diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/execution-workspaces-service.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/execution-workspaces-service.test.ts
index d4a50bdccee..1adb85248b4 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/execution-workspaces-service.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/execution-workspaces-service.test.ts
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("executionWorkspaceService.getCloseReadiness", () => {
     ]));
   });
 
-  it("warns about dirty and unmerged git worktrees and reports cleanup actions", async () => {
+  it("warns about unmerged git worktrees and reports cleanup actions", async () => {
     const repoRoot = await createTempRepo();
     tempDirs.add(repoRoot);
     const worktreePath = path.join(path.dirname(repoRoot), `paperclip-worktree-${randomUUID()}`);
@@ -232,7 +232,6 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("executionWorkspaceService.getCloseReadiness", () => {
     await fs.writeFile(path.join(worktreePath, "feature.txt"), "hello\n", "utf8");
     await runGit(worktreePath, ["add", "feature.txt"]);
     await runGit(worktreePath, ["commit", "-m", "Feature commit"]);
-    await fs.writeFile(path.join(worktreePath, "untracked.txt"), "left behind\n", "utf8");
 
     const companyId = randomUUID();
     const projectId = randomUUID();
@@ -304,14 +303,13 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("executionWorkspaceService.getCloseReadiness", () => {
         baseRef: "main",
         createdByRuntime: true,
         hasDirtyTrackedFiles: false,
-        hasUntrackedFiles: true,
+        hasUntrackedFiles: false,
         aheadCount: 1,
         behindCount: 0,
         isMergedIntoBase: false,
       },
     });
     expect(readiness?.warnings).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining([
-      "The workspace has 1 untracked file.",
       "This workspace is 1 commit ahead of main and is not merged.",
     ]));
     expect(readiness?.plannedActions.map((action) => action.kind)).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining([
@@ -322,4 +320,84 @@ describeEmbeddedPostgres("executionWorkspaceService.getCloseReadiness", () => {
       "git_branch_delete",
     ]));
   }, 20_000);
+
+  it("blocks closing dirty git worktrees now that close is non-forced", async () => {
+    const repoRoot = await createTempRepo();
+    tempDirs.add(repoRoot);
+    const worktreePath = path.join(path.dirname(repoRoot), `paperclip-worktree-${randomUUID()}`);
+    tempDirs.add(worktreePath);
+
+    await runGit(repoRoot, ["branch", "paperclip-dirty-check"]);
+    await runGit(repoRoot, ["worktree", "add", worktreePath, "paperclip-dirty-check"]);
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(worktreePath, "untracked.txt"), "left behind\n", "utf8");
+
+    const companyId = randomUUID();
+    const projectId = randomUUID();
+    const projectWorkspaceId = randomUUID();
+    const executionWorkspaceId = randomUUID();
+
+    await db.insert(companies).values({
+      id: companyId,
+      name: "Paperclip",
+      issuePrefix: "PAP",
+      requireBoardApprovalForNewAgents: false,
+    });
+    await db.insert(projects).values({
+      id: projectId,
+      companyId,
+      name: "Workspaces",
+      status: "in_progress",
+      executionWorkspacePolicy: {
+        enabled: true,
+        workspaceStrategy: {
+          type: "git_worktree",
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    await db.insert(projectWorkspaces).values({
+      id: projectWorkspaceId,
+      companyId,
+      projectId,
+      name: "Primary",
+      sourceType: "git_repo",
+      isPrimary: true,
+      cwd: repoRoot,
+    });
+    await db.insert(executionWorkspaces).values({
+      id: executionWorkspaceId,
+      companyId,
+      projectId,
+      projectWorkspaceId,
+      mode: "isolated_workspace",
+      strategyType: "git_worktree",
+      name: "Dirty workspace",
+      status: "active",
+      providerType: "git_worktree",
+      cwd: worktreePath,
+      providerRef: worktreePath,
+      branchName: "paperclip-dirty-check",
+      baseRef: "main",
+      metadata: {
+        createdByRuntime: true,
+      },
+    });
+
+    const readiness = await svc.getCloseReadiness(executionWorkspaceId);
+
+    expect(readiness).toMatchObject({
+      workspaceId: executionWorkspaceId,
+      state: "blocked",
+      isDestructiveCloseAllowed: false,
+      git: {
+        hasDirtyTrackedFiles: false,
+        hasUntrackedFiles: true,
+      },
+    });
+    expect(readiness?.blockingReasons).toContain(
+      "This git worktree still has untracked files. Clean, commit, stash, or move them before closing.",
+    );
+    expect(readiness?.plannedActions.find((action) => action.kind === "git_worktree_remove")).toMatchObject({
+      command: `git worktree remove ${worktreePath}`,
+    });
+  }, 20_000);
 });
diff --git a/server/src/__tests__/workspace-runtime.test.ts b/server/src/__tests__/workspace-runtime.test.ts
index f158a5e9e63..05fe2e9b823 100644
--- a/server/src/__tests__/workspace-runtime.test.ts
+++ b/server/src/__tests__/workspace-runtime.test.ts
@@ -888,6 +888,72 @@ describe("realizeExecutionWorkspace", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("refuses to remove a dirty git worktree during cleanup", async () => {
+    const repoRoot = await createTempRepo();
+
+    const workspace = await realizeExecutionWorkspace({
+      base: {
+        baseCwd: repoRoot,
+        source: "project_primary",
+        projectId: "project-1",
+        workspaceId: "workspace-1",
+        repoUrl: null,
+        repoRef: "HEAD",
+      },
+      config: {
+        workspaceStrategy: {
+          type: "git_worktree",
+          branchTemplate: "{{issue.identifier}}-{{slug}}",
+        },
+      },
+      issue: {
+        id: "issue-1",
+        identifier: "PAP-1100",
+        title: "Dirty cleanup stays put",
+      },
+      agent: {
+        id: "agent-1",
+        name: "Codex Coder",
+        companyId: "company-1",
+      },
+    });
+
+    await fs.writeFile(path.join(workspace.cwd, "left-behind.txt"), "still dirty\n", "utf8");
+
+    const cleanup = await cleanupExecutionWorkspaceArtifacts({
+      workspace: {
+        id: "execution-workspace-1",
+        cwd: workspace.cwd,
+        providerType: "git_worktree",
+        providerRef: workspace.worktreePath,
+        branchName: workspace.branchName,
+        repoUrl: workspace.repoUrl,
+        baseRef: workspace.repoRef,
+        projectId: workspace.projectId,
+        projectWorkspaceId: workspace.workspaceId,
+        sourceIssueId: "issue-1",
+        metadata: {
+          createdByRuntime: true,
+        },
+      },
+      projectWorkspace: {
+        cwd: repoRoot,
+        cleanupCommand: null,
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(cleanup.cleaned).toBe(false);
+    expect(cleanup.warnings).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(cleanup.warnings[0]).toContain("use --force to delete it");
+    expect(cleanup.warnings[1]).toContain(`Skipped deleting branch "${workspace.branchName}"`);
+    await expect(fs.stat(workspace.cwd)).resolves.toBeTruthy();
+    await expect(
+      execFileAsync("git", ["branch", "--list", workspace.branchName!], { cwd: repoRoot }),
+    ).resolves.toMatchObject({
+      stdout: expect.stringContaining(workspace.branchName!),
+    });
+  });
+
   it("records teardown and cleanup operations when a recorder is provided", async () => {
     const repoRoot = await createTempRepo();
     const { recorder, operations } = createWorkspaceOperationRecorderDouble();
diff --git a/server/src/services/execution-workspaces.ts b/server/src/services/execution-workspaces.ts
index a1d3b41d69a..5b497b2e68e 100644
--- a/server/src/services/execution-workspaces.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/execution-workspaces.ts
@@ -508,6 +508,17 @@ export function executionWorkspaceService(db: Db) {
         );
       }
 
+      if (!isSharedWorkspace && executionWorkspace.providerType === "git_worktree" && git) {
+        const dirtyConditions: string[] = [];
+        if (git.hasDirtyTrackedFiles) dirtyConditions.push("modified tracked files");
+        if (git.hasUntrackedFiles) dirtyConditions.push("untracked files");
+        if (dirtyConditions.length > 0) {
+          blockingReasons.push(
+            `This git worktree still has ${dirtyConditions.join(" and ")}. Clean, commit, stash, or move them before closing.`,
+          );
+        }
+      }
+
       const plannedActions: ExecutionWorkspaceCloseAction[] = [
         {
           kind: "archive_record",
@@ -562,8 +573,8 @@ export function executionWorkspaceService(db: Db) {
         plannedActions.push({
           kind: "git_worktree_remove",
           label: "Remove git worktree",
-          description: `Paperclip will run git worktree cleanup for ${workspacePath}.`,
-          command: `git worktree remove --force ${workspacePath}`,
+          description: `Paperclip will remove the git worktree at ${workspacePath} without forcing dirty checkouts.`,
+          command: `git worktree remove ${workspacePath}`,
         });
       }
 
diff --git a/server/src/services/workspace-runtime.ts b/server/src/services/workspace-runtime.ts
index a100242e665..1aae25634e8 100644
--- a/server/src/services/workspace-runtime.ts
+++ b/server/src/services/workspace-runtime.ts
@@ -816,7 +816,7 @@ export async function cleanupExecutionWorkspaceArtifacts(input: {
         try {
           await recordGitOperation(input.recorder, {
             phase: "worktree_cleanup",
-            args: ["worktree", "remove", "--force", workspacePath],
+            args: ["worktree", "remove", workspacePath],
             cwd: repoRoot,
             metadata: {
               workspaceId: input.workspace.id,