diff --git a/apps/api/src/storage/task-board.ts b/apps/api/src/storage/task-board.ts
index b67ce8a7d0..9badc7dbaa 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/storage/task-board.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/storage/task-board.ts
@@ -789,7 +789,8 @@ export class TaskBoardStorage {
     const rows = await this.db
       .selectFrom("task_board_items as i")
       .select(["i.id", "i.organization_id as organizationId"])
-      .where("i.status", "=", "done")
+      // Not just Done — a delivery-lane org's shipped cards never reach it.
+      .where("i.status", "in", TAGGABLE_MERGED_STATUSES)
       .where("i.dismissed_at", "is", null)
       .where("i.updated_at", "<", settledBefore)
       .where((eb) =>
diff --git a/apps/api/src/tools/task-board/archive-merged.integration.test.ts b/apps/api/src/tools/task-board/archive-merged.integration.test.ts
index 372e4c77d4..55a38fec5d 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/tools/task-board/archive-merged.integration.test.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/tools/task-board/archive-merged.integration.test.ts
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ describe("auto-archive sweep", () => {
     ]);
   });
 
-  // The delivery lanes sit BEFORE Done, so a card parked in one is still in flight.
-  it("never sweeps a card resting in a delivery lane", async () => {
+  // A shipped delivery-lane card never reaches literal `done` — see `shippedLane`.
+  it("sweeps a settled card resting in a delivery lane, same as Done", async () => {
     const settled = new Date(Date.now() - 3 * DAY_MS);
     const lanes = ["approved", "merged", "post_deploy_validation"] as const;
     const parked = await Promise.all(
@@ -131,16 +131,15 @@ describe("auto-archive sweep", () => {
       200,
     );
     const ids = candidates.map((c) => c.id);
-    for (const id of parked) expect(ids).not.toContain(id);
+    for (const id of parked) expect(ids).toContain(id);
 
-    // And the write path refuses too, even when handed the id directly.
     const swept = await archiveMergedForOrg(ctx, ORG, parked, async () => ({
       state: "closed" as const,
       merged: true,
     }));
-    expect(swept.archived).toBe(0);
-    for (const [i, id] of parked.entries()) {
-      expect((await taskBoard.getById(id, ORG))?.status).toBe(lanes[i]);
+    expect(swept.archived).toBe(lanes.length);
+    for (const id of parked) {
+      expect((await taskBoard.getById(id, ORG))?.status).toBe("archived");
     }
   });
 
diff --git a/apps/api/src/tools/task-board/archive-merged.ts b/apps/api/src/tools/task-board/archive-merged.ts
index ffc8acc493..1069628b20 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/tools/task-board/archive-merged.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/tools/task-board/archive-merged.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { LANES } from "@decocms/shared/task-board";
 import type { StudioContext } from "@/core/studio-context";
 import type { TaskBoardItemPrRef } from "@/storage/types";
 import { recordTaskActivity } from "./activity";
+import { isTaggableMergedStatus } from "./lanes";
 import { fetchPrLanding } from "./prs-get";
 import { emitTaskBoardUpdated } from "./run-reactions";
 
@@ -90,9 +91,9 @@ function repoLanded(prs: PrLanding[]): boolean {
 /**
  * Archive one candidate if its PRs are all merged. Returns whether it moved.
  *
- * Re-reads the card inside the org's context and re-checks `status === "done"`:
- * the sweep's work list is a snapshot, and a card someone dragged out of Done
- * (or another replica already archived) in the meantime must not be moved.
+ * Re-reads the card inside the org's context and re-checks it is still a
+ * shipped status: the sweep's work list is a snapshot, and a card someone
+ * dragged backward (or another replica already archived) must not be moved.
  */
 async function archiveIfMerged(
   ctx: StudioContext,
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ async function archiveIfMerged(
   prLanding: PrLandingReader,
 ): Promise<boolean> {
   const item = await ctx.storage.taskBoard.getById(itemId, organizationId);
-  if (!item || item.status !== "done") return false;
+  if (!item || !isTaggableMergedStatus(item.status)) return false;
 
   const prs = await ctx.storage.taskBoard.listPrs(itemId, organizationId);
   const landings = await Promise.all(
@@ -124,7 +125,11 @@ async function archiveIfMerged(
     taskBoardItemId: itemId,
     action: "status_changed",
     actorId: null,
-    data: { from: "done", to: archived, reason: "merged_pr_auto_archive" },
+    data: {
+      from: item.status,
+      to: archived,
+      reason: "merged_pr_auto_archive",
+    },
   });
   emitTaskBoardUpdated(organizationId, updated);
   return true;