diff --git a/.github/skills/vmr-codeflow-status/SKILL.md b/.github/skills/vmr-codeflow-status/SKILL.md
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@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+---
+name: vmr-codeflow-status
+description: Analyze VMR codeflow PR status for dotnet repositories. Use when investigating stale codeflow PRs, checking if fixes have flowed through the VMR pipeline, or debugging dependency update issues in PRs authored by dotnet-maestro[bot].
+---
+
+# VMR Codeflow Status
+
+Analyze the health of VMR codeflow PRs (backflow from `dotnet/dotnet` to product repositories like `dotnet/sdk`).
+
+## When to Use This Skill
+
+Use this skill when:
+- A codeflow PR (from `dotnet-maestro[bot]`) has failing tests and you need to know if it's stale
+- You need to check if a specific fix has flowed through the VMR pipeline to a codeflow PR
+- A PR has a Maestro staleness warning ("codeflow cannot continue") or conflict
+- You need to understand what manual commits would be lost if a codeflow PR is closed
+- You want to know if expected backflow PRs are missing for a repo/branch
+- Asked questions like "is this codeflow PR up to date", "has the runtime revert reached this PR", "why is the codeflow blocked"
+
+## Quick Start
+
+```powershell
+# Check codeflow PR status (most common)
+./scripts/Get-CodeflowStatus.ps1 -PRNumber 52727 -Repository "dotnet/sdk"
+
+# Trace a specific fix through the pipeline
+./scripts/Get-CodeflowStatus.ps1 -PRNumber 52727 -Repository "dotnet/sdk" -TraceFix "dotnet/runtime#123974"
+
+# Show individual VMR commits that are missing
+./scripts/Get-CodeflowStatus.ps1 -PRNumber 52727 -Repository "dotnet/sdk" -ShowCommits
+
+# Check if any backflow PRs are missing for a repo
+./scripts/Get-CodeflowStatus.ps1 -Repository "dotnet/roslyn" -CheckMissing
+
+# Check a specific branch only
+./scripts/Get-CodeflowStatus.ps1 -Repository "dotnet/sdk" -CheckMissing -Branch "main"
+```
+
+## Key Parameters
+
+| Parameter | Description |
+|-----------|-------------|
+| `-PRNumber` | GitHub PR number to analyze (required unless `-CheckMissing`) |
+| `-Repository` | Target repo in `owner/repo` format (default: `dotnet/sdk`) |
+| `-TraceFix` | Trace a repo PR through the pipeline (e.g., `dotnet/runtime#123974`) |
+| `-ShowCommits` | Show individual VMR commits between PR snapshot and branch HEAD |
+| `-CheckMissing` | Check if backflow PRs are expected but missing for a repository |
+| `-Branch` | With `-CheckMissing`, only check a specific branch |
+
+## What the Script Does
+
+1. **Parses PR metadata** — Extracts VMR commit, subscription ID, build info from PR body
+2. **Validates snapshot** — Cross-references PR body commit against branch commit messages to detect stale metadata
+3. **Checks VMR freshness** — Compares PR's VMR snapshot against current VMR branch HEAD
+4. **Shows pending forward flow** — For behind backflow PRs, finds open forward flow PRs that would close part of the gap
+5. **Detects staleness & conflicts** — Finds Maestro "codeflow cannot continue" warnings and "Conflict detected" messages with file lists and resolve commands
+6. **Analyzes PR commits** — Categorizes as auto-updates vs manual commits
+7. **Traces fixes** (optional) — Checks if a specific fix has flowed through VMR → codeflow PR
+8. **Recommends actions** — Suggests force trigger, close/reopen, merge as-is, resolve conflicts, or wait
+9. **Checks for missing backflow** (optional) — Finds branches where a backflow PR should exist but doesn't
+
+## Interpreting Results
+
+### Freshness
+- **✅ Up to date**: PR has the latest VMR snapshot
+- **⚠️ VMR is N commits ahead**: The PR is missing updates. Check if the missing commits contain the fix you need.
+- **📊 Forward flow coverage**: Shows how many missing repos have pending forward flow PRs that would close part of the gap once merged.
+
+### Snapshot Validation
+- **✅ Match**: PR body commit matches the branch's actual "Backflow from" commit
+- **⚠️ Mismatch**: PR body is stale — the script automatically uses the branch-derived commit for freshness checks
+- **ℹ️ Initial commit only**: PR body can't be verified yet (no "Backflow from" commit exists)
+
+### Staleness & Conflicts
+- **✅ No warnings**: Maestro can freely update the PR
+- **⚠️ Staleness warning**: A forward flow merged while this backflow PR was open. Maestro blocked further updates.
+- **🔴 Conflict detected**: Maestro found merge conflicts. Shows conflicting files and `darc vmr resolve-conflict` command.
+
+### Manual Commits
+Manual commits on the PR branch are at risk if the PR is closed or force-triggered. The script lists them so you can decide whether to preserve them.
+
+### Fix Tracing
+When using `-TraceFix`:
+- **✅ Fix is in VMR manifest**: The fix has flowed to the VMR
+- **✅ Fix is in PR snapshot**: The codeflow PR already includes this fix
+- **❌ Fix is NOT in PR snapshot**: The PR needs a codeflow update to get this fix
+
+## Darc Commands for Remediation
+
+After analyzing the codeflow status, common next steps involve `darc` commands:
+
+```bash
+# Force trigger the subscription to get a fresh codeflow update
+darc trigger-subscriptions --id <subscription-id> --force
+
+# Normal trigger (only works if not stale)
+darc trigger-subscriptions --id <subscription-id>
+
+# Check subscription details
+darc get-subscriptions --target-repo dotnet/sdk --source-repo dotnet/dotnet
+
+# Get BAR build details
+darc get-build --id <bar-build-id>
+
+# Resolve codeflow conflicts locally
+darc vmr resolve-conflict --subscription <subscription-id>
+```
+
+Install darc via `eng\common\darc-init.ps1` in any arcade-enabled repository.
+
+## References
+
+- **VMR codeflow concepts**: See [references/vmr-codeflow-reference.md](references/vmr-codeflow-reference.md)
+- **Codeflow PR documentation**: [dotnet/dotnet Codeflow-PRs.md](https://github.com/dotnet/dotnet/blob/main/docs/Codeflow-PRs.md)
diff --git a/.github/skills/vmr-codeflow-status/references/vmr-codeflow-reference.md b/.github/skills/vmr-codeflow-status/references/vmr-codeflow-reference.md
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index 00000000000000..cfbb5e40fb1f55
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+++ b/.github/skills/vmr-codeflow-status/references/vmr-codeflow-reference.md
@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+# VMR Codeflow Reference
+
+## Key Concepts
+
+### Codeflow Types
+- **Backflow** (VMR → product repo): Automated PRs created by Maestro that bring VMR source updates + dependency updates into product repos (e.g., `dotnet/sdk`). These are titled `[branch] Source code updates from dotnet/dotnet`.
+- **Forward flow** (product repo → VMR): Changes from product repos flowing into the VMR. These are titled `[branch] Source code updates from dotnet/<repo>`.
+
+### Staleness
+When a product repo pushes changes to the VMR (forward flow merges) while a backflow PR is already open, Maestro blocks further codeflow updates to that PR. The bot posts a warning comment with options:
+1. Merge the PR as-is, then Maestro creates a new PR with remaining changes
+2. Close the PR and let Maestro open a fresh one (loses manual commits)
+3. Force trigger: `darc trigger-subscriptions --id <subscription-id> --force` (manual commits may be reverted)
+
+### Key Files
+- **`src/source-manifest.json`** (in VMR): Tracks the exact commit SHA for each product repo synchronized into the VMR. This is the authoritative source of truth.
+- **`eng/Version.Details.xml`** (in product repos): Tracks dependencies and includes a `<Source>` tag for codeflow tracking.
+
+## PR Body Metadata Format
+
+Codeflow PRs have structured metadata in their body:
+
+```
+[marker]: <> (Begin:<subscription-id>)
+## From https://github.com/dotnet/dotnet
+- **Subscription**: [<subscription-id>](https://maestro.dot.net/subscriptions?search=<subscription-id>)
+- **Build**: [<build-number>](<azdo-build-url>) ([<bar-id>](<maestro-channel-url>))
+- **Date Produced**: <date>
+- **Commit**: [<vmr-commit-sha>](<vmr-commit-url>)
+- **Commit Diff**: [<from>...<to>](<compare-url>)
+- **Branch**: [<branch>](<branch-url>)
+[marker]: <> (End:<subscription-id>)
+```
+
+## Darc CLI Commands
+
+The `darc` tool (Dependency ARcade) manages dependency flow in the .NET ecosystem. Install via `eng\common\darc-init.ps1` in any arcade-enabled repo.
+
+### Essential Commands for Codeflow Analysis
+
+#### Get subscription details
+```bash
+# Find all subscriptions flowing to a repo
+darc get-subscriptions --target-repo dotnet/sdk --source-repo dotnet/dotnet
+
+# Output shows subscription ID, channel, update frequency, merge policies
+```
+
+#### Trigger a codeflow update
+```bash
+# Normal trigger (only works if not stale)
+darc trigger-subscriptions --id <subscription-id>
+
+# Force trigger (works even when stale, but may revert manual commits)
+darc trigger-subscriptions --id <subscription-id> --force
+
+# Trigger with a specific build
+darc trigger-subscriptions --id <subscription-id> --build <bar-build-id>
+```
+
+#### Get build information
+```bash
+# Get BAR build details by ID (found in PR body or AzDO logs)
+darc get-build --id <bar-build-id>
+
+# Get latest build for a repo on a channel
+darc get-latest-build --repo dotnet/dotnet --channel ".NET 11 Preview 1"
+```
+
+#### Check subscription health
+```bash
+# See if dependencies are missing subscriptions or have issues
+darc get-health --channel ".NET 11 Preview 1"
+```
+
+#### Simulate a subscription update locally
+```bash
+# Dry-run to see what a subscription would update
+darc update-dependencies --subscription <subscription-id> --dry-run
+```
+
+### VMR-Specific Commands
+
+```bash
+# Resolve codeflow conflicts locally
+darc vmr resolve-conflict --subscription <subscription-id> --build <bar-build-id>
+
+# Flow source from VMR → local repo
+darc vmr backflow --subscription <subscription-id>
+
+# Flow source from local repo → local VMR
+darc vmr forwardflow --subscription <subscription-id>
+
+# Get version (SHA) of a repo in the VMR
+darc vmr get-version
+
+# Diff VMR vs product repos
+darc vmr diff
+```
+
+### Halting and Restarting Dependency Flow
+
+- **Disable default channel**: `darc default-channel-status --disable --id <id>` — stops new builds from flowing
+- **Disable subscription**: `darc subscription-status --disable --id <id>` — stops flow between specific repos
+- **Pin dependency**: Add `Pinned="true"` to dependency in `Version.Details.xml` — prevents specific dependency from updating
+
+## API Endpoints
+
+### GitHub API
+- PR details: `GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pr_number}`
+- PR comments: `GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{pr_number}/comments`
+- PR commits: `GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pr_number}/commits`
+- Compare commits: `GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/compare/{base}...{head}`
+- File contents: `GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/contents/{path}?ref={branch}`
+
+### VMR Source Manifest
+```
+GET /repos/dotnet/dotnet/contents/src/source-manifest.json?ref={branch}
+```
+Returns JSON with `repositories[]` array, each having `path`, `remoteUri`, `commitSha`.
+
+### Maestro/BAR REST API
+Base URL: `https://maestro.dot.net`
+- Swagger: `https://maestro.dot.net/swagger`
+- Get subscriptions: `GET /api/subscriptions`
+- Get builds: `GET /api/builds`
+- Get build by ID: `GET /api/builds/{id}`
+
+## Common Scenarios
+
+### 1. Codeflow is stale — a fix landed but hasn't reached the PR
+**Symptoms**: Tests failing on the codeflow PR; the fix is merged in a product repo.
+**Diagnosis**: Compare `source-manifest.json` on VMR branch HEAD vs the PR's VMR snapshot commit.
+**Resolution**: Close PR + reopen, or force trigger the subscription.
+
+### 2. Opposite codeflow merged — staleness warning
+**Symptoms**: Maestro bot comment saying "codeflow cannot continue".
+**Diagnosis**: Check PR comments for the warning. Check if forward flow PRs merged after the backflow PR was opened.
+**Resolution**: Follow the options in the bot's comment.
+
+### 3. Manual commits on the codeflow PR
+**Symptoms**: Developers added manual fixes to unblock the PR (baseline updates, workarounds).
+**Diagnosis**: Analyze PR commits to identify non-maestro commits.
+**Risk**: Closing the PR loses these. Force-triggering may revert them.
diff --git a/.github/skills/vmr-codeflow-status/scripts/Get-CodeflowStatus.ps1 b/.github/skills/vmr-codeflow-status/scripts/Get-CodeflowStatus.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..50fb720837ffca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/skills/vmr-codeflow-status/scripts/Get-CodeflowStatus.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,994 @@
+<#
+.SYNOPSIS
+    Analyzes VMR codeflow PR status for dotnet repositories.
+
+.DESCRIPTION
+    Checks whether a codeflow PR (backflow from dotnet/dotnet VMR) is up to date,
+    detects staleness warnings, traces specific fixes through the pipeline, and
+    provides actionable recommendations.
+
+    Can also check if a backflow PR is expected but missing for a given repo/branch.
+
+.PARAMETER PRNumber
+    GitHub PR number to analyze. Required unless -CheckMissing is used.
+
+.PARAMETER Repository
+    Target repository (default: dotnet/sdk). Format: owner/repo.
+
+.PARAMETER TraceFix
+    Optional. A repo PR to trace through the pipeline (e.g., "dotnet/runtime#123974").
+    Checks if the fix has flowed through VMR into the codeflow PR.
+
+.PARAMETER ShowCommits
+    Show individual VMR commits between the PR snapshot and current branch HEAD.
+
+.PARAMETER CheckMissing
+    Check if backflow PRs are expected but missing for a repository. When used,
+    PRNumber is not required. Finds the most recent merged backflow PR for each branch,
+    extracts its VMR commit, and compares against current VMR branch HEAD.
+
+.PARAMETER Branch
+    Optional. When used with -CheckMissing, only check a specific branch instead of all.
+
+.EXAMPLE
+    ./Get-CodeflowStatus.ps1 -PRNumber 52727 -Repository "dotnet/sdk"
+
+.EXAMPLE
+    ./Get-CodeflowStatus.ps1 -PRNumber 52727 -Repository "dotnet/sdk" -TraceFix "dotnet/runtime#123974"
+
+.EXAMPLE
+    ./Get-CodeflowStatus.ps1 -Repository "dotnet/roslyn" -CheckMissing
+
+.EXAMPLE
+    ./Get-CodeflowStatus.ps1 -Repository "dotnet/roslyn" -CheckMissing -Branch "main"
+#>
+
+param(
+    [int]$PRNumber,
+
+    [string]$Repository = "dotnet/sdk",
+
+    [string]$TraceFix,
+
+    [switch]$ShowCommits,
+
+    [switch]$CheckMissing,
+
+    [string]$Branch
+)
+
+$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
+
+# --- Helpers ---
+
+function Invoke-GitHubApi {
+    param(
+        [string]$Endpoint,
+        [switch]$Raw
+    )
+    try {
+        $args = @($Endpoint)
+        if ($Raw) {
+            $args += '-H'
+            $args += 'Accept: application/vnd.github.raw'
+        }
+        $result = gh api @args 2>&1
+        if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
+            Write-Warning "GitHub API call failed: $Endpoint"
+            return $null
+        }
+        if ($Raw) { return $result -join "`n" }
+        return ($result -join "`n") | ConvertFrom-Json
+    }
+    catch {
+        Write-Warning "Error calling GitHub API: $_"
+        return $null
+    }
+}
+
+function Get-ShortSha {
+    param([string]$Sha, [int]$Length = 12)
+    if (-not $Sha) { return "(unknown)" }
+    return $Sha.Substring(0, [Math]::Min($Length, $Sha.Length))
+}
+
+function Write-Section {
+    param([string]$Title)
+    Write-Host ""
+    Write-Host "=== $Title ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
+}
+
+function Write-Status {
+    param([string]$Label, [string]$Value, [string]$Color = "White")
+    Write-Host "  ${Label}: " -NoNewline
+    Write-Host $Value -ForegroundColor $Color
+}
+
+# --- Parse repo owner/name ---
+if ($Repository -notmatch '^[^/]+/[^/]+$') {
+    Write-Error "Repository must be in format 'owner/repo' (e.g., 'dotnet/sdk')"
+    return
+}
+
+# --- CheckMissing mode: find expected but missing backflow PRs ---
+if ($CheckMissing) {
+    if (-not (Get-Command gh -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
+        Write-Error "GitHub CLI (gh) is not installed or not in PATH. Install from https://cli.github.com/"
+        return
+    }
+
+    Write-Section "Checking for missing backflow PRs in $Repository"
+
+    # Find open backflow PRs (to know which branches are already covered)
+    $openPRsJson = gh search prs --repo $Repository --author "dotnet-maestro[bot]" --state open "Source code updates from dotnet/dotnet" --json number,title --limit 50 2>$null
+    $openPRs = @()
+    if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0 -and $openPRsJson) {
+        try { $openPRs = ($openPRsJson -join "`n") | ConvertFrom-Json } catch { $openPRs = @() }
+    }
+    $openBranches = @{}
+    foreach ($opr in $openPRs) {
+        if ($opr.title -match '^\[([^\]]+)\]') {
+            $openBranches[$Matches[1]] = $opr.number
+        }
+    }
+
+    if ($openPRs.Count -gt 0) {
+        Write-Host "  Open backflow PRs already exist:" -ForegroundColor White
+        foreach ($opr in $openPRs) {
+            Write-Host "    #$($opr.number): $($opr.title)" -ForegroundColor Green
+        }
+        Write-Host ""
+    }
+
+    # Find recently merged backflow PRs to discover branches and VMR commit mapping
+    $mergedPRsJson = gh search prs --repo $Repository --author "dotnet-maestro[bot]" --state closed --merged "Source code updates from dotnet/dotnet" --limit 30 --sort updated --json number,title,closedAt 2>$null
+    $mergedPRs = @()
+    if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0 -and $mergedPRsJson) {
+        try { $mergedPRs = ($mergedPRsJson -join "`n") | ConvertFrom-Json } catch { $mergedPRs = @() }
+    }
+
+    if ($mergedPRs.Count -eq 0 -and $openPRs.Count -eq 0) {
+        Write-Host "  No backflow PRs found (open or recently merged). This repo may not have backflow subscriptions." -ForegroundColor Yellow
+        return
+    }
+
+    # Group merged PRs by branch, keeping only the most recent per branch
+    $branchLastMerged = @{}
+    foreach ($mpr in $mergedPRs) {
+        if ($mpr.title -match '^\[([^\]]+)\]') {
+            $branchName = $Matches[1]
+            if ($Branch -and $branchName -ne $Branch) { continue }
+            if (-not $branchLastMerged.ContainsKey($branchName)) {
+                $branchLastMerged[$branchName] = $mpr
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if ($Branch -and -not $branchLastMerged.ContainsKey($Branch) -and -not $openBranches.ContainsKey($Branch)) {
+        Write-Host "  No backflow PRs found for branch '$Branch'." -ForegroundColor Yellow
+        return
+    }
+
+    # For each branch without an open PR, check if VMR has moved past the last merged commit
+    $missingCount = 0
+    $coveredCount = 0
+    $upToDateCount = 0
+
+    foreach ($branchName in ($branchLastMerged.Keys | Sort-Object)) {
+        $lastPR = $branchLastMerged[$branchName]
+        Write-Host ""
+        Write-Host "  Branch: $branchName" -ForegroundColor White
+
+        if ($openBranches.ContainsKey($branchName)) {
+            Write-Host "    ✅ Open backflow PR #$($openBranches[$branchName]) exists" -ForegroundColor Green
+            $coveredCount++
+            continue
+        }
+
+        # Get the PR body to extract VMR commit and VMR branch
+        $prDetailJson = gh pr view $lastPR.number -R $Repository --json body 2>&1
+        if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
+            Write-Host "    ⚠️  Could not fetch PR #$($lastPR.number) details" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+            continue
+        }
+        $prDetail = ($prDetailJson -join "`n") | ConvertFrom-Json
+
+        $vmrCommitFromPR = $null
+        $vmrBranchFromPR = $null
+        if ($prDetail.body -match '\*\*Commit\*\*:\s*\[([a-fA-F0-9]+)\]') {
+            $vmrCommitFromPR = $Matches[1]
+        }
+        if ($prDetail.body -match '\*\*Branch\*\*:\s*\[([^\]]+)\]') {
+            $vmrBranchFromPR = $Matches[1]
+        }
+
+        if (-not $vmrCommitFromPR -or -not $vmrBranchFromPR) {
+            Write-Host "    ⚠️  Could not parse VMR metadata from last merged PR #$($lastPR.number)" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+            continue
+        }
+
+        Write-Host "    Last merged: PR #$($lastPR.number) on $($lastPR.closedAt)" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+        Write-Host "    VMR branch: $vmrBranchFromPR" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+        Write-Host "    VMR commit: $(Get-ShortSha $vmrCommitFromPR)" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+
+        # Get current VMR branch HEAD
+        $encodedVmrBranch = [uri]::EscapeDataString($vmrBranchFromPR)
+        $vmrHead = Invoke-GitHubApi "/repos/dotnet/dotnet/commits/$encodedVmrBranch"
+        if (-not $vmrHead) {
+            Write-Host "    ⚠️  Could not fetch VMR branch HEAD for $vmrBranchFromPR" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+            continue
+        }
+
+        $vmrHeadSha = $vmrHead.sha
+        $vmrHeadDate = $vmrHead.commit.committer.date
+
+        if ($vmrCommitFromPR -eq $vmrHeadSha -or $vmrHeadSha.StartsWith($vmrCommitFromPR) -or $vmrCommitFromPR.StartsWith($vmrHeadSha)) {
+            Write-Host "    ✅ VMR branch is at same commit — no backflow needed" -ForegroundColor Green
+            $upToDateCount++
+        }
+        else {
+            # Check how far ahead
+            $compare = Invoke-GitHubApi "/repos/dotnet/dotnet/compare/$vmrCommitFromPR...$vmrHeadSha"
+            $ahead = if ($compare) { $compare.ahead_by } else { "?" }
+
+            Write-Host "    🔴 MISSING BACKFLOW PR" -ForegroundColor Red
+            Write-Host "    VMR is $ahead commit(s) ahead since last merged PR" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+            Write-Host "    VMR HEAD: $(Get-ShortSha $vmrHeadSha) ($vmrHeadDate)" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+            Write-Host "    Last merged VMR commit: $(Get-ShortSha $vmrCommitFromPR)" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+
+            # Check how long ago the last PR merged
+            $mergedTime = [DateTimeOffset]::Parse($lastPR.closedAt).UtcDateTime
+            $elapsed = [DateTime]::UtcNow - $mergedTime
+            if ($elapsed.TotalHours -gt 6) {
+                Write-Host "    ⚠️  Last PR merged $([math]::Round($elapsed.TotalHours, 1)) hours ago — Maestro may be stuck" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+            }
+            else {
+                Write-Host "    ℹ️  Last PR merged $([math]::Round($elapsed.TotalHours, 1)) hours ago — Maestro may still be processing" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+            }
+            $missingCount++
+        }
+    }
+
+    # Also check open-only branches (that weren't in merged list)
+    foreach ($branchName in ($openBranches.Keys | Sort-Object)) {
+        if (-not $branchLastMerged.ContainsKey($branchName)) {
+            if ($Branch -and $branchName -ne $Branch) { continue }
+            Write-Host ""
+            Write-Host "  Branch: $branchName" -ForegroundColor White
+            Write-Host "    ✅ Open backflow PR #$($openBranches[$branchName]) exists" -ForegroundColor Green
+            $coveredCount++
+        }
+    }
+
+    Write-Section "Summary"
+    Write-Host "  Branches with open backflow PRs: $coveredCount" -ForegroundColor Green
+    Write-Host "  Branches up to date (no PR needed): $upToDateCount" -ForegroundColor Green
+    if ($missingCount -gt 0) {
+        Write-Host "  Branches MISSING backflow PRs: $missingCount" -ForegroundColor Red
+    }
+    else {
+        Write-Host "  No missing backflow PRs detected ✅" -ForegroundColor Green
+    }
+    return
+}
+
+# --- Validate PRNumber for non-CheckMissing mode ---
+if (-not $PRNumber) {
+    Write-Error "PRNumber is required unless -CheckMissing is used."
+    return
+}
+
+# --- Step 1: Get PR details (single call for PR + comments + commits) ---
+Write-Section "Codeflow PR #$PRNumber in $Repository"
+
+if (-not (Get-Command gh -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
+    Write-Error "GitHub CLI (gh) is not installed or not in PATH. Install from https://cli.github.com/"
+    return
+}
+
+$prJson = gh pr view $PRNumber -R $Repository --json body,title,state,author,headRefName,baseRefName,createdAt,updatedAt,url,comments,commits
+if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
+    Write-Error "Could not fetch PR #$PRNumber from $Repository. Ensure you are authenticated (gh auth login)."
+    return
+}
+$pr = ($prJson -join "`n") | ConvertFrom-Json
+
+Write-Status "Title" $pr.title
+Write-Status "State" $pr.state
+Write-Status "Branch" "$($pr.headRefName) -> $($pr.baseRefName)"
+Write-Status "Created" $pr.createdAt
+Write-Status "Updated" $pr.updatedAt
+Write-Host "  URL: $($pr.url)"
+
+# Check if this is actually a codeflow PR and detect flow direction
+$isMaestroPR = $pr.author.login -eq "dotnet-maestro[bot]"
+$isBackflow = $pr.title -match "Source code updates from dotnet/dotnet"
+$isForwardFlow = $pr.title -match "Source code updates from (dotnet/\S+)" -and -not $isBackflow
+if (-not $isMaestroPR -and -not $isBackflow -and -not $isForwardFlow) {
+    Write-Warning "This does not appear to be a codeflow PR (author: $($pr.author.login), title: $($pr.title))"
+    Write-Warning "Expected author 'dotnet-maestro[bot]' and title containing 'Source code updates from'"
+}
+
+if ($isForwardFlow) {
+    $sourceRepo = $Matches[1]
+    Write-Status "Flow" "Forward ($sourceRepo → $Repository)" "Cyan"
+}
+elseif ($isBackflow) {
+    Write-Status "Flow" "Backflow (dotnet/dotnet → $Repository)" "Cyan"
+}
+
+# --- Step 2: Parse PR body metadata ---
+Write-Section "Codeflow Metadata"
+
+$body = $pr.body
+
+# Extract subscription ID
+$subscriptionId = $null
+if ($body -match '\(Begin:([a-f0-9-]+)\)') {
+    $subscriptionId = $Matches[1]
+    Write-Status "Subscription" $subscriptionId
+}
+
+# Extract source commit (VMR commit for backflow, repo commit for forward flow)
+$sourceCommit = $null
+if ($body -match '\*\*Commit\*\*:\s*\[([a-fA-F0-9]+)\]') {
+    $sourceCommit = $Matches[1]
+    $commitLabel = if ($isForwardFlow) { "Source Commit" } else { "VMR Commit" }
+    Write-Status $commitLabel $sourceCommit
+}
+# Keep $vmrCommit alias for backflow compatibility
+$vmrCommit = $sourceCommit
+
+# Extract build info
+if ($body -match '\*\*Build\*\*:\s*\[([^\]]+)\]\(([^\)]+)\)') {
+    Write-Status "Build" "$($Matches[1])"
+    Write-Status "Build URL" $Matches[2]
+}
+
+# Extract date produced
+if ($body -match '\*\*Date Produced\*\*:\s*(.+)') {
+    Write-Status "Date Produced" $Matches[1].Trim()
+}
+
+# Extract source branch
+$vmrBranch = $null
+if ($body -match '\*\*Branch\*\*:\s*\[([^\]]+)\]') {
+    $vmrBranch = $Matches[1]
+    $branchLabel = if ($isForwardFlow) { "Source Branch" } else { "VMR Branch" }
+    Write-Status $branchLabel $vmrBranch
+}
+
+# Extract commit diff
+if ($body -match '\*\*Commit Diff\*\*:\s*\[([^\]]+)\]\(([^\)]+)\)') {
+    Write-Status "Commit Diff" $Matches[1]
+}
+
+# Extract associated repo changes from footer
+$repoChanges = @()
+$changeMatches = [regex]::Matches($body, '- (https://github\.com/([^/]+/[^/]+)/compare/([a-fA-F0-9]+)\.\.\.([a-fA-F0-9]+))')
+foreach ($m in $changeMatches) {
+    $repoChanges += @{
+        URL      = $m.Groups[1].Value
+        Repo     = $m.Groups[2].Value
+        FromSha  = $m.Groups[3].Value
+        ToSha    = $m.Groups[4].Value
+    }
+}
+if ($repoChanges.Count -gt 0) {
+    Write-Status "Associated Repos" "$($repoChanges.Count) repos with source changes"
+}
+
+if (-not $vmrCommit -or -not $vmrBranch) {
+    Write-Warning "Could not parse VMR metadata from PR body. This may not be a codeflow PR."
+    if (-not $vmrBranch) {
+        # For backflow: infer from PR target (which is the product repo branch = VMR branch name)
+        # For forward flow: infer from PR head branch pattern or source repo context
+        if ($isForwardFlow) {
+            $vmrBranch = $pr.headRefName -replace '^darc-', '' -replace '-[a-f0-9-]+$', ''
+            if (-not $vmrBranch) { $vmrBranch = $pr.baseRefName }
+        }
+        else {
+            $vmrBranch = $pr.baseRefName
+        }
+        Write-Status "Inferred Branch" "$vmrBranch (from PR metadata)"
+    }
+}
+
+# For backflow: compare against VMR (dotnet/dotnet) branch HEAD
+# For forward flow: compare against product repo branch HEAD
+$freshnessRepo = if ($isForwardFlow) { $sourceRepo } else { "dotnet/dotnet" }
+$freshnessRepoLabel = if ($isForwardFlow) { $sourceRepo } else { "VMR" }
+
+# Pre-load PR commits for use in validation and later analysis
+$prCommits = $pr.commits
+
+# --- Step 2b: Cross-reference PR body snapshot against actual branch commits ---
+$branchVmrCommit = $null
+if ($prCommits) {
+    # Look through PR branch commits (newest first) for "Backflow from" or "Forward flow from" messages
+    # containing the actual VMR/source SHA that was used to create the branch content
+    $reversedCommits = @($prCommits)
+    [Array]::Reverse($reversedCommits)
+    foreach ($c in $reversedCommits) {
+        $msg = $c.messageHeadline
+        # Backflow commits: "Backflow from https://github.com/dotnet/dotnet / <sha> build <id>"
+        if ($msg -match '(?:Backflow|Forward flow) from .+ / ([a-fA-F0-9]+)') {
+            $branchVmrCommit = $Matches[1]
+            # Keep scanning — we want the most recent (last in original order = first in reversed)
+            break
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+if ($branchVmrCommit -or $vmrCommit) {
+    Write-Section "Snapshot Validation"
+    $usedBranchSnapshot = $false
+    if ($branchVmrCommit -and $vmrCommit) {
+        $bodyShort = Get-ShortSha $vmrCommit
+        $branchShort = $branchVmrCommit  # already short from commit message
+        if ($vmrCommit.StartsWith($branchVmrCommit) -or $branchVmrCommit.StartsWith($vmrCommit)) {
+            Write-Host "  ✅ PR body snapshot ($bodyShort) matches branch commit ($branchShort)" -ForegroundColor Green
+        }
+        else {
+            Write-Host "  ⚠️  MISMATCH: PR body claims $(Get-ShortSha $vmrCommit) but branch commit references $branchVmrCommit" -ForegroundColor Red
+            Write-Host "  The PR body may be stale — using branch commit ($branchVmrCommit) for freshness check" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+            # Resolve the short SHA from the branch commit to a full SHA for accurate comparison
+            $resolvedCommit = Invoke-GitHubApi "/repos/$freshnessRepo/commits/$branchVmrCommit"
+            if ($resolvedCommit) {
+                $vmrCommit = $resolvedCommit.sha
+                $usedBranchSnapshot = $true
+            }
+            else {
+                Write-Host "  ⚠️  Could not resolve branch commit SHA $branchVmrCommit — falling back to PR body" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    elseif ($branchVmrCommit -and -not $vmrCommit) {
+        Write-Host "  ⚠️  PR body has no commit reference, but branch commit references $branchVmrCommit" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+        Write-Host "  Using branch commit for freshness check" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+        $resolvedCommit = Invoke-GitHubApi "/repos/$freshnessRepo/commits/$branchVmrCommit"
+        if ($resolvedCommit) {
+            $vmrCommit = $resolvedCommit.sha
+            $usedBranchSnapshot = $true
+        }
+    }
+    elseif ($vmrCommit -and -not $branchVmrCommit) {
+        $commitCount = if ($prCommits) { $prCommits.Count } else { 0 }
+        if ($commitCount -eq 1) {
+            $firstMsg = $prCommits[0].messageHeadline
+            if ($firstMsg -match "^Initial commit for subscription") {
+                Write-Host "  ℹ️  PR has only an initial subscription commit — PR body snapshot ($(Get-ShortSha $vmrCommit)) not yet verifiable from branch" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+            }
+            else {
+                Write-Host "  ⚠️  No VMR SHA found in branch commit messages — trusting PR body ($(Get-ShortSha $vmrCommit))" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+            }
+        }
+        else {
+            Write-Host "  ⚠️  No VMR SHA found in $commitCount branch commit messages — trusting PR body ($(Get-ShortSha $vmrCommit))" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+# --- Step 3: Check source freshness ---
+$freshnessLabel = if ($isForwardFlow) { "Source Freshness" } else { "VMR Freshness" }
+Write-Section $freshnessLabel
+
+$sourceHeadSha = $null
+$aheadBy = 0
+$behindBy = 0
+$compareStatus = $null
+
+if ($vmrCommit -and $vmrBranch) {
+    # Get current branch HEAD (URL-encode branch name for path segments with /)
+    $encodedBranch = [uri]::EscapeDataString($vmrBranch)
+    $branchHead = Invoke-GitHubApi "/repos/$freshnessRepo/commits/$encodedBranch"
+    if ($branchHead) {
+        $sourceHeadSha = $branchHead.sha
+        $sourceHeadDate = $branchHead.commit.committer.date
+        $snapshotSource = if ($usedBranchSnapshot) { "from branch commit" } else { "from PR body" }
+        Write-Status "PR snapshot" "$(Get-ShortSha $vmrCommit) ($snapshotSource)"
+        Write-Status "$freshnessRepoLabel HEAD" "$(Get-ShortSha $sourceHeadSha) ($sourceHeadDate)"
+
+        if ($vmrCommit -eq $sourceHeadSha) {
+            Write-Host "  ✅ PR is up to date with $freshnessRepoLabel branch" -ForegroundColor Green
+        }
+        else {
+            # Compare to find how many commits differ
+            $compare = Invoke-GitHubApi "/repos/$freshnessRepo/compare/$vmrCommit...$sourceHeadSha"
+            if ($compare) {
+                $aheadBy = $compare.ahead_by
+                $behindBy = $compare.behind_by
+                $compareStatus = $compare.status
+
+                switch ($compareStatus) {
+                    'identical' {
+                        Write-Host "  ✅ PR is up to date with $freshnessRepoLabel branch" -ForegroundColor Green
+                    }
+                    'ahead' {
+                        Write-Host "  ⚠️  $freshnessRepoLabel is $aheadBy commit(s) ahead of the PR snapshot" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+                    }
+                    'behind' {
+                        Write-Host "  ⚠️  $freshnessRepoLabel is $behindBy commit(s) behind the PR snapshot" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+                    }
+                    'diverged' {
+                        Write-Host "  ⚠️  $freshnessRepoLabel and PR snapshot have diverged: $aheadBy commit(s) ahead and $behindBy commit(s) behind" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+                    }
+                    default {
+                        Write-Host "  ⚠️  $freshnessRepoLabel and PR snapshot differ (status: $compareStatus)" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+                    }
+                }
+
+                if ($compare.total_commits -and $compare.commits) {
+                    $returnedCommits = @($compare.commits).Count
+                    if ($returnedCommits -lt $compare.total_commits) {
+                        Write-Host "  ⚠️  Compare API returned $returnedCommits of $($compare.total_commits) commits; listing may be incomplete." -ForegroundColor Yellow
+                    }
+                }
+
+                if ($ShowCommits -and $compare.commits) {
+                    Write-Host ""
+                    $commitLabel = switch ($compareStatus) {
+                        'ahead'  { "Commits since PR snapshot:" }
+                        'behind' { "Commits in PR snapshot but not in $freshnessRepoLabel`:" }
+                        default  { "Commits differing:" }
+                    }
+                    Write-Host "  $commitLabel" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+                    foreach ($c in $compare.commits) {
+                        $msg = ($c.commit.message -split "`n")[0]
+                        if ($msg.Length -gt 100) { $msg = $msg.Substring(0, 97) + "..." }
+                        $date = $c.commit.committer.date
+                        Write-Host "    $(Get-ShortSha $c.sha 8) $date $msg"
+                    }
+                }
+
+                # Check which repos have updates in the missing commits
+                $missingRepoUpdates = @()
+                if ($compare.commits) {
+                    foreach ($c in $compare.commits) {
+                        $msg = ($c.commit.message -split "`n")[0]
+                        if ($msg -match 'Source code updates from ([^\s(]+)') {
+                            $missingRepoUpdates += $Matches[1]
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                if ($missingRepoUpdates.Count -gt 0) {
+                    $uniqueRepos = $missingRepoUpdates | Select-Object -Unique
+                    Write-Host ""
+                    Write-Host "  Missing updates from: $($uniqueRepos -join ', ')" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+                }
+
+                # --- For backflow PRs that are behind: check pending forward flow PRs ---
+                if ($isBackflow -and $compareStatus -eq 'ahead' -and $aheadBy -gt 0 -and $vmrBranch) {
+                    $forwardPRsJson = gh search prs --repo dotnet/dotnet --author "dotnet-maestro[bot]" --state open "Source code updates from" --base $vmrBranch --json number,title --limit 20 2>$null
+                    $pendingForwardPRs = @()
+                    if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0 -and $forwardPRsJson) {
+                        try {
+                            $allForward = ($forwardPRsJson -join "`n") | ConvertFrom-Json
+                            # Filter to forward flow PRs (not backflow) targeting this VMR branch
+                            $pendingForwardPRs = $allForward | Where-Object {
+                                $_.title -match "Source code updates from (dotnet/\S+)" -and
+                                $Matches[1] -ne "dotnet/dotnet"
+                            }
+                        }
+                        catch {
+                            Write-Warning "Failed to parse forward flow PR search results. Skipping forward flow analysis."
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    if ($pendingForwardPRs.Count -gt 0) {
+                        Write-Host ""
+                        Write-Host "  Pending forward flow PRs into VMR ($vmrBranch):" -ForegroundColor Cyan
+
+                        $coveredRepos = @()
+                        foreach ($fpr in $pendingForwardPRs) {
+                            $fprSourceRepo = $null
+                            if ($fpr.title -match "Source code updates from (dotnet/\S+)") {
+                                $fprSourceRepo = $Matches[1]
+                            }
+                            $coveredLabel = ""
+                            if ($fprSourceRepo -and $uniqueRepos -contains $fprSourceRepo) {
+                                $coveredRepos += $fprSourceRepo
+                                $coveredLabel = " ← covers missing updates"
+                            }
+                            Write-Host "    dotnet/dotnet#$($fpr.number): $($fpr.title)$coveredLabel" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+                        }
+
+                        if ($coveredRepos.Count -gt 0) {
+                            $uncoveredRepos = $uniqueRepos | Where-Object { $_ -notin $coveredRepos }
+                            $coveredCount = $coveredRepos.Count
+                            $totalMissing = $uniqueRepos.Count
+                            Write-Host ""
+                            Write-Host "  📊 Forward flow coverage: $coveredCount of $totalMissing missing repo(s) have pending forward flow PRs" -ForegroundColor Cyan
+                            if ($uncoveredRepos.Count -gt 0) {
+                                Write-Host "  Still waiting on: $($uncoveredRepos -join ', ')" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+                            }
+                            else {
+                                Write-Host "  ✅ All missing repos have pending forward flow — gap should close once they merge + new backflow triggers" -ForegroundColor Green
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+else {
+    Write-Warning "Cannot check freshness without source commit and branch info"
+}
+
+# --- Step 4: Check staleness and conflict warnings (using comments from gh pr view) ---
+Write-Section "Staleness & Conflict Check"
+
+$stalenessWarnings = @()
+$lastStalenessComment = $null
+
+if ($pr.comments) {
+    foreach ($comment in $pr.comments) {
+        $commentAuthor = $comment.author.login
+        if ($commentAuthor -eq "dotnet-maestro[bot]" -or $commentAuthor -eq "dotnet-maestro") {
+            if ($comment.body -match "codeflow cannot continue" -or $comment.body -match "darc trigger-subscriptions") {
+                $stalenessWarnings += $comment
+                $lastStalenessComment = $comment
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+$conflictWarnings = @()
+$lastConflictComment = $null
+
+if ($pr.comments) {
+    foreach ($comment in $pr.comments) {
+        $commentAuthor = $comment.author.login
+        if ($commentAuthor -eq "dotnet-maestro[bot]" -or $commentAuthor -eq "dotnet-maestro") {
+            if ($comment.body -match "Conflict detected") {
+                $conflictWarnings += $comment
+                $lastConflictComment = $comment
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+if ($stalenessWarnings.Count -gt 0 -or $conflictWarnings.Count -gt 0) {
+    if ($conflictWarnings.Count -gt 0) {
+        Write-Host "  🔴 Conflict detected ($($conflictWarnings.Count) conflict warning(s))" -ForegroundColor Red
+        Write-Status "Latest conflict" $lastConflictComment.createdAt
+
+        # Extract conflicting files
+        $conflictFiles = @()
+        $fileMatches = [regex]::Matches($lastConflictComment.body, '-\s+`([^`]+)`\s*\r?\n')
+        foreach ($fm in $fileMatches) {
+            $conflictFiles += $fm.Groups[1].Value
+        }
+        if ($conflictFiles.Count -gt 0) {
+            Write-Host "  Conflicting files:" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+            foreach ($f in $conflictFiles) {
+                Write-Host "    - $f" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+            }
+        }
+
+        # Extract VMR commit from the conflict comment
+        if ($lastConflictComment.body -match 'sources from \[`([a-fA-F0-9]+)`\]') {
+            Write-Host "  Conflicting VMR commit: $($Matches[1])" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+        }
+
+        # Extract resolve command
+        if ($lastConflictComment.body -match '(darc vmr resolve-conflict --subscription [a-fA-F0-9-]+(?:\s+--build [a-fA-F0-9-]+)?)') {
+            Write-Host ""
+            Write-Host "  Resolve command:" -ForegroundColor White
+            Write-Host "    $($Matches[1])" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+        }
+    }
+
+    if ($stalenessWarnings.Count -gt 0) {
+        if ($conflictWarnings.Count -gt 0) { Write-Host "" }
+        Write-Host "  ⚠️  Staleness warning detected ($($stalenessWarnings.Count) warning(s))" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+        Write-Status "Latest warning" $lastStalenessComment.createdAt
+        $oppositeFlow = if ($isForwardFlow) { "backflow from VMR merged into $sourceRepo" } else { "forward flow merged into VMR" }
+        Write-Host "  Opposite codeflow ($oppositeFlow) while this PR was open." -ForegroundColor Yellow
+        Write-Host "  Maestro has blocked further codeflow updates to this PR." -ForegroundColor Yellow
+
+        # Extract darc commands from the warning
+        if ($lastStalenessComment.body -match 'darc trigger-subscriptions --id ([a-fA-F0-9-]+)(?:\s+--force)?') {
+            Write-Host ""
+            Write-Host "  Suggested commands from Maestro:" -ForegroundColor White
+            if ($lastStalenessComment.body -match '(darc trigger-subscriptions --id [a-fA-F0-9-]+)\s*\r?\n') {
+                Write-Host "    Normal trigger: $($Matches[1])"
+            }
+            if ($lastStalenessComment.body -match '(darc trigger-subscriptions --id [a-fA-F0-9-]+ --force)') {
+                Write-Host "    Force trigger:  $($Matches[1])"
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+else {
+    Write-Host "  ✅ No staleness or conflict warnings found" -ForegroundColor Green
+}
+
+# --- Step 5: Analyze PR branch commits (using commits from gh pr view) ---
+Write-Section "PR Branch Analysis"
+
+if ($prCommits) {
+    $maestroCommits = @()
+    $manualCommits = @()
+    $mergeCommits = @()
+
+    foreach ($c in $prCommits) {
+        $msg = $c.messageHeadline
+        $authorLogin = if ($c.authors -and $c.authors.Count -gt 0) { $c.authors[0].login } else { $null }
+        $authorName = if ($c.authors -and $c.authors.Count -gt 0) { $c.authors[0].name } else { "unknown" }
+        $author = if ($authorLogin) { $authorLogin } else { $authorName }
+
+        if ($msg -match "^Merge branch") {
+            $mergeCommits += $c
+        }
+        elseif ($author -in @("dotnet-maestro[bot]", "dotnet-maestro") -or $msg -eq "Update dependencies") {
+            $maestroCommits += $c
+        }
+        else {
+            $manualCommits += $c
+        }
+    }
+
+    Write-Status "Total commits" $prCommits.Count
+    Write-Status "Maestro auto-updates" $maestroCommits.Count
+    Write-Status "Merge commits" $mergeCommits.Count
+    Write-Status "Manual commits" $manualCommits.Count "$(if ($manualCommits.Count -gt 0) { 'Yellow' } else { 'Green' })"
+
+    if ($manualCommits.Count -gt 0) {
+        Write-Host ""
+        Write-Host "  Manual commits (at risk if PR is closed/force-triggered):" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+        foreach ($c in $manualCommits) {
+            $msg = $c.messageHeadline
+            if ($msg.Length -gt 80) { $msg = $msg.Substring(0, 77) + "..." }
+            $authorName = if ($c.authors -and $c.authors.Count -gt 0) { $c.authors[0].name } else { "unknown" }
+            Write-Host "    $(Get-ShortSha $c.oid 8) [$authorName] $msg"
+        }
+    }
+
+    # Detect manual commits that look like codeflow-like changes (someone manually
+    # doing what Maestro would do while flow is paused)
+    $codeflowLikeManualCommits = @()
+    foreach ($c in $manualCommits) {
+        $msg = $c.messageHeadline
+        if ($msg -match 'Update dependencies' -or
+            $msg -match 'Version\.Details\.xml' -or
+            $msg -match 'Versions\.props' -or
+            $msg -match '[Bb]ackflow' -or
+            $msg -match '[Ff]orward flow' -or
+            $msg -match 'from dotnet/' -or
+            $msg -match '[a-f0-9]{7,40}' -or
+            $msg -match 'src/SourceBuild') {
+            $codeflowLikeManualCommits += $c
+        }
+    }
+
+    if ($codeflowLikeManualCommits.Count -gt 0 -and $stalenessWarnings.Count -gt 0) {
+        Write-Host ""
+        Write-Host "  ⚠️  $($codeflowLikeManualCommits.Count) manual commit(s) appear to contain codeflow-like changes while flow is paused" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+        Write-Host "     The freshness gap reported above may be partially covered by these manual updates" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+    }
+}
+
+# --- Step 6: Trace a specific fix (optional) ---
+if ($TraceFix) {
+    Write-Section "Tracing Fix: $TraceFix"
+
+    # Parse TraceFix format: "owner/repo#number" or "repo#number"
+    $traceMatch = [regex]::Match($TraceFix, '(?:([^/]+)/)?([^#]+)#(\d+)')
+    if (-not $traceMatch.Success) {
+        Write-Warning "Could not parse TraceFix format. Expected: 'owner/repo#number' or 'repo#number'"
+    }
+    else {
+        $traceOwner = if ($traceMatch.Groups[1].Value) { $traceMatch.Groups[1].Value } else { "dotnet" }
+        $traceRepo = $traceMatch.Groups[2].Value
+        $traceNumber = $traceMatch.Groups[3].Value
+        $traceFullRepo = "$traceOwner/$traceRepo"
+
+        # Check if the fix PR is merged (use merged_at since REST may not include merged boolean)
+        $fixPR = Invoke-GitHubApi "/repos/$traceFullRepo/pulls/$traceNumber"
+        $fixIsMerged = $false
+        if ($fixPR) {
+            $fixIsMerged = $null -ne $fixPR.merged_at
+            Write-Status "Fix PR" "${traceFullRepo}#${traceNumber}: $($fixPR.title)"
+            Write-Status "State" $fixPR.state
+            Write-Status "Merged" "$(if ($fixIsMerged) { '✅ Yes' } else { '❌ No' })" "$(if ($fixIsMerged) { 'Green' } else { 'Red' })"
+            if ($fixIsMerged) {
+                Write-Status "Merged at" $fixPR.merged_at
+                Write-Status "Merge commit" $fixPR.merge_commit_sha
+                $fixMergeCommit = $fixPR.merge_commit_sha
+            }
+        }
+
+        # Check if the fix is in the VMR source-manifest.json on the target branch
+        # For forward flow, the VMR target is the PR base branch; for backflow, use $vmrBranch
+        $vmrManifestBranch = if ($isForwardFlow -and $pr.baseRefName) { $pr.baseRefName } else { $vmrBranch }
+        if ($fixIsMerged -and $vmrManifestBranch) {
+            Write-Host ""
+            Write-Host "  Checking VMR source-manifest.json on $vmrManifestBranch..." -ForegroundColor White
+
+            $encodedManifestBranch = [uri]::EscapeDataString($vmrManifestBranch)
+            $manifestUrl = "/repos/dotnet/dotnet/contents/src/source-manifest.json?ref=$encodedManifestBranch"
+            $manifestJson = Invoke-GitHubApi $manifestUrl -Raw
+            if ($manifestJson) {
+                try {
+                    $manifest = $manifestJson | ConvertFrom-Json
+                }
+                catch {
+                    Write-Warning "Could not parse VMR source-manifest.json: $_"
+                    $manifest = $null
+                }
+
+                # Find the repo in the manifest
+                $escapedRepo = [regex]::Escape($traceRepo)
+                $repoEntry = $manifest.repositories | Where-Object {
+                    $_.remoteUri -match "${escapedRepo}(\.git)?$" -or $_.path -eq $traceRepo
+                }
+
+                if ($repoEntry) {
+                    $manifestCommit = $repoEntry.commitSha
+                    Write-Status "VMR manifest commit" "$(Get-ShortSha $manifestCommit) for $($repoEntry.path)"
+
+                    # Check if the fix merge commit is an ancestor of the manifest commit
+                    if ($fixMergeCommit -eq $manifestCommit) {
+                        Write-Host "  ✅ Fix merge commit IS the VMR manifest commit" -ForegroundColor Green
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        # Check if fix is an ancestor of the manifest commit
+                        $ancestorCheck = Invoke-GitHubApi "/repos/$traceFullRepo/compare/$fixMergeCommit...$manifestCommit"
+                        if ($ancestorCheck) {
+                            if ($ancestorCheck.status -eq "ahead" -or $ancestorCheck.status -eq "identical") {
+                                Write-Host "  ✅ Fix is included in VMR manifest (manifest is ahead or identical)" -ForegroundColor Green
+                            }
+                            elseif ($ancestorCheck.status -eq "behind") {
+                                Write-Host "  ❌ Fix is NOT in VMR manifest yet (manifest is behind the fix)" -ForegroundColor Red
+                            }
+                            else {
+                                Write-Host "  ⚠️  Fix and manifest have diverged (status: $($ancestorCheck.status))" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    # Now check if the PR's VMR snapshot includes this
+                    # For backflow: $vmrCommit is a VMR SHA, use it directly
+                    # For forward flow: $vmrCommit is a source repo SHA, use PR head commit in dotnet/dotnet instead
+                    $snapshotRef = $vmrCommit
+                    if ($isForwardFlow -and $pr.commits -and $pr.commits.Count -gt 0) {
+                        $snapshotRef = $pr.commits[-1].oid
+                    }
+                    if ($snapshotRef) {
+                        Write-Host ""
+                        Write-Host "  Checking if fix is in the PR's snapshot..." -ForegroundColor White
+
+                        $snapshotManifestUrl = "/repos/dotnet/dotnet/contents/src/source-manifest.json?ref=$snapshotRef"
+                        $snapshotJson = Invoke-GitHubApi $snapshotManifestUrl -Raw
+                        if ($snapshotJson) {
+                            try {
+                                $snapshotData = $snapshotJson | ConvertFrom-Json
+                            }
+                            catch {
+                                Write-Warning "Could not parse snapshot manifest: $_"
+                                $snapshotData = $null
+                            }
+
+                            $snapshotEntry = $snapshotData.repositories | Where-Object {
+                                $_.remoteUri -match "${escapedRepo}(\.git)?$" -or $_.path -eq $traceRepo
+                            }
+
+                            if ($snapshotEntry) {
+                                $snapshotCommit = $snapshotEntry.commitSha
+                                Write-Status "PR snapshot commit" "$(Get-ShortSha $snapshotCommit) for $($snapshotEntry.path)"
+
+                                if ($snapshotCommit -eq $fixMergeCommit) {
+                                    Write-Host "  ✅ Fix IS in the PR's VMR snapshot" -ForegroundColor Green
+                                }
+                                else {
+                                    $snapshotCheck = Invoke-GitHubApi "/repos/$traceFullRepo/compare/$fixMergeCommit...$snapshotCommit"
+                                    if ($snapshotCheck) {
+                                        if ($snapshotCheck.status -eq "ahead" -or $snapshotCheck.status -eq "identical") {
+                                            Write-Host "  ✅ Fix is included in PR snapshot" -ForegroundColor Green
+                                        }
+                                        else {
+                                            Write-Host "  ❌ Fix is NOT in the PR's VMR snapshot" -ForegroundColor Red
+                                            Write-Host "  The PR needs a codeflow update to pick up this fix." -ForegroundColor Yellow
+                                        }
+                                    }
+                                }
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                else {
+                    Write-Warning "Could not find $traceRepo in VMR source-manifest.json"
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+# --- Step 7: Recommendations ---
+Write-Section "Recommendations"
+
+$issues = @()
+
+# Summarize issues
+if ($conflictWarnings.Count -gt 0) {
+    $fileHint = if ($conflictFiles -and $conflictFiles.Count -gt 0) { " in $($conflictFiles -join ', ')" } else { "" }
+    $issues += "Conflict detected$fileHint — manual resolution required"
+}
+
+if ($stalenessWarnings.Count -gt 0) {
+    $issues += "Staleness warning active — codeflow is blocked"
+}
+
+if ($vmrCommit -and $sourceHeadSha -and $vmrCommit -ne $sourceHeadSha -and $compareStatus -ne 'identical') {
+    switch ($compareStatus) {
+        'ahead'    { $issues += "$freshnessRepoLabel is $aheadBy commit(s) ahead of PR snapshot" }
+        'behind'   { $issues += "$freshnessRepoLabel is $behindBy commit(s) behind PR snapshot" }
+        'diverged' { $issues += "$freshnessRepoLabel and PR snapshot diverged ($aheadBy ahead, $behindBy behind)" }
+        default    { $issues += "$freshnessRepoLabel and PR snapshot differ" }
+    }
+}
+
+if ($manualCommits -and $manualCommits.Count -gt 0) {
+    $issues += "$($manualCommits.Count) manual commit(s) on PR branch"
+}
+
+if ($issues.Count -eq 0) {
+    Write-Host "  ✅ CODEFLOW HEALTHY" -ForegroundColor Green
+    Write-Host "  The PR appears to be up to date with no issues detected."
+}
+else {
+    Write-Host "  ⚠️  CODEFLOW NEEDS ATTENTION" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+    Write-Host ""
+    Write-Host "  Issues:" -ForegroundColor White
+    foreach ($issue in $issues) {
+        Write-Host "    • $issue" -ForegroundColor Yellow
+    }
+
+    Write-Host ""
+    Write-Host "  Options:" -ForegroundColor White
+
+    if ($conflictWarnings.Count -gt 0) {
+        Write-Host "    1. Resolve conflicts — follow the darc vmr resolve-conflict instructions above" -ForegroundColor White
+        if ($subscriptionId) {
+            Write-Host "       darc vmr resolve-conflict --subscription $subscriptionId" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+        }
+        Write-Host "    2. Close & reopen — abandon this PR and let Maestro create a fresh one" -ForegroundColor White
+    }
+    elseif ($stalenessWarnings.Count -gt 0 -and $manualCommits.Count -gt 0) {
+        if ($codeflowLikeManualCommits -and $codeflowLikeManualCommits.Count -gt 0) {
+            Write-Host "    ℹ️  Note: Some manual commits appear to contain codeflow-like changes —" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+            Write-Host "       the reported freshness gap may already be partially addressed" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+            Write-Host ""
+        }
+        Write-Host "    1. Merge as-is — keep manual commits, get remaining changes in next codeflow PR" -ForegroundColor White
+        Write-Host "    2. Force trigger — updates codeflow but may revert manual commits" -ForegroundColor White
+        if ($subscriptionId) {
+            Write-Host "       darc trigger-subscriptions --id $subscriptionId --force" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+        }
+        Write-Host "    3. Close & reopen — loses manual commits, gets fresh codeflow" -ForegroundColor White
+    }
+    elseif ($stalenessWarnings.Count -gt 0) {
+        Write-Host "    1. Merge as-is — get remaining changes in next codeflow PR" -ForegroundColor White
+        Write-Host "    2. Close & reopen — gets fresh codeflow with all updates" -ForegroundColor White
+        Write-Host "    3. Force trigger — forces codeflow update into this PR" -ForegroundColor White
+        if ($subscriptionId) {
+            Write-Host "       darc trigger-subscriptions --id $subscriptionId --force" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+        }
+    }
+    elseif ($manualCommits.Count -gt 0) {
+        Write-Host "    1. Wait — Maestro should auto-update (if not stale)" -ForegroundColor White
+        Write-Host "    2. Trigger manually — if auto-updates seem delayed" -ForegroundColor White
+        if ($subscriptionId) {
+            Write-Host "       darc trigger-subscriptions --id $subscriptionId" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+        }
+    }
+    else {
+        Write-Host "    1. Wait — Maestro should auto-update the PR" -ForegroundColor White
+        Write-Host "    2. Trigger manually — if auto-updates seem delayed" -ForegroundColor White
+        if ($subscriptionId) {
+            Write-Host "       darc trigger-subscriptions --id $subscriptionId" -ForegroundColor DarkGray
+        }
+    }
+}