docs: never merge with --delete-branch - #275
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The repository already deletes merged branches, and letting it do so is what preserves stacked pull requests: GitHub retargets any PR based on the merged branch onto its base. Deleting the ref from the client pre-empts that step, and GitHub closes the dependent PR instead — permanently, since a closed PR cannot be reopened while its base is missing and cannot be retargeted while it is closed. This closed #247, which was stacked on #246. Verified in a scratch repository with two identical stacks differing only in the delete method: the flagged one left its dependent PR closed and stranded, the other retargeted cleanly. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
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gh pr merge --delete-branchcloses stacked pull requests instead of letting GitHub retarget them.This closed #247, which was based on #246's branch. It has since been recovered — restoring the deleted ref breaks the deadlock, and CLAUDE.md now carries the recipe alongside the rule.
Verified rather than inferred. Two structurally identical stacks in a scratch repository, same settings as here — rebase-merge only,
delete_branch_on_mergeon:--rebase(repo setting deletes the branch)main, still open--rebase --delete-branchThe control stayed retargeted and open throughout the second arm, so it is not a timing artefact.
The mechanism: GitHub's merge flow retargets dependants and then deletes. Deleting from the client pre-empts the retarget step.
Recovery works only in this order — a closed PR cannot be retargeted, and a PR whose base is missing cannot be reopened:
MERGED_HEAD_SHAis the merged PR'shead.sha, which survives the branch deletion. This restores the original PR with its review history and author, which opening a replacement cannot do.This pull request was published with assistance from Claude.