diff --git a/k8s/apps/agent-pod/coordinator-configmap.yaml b/k8s/apps/agent-pod/coordinator-configmap.yaml
index 3f873ce..9899f6e 100644
--- a/k8s/apps/agent-pod/coordinator-configmap.yaml
+++ b/k8s/apps/agent-pod/coordinator-configmap.yaml
@@ -278,10 +278,24 @@ data:
       return { ok, sessionName: label };
     }
     
-    function plannerPrompt(task, specHint) {
+    function plannerPrompt(task, specHint, judgeOnly) {
+      // judgeOnly (auto-discovered tasks only, see parseTaskBoard): planner
+      // itself decides whether the task is already done before planning it,
+      // reading tasks/INDEX.md's own status notes plus git log/current code --
+      // replaces what used to be a separate judge pre-check call. One LLM round
+      // trip instead of two, and the same agent that's about to plan the task
+      // is the one deciding whether planning it is even necessary.
+      const decideStep = judgeOnly
+        ? `First, decide whether task ${task} is already fully implemented on this branch: check ` +
+          `\`git log --oneline --grep '${task}'\`, tasks/INDEX.md's own status notes for this task, and the current ` +
+          `code directly against its spec (${specHint})'s acceptance criteria. Write your decision to ` +
+          `.task-result-${task} as a single "VERDICT: PASS" (already done, no further work needed) or ` +
+          `"VERDICT: FAIL" (needs work) line plus one line of rationale. If VERDICT is FAIL, continue below and ` +
+          `draft the plan in this same turn; if VERDICT is PASS, skip the rest and go straight to the touch step.\n\n`
+        : "";
       return (
-        `Use the planner skill to draft PLAN.md for task ${task}, reading its spec (${specHint}). PLAN.md is scratch ` +
-        `state for this harness, not a deliverable -- do NOT commit it or add it to git. ` +
+        `${decideStep}Use the planner skill to draft PLAN.md for task ${task}, reading its spec (${specHint}). ` +
+        `PLAN.md is scratch state for this harness, not a deliverable -- do NOT commit it or add it to git. ` +
         `Then run: touch .stage-done-${task}-planner`
       );
     }
@@ -313,7 +327,10 @@ data:
     const MAX_PLAN_REVISIONS = 3;
     
     // Runs one task against the repo's shared role pool: planner drafts
-    // PLAN.md, investigator confirms it, then implementer and judge go back and
+    // PLAN.md (for auto-discovered tasks, first deciding off tasks/INDEX.md and
+    // the repo's own state whether the task is already done -- see
+    // plannerPrompt's judgeOnly branch; judge never does this pre-check),
+    // investigator confirms it, then implementer and judge go back and
     // forth -- judge's FAIL rationale lands in .task-result-<task>, which the
     // next implementer attempt is told to read and address. After
     // MAX_IMPLEMENT_ATTEMPTS straight fails, the planner role is asked to judge
@@ -360,18 +377,10 @@ data:
       // whatever the outcome, so it never bleeds into the next task's planner
       // call or sits around as stale harness clutter in the shared clone.
       try {
-        if (judgeOnly) {
-          const quick = await stage(
-            "judge",
-            `Task ${task} may already be implemented on this branch -- check ` +
-              `\`git log --oneline --grep '${task}'\` and the current code directly against its spec ` +
-              `(${specHint})'s acceptance criteria (no PLAN.md exists for this task yet). Write your ` +
-              `verdict to .task-result-${task} as a single "VERDICT: PASS" or "VERDICT: FAIL" line plus ` +
-              `one line of rationale, then run: touch .stage-done-${task}-judge-0`,
-            path.join(cwd, `.stage-done-${task}-judge-0`)
-          );
-          if (!quick.ok) return abandon("judge", quick, 0);
+        let result = await stage("planner", plannerPrompt(task, specHint, judgeOnly), path.join(cwd, `.stage-done-${task}-planner`));
+        if (!result.ok) return abandon("planner", result);
     
+        if (judgeOnly) {
           const quickText = fs.existsSync(resultFile) ? fs.readFileSync(resultFile, "utf8") : "";
           if (parseVerdictLine(quickText, "VERDICT") === "PASS") {
             delete pipelineSession.activeTasks[task];
@@ -380,9 +389,6 @@ data:
           }
         }
     
-        let result = await stage("planner", plannerPrompt(task, specHint), path.join(cwd, `.stage-done-${task}-planner`));
-        if (!result.ok) return abandon("planner", result);
-    
         result = await stage("investigator", investigatorPrompt(task), path.join(cwd, `.stage-done-${task}-investigator`));
         if (!result.ok) return abandon("investigator", result);