diff --git a/agent-team/agent_team/dashboard.py b/agent-team/agent_team/dashboard.py
index feaa38c..d5a8d86 100644
--- a/agent-team/agent_team/dashboard.py
+++ b/agent-team/agent_team/dashboard.py
@@ -142,7 +142,13 @@ def task_detail(db_path: Path | str, thread_id: str) -> dict[str, Any]:
         rows = read_transitions(conn, thread_id)
         cost_by_stage = _cost_by_stage(conn, thread_id)
     except Exception as exc:  # never crash the endpoint
-        return {"ok": False, "error": f"read failed: {exc}", "thread_id": thread_id}
+        # Return only the exception TYPE, never str(exc) — a SQLite message can
+        # carry the DB path / table names; keep the LAN surface tight.
+        return {
+            "ok": False,
+            "error": f"read failed: {type(exc).__name__}",
+            "thread_id": thread_id,
+        }
     finally:
         if conn is not None:
             conn.close()
diff --git a/agent-team/agent_team/db/schema.py b/agent-team/agent_team/db/schema.py
index 6f732bf..35f1dda 100644
--- a/agent-team/agent_team/db/schema.py
+++ b/agent-team/agent_team/db/schema.py
@@ -291,6 +291,12 @@ def migrate(conn: sqlite3.Connection) -> None:
     # Applied UNCONDITIONALLY (idempotent IF NOT EXISTS) so an already-stamped DB
     # — which skips the version blocks above — still gains these tables without a
     # restamp. Safe on existing data: fresh empty tables / indexes only.
+    #
+    # ORDERING CONSTRAINT: a future migration that ALTERs one of these tables
+    # (e.g. `ALTER TABLE task_transitions ADD COLUMN ...`) MUST run in its own
+    # `if current < N` block placed ABOVE this tail — the unconditional CREATE
+    # ... IF NOT EXISTS here no-ops on an existing table and will NOT apply an
+    # alter. This tail is only for first-time creation on an already-stamped DB.
     conn.execute(INGESTED_ISSUES_DDL)
     conn.execute(TASK_TRANSITIONS_DDL)
     for stmt in _split_statements(TASK_TRANSITIONS_INDEXES_DDL):
diff --git a/agent-team/agent_team/db/transitions.py b/agent-team/agent_team/db/transitions.py
index fc6e238..1fa4635 100644
--- a/agent-team/agent_team/db/transitions.py
+++ b/agent-team/agent_team/db/transitions.py
@@ -59,7 +59,9 @@ def read_transitions(
             "ORDER BY entered_at ASC, transition_id ASC",
             (thread_id,),
         ).fetchall()
-    except sqlite3.OperationalError:
+    except sqlite3.Error:
+        # Missing table (fresh DB) or a corrupt/unreadable ledger — a status
+        # view must never crash on a read.
         return []
     return [dict(row) for row in rows]
 
@@ -93,6 +95,17 @@ class TransitionRecorder:
         if conn is not self._mem_conn:
             conn.close()
 
+    def close(self) -> None:
+        """Close the retained in-memory connection, if any (test cleanup).
+
+        File-backed recorders open/close per call and hold nothing, so this is a
+        no-op for them; the in-memory test path retains one connection that this
+        releases so it does not leak when the recorder is discarded.
+        """
+        if self._mem_conn is not None:
+            self._mem_conn.close()
+            self._mem_conn = None
+
     def record_entry(
         self,
         *,
@@ -118,7 +131,7 @@ class TransitionRecorder:
             open_row = conn.execute(
                 "SELECT transition_id, to_phase FROM task_transitions "
                 "WHERE thread_id = ? AND exited_at IS NULL "
-                "ORDER BY entered_at DESC, transition_id DESC LIMIT 1",
+                "ORDER BY transition_id DESC LIMIT 1",
                 (thread_id,),
             ).fetchone()
 
@@ -169,7 +182,7 @@ class TransitionRecorder:
             open_row = conn.execute(
                 "SELECT transition_id FROM task_transitions "
                 "WHERE thread_id = ? AND exited_at IS NULL "
-                "ORDER BY entered_at DESC, transition_id DESC LIMIT 1",
+                "ORDER BY transition_id DESC LIMIT 1",
                 (thread_id,),
             ).fetchone()
             if open_row is None:
diff --git a/agent-team/agent_team/graph.py b/agent-team/agent_team/graph.py
index 673c955..9983f3a 100644
--- a/agent-team/agent_team/graph.py
+++ b/agent-team/agent_team/graph.py
@@ -353,9 +353,12 @@ def _instrument(
         recorder.record_entry(thread_id=thread_id, to_phase=name, status=status)
         result = fn(state, *args, **kwargs)
         if isinstance(result, dict):
+            # Nodes store status as TaskStatus.value strings; coerce defensively
+            # so an enum member (should one slip through) still closes the row.
             new_status = result.get("status")
-            if new_status in _TERMINAL_STATUS_VALUES:
-                recorder.close_terminal(thread_id=thread_id, status=new_status)
+            status_value = getattr(new_status, "value", new_status)
+            if status_value in _TERMINAL_STATUS_VALUES:
+                recorder.close_terminal(thread_id=thread_id, status=status_value)
         return result
 
     # Belt-and-suspenders for B4: present fn's exact signature to LangGraph.