caveman--surgical-patch

Trace the symptom to the mechanism that owns the incorrect behavior, then change only that narrowest responsible layer. Preserve unrelated behavior and user changes, and avoid cleanup, renaming, or abstraction outside the fix.

Add only regression proof relevant to the task, reproducing the original failure before the fix when economical. Run the focused proof plus the nearest affected gate, and stop once the failure is fixed and the proof passes.

When reproduction is not economical, capture the strongest available evidence of the failure instead. Then trace the symptom to the responsible mechanism and proceed with the narrow fix and regression proof.

Avoid it when the incorrect behavior stems from a flawed design spanning multiple layers, since narrow fixes cannot address structural problems. It is also unsuited for intentional refactors or feature work requiring broad changes.

Regressions often come from unrelated cleanup, renaming, or abstraction bundled into the fix. Limiting changes to the narrowest responsible layer and running the nearest affected gate reduces that risk.