diff --git a/internal/orchestrator/orchestrator.go b/internal/orchestrator/orchestrator.go
index 1b87679..5396091 100644
--- a/internal/orchestrator/orchestrator.go
+++ b/internal/orchestrator/orchestrator.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package orchestrator
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
@@ -88,10 +89,18 @@ func (w GitWorktrees) Create(ctx context.Context, t domain.Task) (string, error)
 // clean, and so its hash survives independent of any later scratch commits.
 func writeTaskFile(ctx context.Context, worktree string, t domain.Task) error {
 	path := filepath.Join(worktree, "TASK.md")
-	if _, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil {
+	want := continuity.RenderTaskFile(t)
+	// Presence is not identity. Delivery merges the task branch, and the
+	// branch carries this commit, so a later task's worktree branches from a
+	// master that already holds the *previous* task's TASK.md. Returning early
+	// on os.Stat left that file in place, and every immutability check then
+	// failed with "TASK.md changed" against a hash for a task nobody was
+	// running. Found live: run 7 died on retry_limit without ever leaving
+	// research.
+	if got, err := os.ReadFile(path); err == nil && bytes.Equal(got, want) {
 		return nil
 	}
-	if err := os.WriteFile(path, continuity.RenderTaskFile(t), 0644); err != nil {
+	if err := os.WriteFile(path, want, 0644); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 	for _, args := range [][]string{{"add", "TASK.md"}, {"commit", "-m", "orchestra: TASK.md"}} {
diff --git a/internal/orchestrator/worktrees_test.go b/internal/orchestrator/worktrees_test.go
index 3344628..ebc33b6 100644
--- a/internal/orchestrator/worktrees_test.go
+++ b/internal/orchestrator/worktrees_test.go
@@ -125,3 +125,50 @@ func TestGitWorktreesCommitsTaskFile(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("TASK.md changed on recreate")
 	}
 }
+
+// A delivered task branch carries its own TASK.md, so master ends up holding
+// the previous task's file. The next worktree must not inherit it: run 7 died
+// on retry_limit because every release failed "TASK.md changed" against a hash
+// for a task nobody was running.
+func TestWorktreeReplacesAnInheritedTaskFile(t *testing.T) {
+	base := t.TempDir()
+	repo := filepath.Join(base, "repo")
+	initRepo(t, repo)
+
+	previous := domain.Task{ID: "previous-task", Project: "p", Title: "the merged one"}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(repo, "TASK.md"), continuity.RenderTaskFile(previous), 0644); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	for _, args := range [][]string{{"add", "TASK.md"}, {"commit", "-m", "merged task branch"}} {
+		cmd := exec.Command("git", args...)
+		cmd.Dir = repo
+		cmd.Env = append(os.Environ(), "GIT_AUTHOR_NAME=t", "GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL=t@t", "GIT_COMMITTER_NAME=t", "GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL=t@t")
+		if out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput(); err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("git %v: %v: %s", args, err, out)
+		}
+	}
+
+	current := domain.Task{ID: "current-task", Project: "p", Title: "the one being run"}
+	w := orchestrator.GitWorktrees{Root: filepath.Join(base, "wt"), Repo: repo}
+	path, err := w.Create(context.Background(), current)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("create: %v", err)
+	}
+	got, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(path, "TASK.md"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if string(got) != string(continuity.RenderTaskFile(current)) {
+		t.Fatalf("worktree inherited a stale TASK.md:\n%s", got)
+	}
+	// Committed, not left dirty: the immutability check reads git status.
+	cmd := exec.Command("git", "status", "--porcelain")
+	cmd.Dir = path
+	out, err := cmd.CombinedOutput()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("git status: %v: %s", err, out)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(string(out), "TASK.md") {
+		t.Fatalf("TASK.md left uncommitted: %s", out)
+	}
+}