diff --git a/.taskmaster/tasks/tasks.json b/.taskmaster/tasks/tasks.json
index 6978ece..a0058f9 100644
--- a/.taskmaster/tasks/tasks.json
+++ b/.taskmaster/tasks/tasks.json
@@ -2755,9 +2755,9 @@
         "dependencies": [
           "118"
         ],
-        "status": "pending",
+        "status": "done",
         "subtasks": [],
-        "updatedAt": "2026-08-08T08:55:58.627Z"
+        "updatedAt": "2026-08-08T15:28:26.687Z"
       },
       {
         "id": "130",
@@ -2769,9 +2769,9 @@
         "dependencies": [
           "129"
         ],
-        "status": "pending",
+        "status": "done",
         "subtasks": [],
-        "updatedAt": "2026-08-08T08:55:58.627Z"
+        "updatedAt": "2026-08-08T15:28:26.698Z"
       },
       {
         "id": "131",
@@ -2783,9 +2783,9 @@
         "dependencies": [
           "130"
         ],
-        "status": "pending",
+        "status": "done",
         "subtasks": [],
-        "updatedAt": "2026-08-08T08:55:58.627Z"
+        "updatedAt": "2026-08-08T15:28:26.705Z"
       },
       {
         "id": "132",
@@ -3251,9 +3251,9 @@
     ],
     "metadata": {
       "version": "1.0.0",
-      "lastModified": "2026-08-08T10:10:39.761Z",
+      "lastModified": "2026-08-08T15:28:26.705Z",
       "taskCount": 162,
-      "completedCount": 113,
+      "completedCount": 116,
       "tags": [
         "master"
       ]
diff --git a/src/mcpd/src/main.ts b/src/mcpd/src/main.ts
index 89e0f96..3d8a3c5 100644
--- a/src/mcpd/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/mcpd/src/main.ts
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ import { registerRevisionRoutes } from './routes/revisions.js';
 import { registerProposalRoutes } from './routes/proposals.js';
 import { registerEpicRoutes } from './routes/epics.js';
 import { registerEpicTaskRoutes } from './routes/epictasks.js';
+import { registerTaskRoutes } from './routes/tasks.js';
 import { registerSkillRoutes } from './routes/skills.js';
 import { registerGitBackupRoutes } from './routes/git-backup.js';
 import { PromptService } from './services/prompt.service.js';
@@ -117,9 +118,11 @@ import { ResourceRevisionService } from './services/resource-revision.service.js
 import { ResourceProposalService } from './services/resource-proposal.service.js';
 import { EpicRepository } from './repositories/epic.repository.js';
 import { EpicTaskRepository } from './repositories/epic-task.repository.js';
+import { TaskRepository } from './repositories/task.repository.js';
 import { SkillRepository } from './repositories/skill.repository.js';
 import { EpicService } from './services/epic.service.js';
 import { EpicTaskService } from './services/epic-task.service.js';
+import { TaskService } from './services/task.service.js';
 import { SkillService } from './services/skill.service.js';
 import { GitBackupService } from './services/backup/git-backup.service.js';
 import type { BackupKind } from './services/backup/yaml-serializer.js';
@@ -230,6 +233,8 @@ function mapUrlToPermission(method: string, url: string): PermissionCheck {
     // ── Agentic teams ──
     'epics': 'epics',
     'epictasks': 'epictasks',
+    // Work items. NOT inference-tasks — see the rbac-tasks-backfill bootstrap.
+    'tasks': 'tasks',
   };
 
   const resource = resourceMap[segment];
@@ -440,6 +445,7 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
   // nameResolvers needs it for CUID→name RBAC resolution.
   const epicRepo = new EpicRepository(prisma);
   const epicTaskRepo = new EpicTaskRepository(prisma);
+  const workTaskRepo = new TaskRepository(prisma);
 
   // SecretBackend bootstrap: ensure a `plaintext` default row exists and any
   // pre-existing `Secret` rows are pointed at it. Idempotent per run.
@@ -458,6 +464,7 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
     agents: agentRepo,
     epics: epicRepo,
     epictasks: epicTaskRepo,
+    tasks: workTaskRepo,
     // Resolve user CUID → email so name-scoped `edit:users:<email>` bindings
     // match on PUT /api/v1/users/:id/password (admin reset).
     users: { findById: async (id: string) => {
@@ -566,6 +573,7 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
   const epicService = new EpicService(epicRepo, projectRepo);
   epicService.setRevisionService(resourceRevisionService);
   const epicTaskService = new EpicTaskService(epicTaskRepo, epicRepo);
+  const workTaskService = new TaskService(workTaskRepo, epicTaskRepo);
   const personalityRepo = new PersonalityRepository(prisma);
   const personalityService = new PersonalityService(personalityRepo, agentRepo, promptRepo);
   const agentService = new AgentService(agentRepo, llmService, projectService, personalityRepo);
@@ -776,6 +784,7 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
   registerSkillRoutes(app, skillService, projectRepo, agentRepo);
   registerEpicRoutes(app, epicService, projectRepo);
   registerEpicTaskRoutes(app, epicTaskService, epicRepo, epicTaskRepo, projectRepo);
+  registerTaskRoutes(app, workTaskService, epicTaskRepo);
 
   // ── Git-based backup ──
   const gitBackup = new GitBackupService(prisma);
diff --git a/src/mcpd/src/repositories/task.repository.ts b/src/mcpd/src/repositories/task.repository.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..14dd9ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mcpd/src/repositories/task.repository.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,163 @@
+import type { PrismaClient, Prisma, Task, TaskEvent, TaskState, TaskVerdict, TaskRisk } from '@prisma/client';
+
+/**
+ * Task repository — work items plus their verdicts and transition log.
+ *
+ * State changes go through `transition()`, which is a compare-and-swap: the
+ * expected current state is part of the WHERE clause and the affected-row count
+ * is the result. Two agents racing to advance the same task both issue a valid
+ * UPDATE; exactly one matches. A read-then-write would let both "succeed" and
+ * silently lose one transition. Same idiom as InferenceTaskRepository's claim.
+ */
+
+export interface TaskCreateInput {
+  name: string;
+  title: string;
+  epicTaskId: string;
+  ownerId: string;
+  description?: string;
+  repoId?: string;
+  assigneeId?: string;
+  risk?: TaskRisk;
+}
+
+export interface TaskUpdateInput {
+  title?: string;
+  description?: string;
+  repoId?: string | null;
+  assigneeId?: string | null;
+  risk?: TaskRisk;
+  branch?: string;
+  headCommit?: string;
+  prUrl?: string;
+  prNumber?: number;
+  reviewNote?: string;
+}
+
+export interface TaskFilters {
+  epicTaskId?: string;
+  state?: TaskState;
+  assigneeId?: string;
+}
+
+export interface VerdictCreateInput {
+  taskId: string;
+  stage: TaskState;
+  commit: string;
+  passed: boolean;
+  summary: string;
+  agentId?: string;
+  findings?: Prisma.InputJsonValue;
+}
+
+export interface EventCreateInput {
+  taskId: string;
+  toState: TaskState;
+  actorType: string;
+  fromState?: TaskState;
+  actorId?: string;
+  note?: string;
+}
+
+export interface ITaskRepository {
+  findAll(filters?: TaskFilters): Promise<Task[]>;
+  findById(id: string): Promise<Task | null>;
+  findByName(name: string): Promise<Task | null>;
+  findByNameAndEpicTask(name: string, epicTaskId: string): Promise<Task | null>;
+  create(data: TaskCreateInput): Promise<Task>;
+  update(id: string, data: TaskUpdateInput): Promise<Task>;
+  delete(id: string): Promise<void>;
+
+  /** Compare-and-swap. Returns true only if this caller won the transition. */
+  transition(id: string, fromState: TaskState, toState: TaskState): Promise<boolean>;
+
+  appendEvent(data: EventCreateInput): Promise<TaskEvent>;
+  findEvents(taskId: string): Promise<TaskEvent[]>;
+  addVerdict(data: VerdictCreateInput): Promise<TaskVerdict>;
+  findVerdicts(taskId: string): Promise<TaskVerdict[]>;
+}
+
+const TASK_INCLUDE = {
+  epicTask: { select: { name: true, epicId: true } },
+  repo: { select: { name: true } },
+  assignee: { select: { name: true } },
+} as const;
+
+export class TaskRepository implements ITaskRepository {
+  constructor(private readonly prisma: PrismaClient) {}
+
+  async findAll(filters: TaskFilters = {}): Promise<Task[]> {
+    return this.prisma.task.findMany({
+      where: {
+        ...(filters.epicTaskId !== undefined ? { epicTaskId: filters.epicTaskId } : {}),
+        ...(filters.state !== undefined ? { state: filters.state } : {}),
+        ...(filters.assigneeId !== undefined ? { assigneeId: filters.assigneeId } : {}),
+      },
+      include: TASK_INCLUDE,
+      orderBy: { createdAt: 'asc' },
+    });
+  }
+
+  async findById(id: string): Promise<Task | null> {
+    return this.prisma.task.findUnique({ where: { id }, include: TASK_INCLUDE });
+  }
+
+  /** Names are unique per EpicTask; this is for the RBAC CUID→name resolver. */
+  async findByName(name: string): Promise<Task | null> {
+    return this.prisma.task.findFirst({ where: { name }, include: TASK_INCLUDE });
+  }
+
+  async findByNameAndEpicTask(name: string, epicTaskId: string): Promise<Task | null> {
+    return this.prisma.task.findUnique({
+      where: { name_epicTaskId: { name, epicTaskId } },
+      include: TASK_INCLUDE,
+    });
+  }
+
+  async create(data: TaskCreateInput): Promise<Task> {
+    return this.prisma.task.create({ data, include: TASK_INCLUDE });
+  }
+
+  async update(id: string, data: TaskUpdateInput): Promise<Task> {
+    return this.prisma.task.update({
+      where: { id },
+      data: { ...data, version: { increment: 1 } },
+      include: TASK_INCLUDE,
+    });
+  }
+
+  async delete(id: string): Promise<void> {
+    await this.prisma.task.delete({ where: { id } });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Advance the state only if it is still `fromState`.
+   *
+   * `updateMany` (not `update`) because we need the affected-row count rather
+   * than a throw: zero means someone else moved the task first, which is a
+   * normal race outcome the caller reports as a conflict, not an error.
+   */
+  async transition(id: string, fromState: TaskState, toState: TaskState): Promise<boolean> {
+    const result = await this.prisma.task.updateMany({
+      where: { id, state: fromState },
+      data: { state: toState, version: { increment: 1 } },
+    });
+    return result.count === 1;
+  }
+
+  async appendEvent(data: EventCreateInput): Promise<TaskEvent> {
+    return this.prisma.taskEvent.create({ data });
+  }
+
+  async findEvents(taskId: string): Promise<TaskEvent[]> {
+    return this.prisma.taskEvent.findMany({ where: { taskId }, orderBy: { createdAt: 'asc' } });
+  }
+
+  async addVerdict(data: VerdictCreateInput): Promise<TaskVerdict> {
+    return this.prisma.taskVerdict.create({ data });
+  }
+
+  async findVerdicts(taskId: string): Promise<TaskVerdict[]> {
+    return this.prisma.taskVerdict.findMany({ where: { taskId }, orderBy: { createdAt: 'asc' } });
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/mcpd/src/routes/tasks.ts b/src/mcpd/src/routes/tasks.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..798c2bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mcpd/src/routes/tasks.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+import type { TaskState } from '@prisma/client';
+import type { FastifyInstance, FastifyRequest } from 'fastify';
+
+import type { IEpicTaskRepository } from '../repositories/epic-task.repository.js';
+import type { TaskService } from '../services/task.service.js';
+import { TaskService as TaskSvc } from '../services/task.service.js';
+
+/** Who is driving this transition — used for the append-only event log. */
+function actorOf(request: FastifyRequest): { type: string; id?: string } {
+  const userId = request.userId;
+  return userId === undefined ? { type: 'system' } : { type: 'user', id: userId };
+}
+
+export function registerTaskRoutes(
+  app: FastifyInstance,
+  service: TaskService,
+  epicTaskRepo: IEpicTaskRepository,
+): void {
+  // ── List / get ──
+
+  app.get<{ Querystring: { epictask?: string; epicTaskId?: string; state?: TaskState; assignee?: string } }>(
+    '/api/v1/tasks',
+    async (request) => {
+      const { epictask, epicTaskId, state, assignee } = request.query;
+      let resolvedEpicTaskId = epicTaskId;
+      if (resolvedEpicTaskId === undefined && epictask !== undefined) {
+        const node = await epicTaskRepo.findByName(epictask);
+        if (node === null) {
+          throw Object.assign(new Error(`EpicTask not found: ${epictask}`), { statusCode: 404 });
+        }
+        resolvedEpicTaskId = node.id;
+      }
+      return service.list({
+        ...(resolvedEpicTaskId !== undefined ? { epicTaskId: resolvedEpicTaskId } : {}),
+        ...(state !== undefined ? { state } : {}),
+        ...(assignee !== undefined ? { assigneeId: assignee } : {}),
+      });
+    },
+  );
+
+  app.get<{ Params: { id: string } }>('/api/v1/tasks/:id', async (request) => {
+    const task = await service.get(request.params.id);
+    // Surface what can happen next so a client never has to hardcode the table.
+    return { ...task, legalTransitions: TaskSvc.legalFrom(task.state) };
+  });
+
+  // ── Create / update / delete ──
+
+  app.post('/api/v1/tasks', async (request, reply) => {
+    const body = request.body as Record<string, unknown>;
+    const resolved: Record<string, unknown> = { ...body };
+
+    if (typeof body['epictask'] === 'string') {
+      const node = await epicTaskRepo.findByName(body['epictask']);
+      if (node === null) {
+        throw Object.assign(new Error(`EpicTask not found: ${body['epictask']}`), { statusCode: 404 });
+      }
+      resolved['epicTaskId'] = node.id;
+      delete resolved['epictask'];
+    }
+
+    const task = await service.create(resolved, request.userId ?? 'system');
+    reply.code(201);
+    return task;
+  });
+
+  app.put<{ Params: { id: string } }>('/api/v1/tasks/:id', async (request) => {
+    return service.update(request.params.id, request.body);
+  });
+
+  app.delete<{ Params: { id: string } }>('/api/v1/tasks/:id', async (request, reply) => {
+    await service.delete(request.params.id);
+    reply.code(204);
+  });
+
+  // ── Lifecycle ──
+
+  app.post<{ Params: { id: string } }>('/api/v1/tasks/:id/transition', async (request) => {
+    const { task, event } = await service.transition(request.params.id, request.body, actorOf(request));
+    return { ...task, legalTransitions: TaskSvc.legalFrom(task.state), event };
+  });
+
+  app.post<{ Params: { id: string } }>('/api/v1/tasks/:id/accept', async (request) => {
+    const { task } = await service.accept(request.params.id, request.body ?? {}, actorOf(request));
+    return task;
+  });
+
+  app.post<{ Params: { id: string } }>('/api/v1/tasks/:id/reject', async (request) => {
+    const { task } = await service.reject(request.params.id, request.body, actorOf(request));
+    return task;
+  });
+
+  // ── Verdicts + history ──
+
+  app.post<{ Params: { id: string } }>('/api/v1/tasks/:id/verdicts', async (request, reply) => {
+    const verdict = await service.addVerdict(request.params.id, request.body);
+    reply.code(201);
+    return verdict;
+  });
+
+  app.get<{ Params: { id: string } }>('/api/v1/tasks/:id/verdicts', async (request) => {
+    return service.listVerdicts(request.params.id);
+  });
+
+  app.get<{ Params: { id: string } }>('/api/v1/tasks/:id/events', async (request) => {
+    return service.listEvents(request.params.id);
+  });
+}
diff --git a/src/mcpd/src/services/task.service.ts b/src/mcpd/src/services/task.service.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8fa35f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mcpd/src/services/task.service.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,294 @@
+import type { Prisma, Task, TaskEvent, TaskRisk, TaskState, TaskVerdict } from '@prisma/client';
+
+import type { IEpicTaskRepository } from '../repositories/epic-task.repository.js';
+import type { ITaskRepository } from '../repositories/task.repository.js';
+import {
+  AcceptTaskSchema,
+  AddVerdictSchema,
+  CreateTaskSchema,
+  RejectTaskSchema,
+  TransitionTaskSchema,
+} from '../validation/task.schema.js';
+import { UpdateTaskSchema } from '../validation/task.schema.js';
+
+import { NotFoundError } from './mcp-server.service.js';
+
+/**
+ * Legal state transitions.
+ *
+ * QA / Security / SRE are stages INSIDE the task's own loop, not post-submit
+ * reviewers, which is why each of them can bounce straight back to
+ * `in_progress` — that is what "feedback" means here. `done` leaves the
+ * developer's loop; `awaiting_review` is the single human accept gate.
+ */
+const TRANSITIONS: Record<TaskState, readonly TaskState[]> = {
+  todo: ['in_progress', 'cancelled'],
+  in_progress: ['building', 'cancelled'],
+  // A failed build goes back to work rather than forward.
+  building: ['self_testing', 'in_progress', 'cancelled'],
+  self_testing: ['qa_review', 'done', 'in_progress', 'cancelled'],
+  qa_review: ['security_review', 'done', 'in_progress', 'cancelled'],
+  security_review: ['sre_review', 'done', 'in_progress', 'cancelled'],
+  sre_review: ['done', 'in_progress', 'cancelled'],
+  done: ['awaiting_review', 'in_progress', 'cancelled'],
+  // The human gate: accept fires the merge, reject sends it back with a comment.
+  awaiting_review: ['merged', 'in_progress', 'cancelled'],
+  // Post-merge failure reopens; the same agent picks it back up.
+  merged: ['reopened'],
+  reopened: ['in_progress', 'cancelled'],
+  cancelled: ['todo'],
+};
+
+/**
+ * Which review stages must have PASSED before a task may reach `done`.
+ *
+ * Verification effort scales with risk rather than running a fixed pipeline —
+ * forcing a one-line docs fix through security and SRE review is how a process
+ * gets routed around. Trivial work needs only the developer's own check.
+ */
+const REQUIRED_VERDICTS: Record<TaskRisk, readonly TaskState[]> = {
+  trivial: [],
+  normal: ['qa_review'],
+  high: ['qa_review', 'security_review', 'sre_review'],
+};
+
+const STAGE_LABEL: Record<string, string> = {
+  qa_review: 'QA',
+  security_review: 'Security',
+  sre_review: 'SRE',
+};
+
+function badRequest(message: string): Error {
+  return Object.assign(new Error(message), { statusCode: 400 });
+}
+
+function conflict(message: string): Error {
+  return Object.assign(new Error(message), { statusCode: 409 });
+}
+
+export interface TransitionResult {
+  task: Task;
+  event: TaskEvent;
+}
+
+export class TaskService {
+  constructor(
+    private readonly repo: ITaskRepository,
+    private readonly epicTaskRepo: IEpicTaskRepository,
+  ) {}
+
+  static isLegal(from: TaskState, to: TaskState): boolean {
+    return TRANSITIONS[from].includes(to);
+  }
+
+  static legalFrom(from: TaskState): readonly TaskState[] {
+    return TRANSITIONS[from];
+  }
+
+  // ── CRUD ──
+
+  async list(filters: { epicTaskId?: string; state?: TaskState; assigneeId?: string } = {}): Promise<Task[]> {
+    return this.repo.findAll(filters);
+  }
+
+  async get(id: string): Promise<Task> {
+    const task = await this.repo.findById(id);
+    if (task === null) throw new NotFoundError(`Task not found: ${id}`);
+    return task;
+  }
+
+  async create(input: unknown, ownerId: string): Promise<Task> {
+    const data = CreateTaskSchema.parse(input);
+
+    const epicTask = await this.epicTaskRepo.findById(data.epicTaskId);
+    if (epicTask === null) throw new NotFoundError(`EpicTask not found: ${data.epicTaskId}`);
+
+    const duplicate = await this.repo.findByNameAndEpicTask(data.name, data.epicTaskId);
+    if (duplicate !== null) {
+      throw conflict(`Task '${data.name}' already exists in epictask '${epicTask.name}'`);
+    }
+
+    const task = await this.repo.create({
+      name: data.name,
+      title: data.title,
+      epicTaskId: data.epicTaskId,
+      ownerId,
+      ...(data.description !== undefined ? { description: data.description } : {}),
+      ...(data.repoId !== undefined ? { repoId: data.repoId } : {}),
+      ...(data.assigneeId !== undefined ? { assigneeId: data.assigneeId } : {}),
+      ...(data.risk !== undefined ? { risk: data.risk as TaskRisk } : {}),
+    });
+
+    // Seed the log so the history has an origin, not a first entry from nowhere.
+    await this.repo.appendEvent({
+      taskId: task.id,
+      toState: task.state,
+      actorType: 'user',
+      actorId: ownerId,
+      note: 'created',
+    });
+    return task;
+  }
+
+  async update(id: string, input: unknown): Promise<Task> {
+    const data = UpdateTaskSchema.parse(input);
+    await this.get(id);
+    // Spread-guard rather than passing the parsed object straight through:
+    // exactOptionalPropertyTypes distinguishes "absent" from "explicitly
+    // undefined", and repoId/assigneeId use null (not undefined) to unset.
+    return this.repo.update(id, {
+      ...(data.title !== undefined ? { title: data.title } : {}),
+      ...(data.description !== undefined ? { description: data.description } : {}),
+      ...(data.repoId !== undefined ? { repoId: data.repoId } : {}),
+      ...(data.assigneeId !== undefined ? { assigneeId: data.assigneeId } : {}),
+      ...(data.risk !== undefined ? { risk: data.risk as TaskRisk } : {}),
+      ...(data.branch !== undefined ? { branch: data.branch } : {}),
+      ...(data.headCommit !== undefined ? { headCommit: data.headCommit } : {}),
+      ...(data.prUrl !== undefined ? { prUrl: data.prUrl } : {}),
+      ...(data.prNumber !== undefined ? { prNumber: data.prNumber } : {}),
+    });
+  }
+
+  async delete(id: string): Promise<void> {
+    await this.get(id);
+    await this.repo.delete(id);
+  }
+
+  // ── Lifecycle ──
+
+  /**
+   * Move a task to `toState`.
+   *
+   * Guarded twice: the transition must be legal for the CURRENT state, and the
+   * write is a compare-and-swap so a concurrent mover cannot be silently
+   * clobbered. Losing the CAS is a 409, not a 500 — it means the task moved
+   * under us, which is a normal outcome when several agents share a board.
+   */
+  async transition(
+    id: string,
+    input: unknown,
+    actor: { type: string; id?: string },
+  ): Promise<TransitionResult> {
+    const { toState, note } = TransitionTaskSchema.parse(input);
+    const task = await this.get(id);
+    const from = task.state;
+
+    if (from === toState) {
+      throw badRequest(`Task is already in state '${toState}'`);
+    }
+    if (!TaskService.isLegal(from, toState)) {
+      throw badRequest(
+        `Illegal transition ${from} → ${toState}. Legal from '${from}': ` +
+          `${TRANSITIONS[from].join(', ') || '(terminal)'}`,
+      );
+    }
+
+    if (toState === 'done') {
+      await this.assertVerificationSatisfied(task);
+    }
+
+    const won = await this.repo.transition(id, from, toState);
+    if (!won) {
+      const current = await this.repo.findById(id);
+      throw conflict(
+        `Task moved concurrently: expected '${from}', now '${current?.state ?? 'unknown'}'. Re-read and retry.`,
+      );
+    }
+
+    const event = await this.repo.appendEvent({
+      taskId: id,
+      fromState: from,
+      toState,
+      actorType: actor.type,
+      ...(actor.id !== undefined ? { actorId: actor.id } : {}),
+      ...(note !== undefined ? { note } : {}),
+    });
+
+    return { task: await this.get(id), event };
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Enforce the risk-scaled gate on `done`. A stage counts as satisfied only by
+   * a PASSING verdict — a recorded failure is evidence the gate was tried and
+   * did not hold, not evidence it was cleared.
+   */
+  private async assertVerificationSatisfied(task: Task): Promise<void> {
+    const required = REQUIRED_VERDICTS[task.risk];
+    if (required.length === 0) return;
+
+    const verdicts = await this.repo.findVerdicts(task.id);
+    const passed = new Set(verdicts.filter((v) => v.passed).map((v) => v.stage));
+    const missing = required.filter((stage) => !passed.has(stage));
+
+    if (missing.length > 0) {
+      const labels = missing.map((s) => STAGE_LABEL[s] ?? s).join(', ');
+      throw badRequest(
+        `Cannot mark done: risk '${task.risk}' requires a passing verdict from ${labels}. ` +
+          'Record the verdict, or lower the task risk if the gate genuinely does not apply.',
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
+  /** Record a stage verdict, pinned to the commit it judged. */
+  async addVerdict(id: string, input: unknown): Promise<TaskVerdict> {
+    const data = AddVerdictSchema.parse(input);
+    await this.get(id);
+
+    return this.repo.addVerdict({
+      taskId: id,
+      stage: data.stage as TaskState,
+      commit: data.commit,
+      passed: data.passed,
+      summary: data.summary,
+      ...(data.agentId !== undefined ? { agentId: data.agentId } : {}),
+      ...(data.findings !== undefined
+        ? { findings: data.findings as unknown as Prisma.InputJsonValue }
+        : {}),
+    });
+  }
+
+  async listVerdicts(id: string): Promise<TaskVerdict[]> {
+    await this.get(id);
+    return this.repo.findVerdicts(id);
+  }
+
+  async listEvents(id: string): Promise<TaskEvent[]> {
+    await this.get(id);
+    return this.repo.findEvents(id);
+  }
+
+  // ── The human accept gate ──
+
+  /**
+   * Accept: awaiting_review → merged. The caller's comment is stored on the
+   * task, so the decision and its reason live together.
+   *
+   * This is a task-level yes/no on a resolved outcome, NOT a per-tool approval
+   * — the agent has already acted autonomously up to this point.
+   */
+  async accept(id: string, input: unknown, actor: { type: string; id?: string }): Promise<TransitionResult> {
+    const { note } = AcceptTaskSchema.parse(input ?? {});
+    const task = await this.get(id);
+    if (task.state !== 'awaiting_review') {
+      throw badRequest(`Only a task in 'awaiting_review' can be accepted (this one is '${task.state}')`);
+    }
+    if (note !== undefined) await this.repo.update(id, { reviewNote: note });
+    return this.transition(id, { toState: 'merged', note: note ?? 'accepted' }, actor);
+  }
+
+  /** Reject: back to in_progress. The comment is mandatory — that is the direction. */
+  async reject(id: string, input: unknown, actor: { type: string; id?: string }): Promise<TransitionResult> {
+    const { note } = RejectTaskSchema.parse(input);
+    const task = await this.get(id);
+    if (task.state !== 'awaiting_review') {
+      throw badRequest(`Only a task in 'awaiting_review' can be rejected (this one is '${task.state}')`);
+    }
+    await this.repo.update(id, { reviewNote: note });
+    return this.transition(id, { toState: 'in_progress', note }, actor);
+  }
+
+  /** Post-merge failure: merged → reopened, driven by the git provider webhook. */
+  async reopen(id: string, note: string, actor: { type: string; id?: string }): Promise<TransitionResult> {
+    return this.transition(id, { toState: 'reopened', note }, actor);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/mcpd/src/validation/task.schema.ts b/src/mcpd/src/validation/task.schema.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8969c3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mcpd/src/validation/task.schema.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+import { z } from 'zod';
+
+const NAME_RE = /^[a-z0-9-]+$/;
+
+export const TASK_STATES = [
+  'todo', 'in_progress', 'building', 'self_testing', 'qa_review',
+  'security_review', 'sre_review', 'done', 'awaiting_review', 'merged',
+  'reopened', 'cancelled',
+] as const;
+
+/** The three stages that produce a verdict. */
+export const REVIEW_STAGES = ['qa_review', 'security_review', 'sre_review'] as const;
+
+export const CreateTaskSchema = z.object({
+  name: z.string().min(1).max(100).regex(NAME_RE, 'Name must be lowercase alphanumeric with hyphens'),
+  title: z.string().min(1).max(300),
+  epicTaskId: z.string().min(1),
+  description: z.string().max(20_000).optional(),
+  repoId: z.string().min(1).optional(),
+  assigneeId: z.string().min(1).optional(),
+  risk: z.enum(['trivial', 'normal', 'high']).optional(),
+});
+
+export const UpdateTaskSchema = z.object({
+  title: z.string().min(1).max(300).optional(),
+  description: z.string().max(20_000).optional(),
+  repoId: z.string().min(1).nullable().optional(),
+  assigneeId: z.string().min(1).nullable().optional(),
+  risk: z.enum(['trivial', 'normal', 'high']).optional(),
+  // Git linkage, written by the agent when it pushes.
+  branch: z.string().min(1).max(300).optional(),
+  headCommit: z.string().min(1).max(100).optional(),
+  prUrl: z.string().url().optional(),
+  prNumber: z.number().int().positive().optional(),
+});
+
+export const TransitionTaskSchema = z.object({
+  toState: z.enum(TASK_STATES),
+  note: z.string().max(2000).optional(),
+});
+
+export const AddVerdictSchema = z.object({
+  stage: z.enum(REVIEW_STAGES),
+  commit: z.string().min(1).max(100),
+  passed: z.boolean(),
+  summary: z.string().min(1).max(20_000),
+  agentId: z.string().min(1).optional(),
+  findings: z.array(z.object({
+    severity: z.enum(['info', 'minor', 'major', 'critical']),
+    message: z.string().min(1).max(2000),
+    path: z.string().max(500).optional(),
+    line: z.number().int().nonnegative().optional(),
+  })).max(500).optional(),
+});
+
+export const AcceptTaskSchema = z.object({ note: z.string().max(2000).optional() });
+export const RejectTaskSchema = z.object({ note: z.string().min(1).max(2000) });
+
+export type CreateTaskInput = z.infer<typeof CreateTaskSchema>;
+export type UpdateTaskInput = z.infer<typeof UpdateTaskSchema>;
diff --git a/src/mcpd/tests/services/task-service.test.ts b/src/mcpd/tests/services/task-service.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..419c0b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mcpd/tests/services/task-service.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,290 @@
+import type { EpicTask, Task, TaskEvent, TaskState, TaskVerdict } from '@prisma/client';
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
+
+import type { IEpicTaskRepository } from '../../src/repositories/epic-task.repository.js';
+import type { ITaskRepository } from '../../src/repositories/task.repository.js';
+import { TaskService } from '../../src/services/task.service.js';
+
+function makeTask(overrides: Partial<Task> = {}): Task {
+  return {
+    id: 'task-1',
+    name: 'wire-the-thing',
+    title: 'Wire the thing',
+    description: '',
+    epicTaskId: 'et-1',
+    repoId: null,
+    assigneeId: null,
+    state: 'todo',
+    risk: 'normal',
+    branch: null,
+    headCommit: null,
+    prUrl: null,
+    prNumber: null,
+    reviewNote: null,
+    ownerId: 'user-1',
+    version: 1,
+    createdAt: new Date(),
+    updatedAt: new Date(),
+    ...overrides,
+  } as Task;
+}
+
+const verdict = (stage: TaskState, passed: boolean): TaskVerdict =>
+  ({ id: `v-${stage}`, taskId: 'task-1', stage, agentId: null, commit: '3f2ab', passed,
+     summary: '', findings: [], createdAt: new Date() } as TaskVerdict);
+
+function mocks(task: Task | null = makeTask(), verdicts: TaskVerdict[] = []) {
+  let current = task;
+  /** When true, the CAS loses — simulating a concurrent mover. */
+  let loseRace = false;
+
+  const repo = {
+    findAll: vi.fn(async () => (current ? [current] : [])),
+    findById: vi.fn(async () => current),
+    findByName: vi.fn(async () => current),
+    findByNameAndEpicTask: vi.fn(async () => null),
+    create: vi.fn(async (d: Record<string, unknown>) => makeTask(d as Partial<Task>)),
+    update: vi.fn(async (_id: string, d: Record<string, unknown>) => {
+      current = { ...(current as Task), ...d } as Task;
+      return current;
+    }),
+    delete: vi.fn(async () => {}),
+    transition: vi.fn(async (_id: string, from: TaskState, to: TaskState) => {
+      if (loseRace) { current = { ...(current as Task), state: 'cancelled' } as Task; return false; }
+      if ((current as Task).state !== from) return false;
+      current = { ...(current as Task), state: to } as Task;
+      return true;
+    }),
+    appendEvent: vi.fn(async (d: Record<string, unknown>) => ({ id: 'ev-1', ...d } as unknown as TaskEvent)),
+    findEvents: vi.fn(async () => []),
+    addVerdict: vi.fn(async (d: Record<string, unknown>) => ({ id: 'v-new', ...d } as unknown as TaskVerdict)),
+    findVerdicts: vi.fn(async () => verdicts),
+  } as unknown as ITaskRepository & Record<string, ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>>;
+
+  const epicTaskRepo = {
+    findById: vi.fn(async () => ({ id: 'et-1', name: 'chassis' } as EpicTask)),
+    findByName: vi.fn(async () => ({ id: 'et-1', name: 'chassis' } as EpicTask)),
+  } as unknown as IEpicTaskRepository;
+
+  return {
+    repo, epicTaskRepo,
+    service: new TaskService(repo, epicTaskRepo),
+    forceRace: () => { loseRace = true; },
+  };
+}
+
+const ACTOR = { type: 'user', id: 'user-1' };
+
+describe('TaskService transition table', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => { vi.clearAllMocks(); });
+
+  it('walks the whole happy path for a trivial task', async () => {
+    const { service } = mocks(makeTask({ risk: 'trivial' }));
+    for (const to of ['in_progress', 'building', 'self_testing', 'done', 'awaiting_review', 'merged'] as const) {
+      const { task } = await service.transition('task-1', { toState: to }, ACTOR);
+      expect(task.state).toBe(to);
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('lets QA, Security and SRE bounce a task back to in_progress', async () => {
+    // They are stages inside the loop, not post-submit reviewers — feedback
+    // means the task goes back to work.
+    for (const stage of ['qa_review', 'security_review', 'sre_review'] as const) {
+      const { service } = mocks(makeTask({ state: stage }));
+      const { task } = await service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'in_progress' }, ACTOR);
+      expect(task.state).toBe('in_progress');
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('sends a failed build back to work rather than forward', async () => {
+    const { service } = mocks(makeTask({ state: 'building' }));
+    const { task } = await service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'in_progress' }, ACTOR);
+    expect(task.state).toBe('in_progress');
+  });
+
+  it('rejects an illegal jump and lists what IS legal', async () => {
+    const { service } = mocks(makeTask({ state: 'todo' }));
+    await expect(service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'merged' }, ACTOR)).rejects.toThrow(
+      /Illegal transition todo → merged.*in_progress, cancelled/s,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('rejects a no-op transition', async () => {
+    const { service } = mocks(makeTask({ state: 'todo' }));
+    await expect(service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'todo' }, ACTOR)).rejects.toThrow(
+      /already in state 'todo'/,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('only allows reopened out of merged — a merged task is not editable', async () => {
+    expect(TaskService.legalFrom('merged')).toEqual(['reopened']);
+    const { service } = mocks(makeTask({ state: 'merged' }));
+    await expect(service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'in_progress' }, ACTOR)).rejects.toThrow(
+      /Illegal transition/,
+    );
+    const { task } = await service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'reopened' }, ACTOR);
+    expect(task.state).toBe('reopened');
+  });
+
+  it('appends an event for every transition', async () => {
+    const { service, repo } = mocks(makeTask());
+    await service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'in_progress', note: 'picked up' }, ACTOR);
+    expect(repo.appendEvent).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({ fromState: 'todo', toState: 'in_progress', actorType: 'user', note: 'picked up' }),
+    );
+  });
+});
+
+describe('TaskService compare-and-swap', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => { vi.clearAllMocks(); });
+
+  it('409s when another mover won the race, and reports the current state', async () => {
+    const { service, forceRace } = mocks(makeTask({ state: 'todo' }));
+    forceRace();
+    await expect(service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'in_progress' }, ACTOR)).rejects.toThrow(
+      /moved concurrently: expected 'todo', now 'cancelled'/,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('passes the expected state to the CAS so the DB does the arbitration', async () => {
+    const { service, repo } = mocks(makeTask({ state: 'todo' }));
+    await service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'in_progress' }, ACTOR);
+    expect(repo.transition).toHaveBeenCalledWith('task-1', 'todo', 'in_progress');
+  });
+
+  it('writes no event when the CAS is lost', async () => {
+    const { service, repo, forceRace } = mocks(makeTask({ state: 'todo' }));
+    forceRace();
+    await service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'in_progress' }, ACTOR).catch(() => {});
+    expect(repo.appendEvent).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
+
+describe('TaskService risk-scaled done gate', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => { vi.clearAllMocks(); });
+
+  it('lets trivial work reach done with no verdicts at all', async () => {
+    const { service } = mocks(makeTask({ state: 'self_testing', risk: 'trivial' }), []);
+    const { task } = await service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'done' }, ACTOR);
+    expect(task.state).toBe('done');
+  });
+
+  it('blocks normal work without a passing QA verdict', async () => {
+    const { service } = mocks(makeTask({ state: 'self_testing', risk: 'normal' }), []);
+    await expect(service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'done' }, ACTOR)).rejects.toThrow(
+      /requires a passing verdict from QA/,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('does not accept a FAILING verdict as clearing the gate', async () => {
+    // A recorded failure is evidence the gate was tried and did not hold.
+    const { service } = mocks(
+      makeTask({ state: 'qa_review', risk: 'normal' }),
+      [verdict('qa_review', false)],
+    );
+    await expect(service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'done' }, ACTOR)).rejects.toThrow(
+      /requires a passing verdict from QA/,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('allows normal work through once QA passes', async () => {
+    const { service } = mocks(
+      makeTask({ state: 'qa_review', risk: 'normal' }),
+      [verdict('qa_review', true)],
+    );
+    const { task } = await service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'done' }, ACTOR);
+    expect(task.state).toBe('done');
+  });
+
+  it('requires all three gates for high-risk work, and names the missing ones', async () => {
+    const { service } = mocks(
+      makeTask({ state: 'sre_review', risk: 'high' }),
+      [verdict('qa_review', true)],
+    );
+    await expect(service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'done' }, ACTOR)).rejects.toThrow(
+      /Security, SRE/,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('allows high-risk work once every gate passes', async () => {
+    const { service } = mocks(
+      makeTask({ state: 'sre_review', risk: 'high' }),
+      [verdict('qa_review', true), verdict('security_review', true), verdict('sre_review', true)],
+    );
+    const { task } = await service.transition('task-1', { toState: 'done' }, ACTOR);
+    expect(task.state).toBe('done');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('TaskService accept / reject gate', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => { vi.clearAllMocks(); });
+
+  it('accepts from awaiting_review and stores the comment', async () => {
+    const { service, repo } = mocks(makeTask({ state: 'awaiting_review' }));
+    const { task } = await service.accept('task-1', { note: 'ship it' }, ACTOR);
+    expect(task.state).toBe('merged');
+    expect(repo.update).toHaveBeenCalledWith('task-1', { reviewNote: 'ship it' });
+  });
+
+  it('accepts with no comment', async () => {
+    const { service } = mocks(makeTask({ state: 'awaiting_review' }));
+    const { task } = await service.accept('task-1', {}, ACTOR);
+    expect(task.state).toBe('merged');
+  });
+
+  it('refuses to accept a task that is not at the gate', async () => {
+    const { service } = mocks(makeTask({ state: 'in_progress' }));
+    await expect(service.accept('task-1', {}, ACTOR)).rejects.toThrow(/Only a task in 'awaiting_review'/);
+  });
+
+  it('rejects back to in_progress and requires a comment', async () => {
+    const { service, repo } = mocks(makeTask({ state: 'awaiting_review' }));
+    const { task } = await service.reject('task-1', { note: 'missing tests on the error path' }, ACTOR);
+    expect(task.state).toBe('in_progress');
+    expect(repo.update).toHaveBeenCalledWith('task-1', { reviewNote: 'missing tests on the error path' });
+  });
+
+  it('will not reject without a comment — the comment IS the direction', async () => {
+    const { service } = mocks(makeTask({ state: 'awaiting_review' }));
+    await expect(service.reject('task-1', {}, ACTOR)).rejects.toThrow();
+    await expect(service.reject('task-1', { note: '' }, ACTOR)).rejects.toThrow();
+  });
+});
+
+describe('TaskService verdicts and creation', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => { vi.clearAllMocks(); });
+
+  it('pins a verdict to the commit it judged', async () => {
+    const { service, repo } = mocks();
+    await service.addVerdict('task-1', {
+      stage: 'qa_review', commit: '3f2ab19', passed: false, summary: 'no test for 500',
+      findings: [{ severity: 'major', message: 'error path uncovered', path: 'src/a.ts', line: 12 }],
+    });
+    expect(repo.addVerdict).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({ taskId: 'task-1', stage: 'qa_review', commit: '3f2ab19', passed: false }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('rejects a verdict for a non-review stage', async () => {
+    const { service } = mocks();
+    await expect(
+      service.addVerdict('task-1', { stage: 'merged', commit: 'a', passed: true, summary: 's' }),
+    ).rejects.toThrow();
+  });
+
+  it('seeds the event log on create so history has an origin', async () => {
+    const { service, repo } = mocks(null);
+    await service.create({ name: 'x', title: 'X', epicTaskId: 'et-1' }, 'user-1');
+    expect(repo.appendEvent).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({ toState: 'todo', actorType: 'user', note: 'created' }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('409s on a duplicate name within the epictask', async () => {
+    const { service, repo } = mocks(null);
+    (repo.findByNameAndEpicTask as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>).mockResolvedValueOnce(makeTask());
+    await expect(
+      service.create({ name: 'wire-the-thing', title: 'X', epicTaskId: 'et-1' }, 'user-1'),
+    ).rejects.toThrow(/already exists in epictask 'chassis'/);
+  });
+});