feat: local git checkout for PR code review with real diff

- Add git_local.py: fetch, checkout PR branch, generate git diff against
  target, restore branch after review
- Update fetch_pr_details to use local git diff when REPOS_BASE_DIR is set,
  with fallback to AzDo iteration API
- Update run_code_review to restore repo to target branch after review
- Refine Claude review prompt to only comment on diff changes, not
  pre-existing code
- Update README: WSL venv gotcha, local git checkout flow, flow diagram

README.md

@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ interactive notifications.
 |---------|-------------|
 | **PR Discovery** | Webhook-based (push) or polling-based (pull) — or both |
 | **Auto-Create Jira Ticket** | When PR branch has no ticket ID, Claude generates summary + description and creates a Jira Story |
-| **AI Code Review** | Claude Code CLI reviews PRs with full repo context (Read/Glob/Grep), using your subscription |
+| **AI Code Review** | Claude Code CLI reviews PRs on the checked-out PR branch with full repo context (Read/Glob/Grep), using real `git diff` |
 | **CI/CD Integration** | Triggers CI builds after merge, polls for completion, handles CD release approval gates |
 | **Slack Interactive** | Approval requests with [Approve]/[Cancel] buttons, CI/CD status notifications |
 | **Human-in-the-loop** | 5 interrupt points where operator confirmation is required before destructive actions |
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ All configuration is via environment variables. See `.env.example` for the full
 
 | Variable | Default | Description |
 |----------|---------|-------------|
-| `REPOS_BASE_DIR` | `""` | Base dir with Billo repos (e.g., `/c/Users/yaoji/git/Billo`) |
+| `REPOS_BASE_DIR` | `""` | Base dir with Billo repos (e.g., `/home/kai/git/billo`). Each repo must be cloned with its AzDo name as the directory name. |
 | `WATCHED_REPOS` | `""` | Comma-separated repos to poll (e.g., `Billo.Platform.Payment,Billo.Platform.Document.DocumentAnalyser`) |
 | `PR_POLL_ENABLED` | `False` | Enable periodic PR polling |
 | `PR_POLL_INTERVAL_SECONDS` | `300` | Polling interval (5 min) |
@@ -177,6 +177,11 @@ All configuration is via environment variables. See `.env.example` for the full
 
 ```
 parse_webhook -> fetch_pr_details -> route_after_fetch
+  |                |
+  |                +-- (local repo available?)
+  |                      yes -> git fetch + checkout PR branch + git diff
+  |                      no  -> AzDo iteration API (file list only)
+  |
   |-- merged -----------------> calculate_version -> update_staging -> CI build -> END
   |-- active_with_ticket -----> move_jira_code_review -+
   |-- active_no_ticket -------> auto_create_ticket ----+
@@ -184,6 +189,7 @@ parse_webhook -> fetch_pr_details -> route_after_fetch
                                   run_code_review -> evaluate_review
                                     |-- approve -> [Slack: Merge?] -> merge_pr
                                     |-- request_changes -> notify -> END
+                                  -> restore branch to develop
                                   -> Jira transitions -> calculate_version
                                   -> update_staging -> CI build -> notify -> END
 ```
@@ -311,6 +317,7 @@ src/release_agent/
         jira.py                    # Jira REST client (transitions + create_issue)
         slack.py                   # Slack dual-mode (webhook + Web API)
         claude_review.py           # Claude Code CLI (review + ticket generation)
+        git_local.py               # Local git ops (fetch, checkout PR branch, diff)
         _http.py, _retry.py       # Shared helpers
     services/
         pr_poller.py               # Background PR polling loop
@@ -340,32 +347,47 @@ The app runs best on **WSL (Ubuntu)** because:
 ### Setup
 
 ```bash
-# 1. Start PostgreSQL (from Windows or WSL)
+# 1. Clone the project to WSL native filesystem (NOT /mnt/c/)
-cd /mnt/c/Users/yaoji/git/Billo/billo-release-agent
+cd ~/git/billo
+git clone <repo-url> billo-release-agent
+cd billo-release-agent
+
+# 2. Start PostgreSQL (from Windows or WSL)
 docker compose up -d db
 
-# 2. Install uv in WSL (if needed)
+# 3. Install uv in WSL (if needed)
 curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
 export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"
 
-# 3. Install dependencies
+# 4. Create venv and install dependencies
+#    IMPORTANT: Run from the WSL-native path, not /mnt/c/.
+#    If .venv was created from /mnt/c/, delete and recreate:
+#      rm -rf .venv && uv venv --python python3.12
 uv sync --all-extras
 
-# 4. Configure .env
+# 5. Configure .env
 #    Key settings:
-#    CLAUDE_CMD=claude          (not claude.cmd — WSL finds it via PATH)
+#    CLAUDE_CMD=claude
-#    REPOS_BASE_DIR=/mnt/c/Users/yaoji/git/Billo
+#    REPOS_BASE_DIR=~/git/billo   (WSL native path, not /mnt/c/)
-#    PR_POLL_ENABLED=False      (disable during dev to avoid noise)
+#    PR_POLL_ENABLED=False         (disable during dev to avoid noise)
-#    SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL=          (leave empty during dev)
+#    SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL=             (leave empty during dev)
 
-# 5. Start the server
+# 6. Start the server
 uv run uvicorn release_agent.main:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8080
 
-# 6. Test
+# 7. Test
 curl http://localhost:8080/status
 curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/manual/pr/10443
 ```
 
+### Important: venv Must Be Created from WSL Path
+
+If the `.venv` was created while the working directory was `/mnt/c/...`, the
+uvicorn shebang will point to the Windows-mounted path. This causes the server
+to load stale code from the Windows filesystem instead of your WSL edits.
+
+To fix: `rm -rf .venv && uv venv --python python3.12 && uv sync --all-extras`
+
 ### Windows-only (Fallback)
 
 If you must run on Windows directly, use the provided `run.py` script which sets
@@ -378,13 +400,22 @@ uv run python run.py
 Note: Claude CLI subprocess may return empty stdout on Windows due to event loop
 incompatibility. WSL is the recommended approach.
 
-### Performance Note: WSL + /mnt/c
+### Local Git Checkout for Code Review
 
-Claude Code CLI with `--allowedTools Read,Glob,Grep` on `/mnt/c` (Windows filesystem
+When `REPOS_BASE_DIR` is set and the repo is cloned locally, the agent will:
-mounted in WSL) is very slow. For faster code reviews, either:
 
-1. **Clone repos to WSL native filesystem** (`~/git/Billo/`) and set `REPOS_BASE_DIR=~/git/Billo`
+1. `git fetch origin` to get the latest remote state
-2. **Remove `--allowedTools`** so Claude only reviews the diff text (faster but less thorough)
+2. `git checkout` the PR source branch
+3. `git diff origin/develop...HEAD` to generate a real diff (not just file names)
+4. Run Claude Code CLI with `cwd` set to the repo on the PR branch
+5. `git checkout develop` to restore the branch after review
+
+This gives Claude full codebase context on the actual PR branch, producing much
+more thorough reviews than the AzDo iteration API (which only returns file paths).
+
+**Performance**: Clone repos to WSL native filesystem (`~/git/billo/`), not
+`/mnt/c/`. Claude Code CLI with `--allowedTools Read,Glob,Grep` on `/mnt/c`
+is very slow (10+ minutes per review vs seconds on native fs).
 
 ## Slack App Setup
 
@@ -409,6 +440,8 @@ To use interactive buttons (optional — REST API approvals still work without i
 - Claude CLI ticket generation (tested: returns structured JSON)
 - Claude CLI code review (tested: returns structured JSON with verdict + issues)
 - PR review comments posted to Azure DevOps (inline + summary)
+- Local git checkout + real `git diff` for PR code review (with fallback to AzDo API)
+- Branch restore to develop after review completes
 - Node type annotations fixed (`RunnableConfig` instead of `dict`)
 
 ### Known Issues
@@ -416,11 +449,13 @@ To use interactive buttons (optional — REST API approvals still work without i
 | Issue | Severity | Workaround |
 |-------|----------|------------|
 | Windows: Claude CLI subprocess returns empty stdout | HIGH | Run in WSL |
+| WSL: venv created from /mnt/c/ loads stale code | HIGH | Delete .venv, recreate from WSL native path |
 | WSL + /mnt/c: Claude CLI Read/Glob very slow (10+ min) | MEDIUM | Clone repos to WSL native fs |
 | Graph has no LangGraph checkpointer (interrupt not persistent) | MEDIUM | Graphs run to completion or fail; no resume |
 | `_upsert_thread` only writes final state (no intermediate updates) | LOW | Query DB only after graph completes |
 | CI poll may run indefinitely (no build to poll in dev) | LOW | Leave `PR_POLL_ENABLED=False` |
 | Config test failures (env var leakage from .env) | LOW | Run with `-k "not test_config"` |
+| Local git checkout mutates repo working tree | LOW | Review runs sequentially; branch restored after |
 
 ### TODO (Not Yet Implemented)
 

docs/flow.mermaid

@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+%% Billo Release Agent - Full Flow
+%% Two main graphs: PR Completed and Release
+
+graph TD
+    subgraph ENTRY["Entry Points"]
+        WEBHOOK["POST /webhooks/azdo"]
+        POLLER["PR Poller (every 5 min)"]
+        MANUAL["POST /manual/pr/{id}"]
+    end
+
+    WEBHOOK --> PARSE
+    POLLER --> PARSE
+    MANUAL --> PARSE
+
+    subgraph PR_GRAPH["PR Completed Graph"]
+        PARSE["parse_webhook<br/>Extract PR info, ticket ID"]
+        FETCH["fetch_pr_details<br/>AzDo API: get PR status"]
+
+        PARSE --> FETCH
+
+        subgraph LOCAL_GIT["Local Git (when REPOS_BASE_DIR set)"]
+            GIT_FETCH["git fetch origin"]
+            GIT_CHECKOUT["git checkout PR-branch"]
+            GIT_PULL["git pull origin PR-branch"]
+            GIT_DIFF["git diff origin/develop...HEAD"]
+            GIT_FETCH --> GIT_CHECKOUT --> GIT_PULL --> GIT_DIFF
+        end
+
+        FETCH -- "active PR + local repo" --> GIT_FETCH
+        GIT_DIFF --> ROUTE
+        FETCH -- "no local repo" --> AZDO_DIFF["AzDo iteration API<br/>(file list only)"]
+        AZDO_DIFF --> ROUTE
+
+        ROUTE{"route_after_fetch"}
+
+        FETCH -- "already merged" --> CALC_VER
+
+        ROUTE -- "active_no_ticket" --> AUTO_TICKET["auto_create_ticket<br/>Claude CLI generates<br/>Jira ticket content"]
+        AUTO_TICKET --> JIRA_CR
+
+        ROUTE -- "active_with_ticket" --> JIRA_CR["move_jira_code_review<br/>Jira: Code Review status"]
+
+        JIRA_CR --> CODE_REVIEW["run_code_review<br/>Claude Code CLI<br/>(cwd = PR branch)"]
+        CODE_REVIEW --> RESTORE["restore_branch<br/>git checkout develop"]
+        RESTORE --> EVAL{"evaluate_review"}
+
+        EVAL -- "approve" --> INTERRUPT_MERGE["interrupt_confirm_merge<br/>Slack: Merge? / Cancel?"]
+        EVAL -- "request_changes" --> NOTIFY_RC["notify_request_changes<br/>Slack notification"]
+        NOTIFY_RC --> END_RC((END))
+
+        INTERRUPT_MERGE --> MERGE["merge_pr_node<br/>AzDo: complete PR"]
+        MERGE --> JIRA_STAGE["move_jira_ready_for_stage<br/>Jira: Ready for Stage"]
+        JIRA_STAGE --> JIRA_LINK["add_jira_pr_link<br/>Jira: add PR link"]
+        JIRA_LINK --> CALC_VER
+
+        CALC_VER["calculate_version<br/>Semantic versioning"]
+        CALC_VER --> UPDATE_STAGING["update_staging<br/>PostgreSQL: staging_releases"]
+        UPDATE_STAGING --> CI_TRIGGER["trigger_ci_build<br/>AzDo: queue build"]
+        CI_TRIGGER --> CI_POLL["poll_ci_build<br/>Poll until complete"]
+        CI_POLL --> CI_NOTIFY["notify_ci_result<br/>Slack notification"]
+        CI_NOTIFY --> END_PR((END))
+    end
+
+    subgraph RELEASE_GRAPH["Release Graph"]
+        LOAD["load_staging<br/>Load current staging release"]
+        LOAD --> INT_REL["interrupt_confirm_release<br/>Slack: Create release? / Cancel?"]
+        INT_REL --> CREATE_PR["create_release_pr<br/>AzDo: create release PR<br/>develop -> main"]
+        CREATE_PR --> INT_MERGE_REL["interrupt_confirm_merge_release<br/>Slack: Merge release? / Cancel?"]
+        INT_MERGE_REL --> MERGE_REL["merge_release_pr<br/>AzDo: complete release PR"]
+
+        MERGE_REL --> CI_MAIN["trigger_ci_build_main<br/>AzDo: queue build on main"]
+        CI_MAIN --> CI_POLL_MAIN["poll_ci_build_main<br/>Poll until complete"]
+
+        CI_POLL_MAIN --> CI_ROUTE{"route_ci_result"}
+
+        CI_ROUTE -- "ci_failed" --> CI_FAIL["notify_ci_failure<br/>Slack notification"]
+        CI_FAIL --> END_FAIL((END))
+
+        CI_ROUTE -- "ci_passed" --> CD_WAIT["wait_for_cd_release<br/>Wait for CD pipeline"]
+        CD_WAIT --> POLL_APPROVALS["poll_release_approvals"]
+
+        POLL_APPROVALS --> APPROVAL_ROUTE{"route_approval_stage"}
+
+        APPROVAL_ROUTE -- "sandbox_pending" --> INT_SANDBOX["interrupt_sandbox_approval<br/>Slack: Approve Sandbox? / Skip?"]
+        INT_SANDBOX --> EXEC_SANDBOX["execute_sandbox_approval<br/>AzDo: approve stage"]
+        EXEC_SANDBOX --> POLL_APPROVALS
+
+        APPROVAL_ROUTE -- "prod_pending" --> INT_PROD["interrupt_prod_approval<br/>Slack: Approve Prod? / Skip?"]
+        INT_PROD --> EXEC_PROD["execute_prod_approval<br/>AzDo: approve stage"]
+        EXEC_PROD --> POLL_APPROVALS
+
+        APPROVAL_ROUTE -- "all_deployed" --> DONE["move_tickets_to_done<br/>Jira: Done status"]
+        DONE --> SLACK_NOTIFY["send_release_notification<br/>Slack: release notes"]
+        SLACK_NOTIFY --> ARCHIVE["archive_release<br/>PostgreSQL: archived_releases"]
+        ARCHIVE --> END_REL((END))
+    end
+
+    MANUAL_REL["POST /manual/release"] --> LOAD
+
+    style ENTRY fill:#e8f4fd,stroke:#2196F3
+    style PR_GRAPH fill:#f9f9f9,stroke:#666
+    style RELEASE_GRAPH fill:#f9f9f9,stroke:#666
+    style LOCAL_GIT fill:#e8f5e9,stroke:#4CAF50
+    style INTERRUPT_MERGE fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#FF9800
+    style INT_REL fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#FF9800
+    style INT_MERGE_REL fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#FF9800
+    style INT_SANDBOX fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#FF9800
+    style INT_PROD fill:#fff3e0,stroke:#FF9800
+    style NOTIFY_RC fill:#ffebee,stroke:#f44336
+    style CI_FAIL fill:#ffebee,stroke:#f44336
+    style END_RC fill:#ccc,stroke:#666
+    style END_PR fill:#ccc,stroke:#666
+    style END_FAIL fill:#ccc,stroke:#666
+    style END_REL fill:#c8e6c9,stroke:#4CAF50

src/release_agent/graph/pr_completed.py

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from langgraph.types import RunnableConfig, interrupt
 
 from release_agent.branch_parser import parse_branch
 from release_agent.exceptions import ReleaseAgentError
+from release_agent.tools.git_local import prepare_pr_branch, restore_branch
 from release_agent.graph.ci_nodes import notify_ci_result, poll_ci_build, trigger_ci_build
 from release_agent.graph.dependencies import JsonFileStagingStore, ToolClients
 from release_agent.graph.routing import has_ticket, is_pr_already_merged, is_review_approved, route_after_fetch
@@ -83,6 +84,11 @@ async def parse_webhook(state: dict[str, Any], config: RunnableConfig) -> dict:
 async def fetch_pr_details(state: dict[str, Any], config: RunnableConfig) -> dict:
     """Fetch full PR details from AzDo and check if already merged.
 
+    When a local repo is available (repos_base_dir configured), fetches and
+    checks out the PR branch locally, then generates a real git diff against
+    the target branch. Falls back to AzDo iteration API if local repo is
+    unavailable.
+
     Sets pr_already_merged, pr_diff, and last_merge_source_commit.
     On ReleaseAgentError, appends to errors (non-critical).
     """
@@ -94,9 +100,36 @@ async def fetch_pr_details(state: dict[str, Any], config: RunnableConfig) -> dic
         already_merged = pr.pr_status == "completed"
         diff = ""
         if not already_merged:
-            diff = await clients.azdo.get_pr_diff(pr_id)
+            # Try local git diff first (real diff content)
+            repos_base_dir = config.get("configurable", {}).get("repos_base_dir", "")
+            repo_name = pr.repo_name
+            source_branch = pr.branch
+            webhook_resource = (state.get("webhook_payload") or {}).get("resource", {})
+            target_branch = webhook_resource.get("target_ref_name", "refs/heads/develop")
+
+            import logging
+            logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+            local_diff_ok = False
+            if repos_base_dir and repo_name and source_branch:
+                from pathlib import Path
+                repo_path = Path(repos_base_dir) / repo_name
+                if repo_path.is_dir():
+                    logger.info("Using local git diff for PR %d in %s", pr_id, repo_path)
+                    diff, err = await prepare_pr_branch(
+                        repo_path=repo_path,
+                        source_branch=source_branch,
+                        target_branch=target_branch,
+                    )
+                    if err:
+                        logger.warning("Local git diff failed: %s, falling back to AzDo API", err)
+                    else:
+                        local_diff_ok = True
+
+            # Fall back to AzDo API if local diff not available
+            if not local_diff_ok:
+                diff = await clients.azdo.get_pr_diff(pr_id)
 
-        # last_merge_source_commit is not directly on PRInfo; pass None if unavailable
         return {
             "pr_already_merged": already_merged,
             "pr_diff": diff,
@@ -243,6 +276,12 @@ async def _post_review_to_pr(
 async def run_code_review(state: dict[str, Any], config: RunnableConfig) -> dict:
     """Run Claude code review on the PR diff.
 
+    The local repo should already be on the PR branch (checked out by
+    fetch_pr_details).  Claude Code CLI runs with cwd set to the repo
+    so it can Read/Glob/Grep the full codebase on the PR branch.
+
+    After the review completes, restores the repo to the target branch.
+
     Returns review_result as a serialisable dict.
     On error, appends to errors.
     """
@@ -255,6 +294,7 @@ async def run_code_review(state: dict[str, Any], config: RunnableConfig) -> dict
     # Build cwd from repos_base_dir + repo_name so Claude Code can read the codebase
     repos_base_dir = config.get("configurable", {}).get("repos_base_dir", "")
     cwd = None
+    repo_path = None
     if repos_base_dir and repo_name:
         from pathlib import Path
         repo_path = Path(repos_base_dir) / repo_name
@@ -272,6 +312,15 @@ async def run_code_review(state: dict[str, Any], config: RunnableConfig) -> dict
         return {"review_result": review.model_dump(mode="json")}
     except Exception as exc:
         return {"errors": [f"run_code_review failed: {exc}"]}
+    finally:
+        # Restore repo to target branch after review
+        if repo_path and repo_path.is_dir():
+            target = pr_info.get("branch", "develop")
+            # target_ref_name is the merge target, not the source
+            target_branch = (state.get("webhook_payload") or {}).get(
+                "resource", {}
+            ).get("target_ref_name", "refs/heads/develop")
+            await restore_branch(repo_path=repo_path, branch=target_branch)
 
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

src/release_agent/tools/claude_review.py

@@ -53,11 +53,16 @@ _REVIEW_JSON_SCHEMA = json.dumps({
 
 _SYSTEM_PROMPT = (
     "You are a senior code reviewer for .NET C# projects. "
-    "Review the PR for: backward compatibility (DB migration, serialization, integration events), "
+    "IMPORTANT: Only review code that appears in the diff. Do NOT comment on "
-    "null handling, business logic correctness, test coverage, hardcoded values, and security. "
+    "pre-existing code that is not part of this PR's changes. "
-    "You have access to the full codebase via Read, Glob, and Grep tools. "
+    "You may use Read, Glob, and Grep tools to understand surrounding context, "
-    "Use them to understand the context around the changed files. "
+    "but every issue you report MUST reference a line that was added or modified "
-    "For each issue, include the file_path and line_start/line_end where the issue occurs."
+    "in the diff (lines starting with '+' in the unified diff). "
+    "Review the changed code for: backward compatibility (DB migration, serialization, "
+    "integration events), null handling, business logic correctness, test coverage, "
+    "hardcoded values, and security. "
+    "For each issue, include the file_path and line_start/line_end where the issue occurs "
+    "in the current version of the file."
 )
 
 # JSON schema for structured ticket content output
@@ -228,7 +233,8 @@ def _build_prompt(*, diff: str, pr_title: str, repo_name: str) -> str:
         f"Review this pull request from repository '{repo_name}'.\n\n"
         f"PR Title: {pr_title}\n\n"
         f"Diff:\n```\n{diff}\n```\n\n"
-        "Read the related source files to understand context. "
+        "You may read related source files to understand context, but only "
+        "report issues on lines that were added or changed in this diff. "
         "Provide your review as structured JSON output."
     )
 

src/release_agent/tools/git_local.py

@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+"""Local git operations for PR branch checkout and diff generation.
+
+Provides helpers to fetch, checkout, and diff PR branches in local repos
+so Claude Code CLI can review code with full codebase context.
+"""
+
+import asyncio
+import logging
+import subprocess
+from pathlib import Path
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+_GIT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 60
+
+
+async def _run_git(
+    args: list[str],
+    cwd: str,
+    timeout: int = _GIT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS,
+) -> tuple[str, str, int]:
+    """Run a git command in a thread pool and return (stdout, stderr, returncode)."""
+    cmd = ["git"] + args
+
+    def _run() -> tuple[str, str, int]:
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            cmd,
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            cwd=cwd,
+            timeout=timeout,
+        )
+        return (result.stdout, result.stderr, result.returncode)
+
+    loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
+    return await loop.run_in_executor(None, _run)
+
+
+async def prepare_pr_branch(
+    *,
+    repo_path: str | Path,
+    source_branch: str,
+    target_branch: str = "develop",
+) -> tuple[str, str | None]:
+    """Fetch and checkout the PR source branch, return git diff against target.
+
+    Args:
+        repo_path: Absolute path to the local git repository.
+        source_branch: The PR source branch ref (e.g., "refs/heads/feat/my-feature").
+        target_branch: The PR target branch (e.g., "develop").
+
+    Returns:
+        A tuple of (diff_text, error_message).
+        On success: (diff, None).
+        On failure: ("", error_description).
+    """
+    repo = str(repo_path)
+    # Strip refs/heads/ prefix if present
+    branch = source_branch.removeprefix("refs/heads/")
+    target = target_branch.removeprefix("refs/heads/")
+
+    logger.info("Preparing PR branch '%s' in %s", branch, repo)
+
+    # 1. Fetch latest from remote
+    stdout, stderr, rc = await _run_git(["fetch", "origin"], cwd=repo)
+    if rc != 0:
+        return ("", f"git fetch failed: {stderr.strip()}")
+
+    # 2. Checkout the PR branch
+    # Try checkout existing local branch first, then try remote tracking
+    stdout, stderr, rc = await _run_git(["checkout", branch], cwd=repo)
+    if rc != 0:
+        # Branch might not exist locally yet, try creating from remote
+        stdout, stderr, rc = await _run_git(
+            ["checkout", "-b", branch, f"origin/{branch}"],
+            cwd=repo,
+        )
+        if rc != 0:
+            return ("", f"git checkout failed: {stderr.strip()}")
+
+    # 3. Pull latest changes on the branch
+    stdout, stderr, rc = await _run_git(["pull", "origin", branch], cwd=repo)
+    if rc != 0:
+        logger.warning("git pull failed (non-fatal): %s", stderr.strip())
+
+    # 4. Generate diff against target branch
+    stdout, stderr, rc = await _run_git(
+        ["diff", f"origin/{target}...HEAD", "--stat"],
+        cwd=repo,
+    )
+    stat_text = stdout.strip() if rc == 0 else ""
+
+    stdout, stderr, rc = await _run_git(
+        ["diff", f"origin/{target}...HEAD"],
+        cwd=repo,
+    )
+    if rc != 0:
+        return ("", f"git diff failed: {stderr.strip()}")
+
+    diff_text = stdout.strip()
+    if stat_text:
+        diff_text = f"{stat_text}\n\n{diff_text}"
+
+    logger.info(
+        "PR branch '%s' ready, diff length: %d chars",
+        branch, len(diff_text),
+    )
+    return (diff_text, None)
+
+
+async def restore_branch(
+    *,
+    repo_path: str | Path,
+    branch: str = "develop",
+) -> None:
+    """Checkout back to the specified branch (cleanup after review).
+
+    Best-effort: logs warnings on failure but does not raise.
+    """
+    repo = str(repo_path)
+    target = branch.removeprefix("refs/heads/")
+    stdout, stderr, rc = await _run_git(["checkout", target], cwd=repo)
+    if rc != 0:
+        logger.warning("Failed to restore branch '%s': %s", target, stderr.strip())