diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/dashboard/misc_api.rs b/hive-c0re/src/dashboard/misc_api.rs
index d4c8d175..eb8fcadf 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/dashboard/misc_api.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/dashboard/misc_api.rs
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ pub(super) async fn post_request_spawn(
         "",
         None,
         "operator",
+        None,
     ) {
         Ok(id) => {
             tracing::info!(%id, %name, "operator: spawn approval queued via dashboard");
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs b/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs
index 167e631f..78da1236 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ mod users;
 
 pub use pr_merge::{
     ForgeMergeError, config_repo, fetch_pr_head_into_applied, ff_push_to_main, mark_pr_merged,
-    pr_head_sha,
+    pr_head_sha, pr_is_open,
 };
 pub use repos::{
     create_agent_repo, ensure_config_repo, ensure_knowledge_repo, ensure_meta_remote, ensure_repo,
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/forge/pr_merge.rs b/hive-c0re/src/forge/pr_merge.rs
index ca268140..865cce5c 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/forge/pr_merge.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/forge/pr_merge.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 use anyhow::Context;
 use forgejo_api::ForgejoError;
-use forgejo_api::structs::{MergePullRequestOption, MergePullRequestOptionDo};
+use forgejo_api::structs::{MergePullRequestOption, MergePullRequestOptionDo, StateType};
 
 use super::{CONFIG_ORG, api, core_token, forge_git_url};
 
@@ -112,6 +112,30 @@ pub async fn pr_head_sha(repo: &str, pr: u64) -> Result<String, ForgeMergeError>
     Ok(sha.to_string())
 }
 
+/// Check whether PR `pr` on `repo` is still open.  Returns `Ok(true)` if
+/// open, `Ok(false)` if closed or merged, or an error on transport failure.
+///
+/// Called at submission time to give an early, actionable error rather than
+/// queuing an approval card that will fail later in the approve handler.
+///
+/// # Errors
+/// `Other` on transport failure or a missing/malformed PR response.
+pub async fn pr_is_open(repo: &str, pr: u64) -> Result<bool, ForgeMergeError> {
+    let token = core_token()
+        .ok_or_else(|| ForgeMergeError::Other(anyhow::anyhow!("forge core token absent")))?;
+    let (owner, name) = repo.split_once('/').ok_or_else(|| {
+        ForgeMergeError::Other(anyhow::anyhow!("forge repo `{repo}` is not owner/name"))
+    })?;
+    let index = i64::try_from(pr)
+        .map_err(|_| ForgeMergeError::Other(anyhow::anyhow!("PR index {pr} overflows i64")))?;
+    let client = api(&token).map_err(ForgeMergeError::Other)?;
+    let pull = client
+        .repo_get_pull_request(owner, name, index)
+        .await
+        .map_err(|e| ForgeMergeError::Other(anyhow::Error::from(e).context("GET pull request")))?;
+    Ok(pull.state == Some(StateType::Open))
+}
+
 /// Full `owner/name` path of an agent's config repo on the forge — the
 /// `agent-configs` org mirror that the PR-merge flow reads + fast-forwards.
 pub fn config_repo(agent: &str) -> String {
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/server.rs b/hive-c0re/src/server.rs
index f43da1db..ed7e589a 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/server.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/server.rs
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ async fn dispatch(req: &HostRequest, coord: Arc<Coordinator>) -> HostResponse {
                     "",
                     None,
                     "operator",
+                    None,
                 )?;
                 tracing::info!(%id, %name, "spawn approval queued");
                 HostResponse::success()
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/socket_server/config_approvals.rs b/hive-c0re/src/socket_server/config_approvals.rs
index 1516a4cf..76ede8a0 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/socket_server/config_approvals.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/socket_server/config_approvals.rs
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ pub(super) fn handle_request_update_meta_inputs(
             &commit_ref,
             description,
             requester,
+            None,
         )
         .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("{e:#}"))
     {
@@ -162,7 +163,21 @@ async fn submit_merge_config_pr(
         );
     }
     let repo = crate::forge::config_repo(agent);
+    // Verify the PR is still open before queueing an approval that would
+    // fail at approve time anyway (a closed/merged PR has no live head ref
+    // for the drift gate to compare against).
+    if !crate::forge::pr_is_open(&repo, pr_number)
+        .await
+        .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("check PR state for {agent} PR #{pr_number}: {e}"))?
+    {
+        anyhow::bail!(
+            "PR #{pr_number} on {repo} is closed or already merged — \
+             request_merge_config_pr requires an open PR"
+        );
+    }
     // Fetch the current PR head sha — becomes the "reviewed" sha.
+    // Submitted together with the approval row (atomic single INSERT) so a
+    // crash between submit and set_fetched_sha cannot leave a stranded row.
     let sha = crate::forge::pr_head_sha(&repo, pr_number)
         .await
         .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("fetch PR head sha for {agent} PR #{pr_number}: {e}"))?;
@@ -174,12 +189,9 @@ async fn submit_merge_config_pr(
             &pr_number.to_string(),
             description,
             submitter,
+            Some(&sha), // atomic: sha inserted with the row, not in a separate UPDATE
         )
         .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("queue merge_config_pr approval row: {e:#}"))?;
-    coord
-        .approvals
-        .set_fetched_sha(id, &sha)
-        .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("persist fetched_sha: {e:#}"))?;
     let sha_short = sha[..sha.len().min(12)].to_owned();
     coord.emit_approval_added(crate::coordinator::ApprovalAdded {
         id,
@@ -249,6 +261,7 @@ pub(crate) fn submit_init_config(
             // parent); it's also the submitter the approval events route
             // back to. No declared parent = operator-initiated path.
             parent.unwrap_or("operator"),
+            None, // no sha for InitConfig
         )
         .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("queue approval row: {e:#}"))?;
     tracing::info!(%id, %name, "init_config approval queued");
@@ -309,6 +322,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn submit_apply_commit(
             commit_ref,
             description,
             submitter,
+            None, // sha resolved after git_fetch_to_tag below; set via set_fetched_sha
         )
         .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!("queue approval row: {e:#}"))?;
     let tag = format!("proposal/{id}");
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/socket_server/schedules.rs b/hive-c0re/src/socket_server/schedules.rs
index a8aa0783..92f9416a 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/socket_server/schedules.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/socket_server/schedules.rs
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ pub(super) fn handle_request_schedule_prompt(
         &commit_ref,
         payload.description.as_deref(),
         requester,
+        None,
     ) {
         Ok(id) => id,
         Err(e) => {
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/stores/approvals.rs b/hive-c0re/src/stores/approvals.rs
index 338c8f13..cb7e8ce3 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/stores/approvals.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/stores/approvals.rs
@@ -70,6 +70,12 @@ impl Approvals {
         })
     }
 
+    /// Insert a new pending approval row.  `fetched_sha` may be supplied
+    /// when the sha is already known at submission time (e.g. `MergeConfigPr`
+    /// fetches the PR head before inserting), making the insert + sha-set
+    /// atomic.  Pass `None` when the sha is resolved after insertion (e.g.
+    /// `ApplyCommit`'s `git_fetch_to_tag` step) and call [`set_fetched_sha`]
+    /// separately.
     pub fn submit_kind(
         &self,
         agent: &str,
@@ -77,19 +83,22 @@ impl Approvals {
         commit_ref: &str,
         description: Option<&str>,
         submitter: &str,
+        fetched_sha: Option<&str>,
     ) -> Result<i64> {
         let conn = self.conn.lock().unwrap();
         conn.execute(
             "INSERT INTO approvals
-               (agent, kind, commit_ref, requested_at, status, description, submitter)
-             VALUES (?1, ?2, ?3, ?4, 'pending', ?5, ?6)",
+               (agent, kind, commit_ref, requested_at, status, description, submitter,
+                fetched_sha)
+             VALUES (?1, ?2, ?3, ?4, 'pending', ?5, ?6, ?7)",
             params![
                 agent,
                 kind.as_str(),
                 commit_ref,
                 now_unix(),
                 description,
-                submitter
+                submitter,
+                fetched_sha,
             ],
         )?;
         Ok(conn.last_insert_rowid())
@@ -415,6 +424,7 @@ mod tests {
                 "",
                 Some("scaffold"),
                 "bitburner",
+                None,
             )
             .expect("submit init_config");
         let pending = db
@@ -428,11 +438,11 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn mixed_kinds_all_listed() {
         let (_dir, _path, db) = open_temp();
-        db.submit_kind("a", ApprovalKind::ApplyCommit, "deadbeef", None, "a")
+        db.submit_kind("a", ApprovalKind::ApplyCommit, "deadbeef", None, "a", None)
             .unwrap();
-        db.submit_kind("b", ApprovalKind::Spawn, "", None, "b")
+        db.submit_kind("b", ApprovalKind::Spawn, "", None, "b", None)
             .unwrap();
-        db.submit_kind("c", ApprovalKind::InitConfig, "", None, "c")
+        db.submit_kind("c", ApprovalKind::InitConfig, "", None, "c", None)
             .unwrap();
         let pending = db.pending().expect("pending");
         assert_eq!(pending.len(), 3, "all three kinds must be visible");
@@ -451,6 +461,7 @@ mod tests {
                 "cafef00d",
                 Some("test"),
                 "bitburner",
+                None,
             )
             .unwrap();
         let row = db.mark_cancelled(id, "manager").expect("cancel");
@@ -470,7 +481,7 @@ mod tests {
         // final — re-cancelling errors instead of silently overwriting.
         let (_dir, _path, db) = open_temp();
         let id = db
-            .submit_kind("a", ApprovalKind::Spawn, "deadbeef", None, "a")
+            .submit_kind("a", ApprovalKind::Spawn, "deadbeef", None, "a", None)
             .unwrap();
         db.mark_cancelled(id, "manager").expect("first cancel");
         let err = db
@@ -485,7 +496,14 @@ mod tests {
         // whole list — collect_lenient skips it instead of failing.
         let (_dir, path, db) = open_temp();
         let good = db
-            .submit_kind("good", ApprovalKind::ApplyCommit, "cafe", None, "good")
+            .submit_kind(
+                "good",
+                ApprovalKind::ApplyCommit,
+                "cafe",
+                None,
+                "good",
+                None,
+            )
             .unwrap();
         let raw = Connection::open(&path).unwrap();
         raw.execute(
@@ -508,7 +526,14 @@ mod tests {
         // fall back to the root agent.
         let (_dir, path, db) = open_temp();
         let id = db
-            .submit_kind("child", ApprovalKind::ApplyCommit, "cafe", None, "parent")
+            .submit_kind(
+                "child",
+                ApprovalKind::ApplyCommit,
+                "cafe",
+                None,
+                "parent",
+                None,
+            )
             .unwrap();
         assert_eq!(db.submitter_of(id).unwrap().as_deref(), Some("parent"));
 
@@ -522,4 +547,25 @@ mod tests {
         let legacy_id = raw.last_insert_rowid();
         assert_eq!(db.submitter_of(legacy_id).unwrap(), None);
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn fetched_sha_in_insert_is_readable_via_get() {
+        // `submit_kind` with `Some(sha)` must store it atomically in the
+        // INSERT — the `get()` row must reflect it without a separate
+        // `set_fetched_sha` call. This is the MergeConfigPr path.
+        let (_dir, _path, db) = open_temp();
+        let sha = "abc1234567890abc1234567890abc1234567890ab";
+        let id = db
+            .submit_kind(
+                "janet",
+                ApprovalKind::MergeConfigPr,
+                "42",
+                None,
+                "ruth",
+                Some(sha),
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+        let row = db.get(id).unwrap().expect("row must exist");
+        assert_eq!(row.fetched_sha.as_deref(), Some(sha));
+    }
 }