fix(gateway): neutral orchestration wording for block-loop triage pings

A repeated-block circuit breaker routes a task to triage and establishes that
orchestration attention is needed — it does not establish that a human
decision exists. The notifier unconditionally rendered every
block_loop_detected event as "needs a human decision", overclaiming owner
intent for dependency waits, capability gaps, and transient failures.

Branch on the typed block kind in the event payload: only needs_input (the
one kind carrying a concrete question for the owner) keeps the decision
wording; dependency/capability/transient/None get neutral orchestration
wording. TRIAGE visibility, the reason, and recurrence count are preserved.

Closes #111125

gateway/kanban_watchers_notifier.py

@@ -367,6 +367,26 @@ def _fmt_changes_requested(ev, n) -> tuple:
     return msg, None, reason_text
 
 
+def _fmt_block_loop_detected(ev, n) -> tuple:
+    """Re-blocked for the same cause past the limit and routed to `triage`.
+
+    It emits no blocked/status event, so ping loudly here. A repeated-block
+    circuit breaker establishes that orchestration attention is needed; it
+    does NOT establish that a human decision or owner input exists. Use
+    neutral orchestration wording unless the block was typed as a genuine
+    owner-input request (`needs_input`, the only kind that carries a concrete
+    question for the owner).
+    """
+    kind = _payload(ev, "kind")
+    decision = kind == "needs_input"
+    msg = (
+        f"🛑 {n.head} routed to TRIAGE — "
+        f"{'needs a human decision' if decision else 'for orchestration attention'}"
+        f"{_clip(ev, 'recurrences', ' (blocked {}x for the same cause)', 200)}{_clip(ev, 'reason', ': {}', 160)}"
+    )
+    return msg, None, None
+
+
 # archived / unblocked are claimed (so the cursor advances past them) but
 # intentionally silent (no formatter), and excluded from _WAKE_KINDS so they
 # never wake the creator.
@@ -383,13 +403,7 @@ _EVENT_FORMATTERS: dict[str, Callable[[Any, "_KanbanNotification"], tuple]] = {
     "status": lambda ev, n: (f"🔄 {n.head} → {_payload(ev, 'status') or ''}", None, None),
     "review_requested": _fmt_review_requested,
     "changes_requested": _fmt_changes_requested,
-    # Re-blocked for the same cause past the limit and routed to `triage` for a
-    # human. It emits no blocked/status event, so ping loudly here.
-    "block_loop_detected": lambda ev, n: (
-        f"🛑 {n.head} routed to TRIAGE — needs a human decision"
-        f"{_clip(ev, 'recurrences', ' (blocked {}x for the same cause)', 200)}{_clip(ev, 'reason', ': {}', 160)}",
-        None, None,
-    ),
+    "block_loop_detected": _fmt_block_loop_detected,
 }
 
 

tests/gateway/test_kanban_notifier.py

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import asyncio
 import sqlite3
 from pathlib import Path
 
+import pytest
+
 
 from gateway.config import Platform
 from gateway.kanban_watchers_common import (
@@ -627,6 +629,66 @@ def test_notifier_delivers_block_loop_detected_triage_ping(tmp_path, monkeypatch
     assert remaining == []
 
 
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# #111125 — a repeated-block circuit breaker establishes that orchestration
+# attention is needed, NOT that a human decision exists. The formatter must
+# use neutral wording unless the block was typed as a genuine owner-input
+# request (`needs_input`, the only kind that carries a concrete question).
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+class _StubEvent:
+    def __init__(self, payload):
+        self.payload = payload
+
+
+class _StubNotif:
+    head = "H123"
+
+
+def _fmt_block_loop(payload):
+    from gateway.kanban_watchers_notifier import _EVENT_FORMATTERS
+
+    msg, _, _ = _EVENT_FORMATTERS["block_loop_detected"](_StubEvent(payload), _StubNotif())
+    return msg
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "kind",
+    ["dependency", "capability", "transient", None],
+)
+def test_block_loop_non_owner_input_uses_neutral_orchestration_wording(kind):
+    """Orchestration/technical block kinds must NOT claim a human decision.
+
+    Regression for #111125: before this fix every `block_loop_detected` was
+    rendered as \"needs a human decision\" regardless of its typed reason. A
+    dependency wait, capability gap, or transient failure routed to triage is
+    an orchestration handoff with no question for the owner.
+    """
+    payload = {"reason": "waiting on upstream", "kind": kind, "recurrences": 2}
+    msg = _fmt_block_loop(payload)
+    assert "for orchestration attention" in msg
+    assert "needs a human decision" not in msg
+    # Circuit-breaker visibility is preserved.
+    assert "TRIAGE" in msg
+    assert "waiting on upstream" in msg
+
+
+def test_block_loop_owner_input_keeps_decision_wording():
+    """A `needs_input` block carries a concrete question for the owner, so the
+    owner-decision wording is correct and must be retained (#111125)."""
+    payload = {
+        "reason": "Which API key should this use?",
+        "kind": "needs_input",
+        "recurrences": 2,
+        "limit": kb.BLOCK_RECURRENCE_LIMIT,
+    }
+    msg = _fmt_block_loop(payload)
+    assert "needs a human decision" in msg
+    assert "for orchestration attention" not in msg
+    assert "Which API key should this use?" in msg
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Handoffs that hand a decision back to the origin must wake it, not only ping
 # it: `review_requested` (implementation done, waiting for a reviewer) and