diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/state.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/state.ts
index 3655281a7..2c65cfbbf 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/state.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/state.ts
@@ -333,9 +333,9 @@ async function _deriveStateImpl(basePath: string): Promise<GSDState> {
 
         // Check milestone-level dependencies before promoting to active.
         // Without this, a queued milestone with depends_on in its CONTEXT
-        // frontmatter would be promoted to active even when its deps are unmet
-        // (the dep check only existed in the has-roadmap path previously).
-        const deps = parseContextDependsOn(contextContent);
+        // or CONTEXT-DRAFT frontmatter would be promoted to active even when
+        // its deps are unmet.
+        const deps = parseContextDependsOn(contextContent ?? draftContent);
         const depsUnmet = deps.some(dep => !completeMilestoneIds.has(dep));
         if (depsUnmet) {
           registry.push({ id: mid, title, status: 'pending', dependsOn: deps });
@@ -397,8 +397,10 @@ async function _deriveStateImpl(basePath: string): Promise<GSDState> {
       } else if (!activeMilestoneFound) {
         // Check milestone-level dependencies before promoting to active
         const contextFile = resolveMilestoneFile(basePath, mid, "CONTEXT");
+        const draftFile = resolveMilestoneFile(basePath, mid, "CONTEXT-DRAFT");
         const contextContent = contextFile ? await cachedLoadFile(contextFile) : null;
-        const deps = parseContextDependsOn(contextContent);
+        const draftContent = draftFile && !contextContent ? await cachedLoadFile(draftFile) : null;
+        const deps = parseContextDependsOn(contextContent ?? draftContent);
         const depsUnmet = deps.some(dep => !completeMilestoneIds.has(dep));
         if (depsUnmet) {
           registry.push({ id: mid, title, status: 'pending', dependsOn: deps });
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/derive-state-deps.test.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/derive-state-deps.test.ts
index 47ec46f9d..db8ac3040 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/derive-state-deps.test.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/derive-state-deps.test.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,12 @@ function writeContext(base: string, mid: string, frontmatter: string): void {
   writeFileSync(join(dir, `${mid}-CONTEXT.md`), `---\n${frontmatter}\n---\n`);
 }
 
+function writeContextDraft(base: string, mid: string, frontmatter: string): void {
+  const dir = join(base, '.gsd', 'milestones', mid);
+  mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true });
+  writeFileSync(join(dir, `${mid}-CONTEXT-DRAFT.md`), `---\n${frontmatter}\n---\n`);
+}
+
 function writeSlicePlan(base: string, mid: string, sid: string, content: string): void {
   const dir = join(base, '.gsd', 'milestones', mid, 'slices', sid);
   mkdirSync(join(dir, 'tasks'), { recursive: true });
@@ -391,7 +397,79 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
     }
   }
 
-  // ─── Test Group 9: parseContextDependsOn preserves case ───────────────
+  // ─── Test Group 9: draft-context-deps ────────────────────────────────
+  // M001 is incomplete, M002 has only CONTEXT-DRAFT.md (no CONTEXT.md) with
+  // depends_on: [M001] → M002 should remain pending, not be promoted to active.
+  console.log('\n=== draft-context-deps: depends_on read from CONTEXT-DRAFT.md ===');
+  {
+    const base = createFixtureBase();
+    try {
+      // M001: incomplete (one slice, no SUMMARY)
+      writeRoadmap(base, 'M001', `# M001: First Milestone
+
+**Vision:** First milestone still in progress.
+
+## Slices
+
+- [ ] **S01: Incomplete Slice** \`risk:low\` \`depends:[]\`
+  > After this: Done.
+`);
+      writeSlicePlan(base, 'M001', 'S01', `# S01: Incomplete Slice
+
+**Goal:** Test draft dep blocking.
+**Demo:** Tests pass.
+
+## Tasks
+
+- [ ] **T01: Do work** \`est:15m\`
+  First task still in progress.
+`);
+
+      // M002: only CONTEXT-DRAFT.md (no CONTEXT.md), depends on M001
+      writeRoadmap(base, 'M002', `# M002: Second Milestone
+
+**Vision:** Second milestone blocked by M001 via draft context.
+
+## Slices
+
+- [ ] **S01: Blocked Slice** \`risk:low\` \`depends:[]\`
+  > After this: Done.
+`);
+      writeContextDraft(base, 'M002', 'depends_on: [M001]');
+
+      const state = await deriveState(base);
+
+      assertEq(state.registry[0]?.status, 'active', 'draft-context-deps: M001 is active');
+      assertEq(state.registry[1]?.status, 'pending', 'draft-context-deps: M002 is pending (dep-blocked via draft)');
+      assertEq(state.activeMilestone?.id, 'M001', 'draft-context-deps: activeMilestone is M001');
+    } finally {
+      cleanup(base);
+    }
+  }
+
+  // ─── Test Group 10: draft-context-deps-no-roadmap ──────────────────────
+  // Same as above but without roadmaps — milestones discovered from directory only.
+  console.log('\n=== draft-context-deps-no-roadmap: depends_on from draft without roadmap ===');
+  {
+    const base = createFixtureBase();
+    try {
+      // M001: exists as directory only (no roadmap, no summary)
+      const m001Dir = join(base, '.gsd', 'milestones', 'M001');
+      mkdirSync(m001Dir, { recursive: true });
+
+      // M002: only CONTEXT-DRAFT.md, depends on M001
+      writeContextDraft(base, 'M002', 'depends_on: [M001]');
+
+      const state = await deriveState(base);
+
+      const m002Entry = state.registry.find(e => e.id === 'M002');
+      assertEq(m002Entry?.status, 'pending', 'draft-no-roadmap: M002 is pending (dep-blocked via draft)');
+    } finally {
+      cleanup(base);
+    }
+  }
+
+  // ─── Test Group 11: parseContextDependsOn preserves case ──────────────
   // Direct unit test: verify the parsed dep ID matches the input exactly
   console.log('\n=== parseContextDependsOn: preserves case of unique IDs ===');
   {