diff --git a/plugins/source-control/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/plugins/source-control/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index c25161492..d13b24bad 100644
--- a/plugins/source-control/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/plugins/source-control/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "$schema": "https://json.schemastore.org/claude-code-plugin-manifest.json",
   "name": "source-control",
-  "version": "0.53.16",
+  "version": "0.53.17",
   "description": "Git and GitHub delivery workflow: /commit (Conventional Commits + Co-authored-by trailer via safe heredoc mechanics), /pull-request (prep, create, CI monitoring, review-comment triage, merge, CI-log fetch), /babysit-prs (self-pacing fleet loop \u2014 safe by default; opt-in worker/autopilot tiers add gate-checked merge and thread resolution behind a deterministic Python engine), /babysit-loop (the loop-lane merge lane: a standing or drain loop that invokes babysit-prs per cycle, configured through repo-scoped babysit_loop_* keys on the layered source-control.md seam, with merge authority human-only until the target repo's tracked config adopts the lane, a gate-proven C2-mechanical baseline once adopted, and standing merge-rung raises binding from the team-tracked layer only \u2014 with one named exception, where an invocation line explicitly typing both the autopilot tier keyword and the dedicated raise argument --merge c3-this-run widens that single invocation's merge authority up to C3 behind a fresh independent frontier-tier resolver, while C4-structural and C5-untrusted-provenance stay unconditionally human-merge), /worktree (create, status, cleanup, audit for parallel-session isolation), /setup (check the effective commit-subject / PR-title convention merged across its config layers and the babysit-prs config, or apply \u2014 interview the repo and write the convention config to a chosen layer), and /resolve-conflicts (intent-first merge/rebase conflict resolution with a semantic-conflict sweep \u2014 never --abort). The commit-subject / PR-title convention is configurable via a source-control.md config written by a re-runnable setup skill, layered across a ~/.claude user-global file, the tracked team file, and a gitignored .claude/source-control.local.md personal overlay merged per key; Conventional Commits is the default when no convention is declared.",
   "author": {
     "name": "Melodic Software",
diff --git a/plugins/source-control/CHANGELOG.md b/plugins/source-control/CHANGELOG.md
index 52593352e..f3cd180da 100644
--- a/plugins/source-control/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/plugins/source-control/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,14 @@
 All notable changes to the `source-control` plugin are documented here. Format follows
 [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/); this plugin uses semantic versioning.
 
+## [0.53.17]
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **Branch refresh and review triggers no longer halt on self-authored human stops (#902).**
+  `human_stop.external_required` excludes configured self-logins from automation gates while
+  `human_stop.required` still blocks merge when the maintainer posts under their own login.
+
 ## [0.53.16]
 
 ### Changed
diff --git a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_delta.py b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_delta.py
index b7ac6aa08..12f46bf23 100755
--- a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_delta.py
+++ b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_delta.py
@@ -464,12 +464,19 @@ def classify_pr(
     dispositions = dict(prev.get("feedback_dispositions") or {})
     feedback = collect_feedback(pr, inline_comments, dispositions, config.feedback)
     review_decision = str(pr.get("reviewDecision") or "")
+    self_logins = normalize_self_logins(config.self_logins)
     human_changes_requested = any(
         item.get("kind") == "review" and item.get("state") == "CHANGES_REQUESTED"
         for item in feedback["human_blocking"]
     )
+    external_human_blocking = [
+        item
+        for item in feedback["human_blocking"]
+        if not is_self_login(item.get("author"), self_logins)
+    ]
     human_stop = {
         "required": bool(feedback["human_blocking"]),
+        "external_required": bool(external_human_blocking),
         "human_changes_requested": human_changes_requested,
         "human_blocking_count": len(feedback["human_blocking"]),
     }
@@ -581,7 +588,6 @@ def classify_pr(
     # gate. Filtering it there instead would silently strip the solo maintainer's
     # ability to human-stop their own PR. Here it only stops re-dispatching a
     # worker onto the engine's own prior output.
-    self_logins = normalize_self_logins(config.self_logins)
     new_blocking_feedback = [
         item for item in feedback["blocking"] if item["id"] not in prev_blocking_ids
     ]
diff --git a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_feedback.py b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_feedback.py
index f95bd15c6..0337bb447 100755
--- a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_feedback.py
+++ b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_feedback.py
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
     "body_text",
     "collect_feedback",
     "fetch_current_human_stop",
+    "human_stop_blocks_automation",
     "has_blocking_severity",
     "has_blocking_text",
     "human_stop_state",
@@ -258,14 +259,27 @@ def human_stop_state(
     pr: dict[str, Any],
     inline_comments: list[dict[str, Any]] | None,
     config: FeedbackConfig = DEFAULT_FEEDBACK_CONFIG,
+    *,
+    self_logins: frozenset[str] | None = None,
 ) -> dict[str, Any]:
     feedback = collect_feedback(pr, inline_comments, config=config)
     human_changes_requested = any(
         item.get("kind") == "review" and item.get("state") == "CHANGES_REQUESTED"
         for item in feedback["human_blocking"]
     )
+    normalized_self = (
+        normalize_self_logins(self_logins) if self_logins is not None else frozenset()
+    )
+    external_blocking = [
+        item
+        for item in feedback["human_blocking"]
+        if not is_self_login(item.get("author"), normalized_self)
+    ]
     return {
         "required": bool(feedback["human_blocking"]),
+        # Self-authored classification replies must not block freshness refresh or
+        # review triggers (#902); merge/triage still consult `required`.
+        "external_required": bool(external_blocking),
         "human_changes_requested": human_changes_requested,
         "human_blocking_count": len(feedback["human_blocking"]),
     }
@@ -276,9 +290,24 @@ def fetch_current_human_stop(
     number: int,
     pr: dict[str, Any],
     config: FeedbackConfig = DEFAULT_FEEDBACK_CONFIG,
+    *,
+    self_logins: frozenset[str] | None = None,
 ) -> dict[str, Any]:
     hydrated = dict(pr)
     hydrated["comments"] = fetch_issue_comments(repo, number)
     rest_hydrate_reviews(hydrated, repo, number)
     inline_comments = fetch_unresolved_review_comments(repo, number)
-    return human_stop_state(hydrated, inline_comments, config)
+    return human_stop_state(
+        hydrated, inline_comments, config, self_logins=self_logins
+    )
+
+
+def human_stop_blocks_automation(human_stop: dict[str, Any]) -> bool:
+    """Return whether automation (refresh, review trigger) must halt.
+
+    Prefer `external_required` when present (#902): self-authored lane replies
+    stay in `required` for merge/triage but must not block freshness refresh.
+    """
+    if "external_required" in human_stop:
+        return bool(human_stop.get("external_required"))
+    return bool(human_stop.get("required"))
diff --git a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/refresh_pr_branch.py b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/refresh_pr_branch.py
index e6ebad592..7a5f62cd8 100755
--- a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/refresh_pr_branch.py
+++ b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/refresh_pr_branch.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 import babysit_lease as leases
 from babysit_delta import compute_branch_freshness, head_repository_scope
-from babysit_feedback import fetch_current_human_stop
+from babysit_feedback import fetch_current_human_stop, human_stop_blocks_automation
 from babysit_gh import (
     find_open_prs_for_head_ref,
     gh_json,
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ def validate_current_candidate(
         raise RuntimeError("PR has a merge conflict; refusing branch refresh")
     if compute_branch_freshness(current)["state"] != "behind":
         raise RuntimeError("PR is no longer behind its base branch")
-    if fetch_current_human_stop(repo, number, current)["required"]:
+    if human_stop_blocks_automation(fetch_current_human_stop(repo, number, current)):
         raise RuntimeError("human review stop is active; refusing branch refresh")
     matching_prs = find_open_prs_for_head_ref(current)
     if matching_prs != [f"{repo}#{number}"]:
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ def run_locked(
         "branch_write_allowed"
     ):
         raise RuntimeError("snapshot does not allow writes to this PR head repository")
-    if json_object(pr_state.get("human_stop")).get("required"):
+    if human_stop_blocks_automation(json_object(pr_state.get("human_stop"))):
         raise RuntimeError("snapshot has an active human review stop")
     uniqueness = json_object(pr_state.get("head_ref_uniqueness"))
     if not uniqueness.get("checked") or not uniqueness.get("unique"):
diff --git a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/request_review.py b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/request_review.py
index e6b5941a2..91766df22 100755
--- a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/request_review.py
+++ b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/request_review.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 
 import babysit_lease as leases
 from babysit_delta import compute_branch_freshness, head_repository_scope
-from babysit_feedback import fetch_current_human_stop
+from babysit_feedback import fetch_current_human_stop, human_stop_blocks_automation
 from babysit_gh import (
     flatten_paginated_items,
     gh_json,
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ def validate_current_candidate(
         reaction_signals, expected_head_sha, review_trigger
     )
     human_stop = fetch_current_human_stop(repo, number, current)
-    if human_stop["required"]:
+    if human_stop_blocks_automation(human_stop):
         raise RuntimeError(
             "human review stop is active; refusing to post a review trigger"
         )
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ def run_locked(
         raise RuntimeError(
             "snapshot base repository is outside configured owners or archived"
         )
-    if json_object(pr_state.get("human_stop")).get("required"):
+    if human_stop_blocks_automation(json_object(pr_state.get("human_stop"))):
         raise RuntimeError("snapshot has an active human review stop")
     allowed_owners = allowed_owners_from_policy(mutation_policy)
 
diff --git a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_babysit_delta.py b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_babysit_delta.py
index dc1abebc4..f0e19ef5d 100644
--- a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_babysit_delta.py
+++ b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_babysit_delta.py
@@ -451,6 +451,7 @@ def test_self_login_item_is_still_classified_human_blocking(self) -> None:
                    for item in result["feedback"]["human_blocking"]]
         self.assertEqual(authors, ["solo"])
         self.assertTrue(result["human_stop"]["required"])
+        self.assertFalse(result["human_stop"]["external_required"])
         self.assertFalse(result["pr_clean_ready_for_direct_gate"])
 
     def test_other_login_still_fires_under_same_config(self) -> None: