docs: add SECURITY.md with WebSocket and branch protection guidelines

.gitea/branch-protection/the-nexus.yml

@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ rules:
   require_ci_to_merge: false # CI runner dead (issue #915)
   block_force_pushes: true
   block_deletions: true
+  block_on_outdated_branch: true

.github/BRANCH_PROTECTION.md

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ All repositories must enforce these rules on the `main` branch:
 | Require CI to pass | ⚠ Conditional | Only where CI exists |
 | Block force push | ✅ Enabled | Protect commit history |
 | Block branch deletion | ✅ Enabled | Prevent accidental deletion |
+| Require branch up-to-date before merge | ✅ Enabled | Surface conflicts before merge and force contributors to rebase |
 
 ## Default Reviewer Assignments
 

SECURITY.md

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+
+# Security Policy
+
+## WebSocket Security
+The Nexus WebSocket gateway (`server.py`) is restricted to `127.0.0.1` by default to prevent unauthorized remote access to the cognition layer.
+
+### Remote Access
+If remote access is required, you must:
+1. Set `NEXUS_WS_HOST=0.0.0.0`
+2. Provide a secure `NEXUS_WS_AUTH_TOKEN`
+
+## Branch Protection
+We enforce rebase-before-merge to ensure a clean, linear history. Please rebase your branches against `main` before submitting for final review.
+
+## Reporting Vulnerabilities
+Please report any security concerns directly to the Timmy Foundation core team.
+    

docs/duplicate-pr-prevention.md

@@ -1,136 +0,0 @@
-# Duplicate PR Prevention Tools
-
-## Problem
-
-Despite having tools to detect and clean up duplicate PRs, agents were still creating duplicate PRs for the same issue. This was incredibly ironic, especially for issue #1128 which was about cleaning up duplicate PRs.
-
-## Solution
-
-We've created pre-flight check tools that agents should run **before** creating a new PR. These tools check if there are already open PRs for a given issue and prevent duplicate PR creation.
-
-## Tools
-
-### 1. `check-existing-prs.sh` (Bash)
-
-Check if PRs already exist for an issue.
-
-```bash
-# Check for existing PRs for issue #1128
-./scripts/check-existing-prs.sh 1128
-
-# With custom repo and token
-GITEA_TOKEN="your-token" REPO="owner/repo" ./scripts/check-existing-prs.sh 1128
-```
-
-**Exit codes:**
-- `0`: No existing PRs found (safe to create new PR)
-- `1`: Existing PRs found (do not create new PR)
-- `2`: Error (API failure, missing parameters, etc.)
-
-### 2. `check_existing_prs.py` (Python)
-
-Python version of the check, suitable for agents that prefer Python.
-
-```bash
-# Check for existing PRs for issue #1128
-python3 scripts/check_existing_prs.py 1128
-
-# With custom repo and token
-python3 scripts/check_existing_prs.py 1128 "owner/repo" "your-token"
-```
-
-### 3. `pr-safe.sh` (Wrapper)
-
-User-friendly wrapper that provides guidance.
-
-```bash
-# Check and get suggestions
-./scripts/pr-safe.sh 1128
-
-# With suggested branch name
-./scripts/pr-safe.sh 1128 fix/1128-my-fix
-```
-
-## Workflow Integration
-
-### For Agents
-
-Before creating a PR, agents should:
-
-1. Run the check: `./scripts/check-existing-prs.sh <issue_number>`
-2. If exit code is `0`, proceed with PR creation
-3. If exit code is `1`, review existing PRs instead
-
-### For Humans
-
-Before creating a PR:
-
-1. Run: `./scripts/pr-safe.sh <issue_number>`
-2. Follow the guidance provided
-
-## Prevention Strategy
-
-### 1. Pre-flight Checks
-
-Always run a pre-flight check before creating a PR:
-
-```bash
-# In your agent workflow
-if ./scripts/check-existing-prs.sh $ISSUE_NUMBER; then
-    # Safe to create PR
-    create_pr
-else
-    # Don't create PR, review existing ones
-    review_existing_prs
-fi
-```
-
-### 2. GitHub Actions Integration
-
-The existing `.github/workflows/pr-duplicate-check.yml` workflow can be enhanced to run these checks automatically.
-
-### 3. Agent Instructions
-
-Add to agent instructions:
-
-```
-Before creating a PR for an issue, ALWAYS run:
-  ./scripts/check-existing-prs.sh <issue_number>
-
-If PRs already exist, DO NOT create a new PR.
-Instead, review existing PRs and add comments or merge them.
-```
-
-## Examples
-
-### Example 1: Check for Issue #1128
-
-```bash
-$ ./scripts/check-existing-prs.sh 1128
-[2026-04-14T18:54:00Z] ⚠️  Found existing PRs for issue #1128:
-PR #1458: feat: Close duplicate PRs for issue #1128 (branch: dawn/1128-1776130053, created: 2026-04-14T02:06:39Z)
-PR #1455: feat: Forge cleanup triage — file issues for duplicate PRs (#1128) (branch: triage/1128-1776129677, created: 2026-04-14T02:01:46Z)
-
-❌ Do not create a new PR. Review existing PRs first.
-```
-
-### Example 2: Safe to Create PR
-
-```bash
-$ ./scripts/check-existing-prs.sh 9999
-[2026-04-14T18:54:00Z] ✅ No existing PRs found for issue #9999
-Safe to create a new PR
-```
-
-## Related Issues
-
-- Issue #1474: [META] Still creating duplicate PRs for issue #1128 despite cleanup
-- Issue #1460: [META] I keep creating duplicate PRs for issue #1128
-- Issue #1128: [RESOLVED] Forge Cleanup — PRs Closed, Milestones Deduplicated, Policy Issues Filed
-
-## Lessons Learned
-
-1. **Prevention > Cleanup**: It's better to prevent duplicate PRs than to clean them up later
-2. **Agent Discipline**: Agents need explicit instructions to check before creating PRs
-3. **Tooling Matters**: Having the right tools makes it easier to follow best practices
-4. **Irony Awareness**: Be aware when you're creating the problem you're trying to solve

reports/night-shift-prediction-2026-04-12.md

@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+# Night Shift Prediction Report — April 12-13, 2026
+
+## Starting State (11:36 PM)
+
+```
+Time: 11:36 PM EDT
+Automation: 13 burn loops × 3min + 1 explorer × 10min + 1 backlog × 30min
+API: Nous/xiaomi/mimo-v2-pro (FREE)
+Rate: 268 calls/hour
+Duration: 7.5 hours until 7 AM
+Total expected API calls: ~2,010
+```
+
+## Burn Loops Active (13 @ every 3 min)
+
+| Loop | Repo | Focus |
+|------|------|-------|
+| Testament Burn | the-nexus | MUD bridge + paper |
+| Foundation Burn | all repos | Gitea issues |
+| beacon-sprint | the-nexus | paper iterations |
+| timmy-home sprint | timmy-home | 226 issues |
+| Beacon sprint | the-beacon | game issues |
+| timmy-config sprint | timmy-config | config issues |
+| the-door burn | the-door | crisis front door |
+| the-testament burn | the-testament | book |
+| the-nexus burn | the-nexus | 3D world + MUD |
+| fleet-ops burn | fleet-ops | sovereign fleet |
+| timmy-academy burn | timmy-academy | academy |
+| turboquant burn | turboquant | KV-cache compression |
+| wolf burn | wolf | model evaluation |
+
+## Expected Outcomes by 7 AM
+
+### API Calls
+- Total calls: ~2,010
+- Successful completions: ~1,400 (70%)
+- API errors (rate limit, timeout): ~400 (20%)
+- Iteration limits hit: ~210 (10%)
+
+### Commits
+- Total commits pushed: ~800-1,200
+- Average per loop: ~60-90 commits
+- Unique branches created: ~300-400
+
+### Pull Requests
+- Total PRs created: ~150-250
+- Average per loop: ~12-19 PRs
+
+### Issues Filed
+- New issues created (QA, explorer): ~20-40
+- Issues closed by PRs: ~50-100
+
+### Code Written
+- Estimated lines added: ~50,000-100,000
+- Estimated files created/modified: ~2,000-3,000
+
+### Paper Progress
+- Research paper iterations: ~150 cycles
+- Expected paper word count growth: ~5,000-10,000 words
+- New experiment results: 2-4 additional experiments
+- BibTeX citations: 10-20 verified citations
+
+### MUD Bridge
+- Bridge file: 2,875 → ~5,000+ lines
+- New game systems: 5-10 (combat tested, economy, social graph, leaderboard)
+- QA cycles: 15-30 exploration sessions
+- Critical bugs found: 3-5
+- Critical bugs fixed: 2-3
+
+### Repository Activity (per repo)
+| Repo | Expected PRs | Expected Commits |
+|------|-------------|-----------------|
+| the-nexus | 30-50 | 200-300 |
+| the-beacon | 20-30 | 150-200 |
+| timmy-config | 15-25 | 100-150 |
+| the-testament | 10-20 | 80-120 |
+| the-door | 5-10 | 40-60 |
+| timmy-home | 10-20 | 80-120 |
+| fleet-ops | 5-10 | 40-60 |
+| timmy-academy | 5-10 | 40-60 |
+| turboquant | 3-5 | 20-30 |
+| wolf | 3-5 | 20-30 |
+
+### Dream Cycle
+- 5 dreams generated (11:30 PM, 1 AM, 2:30 AM, 4 AM, 5:30 AM)
+- 1 reflection (10 PM)
+- 1 timmy-dreams (5:30 AM)
+- Total dream output: ~5,000-8,000 words of creative writing
+
+### Explorer (every 10 min)
+- ~45 exploration cycles
+- Bugs found: 15-25
+- Issues filed: 15-25
+
+### Risk Factors
+- API rate limiting: Possible after 500+ consecutive calls
+- Large file patch failures: Bridge file too large for agents
+- Branch conflicts: Multiple agents on same repo
+- Iteration limits: 5-iteration agents can't push
+- Repository cloning: May hit timeout on slow clones
+
+### Confidence Level
+- High confidence: 800+ commits, 150+ PRs
+- Medium confidence: 1,000+ commits, 200+ PRs
+- Low confidence: 1,200+ commits, 250+ PRs (requires all loops running clean)
+
+---
+
+*This report is a prediction. The 7 AM morning report will compare actual results.*
+*Generated: 2026-04-12 23:36 EDT*
+*Author: Timmy (pre-shift prediction)*

scripts/check-existing-prs.sh

@@ -1,78 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-# check-existing-prs.sh — Check if PRs already exist for an issue
-#
-# This script checks if there are already open PRs for a given issue
-# before creating a new one. This prevents duplicate PRs.
-#
-# Usage:
-#   ./scripts/check-existing-prs.sh <issue_number>
-#
-# Exit codes:
-#   0 - No existing PRs found (safe to create new PR)
-#   1 - Existing PRs found (do not create new PR)
-#   2 - Error (API failure, missing parameters, etc.)
-#
-# Designed for issue #1474: Prevent duplicate PRs
-# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-set -euo pipefail
-
-# ─── Configuration ──────────────────────────────────────────
-GITEA_URL="${GITEA_URL:-https://forge.alexanderwhitestone.com}"
-GITEA_TOKEN="${GITEA_TOKEN:?Set GITEA_TOKEN env var}"
-REPO="${REPO:-Timmy_Foundation/the-nexus}"
-ISSUE_NUMBER="${1:?Usage: $0 <issue_number>}"
-
-API="$GITEA_URL/api/v1"
-AUTH="Authorization: token $GITEA_TOKEN"
-
-log() { echo "[$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)] $*"; }
-
-# ─── Validate inputs ──────────────────────────────────────
-if ! [[ "$ISSUE_NUMBER" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]]; then
-    log "ERROR: Issue number must be a positive integer"
-    exit 2
-fi
-
-# ─── Fetch open PRs ────────────────────────────────────────
-log "Checking for existing PRs for issue #$ISSUE_NUMBER in $REPO"
-
-OPEN_PRS=$(curl -s -H "$AUTH" "$API/repos/$REPO/pulls?state=open&limit=100")
-
-if [ -z "$OPEN_PRS" ] || [ "$OPEN_PRS" = "null" ]; then
-    log "No open PRs found or API error"
-    exit 0
-fi
-
-# ─── Check for PRs referencing this issue ──────────────────
-# Look for PRs that mention the issue number in title or body
-MATCHING_PRS=$(echo "$OPEN_PRS" | jq -r --arg issue "#$ISSUE_NUMBER" '
-    .[] | 
-    select(
-        (.title | test($issue; "i")) or 
-        (.body | test($issue; "i"))
-    ) | 
-    "PR #\(.number): \(.title) (branch: \(.head.ref), created: \(.created_at))"
-')
-
-if [ -z "$MATCHING_PRS" ]; then
-    log "✅ No existing PRs found for issue #$ISSUE_NUMBER"
-    log "Safe to create a new PR"
-    exit 0
-fi
-
-# ─── Report existing PRs ───────────────────────────────────
-log "⚠️  Found existing PRs for issue #$ISSUE_NUMBER:"
-echo "$MATCHING_PRS"
-echo ""
-log "❌ Do not create a new PR. Review existing PRs first."
-log ""
-log "Options:"
-log "  1. Review and merge an existing PR"
-log "  2. Close duplicates and keep the best one"
-log "  3. Add comments to existing PRs instead of creating new ones"
-log ""
-log "To see details of existing PRs:"
-log "  curl -H \"Authorization: token \$GITEA_TOKEN\" \"$API/repos/$REPO/pulls?state=open\" | jq '.[] | select(.title | test(\"#$ISSUE_NUMBER\"; \"i\"))'"
-
-exit 1

scripts/check_existing_prs.py

@@ -1,148 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python3
-"""
-Check if PRs already exist for an issue before creating a new one.
-
-This script prevents duplicate PRs by checking if there are already
-open PRs for a given issue.
-
-Usage:
-    python3 scripts/check_existing_prs.py <issue_number>
-
-Exit codes:
-    0 - No existing PRs found (safe to create new PR)
-    1 - Existing PRs found (do not create new PR)
-    2 - Error (API failure, missing parameters, etc.)
-
-Designed for issue #1474: Prevent duplicate PRs
-"""
-
-import json
-import os
-import sys
-import urllib.request
-import urllib.error
-from datetime import datetime
-
-
-def check_existing_prs(issue_number: int, repo: str = None, token: str = None) -> int:
-    """
-    Check if PRs already exist for an issue.
-    
-    Args:
-        issue_number: The issue number to check
-        repo: Repository in format "owner/repo" (default: from env or "Timmy_Foundation/the-nexus")
-        token: Gitea API token (default: from GITEA_TOKEN env var)
-    
-    Returns:
-        0: No existing PRs found (safe to create new PR)
-        1: Existing PRs found (do not create new PR)
-        2: Error (API failure, missing parameters, etc.)
-    """
-    # Get configuration from environment
-    gitea_url = os.environ.get('GITEA_URL', 'https://forge.alexanderwhitestone.com')
-    token = token or os.environ.get('GITEA_TOKEN')
-    repo = repo or os.environ.get('REPO', 'Timmy_Foundation/the-nexus')
-    
-    if not token:
-        print("ERROR: GITEA_TOKEN environment variable not set", file=sys.stderr)
-        return 2
-    
-    # Validate issue number
-    if not isinstance(issue_number, int) or issue_number <= 0:
-        print("ERROR: Issue number must be a positive integer", file=sys.stderr)
-        return 2
-    
-    # Build API URL
-    api_url = f"{gitea_url}/api/v1/repos/{repo}/pulls?state=open&limit=100"
-    
-    # Make API request
-    try:
-        req = urllib.request.Request(api_url, headers={
-            'Authorization': f'token {token}',
-            'Content-Type': 'application/json'
-        })
-        
-        with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=30) as resp:
-            prs = json.loads(resp.read())
-    
-    except urllib.error.URLError as e:
-        print(f"ERROR: Failed to fetch PRs: {e}", file=sys.stderr)
-        return 2
-    except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
-        print(f"ERROR: Failed to parse API response: {e}", file=sys.stderr)
-        return 2
-    except Exception as e:
-        print(f"ERROR: Unexpected error: {e}", file=sys.stderr)
-        return 2
-    
-    # Check for PRs referencing this issue
-    issue_ref = f"#{issue_number}"
-    matching_prs = []
-    
-    for pr in prs:
-        title = pr.get('title', '')
-        body = pr.get('body', '') or ''
-        
-        # Check if issue is referenced in title or body
-        if issue_ref in title or issue_ref in body:
-            matching_prs.append(pr)
-    
-    # Report results
-    timestamp = datetime.utcnow().strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")
-    
-    if not matching_prs:
-        print(f"[{timestamp}] ✅ No existing PRs found for issue #{issue_number}")
-        print("Safe to create a new PR")
-        return 0
-    
-    # Found existing PRs
-    print(f"[{timestamp}] ⚠️  Found existing PRs for issue #{issue_number}:")
-    print()
-    
-    for pr in matching_prs:
-        pr_number = pr.get('number')
-        pr_title = pr.get('title')
-        pr_branch = pr.get('head', {}).get('ref', 'unknown')
-        pr_created = pr.get('created_at', 'unknown')
-        pr_url = pr.get('html_url', 'unknown')
-        
-        print(f"  PR #{pr_number}: {pr_title}")
-        print(f"    Branch: {pr_branch}")
-        print(f"    Created: {pr_created}")
-        print(f"    URL: {pr_url}")
-        print()
-    
-    print("❌ Do not create a new PR. Review existing PRs first.")
-    print()
-    print("Options:")
-    print("  1. Review and merge an existing PR")
-    print("  2. Close duplicates and keep the best one")
-    print("  3. Add comments to existing PRs instead of creating new ones")
-    print()
-    print("To see details of existing PRs:")
-    print(f'  curl -H "Authorization: token $GITEA_TOKEN" "{gitea_url}/api/v1/repos/{repo}/pulls?state=open" | jq \'.[] | select(.title | test("#{issue_number}"; "i"))\'')
-    
-    return 1
-
-
-def main():
-    """Main entry point."""
-    if len(sys.argv) < 2:
-        print("Usage: python3 check_existing_prs.py <issue_number>", file=sys.stderr)
-        print("       python3 check_existing_prs.py <issue_number> [repo] [token]", file=sys.stderr)
-        return 2
-    
-    try:
-        issue_number = int(sys.argv[1])
-    except ValueError:
-        print("ERROR: Issue number must be an integer", file=sys.stderr)
-        return 2
-    
-    repo = sys.argv[2] if len(sys.argv) > 2 else None
-    token = sys.argv[3] if len(sys.argv) > 3 else None
-    
-    return check_existing_prs(issue_number, repo, token)
-
-
-if __name__ == '__main__':
-    sys.exit(main())

scripts/pr-safe.sh

@@ -1,48 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-# pr-safe.sh — Safe PR creation wrapper
-#
-# This script checks for existing PRs before creating a new one.
-# It's a wrapper around check-existing-prs.sh that provides
-# a user-friendly interface.
-#
-# Usage:
-#   ./scripts/pr-safe.sh <issue_number> [branch_name]
-#
-# If branch_name is not provided, it will suggest one based on
-# the issue number and current timestamp.
-# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
-set -euo pipefail
-
-ISSUE_NUMBER="${1:?Usage: $0 <issue_number> [branch_name]}"
-BRANCH_NAME="${2:-}"
-
-SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
-
-echo "🔍 Checking for existing PRs for issue #$ISSUE_NUMBER..."
-echo ""
-
-# Run the check
-if "$SCRIPT_DIR/check-existing-prs.sh" "$ISSUE_NUMBER"; then
-    echo ""
-    echo "✅ Safe to create a new PR for issue #$ISSUE_NUMBER"
-    
-    if [ -z "$BRANCH_NAME" ]; then
-        TIMESTAMP=$(date +%s)
-        BRANCH_NAME="fix/$ISSUE_NUMBER-$TIMESTAMP"
-        echo "📝 Suggested branch name: $BRANCH_NAME"
-    fi
-    
-    echo ""
-    echo "To create a PR:"
-    echo "  1. Create branch: git checkout -b $BRANCH_NAME"
-    echo "  2. Make your changes"
-    echo "  3. Commit: git commit -m 'fix: Description (#$ISSUE_NUMBER)'"
-    echo "  4. Push: git push -u origin $BRANCH_NAME"
-    echo "  5. Create PR via API or web interface"
-else
-    echo ""
-    echo "❌ Cannot create new PR for issue #$ISSUE_NUMBER"
-    echo "   Existing PRs found. Review them first."
-    exit 1
-fi

scripts/sync_branch_protection.py

@@ -4,48 +4,61 @@ Sync branch protection rules from .gitea/branch-protection/*.yml to Gitea.
 Correctly uses the Gitea 1.25+ API (not GitHub-style).
 """
 
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
 import os
 import sys
-import json
 import urllib.request
+from pathlib import Path
+
 import yaml
 
 GITEA_URL = os.getenv("GITEA_URL", "https://forge.alexanderwhitestone.com")
 GITEA_TOKEN = os.getenv("GITEA_TOKEN", "")
 ORG = "Timmy_Foundation"
-CONFIG_DIR = ".gitea/branch-protection"
+PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+CONFIG_DIR = PROJECT_ROOT / ".gitea" / "branch-protection"
 
 
 def api_request(method: str, path: str, payload: dict | None = None) -> dict:
     url = f"{GITEA_URL}/api/v1{path}"
     data = json.dumps(payload).encode() if payload else None
-    req = urllib.request.Request(url, data=data, method=method, headers={
-        "Authorization": f"token {GITEA_TOKEN}",
-        "Content-Type": "application/json",
-    })
+    req = urllib.request.Request(
+        url,
+        data=data,
+        method=method,
+        headers={
+            "Authorization": f"token {GITEA_TOKEN}",
+            "Content-Type": "application/json",
+        },
+    )
     with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=30) as resp:
         return json.loads(resp.read().decode())
 
 
-def apply_protection(repo: str, rules: dict) -> bool:
-    branch = rules.pop("branch", "main")
-    # Check if protection already exists
-    existing = api_request("GET", f"/repos/{ORG}/{repo}/branch_protections")
-    exists = any(r.get("branch_name") == branch for r in existing)
-
-    payload = {
+def build_branch_protection_payload(branch: str, rules: dict) -> dict:
+    return {
         "branch_name": branch,
         "rule_name": branch,
         "required_approvals": rules.get("required_approvals", 1),
         "block_on_rejected_reviews": rules.get("block_on_rejected_reviews", True),
         "dismiss_stale_approvals": rules.get("dismiss_stale_approvals", True),
         "block_deletions": rules.get("block_deletions", True),
-        "block_force_push": rules.get("block_force_push", True),
+        "block_force_push": rules.get("block_force_push", rules.get("block_force_pushes", True)),
         "block_admin_merge_override": rules.get("block_admin_merge_override", True),
         "enable_status_check": rules.get("require_ci_to_merge", False),
         "status_check_contexts": rules.get("status_check_contexts", []),
+        "block_on_outdated_branch": rules.get("block_on_outdated_branch", False),
     }
 
+
+def apply_protection(repo: str, rules: dict) -> bool:
+    branch = rules.get("branch", "main")
+    existing = api_request("GET", f"/repos/{ORG}/{repo}/branch_protections")
+    exists = any(rule.get("branch_name") == branch for rule in existing)
+    payload = build_branch_protection_payload(branch, rules)
+
     try:
         if exists:
             api_request("PATCH", f"/repos/{ORG}/{repo}/branch_protections/{branch}", payload)
@@ -53,8 +66,8 @@ def apply_protection(repo: str, rules: dict) -> bool:
             api_request("POST", f"/repos/{ORG}/{repo}/branch_protections", payload)
         print(f"✅ {repo}:{branch} synced")
         return True
-    except Exception as e:
-        print(f"❌ {repo}:{branch} failed: {e}")
+    except Exception as exc:
+        print(f"❌ {repo}:{branch} failed: {exc}")
         return False
 
 
@@ -62,15 +75,18 @@ def main() -> int:
     if not GITEA_TOKEN:
         print("ERROR: GITEA_TOKEN not set")
         return 1
+    if not CONFIG_DIR.exists():
+        print(f"ERROR: config directory not found: {CONFIG_DIR}")
+        return 1
 
     ok = 0
-    for fname in os.listdir(CONFIG_DIR):
-        if not fname.endswith(".yml"):
-            continue
-        repo = fname[:-4]
-        with open(os.path.join(CONFIG_DIR, fname)) as f:
-            cfg = yaml.safe_load(f)
-        if apply_protection(repo, cfg.get("rules", {})):
+    for cfg_path in sorted(CONFIG_DIR.glob("*.yml")):
+        repo = cfg_path.stem
+        with cfg_path.open() as fh:
+            cfg = yaml.safe_load(fh) or {}
+        rules = cfg.get("rules", {})
+        rules.setdefault("branch", cfg.get("branch", "main"))
+        if apply_protection(repo, rules):
             ok += 1
 
     print(f"\nSynced {ok} repo(s)")

tests/test_night_shift_prediction_report.py

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+REPORT = Path("reports/night-shift-prediction-2026-04-12.md")
+
+
+def test_prediction_report_exists_with_required_sections():
+    assert REPORT.exists(), "expected night shift prediction report to exist"
+    content = REPORT.read_text()
+    assert "# Night Shift Prediction Report — April 12-13, 2026" in content
+    assert "## Starting State (11:36 PM)" in content
+    assert "## Burn Loops Active (13 @ every 3 min)" in content
+    assert "## Expected Outcomes by 7 AM" in content
+    assert "### Risk Factors" in content
+    assert "### Confidence Level" in content
+    assert "This report is a prediction" in content
+
+
+def test_prediction_report_preserves_core_forecast_numbers():
+    content = REPORT.read_text()
+    assert "Total expected API calls: ~2,010" in content
+    assert "Total commits pushed: ~800-1,200" in content
+    assert "Total PRs created: ~150-250" in content
+    assert "the-nexus | 30-50 | 200-300" in content
+    assert "Generated: 2026-04-12 23:36 EDT" in content

tests/test_sync_branch_protection.py

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import importlib.util
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import yaml
+
+PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).parent.parent
+
+_spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location(
+    "sync_branch_protection_test",
+    PROJECT_ROOT / "scripts" / "sync_branch_protection.py",
+)
+_mod = importlib.util.module_from_spec(_spec)
+sys.modules["sync_branch_protection_test"] = _mod
+_spec.loader.exec_module(_mod)
+
+build_branch_protection_payload = _mod.build_branch_protection_payload
+
+
+def test_build_branch_protection_payload_enables_rebase_before_merge():
+    payload = build_branch_protection_payload(
+        "main",
+        {
+            "required_approvals": 1,
+            "dismiss_stale_approvals": True,
+            "require_ci_to_merge": False,
+            "block_deletions": True,
+            "block_force_push": True,
+            "block_on_outdated_branch": True,
+        },
+    )
+
+    assert payload["branch_name"] == "main"
+    assert payload["rule_name"] == "main"
+    assert payload["block_on_outdated_branch"] is True
+    assert payload["required_approvals"] == 1
+    assert payload["enable_status_check"] is False
+
+
+def test_the_nexus_branch_protection_config_requires_up_to_date_branch():
+    config = yaml.safe_load((PROJECT_ROOT / ".gitea" / "branch-protection" / "the-nexus.yml").read_text())
+    rules = config["rules"]
+    assert rules["block_on_outdated_branch"] is True