sync agent cleared the raw stash conflicts but left the repo

Error message

sync agent cleared the raw stash conflicts but left the repo mid-merge.
Run `:sync repair --packet {}` or inspect the repo before dropping the stash.

What it means

The automated repair agent (Claude-driven repair route) reported it cleared the raw stash conflict markers but the repository is still in a mid-merge state (MERGE_HEAD present / unresolved index entries). The library bails so the user does not drop a stash from a half-finished merge.

Source

Thrown at src/sync.rs:5244

    }

    if let Some(packet_path) = repair_packet_path {
        if allow_autofix {
            match try_route_sync_conflicts_to_sync_agent(repo_root, &packet_path)? {
                SyncRepairRouteOutcome::Completed => {
                    restore_intent_to_add_paths(repo_root, &auto_stash_state.intent_to_add_paths)
                        .context("restored stash but could not restore intent-to-add markers")?;
                    if drop_latest_stash_if_present(repo_root)? {
                        sync_progressln!(
                            "  ✓ Sync agent resolved stash conflicts and dropped auto-stash"
                        );
                    } else {
                        sync_progressln!("  ✓ Sync agent resolved stash conflicts");
                    }
                    return Ok(());
                }
                SyncRepairRouteOutcome::ValidationPending => {
                    bail!(
                        "sync agent cleared the raw stash conflicts but left the repo mid-merge.\nRun `:sync repair --packet {}` or inspect the repo before dropping the stash.",
                        packet_path.display()
                    );
                }
                SyncRepairRouteOutcome::Unresolved => {}
            }
        }
        bail!(
            "failed to restore sync auto-stash automatically: {}\nRun `:sync repair --packet {}` or `git stash list` and restore manually if needed.",
            detail,
            packet_path.display()
        );
    }
    bail!(
        "failed to restore sync auto-stash automatically: {}\nRun `git stash list` and restore manually if needed.",
        detail
    );
}

View on GitHub (pinned to a747e741ae)

Solutions

Run `:sync repair --packet <path>` to restart the repair flow
Inspect the repo: `git status`, finish or abort the merge (`git merge --abort` if unintended)
After verifying the worktree, manually drop the stash entry

Example fix

git status          # confirm mid-merge
git add -A && git commit   # or: git merge --abort
:sync repair --packet /tmp/sync-repair-abc123

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

test mid_merge() {
    let dirty = std::path::Path::new(".git/MERGE_HEAD").exists();
    assert!(!dirty, "resolve mid-merge state before dropping stash");
}

Try / catch

if err.contains("left the repo mid-merge") {
    // abort or complete the merge before any stash drop
    run("git", &["status"]);
    // choose: git merge --abort  OR  git add -A && git commit
}

Prevention

Never `git stash drop` while `.git/MERGE_HEAD` exists
After any conflict resolution, always `git add` and verify `git status` is clean
Review agent-produced resolution output instead of trusting success lines
Keep the repair packet path until the repo is verified clean

When it happens

Trigger: `SyncRepairRouteOutcome::ValidationPending` returned after the agent pass: stash conflicts were edited but post-repair validation still detects merge state.

Common situations: Agent removed conflict markers from files but never ran `git add`; merge was never committed; leftover MERGE_HEAD from the failed stash pop.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of nikivdev/code@a747e741ae (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/61ee560e609250b4. Report an issue: GitHub.