From 0df432920dc236d97db2c32bf93812cb0bff9e39 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: galuis116 <galuis116@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2026 07:27:31 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] fix(engine): key chokepoint ledger paused off kill_switch
 eventType

Budget-cap termination fires stage budget_cap with eventType kill_switch;
denyResult previously keyed decision off stage, so the ledger recorded
deny instead of paused. Key the ternary off eventType instead.

Closes #8864
---
 .../src/governor/chokepoint.ts                |  4 +-
 .../loopover-engine/test/chokepoint.test.ts   |  2 +
 ...or-chokepoint-kill-switch-decision.test.ts | 58 +++++++++++++++++++
 3 files changed, 63 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
 create mode 100644 test/unit/engine-governor-chokepoint-kill-switch-decision.test.ts

diff --git a/packages/loopover-engine/src/governor/chokepoint.ts b/packages/loopover-engine/src/governor/chokepoint.ts
index a92af0ba92..f59e16db95 100644
--- a/packages/loopover-engine/src/governor/chokepoint.ts
+++ b/packages/loopover-engine/src/governor/chokepoint.ts
@@ -130,7 +130,9 @@ function denyResult(input: {
       eventType: input.eventType,
       repoFullName: input.repoFullName,
       actionClass: input.actionClass,
-      decision: input.stage === "kill_switch" ? "paused" : input.eventType === "throttled" ? "throttle" : "deny",
+      // Key off eventType, not stage: budget-cap termination fires stage "budget_cap" with
+      // eventType "kill_switch" and must still ledger as "paused" (#8864).
+      decision: input.eventType === "kill_switch" ? "paused" : input.eventType === "throttled" ? "throttle" : "deny",
       reason: input.reason,
       payload: { stage: input.stage, ...input.extraPayload },
     },
diff --git a/packages/loopover-engine/test/chokepoint.test.ts b/packages/loopover-engine/test/chokepoint.test.ts
index b327ffa657..01a3c97be9 100644
--- a/packages/loopover-engine/test/chokepoint.test.ts
+++ b/packages/loopover-engine/test/chokepoint.test.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ test("budget cap: the termination ceiling denies with a kill_switch eventType (h
   );
   assert.equal(decision.stage, "budget_cap");
   assert.equal(decision.ledgerEvent.eventType, "kill_switch");
+  // eventType (not stage) drives ledger decision — termination is a kill_switch, so "paused" (#8864)
+  assert.equal(decision.ledgerEvent.decision, "paused");
 });
 
 test("non-convergence: a stuck item denies before reputation/self-plagiarism run", () => {
diff --git a/test/unit/engine-governor-chokepoint-kill-switch-decision.test.ts b/test/unit/engine-governor-chokepoint-kill-switch-decision.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5fb4780151
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/engine-governor-chokepoint-kill-switch-decision.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+import {
+  evaluateGovernorChokepoint,
+  type GovernorChokepointInput,
+} from "../../packages/loopover-engine/src/governor/chokepoint";
+
+function baseInput(overrides: Partial<GovernorChokepointInput> = {}): GovernorChokepointInput {
+  return {
+    actionClass: "open_pr",
+    repoFullName: "acme/widgets",
+    nowMs: 10_000,
+    wouldBeAction: { action: "open_pr", title: "Fix bug" },
+    killSwitchGlobal: false,
+    killSwitchRepoPaused: false,
+    liveModeGlobalOptIn: true,
+    liveModeRepoOptIn: "live",
+    rateLimitBuckets: { global: {}, perRepo: {} },
+    rateLimitBackoffAttempts: {},
+    capUsage: { budgetSpent: 0, turnsTaken: 0, elapsedMs: 0 },
+    capLimits: { budget: 100, turns: 100, elapsedMs: 1_000_000 },
+    convergenceInput: { attempts: 0, consecutiveFailures: 0, reenqueues: 0, reachedDone: false },
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+describe("denyResult ledger decision keys off eventType (#8864)", () => {
+  it("budget-cap termination ceiling ledgers decision paused (kill_switch eventType, budget_cap stage)", () => {
+    const decision = evaluateGovernorChokepoint(
+      baseInput({
+        capUsage: { budgetSpent: 0, turnsTaken: 0, elapsedMs: 2_000_000 },
+        capLimits: { budget: 100, turns: 100, elapsedMs: 1_000_000 },
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(decision.stage).toBe("budget_cap");
+    expect(decision.ledgerEvent.eventType).toBe("kill_switch");
+    expect(decision.ledgerEvent.decision).toBe("paused");
+  });
+
+  it("top-level kill_switch stage still ledgers paused", () => {
+    const decision = evaluateGovernorChokepoint(baseInput({ killSwitchGlobal: true }));
+    expect(decision.stage).toBe("kill_switch");
+    expect(decision.ledgerEvent.eventType).toBe("kill_switch");
+    expect(decision.ledgerEvent.decision).toBe("paused");
+  });
+
+  it("budget-cap soft deny (non-termination) still ledgers deny", () => {
+    const decision = evaluateGovernorChokepoint(
+      baseInput({
+        capUsage: { budgetSpent: 100, turnsTaken: 0, elapsedMs: 0 },
+        capLimits: { budget: 100, turns: 100, elapsedMs: 1_000_000 },
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(decision.stage).toBe("budget_cap");
+    expect(decision.ledgerEvent.eventType).toBe("denied");
+    expect(decision.ledgerEvent.decision).toBe("deny");
+  });
+});