tom-sapletta-com · Oct 19, 2026
diff --git a/planfile/__init__.py b/planfile/__init__.py
@@ -206,11 +206,30 @@ def _autonomy_skip(ticket: "Ticket") -> str:
             return "autonomy-frontier"
         if "actor:human" in labels:
             return "actor:human"
+        executor_kind = (
+            str(ticket.executor.kind or "").strip().lower()
+            if getattr(ticket, "executor", None)
+            else ""
+        )
+        exec_queue = (
+            str(ticket.execution.queue or "default").strip().lower()
+            if getattr(ticket, "execution", None)
+            else "default"
+        )
+        if executor_kind == "human" and (exec_queue == "operator" or "operator" in labels):
+            return "actor:human"
         for label in labels:
             if label.startswith("waiting:") or label.startswith("needs-human"):
                 return label
         return ""
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def _is_human_or_missing_executor(ticket: "Ticket") -> int:
+        """Return 0 for machine-runnable executors, 1 for human or unspecified executors."""
+        executor = getattr(ticket, "executor", None)
+        kind = str(getattr(executor, "kind", None) or "").strip().lower() if executor else ""
+        return 1 if kind in {"", "human"} else 0
+
     @staticmethod
     def _autonomy_blocked(ticket: "Ticket") -> bool:
         """Boolean form of :meth:`_autonomy_skip` (frozen frontier / human / resource wait)."""
@@ -248,7 +267,7 @@ def runnability_skip_reason(
         if exec_state not in self._RUNNABLE_EXEC_STATES:
             return f"exec_state:{exec_state}"
         autonomy = self._autonomy_skip(ticket)
-        if autonomy:
+        if autonomy and not (queue == "operator" and autonomy == "actor:human"):
             return autonomy
         if self._goal_frozen(ticket):
             return "goal-frozen"
@@ -307,7 +326,7 @@ def runnable_report(self, sprint: str = "current", queue: str | None = None) ->
                 ticket_by_id=ticket_by_id,
             )
             (skipped.append({"id": ticket.id, "reason": reason}) if reason else servable.append(ticket))
-        servable.sort(key=self._ticket_sort_key)
+        servable.sort(key=lambda t: (self._is_human_or_missing_executor(t), *self._ticket_sort_key(t)))
         return {"selected": servable[0].id if servable else None,
                 "servable": [t.id for t in servable], "skipped": skipped}
 
@@ -328,7 +347,11 @@ def next_ticket(self, sprint: str = "current", queue: str | None = None) -> Tick
                 ticket_by_id=ticket_by_id,
             )
         )
-        return min(runnable, key=self._ticket_sort_key, default=None)
+        return min(
+            runnable,
+            key=lambda t: (self._is_human_or_missing_executor(t), *self._ticket_sort_key(t)),
+            default=None,
+        )
 
     def next_tickets(
         self,
@@ -370,7 +393,14 @@ def next_tickets(
         def sort_key(t: Ticket):
             base_key = self._ticket_sort_key(t)
             crit_weight = -weights.get(t.id, 0)
-            return (base_key[0], base_key[1], crit_weight, base_key[2], base_key[3])
+            return (
+                self._is_human_or_missing_executor(t),
+                base_key[0],
+                base_key[1],
+                crit_weight,
+                base_key[2],
+                base_key[3],
+            )
 
         runnable.sort(key=sort_key)
 

diff --git a/project/TICKETS.md b/project/TICKETS.md
@@ -128,4 +128,6 @@ This file indexes governance tickets without taking ownership of
 | **ticket-216** | [`README.md`](./ticket-216/README.md) | - | - | - | - | - |
 | **ticket-217** | [`README.md`](./ticket-217/README.md) | - | - | - | - | - |
 | **ticket-218** | [`README.md`](./ticket-218/README.md) | - | - | - | - | - |
+| **ticket-220** | [`README.md`](./ticket-220/README.md) | - | - | - | - | - |
+| **ticket-221** | [`README.md`](./ticket-221/README.md) | - | - | - | - | - |
 <!-- AUTO:TICKET_INDEX:END -->
diff --git a/project/ticket-221/README.md b/project/ticket-221/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# ticket-221: Defer human and skip operator tickets in Planfile next_ticket and next_tickets
+
+- **Status**: IN_PROGRESS
+- **Workstream**: `application`
+- **Classification**: `BUG` / `P1` / `health`
+- **Agent**: `agy`
+
+## Problem Statement
+
+When Koru's native Planfile SDK fast path calls `Planfile.next_ticket()` or `Planfile.next_tickets()`:
+1. Tickets with `executor.kind == "human"` and `execution.queue == "operator"` (such as `PLF-255` in `semcod/tagi` and `PLF-2674` in `semcod/koru`) were not skipped by `Planfile._autonomy_skip` when `queue=None`, stalling the queue in `waiting_input` instead of allowing `idle` discovery.
+2. High-priority tickets without a machine executor (`executor=None` or `executor.kind="human"`, such as `PLF-17307` in `semcod/koru`) were returned ahead of machine-runnable tickets (`executor.kind="llm"`, such as `PLF-104..PLF-118`), halting the autonomous queue on `waiting_input` while runnable machine work remained.
+
+## Solution
+
+- Updated `Planfile._autonomy_skip` and `Planfile.runnability_skip_reason` in `planfile/__init__.py` to return `"actor:human"` for `executor.kind == "human"` tickets in the `operator` queue (or carrying the `operator` label) unless `queue == "operator"` is explicitly requested.
+- Added `Planfile._is_human_or_missing_executor` and wired it into `Planfile.next_ticket`, `Planfile.next_tickets`, and `Planfile.runnable_report` so machine-runnable tickets (`0`) always precede human or unspecified executor tickets (`1`).
+
+## Acceptance Criteria
+
+- **AC-01**: `Planfile.next_ticket()` and `Planfile.next_tickets()` skip `operator` human tickets during default drain and rank machine-runnable tickets ahead of human/unspecified executor tickets.
+
+## Validation Evidence
+
+- `pytest -q tests/test_next_ticket_autonomy_filter.py tests/test_priority_weighting.py` (`14 passed`)
+- `ruff check planfile/__init__.py tests/test_next_ticket_autonomy_filter.py` (`All checks passed!`)
+- `./project/governance-check.sh` (`GOV-PASS`)
diff --git a/project/ticket-221/intent.json b/project/ticket-221/intent.json
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+{
+  "schema": "new-project.intent/v3",
+  "ticket": "ticket-221",
+  "summary": "Defer human and skip operator tickets in Planfile next_ticket and next_tickets",
+  "workstream": "application",
+  "classification": {
+    "kind": "BUG",
+    "priority": "P1",
+    "origin": "health"
+  },
+  "allowedPaths": [
+    "project/ticket-221/**",
+    "TODO.md",
+    "project/TICKETS.md",
+    "planfile/__init__.py",
+    "tests/test_next_ticket_autonomy_filter.py"
+  ],
+  "forbiddenPaths": [
+    "project/ticket-*/user-*.md"
+  ],
+  "stacks": [
+    "python"
+  ],
+  "dependsOn": [],
+  "conflictsWith": [],
+  "integrationTicket": null,
+  "delivery": {
+    "acceptedBaseSha": "7354b47dcb60a8f040c1811d3ec9e981fe0c61f5",
+    "targetBranch": "main",
+    "outcome": "Skip operator-queue human tickets during default autonomous queue drain and defer human/unspecified executor tickets behind machine-runnable tickets in Planfile.next_ticket and Planfile.next_tickets.",
+    "nonGoals": [
+      "Do not alter _ticket_sort_key priority tuple order or explicit queue='operator' queries."
+    ],
+    "complexity": "S",
+    "estimatedMinutes": 10,
+    "budgets": {
+      "maxImplementationFiles": 2,
+      "maxAffectedComponents": 2,
+      "maxPublicInterfaceChanges": 0,
+      "maxRuntimeDependencies": 0
+    },
+    "architecture": {
+      "status": "accepted",
+      "decision": "Skip operator-queue human tickets in Planfile._autonomy_skip unless queue=='operator', and rank machine-runnable executors ahead of human/unspecified executors in Planfile.next_ticket, Planfile.next_tickets, and Planfile.runnable_report.",
+      "components": [
+        {
+          "name": "core-and-paths",
+          "paths": [
+            "planfile/__init__.py"
+          ]
+        },
+        {
+          "name": "tests",
+          "paths": [
+            "tests/test_next_ticket_autonomy_filter.py"
+          ]
+        }
+      ],
+      "responsibilityChanges": false,
+      "interfaceChanges": [],
+      "dataChanges": [],
+      "ui": {
+        "impact": "none",
+        "states": [],
+        "evidence": []
+      },
+      "rollback": "Revert commit for ticket-221."
+    },
+    "runtimeDependencies": [],
+    "validation": [
+      {
+        "criterion": "AC-01",
+        "commands": [
+          "pytest -q tests/test_next_ticket_autonomy_filter.py tests/test_priority_weighting.py",
+          "ruff check planfile/__init__.py tests/test_next_ticket_autonomy_filter.py",
+          "./project/governance-check.sh"
+        ],
+        "evidence": "project/ticket-221/README.md"
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}
diff --git a/tests/test_next_ticket_autonomy_filter.py b/tests/test_next_ticket_autonomy_filter.py
@@ -133,3 +133,47 @@ def unexpected_lookup(_ticket_id):
     monkeypatch.setattr(pf, "get_ticket", unexpected_lookup)
 
     assert pf.next_ticket().id == "RUN"
+
+
+def test_operator_human_ticket_skipped_in_default_autonomy_drain(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.delenv("PLANFILE_NO_AUTONOMY_FILTER", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("CURRENT_GOAL", raising=False)
+    op_ticket = _mk(
+        id="PLF-255",
+        name="Project discovery",
+        priority="high",
+        executor={"kind": "human", "mode": "interactive"},
+        execution={"queue": "operator", "state": "ready"},
+    )
+    pf = Planfile.__new__(Planfile)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(pf, "list_tickets", lambda **kwargs: [op_ticket])
+    monkeypatch.setattr(pf, "get_ticket", lambda _i: None)
+
+    assert pf.runnability_skip_reason(op_ticket) == "actor:human"
+    assert pf.next_ticket() is None
+    assert pf.runnability_skip_reason(op_ticket, queue="operator") == ""
+    assert pf.next_ticket(queue="operator").id == "PLF-255"
+
+
+def test_next_ticket_defers_human_and_unspecified_executor_behind_machine_work(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.delenv("PLANFILE_NO_AUTONOMY_FILTER", raising=False)
+    monkeypatch.delenv("CURRENT_GOAL", raising=False)
+    human_bug = _mk(
+        id="PLF-17307",
+        name="Manual audit bug",
+        priority="high",
+        labels=["bug"],
+    )
+    llm_task = _mk(
+        id="PLF-104",
+        name="Shotgun surgery refactor",
+        priority="normal",
+        executor={"kind": "llm", "mode": "automatic"},
+    )
+    pf = Planfile.__new__(Planfile)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(pf, "list_tickets", lambda **kwargs: [human_bug, llm_task])
+    monkeypatch.setattr(pf, "get_ticket", lambda _i: None)
+
+    assert pf.next_ticket().id == "PLF-104"
+    assert [t.id for t in pf.next_tickets(count=2, disjoint_files=False)] == ["PLF-104", "PLF-17307"]
+