diff --git a/packages/shared/src/orchestrationV2PendingBackgroundWork.test.ts b/packages/shared/src/orchestrationV2PendingBackgroundWork.test.ts
index 91c827ed81596..1b5331c0d1bed 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/orchestrationV2PendingBackgroundWork.test.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/orchestrationV2PendingBackgroundWork.test.ts
@@ -374,19 +374,26 @@ describe("derivePendingBackgroundWork kinds", () => {
     };
     const link = (
       number: number,
-      extra: { source?: "agent" | "stack-dismissed"; watched?: boolean },
+      extra: {
+        source?: "agent" | "stack-dismissed";
+        watched?: boolean;
+        state?: "open" | "closed" | "merged";
+      },
     ) => ({
       host: "github.com",
       repository: "acme/app",
       number,
       url: `https://github.com/acme/app/pull/${number}`,
       source: extra.source ?? "agent",
+      snapshot: extra.state === undefined ? null : { state: extra.state },
       ...(extra.watched === false ? {} : { watch }),
     });
     const pullRequests = [
       link(1, {}),
       link(2, { watched: false }),
       link(3, { source: "stack-dismissed" }),
+      link(4, { state: "merged" }),
+      link(5, { state: "closed" }),
     ];
 
     it("keeps a settled run waiting on each visible watch, as an awaited monitor", () => {
@@ -403,6 +410,12 @@ describe("derivePendingBackgroundWork kinds", () => {
           kind: "monitor",
           awaited: true,
         },
+        {
+          taskId: "pull-request-watch:github.com/acme/app#5",
+          description: "Watching pull request #5",
+          kind: "monitor",
+          awaited: true,
+        },
       ]);
       expect(backgroundWorkHoldsCompletion(tasks)).toBe(true);
     });
@@ -415,7 +428,10 @@ describe("derivePendingBackgroundWork kinds", () => {
           turnItems: [],
           pullRequests,
         }).map((task) => task.taskId),
-      ).toEqual(["pull-request-watch:github.com/acme/app#1"]);
+      ).toEqual([
+        "pull-request-watch:github.com/acme/app#1",
+        "pull-request-watch:github.com/acme/app#5",
+      ]);
     });
 
     it("lists no watch while a run is active", () => {
diff --git a/packages/shared/src/orchestrationV2PendingBackgroundWork.ts b/packages/shared/src/orchestrationV2PendingBackgroundWork.ts
index 6768d9359ffc7..6dc635b5153a6 100644
--- a/packages/shared/src/orchestrationV2PendingBackgroundWork.ts
+++ b/packages/shared/src/orchestrationV2PendingBackgroundWork.ts
@@ -112,7 +112,9 @@ type PendingBackgroundWorkRun = Pick<OrchestrationV2Run, "id" | "ordinal" | "sta
 type PendingBackgroundWorkPullRequest = Pick<
   ThreadPullRequestLink,
   "host" | "repository" | "number" | "url" | "source" | "watch"
->;
+> & {
+  readonly snapshot: Pick<NonNullable<ThreadPullRequestLink["snapshot"]>, "state"> | null;
+};
 
 type PendingBackgroundWorkProviderThread = Pick<
   OrchestrationV2ProviderThread,
@@ -291,7 +293,10 @@ function pullRequestWatchTasks(
   pullRequests: ReadonlyArray<PendingBackgroundWorkPullRequest> | undefined,
 ): Array<PendingBackgroundWorkTask> {
   return (pullRequests ?? []).flatMap((link) =>
-    link.watch === undefined || link.source === "stack-dismissed"
+    // The watch reactor ends a merged PR's watch without waking the agent, so it holds nothing.
+    link.watch === undefined ||
+    link.source === "stack-dismissed" ||
+    link.snapshot?.state === "merged"
       ? []
       : [
           {