diff --git a/packages/engine/src/__tests__/executor.test.ts b/packages/engine/src/__tests__/executor.test.ts
index 97b3aab1d..eab4f89bb 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/__tests__/executor.test.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/__tests__/executor.test.ts
@@ -871,6 +871,101 @@ describe("TaskExecutor worktree recovery", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("fails fast with a clear error when rootDir is not a git repository", async () => {
+    const store = createMockStore();
+    const onError = vi.fn();
+
+    mockedExecSync.mockImplementation((cmd: string | string[]) => {
+      const command = typeof cmd === "string" ? cmd : cmd[0];
+      if (command === "git rev-parse --git-dir") {
+        const error: any = new Error("fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git");
+        error.stderr = Buffer.from("fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git");
+        throw error;
+      }
+      return Buffer.from("");
+    });
+
+    const executor = new TaskExecutor(store, "/tmp/test", { onError });
+    await executor.execute(makeTask());
+
+    expect(store.logEntry).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "FN-050",
+      expect.stringContaining("Cannot execute task: project directory is not a Git repository"),
+    );
+    expect(store.updateTask).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "FN-050",
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        status: "failed",
+        error: expect.stringContaining("not a Git repository"),
+      }),
+    );
+    expect(onError).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({ id: "FN-050" }),
+      expect.objectContaining({ message: expect.stringContaining("not a Git repository") }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("does not attempt git worktree add when rootDir is not a git repository", async () => {
+    const store = createMockStore();
+
+    mockedExecSync.mockImplementation((cmd: string | string[]) => {
+      const command = typeof cmd === "string" ? cmd : cmd[0];
+      if (command === "git rev-parse --git-dir") {
+        const error: any = new Error("fatal: not a git repository");
+        error.stderr = Buffer.from("fatal: not a git repository");
+        throw error;
+      }
+      return Buffer.from("");
+    });
+
+    const executor = new TaskExecutor(store, "/tmp/test");
+    await executor.execute(makeTask());
+
+    const worktreeAddCalls = mockedExecSync.mock.calls.filter(
+      (call) => typeof call[0] === "string" && call[0].includes("git worktree add"),
+    );
+    expect(worktreeAddCalls).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("extractWorktreeConflictInfo classifies not-a-git-repository errors", () => {
+    const store = createMockStore();
+    const executor = new TaskExecutor(store, "/tmp/test");
+
+    const error: any = new Error("fatal: not a git repository");
+    error.stderr = Buffer.from("fatal: not a git repository");
+
+    const conflictInfo = (executor as any).extractWorktreeConflictInfo(error);
+    expect(conflictInfo.type).toBe("not-git-repo");
+    expect(conflictInfo.message).toContain("not a git repository");
+  });
+
+  it("treats not-a-git-repository as non-retryable in tryCreateWorktree flow", async () => {
+    const store = createMockStore();
+    const executor = new TaskExecutor(store, "/tmp/test");
+
+    mockedExecSync.mockImplementation((cmd: string | string[]) => {
+      const command = typeof cmd === "string" ? cmd : cmd[0];
+      if (command === "git worktree list --porcelain") {
+        return Buffer.from(["worktree /tmp/test", "HEAD abc123", "branch refs/heads/main", ""].join("\n"));
+      }
+      if (command.includes("git worktree add -b")) {
+        const error: any = new Error("fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git");
+        error.stderr = Buffer.from("fatal: not a git repository (or any of the parent directories): .git");
+        throw error;
+      }
+      return Buffer.from("");
+    });
+
+    await expect(
+      (executor as any).createWorktree("fusion/fn-050", "/tmp/test/.worktrees/swift-falcon", "FN-050"),
+    ).rejects.toThrow("not a Git repository");
+
+    const worktreeAddCalls = mockedExecSync.mock.calls.filter(
+      (call) => typeof call[0] === "string" && call[0].includes("git worktree add -b"),
+    );
+    expect(worktreeAddCalls).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
   it("recovers from worktree conflict and retries", async () => {
     const store = createMockStore();
     let callCount = 0;
diff --git a/packages/engine/src/__tests__/worktree-pool.test.ts b/packages/engine/src/__tests__/worktree-pool.test.ts
index 3b8947b7b..55a2abb9a 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/__tests__/worktree-pool.test.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/__tests__/worktree-pool.test.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ vi.mock("node:fs", () => ({
 import {
   WorktreePool,
   getRegisteredWorktreePaths,
+  isGitRepository,
   scanIdleWorktrees,
   cleanupOrphanedWorktrees,
   reapOrphanWorktrees,
@@ -408,6 +409,49 @@ describe("WorktreePool", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("isGitRepository", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it("returns true when git rev-parse succeeds", async () => {
+    mockedExecSync.mockImplementation((cmd: any) => {
+      if (String(cmd) === "git rev-parse --git-dir") {
+        return Buffer.from(".git\n");
+      }
+      return Buffer.from("");
+    });
+
+    await expect(isGitRepository("/tmp/repo")).resolves.toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("returns false when target directory is not a git repository", async () => {
+    mockedExecSync.mockImplementation((cmd: any, opts?: any) => {
+      if (String(cmd) === "git rev-parse --git-dir" && opts?.cwd === "/tmp/plain") {
+        const error: any = new Error("fatal: not a git repository");
+        error.stderr = Buffer.from("fatal: not a git repository");
+        throw error;
+      }
+      return Buffer.from("");
+    });
+
+    await expect(isGitRepository("/tmp/plain")).resolves.toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("returns false when directory does not exist", async () => {
+    mockedExecSync.mockImplementation((cmd: any, opts?: any) => {
+      if (String(cmd) === "git rev-parse --git-dir" && opts?.cwd === "/tmp/missing") {
+        const error: any = new Error("spawn ENOENT");
+        error.code = "ENOENT";
+        throw error;
+      }
+      return Buffer.from("");
+    });
+
+    await expect(isGitRepository("/tmp/missing")).resolves.toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
 describe("getRegisteredWorktreePaths", () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
diff --git a/packages/engine/src/executor.ts b/packages/engine/src/executor.ts
index c62ce3a6f..c87927764 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/executor.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/executor.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import { buildSessionSkillContext } from "./session-skill-context.js";
 import { reviewStep, type ReviewVerdict } from "./reviewer.js";
 import { ModelRegistry, SessionManager, type ToolDefinition, type AgentSession } from "@mariozechner/pi-coding-agent";
 import { PRIORITY_EXECUTE, type AgentSemaphore } from "./concurrency.js";
-import { getRegisteredWorktreePaths, isRegisteredGitWorktree, isUsableTaskWorktree, type WorktreePool } from "./worktree-pool.js";
+import { getRegisteredWorktreePaths, isGitRepository, isRegisteredGitWorktree, isUsableTaskWorktree, type WorktreePool } from "./worktree-pool.js";
 import { AgentLogger } from "./agent-logger.js";
 import { executorLog, reviewerLog, formatError } from "./logger.js";
 import { TokenCapDetector } from "./token-cap-detector.js";
@@ -1356,6 +1356,16 @@ export class TaskExecutor {
         return;
       }
 
+      if (!await isGitRepository(this.rootDir)) {
+        await this.store.logEntry(
+          task.id,
+          "Cannot execute task: project directory is not a Git repository. Fusion requires a Git repository for worktree-based task execution.",
+        );
+        throw new Error(
+          "Project directory is not a Git repository. Fusion requires a Git repository for worktree creation. Initialize with 'git init' or run from a Git project directory.",
+        );
+      }
+
       // Create or reuse worktree — try pool first when recycling is enabled
       const branchName = `fusion/${task.id.toLowerCase()}`;
       // Use generateWorktreeName for human-friendly directory names (adjective-noun pattern)
@@ -4067,6 +4077,12 @@ and show an appropriate message to the user.\`
     } catch (initialError: unknown) {
       const conflictInfo = this.extractWorktreeConflictInfo(initialError);
 
+      if (conflictInfo.type === "not-git-repo") {
+        throw new NonRetryableWorktreeError(
+          "Project directory is not a Git repository. Fusion requires a Git repository for worktree creation. Initialize with 'git init' or run from a Git project directory.",
+        );
+      }
+
       // Handle "already used by worktree" conflict
       if (conflictInfo.type === "already-used" && conflictInfo.path) {
         const result = await this.handleWorktreeConflict(
@@ -4119,6 +4135,12 @@ and show an appropriate message to the user.\`
         const fallbackErrorMessage = fallbackError instanceof Error ? fallbackError.message : String(fallbackError);
         // Check if the fallback also hit an "already used" conflict
         const fallbackConflictInfo = this.extractWorktreeConflictInfo(fallbackError);
+        if (fallbackConflictInfo.type === "not-git-repo") {
+          throw new NonRetryableWorktreeError(
+            "Project directory is not a Git repository. Fusion requires a Git repository for worktree creation. Initialize with 'git init' or run from a Git project directory.",
+          );
+        }
+
         if (fallbackConflictInfo.type === "already-used" && fallbackConflictInfo.path) {
           const result = await this.handleWorktreeConflict(
             fallbackConflictInfo.path,
@@ -4391,7 +4413,7 @@ and show an appropriate message to the user.\`
    * - "working tree already exists"
    */
   private extractWorktreeConflictInfo(error: unknown): {
-    type: "already-used" | "invalid-reference" | "leading-directories" | "already-exists" | "unknown";
+    type: "already-used" | "invalid-reference" | "leading-directories" | "already-exists" | "not-git-repo" | "unknown";
     path?: string;
     message?: string;
   } {
@@ -4432,6 +4454,11 @@ and show an appropriate message to the user.\`
       return { type: "already-exists", message: output };
     }
 
+    // Pattern: not a git repository / not a git repo
+    if (output.match(/not a git repo(sitory)?/i)) {
+      return { type: "not-git-repo", message: output };
+    }
+
     return { type: "unknown", message: output };
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/engine/src/runtimes/in-process-runtime.ts b/packages/engine/src/runtimes/in-process-runtime.ts
index 8da84de5c..5b2ffe1f3 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/runtimes/in-process-runtime.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/runtimes/in-process-runtime.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import type {
 import { isEphemeralAgent } from "@fusion/core";
 import { Scheduler } from "../scheduler.js";
 import { TaskExecutor, type TaskExecutorOptions } from "../executor.js";
-import { WorktreePool } from "../worktree-pool.js";
+import { WorktreePool, isGitRepository } from "../worktree-pool.js";
 import { AgentSemaphore } from "../concurrency.js";
 import { HeartbeatMonitor, HeartbeatTriggerScheduler, type WakeContext } from "../agent-heartbeat.js";
 import { RoutineRunner, type RoutineRunnerOptions } from "../routine-runner.js";
@@ -197,6 +197,14 @@ export class InProcessRuntime
         runtimeLog.warn(`reapOrphanWorktrees failed (continuing): ${msg}`);
       }
 
+      if (!(await isGitRepository(this.config.workingDirectory))) {
+        runtimeLog.warn(
+          `Project directory "${this.config.workingDirectory}" is not a Git repository. ` +
+          `Task execution will fail until a Git repository is initialized. ` +
+          `Run 'git init' in the project directory to enable worktree-based task execution.`,
+        );
+      }
+
       this.worktreePool = new WorktreePool();
 
       // Rehydrate pool from disk state (idle worktrees)
diff --git a/packages/engine/src/worktree-pool.ts b/packages/engine/src/worktree-pool.ts
index c05851651..6e6e36c98 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/worktree-pool.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/worktree-pool.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,20 @@ import { worktreePoolLog } from "./logger.js";
 
 const execAsync = promisify(exec);
 
+export async function isGitRepository(dir: string): Promise<boolean> {
+  try {
+    await execAsync("git rev-parse --git-dir", {
+      cwd: dir,
+      encoding: "utf-8",
+    });
+    return true;
+  } catch (err: unknown) {
+    const errorMessage = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+    worktreePoolLog.log(`isGitRepository check failed for ${dir}: ${errorMessage}`);
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
 export async function getRegisteredWorktreePaths(rootDir: string): Promise<Set<string>> {
   try {
     const { stdout } = await execAsync("git worktree list --porcelain", {