git-review

A local merge-request workflow for just: squash the current branch into one staged diff against a target branch, review it, then approve it as a single commit. No GitHub/GitLab PR or MR needed. Built for Claude Code sessions, where the agent works on a claude/<topic> branch and the human reviews and approves.

Install

Copy this folder into the repo (for example scripts/git-review/).
Add to the root justfile: import "scripts/git-review/justfile"
Make sure the root justfile has a check recipe (lint/tests). It gates both mr-open and mr-approve.

Requires bash, git and just (tested with just 1.49). Nothing in the folder is repo-specific: scripts find the repo via git rev-parse --show-toplevel and the justfile finds the scripts via source_directory().

Commands

recipe	what it does
`just mr-open [target]`	Review the current branch against `target` (default `main`): runs `just check`, backs the tip up to `mr-review/<branch>`, records the target, soft-resets onto it. The whole branch becomes one staged diff.
`just mr-diff`	Show the staged review diff (`git diff --cached`).
`just mr-diff-words`	Same, word by word (for prose).
`just mr-log`	Show the individual commits behind the open review.
`just mr-abort`	Cancel: restore the individual commits. Edits made during the review stay uncommitted.
`just mr-approve "Message."`	Runs `just check`, commits the staged diff as one commit (message must end with a full stop), fast-forwards the target, deletes the branch, backup and recorded target. Never pushes.

mr-open refuses to start if the tree is dirty, there are untracked files, the target does not exist or has moved (rebase first), the branch is the target, or a review is already open.

State lives only in the local repo: the backup branch mr-review/<branch> and the git config key branch.<branch>.mrTarget. Both are removed by mr-approve or mr-abort.

With a Claude Code session

Claude works on claude/<topic>, committing in small steps.
When done, Claude runs just mr-open and summarises the diff.
You review with just mr-diff / just mr-log. Ask Claude for fixes; they get staged into the same diff.
You say “approve”; Claude runs just mr-approve "Message.", or you run it yourself. Push separately when you choose.

Suggested CLAUDE.md block

## Git workflow (local review, no PR/MR)

- All Claude/agent work goes on a `claude/<topic>` branch created from the target (default `main`). Never commit on the target directly.
- Commit in small steps. When the work is done, run `just mr-open [target]` and summarise the staged diff for the owner.
- The owner reviews with `just mr-diff` / `just mr-diff-words` / `just mr-log`. Fixes requested during review are made in place and staged into the same diff.
- Run `just mr-approve "Message."` only when the owner explicitly approves. It commits one squashed commit and fast-forwards the target; it never pushes.
- Run `git push` only when the owner explicitly asks. `just mr-abort` restores the individual commits if the review is abandoned.

Optional: permission prompts

To make Claude Code always ask before approving or pushing, add to .claude/settings.json. Ask rules are checked before allow rules, so this prompts even if a broader rule such as Bash(just *) is allowed:

{
  "permissions": {
    "ask": ["Bash(just mr-approve *)", "Bash(git push *)"]
  }
}

This matches the command as Claude writes it; it is a guard rail, not a security boundary (git -C . push would not match). The CLAUDE.md rule above is what keeps approvals and pushes owner-driven.