diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto-post-unit.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto-post-unit.ts
index dc710830f..cb146679d 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto-post-unit.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto-post-unit.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ import {
   updateSliceProgressCache,
   unitVerb,
   hideFooter,
+  describeNextUnit,
 } from "./auto-dashboard.js";
 import { existsSync, unlinkSync } from "node:fs";
 import { join } from "node:path";
@@ -233,6 +234,18 @@ export function detectRogueFileWrites(
   return rogues;
 }
 
+export const STEP_COMPLETE_FALLBACK_MESSAGE =
+  "Step complete. Run /clear, then /gsd to continue (or /gsd auto to run continuously).";
+
+export function buildStepCompleteMessage(nextState: import("./types.js").GSDState): string {
+  if (nextState.phase === "complete") {
+    return "Step complete — milestone finished. Run /gsd status to review, or start the next milestone.";
+  }
+  const next = describeNextUnit(nextState);
+  return `Step complete. Next: ${next.label}\n`
+    + `Run /clear, then /gsd to continue (or /gsd auto to run continuously).`;
+}
+
 export interface PreVerificationOpts {
   skipSettleDelay?: boolean;
   skipWorktreeSync?: boolean;
@@ -1025,8 +1038,17 @@ export async function postUnitPostVerification(pctx: PostUnitContext): Promise<"
     }
   }
 
-  // Step mode → show wizard instead of dispatch
+  // Step mode → show wizard instead of dispatch.
+  // Without this notify(), /gsd in step mode finishes a unit and silently
+  // exits the loop, leaving the user with no hint to /clear and /gsd again.
   if (s.stepMode) {
+    try {
+      const nextState = await deriveState(s.basePath);
+      ctx.ui.notify(buildStepCompleteMessage(nextState), "info");
+    } catch (e) {
+      debugLog("postUnit", { phase: "step-wizard-notify", error: String(e) });
+      ctx.ui.notify(STEP_COMPLETE_FALLBACK_MESSAGE, "info");
+    }
     return "step-wizard";
   }
 
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/auto-post-unit-step-message.test.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/auto-post-unit-step-message.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b1b057570
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/auto-post-unit-step-message.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+// GSD-2 — Tests for step-mode completion messages in auto-post-unit
+
+import test from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+
+import { buildStepCompleteMessage, STEP_COMPLETE_FALLBACK_MESSAGE } from "../auto-post-unit.ts";
+import type { GSDState } from "../types.ts";
+
+function makeState(overrides: Partial<GSDState>): GSDState {
+  return {
+    activeMilestone: null,
+    activeSlice: null,
+    activeTask: null,
+    phase: "executing",
+    recentDecisions: [],
+    blockers: [],
+    nextAction: "",
+    registry: [],
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+test("buildStepCompleteMessage: milestone complete surfaces review guidance", () => {
+  const msg = buildStepCompleteMessage(makeState({ phase: "complete" }));
+  assert.match(msg, /milestone finished/);
+  assert.match(msg, /\/gsd status/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(msg, /Next:/);
+});
+
+test("buildStepCompleteMessage: mid-flight step includes next unit label and /clear hint", () => {
+  const state = makeState({
+    phase: "executing",
+    activeSlice: { id: "S01", title: "Core" },
+    activeTask: { id: "T03", title: "Wire notify" },
+  });
+  const msg = buildStepCompleteMessage(state);
+  assert.match(msg, /Next: Execute T03: Wire notify/);
+  assert.match(msg, /\/clear/);
+  assert.match(msg, /\/gsd to continue/);
+});
+
+test("buildStepCompleteMessage: unknown phase falls back to generic continue label", () => {
+  // Cast to bypass Phase union so we exercise the default branch of describeNextUnit.
+  const state = makeState({ phase: "totally-unknown" as unknown as GSDState["phase"] });
+  const msg = buildStepCompleteMessage(state);
+  assert.match(msg, /Next: Continue/);
+  assert.match(msg, /\/clear/);
+});
+
+test("STEP_COMPLETE_FALLBACK_MESSAGE: used when deriveState throws, still points users at /clear + /gsd", () => {
+  assert.match(STEP_COMPLETE_FALLBACK_MESSAGE, /\/clear/);
+  assert.match(STEP_COMPLETE_FALLBACK_MESSAGE, /\/gsd/);
+});