diff --git a/client/package.json b/client/package.json
index 0ecb3ab..62adb1d 100644
--- a/client/package.json
+++ b/client/package.json
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@
     "dev": "vite",
     "build": "tsc -b && vite build",
     "preview": "vite preview",
-    "test": "vitest run",
-    "test:watch": "vitest"
+    "test": "NODE_OPTIONS=--no-experimental-webstorage vitest run",
+    "test:watch": "NODE_OPTIONS=--no-experimental-webstorage vitest"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@fontsource/inter": "^5.2.8",
diff --git a/server/__tests__/lanes-lib.test.js b/server/__tests__/lanes-lib.test.js
index dc8c75d..893b599 100644
--- a/server/__tests__/lanes-lib.test.js
+++ b/server/__tests__/lanes-lib.test.js
@@ -587,6 +587,39 @@ describe("stage detection", () => {
     lanes.deleteLane(l.id);
   });
 
+  it("a real stage transition clears a stale detection and unblocks a fresh one behind it", () => {
+    const l = lanes.createLane({ cwd: "/tmp/wt-detect-stale-cross-task" });
+    // A prior, unrelated task's tool calls left `tests` as the detected stage.
+    lanes.recordDetection(l.id, { nodeId: "tests", signal: "`npm test`" });
+    assert.equal(lanes.getLane(l.id).detected_stage, "tests");
+
+    // A new task starts and the agent declares an EARLIER stage. Without the
+    // fix, the leftover `tests` detection both misrepresents the new task's
+    // progress and (via forward-only) rejects every real detection for it
+    // until `tests` ages past DETECTION_TTL_MS.
+    const after = lanes.setStage(l.id, { stage: "plan" });
+    assert.equal(after.detected_stage, null);
+    assert.equal(after.detected_signal, null);
+    assert.equal(after.detected_at, null);
+
+    assert.deepEqual(lanes.recordDetection(l.id, { nodeId: "implement", signal: "`Edit`" }), {
+      written: true,
+    });
+    assert.equal(lanes.getLane(l.id).detected_stage, "implement");
+    lanes.deleteLane(l.id);
+  });
+
+  it("re-declaring the SAME stage (a heartbeat) leaves a live detection alone", () => {
+    const l = lanes.createLane({ cwd: "/tmp/wt-detect-heartbeat-noop" });
+    lanes.setStage(l.id, { stage: "plan" });
+    assert.deepEqual(lanes.recordDetection(l.id, { nodeId: "implement", signal: "`Edit`" }), {
+      written: true,
+    });
+    lanes.setStage(l.id, { stage: "plan", note: "still planning" });
+    assert.equal(lanes.getLane(l.id).detected_stage, "implement");
+    lanes.deleteLane(l.id);
+  });
+
   it("migration: detection columns are added to a database holding an old-schema lanes row", () => {
     const tmpPath = pathMod.join(
       os.tmpdir(),
@@ -744,12 +777,18 @@ describe("stage detection", () => {
   it("detection expiry: stale detection behind declared stage still rejects", () => {
     const { db } = require("../db");
     const l = lanes.createLane({ cwd: "/tmp/wt-detect-expiry-declared" });
-    // Stand up the detection BEFORE declaring, otherwise declared-wins refuses
-    // it and there is no standing detection left to age.
-    lanes.recordDetection(l.id, { nodeId: "tests" });
     lanes.setStage(l.id, { stage: "review" });
+    // setStage now clears detected_* on every real transition (a fresh
+    // declaration supersedes older inference), so a standing detection is
+    // written directly here, bypassing that, to isolate the rule this test
+    // is actually about: declared-wins is never relaxed by staleness, no
+    // matter how the stale detection got there.
     const oldTime = new Date(Date.now() - 2 * 60 * 60 * 1000).toISOString();
-    db.prepare("UPDATE lanes SET detected_at = ? WHERE id = ?").run(oldTime, l.id);
+    db.prepare("UPDATE lanes SET detected_stage = ?, detected_at = ? WHERE id = ?").run(
+      "tests",
+      oldTime,
+      l.id
+    );
 
     // Try backward detection to implement - should still be rejected because declared stage is ahead
     const result = lanes.recordDetection(l.id, { nodeId: "implement" });
diff --git a/server/data/pipelines/default.json b/server/data/pipelines/default.json
index 27daa5c..a18226d 100644
--- a/server/data/pipelines/default.json
+++ b/server/data/pipelines/default.json
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
         },
         {
           "tool": "Write",
-          "match": "^(?!.*(?:^|/)docs/)"
+          "match": "^(?!.*(?:^|/)(?:docs|\\.superpowers)/)"
         }
       ]
     },
diff --git a/server/lib/lanes.js b/server/lib/lanes.js
index 91ac42f..d19abbe 100644
--- a/server/lib/lanes.js
+++ b/server/lib/lanes.js
@@ -189,24 +189,36 @@ function deleteLane(id) {
  * Record a stage transition. `stage_since` moves ONLY when the stage value
  * actually changes, so the UI's time-on-phase is real; a re-report of the same
  * stage (a heartbeat, an added note) leaves it alone.
+ *
+ * A real transition also clears `detected_stage`/`detected_signal`/`detected_at`.
+ * Inference tracks progress relative to whatever the agent last declared; once
+ * the agent declares again, any older detection is either stale (a prior task's
+ * leftover, e.g. `tests` from earlier work bleeding into a fresh `plan`) or
+ * redundant (the agent's own claim now covers it). Left in place it would both
+ * paint stale progress in the UI AND — because recordDetection is forward-only
+ * — silently reject every real detection for the new stage until the old one
+ * ages past DETECTION_TTL_MS.
  */
 function setStage(id, { stage, status, evidence, note, result } = {}) {
   const lane = getLane(id);
   if (!lane) throw Object.assign(new Error(`no lane ${id}`), { code: "ENOLANE" });
   const next = stage || lane.stage;
+  const changed = next !== lane.stage;
   const stages = { ...lane.stages };
   const prev = stages[next] || {};
   stages[next] = {
-    enteredAt: next === lane.stage && prev.enteredAt ? prev.enteredAt : nowIso(),
+    enteredAt: !changed && prev.enteredAt ? prev.enteredAt : nowIso(),
     evidence: evidence !== undefined ? evidence : prev.evidence || null,
     result: result !== undefined ? result : prev.result || null,
   };
   db.prepare(
-    `UPDATE lanes SET stage = ?, stage_since = ?, status = ?, stages = ?, notes = ?, updated_at = ?
+    `UPDATE lanes SET stage = ?, stage_since = ?, status = ?, stages = ?, notes = ?, updated_at = ?${
+      changed ? ", detected_stage = NULL, detected_signal = NULL, detected_at = NULL" : ""
+    }
      WHERE id = ?`
   ).run(
     next,
-    next === lane.stage ? lane.stage_since || nowIso() : nowIso(),
+    changed ? nowIso() : lane.stage_since || nowIso(),
     status || lane.status,
     JSON.stringify(stages),
     note !== undefined ? note : lane.notes,