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diff --git a/‎AGENTS.md‎
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diff --git a/‎docs/ado-script.md‎
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diff --git a/‎docs/execution-context.md‎
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diff --git a/‎docs/front-matter.md‎
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diff --git a/‎docs/safe-outputs.md‎
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diff --git a/‎prompts/create-ado-agentic-workflow.md‎
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@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ fail-closed and only pauses when the agent actually proposed a reviewed output.
 │           ├── approval-summary/ # Safe-outputs summary renderer (bundled to approval-summary.js; end-of-Agent-job summary tab)
 │           ├── github-app-token/ # GitHub App token minter (bundled to github-app-token.js; mints installation token in Agent + Detection when engine.github-app-token is set)
 │           ├── executor-e2e/ # Stage 3 safe-output E2E test harness (not a bundle; runs deterministic scenarios against a real ADO project and files a GitHub issue on failure)
-│           ├── prepare-pr-base/ # create-pull-request base-ref preparer (bundled to prepare-pr-base.js; fetches/deepens target branch so mcp.rs finds a diff base on shallow-default pools — issue #1413; emitted in BOTH the Agent job and the SafeOutputs job before the executor's worktree add — issue #1453)
+│           ├── prepare-pr-base/ # create-pull-request preparer (bundled to prepare-pr-base.js): Agent mode uses ADO diff metadata + bounded dual-ref fallback to make the merge-base reachable; SafeOutputs mode fetches only the target worktree tip
 │           └── shared/   # Shared modules across bundles (auth, ado-client, env-facts, types.gen.ts)
 ├── tests/                # Integration tests and fixtures
 ├── docs/                 # Per-concept reference documentation (see index below)
 
@@ -74,21 +74,16 @@ pipeline** as runtime helpers. Today it produces thirteen bundles:
   base — issue #1413) **and** the SafeOutputs job (before `ado-aw execute`, so
   the Stage 3 executor's `git worktree add` resolves `origin/<target>`; each ADO
   job has an isolated checkout, so the ref must be re-fetched in the job that
-  builds the worktree — issue #1453). For each allowed create-PR repo dir
-  (`self` + every `checkout:` alias, passed as repeated `--repo-dir <dir>
-  --target-branch <branch>` pairs in the same dir form
-  `mcp.rs::resolve_git_dir_for_patch` resolves), it fetches and progressively
-  deepens THAT repo's resolved target branch into `refs/remotes/origin/<target>`
-  and points `refs/remotes/origin/HEAD` at it, so a PR can be computed/opened on
-  shallow-default agent pools without a full-history `checkout: self`. In a
-  multi-checkout ("meta repo") setup each dir may carry a
-  different target (see `create-pull-request`'s `target-branches` /
-  `infer-target-from-checkout-ref`). Reuses
-  `shared/merge-base.ts::ensureTargetRefFetched` (the same fetch/deepen logic as
-  the PR execution-context precompute). Each `--repo-dir` is a double-quoted
-  ADO-macro path; each `--target-branch` is a single-quoted literal; the ADO
-  bearer (`SYSTEM_ACCESSTOKEN`) rides in masked env for the authenticated git
-  fetch. Per-dir failures are isolated (logged + skipped). Runs outside AWF. See
+  builds the worktree — issue #1453). Agent `patch-base` mode uses ADO
+  `getCommitDiffs` metadata (`commonCommit`, ahead, behind) to fetch the exact
+  shallow source/target ranges and verifies the base locally. Ineligible or
+  unavailable REST falls back to bounded dual-ref depths 200/500/2000, never an
+  automatic full-history fetch. SafeOutputs `target-worktree` mode fetches only
+  the target tip at depth 1. Each allowed repo is passed as a typed
+  `--repo-dir` / `--source-ref` / `--target-branch` tuple; per-dir failures are
+  isolated and surfaced as ADO warnings. The bearer
+  (`SYSTEM_ACCESSTOKEN`) remains in masked env and spawned-git
+  `GIT_CONFIG_*`, never argv or `.git/config`. Runs outside AWF. See
   [`safe-outputs.md`](safe-outputs.md#create-pull-request).
 
 > **Internal-only.** `ado-script` is not a user-facing front-matter
@@ -216,10 +211,10 @@ inside `src/compile/extensions/exec_context/pr.rs`:
    merge-commit (parent count ≥ 3 per ADO's PR-validation flow),
    `merge-base.ts::resolveMergeBase` computes `git merge-base` over
    the two parents. If that cannot resolve in a shallow checkout, it
-   fetches both target and source refs with progressive deepening
-   (`--depth=200/500/2000/--unshallow`) and retries the parent
-   merge-base. Otherwise it fetches the target branch with progressive
-   deepening and then runs `git merge-base` against `HEAD`. Same
+   fetches both target and source refs with bounded deepening
+   (`--depth=200/500/2000`) and retries the parent merge-base. Otherwise
+   it fetches both source and target at the same bounded depths and then
+   runs `git merge-base` against `HEAD`. Same
    `BASE_SHA` semantics in both paths (git's true common ancestor).
 3. **Stage artefacts** — writes `aw-context/pr/base.sha` and
    `aw-context/pr/head.sha` so the agent can `git diff $(cat
 
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ historically rebuilt the same ~120 lines of bash to work around this.
 The execution-context plugin owns that step centrally — but does
 *only* the part the agent cannot do for itself:
 
-- Fetches the PR target branch with progressive deepening until
+- Fetches the PR source and target refs with bounded deepening until
   `git merge-base` resolves (requires the bearer; cannot happen
   inside the agent's sandbox).
 - Writes the resolved `base.sha` and `head.sha` so the agent can
@@ -484,11 +484,11 @@ under `scripts/ado-script/src/exec-context-pr/`. The bundle:
    computes `git merge-base HEAD^1 HEAD^2` as the base — same
    semantics as the deepening path. If a shallow checkout lacks
    sufficient ancestry, it fetches both the target and source refs
-   with progressive deepening and retries; unresolved ancestry fails
+   with bounded deepening and retries; unresolved ancestry fails
    closed into `error.txt`.
    Otherwise:
-4. **Fetches the PR target branch with progressive deepening** —
-   `--depth=200`, then `500`, then `2000`, then finally `--unshallow`.
+4. **Fetches source and target with bounded deepening** —
+   `--depth=200`, then `500`, then `2000`.
    After each successful fetch, attempts `git merge-base
    origin/<target> HEAD` and continues to the next depth if it
    cannot resolve yet. See `merge-base.ts`.
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ preserves the Stage 1 read-only invariant with these design choices:
 | Mechanism                                                 | Decision |
 |-----------------------------------------------------------|----------|
 | Override `checkout: self` with `persistCredentials: true` | **Rejected.** It would write the build identity's bearer into `.git/config` inside the workspace, which is then mounted into the AWF sandbox where the agent could read and exfiltrate it. |
-| Override `checkout: self` with `fetchDepth: 0`            | **Rejected.** Unnecessary — the precompute fetches exactly the refs it needs. |
+| Override `checkout: self` with `fetchDepth: 0`            | **Not automatic.** Authors may opt into explicit full history, but it can be very expensive; the precompute normally uses bounded source/target fetches. |
 | In-step `SYSTEM_ACCESSTOKEN` + `GIT_CONFIG_*` bearer env  | **Adopted.** `SYSTEM_ACCESSTOKEN` is mapped from `$(System.AccessToken)` only into the `node exec-context-pr.js` step's process env. The bundle's `git.ts::bearerEnv` then injects `GIT_CONFIG_COUNT` / `GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0` / `GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_0` into the *spawned `git` child process's* env only — not into the Node process's own env, and never via `git -c` on argv. The token never appears in process listings and is never written to disk. After the Node process exits, the bearer is gone from the runtime environment the agent inherits. |
 
 After the precompute step exits, the bearer is gone from the runtime
 
@@ -408,10 +408,11 @@ Object fields:
 
 ### Tuning checkout fetch behavior (`fetch-depth` / `fetch-tags`)
 
-On large monorepos the checkout step can dominate the run: ADO's default
-`checkout` performs a full-history clone **and** `git fetch --tags`, which may
-take tens of minutes. `fetch-depth` and `fetch-tags` let you tune this
-per-repository:
+On large monorepos the checkout step can dominate the run. Azure DevOps can
+apply a pipeline-level shallow-fetch setting (newer pipelines commonly use
+depth 1), while tag syncing can also add substantial transfer. `fetch-depth`
+and `fetch-tags` let source-controlled YAML override those settings per
+repository:
 
 ```yaml
 repos:
@@ -420,7 +421,9 @@ repos:
     fetch-tags: false   # skip the (often huge) tag fetch
 ```
 
-- `fetch-depth: 0` means **full history** (no `fetchDepth` is emitted).
+- `fetch-depth: 0` explicitly emits `fetchDepth: 0`, disabling shallow fetch
+  even when the pipeline UI is configured for depth 1. Full history can be
+  very expensive in a large or old repository.
 - When a field is omitted the ADO default applies, so agents that don't set
   these compile **unchanged**.
 - Setting `fetch-depth`/`fetch-tags` on an entry with `checkout: false` has no
 
@@ -272,31 +272,32 @@ Creates a pull request with code changes made by the agent. When invoked:
 
 During Stage 3 execution, the repository is validated against the allowed list (from `checkout:` + "self"), then the patch is applied and a PR is created in Azure DevOps.
 
-**Shallow-clone agent pools (automatic):** The diff base for the patch is
-computed at agent time from the checked-out repository. On agent pools whose
-default git fetch is shallow (`fetchDepth: 1`), a bare `checkout` leaves no
-`origin/<target-branch>` ref, which would otherwise prevent the diff base from
-being computed. To handle this transparently, whenever `create-pull-request` is
-configured the compiler emits a credentialed **prepare step** that fetches and
-progressively deepens the configured `target-branch` and points `origin/HEAD` at
-it — in the `self` checkout **and in each additional `checkout:` repo dir**, so a
-PR to *any* allowed repository works. The prepare step runs in **both** the Agent
-job (before the agent runs, so the host-side SafeOutputs MCP server can compute
-the diff base) **and** the SafeOutputs job (before `ado-aw execute`, so the
-Stage 3 executor's `git worktree add` resolves `origin/<target>` — each ADO job
-has an isolated checkout, so the ref must be re-fetched in the job that builds
-the worktree; issue #1453). This means create-pull-request works on
-shallow-default pools **without** forcing a full-history checkout and **without**
-hand-editing the compiled lock (so the runtime integrity check keeps passing). No
-configuration is required. See [`docs/ado-script.md`](ado-script.md)
+**Shallow-clone agent pools (automatic):** The diff base is computed at agent
+time from the checked-out repository. For same-organization Azure Repos,
+`prepare-pr-base.js` asks the ADO Diffs API for the exact `commonCommit`,
+`aheadCount`, and `behindCount`, then fetches only the source and target ranges
+needed to make that base locally reachable. It verifies the server result with
+`git merge-base --all` before the host-side SafeOutputs MCP server can generate
+a patch. Non-Azure/cross-organization/unavailable-REST cases use bounded
+dual-ref depths 200/500/2000 and fail clearly rather than silently fetching full
+history.
+
+The compiler emits separate modes in the two isolated ADO jobs:
+
+- **Agent — `patch-base`:** prepares and verifies both sides of the merge-base.
+- **SafeOutputs — `target-worktree`:** fetches only `origin/<target>` at depth 1
+  for the executor's `git worktree add` (issue #1453).
+
+No full-history checkout or `--unshallow` fallback is forced. Authors can
+explicitly set `repos: [{ name: self, fetch-depth: 0 }]` when they accept that
+potentially large cost. The generated lock remains source-controlled and the
+runtime integrity check stays enabled. See [`docs/ado-script.md`](ado-script.md)
 (`prepare-pr-base.js`).
 
-> **Branch semantics.** The step deepens each repo's resolved `target-branch`
-> (the PR's **destination/base**) — not the per-repo `repos:` checkout `ref` (the
-> source side). By default every repo targets the single `target-branch`; enable
-> `infer-target-from-checkout-ref` (and/or `target-branches`) to give each repo
-> its own base branch in a multi-checkout setup. The deepened branch always
-> matches the branch the PR targets (shared resolution).
+> **Branch semantics.** Each repo carries its checkout source ref and its
+> resolved PR destination. By default every repo targets the single
+> `target-branch`; enable `infer-target-from-checkout-ref` (and/or
+> `target-branches`) to give each repo its own base branch.
 
 **Stage 3 Execution Architecture (Hybrid Git + ADO API):**
 
 
@@ -496,7 +496,7 @@ When `on.pr` is set: the native ADO `pr:` trigger block is generated from `branc
 
 **`on.pr` triggering works without a Build Validation branch policy.** By default (`mode: synthetic`), the compiler emits a Setup-job script that, on CI-triggered builds, looks up the open PR for `Build.SourceBranch` via the ADO REST API and promotes the build to PR semantics if exactly one matches `pr.branches` (and `pr.paths` if configured). Zero or multiple matches → the Agent job self-skips cleanly. Set `on.pr.mode: policy` when an operator-installed Build Validation branch policy is in place — that mode omits all synth wiring AND emits `trigger: none` so feature-branch pushes do not queue duplicate CI builds alongside the policy-driven PR build. Note that in `mode: synthetic` the top-level CI `trigger:` is **not** auto-narrowed to `pr.branches.include`: those are PR target branches, and ADO `trigger:` fires on pushes *to* listed branches, so narrowing would suppress CI on the feature branches synthPr must react to. Full reference: ["PR Triggering in Azure Repos" in `docs/front-matter.md`](../docs/front-matter.md#pr-triggering-in-azure-repos).
 
-**PR-reviewer agents — DO NOT write your own precompute step.** When `on.pr` is set, the compiler automatically (1) fetches the PR target branch with progressive deepening, (2) resolves and stages `aw-context/pr/base.sha` + `aw-context/pr/head.sha`, (3) appends a prompt fragment listing common `git diff`/`git show`/`git log` commands and example Azure DevOps MCP tool calls (`repo_get_pull_request_by_id`, `repo_list_pull_request_threads`, `repo_create_pull_request_thread`) with the PR id / project / repo pre-filled, and (4) adds `git`, `git diff`, `git log`, `git show`, `git status`, `git rev-parse`, `git symbolic-ref` to the agent's bash allow-list. The agent runs `git diff $BASE..$HEAD` itself inside the AWF sandbox (objects are already fetched into the workspace). On failure (e.g. merge-base could not be resolved), the failure fragment tells the agent to surface the error rather than produce an empty review. Opt out via `execution-context.pr.enabled: false`. Full reference: [`docs/execution-context.md`](../docs/execution-context.md).
+**PR-reviewer agents — DO NOT write your own precompute step.** When `on.pr` is set, the compiler automatically (1) fetches the PR source and target refs with bounded deepening, (2) resolves and stages `aw-context/pr/base.sha` + `aw-context/pr/head.sha`, (3) appends a prompt fragment listing common `git diff`/`git show`/`git log` commands and example Azure DevOps MCP tool calls (`repo_get_pull_request_by_id`, `repo_list_pull_request_threads`, `repo_create_pull_request_thread`) with the PR id / project / repo pre-filled, and (4) adds `git`, `git diff`, `git log`, `git show`, `git status`, `git rev-parse`, `git symbolic-ref` to the agent's bash allow-list. The agent runs `git diff $BASE..$HEAD` itself inside the AWF sandbox (objects are already fetched into the workspace). On failure (e.g. merge-base could not be resolved), the failure fragment tells the agent to surface the error rather than produce an empty review. Opt out via `execution-context.pr.enabled: false`. Full reference: [`docs/execution-context.md`](../docs/execution-context.md).
 
 #### Pipeline Triggers (`on.pipeline`)