diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Planning/PlanningMergeOrchestrator.cs b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Planning/PlanningMergeOrchestrator.cs
index 3b4b6bb..0e2aec3 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Planning/PlanningMergeOrchestrator.cs
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Planning/PlanningMergeOrchestrator.cs
@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ public sealed class PlanningMergeOrchestrator
         }
 
         if (await _git.IsMidMergeAsync(workingDir, ct))
-            throw new InvalidOperationException("repo is mid-merge");
+            throw new InvalidOperationException(
+                "repo is mid-merge; use AbortPlanningMerge to reset the repository, then Approve again");
         if (await _git.HasChangesAsync(workingDir, ct))
             throw new InvalidOperationException("working tree has uncommitted changes");
 
@@ -110,7 +111,8 @@ public sealed class PlanningMergeOrchestrator
     public async Task ContinueAsync(string planningTaskId, CancellationToken ct)
     {
         if (!_states.TryGetValue(planningTaskId, out var state) || state.CurrentSubtaskId is null)
-            throw new InvalidOperationException("no in-progress merge to continue");
+            throw new InvalidOperationException(
+                "no in-progress merge to continue; if the worker was restarted during a conflict, use AbortPlanningMerge to reset the repository");
 
         var current = state.CurrentSubtaskId;
         var result = await _merge.ContinueMergeAsync(current, ct);
@@ -140,13 +142,40 @@ public sealed class PlanningMergeOrchestrator
     public async Task AbortAsync(string planningTaskId, CancellationToken ct)
     {
         if (!_states.TryGetValue(planningTaskId, out var state) || state.CurrentSubtaskId is null)
-            throw new InvalidOperationException("no in-progress merge to abort");
+        {
+            // No in-memory state — worker may have been restarted while a conflict was paused.
+            // Check whether the list repo is still mid-merge and abort it directly.
+            await AbortStatelessAsync(planningTaskId, ct);
+            return;
+        }
 
         await _merge.AbortMergeAsync(state.CurrentSubtaskId, ct);
         _states.TryRemove(planningTaskId, out _);
         await _broadcaster.PlanningMergeAborted(planningTaskId);
     }
 
+    private async Task AbortStatelessAsync(string planningTaskId, CancellationToken ct)
+    {
+        string? workingDir;
+        await using (var ctx = _dbFactory.CreateDbContext())
+        {
+            workingDir = await ctx.Tasks
+                .Where(t => t.Id == planningTaskId)
+                .Select(t => t.List.WorkingDir)
+                .FirstOrDefaultAsync(ct);
+        }
+
+        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(workingDir) || !await _git.IsMidMergeAsync(workingDir, ct))
+            throw new InvalidOperationException("no in-progress merge to abort");
+
+        await _git.MergeAbortAsync(workingDir, ct);
+        _logger.LogInformation(
+            "Stateless abort of mid-merge for planning task {ParentId} (post-restart recovery)",
+            planningTaskId);
+        await _broadcaster.PlanningMergeAborted(planningTaskId);
+        // Parent remains WaitingForReview — Approve will restart the unit merge from scratch.
+    }
+
     private async Task DrainAsync(string planningTaskId, CancellationToken ct)
     {
         if (!_states.TryGetValue(planningTaskId, out var state)) return;
diff --git a/tests/ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests/Planning/PlanningMergeOrchestratorTests.cs b/tests/ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests/Planning/PlanningMergeOrchestratorTests.cs
index 0c646e2..0202258 100644
--- a/tests/ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests/Planning/PlanningMergeOrchestratorTests.cs
+++ b/tests/ClaudeDo.Worker.Tests/Planning/PlanningMergeOrchestratorTests.cs
@@ -245,6 +245,59 @@ public sealed class PlanningMergeOrchestratorTests : IDisposable
         Assert.False(await git.IsMidMergeAsync(repo.RepoDir, CancellationToken.None));
     }
 
+    // ─── Stateless abort (post-restart recovery) ───────────────────────────
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Worker restarted while a conflict was paused: _states is empty but the list repo is
+    /// still mid-merge. AbortAsync must abort the dangling merge, broadcast PlanningMergeAborted,
+    /// and leave the parent in WaitingForReview so a fresh Approve can retry.
+    /// </summary>
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task AbortAsync_NoState_RepoMidMerge_AbortsAndBroadcasts()
+    {
+        var db = NewDb();
+        var repo = NewRepo();
+        GitRepoFixture.RunGit(repo.RepoDir, "branch", "-m", "main");
+
+        var (parentId, _, subB, _) = await SeedPlanningThreeChildrenMiddleConflictsAsync(db, repo);
+
+        // Drive orch1 into the conflict pause — repo is now mid-merge.
+        var (orch1, _) = BuildOrchestrator(db);
+        await orch1.StartAsync(parentId, "main", CancellationToken.None);
+
+        // Simulate restart: fresh orchestrator has no in-memory state.
+        var (orch2, spy) = BuildOrchestrator(db);
+
+        await orch2.AbortAsync(parentId, CancellationToken.None);
+
+        var git = new GitService();
+        Assert.False(await git.IsMidMergeAsync(repo.RepoDir, CancellationToken.None));
+
+        using var ctx = db.CreateContext();
+        Assert.Equal(TaskStatus.WaitingForReview, ctx.Tasks.Single(t => t.Id == parentId).Status);
+
+        Assert.Contains(spy, c => c.Method == "PlanningMergeAborted" && (string)c.Args[0]! == parentId);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// No in-memory state and repo is clean — nothing to abort. Must throw a clear error.
+    /// </summary>
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task AbortAsync_NoState_RepoNotMidMerge_ThrowsClear()
+    {
+        var db = NewDb();
+        var repo = NewRepo();
+        GitRepoFixture.RunGit(repo.RepoDir, "branch", "-m", "main");
+
+        var (parentId, _, _) = await SeedPlanningWithTwoNonConflictingChildrenAsync(db, repo);
+
+        var (orch, _) = BuildOrchestrator(db);
+
+        var ex = await Assert.ThrowsAsync<InvalidOperationException>(
+            () => orch.AbortAsync(parentId, CancellationToken.None));
+        Assert.Contains("no in-progress merge", ex.Message);
+    }
+
     private (PlanningMergeOrchestrator orch, List<(string Method, object?[] Args)> calls) BuildOrchestrator(DbFixture db)
     {
         var fakeHub = new OrchestratorFakeHubContext();