diff --git a/scripts/clear-stale-ref-pr-5224.py b/scripts/clear-stale-ref-pr-5224.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..a515fd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/clear-stale-ref-pr-5224.py
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Reset PR #5224 (clay/research-2026-04-29) for merge retry after stale-ref conflict.
+
+Background: PR #5224 has dual-approve verdicts (leo:approve, domain:approve) but
+sat in status='conflict' with last_error showing a stale-ref ff-push failure:
+"local ff-push failed: cannot lock ref 'refs/heads/main': is at 28e6fa93 but
+expected efd613a6". Main moved during the merge attempt, conflict_rebase_attempts
+hit the 3-attempt cap, and the PR stalled.
+
+The dual-approve verdicts mean the eval gate already passed — the failure was
+purely mechanical (ff-push race, not content-related). Cherry-pick onto a fresh
+main HEAD should resolve cleanly.
+
+This script resets the conflict state so the merge cycle picks the PR back up:
+  - status: 'conflict' → 'approved'
+  - conflict_rebase_attempts: N → 0
+  - last_error: cleared
+  - audit_log entry: stage='ops', event='pr_5224_stale_ref_reset'
+
+If cherry-pick fails again on retry, merge cycle will set status='conflict' with
+a fresh last_error, and we close the PR as stale (downstream clay sessions on
+2026-04-30, 2026-05-09 etc. have already merged similar content).
+
+Per Ganymede observation #3 (May 10): DB mutations go through reviewable code
+paths. Audit trail benefits from one-shape-per-commit.
+
+Idempotent — safe to re-run. If status is already 'approved' (or merged/closed),
+prints current state and exits without writing.
+
+Usage:
+  python3 scripts/clear-stale-ref-pr-5224.py --dry-run
+  python3 scripts/clear-stale-ref-pr-5224.py
+"""
+import argparse
+import json
+import os
+import sqlite3
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+DB_PATH = os.environ.get("PIPELINE_DB", "/opt/teleo-eval/pipeline/pipeline.db")
+PR_NUMBER = 5224
+EXPECTED_BRANCH = "clay/research-2026-04-29"
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument("--dry-run", action="store_true")
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    if not Path(DB_PATH).exists():
+        print(f"ERROR: DB not found at {DB_PATH}", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+    conn = sqlite3.connect(DB_PATH, timeout=30)
+    conn.row_factory = sqlite3.Row
+
+    row = conn.execute(
+        """SELECT number, branch, status, leo_verdict, domain_verdict,
+                  conflict_rebase_attempts, last_error
+           FROM prs WHERE number = ?""",
+        (PR_NUMBER,),
+    ).fetchone()
+    if not row:
+        print(f"  No PR row for #{PR_NUMBER} — nothing to reset.")
+        return
+
+    print(f"  PR #{row['number']} ({row['branch']})")
+    print(f"  status={row['status']} leo={row['leo_verdict']} domain={row['domain_verdict']}")
+    print(f"  conflict_rebase_attempts={row['conflict_rebase_attempts']}")
+    if row["last_error"]:
+        print(f"  last_error={row['last_error'][:140]}")
+
+    # Sanity: branch must match. If someone reused PR #5224 number we don't want
+    # to rewrite an unrelated PR's state.
+    if row["branch"] != EXPECTED_BRANCH:
+        print(
+            f"  ABORT: branch mismatch — expected {EXPECTED_BRANCH}, "
+            f"got {row['branch']}. Refusing to write."
+        )
+        sys.exit(2)
+
+    # Sanity: dual-approve must hold. Reset is only safe when eval gate already passed.
+    if not (row["leo_verdict"] == "approve" and row["domain_verdict"] == "approve"):
+        print(
+            f"  ABORT: PR is not dual-approve "
+            f"(leo={row['leo_verdict']}, domain={row['domain_verdict']}). "
+            "Refusing to reset to 'approved' status."
+        )
+        sys.exit(2)
+
+    if row["status"] in ("approved", "merging", "merged", "closed"):
+        print(f"  Already at status={row['status']} — no-op.")
+        return
+
+    if args.dry_run:
+        print(
+            "  (dry-run) UPDATE prs SET status='approved', "
+            "conflict_rebase_attempts=0, last_error=NULL WHERE number=5224"
+        )
+        return
+
+    conn.execute(
+        """UPDATE prs SET
+            status = 'approved',
+            conflict_rebase_attempts = 0,
+            last_error = NULL,
+            last_attempt = datetime('now')
+           WHERE number = ?""",
+        (PR_NUMBER,),
+    )
+    conn.execute(
+        """INSERT INTO audit_log (timestamp, stage, event, detail)
+           VALUES (datetime('now'), 'ops', 'pr_5224_stale_ref_reset', ?)""",
+        (json.dumps({
+            "pr": PR_NUMBER,
+            "branch": EXPECTED_BRANCH,
+            "from_status": row["status"],
+            "from_conflict_rebase_attempts": row["conflict_rebase_attempts"],
+            "previous_error": (row["last_error"] or "")[:200],
+            "rationale": "stale-ref ff-push race; dual-approve eval already passed; retry cherry-pick on fresh main",
+        }),),
+    )
+    conn.commit()
+    print("  Reset applied. Merge cycle will pick up on next interval (~30s).")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()