diff --git a/docs/dispatch-events.md b/docs/dispatch-events.md
index a67649f..0ab305d 100644
--- a/docs/dispatch-events.md
+++ b/docs/dispatch-events.md
@@ -56,8 +56,9 @@ AccountCredentialsRefreshedEvent { accountId, expiresAt, previousExpiresAt? }
 2. **Dispatch** — `dispatchNext()` finds highest-priority task with all deps complete
 3. **Priority order**: high > medium > low, then oldest first (FIFO within priority)
 4. **Checkpoint skip** — Tasks with type starting with `checkpoint:` skip auto-dispatch
-5. **Approval check** — `completeTask()` checks `requiresApproval` (task-level, then initiative-level)
-6. **Approval flow** — If approval required: status → `pending_approval`, emit `task:pending_approval`
+5. **Planning skip** — Planning-category tasks (research, discuss, plan, detail, refine) skip auto-dispatch — they use the architect flow
+6. **Approval check** — `completeTask()` checks `requiresApproval` (task-level, then initiative-level)
+7. **Approval flow** — If approval required: status → `pending_approval`, emit `task:pending_approval`
 
 ### DispatchManager Methods
 
@@ -77,7 +78,7 @@ AccountCredentialsRefreshedEvent { accountId, expiresAt, previousExpiresAt? }
 
 1. **Queue** — `queuePhase(phaseId)` validates phase is approved, gets dependencies
 2. **Dispatch** — `dispatchNextPhase()` finds phase with all deps complete
-3. **Auto-queue tasks** — When phase starts, all pending tasks are queued
+3. **Auto-queue tasks** — When phase starts, pending execution tasks are queued (planning-category tasks excluded)
 4. **Events** — `phase:queued`, `phase:started`, `phase:completed`, `phase:blocked`
 
 ### PhaseDispatchManager Methods
diff --git a/docs/server-api.md b/docs/server-api.md
index bab3637..82b8b13 100644
--- a/docs/server-api.md
+++ b/docs/server-api.md
@@ -117,9 +117,9 @@ Each procedure uses `require*Repository(ctx)` helpers that throw `TRPCError(INTE
 | Procedure | Type | Description |
 |-----------|------|-------------|
 | spawnArchitectDiscuss | mutation | Discussion agent |
-| spawnArchitectPlan | mutation | Plan agent (generates phases). Passes full initiative context (existing phases, tasks, pages) |
+| spawnArchitectPlan | mutation | Plan agent (generates phases). Passes initiative context (phases, execution tasks only, pages) |
 | spawnArchitectRefine | mutation | Refine agent (generates proposals) |
-| spawnArchitectDetail | mutation | Detail agent (generates tasks). Passes full initiative context (sibling phases, tasks, pages) |
+| spawnArchitectDetail | mutation | Detail agent (generates tasks). Passes initiative context (phases, execution tasks only, pages) |
 
 ### Dispatch
 | Procedure | Type | Description |
diff --git a/src/dispatch/manager.ts b/src/dispatch/manager.ts
index ff6cbbd..59a1e06 100644
--- a/src/dispatch/manager.ts
+++ b/src/dispatch/manager.ts
@@ -135,6 +135,12 @@ export class DefaultDispatchManager implements DispatchManager {
         continue;
       }
 
+      // Skip planning-category tasks (handled by architect flow)
+      if (task && isPlanningCategory(task.category)) {
+        log.debug({ taskId: qt.taskId, category: task.category }, 'skipping planning-category task');
+        continue;
+      }
+
       readyTasks.push(qt);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/dispatch/phase-manager.ts b/src/dispatch/phase-manager.ts
index 112c921..b9c6a15 100644
--- a/src/dispatch/phase-manager.ts
+++ b/src/dispatch/phase-manager.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import type { InitiativeRepository } from '../db/repositories/initiative-reposit
 import type { ProjectRepository } from '../db/repositories/project-repository.js';
 import type { BranchManager } from '../git/branch-manager.js';
 import type { PhaseDispatchManager, DispatchManager, QueuedPhase, PhaseDispatchResult } from './types.js';
-import { phaseBranchName } from '../git/branch-naming.js';
+import { phaseBranchName, isPlanningCategory } from '../git/branch-naming.js';
 import { ensureProjectClone } from '../git/project-clones.js';
 import { createModuleLogger } from '../logger/index.js';
 
@@ -191,10 +191,10 @@ export class DefaultPhaseDispatchManager implements PhaseDispatchManager {
     // Remove from queue (now being worked on)
     this.phaseQueue.delete(nextPhase.phaseId);
 
-    // Auto-queue pending tasks for this phase
+    // Auto-queue pending execution tasks for this phase (skip planning-category tasks)
     const phaseTasks = await this.taskRepository.findByPhaseId(nextPhase.phaseId);
     for (const task of phaseTasks) {
-      if (task.status === 'pending') {
+      if (task.status === 'pending' && !isPlanningCategory(task.category)) {
         await this.dispatchManager.queue(task.id);
       }
     }
diff --git a/src/trpc/routers/architect.ts b/src/trpc/routers/architect.ts
index 4441920..9d437ed 100644
--- a/src/trpc/routers/architect.ts
+++ b/src/trpc/routers/architect.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import {
   buildRefinePrompt,
   buildDetailPrompt,
 } from '../../agent/prompts/index.js';
+import { isPlanningCategory } from '../../git/branch-naming.js';
 import type { PhaseRepository } from '../../db/repositories/phase-repository.js';
 import type { TaskRepository } from '../../db/repositories/task-repository.js';
 import type { PageRepository } from '../../db/repositories/page-repository.js';
@@ -68,7 +69,10 @@ async function gatherInitiativeContext(
     }
   }
 
-  return { phases, tasks: allTasks, pages };
+  // Only include implementation tasks in agent context — planning tasks are irrelevant noise
+  const implementationTasks = allTasks.filter(t => !isPlanningCategory(t.category));
+
+  return { phases, tasks: implementationTasks, pages };
 }
 
 export function architectProcedures(publicProcedure: ProcedureBuilder) {