fix(checks): preserve refresh precedence and budget

src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/ChecksPanel.tsx

@@ -957,7 +957,8 @@ export default function ChecksPanel(): React.JSX.Element {
   const checksPanelReviewLookup = checksPanelReviewLookupResult.state
   const hasUnrenderedReviewEvidence =
     checksPanelReviewLookup === 'positive_unresolved' ||
-    hostedReviewCreation?.blockedReason === 'existing_review'
+    (checksPanelReviewLookup !== 'found' &&
+      hostedReviewCreation?.blockedReason === 'existing_review')
   const unrenderedReviewEvidenceIdentity =
     linkedReviewNumber ??
     hostedReview?.number ??

src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/checks-panel-empty-state.test.ts

@@ -167,6 +167,17 @@ describe('getChecksPanelReviewState — precedence', () => {
     expect(state.title).toBe('No upstream configured')
   })
 
+  it('a safety blocker still owns the copy over positive evidence and an in-flight fetch', () => {
+    const state = getChecksPanelReviewState(
+      input({
+        eligibilityBlockedReason: 'dirty',
+        reviewLookup: 'positive_unresolved',
+        refresh: { status: 'in-flight' }
+      })
+    )
+    expect(state.title).toBe('Commit changes first')
+  })
+
   it('hard refresh error hides the composer', () => {
     const state = getChecksPanelReviewState(
       input({ refresh: { status: 'error', errorType: 'auth' } })

src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/checks-panel-empty-state.ts

@@ -74,12 +74,14 @@ export function getChecksPanelReviewState(
 
   const blockedReason = input.eligibilityBlockedReason
 
-  // 1.5 Keep active positive-review lookups self-updating; concurrent branch blockers still own their guidance.
+  // 1.5 Keep active positive-review lookups self-updating without hiding stronger safety guidance.
   const reviewFetchInFlight =
     input.refresh?.status === 'queued' || input.refresh?.status === 'in-flight'
   const hasPendingReviewEvidence =
     input.reviewLookup === 'positive_unresolved' || blockedReason === 'existing_review'
-  if (reviewFetchInFlight && hasPendingReviewEvidence && !isBranchBlocker(blockedReason)) {
+  const pendingReviewLookupOwnsState =
+    blockedReason === undefined || blockedReason === 'existing_review'
+  if (reviewFetchInFlight && hasPendingReviewEvidence && pendingReviewLookupOwnsState) {
     return {
       renderReview: false,
       title: translate(

src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/checks-panel-pr-refresh-request.test.ts

@@ -45,6 +45,17 @@ describe('resolveChecksPanelPRRefreshRequest', () => {
     ).toEqual({ reason: 'swr', priority: 30 })
   })
 
+  it('does not force provider work when review details are already cached', () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveChecksPanelPRRefreshRequest({
+        cachedHasPR: true,
+        cachedFetchedAt: 100,
+        panelVisibleSince: 200,
+        hasUnrenderedReviewEvidence: true
+      })
+    ).toEqual({ reason: 'swr', priority: 30 })
+  })
+
   it('keeps populated or unknown cache entries on the background path', () => {
     expect(
       resolveChecksPanelPRRefreshRequest({

src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/checks-panel-pr-refresh-request.ts

@@ -22,10 +22,12 @@ export function resolveChecksPanelPRRefreshRequest(
     input.cachedFetchedAt !== null &&
     input.panelVisibleSince !== null &&
     input.cachedFetchedAt < input.panelVisibleSince
+  const unresolvedEvidenceNeedsForeground =
+    input.hasUnrenderedReviewEvidence && input.cachedHasPR !== true
 
   if (
     !input.hasRequestedForegroundRefresh &&
-    (cachedMissPredatesVisiblePanel || input.hasUnrenderedReviewEvidence)
+    (cachedMissPredatesVisiblePanel || unresolvedEvidenceNeedsForeground)
   ) {
     // A stale miss or new positive evidence needs one foreground lookup to recover.
     return { reason: 'active', priority: 80 }