fix: allow notify reactions when auto is false, clean up reserved IDs on spawn failure

- Reactions with action: "notify" bypass the auto: false gate so
  merge-ready notifications fire for approved-and-green config
- All spawn failure paths now delete the reserved session metadata file

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

packages/core/src/lifecycle-manager.ts

@@ -418,8 +418,11 @@ export function createLifecycleManager(deps: LifecycleManagerDeps): LifecycleMan
             ? { ...globalReaction, ...projectReaction }
             : globalReaction;
 
-          if (reactionConfig && reactionConfig.auto !== false && reactionConfig.action) {
+          if (reactionConfig && reactionConfig.action) {
-            await executeReaction(event, reactionKey, reactionConfig as ReactionConfig);
+            // auto: false skips automated agent actions but still allows notifications
+            if (reactionConfig.auto !== false || reactionConfig.action === "notify") {
+              await executeReaction(event, reactionKey, reactionConfig as ReactionConfig);
+            }
           }
         }
       }
@@ -467,8 +470,10 @@ export function createLifecycleManager(deps: LifecycleManagerDeps): LifecycleMan
         const reactionKey = eventToReactionKey("summary.all_complete");
         if (reactionKey) {
           const reactionConfig = config.reactions[reactionKey];
-          if (reactionConfig && reactionConfig.auto !== false && reactionConfig.action) {
+          if (reactionConfig && reactionConfig.action) {
-            await executeReaction(event, reactionKey, reactionConfig as ReactionConfig);
+            if (reactionConfig.auto !== false || reactionConfig.action === "notify") {
+              await executeReaction(event, reactionKey, reactionConfig as ReactionConfig);
+            }
           }
         }
       }

packages/core/src/session-manager.ts

@@ -192,28 +192,38 @@ export function createSessionManager(deps: SessionManagerDeps): SessionManager {
     // Create workspace (if workspace plugin is available)
     let workspacePath = project.path;
     if (plugins.workspace) {
-      const wsInfo = await plugins.workspace.create({
+      try {
-        projectId: spawnConfig.projectId,
+        const wsInfo = await plugins.workspace.create({
-        project,
+          projectId: spawnConfig.projectId,
-        sessionId,
+          project,
-        branch,
+          sessionId,
-      });
+          branch,
-      workspacePath = wsInfo.path;
+        });
+        workspacePath = wsInfo.path;
 
-      // Run post-create hooks — clean up workspace on failure (skip if project root)
+        // Run post-create hooks — clean up workspace on failure
-      if (plugins.workspace.postCreate) {
+        if (plugins.workspace.postCreate) {
-        try {
+          try {
-          await plugins.workspace.postCreate(wsInfo, project);
+            await plugins.workspace.postCreate(wsInfo, project);
-        } catch (err) {
+          } catch (err) {
-          if (workspacePath !== project.path) {
+            if (workspacePath !== project.path) {
-            try {
+              try {
-              await plugins.workspace.destroy(workspacePath);
+                await plugins.workspace.destroy(workspacePath);
-            } catch {
+              } catch {
-              /* best effort */
+                /* best effort */
+              }
             }
+            throw err;
           }
-          throw err;
         }
+      } catch (err) {
+        // Clean up reserved session ID on workspace failure
+        try {
+          deleteMetadata(config.dataDir, sessionId, false);
+        } catch {
+          /* best effort */
+        }
+        throw err;
       }
     }
 
@@ -242,7 +252,7 @@ export function createSessionManager(deps: SessionManagerDeps): SessionManager {
         },
       });
     } catch (err) {
-      // Clean up workspace if agent config or runtime creation failed
+      // Clean up workspace and reserved ID if agent config or runtime creation failed
       if (plugins.workspace && workspacePath !== project.path) {
         try {
           await plugins.workspace.destroy(workspacePath);
@@ -250,6 +260,11 @@ export function createSessionManager(deps: SessionManagerDeps): SessionManager {
           /* best effort */
         }
       }
+      try {
+        deleteMetadata(config.dataDir, sessionId, false);
+      } catch {
+        /* best effort */
+      }
       throw err;
     }