diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/External/ExternalMcpService.cs b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/External/ExternalMcpService.cs
index c2240667..569ebede 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/External/ExternalMcpService.cs
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/External/ExternalMcpService.cs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ using ClaudeDo.Worker.Hub;
 using ClaudeDo.Worker.Lifecycle;
 using ClaudeDo.Worker.Planning;
 using ClaudeDo.Worker.Queue;
+using ClaudeDo.Worker.Runner;
 using ClaudeDo.Worker.State;
 using ClaudeDo.Worker.Worktrees;
 using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
@@ -678,16 +679,23 @@ public sealed class ExternalMcpService
         {
             // Approve is the single review+merge action — mirror the hub's ApproveReview
             // routing instead of only flipping the status (which left branches unmerged).
-            bool hasChildren;
+            bool hasChildren, legacyUnit;
             await using (var ctx = await _dbFactory.CreateDbContextAsync(cancellationToken))
-                hasChildren = await ctx.Tasks.AnyAsync(t => t.ParentTaskId == taskId, cancellationToken);
-
-            if (hasChildren)
             {
-                // Compute before the merge starts -- children are still Done with their own
-                // pre-merge worktree/commit range at this point, so "did it contribute anything"
-                // reflects the review range the reviewer is about to approve.
+                hasChildren = await ctx.Tasks.AnyAsync(t => t.ParentTaskId == taskId, cancellationToken);
+                legacyUnit = hasChildren && await UnitBranchService.HasUnabsorbedChildrenAsync(ctx, taskId, cancellationToken);
+            }
+
+            // Compute before the merge starts -- children are still Done with their own
+            // pre-merge worktree/commit range at this point, so "did it contribute anything"
+            // reflects the review range the reviewer is about to approve.
+            if (hasChildren)
                 emptyChildren = await GetEmptyDoneChildrenAsync(taskId, cancellationToken);
+
+            // Absorbed children are already in the parent's unit branch: the parent merges like a
+            // single task. Only a legacy unit (a Done child still Active) takes the unit merge.
+            if (legacyUnit)
+            {
                 // externallyDriven: true — this call came from an MCP session, not the UI's
                 // Approve button. A unit-merge conflict must not auto-open the in-app resolver;
                 // the driving session resolves it via continue_merge/abort_merge instead.
@@ -796,6 +804,9 @@ public sealed class ExternalMcpService
         {
             if (child.Worktree is not null)
             {
+                // Absorbed into the unit branch (no merge commit): empty iff it never committed.
+                if (child.Worktree is { State: WorktreeState.Merged, MergeCommit: null })
+                    return child.Worktree.HeadCommit is null;
                 if (!Directory.Exists(child.Worktree.Path)) return false;
                 var files = ParseDiffStatFileNames(
                     await _git.DiffStatAsync(child.Worktree.Path, child.Worktree.BaseCommit, "HEAD", ct: ct));
diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Hub/WorkerHub.cs b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Hub/WorkerHub.cs
index 7a6374fb..54c319dd 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Hub/WorkerHub.cs
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Hub/WorkerHub.cs
@@ -697,11 +697,13 @@ public sealed class WorkerHub : Microsoft.AspNetCore.SignalR.Hub
     public Task<MergeResultDto> ApproveReview(string taskId, string targetBranch, bool autostash = false)
         => HubGuard(async () =>
         {
-            bool hasChildren;
+            // Children already absorbed into the parent's unit branch need no unit merge -- the parent
+            // merges like a single task. Only legacy units (a Done child still Active) take the orchestrator.
+            bool legacyUnit;
             await using (var ctx = await _dbFactory.CreateDbContextAsync(CancellationToken.None))
-                hasChildren = await ctx.Tasks.AnyAsync(t => t.ParentTaskId == taskId, CancellationToken.None);
+                legacyUnit = await UnitBranchService.HasUnabsorbedChildrenAsync(ctx, taskId, CancellationToken.None);
 
-            if (hasChildren)
+            if (legacyUnit)
             {
                 var unitResult = await _planningMergeOrchestrator.StartAsync(taskId, targetBranch ?? "", CancellationToken.None);
                 if (unitResult.Status == TaskMergeService.StatusBlocked)
diff --git a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Planning/PlanningMergeOrchestrator.cs b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Planning/PlanningMergeOrchestrator.cs
index b661b47a..35a04efc 100644
--- a/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Planning/PlanningMergeOrchestrator.cs
+++ b/src/ClaudeDo.Worker/Planning/PlanningMergeOrchestrator.cs
@@ -134,7 +134,9 @@ public sealed class PlanningMergeOrchestrator : IActiveMergeState
             throw new InvalidOperationException("working tree has uncommitted changes");
 
         var idsToMerge = new List<string>();
-        if (!isPlanning && parentHasWorktree)
+        // A planning parent owns a worktree too since the unit branch -- a mixed unit (absorbed
+        // children in it, legacy children beside it) must land it before the legacy children.
+        if (parentHasWorktree)
             idsToMerge.Add(parentTaskId);
         idsToMerge.AddRange(
             children