fix(ci): stop FINAL reviews deadlocking on outsider-flagged PRs

On an outsider-flagged PR Claude answered the FINAL request with a
security-only comment (no Phase 1 table). The gate only counts a reply with
the Phase 1 / 'Final architecture review' heading, and a FINAL requested after
HEAD is not 'stale', so recovery never re-asked: 9 PRs sat on 'FINAL Claude not
complete on HEAD' with green CI.

- merge-gate.js: a FINAL that Claude answered without the review is stale, so
  the hourly recovery re-requests it (max 3 per HEAD).
- claude.yml: the outsider preamble tells Claude to keep the requested FINAL
  format and add security findings as an extra section.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 (1M context) <[email protected]>

.github/scripts/merge-gate-selftest.js

@@ -21,6 +21,24 @@ const finals = [
 ];
 assert('stale when head after final', mg.isStaleFinalAfterPush(finals, '2026-06-12T09:00:00Z'));
 
+// PR #6056 shape: FINAL requested after HEAD; Claude answered with a security-only
+// comment (no Phase 1 table). That FINAL never completes, so recovery must re-ask.
+{
+  const head = '2026-10-27T20:40:21Z';
+  const trigger = { user: { login: 'MervinPraison' }, body: mg.FINAL_CLAUDE_REVIEW_BODY, created_at: '2026-10-27T20:42:06Z' };
+  const securityOnly = { user: { login: 'praisonai-triage-agent[bot]' }, body: '## Security and architecture review at `fec9380dd`. Origin: outsider\n\n**Verdict:** PASS', created_at: '2026-10-27T20:50:17Z' };
+  const realFinal = { user: { login: 'praisonai-triage-agent[bot]' }, body: '#### Phase 1 — AGENTS.md review\n| Check | Result |', created_at: '2026-10-27T20:55:00Z' };
+  const gateSecurity = { user: { login: 'praisonai-triage-agent[bot]' }, body: 'SECURITY_REVIEW: PASS\n| file | category |', created_at: '2026-10-27T20:50:17Z' };
+  assert('FINAL answered without the review is stale (re-ask)', mg.isStaleFinalAfterPush([trigger, securityOnly], head));
+  assert('FINAL answered without the review is not complete', !mg.finalClaudeCompletedOnSha([trigger, securityOnly], head));
+  assert('a real FINAL reply after a security-only one completes it', !mg.isStaleFinalAfterPush([trigger, securityOnly, realFinal], head)
+    && mg.finalClaudeCompletedOnSha([trigger, securityOnly, realFinal], head));
+  assert('the gate security review comment is not a FINAL answer', !mg.isStaleFinalAfterPush([trigger, gateSecurity], head));
+  assert('no reply yet: FINAL in progress, not stale', !mg.isStaleFinalAfterPush([trigger], head));
+  const retries = [0, 1, 2].map((i) => ({ ...trigger, created_at: `2026-10-27T2${i + 1}:00:00Z` }));
+  assert('re-asking stops after the per-HEAD cap', !mg.isStaleFinalAfterPush([...retries, { ...securityOnly, created_at: '2026-10-27T23:30:00Z' }], head));
+}
+
 const withRecovery = [
   ...finals,
   { user: { login: 'github-actions[bot]' }, body: '@claude FINAL architecture reviewer', created_at: '2026-06-12T09:30:00Z' },

.github/scripts/merge-gate.js

@@ -322,6 +322,7 @@ function isStaleFinalAfterPush(comments, headPushedAt) {
     new Date(a.created_at) > new Date(b.created_at) ? a : b
   );
   const finalTime = new Date(latestFinal.created_at).getTime();
+  if (finalAnsweredWithoutReview(comments, finalTime, headTime)) return true;
   if (headTime <= finalTime + 60000) return false;
 
   // The finished reply must follow BOTH the latest FINAL trigger and HEAD, so
@@ -342,6 +343,31 @@ function isStaleFinalAfterPush(comments, headPushedAt) {
   return !claudeSinceHead;
 }
 
+// FINAL re-requests allowed for one HEAD before a maintainer has to look.
+const FINAL_RETRIES_PER_HEAD = 3;
+
+/**
+ * Claude answered the latest FINAL, but not with the review the gate needs (no
+ * Phase 1 table / "Final architecture review" heading), e.g. a security-only
+ * comment on an outsider-origin PR. That FINAL never completes, and because it
+ * was requested after HEAD it is not "stale" either, so without this the PR
+ * waits forever. Treat it as stale so recovery asks again (capped per HEAD).
+ */
+function finalAnsweredWithoutReview(comments, finalTime, headTime) {
+  const after = comments.filter((c) => new Date(c.created_at).getTime() > finalTime);
+  if (after.some(isClaudeFinalReplyComment)) return false;
+  const retries = comments.filter(
+    (c) => isFinalClaudeTriggerComment(c) && new Date(c.created_at).getTime() >= headTime - 60000
+  ).length;
+  if (retries >= FINAL_RETRIES_PER_HEAD) return false;
+  return after.some((c) => {
+    if (!CLAUDE_AUTOMATION_LOGINS.has(c.user?.login || '') || AUTO_ACTORS.includes(c.user?.login)) return false;
+    const body = c.body || '';
+    if (isClaudeTriggerNoise(c) || /^\s*@claude\b/i.test(body) || /^\s*SECURITY_REVIEW:/m.test(body)) return false;
+    return true;
+  });
+}
+
 function needsStaleFinalRecovery(comments, headPushedAt) {
   return (
     hasFinalClaudeReviewTrigger(comments) &&

.github/workflows/claude.yml

@@ -380,7 +380,7 @@ jobs:
             if (process.env.IS_FORK === 'true') {
               preamble = `${untrusted}\n\nThis is a fork PR. Do a security review as well as your normal review:\n${checklist}\nStart your single comment with a line "Security review: PASS" or "Security review: FAIL" plus the findings (advisory: a maintainer merges fork PRs), then your normal review.`;
             } else if (isPr) {
-              preamble = `${untrusted}\n\nThis PR was built from or commented on by outsiders. ${rules} Also check the diff against this list and report concerns:\n${checklist}\nThe merge gate runs an independent security review before merging.`;
+              preamble = `${untrusted}\n\nThis PR was built from or commented on by outsiders. ${rules} Also check the diff against this list and report concerns:\n${checklist}\nThe merge gate runs an independent security review before merging. If the request asks for a review in a set format (the FINAL architecture review's Phase 1 table and Phase 3 verdict), keep that format exactly and add these security findings as an extra section; the merge gate only recognises the requested format.`;
             } else {
               preamble = `${untrusted}\n\nYou may implement this outsider's request, under these rules. ${rules} An independent security review runs before any merge.`;
             }