Finishing a Development Branch

Guard: Do NOT Use Mid-Epic

STOP. Before proceeding, check:

1. Are you a subagent implementing a single task? -> This skill does NOT apply. Report your evidence and stop.
2. Are there still open tasks in the epic? -> This skill does NOT apply. Only the orchestrator at COMPLETE state should invoke this.
3. Is there an epic with a completion:* label? -> Read it and execute automatically (see Step 3 Auto below). No prompting needed.

This skill is ONLY for: The final integration step after ALL work is done. If even one task remains open, do not invoke this skill.

The Process

Step 0: Check Epic Verification Tasks (If Applicable)

Skip if not working on a beads epic. Otherwise, run bd list --parent <epic-id> and check for verification tasks. Three outcomes: open verification tasks (STOP), no verification tasks/legacy (WARNING, proceed), all closed (proceed). See references/epic-verification.md.

Step 1: Verify Tests (Task-Tracked)

Create a "Verify all tests pass" task. Run the project's full test suite.

ENFORCEMENT: Cannot mark completed unless test command was run fresh, output shows 0 failures, and exit code was 0. If tests fail, stop. See references/test-verification.md.

Step 1.5: Pre-Merge Simplification (Task-Tracked, Mandatory)

Create a "Pre-merge simplification" task blocked by test verification. Get changed files: first run git merge-base HEAD main to get the base SHA, then git diff --name-only <base-sha>..HEAD. Dispatch code-simplifier:code-simplifier on the full changeset. If changes made, re-run tests -- revert if they fail, commit if they pass. See references/pre-merge-simplification.md.

Step 2: Determine Base Branch

git merge-base HEAD main

If that fails, try git merge-base HEAD master instead.

Or ask: "This branch split from main - is that correct?"

Step 3 Auto: Execute Pre-Chosen Strategy

If the epic has a completion:* label, execute automatically:

Label	Action
completion:commit-only	Verify clean tree. Done.
completion:push	Verify clean, push.
completion:push-pr	Push, create PR.
completion:merge-local	Merge to base locally.

Skip to Step 5 if applicable. See references/completion-strategies.md.

Step 3 Manual: Present Options

If no completion:* label, present exactly 4 choices:

1. Merge back to <base-branch> locally
2. Push and create a Pull Request
3. Keep the branch as-is (I'll handle it later)
4. Discard this work

Keep options concise. See references/completion-strategies.md.

Step 4: Execute Chosen Option

Execute the user's chosen option. Each option has specific bash commands and confirmation requirements. Option 4 (Discard) requires typed "discard" confirmation. See references/option-workflows.md.

Step 5: Cleanup Worktree

Options 1, 2, 4: Check if in worktree (git worktree list), remove if yes. Option 3: Keep worktree. See references/worktree-cleanup.md.

Quick Reference

Option	Merge	Push	Keep Worktree	Cleanup Branch
1. Merge locally	Y	-	-	Y
2. Create PR	-	Y	Y	-
3. Keep as-is	-	-	Y	-
4. Discard	-	-	-	Y (force)

Common Mistakes

• Skip test verification -> merge broken code. Always verify tests first.
• Open-ended questions -> present exactly 4 options, not "what should I do?"
• Auto-cleanup worktree -> only for Options 1 & 4, not 2 & 3.
• No discard confirmation -> require typed "discard" before Option 4.

See references/red-flags.md for detailed Never/Always lists.

Integration

Called by: subagent-driven-development (Step 7), executing-plans (Step 5) Pairs with: using-git-worktrees (cleans up worktree created by that skill)

Reference Files

• references/epic-verification.md: checking beads epic verification tasks
• references/test-verification.md: task-tracked test verification protocol
• references/pre-merge-simplification.md: code simplifier dispatch protocol
• references/completion-strategies.md: auto/manual completion strategy details
• references/option-workflows.md: execution details for all 4 options
• references/worktree-cleanup.md: worktree cleanup procedures
• references/red-flags.md: detailed red flags and common mistakes