Remove empty per-ticket directories created in .autopr folder

internal/application/tickets/orchestrator.go

@@ -68,12 +68,8 @@ func (o *Orchestrator) StartFlow(ctx context.Context, ticketNumber string) error
 	}
 
 	state, loadErr := o.Store.LoadState(ticketNumber)
-	if os.IsNotExist(loadErr) {
+	if errors.Is(loadErr, os.ErrNotExist) {
 		state = workflowstate.New(ticketNumber)
-		saveErr := o.Store.SaveState(ticketNumber, state)
-		if saveErr != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("save initial ticket state: %w", saveErr)
-		}
 	} else if loadErr != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("load ticket state: %w", loadErr)
 	}
@@ -154,12 +150,8 @@ func (o *Orchestrator) MoveToState(ctx context.Context, ticketNumber, target str
 	}
 
 	state, loadErr := o.Store.LoadState(ticketNumber)
-	if os.IsNotExist(loadErr) {
+	if errors.Is(loadErr, os.ErrNotExist) {
 		state = workflowstate.New(ticketNumber)
-		saveErr := o.Store.SaveState(ticketNumber, state)
-		if saveErr != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("save initial ticket state: %w", saveErr)
-		}
 	} else if loadErr != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("load ticket state: %w", loadErr)
 	}

internal/application/tickets/orchestrator_test.go

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/Neokil/AutoPR/internal/config"
 	workflowstate "github.com/Neokil/AutoPR/internal/domain/workflowstate"
 	"github.com/Neokil/AutoPR/internal/providers"
+	statepkg "github.com/Neokil/AutoPR/internal/state"
 )
 
 // ── in-memory mocks ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -169,6 +170,15 @@ func setupGitRepoWithBaseBranch(t *testing.T) string {
 	return root
 }
 
+func setupGitRepo(t *testing.T, root string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	runGit(t, root, "init", "-b", "main")
+	runGit(t, root, "config", "user.name", "Test User")
+	runGit(t, root, "config", "user.email", "test@example.com")
+	runGit(t, root, "add", ".")
+	runGit(t, root, "commit", "-m", "initial commit")
+}
+
 // ── StartFlow ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 func TestStartFlow_newTicket_endsWaiting(t *testing.T) {
@@ -327,6 +337,44 @@ func TestStartFlow_writesBaseBranchIntoContextFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestStartFlow_newTicketPersistsStateInWorktreeOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	root := setupRepo(t, minimalWorkflow, "Investigate this ticket.")
+	setupGitRepo(t, root)
+	store := statepkg.NewStore(root, ".auto-pr-state")
+	prov := &mockProvider{result: providers.ExecuteResult{RawOutput: "analysis done"}}
+	orch := tickets.NewWithStore(
+		config.Config{StateDirName: ".auto-pr-state", BaseBranch: "main"},
+		root,
+		store,
+		prov,
+	)
+
+	err := orch.StartFlow(context.Background(), "42")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	worktreeStatePath := filepath.Join(root, ".auto-pr-state", "worktrees", "42", ".auto-pr", statepkg.StateFileName)
+	_, statErr := os.Stat(worktreeStatePath)
+	if statErr != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("expected worktree-backed state file at %s: %v", worktreeStatePath, statErr)
+	}
+
+	legacyStatePath := filepath.Join(root, ".auto-pr-state", "42", statepkg.StateFileName)
+	_, statErr = os.Stat(legacyStatePath)
+	if !os.IsNotExist(statErr) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected no legacy state file at %s, got err=%v", legacyStatePath, statErr)
+	}
+
+	legacyDirPath := filepath.Join(root, ".auto-pr-state", "42")
+	_, statErr = os.Stat(legacyDirPath)
+	if !os.IsNotExist(statErr) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected no legacy ticket dir at %s, got err=%v", legacyDirPath, statErr)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestDiscoverTickets_persistsLogsUnderUserHome(t *testing.T) {
 	home := t.TempDir()
 	t.Setenv("HOME", home)

internal/server/job_failures.go

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package server
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
@@ -16,10 +17,16 @@ func (s *server) persistTicketFailure(repoID, repoRoot, ticket string, repoRt *r
 
 	ticketState, err := repoRt.store.LoadState(ticket)
 	if err != nil {
-		if !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		if !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
 			return fmt.Errorf("load ticket state: %w", err)
 		}
-		ticketState = workflowstate.New(ticket)
+
+		delErr := s.meta.DeleteTicket(repoID, ticket)
+		if delErr != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("delete ticket metadata: %w", delErr)
+		}
+
+		return nil
 	}
 
 	msg := strings.TrimSpace(cause.Error())

internal/server/ticket_lifecycle_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+package server //nolint:testpackage // needs access to unexported server internals
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/Neokil/AutoPR/internal/serverstate"
+	"github.com/Neokil/AutoPR/internal/state"
+)
+
+func newTestServer(t *testing.T, repoRoot string) (*server, *state.Store, string) {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	meta, err := serverstate.NewStore(filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "server-state.json"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewStore() error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	store := state.NewStore(repoRoot, ".auto-pr-state")
+	repoID := "repo-1"
+
+	return &server{
+		meta: meta,
+		runtimes: map[string]*repoRuntime{
+			repoRoot: {
+				repoRoot: repoRoot,
+				store:    store,
+			},
+		},
+	}, store, repoID
+}
+
+func TestEnsureQueuedTicketDoesNotPersistFreshState(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	repoRoot := t.TempDir()
+	srv, store, repoID := newTestServer(t, repoRoot)
+
+	err := srv.ensureQueuedTicket(repoID, repoRoot, "GH-12")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ensureQueuedTicket() error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_, loadErr := store.LoadState("GH-12")
+	if !errors.Is(loadErr, os.ErrNotExist) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected no persisted state, got err=%v", loadErr)
+	}
+
+	_, statErr := os.Stat(store.TicketDir("GH-12"))
+	if !os.IsNotExist(statErr) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected no legacy ticket dir, got err=%v", statErr)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPersistTicketFailureWithoutStateDeletesMetadataOnly(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	repoRoot := t.TempDir()
+	srv, store, repoID := newTestServer(t, repoRoot)
+	err := srv.meta.UpsertTicket(serverstate.TicketRecord{
+		RepoID:       repoID,
+		RepoPath:     repoRoot,
+		TicketNumber: "GH-12",
+		Status:       "queued",
+		UpdatedAt:    time.Now().UTC(),
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("UpsertTicket() error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	err = srv.persistTicketFailure(repoID, repoRoot, "GH-12", &repoRuntime{repoRoot: repoRoot, store: store}, queuedJob{
+		record: serverstate.JobRecord{Action: jobRun},
+	}, errors.New("worktree creation failed")) //nolint:err113 // test-local sentinel
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("persistTicketFailure() error = %v", err)
+	}
+
+	_, loadErr := store.LoadState("GH-12")
+	if !errors.Is(loadErr, os.ErrNotExist) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected no persisted state, got err=%v", loadErr)
+	}
+
+	_, statErr := os.Stat(store.TicketDir("GH-12"))
+	if !os.IsNotExist(statErr) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected no legacy ticket dir, got err=%v", statErr)
+	}
+
+	if records := srv.meta.ListTickets(repoID); len(records) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected metadata to be removed, got %#v", records)
+	}
+}

internal/server/ticket_sync.go

@@ -24,13 +24,7 @@ func (s *server) ensureQueuedTicket(repoID, repoRoot, ticket string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("load ticket state: %w", loadErr)
 	}
 
-	st := workflowstate.New(ticket)
-	err = repoRt.store.SaveState(ticket, st)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("save initial ticket state: %w", err)
-	}
-
-	return s.syncTicketFromRepo(repoID, repoRoot, ticket, repoRt, true)
+	return nil
 }
 
 func (s *server) syncTicketFromRepo(repoID, repoRoot, ticket string, rt *repoRuntime, emitEvent bool) error {

internal/state/store.go

@@ -30,13 +30,13 @@ func NewStore(repoRoot, stateDirName string) *Store {
 	}
 }
 
-// TicketDir returns the directory used to store state for the given ticket before a worktree exists.
+// TicketDir returns the legacy pre-worktree directory for the given ticket.
 func (s *Store) TicketDir(ticketNumber string) string {
 	return filepath.Join(s.StateRoot, ticketNumber)
 }
 
 // LoadState reads the persisted state for the ticket, preferring the worktree location
-// when it exists and falling back to the pre-worktree state directory.
+// and falling back to the legacy pre-worktree state directory for compatibility.
 func (s *Store) LoadState(ticketNumber string) (workflowstate.State, error) {
 	// Prefer the worktree location when it exists.
 	wtStatePath := filepath.Join(s.worktreePath(ticketNumber), ".auto-pr", StateFileName)
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ func (s *Store) LoadState(ticketNumber string) (workflowstate.State, error) {
 }
 
 // SaveState persists st, writing to the worktree location once a worktree exists
-// and removing the pre-worktree copy to keep a single source of truth.
+// and removing the legacy copy to keep a single source of truth.
+// Callers that save before a worktree exists still write to the legacy location.
 func (s *Store) SaveState(ticketNumber string, state workflowstate.State) error {
 	state.Touch()
 	data, err := json.MarshalIndent(state, "", "  ")
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ func (s *Store) ListTicketDirs() ([]string, error) {
 	seen := map[string]struct{}{}
 	var out []string
 
-	// Tickets with state still in the pre-worktree location.
+	// Tickets with state still in the legacy pre-worktree location.
 	entries, err := os.ReadDir(s.StateRoot)
 	if err != nil && !os.IsNotExist(err) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("read state root: %w", err)
@@ -141,7 +142,7 @@ func (s *Store) ListTicketDirs() ([]string, error) {
 	return out, nil
 }
 
-// RemoveTicketDir deletes the pre-worktree state directory for the given ticket.
+// RemoveTicketDir deletes the legacy pre-worktree state directory for the given ticket.
 func (s *Store) RemoveTicketDir(ticketNumber string) error {
 	err := os.RemoveAll(s.TicketDir(ticketNumber))
 	if err != nil {