diff --git a/test/gh-aw-lifecycle-upsert.test.ts b/test/gh-aw-lifecycle-upsert.test.ts
index a752852d4..cd8316d23 100644
--- a/test/gh-aw-lifecycle-upsert.test.ts
+++ b/test/gh-aw-lifecycle-upsert.test.ts
@@ -519,7 +519,44 @@ describe('#1916: deterministic lifecycle safe output', () => {
     ]);
 
     expect(result.failures).toEqual([
-      'Lifecycle body must include an H2 lifecycle heading plus state, last-command, and next-action fields.',
+      'Lifecycle body must include an H2 lifecycle heading plus state, last-command, and a nonterminal next-action value consisting of a backticked /squad command.',
+    ]);
+    expect(result.created).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('rejects the prose-prefixed retry action emitted by failed run 34944550565', async () => {
+    const result = await runLifecycleUpsert([
+      {
+        type: 'upsert_lifecycle_state',
+        body: body
+          .replace('**Current state:** Planned', '**Current state:** Validation failed')
+          .replace('**Last command:** `/squad plan`', '**Last command:** `/squad plan validate`')
+          .replace(
+            '**Next action:** `/squad activate`',
+            '**Next action:** Re-run `/squad plan validate`. If the sub-agent fails again, track the infrastructure defect.',
+          ),
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    expect(result.failures).toEqual([
+      'Lifecycle body must include an H2 lifecycle heading plus state, last-command, and a nonterminal next-action value consisting of a backticked /squad command.',
+    ]);
+    expect(result.created).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('rejects explanatory prose after a valid nonterminal next command', async () => {
+    const result = await runLifecycleUpsert([
+      {
+        type: 'upsert_lifecycle_state',
+        body: body.replace(
+          '**Next action:** `/squad activate`',
+          '**Next action:** `/squad activate` after reviewing the validation results.',
+        ),
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    expect(result.failures).toEqual([
+      'Lifecycle body must include an H2 lifecycle heading plus state, last-command, and a nonterminal next-action value consisting of a backticked /squad command.',
     ]);
     expect(result.created).toEqual([]);
   });
@@ -534,7 +571,7 @@ describe('#1916: deterministic lifecycle safe output', () => {
     ]);
 
     expect(result.failures).toEqual([
-      'Lifecycle body must include an H2 lifecycle heading plus state, last-command, and next-action fields.',
+      'Lifecycle body must include an H2 lifecycle heading plus state, last-command, and a nonterminal next-action value consisting of a backticked /squad command.',
     ]);
     expect(result.created).toEqual([]);
     expect(result.updated).toEqual([]);
@@ -550,7 +587,7 @@ describe('#1916: deterministic lifecycle safe output', () => {
     ]);
 
     expect(malformed.failures).toEqual([
-      'Lifecycle body must include an H2 lifecycle heading plus state, last-command, and next-action fields.',
+      'Lifecycle body must include an H2 lifecycle heading plus state, last-command, and a nonterminal next-action value consisting of a backticked /squad command.',
     ]);
     expect(duplicate.failures).toEqual(['Expected exactly one lifecycle update, found 2.']);
   });
diff --git a/test/gh-aw-plan-lifecycle.test.ts b/test/gh-aw-plan-lifecycle.test.ts
index cc99879c9..3a786d608 100644
--- a/test/gh-aw-plan-lifecycle.test.ts
+++ b/test/gh-aw-plan-lifecycle.test.ts
@@ -883,6 +883,13 @@ describe('#1757: squad-plan-validate has adversarial teeth', () => {
     expect(validation).toMatch(/Structural PASS alone cannot produce overall PASS/);
   });
 
+  it('emits lifecycle next actions in the deterministic writer format', () => {
+    expect(validation).toContain('**Next action:** `/squad plan accept scope`');
+    expect(validation).toContain('**Next action:** `/squad plan validate`');
+    expect(validation).toMatch(/backticked command must\s+be the entire field value/);
+    expect(validation).toMatch(/retry\s+context in a separate\s+`\*\*Guidance:\*\*` field/);
+  });
+
   it('distinguishes a neatly formatted bad plan from a genuinely validated plan', () => {
     const validationHeader = [
       '## ✅ Squad Plan Validation — PASSED',
diff --git a/test/gh-aw-quality.test.ts b/test/gh-aw-quality.test.ts
index 1317024b7..9151cd879 100644
--- a/test/gh-aw-quality.test.ts
+++ b/test/gh-aw-quality.test.ts
@@ -1161,7 +1161,10 @@ describe('gh-aw: prompt budget & planning import regression', () => {
   // source independently verifies the triggering comment author's live repository
   // permission before the deterministic repair job can write a terminal state.
   // The ambient prompt remains below its separate 40 KB delivery guard.
-  const SOURCE_GROWTH_BUDGET_KB = 193;
+  // Raised 193 -> 194 KB for the command-only lifecycle next-action contract.
+  // Its validation and retry guidance are inside the on-demand plan-validation
+  // skill; the ambient prompt remains below the independently enforced 40 KB cap.
+  const SOURCE_GROWTH_BUDGET_KB = 194;
   const SOURCE_GROWTH_BUDGET_BYTES = SOURCE_GROWTH_BUDGET_KB * 1024;
 
   it('squad-planning-ontology.md is in the imports list', () => {
diff --git a/workflows/shared/squad.md b/workflows/shared/squad.md
index c49193748..9484384e2 100644
--- a/workflows/shared/squad.md
+++ b/workflows/shared/squad.md
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ safe-outputs:
       output: Lifecycle state updated.
       inputs:
         body:
-          description: Complete lifecycle Markdown with an H2 lifecycle heading plus state, last-command, and next-action fields; structured data is normalized by the writer.
+          description: Complete lifecycle Markdown with an H2 lifecycle heading plus state, last-command, and next-action fields. For a nonterminal state, the next-action value must consist of a backticked /squad command; put explanatory prose in a separate field. Structured data is normalized by the writer.
           required: true
           type: string
       steps:
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ safe-outputs:
                 (/\bsquad\b/i.test(firstLine) || /\bplanning\b/i.test(firstLine));
               const hasState = /^(?:[-*]\s+)?\*\*(?:Current state|State):\*\*\s+\S+/im.test(body);
               const hasLastCommand = /^(?:[-*]\s+)?\*\*Last command:\*\*\s+`\/squad\b[^`]*`/im.test(body);
-              const hasNextCommand = /^(?:[-*]\s+)?\*\*Next (?:action|command|recommended):\*\*\s+`\/squad\b[^`]*`/im.test(body);
+              const hasNextCommand = /^(?:[-*]\s+)?\*\*Next (?:action|command|recommended):\*\*\s+`\/squad\b[^`]*`[ \t]*$/im.test(body);
               const hasActivationDone =
                 /^(?:[-*]\s+)?(?:\*\*)?Activation:(?:\*\*)?\s+✅\s+Done\b/im.test(body) ||
                 /^\|\s*Activat(?:e|ion|ed)\s*\|\s*✅\s+Done\s*\|/im.test(body);
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ safe-outputs:
                 /^(?:[-*]\s+)?\*\*Next (?:action|command|recommended):\*\*\s+\S.+$/im.test(body);
               const hasNextAction = hasNextCommand || hasTerminalState;
               if (!hasLifecycleHeading || !hasState || !hasLastCommand || !hasNextAction) {
-                core.setFailed("Lifecycle body must include an H2 lifecycle heading plus state, last-command, and next-action fields.");
+                core.setFailed("Lifecycle body must include an H2 lifecycle heading plus state, last-command, and a nonterminal next-action value consisting of a backticked /squad command.");
                 return;
               }
               if (body.includes("Structured data:") || body.replace(/\s/g, "").includes('"squad_artifact":"lifecycle-state"')) {
diff --git a/workflows/squad.md b/workflows/squad.md
index e8ea8a4df..4e43a0074 100644
--- a/workflows/squad.md
+++ b/workflows/squad.md
@@ -2167,7 +2167,21 @@ acceptance, and validator-owned synthesis.
 
 ##### Step 4: Update Lifecycle
 
-Set Validation = `✅ Done` or `❌ Failed`. Next on pass: `/squad plan accept scope`. On fail: fix + re-run.
+Set Validation = `✅ Done` or `❌ Failed`. Next on pass:
+`/squad plan accept scope`. The lifecycle field MUST be exactly this on pass:
+
+```markdown
+**Next action:** `/squad plan accept scope`
+```
+
+Or exactly this on fail:
+
+```markdown
+**Next action:** `/squad plan validate`
+```
+
+The backticked command must be the entire field value; put remediation or retry
+context in a separate `**Guidance:**` field.
 
 ##### Step 5: Surface Next Action