diff --git a/roboco/services/git.py b/roboco/services/git.py
index 4f63b305..063bb242 100644
--- a/roboco/services/git.py
+++ b/roboco/services/git.py
@@ -1395,6 +1395,42 @@ class GitService(BaseService):
                 {"owner": owner, "repo": repo, "head": payload.get("head")},
             ) from e
 
+    async def _pr_base_on_remote(
+        self,
+        workspace: Path,
+        target_branch: str,
+        default_branch: str,
+        git_token: str,
+        task_id: UUID,
+    ) -> str:
+        """Return a PR base branch that actually exists on origin.
+
+        GitHub rejects PR creation with 422 "base field invalid" when the base
+        branch is absent on the remote — which happens when an ancestor task's
+        branch was claimed but never pushed (e.g. a PM paused before any commit),
+        stranding every child at PR time. Mirror the branch-cutting fallback in
+        ``create_branch``: if the resolved base is missing on origin, retarget to
+        the default branch instead of hard-failing. The default branch is assumed
+        present, so it is returned unchecked.
+        """
+        if target_branch == default_branch:
+            return target_branch
+        ls = await self._run_git(
+            workspace,
+            ["ls-remote", "--heads", "origin", target_branch],
+            check=False,
+            token=git_token,
+        )
+        if ls.stdout.strip():
+            return target_branch
+        self.log.warning(
+            "PR base branch not on remote; retargeting PR to the default branch",
+            base_branch=target_branch,
+            default_branch=default_branch,
+            task_id=str(task_id),
+        )
+        return default_branch
+
     async def create_pull_request(
         self, workspace: Path, request: GitCreatePRRequest
     ) -> tuple[int, str, str, str, str]:
@@ -1414,6 +1450,9 @@ class GitService(BaseService):
         target_branch = await self._resolve_pr_target_branch(
             request, task, default_branch
         )
+        target_branch = await self._pr_base_on_remote(
+            workspace, target_branch, default_branch, git_token, request.task_id
+        )
         pr_title, pr_body = await self._generate_pr_title_body(
             request, task, source_branch, target_branch, request.task_id
         )
@@ -1814,6 +1853,45 @@ class GitService(BaseService):
             owner, repo, branch_name, git_token
         )
 
+    async def _first_allowed_merge_method(
+        self,
+        owner: str,
+        repo: str,
+        git_token: str,
+        *,
+        exclude: str | None = None,
+    ) -> str | None:
+        """Return a merge method the repo permits (squash > merge > rebase),
+        skipping ``exclude``; ``None`` if the lookup fails.
+
+        Recovers when a merge is refused with 405 because the repo disables that
+        merge method in its settings.
+        """
+        try:
+            async with httpx.AsyncClient(timeout=_default_git_timeout()) as client:
+                resp = await client.get(
+                    f"https://api.github.com/repos/{owner}/{repo}",
+                    headers={
+                        "Authorization": f"Bearer {git_token}",
+                        "Accept": "application/vnd.github+json",
+                        "X-GitHub-Api-Version": "2022-11-28",
+                    },
+                )
+            if not resp.is_success:
+                return None
+            data = resp.json()
+        except httpx.HTTPError:
+            return None
+        allowed = {
+            "squash": data.get("allow_squash_merge", True),
+            "merge": data.get("allow_merge_commit", True),
+            "rebase": data.get("allow_rebase_merge", True),
+        }
+        for method in ("squash", "merge", "rebase"):
+            if method != exclude and allowed.get(method):
+                return method
+        return None
+
     async def merge_pull_request(
         self, workspace: Path, pr_number: int, merge_method: str, project_slug: str
     ) -> tuple[str, str]:
@@ -1829,6 +1907,26 @@ class GitService(BaseService):
         resp = await self._call_merge_api(
             owner, repo, pr_number, git_token, merge_method
         )
+        # A 405 means the repo disallows this merge method (e.g. "Squash merges
+        # are not allowed on this repository" when that button is off). Fall back
+        # to a method the repo permits and retry once, so a repo's merge-button
+        # settings can't permanently wedge the PM on an open, mergeable PR.
+        if resp.status_code == httpx.codes.METHOD_NOT_ALLOWED:
+            fallback = await self._first_allowed_merge_method(
+                owner, repo, git_token, exclude=merge_method
+            )
+            if fallback and fallback != merge_method:
+                self.log.info(
+                    "Merge method refused by repo; retrying with a permitted one",
+                    requested=merge_method,
+                    fallback=fallback,
+                    owner=owner,
+                    repo=repo,
+                    pr=pr_number,
+                )
+                resp = await self._call_merge_api(
+                    owner, repo, pr_number, git_token, fallback
+                )
         if not resp.is_success:
             raise GitError(
                 f"GitHub API refused PR merge ({resp.status_code}): {resp.text[:200]}",
diff --git a/tests/unit/services/test_git_merge_method_fallback.py b/tests/unit/services/test_git_merge_method_fallback.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c65c5595
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/services/test_git_merge_method_fallback.py
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+"""GitService falls back to a permitted merge method when the repo refuses one.
+
+A repo with squash merges disabled returns 405 ("Squash merges are not allowed")
+on the default squash merge. Without a fallback the PM strands on an open,
+mergeable PR — code built, QA passed, docs written, one API call from done.
+merge_pull_request must look up a method the repo permits and retry once.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock
+
+import pytest
+import roboco.services.git as git_module
+from roboco.services.git import GitService
+
+
+def _git_service() -> GitService:
+    svc = GitService.__new__(GitService)
+    svc.log = MagicMock()
+    return svc
+
+
+def _resp(
+    status_code: int, *, is_success: bool, json_data: dict[str, Any] | None = None
+) -> Any:
+    payload = json_data or {}
+    return type(
+        "R",
+        (),
+        {
+            "status_code": status_code,
+            "is_success": is_success,
+            "text": "",
+            "json": lambda _self=None, _p=payload: _p,
+        },
+    )()
+
+
+class _FakeClient:
+    def __init__(self, resp: Any) -> None:
+        self._resp = resp
+
+    async def __aenter__(self) -> _FakeClient:
+        return self
+
+    async def __aexit__(self, *_a: Any) -> bool:
+        return False
+
+    async def get(self, _url: str, **_kwargs: Any) -> Any:
+        return self._resp
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_first_allowed_skips_disabled_method(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    svc = _git_service()
+    resp = _resp(
+        200,
+        is_success=True,
+        json_data={
+            "allow_squash_merge": False,
+            "allow_merge_commit": True,
+            "allow_rebase_merge": True,
+        },
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        git_module.httpx, "AsyncClient", lambda *_a, **_k: _FakeClient(resp)
+    )
+    method = await svc._first_allowed_merge_method("o", "r", "tok", exclude="squash")
+    assert method == "merge"  # squash disabled + excluded -> next permitted
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_first_allowed_returns_none_when_lookup_fails(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    svc = _git_service()
+    resp = _resp(403, is_success=False)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        git_module.httpx, "AsyncClient", lambda *_a, **_k: _FakeClient(resp)
+    )
+    assert await svc._first_allowed_merge_method("o", "r", "tok") is None
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_merge_retries_with_allowed_method_on_405(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    svc = _git_service()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        svc, "_get_project_token_or_raise", AsyncMock(return_value="tok")
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(svc, "_parse_github_remote", lambda _ws: ("owner", "repo"))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        svc, "_delete_pr_branch_best_effort", AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        svc, "_project_default_branch", AsyncMock(return_value="master")
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(svc, "_sync_target_branch", AsyncMock(return_value="abc123"))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        svc, "_first_allowed_merge_method", AsyncMock(return_value="merge")
+    )
+
+    calls: list[str] = []
+
+    async def fake_call(
+        _owner: str, _repo: str, _pr: int, _token: str, method: str
+    ) -> Any:
+        calls.append(method)
+        return (
+            _resp(200, is_success=True)
+            if method == "merge"
+            else _resp(405, is_success=False)
+        )
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(svc, "_call_merge_api", fake_call)
+
+    target, commit = await svc.merge_pull_request(Path("/tmp/ws"), 7, "squash", "proj")
+
+    assert calls == ["squash", "merge"]  # refused squash, retried with merge
+    assert target == "master"
+    assert commit == "abc123"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_merge_does_not_retry_when_method_allowed(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    svc = _git_service()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        svc, "_get_project_token_or_raise", AsyncMock(return_value="tok")
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(svc, "_parse_github_remote", lambda _ws: ("owner", "repo"))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        svc, "_delete_pr_branch_best_effort", AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        svc, "_project_default_branch", AsyncMock(return_value="master")
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr(svc, "_sync_target_branch", AsyncMock(return_value="abc123"))
+    lookup = AsyncMock(return_value="merge")
+    monkeypatch.setattr(svc, "_first_allowed_merge_method", lookup)
+
+    calls: list[str] = []
+
+    async def fake_call(
+        _owner: str, _repo: str, _pr: int, _token: str, method: str
+    ) -> Any:
+        calls.append(method)
+        return _resp(200, is_success=True)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(svc, "_call_merge_api", fake_call)
+
+    await svc.merge_pull_request(Path("/tmp/ws"), 7, "squash", "proj")
+
+    assert calls == ["squash"]  # allowed first time, no second call
+    lookup.assert_not_awaited()  # fallback lookup never triggered
diff --git a/tests/unit/services/test_git_pr_base_fallback.py b/tests/unit/services/test_git_pr_base_fallback.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8311807b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/services/test_git_pr_base_fallback.py
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+"""GitService retargets a PR base to the default branch when it's missing on origin.
+
+create_pull_request resolves the base from the parent task's branch. If that
+branch was never pushed to origin (an ancestor claimed but paused before its
+first commit), GitHub rejects creation with 422 "base field invalid" and every
+child task strands at open_pr. _pr_base_on_remote mirrors the branch-cutting
+fallback in create_branch: ls-remote the resolved base and retarget to the
+default branch when it's absent.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock
+from uuid import uuid4
+
+import pytest
+from roboco.services.git import GitService
+
+
+def _git_service() -> GitService:
+    svc = GitService.__new__(GitService)
+    svc.log = MagicMock()
+    return svc
+
+
+def _result(stdout: str = "") -> Any:
+    return type("R", (), {"stdout": stdout, "returncode": 0})()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_retargets_to_default_when_base_absent_on_origin(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    svc = _git_service()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(svc, "_run_git", AsyncMock(return_value=_result(stdout="")))
+
+    base = await svc._pr_base_on_remote(
+        Path("/tmp/ws"), "feature/backend/root--parent", "master", "tok", uuid4()
+    )
+
+    assert base == "master"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_keeps_base_when_present_on_origin(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    svc = _git_service()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        svc,
+        "_run_git",
+        AsyncMock(return_value=_result(stdout="abc123\trefs/heads/feature/x\n")),
+    )
+
+    base = await svc._pr_base_on_remote(
+        Path("/tmp/ws"), "feature/x", "master", "tok", uuid4()
+    )
+
+    assert base == "feature/x"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_noop_when_base_is_default_branch(
+    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
+) -> None:
+    svc = _git_service()
+    run = AsyncMock(return_value=_result(stdout=""))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(svc, "_run_git", run)
+
+    base = await svc._pr_base_on_remote(
+        Path("/tmp/ws"), "master", "master", "tok", uuid4()
+    )
+
+    assert base == "master"
+    run.assert_not_awaited()  # no remote lookup needed when base is the default