diff --git a/packages/engine/src/__tests__/workflow-task-runtime.test.ts b/packages/engine/src/__tests__/workflow-task-runtime.test.ts
index b37953e171..14b7c847e5 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/__tests__/workflow-task-runtime.test.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/__tests__/workflow-task-runtime.test.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ function recordingPrimitives(
   overrides: Partial<Record<"prepare" | "execute" | "workflowStep", WorkflowNodeResult>> & {
     prepareData?: PreparedWorktree | null;
   } = {},
-  observed: { prepared?: PreparedWorktree } = {},
+  observed: { prepared?: PreparedWorktree; mergeAttempt?: number } = {},
 ): WorkflowRuntimePrimitives {
   const prepared: PreparedWorktree = { worktreePath: "/tmp/fusion-worktree" };
   return {
@@ -92,8 +92,9 @@ function recordingPrimitives(
       calls.push("schedule");
       return { outcome: "success" };
     },
-    requestMerge: async () => {
+    requestMerge: async (ctx) => {
       calls.push("merge");
+      observed.mergeAttempt = ctx.node.attempt;
       return { outcome: "success", value: "merged", data: { status: "merged" } };
     },
     abortRun: async () => ({ outcome: "success" }),
@@ -501,6 +502,81 @@ describe("WorkflowTaskRuntime", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
+  it("returns failed without persisting when work item store transitions are unwired", async () => {
+    const runtime = new WorkflowTaskRuntime({
+      store: {
+        getTaskWorkflowSelection: () => undefined,
+        getWorkflowDefinition: async () => undefined,
+      },
+      primitives: recordingPrimitives([]),
+      runCustomNode: async () => ({ outcome: "success" }),
+    });
+    const workItem = {
+      id: "work-unwired",
+      runId: "run-unwired",
+      taskId: task.id,
+      nodeId: "merge-gate",
+      kind: "merge",
+      state: "running",
+      attempt: 0,
+      retryAfter: null,
+      leaseOwner: "scheduler-a",
+      leaseExpiresAt: "2026-06-09T00:01:00.000Z",
+      lastError: null,
+      blockedReason: null,
+      createdAt: "2026-06-09T00:00:00.000Z",
+      updatedAt: "2026-06-09T00:00:00.000Z",
+    } satisfies WorkflowWorkItem;
+
+    await expect(runtime.runWorkItem(workItem, flagOff)).resolves.toEqual(expect.objectContaining({
+      disposition: "failed",
+      reason: "workflow-work-item-store-unwired",
+    }));
+  });
+
+  it("threads work item attempt into merge primitive context", async () => {
+    const observed: { mergeAttempt?: number } = {};
+    const transitions: Array<{ id: string; state: WorkflowWorkItemState; patch?: Record<string, unknown> }> = [];
+    const workItem = {
+      id: "work-merge-attempt",
+      runId: "run-merge-attempt",
+      taskId: task.id,
+      nodeId: "merge-attempt",
+      kind: "merge",
+      state: "running",
+      attempt: 3,
+      retryAfter: null,
+      leaseOwner: "scheduler-a",
+      leaseExpiresAt: "2026-06-09T00:01:00.000Z",
+      lastError: null,
+      blockedReason: null,
+      createdAt: "2026-06-09T00:00:00.000Z",
+      updatedAt: "2026-06-09T00:00:00.000Z",
+    } satisfies WorkflowWorkItem;
+    const runtime = new WorkflowTaskRuntime({
+      store: {
+        getTask: async () => task,
+        getTaskWorkflowSelection: () => undefined,
+        getWorkflowDefinition: async () => undefined,
+        transitionWorkflowWorkItem: (id, state, patch) => {
+          transitions.push({ id, state, patch });
+          return { ...workItem, state };
+        },
+      },
+      primitives: recordingPrimitives([], {}, observed),
+      runCustomNode: async () => ({ outcome: "success" }),
+    });
+
+    const result = await runtime.runWorkItem(workItem, flagOff);
+
+    expect(result.disposition).toBe("completed");
+    expect(result.context["workflow:work-item-attempt"]).toBe(3);
+    expect(observed.mergeAttempt).toBe(3);
+    expect(transitions).toEqual([
+      expect.objectContaining({ id: "work-merge-attempt", state: "succeeded" }),
+    ]);
+  });
+
   it("uses the built-in workflow id in the default run id for unselected tasks", async () => {
     const observedRunIds: string[] = [];
     const runtime = new WorkflowTaskRuntime({
diff --git a/packages/engine/src/workflow-node-handlers.ts b/packages/engine/src/workflow-node-handlers.ts
index 9d7fcc4378..c6107d3b94 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/workflow-node-handlers.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/workflow-node-handlers.ts
@@ -935,7 +935,10 @@ export function createDefaultNodeHandlers(
     },
     "merge-attempt": async (_node, ctx) => {
       if (!deps?.primitives) return { outcome: "failure", value: "merge-primitives-unwired" };
-      const result = await deps.primitives.requestMerge(primitiveContextForNode(_node, ctx.task, ctx.context), ctx.task);
+      const attempt = typeof ctx.context["workflow:work-item-attempt"] === "number"
+        ? ctx.context["workflow:work-item-attempt"]
+        : undefined;
+      const result = await deps.primitives.requestMerge(primitiveContextForNode(_node, ctx.task, ctx.context, attempt), ctx.task);
       return { outcome: result.outcome, value: result.value, contextPatch: result.contextPatch };
     },
     "manual-merge-hold": async () => ({ outcome: "failure", value: "manual-required" }),
diff --git a/packages/engine/src/workflow-task-runtime.ts b/packages/engine/src/workflow-task-runtime.ts
index 9d64177c90..73c00b5e06 100644
--- a/packages/engine/src/workflow-task-runtime.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/src/workflow-task-runtime.ts
@@ -125,12 +125,20 @@ export class WorkflowTaskRuntime {
     workItem: WorkflowWorkItem,
     settings: (Pick<Settings, "experimentalFeatures"> & Partial<Settings>) | undefined,
   ): Promise<WorkflowTaskRuntimeResult> {
+    if (!this.deps.store.getTask || !this.deps.store.transitionWorkflowWorkItem) {
+      const reason = "workflow-work-item-store-unwired";
+      this.emit("terminal", workItem.taskId, `work-item:failed:${reason}`);
+      return {
+        disposition: "failed",
+        outcome: "failure",
+        visitedNodeIds: [],
+        context: {},
+        reason,
+      };
+    }
     if (workItem.state !== "running") {
       return this.failWorkItem(workItem, `workflow-work-item-not-running:${workItem.state}`);
     }
-    if (!this.deps.store.getTask || !this.deps.store.transitionWorkflowWorkItem) {
-      return this.failWorkItem(workItem, "workflow-work-item-store-unwired");
-    }
 
     let task: TaskDetail;
     try {
@@ -163,6 +171,7 @@ export class WorkflowTaskRuntime {
     let context: Record<string, unknown> = {
       "workflow:work-item-id": workItem.id,
       "workflow:work-item-kind": workItem.kind,
+      "workflow:work-item-attempt": workItem.attempt,
     };
 
     try {
@@ -204,7 +213,7 @@ export class WorkflowTaskRuntime {
   }
 
   private failWorkItem(workItem: WorkflowWorkItem, reason: string): WorkflowTaskRuntimeResult {
-    this.deps.store.transitionWorkflowWorkItem?.(workItem.id, "failed", {
+    this.deps.store.transitionWorkflowWorkItem!(workItem.id, "failed", {
       leaseOwner: null,
       leaseExpiresAt: null,
       lastError: reason,