diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/sf/auto/phases.ts b/src/resources/extensions/sf/auto/phases.ts
index 41398ebf7..d002181cc 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/sf/auto/phases.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/sf/auto/phases.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ import { MergeConflictError } from "../git-service.js";
 import { recordLearnedOutcome } from "../learning/runtime.js";
 import { sfRoot } from "../paths.js";
 import { resolvePersistModelChanges } from "../preferences.js";
+import {
+	ensureProductionMutationApprovalTemplate,
+	readProductionMutationApprovalStatus,
+} from "../production-mutation-approval.js";
 import { resetEvidence } from "../safety/evidence-collector.js";
 import {
 	cleanupCheckpoint,
@@ -1357,19 +1361,46 @@ export async function runGuards(
 						...task.expected_output,
 					].join("\n");
 					if (requiresHumanProductionMutationApproval(taskText)) {
-						const msg =
-							`Production mutation guard: ${activeMilestone.id}/${activeSlice.id}/${activeTask.id} asks to POST unified failover against production. ` +
-							"Pause for an explicit safe server/VM target, cleanup/rollback path, and operator approval.";
-						ctx.ui.notify(msg, "error");
-						deps.sendDesktopNotification(
-							"SF",
-							"Production mutation guard paused auto-mode",
-							"warning",
-							"safety",
-							basename(s.originalBasePath || s.basePath),
+						const approvalUnit = {
+							milestoneId: activeMilestone.id,
+							sliceId: activeSlice.id,
+							taskId: activeTask.id,
+							taskTitle: task.title,
+							taskText,
+						};
+						const approvalBasePath = s.originalBasePath || s.basePath;
+						const approval = readProductionMutationApprovalStatus(
+							approvalBasePath,
+							approvalUnit,
 						);
-						await deps.pauseAuto(ctx, pi);
-						return { action: "break", reason: "production-mutation-guard" };
+						if (approval.approved) {
+							ctx.ui.notify(
+								`Production mutation approval accepted for ${approvalUnit.milestoneId}/${approvalUnit.sliceId}/${approvalUnit.taskId}: ${approval.path}`,
+								"warning",
+							);
+						} else {
+							const template = ensureProductionMutationApprovalTemplate(
+								approvalBasePath,
+								approvalUnit,
+							);
+							const reasons = approval.reasons.length
+								? ` Missing/invalid fields: ${approval.reasons.join("; ")}.`
+								: "";
+							const msg =
+								`Production mutation guard: ${activeMilestone.id}/${activeSlice.id}/${activeTask.id} asks to POST unified failover against production. ` +
+								`${template.created ? "Created" : "Reusing"} approval gate at ${template.path}. ` +
+								`Fill it with an explicit safe server/VM target, cleanup/rollback path, and operator approval, then rerun sf headless auto.${reasons}`;
+							ctx.ui.notify(msg, "error");
+							deps.sendDesktopNotification(
+								"SF",
+								"Production mutation guard paused auto-mode",
+								"warning",
+								"safety",
+								basename(s.originalBasePath || s.basePath),
+							);
+							await deps.pauseAuto(ctx, pi);
+							return { action: "break", reason: "production-mutation-guard" };
+						}
 					}
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/sf/production-mutation-approval.ts b/src/resources/extensions/sf/production-mutation-approval.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d2e90b42d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/sf/production-mutation-approval.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,199 @@
+import { existsSync, readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { atomicWriteSync } from "./atomic-write.js";
+import { sfRoot } from "./paths.js";
+
+export const PRODUCTION_MUTATION_APPROVAL_SCHEMA_VERSION = 1;
+
+export interface ProductionMutationUnit {
+	milestoneId: string;
+	sliceId: string;
+	taskId: string;
+	taskTitle: string;
+	taskText: string;
+}
+
+export interface ProductionMutationApproval {
+	schemaVersion: typeof PRODUCTION_MUTATION_APPROVAL_SCHEMA_VERSION;
+	unitId: string;
+	status: "pending" | "approved";
+	risk: "production-unified-failover-post";
+	task: {
+		title: string;
+		text: string;
+	};
+	approval: {
+		approved: boolean;
+		approvedBy: string;
+		approvedAt: string;
+		safeServerId: string;
+		safeVmNames: string[];
+		cleanupPlan: string;
+		rollbackPlan: string;
+		notes: string;
+	};
+	instructions: string[];
+}
+
+export interface ProductionMutationApprovalStatus {
+	path: string;
+	approved: boolean;
+	reasons: string[];
+}
+
+function unitId(unit: ProductionMutationUnit): string {
+	return `${unit.milestoneId}/${unit.sliceId}/${unit.taskId}`;
+}
+
+function safePathSegment(value: string): string {
+	return value.replace(/[^A-Za-z0-9_.-]/g, "_");
+}
+
+export function productionMutationApprovalPath(
+	basePath: string,
+	unit: Pick<ProductionMutationUnit, "milestoneId" | "sliceId" | "taskId">,
+): string {
+	const fileName = [
+		safePathSegment(unit.milestoneId),
+		safePathSegment(unit.sliceId),
+		safePathSegment(unit.taskId),
+	].join("-");
+	return join(
+		sfRoot(basePath),
+		"approvals",
+		"production-mutations",
+		`${fileName}.json`,
+	);
+}
+
+export function buildProductionMutationApprovalTemplate(
+	unit: ProductionMutationUnit,
+): ProductionMutationApproval {
+	return {
+		schemaVersion: PRODUCTION_MUTATION_APPROVAL_SCHEMA_VERSION,
+		unitId: unitId(unit),
+		status: "pending",
+		risk: "production-unified-failover-post",
+		task: {
+			title: unit.taskTitle,
+			text: unit.taskText,
+		},
+		approval: {
+			approved: false,
+			approvedBy: "",
+			approvedAt: "",
+			safeServerId: "",
+			safeVmNames: [],
+			cleanupPlan: "",
+			rollbackPlan: "",
+			notes: "",
+		},
+		instructions: [
+			"Set status to approved and approval.approved to true only after selecting a safe non-customer-impacting target.",
+			"Fill approvedBy, approvedAt, safeServerId, safeVmNames, cleanupPlan, and rollbackPlan.",
+			"Then rerun sf headless auto.",
+		],
+	};
+}
+
+export function ensureProductionMutationApprovalTemplate(
+	basePath: string,
+	unit: ProductionMutationUnit,
+): { path: string; created: boolean } {
+	const path = productionMutationApprovalPath(basePath, unit);
+	if (existsSync(path)) return { path, created: false };
+	atomicWriteSync(
+		path,
+		JSON.stringify(buildProductionMutationApprovalTemplate(unit), null, 2) +
+			"\n",
+	);
+	return { path, created: true };
+}
+
+function isRecord(value: unknown): value is Record<string, unknown> {
+	return typeof value === "object" && value !== null && !Array.isArray(value);
+}
+
+function nonEmptyString(value: unknown): value is string {
+	return typeof value === "string" && value.trim().length > 0;
+}
+
+function nonEmptyStringArray(value: unknown): value is string[] {
+	return (
+		Array.isArray(value) &&
+		value.length > 0 &&
+		value.every((item) => nonEmptyString(item))
+	);
+}
+
+export function validateProductionMutationApproval(
+	data: unknown,
+	unit: ProductionMutationUnit,
+): { approved: boolean; reasons: string[] } {
+	const reasons: string[] = [];
+	if (!isRecord(data)) {
+		return { approved: false, reasons: ["approval file is not a JSON object"] };
+	}
+
+	if (data.schemaVersion !== PRODUCTION_MUTATION_APPROVAL_SCHEMA_VERSION) {
+		reasons.push(
+			`schemaVersion must be ${PRODUCTION_MUTATION_APPROVAL_SCHEMA_VERSION}`,
+		);
+	}
+	if (data.unitId !== unitId(unit)) {
+		reasons.push(`unitId must be ${unitId(unit)}`);
+	}
+	if (data.status !== "approved") {
+		reasons.push("status must be approved");
+	}
+	if (data.risk !== "production-unified-failover-post") {
+		reasons.push("risk must be production-unified-failover-post");
+	}
+
+	const approval = data.approval;
+	if (!isRecord(approval)) {
+		reasons.push("approval must be an object");
+		return { approved: false, reasons };
+	}
+	if (approval.approved !== true) {
+		reasons.push("approval.approved must be true");
+	}
+	for (const field of [
+		"approvedBy",
+		"approvedAt",
+		"safeServerId",
+		"cleanupPlan",
+		"rollbackPlan",
+	] as const) {
+		if (!nonEmptyString(approval[field])) {
+			reasons.push(`approval.${field} is required`);
+		}
+	}
+	if (!nonEmptyStringArray(approval.safeVmNames)) {
+		reasons.push("approval.safeVmNames must contain at least one VM name");
+	}
+
+	return { approved: reasons.length === 0, reasons };
+}
+
+export function readProductionMutationApprovalStatus(
+	basePath: string,
+	unit: ProductionMutationUnit,
+): ProductionMutationApprovalStatus {
+	const path = productionMutationApprovalPath(basePath, unit);
+	if (!existsSync(path)) {
+		return { path, approved: false, reasons: ["approval file is missing"] };
+	}
+	try {
+		const data = JSON.parse(readFileSync(path, "utf-8")) as unknown;
+		const result = validateProductionMutationApproval(data, unit);
+		return { path, approved: result.approved, reasons: result.reasons };
+	} catch (error) {
+		const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
+		return {
+			path,
+			approved: false,
+			reasons: [`approval file is not valid JSON: ${message}`],
+		};
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/sf/tests/production-mutation-approval.test.ts b/src/resources/extensions/sf/tests/production-mutation-approval.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cd0f7f2ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/sf/tests/production-mutation-approval.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import {
+	existsSync,
+	mkdtempSync,
+	readFileSync,
+	rmSync,
+	writeFileSync,
+} from "node:fs";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import test from "node:test";
+
+import {
+	ensureProductionMutationApprovalTemplate,
+	type ProductionMutationApproval,
+	type ProductionMutationUnit,
+	productionMutationApprovalPath,
+	readProductionMutationApprovalStatus,
+	validateProductionMutationApproval,
+} from "../production-mutation-approval.ts";
+
+function tempBase(): string {
+	return mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "sf-production-approval-"));
+}
+
+const unit: ProductionMutationUnit = {
+	milestoneId: "M004",
+	sliceId: "S03",
+	taskId: "T01",
+	taskTitle: "End-to-End R005 Smoke Test",
+	taskText: [
+		"Execute smoke test against production NixOS Hetzner infrastructure.",
+		"POST to /action/unified-failover with test server_id and vm_names.",
+		"Verify command row was created with status=pending.",
+	].join("\n"),
+};
+
+test("production mutation approval writes a pending template once", () => {
+	const basePath = tempBase();
+	try {
+		const first = ensureProductionMutationApprovalTemplate(basePath, unit);
+		assert.equal(first.created, true);
+		assert.equal(existsSync(first.path), true);
+		assert.equal(first.path, productionMutationApprovalPath(basePath, unit));
+
+		const parsed = JSON.parse(
+			readFileSync(first.path, "utf-8"),
+		) as ProductionMutationApproval;
+		assert.equal(parsed.schemaVersion, 1);
+		assert.equal(parsed.unitId, "M004/S03/T01");
+		assert.equal(parsed.status, "pending");
+		assert.equal(parsed.approval.approved, false);
+		assert.deepEqual(parsed.approval.safeVmNames, []);
+
+		const second = ensureProductionMutationApprovalTemplate(basePath, unit);
+		assert.equal(second.created, false);
+		assert.equal(second.path, first.path);
+	} finally {
+		rmSync(basePath, { recursive: true, force: true });
+	}
+});
+
+test("production mutation approval rejects incomplete approval files", () => {
+	const result = validateProductionMutationApproval(
+		{
+			schemaVersion: 1,
+			unitId: "M004/S03/T01",
+			status: "pending",
+			risk: "production-unified-failover-post",
+			approval: {
+				approved: true,
+				approvedBy: "",
+				approvedAt: "",
+				safeServerId: "",
+				safeVmNames: [],
+				cleanupPlan: "",
+				rollbackPlan: "",
+			},
+		},
+		unit,
+	);
+
+	assert.equal(result.approved, false);
+	assert.ok(result.reasons.includes("status must be approved"));
+	assert.ok(result.reasons.includes("approval.approvedBy is required"));
+	assert.ok(
+		result.reasons.includes(
+			"approval.safeVmNames must contain at least one VM name",
+		),
+	);
+});
+
+test("production mutation approval accepts complete explicit approval", () => {
+	const basePath = tempBase();
+	try {
+		const path = productionMutationApprovalPath(basePath, unit);
+		const approval: ProductionMutationApproval = {
+			schemaVersion: 1,
+			unitId: "M004/S03/T01",
+			status: "approved",
+			risk: "production-unified-failover-post",
+			task: {
+				title: unit.taskTitle,
+				text: unit.taskText,
+			},
+			approval: {
+				approved: true,
+				approvedBy: "operator@example.com",
+				approvedAt: "2026-04-30T10:00:00.000Z",
+				safeServerId: "test-server-id",
+				safeVmNames: ["pilot-smoke-vm"],
+				cleanupPlan: "Delete the test pending command after verification.",
+				rollbackPlan: "Abort the test failover and restore the previous route.",
+				notes: "Smoke target is non-customer-impacting.",
+			},
+			instructions: [],
+		};
+		ensureProductionMutationApprovalTemplate(basePath, unit);
+		writeFileSync(path, JSON.stringify(approval, null, 2) + "\n", "utf-8");
+
+		const status = readProductionMutationApprovalStatus(basePath, unit);
+		assert.equal(status.approved, true);
+		assert.deepEqual(status.reasons, []);
+	} finally {
+		rmSync(basePath, { recursive: true, force: true });
+	}
+});