diff --git a/codev/projects/bugfix-1170-vscode-agents-tree-group-heade/status.yaml b/codev/projects/bugfix-1170-vscode-agents-tree-group-heade/status.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3bbdb484e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codev/projects/bugfix-1170-vscode-agents-tree-group-heade/status.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+id: bugfix-1170
+title: vscode-agents-tree-group-heade
+protocol: bugfix
+phase: pr
+plan_phases: []
+current_plan_phase: null
+gates:
+  pr:
+    status: approved
+    requested_at: '2026-07-13T03:59:15.458Z'
+    approved_at: '2026-07-13T06:03:29.092Z'
+iteration: 1
+build_complete: false
+history: []
+started_at: '2026-07-13T03:46:12.160Z'
+updated_at: '2026-07-13T06:03:29.092Z'
+pr_ready_for_human: false
diff --git a/codev/state/bugfix-1170_thread.md b/codev/state/bugfix-1170_thread.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3dde30cb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codev/state/bugfix-1170_thread.md
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# bugfix-1170 — vscode Agents tree group-header contextValue collision
+
+## Investigate
+
+**Bug**: Right-clicking an Agents-tree group header (architect/phase/area axis) surfaces 7
+builder-scoped context-menu entries that no-op on a group header.
+
+**Root cause (confirmed)**: `packages/vscode/src/views/area-group-tree-item.ts:34` sets
+`this.contextValue = `${kind}-group``. `BuilderGroupTreeItem` calls `super(groupName, 'builder', ...)`
+(builder-tree-item.ts:54), so kind='builder' → contextValue `builder-group`. The 7 offending menu
+entries in package.json (lines 537–587) gate on `/^(builder|blocked-builder|awaiting-builder)-/`,
+which matches `builder-group`. The 3 protocol-scoped entries (viewSpec/Plan/ReviewFile) already
+require a protocol suffix, so they're unaffected.
+
+**Fix**: line 34 → `this.contextValue = `group-${kind}``. Yields `group-builder` / `group-backlog`,
+neither matches the offending regexes. No package.json change. `id` (line 33) stays `${kind}-group`
+(unrelated — drives expansion persistence).
+
+**Tests**: grep found NO existing assertion on the literal `builder-group` string, so nothing to
+update. The regression home is `packages/vscode/src/__tests__/menu-when-clauses.test.ts` — add a
+block asserting the 7 builder-scoped regexes reject `group-builder` / `group-backlog`.
+
+Scope: 1-line src change + new regression test. Comfortably within BUGFIX.
+
+## Fix
+
+- `area-group-tree-item.ts:34`: `${kind}-group` → `group-${kind}`. Build + tests green
+  (`porch check`: build 6.2s, tests 21s; 566 tests pass).
+- Regression test `group-header-context-value.test.ts` derives contextValue from the real
+  `AreaGroupTreeItem` and feeds it to the actual package.json menu regexes. Verified it fails
+  without the fix (8 failures) and passes with it.
+- Note: unit tests need `@cluesmith/codev-core` + `@cluesmith/codev-types` built first, else
+  suites fail at import resolution (pre-existing, unrelated). `porch check` runs the build.
+
+## PR
+
+- PR #1172 opened, `Fixes #1170`.
+- CMAP (all three APPROVE, HIGH confidence, zero issues): gemini=APPROVE, codex=APPROVE
+  (couldn't re-run vitest in its sandbox, approved on inspection), claude=APPROVE.
+- Consult snag: `consult --type pr` auto-detect failed from the worktree ("Multiple projects
+  found" — it scanned the full `codev/projects/`). Adding `--issue 1170` disambiguated. Worth
+  a look for other bugfix builders.
+- Requested `pr` gate via `porch done`. Awaiting human approval to merge.
diff --git a/packages/vscode/src/__tests__/group-header-context-value.test.ts b/packages/vscode/src/__tests__/group-header-context-value.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..eeac6dd83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/vscode/src/__tests__/group-header-context-value.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+/**
+ * Group-header rows must NOT surface builder-scoped context-menu entries (#1170).
+ *
+ * Agents-tree group headers (architect / phase / area axis, plus the Backlog
+ * view) are `AreaGroupTreeItem`s. Their `contextValue` is what VSCode matches
+ * the `view/item/context` menu `when` regexes against. The seven builder-scoped
+ * commands gate on the state-family prefix `/^(builder|blocked-builder|
+ * awaiting-builder)-/`.
+ *
+ * The bug: the header contextValue was built as `${kind}-group`, so a builder
+ * group header got `builder-group` — which matches `^builder-` and surfaced all
+ * seven entries. Each silently no-ops on a header (the handlers narrow via
+ * `instanceof BuilderTreeItem`), so the menu was pure noise. The fix flips the
+ * template to `group-${kind}` (`group-builder`), moving the family token off the
+ * front so none of the regexes match.
+ *
+ * This test derives the contextValue from the REAL `AreaGroupTreeItem` and feeds
+ * it to the actual package.json regexes. Reverting the source to `${kind}-group`
+ * makes the header value `builder-group` again, matches the regexes, and fails
+ * these assertions — which a hardcoded string wouldn't catch.
+ */
+
+import { describe, it, expect, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { resolve } from 'node:path';
+
+vi.mock('vscode', () => {
+  class TreeItem {
+    id?: string;
+    contextValue?: string;
+    constructor(public label: string, public collapsibleState?: number) {}
+  }
+  return {
+    TreeItem,
+    TreeItemCollapsibleState: { None: 0, Collapsed: 1, Expanded: 2 },
+  };
+});
+
+// Import AFTER the mock is registered.
+const vscode = await import('vscode');
+const { AreaGroupTreeItem } = await import('../views/area-group-tree-item.js');
+
+const PKG = JSON.parse(
+  readFileSync(resolve(__dirname, '../../package.json'), 'utf8'),
+);
+const viewItemMenuEntries: Array<{ command: string; when: string }> =
+  PKG.contributes.menus['view/item/context'];
+
+/**
+ * The seven builder-scoped commands whose `when` gates on the state-family
+ * prefix regex. Two (run/stopWorktreeDev) append `&& codev.hasDevCommand`, so
+ * the regex isn't at the tail of the clause — extract it tolerantly.
+ */
+const BUILDER_SCOPED = [
+  'codev.openBuilderById',
+  'codev.viewDiff',
+  'codev.openWorktreeWindow',
+  'codev.openWorktreeFolder',
+  'codev.runWorktreeSetup',
+  'codev.runWorktreeDev',
+  'codev.stopWorktreeDev',
+] as const;
+
+function viewItemRegex(command: string): RegExp {
+  const entry = viewItemMenuEntries.find(
+    e => e.command === command && e.when.includes('view == codev.agents'));
+  if (!entry) {
+    throw new Error(`No agents view/item/context entry for ${command}`);
+  }
+  const m = entry.when.match(/viewItem =~ \/(.+?)\/(?:\s|$)/);
+  if (!m) {
+    throw new Error(`No viewItem regex in when clause: ${entry.when}`);
+  }
+  return new RegExp(m[1]);
+}
+
+/** contextValue of a group header for the given kind, from the real class. */
+function headerContextValue(kind: 'builder' | 'backlog'): string {
+  const header = new AreaGroupTreeItem(
+    'area/tower', kind, 2, vscode.TreeItemCollapsibleState.Expanded);
+  return header.contextValue!;
+}
+
+describe('group-header rows reject builder-scoped menu entries (#1170)', () => {
+  it('AreaGroupTreeItem puts the group token first (group-<kind>)', () => {
+    expect(headerContextValue('builder')).toBe('group-builder');
+    expect(headerContextValue('backlog')).toBe('group-backlog');
+  });
+
+  for (const command of BUILDER_SCOPED) {
+    const regex = viewItemRegex(command);
+
+    it(`${command} is hidden for a builder group header`, () => {
+      expect(regex.test(headerContextValue('builder')),
+        `${command} menu for builder group header`).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it(`${command} is hidden for a backlog group header`, () => {
+      expect(regex.test(headerContextValue('backlog')),
+        `${command} menu for backlog group header`).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it(`${command} still shows for a builder row (guards against over-tightening)`, () => {
+      expect(regex.test('builder-bugfix'),
+        `${command} for builder-bugfix`).toBe(true);
+    });
+  }
+});
diff --git a/packages/vscode/src/views/area-group-tree-item.ts b/packages/vscode/src/views/area-group-tree-item.ts
index bc643fda6..c6c656761 100644
--- a/packages/vscode/src/views/area-group-tree-item.ts
+++ b/packages/vscode/src/views/area-group-tree-item.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,6 @@ export class AreaGroupTreeItem extends vscode.TreeItem {
   ) {
     super(`${uppercaseAreaName(groupName)} (${count})`, collapsibleState);
     this.id = `${kind}-group:${groupName}`;
-    this.contextValue = `${kind}-group`;
+    this.contextValue = `group-${kind}`;
   }
 }