🔍 Problem Description
The PR validation requires Closes/Fixes/Resolves #N for every PR. When an approved umbrella issue is delivered in reviewable partial PRs (e.g. #1270), merging the first slice to main closes that issue before its remaining work is complete. The current check rejects Refs #N even though the referenced issue is approved.
💡 Proposed Solution
Accept Refs #N as a non-closing reference in both ordinary-PR and merge-group issue-reference checks. Validate status:approved for every accepted reference, including closing and non-closing forms; still reject missing or unapproved references. Document when to use Refs versus Closes, and cover both paths with deterministic tests. After this policy is active on main, replace partial #1270 PRs’ closing references with Refs #1270 and only close the umbrella on the final completing PR.
📦 Affected Area
Other — contributor governance and PR validation workflow.
🔄 Alternatives Considered
Reopen #1270 after each merge, which causes transient closures and can trigger external automation; or create a separate issue per slice, adding avoidable tracker noise. Neither is as honest as a non-closing approved reference.
📎 Additional Context
This issue is scoped to the policy only. Keep existing issue-first approval and type-label requirements intact; no #1270 behavior slice or merge is authorized as part of this change.
🔍 Problem Description
The PR validation requires
Closes/Fixes/Resolves #Nfor every PR. When an approved umbrella issue is delivered in reviewable partial PRs (e.g. #1270), merging the first slice tomaincloses that issue before its remaining work is complete. The current check rejectsRefs #Neven though the referenced issue is approved.💡 Proposed Solution
Accept
Refs #Nas a non-closing reference in both ordinary-PR and merge-group issue-reference checks. Validatestatus:approvedfor every accepted reference, including closing and non-closing forms; still reject missing or unapproved references. Document when to useRefsversusCloses, and cover both paths with deterministic tests. After this policy is active onmain, replace partial #1270 PRs’ closing references withRefs #1270and only close the umbrella on the final completing PR.📦 Affected Area
Other — contributor governance and PR validation workflow.
🔄 Alternatives Considered
Reopen #1270 after each merge, which causes transient closures and can trigger external automation; or create a separate issue per slice, adding avoidable tracker noise. Neither is as honest as a non-closing approved reference.
📎 Additional Context
This issue is scoped to the policy only. Keep existing issue-first approval and type-label requirements intact; no #1270 behavior slice or merge is authorized as part of this change.