fix(workflow): keep no-spec schema changes valid

src/core/artifact-graph/instruction-loader.ts

@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@ import * as path from 'node:path';
 import { getSchemaDir, resolveSchema, listSchemasWithInfo } from './resolver.js';
 import { ArtifactGraph } from './graph.js';
 import { detectCompleted } from './state.js';
-import { resolveArtifactOutputPath, resolveArtifactOutputs } from './outputs.js';
+import {
+  isSpecsArtifactPath,
+  resolveArtifactOutputPath,
+  resolveArtifactOutputs,
+} from './outputs.js';
 import { readChangeMetadata, resolveSchemaForChange } from '../../utils/change-metadata.js';
 import { FileSystemUtils } from '../../utils/file-system.js';
 import {
@@ -285,12 +289,7 @@ export function loadChangeContext(
   const skippedArtifacts = new Set<string>();
   if (metadata?.skip_specs) {
     for (const artifact of graph.getAllArtifacts()) {
-      // A schema may write generates as './specs/...' - the globs treat that
-      // identically to 'specs/...', so the skip set must too, or validate
-      // would honor the marker while instructions tell the agent to create
-      // the very files the conflict gate polices.
-      const generates = artifact.generates.replace(/^(?:\.\/)+/, '');
-      if (generates.startsWith('specs/') && !completed.has(artifact.id)) {
+      if (isSpecsArtifactPath(artifact.generates) && !completed.has(artifact.id)) {
         completed.add(artifact.id);
         skippedArtifacts.add(artifact.id);
       }

src/core/artifact-graph/outputs.ts

@@ -10,6 +10,14 @@ export function isGlobPattern(pattern: string): boolean {
   return pattern.includes('*') || pattern.includes('?') || pattern.includes('[');
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns whether an artifact generates files under the change's specs/ tree.
+ */
+export function isSpecsArtifactPath(generates: string): boolean {
+  const normalized = path.posix.normalize(FileSystemUtils.toPosixPath(generates));
+  return normalized.startsWith('specs/');
+}
+
 export function resolveArtifactOutputPath(changeDir: string, generates: string): string {
   const outputPath = path.join(changeDir, generates);
   FileSystemUtils.assertPathWithin(changeDir, outputPath);

src/utils/change-utils.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import { writeChangeMetadata, validateSchemaName } from './change-metadata.js';
 import { formatLocalDate } from './date.js';
 import { readProjectConfig } from '../core/project-config.js';
 import { isKebabId } from '../core/id.js';
+import { resolveSchema } from '../core/artifact-graph/resolver.js';
+import { isSpecsArtifactPath } from '../core/artifact-graph/outputs.js';
 import type { ChangeMetadata } from '../core/change-metadata/index.js';
 
 const DEFAULT_SCHEMA = 'spec-driven';
@@ -165,6 +167,11 @@ export async function createChange(
     throw new Error(`Change '${name}' already exists at ${changeDir}`);
   }
 
+  const schema = resolveSchema(schemaName, projectRoot);
+  const skipsSpecs = !schema.artifacts.some(artifact =>
+    isSpecsArtifactPath(artifact.generates)
+  );
+
   // Creating a change may scaffold or complete the root itself (an
   // implicit root, or a config-only/incomplete clone). Never leave a
   // half-root behind that doctor immediately calls unhealthy: ensure
@@ -190,6 +197,7 @@ export async function createChange(
   writeChangeMetadata(changeDir, {
     schema: schemaName,
     created: formatLocalDate(),
+    ...(skipsSpecs ? { skip_specs: true } : {}),
     ...options.metadata,
   }, projectRoot);
 

test/commands/artifact-workflow.test.ts

@@ -444,6 +444,112 @@ describe('artifact-workflow CLI commands', () => {
       const changeDir = path.join(changesDir, 'my-new-feature');
       const stat = await fs.stat(changeDir);
       expect(stat.isDirectory()).toBe(true);
+
+      const metadata = await fs.readFile(path.join(changeDir, '.openspec.yaml'), 'utf-8');
+      expect(metadata).not.toContain('skip_specs');
+    });
+
+    it('marks changes as skip_specs when their schema cannot generate specs', async () => {
+      const schemaDir = path.join(tempDir, 'openspec', 'schemas', 'no-specs');
+      await fs.mkdir(path.join(schemaDir, 'templates'), { recursive: true });
+      await fs.writeFile(
+        path.join(schemaDir, 'schema.yaml'),
+        `name: no-specs
+version: 1
+artifacts:
+  - id: proposal
+    generates: proposal.md
+    description: Proposal
+    template: proposal.md
+    requires: []
+  - id: tasks
+    generates: tasks.md
+    description: Tasks
+    template: tasks.md
+    requires: [proposal]
+apply:
+  requires: [tasks]
+  tracks: tasks.md
+`
+      );
+      await fs.writeFile(path.join(schemaDir, 'templates', 'proposal.md'), '# Proposal\n');
+      await fs.writeFile(path.join(schemaDir, 'templates', 'tasks.md'), '# Tasks\n');
+      await fs.writeFile(
+        path.join(tempDir, 'openspec', 'config.yaml'),
+        'schema: no-specs\n'
+      );
+
+      const result = await runCLI(['new', 'change', 'no-spec-change'], { cwd: tempDir });
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+
+      const metadata = await fs.readFile(
+        path.join(changesDir, 'no-spec-change', '.openspec.yaml'),
+        'utf-8'
+      );
+      expect(metadata).toContain('skip_specs: true');
+
+      const validation = await runCLI(
+        ['validate', 'no-spec-change', '--type', 'change'],
+        { cwd: tempDir }
+      );
+      expect(validation.exitCode).toBe(0);
+    });
+
+    it('does not mark spec-producing schemas that use Windows separators', async () => {
+      const schemaName = 'windows-specs';
+      const generates = String.raw`specs\**\*.md`;
+      const schemaDir = path.join(tempDir, 'openspec', 'schemas', schemaName);
+      await fs.mkdir(path.join(schemaDir, 'templates'), { recursive: true });
+      await fs.writeFile(
+        path.join(schemaDir, 'schema.yaml'),
+        `name: ${schemaName}
+version: 1
+artifacts:
+  - id: specs
+    generates: '${generates}'
+    description: Specs
+    template: spec.md
+    requires: []
+`
+      );
+      await fs.writeFile(path.join(schemaDir, 'templates', 'spec.md'), '# Spec\n');
+      await fs.writeFile(
+        path.join(tempDir, 'openspec', 'config.yaml'),
+        `schema: ${schemaName}\n`
+      );
+
+      const changeName = `${schemaName}-change`;
+      const result = await runCLI(['new', 'change', changeName], { cwd: tempDir });
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+
+      const changeDir = path.join(changesDir, changeName);
+      const metadata = await fs.readFile(path.join(changeDir, '.openspec.yaml'), 'utf-8');
+      expect(metadata).not.toContain('skip_specs');
+
+      const specDir = path.join(changeDir, 'specs', 'example');
+      await fs.mkdir(specDir, { recursive: true });
+      await fs.writeFile(
+        path.join(specDir, 'spec.md'),
+        `## ADDED Requirements
+### Requirement: Example behavior
+The system SHALL support the example behavior.
+
+#### Scenario: Example succeeds
+- **WHEN** the example runs
+- **THEN** it succeeds
+`
+      );
+
+      const status = await runCLI(['status', '--change', changeName, '--json'], {
+        cwd: tempDir,
+      });
+      expect(status.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(JSON.parse(status.stdout).artifacts[0].status).toBe('done');
+
+      const validation = await runCLI(['validate', changeName, '--type', 'change'], {
+        cwd: tempDir,
+      });
+      expect(validation.exitCode).toBe(0);
     });
 
     it('rejects --initiative and writes no change', async () => {

test/core/artifact-graph/outputs.test.ts

@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@ import * as fs from 'node:fs';
 import * as path from 'node:path';
 import * as os from 'node:os';
 import { FileSystemUtils } from '../../../src/utils/file-system.js';
-import { artifactOutputExists, resolveArtifactOutputs } from '../../../src/core/artifact-graph/outputs.js';
+import {
+  artifactOutputExists,
+  isSpecsArtifactPath,
+  resolveArtifactOutputs,
+} from '../../../src/core/artifact-graph/outputs.js';
 
 describe('artifact-graph/outputs', () => {
   let tempDir: string;
@@ -18,6 +22,18 @@ describe('artifact-graph/outputs', () => {
     fs.rmSync(tempDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
   });
 
+  it.each([
+    ['specs/**/*.md', true],
+    ['./specs/**/*.md', true],
+    ['.//specs/**/*.md', true],
+    [String.raw`specs\**\*.md`, true],
+    [String.raw`.\specs\**\*.md`, true],
+    ['docs/specs/**/*.md', false],
+    ['specs-note.md', false],
+  ])('classifies specs artifact path %s', (generates, expected) => {
+    expect(isSpecsArtifactPath(generates)).toBe(expected);
+  });
+
   it('resolves a direct file path when it exists', () => {
     const filePath = path.join(tempDir, 'proposal.md');
     fs.writeFileSync(filePath, 'content');