6 files changed, 92 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/cmd/spike/main.go b/cmd/spike/main.go
index 2841436..c2f3f8d 100644
--- a/cmd/spike/main.go
+++ b/cmd/spike/main.go
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ func (c *recordingChannel) ProposeRoleConfig(_ context.Context, cfg role.RoleCon
 	c.mu.Unlock()
 	return 1, nil
 }
+func (c *recordingChannel) ReportVerdict(_ context.Context, approved bool, reasoning string) error {
+	return nil
+}
 
 func main() {
 	agent := "claude"
diff --git a/internal/agentchannel/agentchannel.go b/internal/agentchannel/agentchannel.go
index 98104df..433b762 100644
--- a/internal/agentchannel/agentchannel.go
+++ b/internal/agentchannel/agentchannel.go
@@ -99,6 +99,16 @@ type AgentChannel interface {
 	// is currently "active" for that role; promoting a draft to active stays
 	// a human action via the existing POST /api/roles/{role}/activate.
 	ProposeRoleConfig(ctx context.Context, config role.RoleConfig) (version int, err error)
+	// ReportVerdict lets an evaluating agent (e.g. an arbitration-role task)
+	// report a structured approve/reject decision, instead of leaving it to
+	// be inferred by parsing the task's free-text summary later.
+	// Implementations record this as an event attached to the calling task's
+	// own ID; internal/scheduler.StoryOrchestrator's finalizeArbitration
+	// reads it back once the reporting task completes to decide REVIEW_READY
+	// vs NEEDS_FIX. A task that never calls this leaves no such event —
+	// callers reading it back must treat "no event found" as a distinct,
+	// backward-compatible case, not an error.
+	ReportVerdict(ctx context.Context, approved bool, reasoning string) error
 }
 
 // BlockedError is returned by Run when the agent asked the user a question and
diff --git a/internal/executor/agentmcp_test.go b/internal/executor/agentmcp_test.go
index 18299e8..c45964d 100644
--- a/internal/executor/agentmcp_test.go
+++ b/internal/executor/agentmcp_test.go
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ func (c *recordingChannel) ProposeRoleConfig(_ context.Context, cfg role.RoleCon
 	c.proposedRoleConfigs = append(c.proposedRoleConfigs, cfg)
 	return c.roleConfigVersion, nil
 }
+func (c *recordingChannel) ReportVerdict(_ context.Context, approved bool, reasoning string) error {
+	return nil
+}
 
 func resultText(t *testing.T, res *mcp.CallToolResult) string {
 	t.Helper()
diff --git a/internal/executor/channel.go b/internal/executor/channel.go
index 9392c77..55da7b1 100644
--- a/internal/executor/channel.go
+++ b/internal/executor/channel.go
@@ -273,4 +273,17 @@ func (c *storeChannel) ProposeRoleConfig(_ context.Context, config role.RoleConf
 		return row.Version, err
 	}
 	return row.Version, nil
+}
+
+func (c *storeChannel) ReportVerdict(_ context.Context, approved bool, reasoning string) error {
+	payload, _ := json.Marshal(struct {
+		Approved  bool   `json:"approved"`
+		Reasoning string `json:"reasoning"`
+	}{Approved: approved, Reasoning: reasoning})
+	return c.store.CreateEvent(&event.Event{
+		TaskID:  c.taskID,
+		Kind:    event.KindVerdictReported,
+		Actor:   event.ActorAgent,
+		Payload: payload,
+	})
 }
 \ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/internal/executor/channel_test.go b/internal/executor/channel_test.go
index 84cad89..23f0661 100644
--- a/internal/executor/channel_test.go
+++ b/internal/executor/channel_test.go
@@ -607,3 +607,65 @@ func TestStoreChannel_ProposeRoleConfig_EmitsRoleConfigProposedEvent(t *testing.
 		t.Errorf("payload mismatch: %+v (want role=evaluator_quality version=%d)", payload, version)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestStoreChannel_ReportVerdict_EmitsVerdictReportedEvent proves calling
+// ReportVerdict records a KindVerdictReported event attached to the
+// *calling task's* own ID, payload {approved, reasoning} —
+// internal/scheduler.StoryOrchestrator's finalizeArbitration later reads an
+// arbitration task's own event stream for this to decide REVIEW_READY vs
+// NEEDS_FIX. Mirrors TestStoreChannel_ProposeRoleConfig_EmitsRoleConfigProposedEvent.
+func TestStoreChannel_ReportVerdict_EmitsVerdictReportedEvent(t *testing.T) {
+	store := &fakeChannelStore{}
+	ch := newStoreChannel(store, "arbitration-task-1")
+
+	if err := ch.ReportVerdict(context.Background(), false, "the CSS change breaks the running-log panel"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ReportVerdict: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(store.createdEvents) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 1 event, got %d", len(store.createdEvents))
+	}
+	ev := store.createdEvents[0]
+	if ev.Kind != event.KindVerdictReported {
+		t.Errorf("expected KindVerdictReported, got %q", ev.Kind)
+	}
+	if ev.Actor != event.ActorAgent {
+		t.Errorf("expected ActorAgent, got %q", ev.Actor)
+	}
+	if ev.TaskID != "arbitration-task-1" {
+		t.Errorf("expected event attached to calling task ID, got %q", ev.TaskID)
+	}
+
+	var payload struct {
+		Approved  bool   `json:"approved"`
+		Reasoning string `json:"reasoning"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(ev.Payload, &payload); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmarshal payload: %v", err)
+	}
+	if payload.Approved != false || payload.Reasoning != "the CSS change breaks the running-log panel" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected payload: %+v", payload)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestStoreChannel_ReportVerdict_Approved proves the approved=true case
+// round-trips correctly too — not just the rejection path exercised above.
+func TestStoreChannel_ReportVerdict_Approved(t *testing.T) {
+	store := &fakeChannelStore{}
+	ch := newStoreChannel(store, "arbitration-task-2")
+
+	if err := ch.ReportVerdict(context.Background(), true, "meets all acceptance criteria"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ReportVerdict: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	var payload struct {
+		Approved  bool   `json:"approved"`
+		Reasoning string `json:"reasoning"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(store.createdEvents[0].Payload, &payload); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmarshal payload: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !payload.Approved {
+		t.Error("expected approved=true to round-trip as true")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/executor/container_test.go b/internal/executor/container_test.go
index 6672dea..80b1996 100644
--- a/internal/executor/container_test.go
+++ b/internal/executor/container_test.go
@@ -855,3 +855,4 @@ func (noopChannel) ProposeEpic(_ context.Context, _ EpicProposal) (string, error
 func (noopChannel) ProposeRoleConfig(_ context.Context, _ role.RoleConfig) (int, error) {
 	return 0, nil
 }
+func (noopChannel) ReportVerdict(_ context.Context, _ bool, _ string) error { return nil }