
+    expect(multiline).toContain("Error: History replay failed due to merge conflict markers.");
+    expect(multiline).toContain("What happened:");
+    expect(multiline).toContain("Second line names the marker.");
+  });
+
+  describe("lean refusals (GH-1610)", () => {
+    const claimContext = {
+      code: "already_claimed_by",
+      item_id: "pm-held",
+      claimed_by: "agent-a",
+      claimed_at: "2026-10-31T00:17:38.745Z",
+      claim_source: "claim" as const,
+      why: "Claim is an atomic test-and-set so parallel agents never proceed believing they own the same item.",
+      nextSteps: [
+        "Run pm next to pick a different unclaimed item.",
+        "Re-run with --if-available to treat a held item as a no-op skip.",
+      ],
+      recovery: {
+        attempted_command: "pm claim pm-held --author agent-b --lean",
+        normalized_args: ["claim", "pm-held", "--author", "agent-b", "--lean"],
+        provided_fields: ["--author", "--lean"],
+      },
+    };
+    const claimMessage =
+      "Item pm-held is already claimed by agent-a. Use --force to take over, or --if-available to skip without failing.";
+
+    it("renders the typed holder once and drops constant boilerplate plus the invocation echo in lean text", () => {
+      const full = formatPmCliErrorForDisplay(claimMessage, claimContext);
+      const lean = formatPmCliErrorForDisplay(claimMessage, claimContext, { lean: true });
+      for (const text of [full, lean]) {
+        expect(text).toContain(`Error: ${claimMessage}`);
+        expect(text).not.toContain("What happened:");
+        expect(text).toContain("Held by: agent-a (claim since 2026-10-31T00:17:38.745Z)");
+        expect(text).toContain("Run pm next to pick a different unclaimed item.");
+        expect(text).toContain("Why:");
+      }
+      expect(full).toContain("What is required:");
+      expect(full).toContain("Examples:");
+      expect(full).toContain("attempted_command:");
+      expect(lean).not.toContain("What is required:");
+      expect(lean).not.toContain("Examples:");
+      expect(lean).not.toContain("Recovery bundle:");
+      expect(lean).not.toContain("--lean");
+      expect(Buffer.byteLength(lean, "utf8")).toBeLessThan(Buffer.byteLength(full, "utf8"));
+    });
+
+    it("keeps code-specific recovery and a specific requirement in lean text", () => {
+      const lean = formatPmCliErrorForDisplay("Unknown field 'owner' is not declared on Issue", {
+        code: "invalid_argument_value",
+        required: "Pass a declared field name.",
+        recovery: {
+          attempted_command: "pm update pm-1 --owner x --lean",
+          provided_fields: ["--owner", "--lean"],
+          suggested_retry: "pm update pm-1 --assignee x",
+          allowed_values: ["assignee", "parent"],
+        },
+      }, { lean: true });
+      expect(lean).toContain("What is required:");
+      expect(lean).toContain("Pass a declared field name.");
+      expect(lean).toContain("suggested_retry: pm update pm-1 --assignee x");
+      expect(lean).toContain("allowed_values: assignee, parent");
+      expect(lean).not.toContain("attempted_command:");
+      expect(lean).not.toContain("provided_fields:");
+    });
+
+    it("projects the lean JSON envelope to code-specific fields and typed holder evidence", () => {
+      const envelope = formatPmCliErrorForJson(claimMessage, 4, claimContext);
+      expect(envelope).toMatchObject({
+        title: claimMessage,
+        detail: claimMessage,
+        required: "Adjust command input or tracker state and retry.",
+        examples: ["pm --help", "pm <command> --help"],
+        claimed_by: "agent-a",
+        claimed_at: "2026-10-31T00:17:38.745Z",
+        claim_source: "claim",
+        item_id: "pm-held",
+      });
+      const lean = projectLeanErrorEnvelope(envelope);
+      expect(lean).toMatchObject({
+        code: "already_claimed_by",
+        exit_code: 4,
+        detail: claimMessage,
+        claimed_by: "agent-a",
+        claimed_at: "2026-10-31T00:17:38.745Z",
+        claim_source: "claim",
+      });
+      expect(lean).not.toHaveProperty("title");
+      // The claim rationale is code-specific, so lean JSON keeps it like lean text.
+      expect(lean.why).toBe(claimContext.why);
+      expect(lean).not.toHaveProperty("required");
+      expect(lean).not.toHaveProperty("examples");
+      expect(lean).not.toHaveProperty("recovery");
+      expect(lean.next_steps).toHaveLength(2);
+      const specific = projectLeanErrorEnvelope(
+        formatPmCliErrorForJson("Unknown field 'owner' is not declared on Issue", 2, {
+          code: "invalid_argument_value",
+          required: "Pass a declared field name.",
+          recovery: {
+            attempted_command: "pm update pm-1 --owner x",
+            provided_fields: ["--owner"],
+            suggested_retry: "pm update pm-1 --assignee x",
+            allowed_values: ["assignee", "parent"],
+          },
+        }),
+      );
+      expect(specific.required).toBe("Pass a declared field name.");
+      expect(specific.recovery).toEqual({
+        suggested_retry: "pm update pm-1 --assignee x",
+        allowed_values: ["assignee", "parent"],
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("drops a generic rationale and filters generic examples out of mixed lists in lean output", () => {
+      const context = {
+        code: "invalid_argument_value",
+        why: "Validation protects data consistency and deterministic behavior across commands.",
+        examples: ["pm --help", "pm update pm-1 --assignee x"],
+      };
+      const lean = projectLeanErrorEnvelope(formatPmCliErrorForJson("Bad value", 2, context));
+      expect(lean).not.toHaveProperty("why");
+      expect(lean.examples).toEqual(["pm update pm-1 --assignee x"]);
+      const text = formatPmCliErrorForDisplay("Bad value", context, { lean: true });
+      expect(text).not.toContain("Why:");
+      expect(text).toContain("pm update pm-1 --assignee x");
+      expect(text).not.toContain("pm --help");
+      expect(formatPmCliErrorForDisplay("Bad value", context)).toContain("pm --help");
+    });
+
+    it("renders a holder without a recorded time or origin as a bare claim", () => {
+      const context = { code: "already_claimed_by", item_id: "pm-held", claimed_by: "agent-a" };
+      expect(formatPmCliErrorForDisplay(claimMessage, context)).toContain("Held by: agent-a (claim)");
+      expect(formatPmCliErrorForJson(claimMessage, 4, context)).toMatchObject({
+        claimed_by: "agent-a",
+        claimed_at: null,
+        claim_source: "claim",
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("never renders a lean refusal larger than its default and shares no constant line across codes", () => {
+      const corpus: Array<[string, Parameters<typeof formatPmCliErrorForDisplay>[1]]> = [
+        [claimMessage, claimContext],
+        ["Item pm-missing not found", { code: "item_not_found", recovery: { attempted_command: "pm get pm-missing" } }],
+        ["Lock held by another process", { code: "lock_conflict", recovery: { attempted_command: "pm update pm-1 --title x", provided_fields: ["--title"] } }],
+        ["Unknown field 'owner' is not declared on Issue", { code: "invalid_argument_value", recovery: { attempted_command: "pm update pm-1 --owner x", allowed_values: ["assignee"] } }],
+        ["Boom", { code: "extension_runtime_failure", recovery: { attempted_command: "pm changelog generate", provided_fields: [] } }],
+        ["Plain failure without context", undefined],
+      ];
+      const leanLineSets: Array<Set<string>> = [];
+      for (const [message, context] of corpus) {
+        const full = formatPmCliErrorForDisplay(message, context);
+        const lean = formatPmCliErrorForDisplay(message, context, { lean: true });
+        expect(Buffer.byteLength(lean, "utf8")).toBeLessThanOrEqual(Buffer.byteLength(full, "utf8"));
+        const fullJson = formatPmCliErrorForJson(message, 2, context);
+        const leanJson = projectLeanErrorEnvelope(structuredClone(fullJson));
+        expect(JSON.stringify(leanJson).length).toBeLessThanOrEqual(JSON.stringify(fullJson).length);
+        leanLineSets.push(
+          new Set(
+            lean
+              .split("\n")
+              .map((line) => line.trim())
+              .filter((line) => line.length > 0 && !/^[A-Z][a-z ]+:$/u.test(line)),
+          ),
+        );
+      }
+      const [first, ...rest] = leanLineSets;
+      const sharedByEveryCode = [...first!].filter((line) => rest.every((set) => set.has(line)));
+      expect(sharedByEveryCode).toEqual([]);
+    });
   });
 
   it("returns deterministic item-not-found recovery examples without echoing invalid ids", () => {
diff --git a/tests/unit/cli/structured-mutation-registration.spec.ts b/tests/unit/cli/structured-mutation-registration.spec.ts
index 69e7fc3af..203eafd34 100644
--- a/tests/unit/cli/structured-mutation-registration.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/cli/structured-mutation-registration.spec.ts
@@ -752,11 +752,13 @@ describe("structured mutation command registration", () => {
         why: "Needed",
       }),
     ).toEqual({
+      // A code-specific rationale survives the lean projection (GH-1610).
       type: "usage",
       code: "bad_input",
       detail: "Retry",
       exit_code: 2,
       required: "A value",
+      why: "Needed",
     });
     const usage = JSON.parse(
       await formatCommanderUsageJson(
diff --git a/tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/claim-command.spec.ts b/tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/claim-command.spec.ts
index d8fb9ac6d..776c4a37c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/claim-command.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/claim-command.spec.ts
@@ -441,8 +441,13 @@ describe("runClaim/runRelease", () => {
         message: expect.stringContaining(
           "already assigned to other-author",
         ) as unknown as string,
+        // GH-1610: the holder is a typed field, not only prose.
         context: expect.objectContaining({
           code: "already_claimed_by",
+          item_id: foreign,
+          claimed_by: "other-author",
+          claim_source: "assignment",
+          claimed_at: expect.stringMatching(/^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}T/u),
         }) as unknown as PmCliError["context"],
       });
 
@@ -471,11 +476,16 @@ describe("runClaim/runRelease", () => {
         message: expect.stringContaining(
           "already claimed by other-author",
         ) as unknown as string,
+        context: expect.objectContaining({
+          claimed_by: "other-author",
+          claim_source: "claim",
+          claimed_at: expect.stringMatching(/^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}T/u),
+        }) as unknown as PmCliError["context"],
       });
     });
   });
 
-  it("falls back to assignment wording when ownership history is corrupt", async () => {
+  it("keeps assignment wording but reports an unknown origin when ownership history is corrupt", async () => {
     await withTempPmPath(async (context) => {
       const id = createTask(context, {
         title: "claim-corrupt-history",
@@ -497,6 +507,9 @@ describe("runClaim/runRelease", () => {
         ) as unknown as string,
         context: expect.objectContaining({
           code: "already_claimed_by",
+          claimed_by: "other-author",
+          claim_source: "unknown",
+          claimed_at: null,
         }) as unknown as PmCliError["context"],
       });
     });
diff --git a/tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/update-command.spec.ts b/tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/update-command.spec.ts
index 0f77eac02..e051413ba 100644
--- a/tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/update-command.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/commands/lifecycle/update-command.spec.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { _testOnlyUpdateCommand, runUpdate, type UpdateCommandOptions } from "../../../../src/cli/commands/lifecycle/update.js";
 import { runCreate } from "../../../../src/cli/commands/lifecycle/create.js";
 import { parseCommandUnsetTargets } from "../../../../src/sdk/lifecycle/shared-unset-fields.js";
+import { applyRepeatedTerminalStateUpdate } from "../../../../src/sdk/lifecycle/repeated-terminal-state.js";
+import type { CloseRouteContext } from "../../../../src/sdk/lifecycle/update.js";
 import { runGet } from "../../../../src/cli/commands/query/get.js";
 import { runDeps } from "../../../../src/cli/commands/query/deps.js";
 import { preserveMutationStdinTokenLiterals } from "../../../../src/sdk/runtime-primitives.js";
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ import { EXIT_CODE } from "../../../../src/core/shared/constants.js";
 import { PmCliError } from "../../../../src/core/shared/errors.js";
 import { locateItem, readLocatedItem } from "../../../../src/core/store/item-store.js";
 import { readSettings, writeSettings } from "../../../../src/core/store/settings.js";
-import type { ItemDocument } from "../../../../src/types.js";
+import type { ItemDocument, ItemMetadata } from "../../../../src/types.js";
 import { writeItemTypeDefinitions } from "../../../helpers/pmWorkspace.js";
 import { withTempPmPath, type TempPmContext } from "../../../helpers/withTempPmPath.js";
 
@@ -810,6 +812,228 @@ describe("runUpdate", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe("repeated terminal state updates (GH-1628)", () => {
+    async function readTerminalSnapshot(context: TempPmContext, id: string) {
+      const settings = await readSettings(context.pmPath);
+      const located = await locateItem(
+        context.pmPath,
+        id,
+        settings.id_prefix,
+        settings.item_format,
+      );
+      if (!located) {
+        throw new Error(`item ${id} not located`);
+      }
+      const bytes = await readFile(located.itemPath, "utf8");
+      const history = context.runCli(["history", id, "--json", "--full"], { expectJson: true });
+      expect(history.code).toBe(0);
+      const persisted = context.runCli(["get", id, "--json"], { expectJson: true });
+      expect(persisted.code).toBe(0);
+      const item = (persisted.json as { item: Record<string, unknown> }).item;
+      return {
+        bytes,
+        historyLength: (history.json as { history: unknown[] }).history.length,
+        closed_at: item.closed_at as string,
+        updated_at: item.updated_at as string,
+        close_reason: item.close_reason as string,
+        title: item.title as string,
+      };
+    }
+
+    async function createClosedTask(context: TempPmContext, title: string): Promise<string> {
+      const id = createTask(context, title);
+      const closed = await runUpdate(
+        id,
+        { status: "closed", closeReason: "done the first time" },
+        { path: context.pmPath },
+      );
+      expect(closed.warnings).toContain("auto_routed_from_update_to_close");
+      // Make a re-stamped clock observable.
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 5));
+      return id;
+    }
+
+    it("keeps closure and mutation clocks when a forced update repeats the current terminal state", async () => {
+      await withTempPmPath(async (context) => {
+        const id = await createClosedTask(context, "forced-repeat-closed");
+        const before = await readTerminalSnapshot(context, id);
+        const result = await runUpdate(
+          id,
+          {
+            title: before.title,
+            status: "closed",
+            closeReason: before.close_reason,
+            force: true,
+          },
+          { path: context.pmPath },
+        );
+        expect(result.changed_fields).toEqual([]);
+        expect(result.warnings).toContain("terminal_state_unchanged");
+        expect(result.warnings).not.toContain("auto_routed_from_update_to_close");
+        const after = await readTerminalSnapshot(context, id);
+        expect(after.closed_at).toBe(before.closed_at);
+        expect(after.updated_at).toBe(before.updated_at);
+        expect(after.historyLength).toBe(before.historyLength);
+        expect(after.bytes).toBe(before.bytes);
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("treats an identical terminal update without --force as a no-op instead of a refused re-closure", async () => {
+      await withTempPmPath(async (context) => {
+        const id = await createClosedTask(context, "unforced-repeat-closed");
+        const before = await readTerminalSnapshot(context, id);
+        const result = await runUpdate(
+          id,
+          { status: "closed", closeReason: `  ${before.close_reason}  ` },
+          { path: context.pmPath },
+        );
+        expect(result.changed_fields).toEqual([]);
+        expect(result.warnings).toContain("terminal_state_unchanged");
+        const after = await readTerminalSnapshot(context, id);
+        expect(after.closed_at).toBe(before.closed_at);
+        expect(after.updated_at).toBe(before.updated_at);
+        expect(after.historyLength).toBe(before.historyLength);
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("applies the other fields of a repeated terminal update without re-stamping closed_at", async () => {
+      await withTempPmPath(async (context) => {
+        const id = await createClosedTask(context, "repeat-closed-with-title");
+        const before = await readTerminalSnapshot(context, id);
+        const result = await runUpdate(
+          id,
+          { status: "closed", closeReason: before.close_reason, title: "renamed after closure", force: true },
+          { path: context.pmPath },
+        );
+        expect(result.changed_fields).toEqual(["title"]);
+        expect(result.warnings).toContain("terminal_state_unchanged");
+        expect(result.warnings).not.toContain("auto_routed_from_update_to_close");
+        const after = await readTerminalSnapshot(context, id);
+        expect(after.title).toBe("renamed after closure");
+        expect(after.closed_at).toBe(before.closed_at);
+        expect(after.updated_at).not.toBe(before.updated_at);
+        expect(after.historyLength).toBe(before.historyLength + 1);
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("still routes a repeat closure with a different reason through the closure writer", async () => {
+      await withTempPmPath(async (context) => {
+        const id = await createClosedTask(context, "repeat-closed-new-reason");
+        const before = await readTerminalSnapshot(context, id);
+        await expect(
+          runUpdate(id, { status: "closed", closeReason: "a different reason" }, { path: context.pmPath }),
+        ).rejects.toMatchObject<PmCliError>({ exitCode: EXIT_CODE.CONFLICT });
+        const forced = await runUpdate(
+          id,
+          { status: "closed", closeReason: "a different reason", force: true },
+          { path: context.pmPath },
+        );
+        expect(forced.warnings).toContain("auto_routed_from_update_to_close");
+        expect(forced.changed_fields).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining(["close_reason"]));
+        const after = await readTerminalSnapshot(context, id);
+        expect(after.close_reason).toBe("a different reason");
+        expect(after.historyLength).toBe(before.historyLength + 1);
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("routes a blank reason to the refusing close route only while a close reason is required", async () => {
+      await withTempPmPath(async (context) => {
+        const id = await createClosedTask(context, "repeat-closed-blank-reason");
+        const before = await readTerminalSnapshot(context, id);
+        await expect(
+          runUpdate(id, { status: "closed", closeReason: "   ", force: true }, { path: context.pmPath }),
+        ).rejects.toMatchObject<PmCliError>({
+          exitCode: EXIT_CODE.USAGE,
+          context: expect.objectContaining({ code: "close_reason_required" }),
+        });
+        const refused = await readTerminalSnapshot(context, id);
+        expect(refused.closed_at).toBe(before.closed_at);
+        expect(refused.historyLength).toBe(before.historyLength);
+
+        const settings = await readSettings(context.pmPath);
+        settings.governance.require_close_reason = false;
+        await writeSettings(context.pmPath, settings);
+        const optional = await runUpdate(
+          id,
+          { status: "closed", closeReason: "   ", force: true },
+          { path: context.pmPath },
+        );
+        expect(optional.warnings).toContain("terminal_state_unchanged");
+        const after = await readTerminalSnapshot(context, id);
+        expect(after.closed_at).toBe(before.closed_at);
+        expect(after.updated_at).toBe(before.updated_at);
+        expect(after.historyLength).toBe(before.historyLength);
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("treats a changed completion time as a closure and its exact repeat as a no-op", async () => {
+      await withTempPmPath(async (context) => {
+        const id = await createClosedTask(context, "repeat-closed-completed-at");
+        const before = await readTerminalSnapshot(context, id);
+        const completedAt = "2026-01-02T03:04:05.000Z";
+        const corrected = await runUpdate(
+          id,
+          { status: "closed", closeReason: before.close_reason, completedAt, force: true },
+          { path: context.pmPath },
+        );
+        expect(corrected.warnings).toContain("auto_routed_from_update_to_close");
+        const repeated = await runUpdate(
+          id,
+          { status: "closed", closeReason: before.close_reason, completedAt, force: true },
+          { path: context.pmPath },
+        );
+        expect(repeated.warnings).toContain("terminal_state_unchanged");
+        expect(repeated.changed_fields).toEqual([]);
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("refuses a routed close status for a missing item with the shared not-found guidance", async () => {
+      await withTempPmPath(async (context) => {
+        await expect(
+          runUpdate("pm-zzzzzz", { status: "closed", closeReason: "done" }, { path: context.pmPath }),
+        ).rejects.toMatchObject<PmCliError>({ exitCode: EXIT_CODE.NOT_FOUND });
+      });
+    });
+
+    it("hands the request to the closure writer when the item was reopened before the field write", async () => {
+      const statusRegistry = resolveRuntimeStatusRegistry();
+      const options: UpdateCommandOptions = {
+        status: "closed",
+        closeReason: "done the first time",
+        title: "renamed",
+      };
+      const reopenedItem = { id: "pm-race", status: "open", title: "renamed" };
+      const fieldUpdate = { item: reopenedItem, changed_fields: ["title"], warnings: ["field_warning"] };
+      const runFieldUpdate = vi.fn(async () => fieldUpdate);
+      const closeReopened = vi.fn(async () => ({
+        item: { ...reopenedItem, status: "closed" },
+        changed_fields: ["title", "status"],
+        warnings: ["auto_routed_from_update_to_close"],
+      }));
+      const result = await applyRepeatedTerminalStateUpdate(
+        {
+          options,
+          id: "pm-race",
+          global: {},
+          statusRegistry,
+          workflowTransitionWarnings: [],
+        } as unknown as CloseRouteContext,
+        { id: "pm-race", status: "closed", close_reason: "done the first time" } as unknown as ItemMetadata,
+        ["title"],
+        runFieldUpdate as never,
+        closeReopened as never,
+      );
+      expect(runFieldUpdate).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        "pm-race",
+        expect.objectContaining({ status: undefined, closeReason: undefined, title: "renamed" }),
+        {},
+      );
+      expect(closeReopened).toHaveBeenCalledWith(fieldUpdate);
+      expect(result.warnings).not.toContain("terminal_state_unchanged");
+      expect(result.item.status).toBe("closed");
+    });
+  });
+
   it("refuses a reasonless auto-routed terminal transition under required-reason governance", async () => {
     await withTempPmPath(async (context) => {
       const id = createTask(context, "auto-route-close-no-reason");
diff --git a/tests/unit/commands/query/next-command.spec.ts b/tests/unit/commands/query/next-command.spec.ts
index ae11f8916..7c983ac8a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/commands/query/next-command.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/commands/query/next-command.spec.ts
@@ -149,6 +149,60 @@ describe("runNext", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("reports a null selection budget unless requested and audits the complete envelope under the universal ceiling (GH-1627)", async () => {
+    await withTempPmPath(async (context) => {
+      createItem(context, { title: "Audited ready work", priority: "1" });
+      createItem(context, { title: "Audited second work", priority: "2" });
+      const unbudgeted = await runNext({}, { path: context.pmPath });
+      expect(unbudgeted.filters.token_budget).toBeNull();
+      expect(unbudgeted.truncation?.ready_budget).toBeUndefined();
+      const budgeted = await runNext({ tokenBudget: 5000 }, { path: context.pmPath });
+      expect(budgeted.filters.token_budget).toBe(5000);
+      const plain = context.runCli(["next", "--json"], { expectJson: true });
+      expect(plain.code).toBe(0);
+      expect((plain.json as { read_output?: unknown }).read_output).toBeUndefined();
+      for (const format of ["json", "toon"] as const) {
+        const audited = context.runCli(
+          ["next", "--token-budget", "5000", "--format", format],
+          { expectJson: format === "json" },
+        );
+        expect(audited.code).toBe(0);
+        if (format === "json") {
+          const envelope = audited.json as {
+            read_output: Record<string, unknown>;
+            filters: { token_budget: number | null };
+          };
+          expect(envelope.filters.token_budget).toBe(5000);
+          expect(envelope.read_output).toMatchObject({
+            command: "next",
+            budget_source: "default",
+            within_budget: true,
+            result_omitted: false,
+          });
+          expect(envelope.read_output.legacy_aliases_used).not.toContain("--token-budget");
+          expect(typeof envelope.read_output.budget_tokens).toBe("number");
+          expect(envelope.read_output.estimated_tokens as number).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+          expect(envelope.read_output.estimated_tokens as number).toBeLessThanOrEqual(
+            envelope.read_output.budget_tokens as number,
+          );
+        } else {
+          expect(audited.stdout).toContain("read_output:");
+          expect(audited.stdout).toContain('budget_source: "default"');
+          expect(audited.stdout).toContain("token_budget: 5000");
+        }
+      }
+      const intent = context.runCli(["next", "--for", "execute", "--json"], { expectJson: true });
+      expect(intent.code).toBe(0);
+      const intentEnvelope = intent.json as {
+        context_intent?: { within_budget?: boolean };
+        read_output?: unknown;
+      };
+      if (intentEnvelope.context_intent?.within_budget === true) {
+        expect(intentEnvelope.read_output).toBeUndefined();
+      }
+    });
+  });
+
   it("resolves caller identity through settings and unknown fallbacks", () => {
     const previousAuthor = process.env.PM_AUTHOR;
     delete process.env.PM_AUTHOR;
diff --git a/tests/unit/sdk/item-transaction.spec.ts b/tests/unit/sdk/item-transaction.spec.ts
index 45c2b04a3..240a84dbb 100644
--- a/tests/unit/sdk/item-transaction.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/sdk/item-transaction.spec.ts
@@ -490,6 +490,54 @@ describe("SDK bulk item-mutation transactions (GH-613)", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("retries an identical closed update in a mixed batch without touching its closure clocks (GH-1628)", async () => {
+    await withTempPmPath(async (context) => {
+      const closedTarget = createSeedItem(context, "bulk-identical-closed");
+      const preClose = context.runCli(
+        ["close", closedTarget, "Closed before the batch", "--author", "bulk-seed", "--json"],
+        { expectJson: true },
+      );
+      expect(preClose.code).toBe(0);
+      const openTarget = createSeedItem(context, "bulk-identical-open");
+      const before = await readItem(context.pmPath, closedTarget);
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 5));
+
+      const mutations = [
+        {
+          op: "update" as const,
+          id: closedTarget,
+          options: {
+            title: before.title,
+            status: "closed",
+            closeReason: before.close_reason,
+            force: true,
+          },
+        },
+        { op: "update" as const, id: openTarget, options: { title: "Renamed in the batch" } },
+      ];
+      const first = await commitItemMutations({
+        pmRoot: context.pmPath,
+        transactionId: "bulk-batch-identical-closed",
+        author: "bulk-agent",
+        mutations,
+      });
+      expect(first.status).toBe("committed");
+      const retried = await commitItemMutations({
+        pmRoot: context.pmPath,
+        transactionId: "bulk-batch-identical-closed-retry",
+        author: "bulk-agent",
+        mutations,
+      });
+      expect(retried.status).toBe("committed");
+
+      const after = await readItem(context.pmPath, closedTarget);
+      expect(after.closed_at).toBe(before.closed_at);
+      expect(after.updated_at).toBe(before.updated_at);
+      expect(after.close_reason).toBe("Closed before the batch");
+      expect((await readItem(context.pmPath, openTarget)).title).toBe("Renamed in the batch");
+    });
+  });
+
   it("records evidence, closes, and releases one claimed item atomically", async () => {
     await withTempPmPath(async (context) => {
       const target = createSeedItem(context, "atomic-completion");
diff --git a/tests/unit/sdk/output/table-rows.spec.ts b/tests/unit/sdk/output/table-rows.spec.ts
index 894330eb8..2062e9025 100644
--- a/tests/unit/sdk/output/table-rows.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/sdk/output/table-rows.spec.ts
@@ -180,6 +180,58 @@ describe("lossless SDK table cells", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("encodes omitted null columns by position so one null column no longer costs the whole column list (GH-1627)", () => {
+    const rows = Array.from({ length: 5 }, (_, index) => ({
+      id: `pm-${index}`,
+      title: `Ready ${index}`,
+      priority: 1,
+      order: null,
+      deadline: index === 1 ? "2099-01-01T00:00:00.000Z" : null,
+      assignee: index === 2 ? "agent" : null,
+      tags: ["agent-ux", "github"],
+      rank: index + 1,
+    }));
+    const compact = encodePmTableRows(rows, { compact: true });
+    expect(compact.encoding.null_columns).toEqual(["order"]);
+    expect(compact.encoding.null_column_index).toEqual([3]);
+    expect(compact.encoding.column_order).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(decodePmTableRows(compact)).toEqual(rows);
+    expect(Object.keys(decodePmTableRows(compact)[0]!)).toEqual(Object.keys(rows[0]!));
+    const plain = encodePmTableRows(rows, { compact: false });
+    const size = (table: PmEncodedTableRows): number =>
+      Buffer.byteLength(encode({ ready: table.rows, ready_encoding: table.encoding }));
+    expect(size(compact)).toBeLessThan(size(plain));
+    const rendered = formatBuiltInOutput({ ready: rows }, "toon");
+    expect(rendered).toContain("list_columns");
+    expect(rendered).toContain("null_column_index");
+    expect(rendered).not.toContain("column_order");
+    expect(restoreTables(decode(rendered))).toEqual({ ready: rows });
+  });
+
+  it("still restores rows that carry legacy column_order metadata", () => {
+    const table: PmEncodedTableRows = {
+      rows: [{ b: 1 }],
+      encoding: { json_columns: [], absent: [], null_columns: ["a", "c"], column_order: ["a", "b", "c"] },
+    };
+    expect(decodePmTableRows(table)).toEqual([{ a: null, b: 1, c: null }]);
+    expect(Object.keys(decodePmTableRows(table)[0]!)).toEqual(["a", "b", "c"]);
+    const positional: PmEncodedTableRows = {
+      rows: [{ b: 1 }],
+      encoding: { json_columns: [], absent: [], null_columns: ["a", "c"], null_column_index: [0, 2] },
+    };
+    expect(Object.keys(decodePmTableRows(positional)[0]!)).toEqual(["a", "b", "c"]);
+    const unpositioned: PmEncodedTableRows = {
+      rows: [{ b: 1 }],
+      encoding: { json_columns: [], absent: [], null_columns: ["a", "c"], null_column_index: [0] },
+    };
+    expect(Object.keys(decodePmTableRows(unpositioned)[0]!)).toEqual(["a", "b", "c"]);
+    const legacy: PmEncodedTableRows = {
+      rows: [{ b: 1 }],
+      encoding: { json_columns: [], absent: [], null_columns: ["a"] },
+    };
+    expect(Object.keys(decodePmTableRows(legacy)[0]!)).toEqual(["b", "a"]);
+  });
+
   it("compacts agenda null columns and safe string lists with exact restoration", () => {
     const rows = Array.from({ length: 10 }, (_, index) => ({
       item_id: `pm-${index}`, kind: "deadline", event_title: null, event_end: null,
diff --git a/tests/unit/sdk/read-output-contracts.spec.ts b/tests/unit/sdk/read-output-contracts.spec.ts
index 88ba8fd08..5c03f25bf 100644
--- a/tests/unit/sdk/read-output-contracts.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/sdk/read-output-contracts.spec.ts
@@ -405,6 +405,21 @@ describe("read output contracts", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("audits a next selection budget under the universal ceiling unless an intent receipt discloses it (GH-1627)", () => {
+    const result = { recommended: { id: "pm-1" }, ready: [{ id: "pm-1" }], filters: { token_budget: 900 } };
+    for (const options of [{ tokenBudget: 900 }, { token_budget: 900 }]) {
+      expect(applyReadOutputDimensions("next", options, result)).toMatchObject({
+        read_output: { command: "next", budget_source: "default", within_budget: true },
+      });
+    }
+    expect(applyReadOutputDimensions("next", {}, result)).toBe(result);
+    const disclosed = {
+      ...result,
+      context_intent: { command: "next", token_budget: 900, within_budget: true },
+    };
+    expect(applyReadOutputDimensions("next", { tokenBudget: 900 }, disclosed)).not.toHaveProperty("read_output");
+  });
+
   it("enforces a declared default only when an otherwise-unbounded result exceeds it", () => {
     const result = {
       items: Array.from({ length: 200 }, (_, index) => ({