garrytan · Alchemist-DevAI · Jul 23, 2026
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [1.60.2.0] - 2026-07-23
+
+### Fixed
+
+- `/ship` now preserves repositories that intentionally omit `VERSION`: classification returns an explicit `VERSIONLESS` state, keeps the existing `package.json` version untouched, skips versioned changelog and PR-title rules, and continues through commit, push, and PR creation. Repositories with a real `VERSION` retain the existing package-drift stop.
+- Generated Claude, Codex, Factory, and other host ship surfaces now carry the versionless dispatch, with golden fixtures and real-git regression coverage preventing the path from drifting.
+
 ## [1.60.1.0] - 2026-07-09
 
 ## **The /autoplan dual-voice eval is back on the board, catching real regressions.**

diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.60.1.0
+1.60.2.0
diff --git a/bin/gstack-version-bump b/bin/gstack-version-bump
@@ -15,8 +15,9 @@
 // Subcommands:
 //   classify --base <branch> [--version-path <p>]
 //       Compares VERSION vs origin/<base>:VERSION vs package.json.version.
-//       Emits JSON: { state, baseVersion, currentVersion, pkgVersion, pkgExists }
-//       state ∈ FRESH | ALREADY_BUMPED | DRIFT_STALE_PKG | DRIFT_UNEXPECTED
+//       Emits JSON: { state, baseVersion, currentVersion, pkgVersion, pkgExists,
+//                     baseVersionExists, versionExists }
+//       state ∈ VERSIONLESS | FRESH | ALREADY_BUMPED | DRIFT_STALE_PKG | DRIFT_UNEXPECTED
 //       Exit 0 on a decidable state (incl. DRIFT_UNEXPECTED — it's a real state
 //       the caller must handle), exit 2 on bad args / unresolvable base.
 //
@@ -41,7 +42,8 @@ import { join } from "node:path";
 const VERSION_RE = /^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$/;
 const DEFAULT = "0.0.0.0";
 
-type State = "FRESH" | "ALREADY_BUMPED" | "DRIFT_STALE_PKG" | "DRIFT_UNEXPECTED";
+type State = "VERSIONLESS" | "FRESH" | "ALREADY_BUMPED" | "DRIFT_STALE_PKG" | "DRIFT_UNEXPECTED";
+type VersionFile = { exists: boolean; version: string };
 
 function fail(msg: string, code = 2): never {
   process.stderr.write(`gstack-version-bump: ${msg}\n`);
@@ -64,12 +66,12 @@ function resolveVersionPath(cwd: string, explicit?: string): string {
   return join(cwd, "VERSION");
 }
 
-function readVersionFile(p: string): string {
+function readVersionFile(p: string): VersionFile {
   try {
     const v = readFileSync(p, "utf-8").replace(/[\r\n\s]/g, "");
-    return v || DEFAULT;
+    return { exists: true, version: v || DEFAULT };
   } catch {
-    return DEFAULT;
+    return { exists: false, version: DEFAULT };
   }
 }
 
@@ -101,24 +103,31 @@ function writePkgVersion(cwd: string, version: string): void {
   writeFileSync(pkgPath, JSON.stringify(parsed, null, 2) + "\n");
 }
 
-function baseVersion(cwd: string, base: string, versionRel: string): string {
+function baseVersion(cwd: string, base: string, versionRel: string): VersionFile {
   // Verify the base ref resolves, mirroring the Step 12 guard.
   try {
     execFileSync("git", ["rev-parse", "--verify", `origin/${base}`], { cwd, stdio: "ignore" });
   } catch {
     fail(`Unable to resolve origin/${base}. Run 'git fetch origin' or verify the base branch exists.`, 2);
   }
   try {
-    const out = execFileSync("git", ["show", `origin/${base}:${versionRel}`], { cwd }).toString();
+    const out = execFileSync("git", ["show", `origin/${base}:${versionRel}`], { cwd, stdio: "pipe" }).toString();
     const v = out.replace(/[\r\n\s]/g, "");
-    return v || DEFAULT;
+    return { exists: true, version: v || DEFAULT };
   } catch {
-    // VERSION absent on base (new repo / new file) → treat as 0.0.0.0.
-    return DEFAULT;
+    return { exists: false, version: DEFAULT };
   }
 }
 
-function classifyState(current: string, base: string, pkgExists: boolean, pkgVersion: string): State {
+function classifyState(
+  current: string,
+  base: string,
+  pkgExists: boolean,
+  pkgVersion: string,
+  versionExists: boolean,
+  baseVersionExists: boolean,
+): State {
+  if (!versionExists && !baseVersionExists) return "VERSIONLESS";
   if (current === base) {
     // VERSION unchanged vs base. A diverging package.json means someone hand-edited
     // package.json bypassing /ship — unsafe to guess which is authoritative.
@@ -138,14 +147,23 @@ function cmdClassify(args: string[], cwd: string): void {
   const current = readVersionFile(versionPath);
   const baseV = baseVersion(cwd, base!, versionRel);
   const pkg = readPkgVersion(cwd);
-  const state = classifyState(current, baseV, pkg.exists, pkg.version);
+  const state = classifyState(
+    current.version,
+    baseV.version,
+    pkg.exists,
+    pkg.version,
+    current.exists,
+    baseV.exists,
+  );
   process.stdout.write(
     JSON.stringify({
       state,
-      baseVersion: baseV,
-      currentVersion: current,
+      baseVersion: baseV.exists ? baseV.version : null,
+      currentVersion: current.exists ? current.version : null,
       pkgVersion: pkg.version || null,
       pkgExists: pkg.exists,
+      baseVersionExists: baseV.exists,
+      versionExists: current.exists,
     }) + "\n",
   );
   // DRIFT_UNEXPECTED is a real, decidable state — the caller stops on it, but the
@@ -178,9 +196,9 @@ function cmdWrite(args: string[], cwd: string): void {
 function cmdRepair(args: string[], cwd: string): void {
   const versionPath = resolveVersionPath(cwd, argVal(args, "--version-path"));
   const current = readVersionFile(versionPath);
-  if (!VERSION_RE.test(current)) {
+  if (!current.exists || !VERSION_RE.test(current.version)) {
     fail(
-      `VERSION file contents (${current}) do not match MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH.MICRO. ` +
+      `VERSION file contents (${current.version}) do not match MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH.MICRO. ` +
         "Refusing to propagate invalid semver into package.json. Fix VERSION, then re-run /ship.",
       2,
     );
@@ -189,11 +207,11 @@ function cmdRepair(args: string[], cwd: string): void {
     fail("repair: no package.json to sync.", 2);
   }
   try {
-    writePkgVersion(cwd, current);
+    writePkgVersion(cwd, current.version);
   } catch {
     fail("drift repair failed — could not update package.json.", 3);
   }
-  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({ repaired: current }) + "\n");
+  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({ repaired: current.version }) + "\n");
 }
 
 // Exported for unit tests (pure logic, no I/O).

diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "gstack",
-  "version": "1.60.1.0",
+  "version": "1.60.2.0",
   "description": "Garry's Stack — Claude Code skills + fast headless browser. One repo, one install, entire AI engineering workflow.",
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",

diff --git a/scripts/resolvers/utility.ts b/scripts/resolvers/utility.ts
@@ -397,6 +397,7 @@ export function generateChangelogWorkflow(_ctx: TemplateContext): string {
    - Refactoring
 
 5. **Write the CHANGELOG entry** covering ALL groups:
+   - If \`VERSIONED_SHIP=false\`, preserve the repository's existing unversioned CHANGELOG convention and skip the versioned-header rules below. Do not invent a version header; if no CHANGELOG exists, skip this step silently.
    - If existing CHANGELOG entries on the branch already cover some commits, replace them with one unified entry for the new version
    - Categorize changes into applicable sections:
      - \`### Added\` — new features

diff --git a/ship/SKILL.md b/ship/SKILL.md
@@ -1044,6 +1044,7 @@ stay agent judgment; the slot pick stays `gstack-next-version`.
    bun run ~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-version-bump classify --base <base>
    ```
    Read the JSON `state` and dispatch:
+   - **VERSIONLESS** → preserve the repository's non-versioned convention: set `VERSIONED_SHIP=false`, skip steps 2-5, and continue to Step 13 without creating `VERSION` or changing `package.json.version`.
    - **FRESH** → do the bump (steps 2-4).
    - **ALREADY_BUMPED** → skip the bump, but run the queue-drift check (step 3) with the reported `currentVersion`. If the queue moved (next free version differs), **AskUserQuestion**: rebump to the new version (rewrites CHANGELOG header + PR title) or keep current (CI version-gate will reject until resolved).
    - **DRIFT_STALE_PKG** → run `gstack-version-bump repair` (syncs package.json to VERSION). No re-bump; reuse `currentVersion` for CHANGELOG + PR.
@@ -1208,7 +1209,7 @@ user via AskUserQuestion rather than destroying non-WIP commits.
    - **Infrastructure:** migrations, config changes, route additions
    - **Models & services:** new models, services, concerns (with their tests)
    - **Controllers & views:** controllers, views, JS/React components (with their tests)
-   - **VERSION + CHANGELOG + TODOS.md:** always in the final commit
+   - **Release metadata (VERSION when present) + CHANGELOG + TODOS.md:** always in the final commit
 
 3. **Rules for splitting:**
    - A model and its test file go in the same commit
@@ -1223,7 +1224,7 @@ user via AskUserQuestion rather than destroying non-WIP commits.
 5. Compose each commit message:
    - First line: `<type>: <summary>` (type = feat/fix/chore/refactor/docs)
    - Body: brief description of what this commit contains
-   - Only the **final commit** (VERSION + CHANGELOG) gets the version tag and co-author trailer:
+   - Only the **final commit** (release metadata + CHANGELOG) gets the version tag when `VERSIONED_SHIP` is not `false` and the co-author trailer:
 
 ```bash
 git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
@@ -1337,7 +1338,7 @@ git push -u origin <branch-name>
 
 ---
 
-**PR/MR title invariant (always applies — do not skip even if you don't open the section below):** Any PR or MR you create OR update in the next step MUST have a title that starts with `v$NEW_VERSION` (the version bumped in Step 12), in the format `v<NEW_VERSION> <type>: <summary>`. Never create or edit a PR/MR title without this prefix. Compute the correct title with the single source of truth helper: `~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-pr-title-rewrite.sh "$NEW_VERSION" "<current title>"`. The full create/update procedure (idempotency, redaction scan, self-check) is in the section below.
+**PR/MR title invariant:** When `VERSIONED_SHIP` is not `false`, any PR or MR you create OR update in the next step MUST have a title that starts with `v$NEW_VERSION` (the version bumped in Step 12), in the format `v<NEW_VERSION> <type>: <summary>`, computed with `gstack-pr-title-rewrite`. When `VERSIONED_SHIP=false`, preserve the repository's established unversioned PR title convention. The full create/update procedure is in the section below.
 
 > **STOP.** Before syncing docs and creating or updating the PR/MR (Steps 18-19), Read `~/.claude/skills/gstack/ship/sections/pr-body.md` and execute it
 > in full. Do not work from memory — that section is the source of truth for this step.
@@ -1361,7 +1362,7 @@ Substitute from earlier steps:
 - **PLAN_TOTAL**: total plan items extracted in Step 8 (0 if no plan file)
 - **PLAN_DONE**: count of DONE + CHANGED items from Step 8 (0 if no plan file)
 - **VERIFY_RESULT**: "pass", "fail", or "skipped" from Step 8.1
-- **VERSION**: from the VERSION file
+- **VERSION**: from the VERSION file, or `"none"` when `VERSIONED_SHIP=false`
 - **BRANCH**: current branch name
 
 This step is automatic — never skip it, never ask for confirmation.
@@ -1407,7 +1408,7 @@ through `gstack-version-bump`; never hand-roll the VERSION/package.json write.
 - **Never skip the pre-landing review.** If checklist.md is unreadable, stop.
 - **Never force push.** Use regular `git push` only.
 - **Never ask for trivial confirmations** (e.g., "ready to push?", "create PR?"). DO stop for: version bumps (MINOR/MAJOR), pre-landing review findings (ASK items), and Codex structured review [P1] findings (large diffs only).
-- **Always use the 4-digit version format** from the VERSION file.
+- **For versioned repositories, always use the 4-digit version format** from the VERSION file.
 - **Date format in CHANGELOG:** `YYYY-MM-DD`
 - **Split commits for bisectability** — each commit = one logical change.
 - **TODOS.md completion detection must be conservative.** Only mark items as completed when the diff clearly shows the work is done.

diff --git a/ship/SKILL.md.tmpl b/ship/SKILL.md.tmpl
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ stay agent judgment; the slot pick stays `gstack-next-version`.
    bun run ~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-version-bump classify --base <base>
    ```
    Read the JSON `state` and dispatch:
+   - **VERSIONLESS** → preserve the repository's non-versioned convention: set `VERSIONED_SHIP=false`, skip steps 2-5, and continue to Step 13 without creating `VERSION` or changing `package.json.version`.
    - **FRESH** → do the bump (steps 2-4).
    - **ALREADY_BUMPED** → skip the bump, but run the queue-drift check (step 3) with the reported `currentVersion`. If the queue moved (next free version differs), **AskUserQuestion**: rebump to the new version (rewrites CHANGELOG header + PR title) or keep current (CI version-gate will reject until resolved).
    - **DRIFT_STALE_PKG** → run `gstack-version-bump repair` (syncs package.json to VERSION). No re-bump; reuse `currentVersion` for CHANGELOG + PR.
@@ -329,7 +330,7 @@ user via AskUserQuestion rather than destroying non-WIP commits.
    - **Infrastructure:** migrations, config changes, route additions
    - **Models & services:** new models, services, concerns (with their tests)
    - **Controllers & views:** controllers, views, JS/React components (with their tests)
-   - **VERSION + CHANGELOG + TODOS.md:** always in the final commit
+   - **Release metadata (VERSION when present) + CHANGELOG + TODOS.md:** always in the final commit
 
 3. **Rules for splitting:**
    - A model and its test file go in the same commit
@@ -344,7 +345,7 @@ user via AskUserQuestion rather than destroying non-WIP commits.
 5. Compose each commit message:
    - First line: `<type>: <summary>` (type = feat/fix/chore/refactor/docs)
    - Body: brief description of what this commit contains
-   - Only the **final commit** (VERSION + CHANGELOG) gets the version tag and co-author trailer:
+   - Only the **final commit** (release metadata + CHANGELOG) gets the version tag when `VERSIONED_SHIP` is not `false` and the co-author trailer:
 
 ```bash
 git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
@@ -458,7 +459,7 @@ git push -u origin <branch-name>
 
 ---
 
-**PR/MR title invariant (always applies — do not skip even if you don't open the section below):** Any PR or MR you create OR update in the next step MUST have a title that starts with `v$NEW_VERSION` (the version bumped in Step 12), in the format `v<NEW_VERSION> <type>: <summary>`. Never create or edit a PR/MR title without this prefix. Compute the correct title with the single source of truth helper: `~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-pr-title-rewrite.sh "$NEW_VERSION" "<current title>"`. The full create/update procedure (idempotency, redaction scan, self-check) is in the section below.
+**PR/MR title invariant:** When `VERSIONED_SHIP` is not `false`, any PR or MR you create OR update in the next step MUST have a title that starts with `v$NEW_VERSION` (the version bumped in Step 12), in the format `v<NEW_VERSION> <type>: <summary>`, computed with `gstack-pr-title-rewrite`. When `VERSIONED_SHIP=false`, preserve the repository's established unversioned PR title convention. The full create/update procedure is in the section below.
 
 {{SECTION:pr-body}}
 
@@ -481,7 +482,7 @@ Substitute from earlier steps:
 - **PLAN_TOTAL**: total plan items extracted in Step 8 (0 if no plan file)
 - **PLAN_DONE**: count of DONE + CHANGED items from Step 8 (0 if no plan file)
 - **VERIFY_RESULT**: "pass", "fail", or "skipped" from Step 8.1
-- **VERSION**: from the VERSION file
+- **VERSION**: from the VERSION file, or `"none"` when `VERSIONED_SHIP=false`
 - **BRANCH**: current branch name
 
 This step is automatic — never skip it, never ask for confirmation.
@@ -527,7 +528,7 @@ through `gstack-version-bump`; never hand-roll the VERSION/package.json write.
 - **Never skip the pre-landing review.** If checklist.md is unreadable, stop.
 - **Never force push.** Use regular `git push` only.
 - **Never ask for trivial confirmations** (e.g., "ready to push?", "create PR?"). DO stop for: version bumps (MINOR/MAJOR), pre-landing review findings (ASK items), and Codex structured review [P1] findings (large diffs only).
-- **Always use the 4-digit version format** from the VERSION file.
+- **For versioned repositories, always use the 4-digit version format** from the VERSION file.
 - **Date format in CHANGELOG:** `YYYY-MM-DD`
 - **Split commits for bisectability** — each commit = one logical change.
 - **TODOS.md completion detection must be conservative.** Only mark items as completed when the diff clearly shows the work is done.

diff --git a/ship/sections/changelog.md b/ship/sections/changelog.md
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
    - Refactoring
 
 5. **Write the CHANGELOG entry** covering ALL groups:
+   - If `VERSIONED_SHIP=false`, preserve the repository's existing unversioned CHANGELOG convention and skip the versioned-header rules below. Do not invent a version header; if no CHANGELOG exists, skip this step silently.
    - If existing CHANGELOG entries on the branch already cover some commits, replace them with one unified entry for the new version
    - Categorize changes into applicable sections:
      - `### Added` — new features