diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/chat/ThreadDetailsPrRow.browser.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/chat/ThreadDetailsPrRow.browser.test.tsx
index 7d1c3199b8ec8..0d32b19cf1b95 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/chat/ThreadDetailsPrRow.browser.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/chat/ThreadDetailsPrRow.browser.test.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import { expect, it, vi } from "vite-plus/test";
 const state = vi.hoisted(() => ({
   status: "success" as PullRequestCheck["status"],
   extraStatus: null as PullRequestCheck["status"] | null,
+  autoMergeEnabled: false as boolean | undefined,
+  actions: ["merge"] as Array<"merge" | "enable-auto-merge">,
   mergeMethods: ["merge"] as Array<"merge" | "squash" | "rebase">,
   perform: vi.fn(),
   newThread: vi.fn(),
@@ -46,8 +48,9 @@ const queryData = () => ({
     description: null,
     url: null,
   })),
-  capabilities: { actions: ["merge"], mergeMethods: state.mergeMethods },
-  viewerPermissions: { actions: ["merge"] },
+  autoMergeEnabled: state.autoMergeEnabled,
+  capabilities: { actions: state.actions, mergeMethods: state.mergeMethods },
+  viewerPermissions: { actions: state.actions },
   mergeCapabilities: {
     merge: state.mergeMethods.includes("merge"),
     squash: state.mergeMethods.includes("squash"),
@@ -177,6 +180,72 @@ it("requires a new merge click after passing checks become pending and pass agai
   expect(state.perform).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 });
 
+it("hides Merge once auto-merge is armed", async () => {
+  await using screen = await setup();
+  const { container } = screen;
+  const render = () => (
+    <ThreadDetailsPrRow
+      environmentId={EnvironmentId.make("environment")}
+      pr={null}
+      number={1}
+      status={null}
+      project={null}
+      label="Test PR"
+      openAriaLabel="Open PR"
+      onOpen={vi.fn()}
+    />
+  );
+  await act(async () => await screen.rerender(render()));
+  expect(
+    [...container.querySelectorAll("button")].some(
+      (button) => button.textContent?.trim() === "Merge",
+    ),
+  ).toBe(true);
+  await act(async () => {
+    state.autoMergeEnabled = true;
+    await screen.rerender(render());
+  });
+  expect(
+    [...container.querySelectorAll("button")].some(
+      (button) => button.textContent?.trim() === "Merge",
+    ),
+  ).toBe(false);
+});
+
+it("offers enable auto-merge while checks are pending", async () => {
+  await using screen = await setup();
+  const { container } = screen;
+  state.status = "pending";
+  state.actions = ["merge", "enable-auto-merge"];
+  useUiStateStore.getState().setPullRequestMergeMethod("squash");
+  state.mergeMethods = ["merge", "squash"];
+  await act(async () => {
+    await screen.rerender(
+      <ThreadDetailsPrRow
+        environmentId={EnvironmentId.make("environment")}
+        pr={null}
+        number={1}
+        status={null}
+        project={null}
+        label="Test PR"
+        openAriaLabel="Open PR"
+        onOpen={vi.fn()}
+      />,
+    );
+  });
+  const clickEnable = async (scope: ParentNode) =>
+    await act(async () => {
+      [...scope.querySelectorAll("button")]
+        .find((button) => button.textContent?.trim() === "Enable auto-merge")!
+        .click();
+    });
+  await clickEnable(container);
+  const dialog = document.querySelector('[role="alertdialog"]')!;
+  expect(dialog.textContent).toContain("not right away");
+  await clickEnable(dialog);
+  expect(state.perform).toHaveBeenCalledWith("enable-auto-merge", "squash");
+});
+
 async function setup() {
   state.perform.mockReset();
   state.checkoutError = null;
@@ -190,6 +259,8 @@ async function setup() {
 
   state.status = "success";
   state.extraStatus = null;
+  state.autoMergeEnabled = false;
+  state.actions = ["merge"];
   state.mergeMethods = ["merge"];
   useUiStateStore.getState().setPullRequestMergeMethod("merge");
   return renderUi(null);
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/chat/ThreadDetailsPrRow.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/chat/ThreadDetailsPrRow.tsx
index 8c3f814427991..18418210907a3 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/chat/ThreadDetailsPrRow.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/chat/ThreadDetailsPrRow.tsx
@@ -174,11 +174,11 @@ export function ThreadDetailsPrRow({
     environmentId,
     (project?.id as ProjectId | undefined) ?? null,
   );
-  const [confirmingMerge, setConfirmingMerge] = useState(false);
+  const [confirming, setConfirming] = useState<"merge" | "enable-auto-merge" | null>(null);
 
   const rowAction = resolveThreadPanelPullRequestAction(detail);
-  if (confirmingMerge && rowAction !== "merge") {
-    setConfirmingMerge(false);
+  if (confirming !== null && rowAction !== confirming) {
+    setConfirming(null);
   }
   const conflicting = isPullRequestConflicting(detail);
   const checksState = detail === null ? "none" : classifyPullRequestChecks(detail.checks);
@@ -348,17 +348,27 @@ export function ThreadDetailsPrRow({
               tooltip: "Fix the failing checks in a new thread",
               onClick: startFixChecks,
             }
-          : rowAction === "merge"
+          : rowAction === "enable-auto-merge"
             ? {
-                label: "Merge",
-                pendingLabel: "Merging...",
+                label: "Enable auto-merge",
+                pendingLabel: "Enabling...",
                 pending: actionPending,
                 destructive: false,
                 suffix: null,
-                tooltip: `Merge this ${terminology.singular} (${selectedMergeMethod})`,
-                onClick: () => setConfirmingMerge(true),
+                tooltip: `Enable auto-merge (${selectedMergeMethod}): waits for requirements instead of merging right away`,
+                onClick: () => setConfirming("enable-auto-merge"),
               }
-            : null;
+            : rowAction === "merge"
+              ? {
+                  label: "Merge",
+                  pendingLabel: "Merging...",
+                  pending: actionPending,
+                  destructive: false,
+                  suffix: null,
+                  tooltip: `Merge this ${terminology.singular} (${selectedMergeMethod})`,
+                  onClick: () => setConfirming("merge"),
+                }
+              : null;
 
   const watching =
     onStopWatching !== undefined && (detail?.state ?? pr?.state ?? "open") === "open";
@@ -482,13 +492,22 @@ export function ThreadDetailsPrRow({
       ) : (
         openRow(label, "row")
       )}
-      {rowAction === "merge" ? (
-        <AlertDialog open={confirmingMerge} onOpenChange={(open) => setConfirmingMerge(open)}>
+      {rowAction === "merge" || rowAction === "enable-auto-merge" ? (
+        <AlertDialog
+          open={confirming === rowAction}
+          onOpenChange={(open) => setConfirming(open ? rowAction : null)}
+        >
           <AlertDialogPopup>
             <AlertDialogHeader>
-              <AlertDialogTitle>Merge {terminology.singular}?</AlertDialogTitle>
+              <AlertDialogTitle>
+                {rowAction === "enable-auto-merge"
+                  ? "Enable auto-merge?"
+                  : `Merge ${terminology.singular}?`}
+              </AlertDialogTitle>
               <AlertDialogDescription>
-                This merges #{number} using {selectedMergeMethod}.
+                {rowAction === "enable-auto-merge"
+                  ? `The host will merge #${number} using ${selectedMergeMethod} once its requirements are met, not right away.`
+                  : `This merges #${number} using ${selectedMergeMethod}.`}
               </AlertDialogDescription>
             </AlertDialogHeader>
             <AlertDialogFooter>
@@ -499,11 +518,11 @@ export function ThreadDetailsPrRow({
                 size="sm"
                 disabled={actionPending}
                 onClick={() => {
-                  setConfirmingMerge(false);
-                  void perform("merge", selectedMergeMethod);
+                  setConfirming(null);
+                  void perform(rowAction, selectedMergeMethod);
                 }}
               >
-                Merge
+                {rowAction === "enable-auto-merge" ? "Enable auto-merge" : "Merge"}
               </Button>
             </AlertDialogFooter>
           </AlertDialogPopup>
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/PullRequestActionsMenu.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/PullRequestActionsMenu.tsx
index df402185ce350..627dda77a3b5c 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/PullRequestActionsMenu.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/PullRequestActionsMenu.tsx
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import type {
 import {
   ArrowUpRightIcon,
   BookOpenIcon,
+  ClockIcon,
   CopyIcon,
   HammerIcon,
   LinkIcon,
@@ -348,7 +349,7 @@ export function PullRequestActionsMenu({
                 closeOnClick={inlineConfirm.isArmed("enable-auto-merge")}
                 aria-label={
                   inlineConfirm.isArmed("enable-auto-merge")
-                    ? "Confirm auto-merge?"
+                    ? "Confirm enable auto-merge?"
                     : "Enable auto-merge"
                 }
                 disabled={actionPending}
@@ -357,9 +358,9 @@ export function PullRequestActionsMenu({
                   () => void perform("enable-auto-merge", selectedMergeMethod),
                 )}
               >
-                <PullRequestGlyph.merged className="size-3.5" />
+                <ClockIcon className="size-3.5" />
                 {inlineConfirm.isArmed("enable-auto-merge")
-                  ? "Confirm auto-merge?"
+                  ? "Confirm enable auto-merge?"
                   : "Enable auto-merge"}
               </MenuItem>
             ) : null}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/PullRequestDetailActions.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/PullRequestDetailActions.tsx
index f5a5b4ee77bd9..555e135198324 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/PullRequestDetailActions.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/PullRequestDetailActions.tsx
@@ -4,7 +4,14 @@ import type {
   PullRequestMergeMethod,
   PullRequestUpdateMethod,
 } from "@t3tools/contracts";
-import { CheckIcon, ChevronDownIcon, FolderGit2Icon, GitBranchIcon, PlayIcon } from "lucide-react";
+import {
+  CheckIcon,
+  ChevronDownIcon,
+  ClockIcon,
+  FolderGit2Icon,
+  GitBranchIcon,
+  PlayIcon,
+} from "lucide-react";
 import type { ReactNode } from "react";
 
 import { AnimatedWidth } from "~/components/AnimatedWidth";
@@ -277,14 +284,14 @@ export function PullRequestPrimaryAction({
                     pendingAction === "enable-auto-merge"
                       ? "Enabling..."
                       : inlineConfirm.isArmed("enable-auto-merge")
-                        ? "Confirm auto-merge?"
+                        ? "Confirm enable auto-merge?"
                         : pendingAutoMergeLabel
                   }
                 >
                   {inlineConfirm.isArmed("enable-auto-merge") ? (
                     <CheckIcon aria-hidden className="size-3.5" />
                   ) : (
-                    <PullRequestGlyph.merged aria-hidden className="size-3.5" />
+                    <ClockIcon aria-hidden className="size-3.5" />
                   )}
                   <AnimatedWidth className="@max-[30rem]/pr-header:hidden">
                     <span className="grid">
@@ -295,7 +302,7 @@ export function PullRequestPrimaryAction({
                         {pendingAction === "enable-auto-merge"
                           ? "Enabling..."
                           : inlineConfirm.isArmed("enable-auto-merge")
-                            ? "Confirm auto-merge?"
+                            ? "Confirm enable auto-merge?"
                             : pendingAutoMergeLabel}
                       </span>
                     </span>
@@ -309,8 +316,8 @@ export function PullRequestPrimaryAction({
               (pendingAction === "enable-auto-merge"
                 ? "Enabling..."
                 : inlineConfirm.isArmed("enable-auto-merge")
-                  ? "Confirm auto-merge?"
-                  : pendingAutoMergeLabel)}
+                  ? "Confirm enable auto-merge?"
+                  : `${pendingAutoMergeLabel}: waits for requirements instead of merging right away`)}
           </TooltipPopup>
         </Tooltip>
       ) : primaryAction === "auto-merge-armed" ? (
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/PullRequestDetailPanel.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/PullRequestDetailPanel.tsx
index 4c8e1e2acbcd6..11cfea2e71e93 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/PullRequestDetailPanel.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/PullRequestDetailPanel.tsx
@@ -1117,13 +1117,11 @@ export function PullRequestDetailPanel({
     lastSelectedMergeMethod,
   );
   const selectedMergeMethodLabel = PULL_REQUEST_MERGE_METHOD_LABELS[selectedMergeMethod];
-  const pendingAutoMergeLabel = `Auto-merge (${selectedMergeMethodLabel.toLowerCase()})`;
+  const pendingAutoMergeLabel = `Enable auto-merge (${selectedMergeMethod})`;
   const conflicting = isPullRequestConflicting(detail);
   const autoMergeArmed = detail?.state === "open" && detail.autoMergeEnabled === true;
   const armedMergeMethod = detail?.autoMergeMethod;
-  const armedAutoMergeLabel = armedMergeMethod
-    ? `Auto-merge (${PULL_REQUEST_MERGE_METHOD_LABELS[armedMergeMethod].toLowerCase()})`
-    : "Auto-merge";
+  const armedAutoMergeLabel = armedMergeMethod ? `Auto-merge (${armedMergeMethod})` : "Auto-merge";
   const workflowApprovalsRequired =
     detail?.state === "open" ? (detail.workflowApprovalsRequired ?? 0) : 0;
   const freshness = detail === null ? null : resolveBaseFreshness(detail);
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/pullRequestDetail.logic.test.ts b/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/pullRequestDetail.logic.test.ts
index 7c1cc47883f6f..c1aeb8bb3c38e 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/pullRequestDetail.logic.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/pullRequestDetail.logic.test.ts
@@ -1232,6 +1232,33 @@ describe("the compact row's single action slot", () => {
     ).toBeNull();
   });
 
+  it("offers enable-auto-merge while checks run when that is available instead of Merge", () => {
+    expect(
+      resolveThreadPanelPullRequestAction(
+        openDetail({
+          autoMergeEnabled: false,
+          checks: [check("pending")],
+          capabilities: {
+            actions: ["merge", "enable-auto-merge"],
+            mergeMethods: ["merge", "squash"],
+          } as unknown as PullRequestDetailView["capabilities"],
+          viewerPermissions: {
+            actions: ["merge", "enable-auto-merge"],
+          } as unknown as PullRequestDetailView["viewerPermissions"],
+        }),
+      ),
+    ).toBe("enable-auto-merge");
+  });
+
+  it("hides Merge once auto-merge is armed, but still offers Fix for failing checks", () => {
+    expect(resolveThreadPanelPullRequestAction(openDetail({ autoMergeEnabled: true }))).toBeNull();
+    expect(
+      resolveThreadPanelPullRequestAction(
+        openDetail({ autoMergeEnabled: true, checks: [check("failure")] }),
+      ),
+    ).toBe("fix");
+  });
+
   it("ranks conflicts above everything, then draft, then failing checks", () => {
     expect(
       resolveThreadPanelPullRequestAction(
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/pullRequestDetail.logic.ts b/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/pullRequestDetail.logic.ts
index 2a7dc7151b92d..6017591ca7458 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/pullRequestDetail.logic.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/pullRequestDetail.logic.ts
@@ -276,7 +276,13 @@ export function isStackedPullRequestBase(
 
 type PullRequestActionableDetail = Pick<
   PullRequestDetail,
-  "state" | "isDraft" | "mergeability" | "capabilities" | "viewerPermissions" | "mergeCapabilities"
+  | "state"
+  | "isDraft"
+  | "mergeability"
+  | "capabilities"
+  | "viewerPermissions"
+  | "mergeCapabilities"
+  | "autoMergeEnabled"
 >;
 
 export function allowedPullRequestMergeMethods(
@@ -349,7 +355,7 @@ export function groupPullRequestChecks(checks: ReadonlyArray<PullRequestCheck>)
   };
 }
 
-type ThreadPanelPullRequestAction = "resolve" | "ready" | "fix" | "merge";
+type ThreadPanelPullRequestAction = "resolve" | "ready" | "fix" | "merge" | "enable-auto-merge";
 
 export function resolveThreadPanelPullRequestAction(
   detail: (PullRequestActionableDetail & Pick<PullRequestDetail, "checks">) | null,
@@ -361,11 +367,19 @@ export function resolveThreadPanelPullRequestAction(
   }
   const checks = classifyPullRequestChecks(detail.checks);
   if (checks === "failing") return "fix";
+  // Auto-merge already waits on the host; do not keep a Merge control beside Commit.
+  if (detail.autoMergeEnabled === true) return null;
+  const hasMergeMethod = allowedPullRequestMergeMethods(detail).length > 0;
+  if (
+    checks === "pending" &&
+    detail.autoMergeEnabled === false &&
+    canPerformPullRequestAction(detail, "enable-auto-merge") &&
+    hasMergeMethod
+  ) {
+    return "enable-auto-merge";
+  }
   if (checks === "pending") return null;
-  return canPerformPullRequestAction(detail, "merge") &&
-    allowedPullRequestMergeMethods(detail).length > 0
-    ? "merge"
-    : null;
+  return canPerformPullRequestAction(detail, "merge") && hasMergeMethod ? "merge" : null;
 }
 
 export function orderPullRequestComments<T extends { readonly createdAt: string }>(
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/useInlineActionConfirm.browser.test.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/useInlineActionConfirm.browser.test.tsx
index c94403abde4d3..202edd6766394 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/useInlineActionConfirm.browser.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/pullRequest/useInlineActionConfirm.browser.test.tsx
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ it.each(["merge", "enable-auto-merge"] as const)(
         mergeBlockedReason={mergeBlockedReason}
         autoMergeArmed={false}
         armedAutoMergeLabel="Auto-merge enabled"
-        pendingAutoMergeLabel="Auto-merge (squash)"
+        pendingAutoMergeLabel="Enable auto-merge (squash)"
         selectedMergeMethod="squash"
         selectedMergeMethodLabel="Squash and merge"
         statePresentation={null}