diff --git a/scripts/src/cicd-branch-follower.ts b/scripts/src/cicd-branch-follower.ts
index d63bd737..f49236eb 100644
--- a/scripts/src/cicd-branch-follower.ts
+++ b/scripts/src/cicd-branch-follower.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import { prioritizedTaskRunItems } from "./cicd-taskruns";
 import { runBranchFollowerTaskRunDrillDown } from "./cicd-taskrun-drilldown";
 import { runBranchFollowerJobDrillDown, runBranchFollowerRuntimeDrillDown } from "./cicd-job-runtime-drilldown";
 import { runBranchFollowerGate } from "./cicd-gates";
+import { buildCicdHelp } from "./cicd-help";
 import { attachReconcileTimeline, compactReconcileTimeline, finishReconcileStep, finishReconcileTimeline, startReconcileStep, startReconcileTimeline } from "./cicd-reconcile-timeline";
 import { orderFollowersForControllerCloseout, shouldYieldAfterAutomaticTrigger } from "./cicd-reconcile-scheduler";
 import type { AdapterSummary, BranchFollowerAction, BranchFollowerDebugStep, BranchFollowerGate, BranchFollowerPhase, BranchFollowerRegistry, ControllerSpec, FollowerSpec, FollowerState, K8sFollowerStateRead, K8sStateRead, NativeCloseoutWaitResult, NativeK8sJobResult, NativeStatusSpec, NativeWorkloadSpec, OutputMode, ParsedOptions, StageTiming, TriggerResult } from "./cicd-types";
@@ -55,30 +56,7 @@ const SPEC_REF = "PJ2026-01060703";
 const SPEC_VERSION = "draft-2026-07-03-p0-branch-follower";
 
 export function cicdHelp(): unknown {
-  return {
-    command: "cicd branch-follower plan|apply|status|run-once|debug-step|cleanup-state|events|logs|taskrun|job|runtime|gate",
-    output: "text by default; use --json, --raw, or -o json|yaml for machine output",
-    usage: [
-      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower plan",
-      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower apply --confirm --wait",
-      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower status",
-      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower status --live",
-      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower run-once --all --dry-run",
-      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower run-once --follower hwlab-jd01-v03 --confirm --wait",
-      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower debug-step --follower web-probe-sentinel-master --step controller-source",
-      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower debug-step --follower web-probe-sentinel-master --step state-read",
-      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower debug-step --follower web-probe-sentinel-master --step state-write --confirm",
-      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower cleanup-state --follower web-probe-sentinel-master --confirm",
-      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower events --follower agentrun-jd01-v02",
-      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower logs --follower web-probe-sentinel-master",
-      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower taskrun --follower hwlab-jd01-v03 --taskrun runtime-ready --logs-tail 120 --json",
-      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower job --follower agentrun-jd01-v02 --source-commit <sha> --job image-build --json",
-      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower gate --follower agentrun-jd01-v02 --gate reuse-plan --source-commit <sha> --json",
-    ],
-    config: DEFAULT_CONFIG_PATH,
-    spec: `${SPEC_REF} ${SPEC_VERSION}`,
-    description: "Deploy and inspect the YAML-first Kubernetes branch follower that follows HWLAB v0.3, AgentRun v0.2, and the selected web-probe sentinel master lane without using host worktrees as source authority.",
-  };
+  return buildCicdHelp(DEFAULT_CONFIG_PATH, `${SPEC_REF} ${SPEC_VERSION}`);
 }
 
 export async function runCicdCommand(_config: UniDeskConfig | null, args: string[]): Promise<RenderedCliResult> {
diff --git a/scripts/src/cicd-help.ts b/scripts/src/cicd-help.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f49e90eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/src/cicd-help.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+// SPEC: PJ2026-01060703 CI/CD branch follower help text.
+// Responsibility: bounded CLI help payloads for the branch-follower entrypoint.
+
+export function buildCicdHelp(configPath: string, spec: string): unknown {
+  return {
+    command: "cicd branch-follower plan|apply|status|run-once|debug-step|cleanup-state|events|logs|taskrun|job|runtime|gate",
+    output: "text by default; use --json, --raw, or -o json|yaml for machine output",
+    usage: [
+      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower plan",
+      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower apply --confirm --wait",
+      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower status",
+      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower status --live",
+      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower run-once --all --dry-run",
+      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower run-once --follower hwlab-jd01-v03 --confirm --wait",
+      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower debug-step --follower web-probe-sentinel-master --step controller-source",
+      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower debug-step --follower web-probe-sentinel-master --step state-read",
+      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower debug-step --follower web-probe-sentinel-master --step state-write --confirm",
+      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower cleanup-state --follower web-probe-sentinel-master --confirm",
+      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower events --follower agentrun-jd01-v02",
+      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower logs --follower web-probe-sentinel-master",
+      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower taskrun --follower hwlab-jd01-v03 --taskrun runtime-ready --logs-tail 120 --json",
+      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower job --follower agentrun-jd01-v02 --source-commit <sha> --job image-build --json",
+      "bun scripts/cli.ts cicd branch-follower gate --follower agentrun-jd01-v02 --gate reuse-plan --source-commit <sha> --json",
+    ],
+    config: configPath,
+    spec,
+    description: "Deploy and inspect the YAML-first Kubernetes branch follower that follows HWLAB v0.3, AgentRun v0.2, and the selected web-probe sentinel master lane without using host worktrees as source authority.",
+  };
+}
diff --git a/scripts/src/cicd-reconcile-scheduler.ts b/scripts/src/cicd-reconcile-scheduler.ts
index d8b0d50f..5ae188f3 100644
--- a/scripts/src/cicd-reconcile-scheduler.ts
+++ b/scripts/src/cicd-reconcile-scheduler.ts
@@ -23,8 +23,30 @@ export function shouldYieldAfterAutomaticTrigger(options: ParsedOptions, state:
 function followerPriority(state: Record<string, unknown> | undefined): number {
   if (state === undefined) return 2;
   const phase = typeof state.phase === "string" ? state.phase : null;
+  if (hasStoredSourceTargetMismatch(state)) return 0;
+  if (hasUnfinishedObservedSource(state)) return 0;
   if (phase !== null && CLOSEOUT_PHASES.has(phase)) return 0;
   if (typeof state.inFlightJob === "string" && state.inFlightJob.trim() !== "") return 0;
   if (phase === "PendingTrigger" || phase === "Superseded") return 1;
   return 2;
 }
+
+function hasStoredSourceTargetMismatch(state: Record<string, unknown>): boolean {
+  const observedSha = nestedString(state, "source", "observedSha");
+  const targetSha = nestedString(state, "target", "targetSha");
+  return observedSha !== null && targetSha !== null && observedSha !== targetSha;
+}
+
+function hasUnfinishedObservedSource(state: Record<string, unknown>): boolean {
+  const observedSha = nestedString(state, "source", "observedSha");
+  const lastSucceededSha = typeof state.lastSucceededSha === "string" ? state.lastSucceededSha : null;
+  if (observedSha === null) return false;
+  return lastSucceededSha === null || lastSucceededSha !== observedSha;
+}
+
+function nestedString(source: Record<string, unknown>, parentKey: string, childKey: string): string | null {
+  const parent = source[parentKey];
+  if (parent === null || typeof parent !== "object" || Array.isArray(parent)) return null;
+  const value = (parent as Record<string, unknown>)[childKey];
+  return typeof value === "string" && value.trim() !== "" ? value : null;
+}