fix(engine): enforce tool use for stop/pause/cancel commands

crates/ironclaw_engine/orchestrator/default.py

@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ def signals_tool_intent(text):
         "read the", "write the", "create", "run the", "execute",
         "query", "retrieve", "add it", "add the", "add this",
         "add that", "update the", "delete", "remove the", "look into",
+        "stop", "pause", "cancel", "halt", "disable",
     ]
 
     for prefix in PREFIXES:
@@ -161,10 +162,33 @@ def signals_execution_intent(text):
         "ship it", "deploy it", "deploy that", "deploy this", "deploy the ",
         "send it", "send that", "send the ",
         "fetch it", "fetch that", "fetch the ",
+        "stop it", "stop that", "stop this", "stop the ",
+        "pause it", "pause that", "pause this", "pause the ",
+        "cancel it", "cancel that", "cancel this", "cancel the ",
+        "halt it", "halt that", "halt this", "halt the ",
+        "disable it", "disable that", "disable this", "disable the ",
         "please run ", "please execute ", "please fetch ",
         "please send ", "please deploy ",
+        "please stop ", "please pause ", "please cancel ",
+        "please halt ", "please disable ",
     ]
-    return any(phrase in lower for phrase in EXEC_PHRASES)
+    if any(phrase in lower for phrase in EXEC_PHRASES):
+        return True
+
+    # Bare imperative commands at the start of the message.
+    # "stop pinging", "stop", "pause", "cancel" are unambiguous commands
+    # that don't match the "verb + pronoun/article" pattern above.
+    # Checking startswith avoids false positives like "I can't stop".
+    # Strip trailing punctuation so "Stop." and "cancel!" still match.
+    trimmed = lower.strip().rstrip(".,!?;:")
+    IMPERATIVE_STARTS = ["stop ", "pause ", "cancel ", "halt ", "disable "]
+    BARE_COMMANDS = ["stop", "pause", "cancel", "halt", "disable"]
+    if trimmed in BARE_COMMANDS:
+        return True
+    if any(trimmed.startswith(s) for s in IMPERATIVE_STARTS):
+        return True
+
+    return False
 
 
 def format_output(result, max_chars=8000):

crates/ironclaw_engine/src/executor/orchestrator.rs

@@ -3158,6 +3158,114 @@ mod tests {
         ));
     }
 
+    // ── Stop / pause / cancel intent (mission lifecycle) ─────────
+
+    #[test]
+    fn signals_tool_intent_stop_pause_cancel() {
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_tool_intent("I'll stop the mission now.")"#
+        ));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_tool_intent("Let me pause the ticker.")"#
+        ));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_tool_intent("I'll cancel the monitoring.")"#
+        ));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_tool_intent("I'm going to halt the recurring task.")"#
+        ));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_tool_intent("I will disable the mission.")"#
+        ));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn signals_tool_intent_no_false_positive_stop_discussion() {
+        // "let me explain" is in EXCLUSIONS — blocks the entire text
+        assert!(!eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_tool_intent("Let me explain how to stop the mission.")"#
+        ));
+        // Past tense should not trigger
+        assert!(!eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_tool_intent("I already stopped the mission.")"#
+        ));
+    }
+
+    // ── Execution intent: stop / pause / cancel ────────────────
+
+    #[test]
+    fn signals_execution_intent_stop_pause_cancel() {
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(r#"signals_execution_intent("stop it")"#));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_execution_intent("pause the mission")"#
+        ));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_execution_intent("cancel that")"#
+        ));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_execution_intent("please stop the ticker")"#
+        ));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_execution_intent("please pause everything")"#
+        ));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn signals_execution_intent_bare_stop() {
+        // Bare imperative commands — the exact user messages from #2808
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(r#"signals_execution_intent("stop")"#));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_execution_intent("stop pinging")"#
+        ));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(r#"signals_execution_intent("pause")"#));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(r#"signals_execution_intent("cancel")"#));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(r#"signals_execution_intent("halt")"#));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn signals_execution_intent_no_false_positive_stop_in_sentence() {
+        // "stop" mid-sentence should NOT trigger — only at the start
+        assert!(!eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_execution_intent("I can't stop thinking about it")"#
+        ));
+        assert!(!eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_execution_intent("how do I stop a mission?")"#
+        ));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn signals_execution_intent_halt_disable_phrases() {
+        // "halt/disable" pronoun+article phrases and "please halt/disable"
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(r#"signals_execution_intent("halt that")"#));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_execution_intent("halt the mission")"#
+        ));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_execution_intent("disable it")"#
+        ));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_execution_intent("disable the ticker")"#
+        ));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_execution_intent("please halt the mission")"#
+        ));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_execution_intent("please disable the routine")"#
+        ));
+        // Bare "disable" command
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(r#"signals_execution_intent("disable")"#));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn signals_execution_intent_bare_stop_with_punctuation() {
+        // Bare commands with trailing punctuation must still match
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(r#"signals_execution_intent("stop.")"#));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(r#"signals_execution_intent("cancel!")"#));
+        assert!(eval_python_bool(
+            r#"signals_execution_intent("stop pinging.")"#
+        ));
+    }
+
     // ── Skill activation: smart-quote / autocorrect resilience ───
     //
     // Regression for the ceo-setup non-activation report. iOS / macOS / most