git:20260708.306185a to git:20260708.940bd06

8 added, 10 removed. Audit A to A.

---

name: worktree-retry-cleanup

description: Protocol for cleaning parallel-coder worktree lanes before retry. Triggered before re-dispatching any task that already has a lane (completed, denied, cancelled, or failed).

---

# Worktree Retry Cleanup

## Trigger

Before re-dispatching a coder for a task that already has a lane (any prior dispatch status).

## Protocol

- 1. **Check for existing lane branch:** `git branch --list "swarm/lane/<architect-session>/<task-id>"`

- 2. **If branch exists:**

+ 1. **Ownership check — do this FIRST, before any deletion.** Confirm the lane is not owned by another ACTIVE session: read `.swarm/session/state.json` and verify no other session's `delegationChains` reference `<session>/<task>`. If another active session owns it, STOP — surface the conflict and do not delete.

+ 2. **Check for existing lane branch:** `git branch --list "swarm/lane/<session>/<task>"`

+ 3. **If branch exists:**

- Verify 0-commits-ahead: `git log --oneline HEAD..swarm/lane/<session>/<task>` — empty = safe

- - Delete: `git branch -d swarm/lane/<session>/<task>` (use `-D` only if `-d` fails AND commits confirmed unneeded)

+ - Delete: `git branch -d swarm/lane/<session>/<task>` (use `-D` only if `-d` fails AND the commits are confirmed unneeded)

- Under full-auto, `-D` is deny-pattern-blocked — use `-d`

- 3. **Check for worktree directory:** if `.swarm-worktrees/<architect-session>` exists, remove it (`Remove-Item -Recurse -Force` / `rm -rf`)

- 4. **Prune:** `git worktree prune`

- 5. **Verify:** `git branch --list "swarm/lane/<session>/<task>"` returns empty

- 6. Only after cleanup, proceed to `declare_scope` + coder dispatch

- ## Ownership validation

- Before deleting, verify the worktree is not owned by another ACTIVE session. Check `.swarm/session/state.json` for concurrent sessions. If another session owns it, DO NOT delete — surface the conflict.

+ 4. **Remove the per-lane worktree directory.** Target the SPECIFIC lane `.swarm-worktrees/<session>/<task>`, NOT the session parent (the parent holds sibling lanes). Prefer `git worktree remove .swarm-worktrees/<session>/<task>` — this is permitted because the path is under the `.swarm-worktrees/` base. A bare `rm -rf` / `Remove-Item -Recurse -Force` on `.swarm-worktrees/` is deny-pattern-blocked by the guardrail, so do not use it here.

+ 5. **Prune:** `git worktree prune`

+ 6. **Verify:** `git branch --list "swarm/lane/<session>/<task>"` returns empty

+ 7. Only after cleanup, proceed to `declare_scope` + coder dispatch

## Root cause

The provisioning code should auto-clean after coder completion/denial/cancellation (tracked in issue #1746 item 1). This playbook is the temporary protocol.