mesh-delivery-gate: an answer stands only for the ask it answers, and a merge never handed says why

On 2026-10-29 the group feat/774-vault-mints-l2 was approved and never handed: hq#495 kept a Decline of an earlier ask beside the Approve of the next, readyAsks skipped it and handTurn returned nil for every member, with no log line. The Approve and a new ask now clear an earlier Decline, a run's answer names its ask (answered_ask), an approved merge that waits for nothing and is not handed logs why once and is a stalled line, and delivery_turns lists no unwritten turn while the check gates no merge.

modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/approval.go

@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ func (h *Holder) endStaleAsks() {
 	h.endStaleSettles()
 	for _, d := range h.deliveries {
 		r := d.Ready
-		if r == nil || r.Merged != nil || d.MergedAs != "" || r.Declined != nil || (r.AskID == "" && r.Approved == nil) || len(r.Heads) == 0 {
+		if r == nil || r.Merged != nil || d.MergedAs != "" || r.declined() || (r.AskID == "" && r.Approved == nil) || len(r.Heads) == 0 {
 			continue
 		}
 		switch {
@@ -418,6 +418,7 @@ func (h *Holder) approval(d *Delivery, now time.Time) (string, func()) {
 		h.runOf(m, now)
 		m.Ready.AskID, m.Ready.Ask, m.Ready.Heads, m.Ready.AskedAt, m.Ready.Asks = id, &ask, heads, now, max(m.Ready.Asks, r.Asks)
 		m.Ready.AskedKey, m.Ready.Asking, m.Ready.AskCheck = id, asking, check.Key
+		m.Ready.Declined, m.Ready.AnsweredAsk = nil, "" // a new ask: an answer to an earlier one does not stand on it
 		h.keep(m)
 		taken = append(taken, m)
 		reads = append(reads, readOf(m, m.Commit))
@@ -608,7 +609,7 @@ func (h *Holder) pendingAsks() []string {
 	seen := map[string]bool{}
 	var out []string
 	for _, d := range h.deliveries {
-		if r := d.Ready; r != nil && r.AskID != "" && r.Approved == nil && r.Declined == nil && !seen[r.AskID] {
+		if r := d.Ready; r != nil && r.AskID != "" && r.Approved == nil && !r.declined() && !seen[r.AskID] {
 			seen[r.AskID] = true
 			out = append(out, r.AskID)
 		}
@@ -705,10 +706,10 @@ func (h *Holder) answered(key string, ans sdk.Answer) []func() {
 		h.mergeAgainNow(d) // the operator chose: the merge is asked at once
 		switch ans.Option {
 		case OptionApprove:
-			r.Approved = &now
+			r.Approved, r.Declined, r.AnsweredAsk = &now, nil, key
 			h.Logf("[mesh-delivery] %s: the operator approved its merge into main (%s)", d.ID, r.Warrant)
 		case OptionDecline:
-			r.Declined = &now
+			r.Declined, r.AnsweredAsk = &now, key
 			h.Logf("[mesh-delivery] %s: the operator declined its merge into main (%s)", d.ID, r.Warrant)
 			said = append(said, h.sayOn(d, fmt.Sprintf("mesh-delivery: **not merged.** The merge of this pull request into main at %s was "+
 				"declined: %s. A new head asks the operator again.", d.Commit, r.Warrant)))

modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/approval_test.go

@@ -405,3 +405,51 @@ func TestAnAnswerToAnEarlierAskingIsNotTakenAndTheMergeNamesTheAnsweredAsking(t
 		t.Fatalf("the merge is announced %v; wanted the ask id of asking 2, %s", say, sdk.AskingID(key, 2))
 	}
 }
+
+// 2026-10-29 (hq#495): a group declined under one ask, a member pushed, and the group asked and approved again at the new
+// heads: the member whose head did not move kept the earlier Decline beside the new Approve, and nothing was handed, with
+// no word. An answer stands only for the ask it answers; whichever member is pushed, both merge on the new Approve.
+func TestADeclineOfAnEarlierAskDoesNotHoldTheApproveOfTheNext(t *testing.T) {
+	const ctlHead, catHead, pushed = "c1c1c1c1c1c1c1c1c1c1c1c1c1c1c1c1c1c1c1c1", "d2d2d2d2d2d2d2d2d2d2d2d2d2d2d2d2d2d2d2d2", "e3e3e3e3e3e3e3e3e3e3e3e3e3e3e3e3e3e3e3e3"
+	for _, push := range []struct {
+		repo   string
+		number int
+		trunk  string
+	}{{"novox/mesh-catalog", 2, "t3t3t3t3t3t3"}, {"novox/mesh-controller", 1, "t1t1t1t1t1t1"}} {
+		t.Run(push.repo, func(t *testing.T) {
+			w := newWorld(t)
+			w.op.auto = false
+			heads := map[string]string{"novox/mesh-controller": ctlHead, "novox/mesh-catalog": catHead}
+			paths := map[string]string{"novox/mesh-controller": "internal/a.go", "novox/mesh-catalog": "modules/app/module.json"}
+			numbers := map[string]int{"novox/mesh-controller": 1, "novox/mesh-catalog": 2}
+			trunks := map[string]string{"novox/mesh-controller": "t1t1t1t1t1t1", "novox/mesh-catalog": "t3t3t3t3t3t3"}
+			round := func(check string) {
+				var open []OpenPull
+				for _, repo := range []string{"novox/mesh-controller", "novox/mesh-catalog"} {
+					w.h.PullUpdated(pr(repo, numbers[repo], heads[repo], "feat/x", paths[repo]))
+					w.h.Checked(judgedAt(repo, numbers[repo], heads[repo], "pass", trunks[repo]))
+					open = append(open, openPull(repo, numbers[repo], heads[repo]))
+				}
+				w.forge.open = open
+				w.h.SeeOpenPulls()
+				w.settleAll()
+				w.h.Checked(CheckedEvent{Group: "feat/x", ID: check, Verdict: "pass", Summary: "both compose"})
+				w.settleAll()
+			}
+			round("check-1")
+			w.op.answer(w.op.open()[0], OptionDecline)
+			w.settleAll()
+			heads[push.repo] = pushed
+			round("check-2")
+			open := w.op.open()
+			if len(open) != 1 {
+				t.Fatalf("the group at its new heads is not asked once: %v", open)
+			}
+			w.op.answer(open[0], OptionApprove)
+			w.settleAll()
+			if len(w.forge.merges) != 2 {
+				t.Fatalf("approved at the new heads, yet merged %v; stalled %+v", w.forge.merges, w.h.Stalled())
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}

modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/events.go

@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func (h *Holder) withdrawForStatus(e ForgeStatusEvent) {
 	done := map[string]bool{}
 	for _, d := range h.deliveries {
 		r := d.Ready
-		if !strings.EqualFold(d.Repository, repository) || r == nil || r.AskID == "" || r.Approved != nil || r.Declined != nil || done[r.AskID] {
+		if !strings.EqualFold(d.Repository, repository) || r == nil || r.AskID == "" || r.Approved != nil || r.declined() || done[r.AskID] {
 			continue
 		}
 		head := d.Commit

modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/group_merge.go

@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ func (h *Holder) passes() []pass {
 	for _, id := range ids {
 		d := h.deliveries[id]
 		r := d.Ready
-		if r == nil || r.Approved == nil || r.Declined != nil || r.AskID == "" || len(r.Heads) == 0 || seen[r.AskID] ||
+		if r == nil || r.Approved == nil || r.declined() || r.AskID == "" || len(r.Heads) == 0 || seen[r.AskID] ||
 			d.Base != MergeBranch || h.allMerged(r.Heads) {
 			continue
 		}
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ func (h *Holder) MergeAgain(id, why string) (string, error) {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("say why: the merge asked again is the operator's word, kept in the log")
 	}
 	c := h.covering(d)
-	if c == nil || c.Approved == nil || c.Declined != nil || c.Heads[d.ID] != d.Commit {
+	if c == nil || c.Approved == nil || c.declined() || c.Heads[d.ID] != d.Commit {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("%s is not approved at its head %s: nothing to ask again (a new head is asked on its own)", id, shortOf(d.Commit, 12))
 	}
 	if d.MergedAs != "" || (d.Ready != nil && d.Ready.Merged != nil) {

modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/holder.go

@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ func (h *Holder) PullEdited(p PullEvent) {
 	if after, _ := reviewWords(d); after == before {
 		return
 	}
-	if r := h.covering(d); r != nil && r.AskID != "" && r.Approved == nil && r.Declined == nil {
+	if r := h.covering(d); r != nil && r.AskID != "" && r.Approved == nil && !r.declined() {
 		h.cancels = append(h.cancels, h.withdrawAsk(r.AskID, d.ID+"'s review record changed: "+shortOf(d.ReviewedAt, 12)))
 	}
 }

modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/merges.go

@@ -149,11 +149,10 @@ func (h *Holder) handTurn(g *Group, d *Delivery, now time.Time) func() {
 			return nil
 		}
 		for _, m := range order {
-			mc := h.covering(m)
-			if m.Ready == nil || m.Ready.Declined != nil || mc == nil || mc.Approved == nil || mc.Heads[m.ID] != m.Commit || h.readyWaits(m) != "" {
-				return nil // the others are not approved at their heads yet: nothing is merged before they are
+			if h.notHandable(m) != "" {
+				return nil // the others are not approved at their heads yet: nothing is merged before they are (said by notHanded)
 			}
-			reads = append(reads, readOf(m, mc.Heads[m.ID]))
+			reads = append(reads, readOf(m, h.covering(m).Heads[m.ID]))
 		}
 	}
 	if c == nil || c.Approved == nil || c.Heads[d.ID] == "" {
@@ -169,6 +168,66 @@ func (h *Holder) handTurn(g *Group, d *Delivery, now time.Time) func() {
 	return func() { h.hand(gid, name, key, target, reads, approved) }
 }
 
+// notHandable is why a group member cannot be handed in its group's pass, empty when it can: handTurn's own test, in words.
+// Under the lock.
+func (h *Holder) notHandable(m *Delivery) string {
+	mc := h.covering(m)
+	switch {
+	case m.Ready == nil:
+		return m.ID + " has no ready run (" + string(m.State) + ")"
+	case m.Ready.declined():
+		return m.ID + " stands declined since " + m.Ready.Declined.UTC().Format(time.RFC3339)
+	case mc == nil || mc.Approved == nil:
+		return m.ID + " is not approved at its head " + shortOf(m.Commit, 12)
+	case mc.Heads[m.ID] != m.Commit:
+		return m.ID + "'s head " + shortOf(m.Commit, 12) + " is not the head approved"
+	}
+	if w := h.readyWaits(m); w != "" {
+		return m.ID + " waits: " + w
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+// notHanded is why the approved merge of d, which waits for nothing, is not handed: its group's pass cannot start, and
+// says which member holds it and why. Empty when nothing holds it, or when the pass is under way or its refusal is said
+// already. Under the lock.
+func (h *Holder) notHanded(g *Group, d *Delivery) string {
+	if g == nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	order := h.unmergedLive(g)
+	if len(order) == 0 {
+		return ""
+	}
+	if first := order[0].Ready; first != nil && (first.merging || !first.LastTry.IsZero() || first.RefusedSince != nil) {
+		return "" // the pass is under way, or its refusal is said on its own line
+	}
+	for _, m := range order {
+		if why := h.notHandable(m); why != "" {
+			return fmt.Sprintf("its group %s is not handed to the forge bridge: %s", g.ID, why)
+		}
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+// noteNotHanded keeps on d's run why its approved merge is not handed, said once in the log when it changes, and as a
+// stalled line meanwhile (readyLines). Under the lock.
+func (h *Holder) noteNotHanded(d *Delivery, why string, now time.Time) {
+	r := d.Ready
+	if r == nil || r.NotHanded == why {
+		return
+	}
+	r.NotHanded = why
+	if why == "" {
+		r.NotHandedSince = nil
+	} else {
+		at := now
+		r.NotHandedSince = &at
+		h.Logf("[mesh-delivery] %s is approved, waits for nothing, and is NOT handed to merge: %s", d.ID, why)
+	}
+	h.keep(d)
+}
+
 // hand reads a group's required statuses and, when all are a success, writes the target as the member being merged.
 func (h *Holder) hand(gid, name, key, target string, reads []memberRead, approved map[string]string) {
 	if gid != "" && !h.groupMergeable(gid, target, reads) {

modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/ready.go

@@ -120,11 +120,13 @@ type ReadyRun struct {
 	// in new words, so it never keeps a claim the check no longer holds.
 	AskCheck string `json:"ask_check,omitempty"`
 	// Approved and Declined are when the operator chose, Warrant what the router's warrant says of who and how; Refused
-	// why an answer was not taken (it did not hold to the ask).
-	Approved *time.Time `json:"approved,omitempty"`
-	Declined *time.Time `json:"declined,omitempty"`
-	Warrant  string     `json:"warrant,omitempty"`
-	Refused  string     `json:"refused,omitempty"`
+	// why an answer was not taken (it did not hold to the ask). AnsweredAsk is the ask the answer answers: an answer stands
+	// only for its own ask, so a Decline of an earlier ask never stands beside the Approve of a later one (declined).
+	Approved    *time.Time `json:"approved,omitempty"`
+	Declined    *time.Time `json:"declined,omitempty"`
+	AnsweredAsk string     `json:"answered_ask,omitempty"`
+	Warrant     string     `json:"warrant,omitempty"`
+	Refused     string     `json:"refused,omitempty"`
 
 	// One check per delivery (novox/hq ADR 0548 §2, §4, turns.go): HeldSince is when the approved merge began to wait for the
 	// check of other heads HeldFor names (its verdict key), running on a repository it goes into; HandNow the operator's word
@@ -137,6 +139,25 @@ type ReadyRun struct {
 	// (writes.go, issue 1945); CannotWriteSince since when. Said at once as a condition.
 	CannotWrite      string     `json:"cannot_write,omitempty"`
 	CannotWriteSince *time.Time `json:"cannot_write_since,omitempty"`
+
+	// NotHanded is why an approved merge that waits for nothing is not handed to the forge bridge (a member of its group that
+	// cannot be handed, and why), NotHandedSince since when: said once in the log and as a stalled line, never silent.
+	NotHanded      string     `json:"not_handed,omitempty"`
+	NotHandedSince *time.Time `json:"not_handed_since,omitempty"`
+}
+
+// declined is whether the operator's Decline stands for this run: it answered the ask the run holds now, or the run holds
+// no ask any more. A Decline of an earlier ask, the run asked again since at other heads (a sibling's new head), does not
+// stand (2026-10-29: hq#495 declined under one ask and approved under the next was never handed). A run kept before answers
+// named their ask stands declined unless an Approve came after the Decline.
+func (r *ReadyRun) declined() bool {
+	if r == nil || r.Declined == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	if r.AnsweredAsk != "" {
+		return r.AskID == "" || r.AskID == r.AnsweredAsk
+	}
+	return r.Approved == nil || r.Declined.After(*r.Approved)
 }
 
 // MergeBranch is the one branch this owner merges into (novox/hq ADR 0398 §4): a merge into any other is its author's.
@@ -197,7 +218,7 @@ func (h *Holder) readyAsks(now time.Time) []func() {
 			asks = append(asks, a)
 		}
 		r := d.Ready
-		if r == nil || r.Merged != nil || r.Declined != nil {
+		if r == nil || r.Merged != nil || r.declined() {
 			continue
 		}
 		if d.State == Rejected {
@@ -276,9 +297,11 @@ func (h *Holder) readyAsks(now time.Time) []func() {
 			asks = append(asks, approvalAsk)
 		}
 		if waits != "" || r.merging {
+			h.noteNotHanded(d, "", now) // what it waits for is said by its waits, or it is handed
 			continue
 		}
 		if !r.LastTry.IsZero() {
+			h.noteNotHanded(d, "", now)
 			continue // refused: asked again at the next event that decides whether it may merge (mergeAgainNow), with no timer
 		}
 		// A group is merged one member at a time, handed to the forge bridge, and the pass stops at the first refusal (ADR
@@ -288,7 +311,10 @@ func (h *Holder) readyAsks(now time.Time) []func() {
 			g = nil
 		}
 		if a := h.handTurn(g, d, now); a != nil {
+			h.noteNotHanded(d, "", now)
 			asks = append(asks, a)
+		} else {
+			h.noteNotHanded(d, h.notHanded(g, d), now) // a merge never handed says why (2026-10-29: silent for an hour)
 		}
 	}
 	asks = append(asks, h.turnWrites()...) // the merge turns, after the holds of this look (ADR 0548 §3)
@@ -575,6 +601,11 @@ func (h *Holder) readyLines(now time.Time) []StalledLine {
 				Bound: "0s", H2: "none: a new head, which asks the operator again — the operator's",
 				Says: fmt.Sprintf("%s#%d at %s is not merged: the operator's answer %s", d.Repository,
 					d.Number, shortOf(r.Head, 12), r.Refused)})
+		case r.NotHanded != "" && r.NotHandedSince != nil && r.Approved != nil:
+			out = append(out, StalledLine{ID: d.ID, Number: d.Number, State: d.State,
+				For: now.Sub(*r.NotHandedSince).Round(time.Second).String(), Bound: "0s",
+				H2:   "none: the member named is approved at its head and ready, or its group is asked anew by a new head — the operator's",
+				Says: fmt.Sprintf("%s#%d at %s is approved and %s", d.Repository, d.Number, shortOf(r.Head, 12), r.NotHanded)})
 		case h.answering(d, now):
 			// The trunk moved and its check was asked again: the gate is answering it, so it is no stall yet (ADR 0505
 			// §4). `show` lists the refusal meanwhile.

modules/mesh-delivery-gate/cmd/mesh-delivery-gate/turns.go

@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ func (h *Holder) approvedMerges() []approvedMerge {
 	for _, id := range ids {
 		d := h.deliveries[id]
 		r := d.Ready
-		if r == nil || r.Approved == nil || r.Declined != nil || r.AskID == "" || len(r.Heads) == 0 || seen[r.AskID] ||
+		if r == nil || r.Approved == nil || r.declined() || r.AskID == "" || len(r.Heads) == 0 || seen[r.AskID] ||
 			d.State.Final() || d.State == Rejected || d.Base != MergeBranch || r.RefusedSince != nil || h.allMerged(r.Heads) {
 			continue
 		}
@@ -382,7 +382,10 @@ type TurnLine struct {
 func (h *Holder) TurnsRead() map[string]any {
 	h.mu.Lock()
 	defer h.mu.Unlock()
-	want := h.wantedTurns()
+	want := map[string]sdk.Turn{}
+	if h.checkGates() {
+		want = h.wantedTurns() // as turnWrites: while the check gates no merge, no turn is written by design
+	}
 	repos := make([]string, 0, len(want))
 	for repo := range want {
 		repos = append(repos, repo)
@@ -404,6 +407,9 @@ func (h *Holder) TurnsRead() map[string]any {
 		lines = append(lines, l)
 	}
 	out := map[string]any{"turns": lines, "check-gates-merge": h.checkGates(), "bound": turnBound.String()}
+	if !h.checkGates() {
+		out["why-none"] = "the check gates no merge (check-gates-merge false): no merge waits for a check, so no turn is written"
+	}
 	if h.Turns != nil {
 		out["written"] = h.turnsLoaded
 		var unwritten []string