fix(apply): fail with exit 1 when apply instructions are blocked

src/commands/workflow/instructions.ts

@@ -395,7 +395,11 @@ export async function generateApplyInstructions(
 
   if (missingArtifacts.length > 0) {
     state = 'blocked';
-    instruction = `Cannot apply this change yet. Missing artifacts: ${missingArtifacts.join(', ')}.\nUse the openspec-continue-change skill to create the missing artifacts first.`;
+    const specsHint =
+      missingArtifacts.includes('specs') && context.schemaName === 'spec-driven'
+        ? '\nDelta specs must exist under changes/<name>/specs/ before implementation.'
+        : '';
+    instruction = `Cannot apply this change yet. Missing artifacts: ${missingArtifacts.join(', ')}.${specsHint}\nUse the openspec-continue-change skill to create the missing artifacts first.`;
   } else if (tracksFile && !tracksFileExists) {
     // Tracking file configured but doesn't exist yet
     const tracksFilename = path.basename(tracksFile);
@@ -467,10 +471,13 @@ export async function applyInstructionsCommand(options: ApplyInstructionsOptions
 
     if (options.json) {
       console.log(JSON.stringify({ ...instructions, root: toRootOutput(root) }, null, 2));
-      return;
+    } else {
+      printApplyInstructionsText(instructions);
     }
 
-    printApplyInstructionsText(instructions);
+    if (instructions.state === 'blocked') {
+      process.exitCode = 1;
+    }
   } catch (error) {
     spinner?.stop();
     throw error;

test/commands/artifact-workflow.test.ts

@@ -440,11 +440,25 @@ describe('artifact-workflow CLI commands', () => {
       const result = await runCLI(['instructions', 'apply', '--change', 'blocked-apply'], {
         cwd: tempDir,
       });
-      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
       expect(result.stdout).toContain('Blocked');
       expect(result.stdout).toContain('Missing artifacts: tasks');
     });
 
+    it('does not block apply when tasks exist but delta specs are missing', async () => {
+      await createTestChange('missing-specs-apply', ['proposal', 'design', 'tasks']);
+
+      const result = await runCLI(
+        ['instructions', 'apply', '--change', 'missing-specs-apply', '--json'],
+        { cwd: tempDir }
+      );
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+
+      const json = JSON.parse(result.stdout);
+      expect(json.state).toBe('ready');
+      expect(json.missingArtifacts).toBeUndefined();
+    });
+
     it('outputs JSON for apply instructions', async () => {
       await createTestChange('json-apply', ['proposal', 'design', 'specs', 'tasks']);
 
@@ -578,7 +592,6 @@ apply:
       expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
 
       const json = JSON.parse(result.stdout);
-      // spec-driven schema has apply block with requires: [tasks], so should be ready
       expect(json.schemaName).toBe('spec-driven');
       expect(json.state).toBe('ready');
     });
@@ -624,7 +637,7 @@ artifacts:
           env: { XDG_DATA_HOME: userDataDir },
         }
       );
-      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(0);
+      expect(result.exitCode).toBe(1);
 
       const json = JSON.parse(result.stdout);
       // Without apply block, fallback requires ALL artifacts - second is missing

test/fixtures/tmp-init/openspec/changes/c1/tasks.md

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+## 1. Implementation
+
+- [ ] 1.1 Complete the change