diff --git a/lib/clauck b/lib/clauck
index d1f882d..8e4612e 100755
--- a/lib/clauck
+++ b/lib/clauck
@@ -122,6 +122,8 @@ KNOWN_COMMANDS = {
     "-h", "--help", "help",
 }
 
+AUTO_REPORT_MODES = {"off", "draft", "auto"}
+
 
 # ── helpers ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
@@ -158,7 +160,7 @@ def jit_update_check() -> None:
 
 def _notify_pending_auto_reports() -> None:
     """Print a one-line notice if background agents have queued auto-draft reports."""
-    auto_report_mode = load_config().get("auto_report", {}).get("mode", "off")
+    auto_report_mode = _auto_report_mode()
     if auto_report_mode == "off" or not REPORTS_DIR.exists():
         return
     auto_drafts = list(REPORTS_DIR.glob("*-auto.json"))
@@ -188,6 +190,19 @@ def load_config() -> dict:
     return {}
 
 
+def _auto_report_mode(config: dict | None = None) -> str:
+    """Return the normalized auto-report mode from current or provided config."""
+    cfg = config if config is not None else load_config()
+    raw = cfg.get("auto_report", {})
+    if isinstance(raw, dict):
+        mode = raw.get("mode", "off")
+    elif isinstance(raw, str):
+        mode = raw
+    else:
+        mode = "off"
+    return mode if isinstance(mode, str) and mode in AUTO_REPORT_MODES else "off"
+
+
 def _load_scheduler_module():
     """Load scheduler.py from the dev tree or installed runtime, if present."""
     candidates = (
@@ -499,7 +514,7 @@ def cmd_status() -> None:
     print(f"  notifications: {'on' if notif else 'off'} (toggle: clauck config set notifications true/false)")
 
     # Check for pending auto-report drafts
-    auto_report_mode = config.get("auto_report", {}).get("mode", "off")
+    auto_report_mode = _auto_report_mode(config)
     print(f"  auto-report: {auto_report_mode}"
           f" (change: clauck config set auto_report.mode draft|auto|off)")
     if auto_report_mode != "off" and REPORTS_DIR.exists():
@@ -3430,6 +3445,18 @@ def cmd_doctor(
             print(str(err_text).strip(), file=sys.stderr)
         sys.exit(1)
 
+    should_auto_draft = False
+    auto_draft_title = ""
+    auto_draft_dedupe = ""
+    if dry and claude_result:
+        combined = (claude_result + " " + fix_instruction).lower()
+        if any(f in combined for f in _CLAUCK_SYSTEM_FILES):
+            import hashlib as _hl
+            dedup_src = (fix_instruction or claude_result[:200]).encode()
+            auto_draft_dedupe = f"doctor-{_hl.md5(dedup_src).hexdigest()[:12]}"
+            auto_draft_title = (fix_instruction or "clauck system issue detected by doctor")[:120]
+            should_auto_draft = True
+
     # Auto-prompt: if the diagnostic model queued a fix instruction and we're
     # running attached to a tty, offer to run it without the user retyping. The
     # instruction is passed as a single argv element to a re-invocation of this
@@ -3444,6 +3471,14 @@ def cmd_doctor(
             print()
             return
         if resp in ("", "y", "yes"):
+            if should_auto_draft:
+                _write_auto_draft(
+                    source="clauck-doctor",
+                    title=auto_draft_title,
+                    body=f"## Doctor finding\n\n{claude_result[:1500]}",
+                    labels=["bug"],
+                    dedupe_key=auto_draft_dedupe,
+                )
             fix_argv = [sys.argv[0], "doctor", "--fix"]
             if not safe:
                 # Preserve --unsafe only if the original invocation was --unsafe.
@@ -3457,20 +3492,14 @@ def cmd_doctor(
     # REPORTS_DIR so the user can review and submit it later.  The heuristic
     # is conservative: we only fire when the doctor report or fix_instruction
     # text references a known clauck internal file name.
-    if dry and claude_result and not is_error:
-        combined = (claude_result + " " + fix_instruction).lower()
-        if any(f in combined for f in _CLAUCK_SYSTEM_FILES):
-            import hashlib as _hl
-            dedup_src = (fix_instruction or claude_result[:200]).encode()
-            dedup = _hl.md5(dedup_src).hexdigest()[:12]
-            draft_title = (fix_instruction or "clauck system issue detected by doctor")[:120]
-            _write_auto_draft(
-                source="clauck-doctor",
-                title=draft_title,
-                body=f"## Doctor finding\n\n{claude_result[:1500]}",
-                labels=["bug"],
-                dedupe_key=f"doctor-{dedup}",
-            )
+    if should_auto_draft:
+        _write_auto_draft(
+            source="clauck-doctor",
+            title=auto_draft_title,
+            body=f"## Doctor finding\n\n{claude_result[:1500]}",
+            labels=["bug"],
+            dedupe_key=auto_draft_dedupe,
+        )
 
     # Optional interactive follow-up on a resolvable session.
     if interactive and session_id:
@@ -3813,7 +3842,7 @@ def _write_auto_draft(
     """
     import time as _t
 
-    auto_report_mode = load_config().get("auto_report", {}).get("mode", "off")
+    auto_report_mode = _auto_report_mode()
     if auto_report_mode == "off":
         return None
 
diff --git a/tests/test_clauck_report.py b/tests/test_clauck_report.py
index c7bebc5..eb01088 100644
--- a/tests/test_clauck_report.py
+++ b/tests/test_clauck_report.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 import importlib.machinery
 import io
 import json
+import subprocess
 import sys
 import tempfile
 import time
@@ -317,6 +318,12 @@ def test_auto_mode_creates_file(self):
         self.assertIsNotNone(path)
         self.assertTrue(path.exists())
 
+    def test_legacy_scalar_mode_string_still_writes(self):
+        self.config_file.write_text(json.dumps({"auto_report": "draft"}))
+        path = _write_auto_draft("doctor", "A bug", "body")
+        self.assertIsNotNone(path)
+        self.assertTrue(path.exists())
+
     def test_custom_labels_stored(self):
         self._set_mode("draft")
         path = _write_auto_draft("agent", "t", "b", labels=["enhancement"])
@@ -427,3 +434,171 @@ def test_notice_includes_count(self):
             (self.reports / f"20260418T12000{i}Z-doctor-auto.json").write_text("{}")
         out = self._capture_notify()
         self.assertIn("3", out)
+
+    def test_legacy_scalar_mode_string_still_prints_notice(self):
+        self.config_file.write_text(json.dumps({"auto_report": "draft"}))
+        self.reports.mkdir()
+        (self.reports / "20260418T120000Z-doctor-auto.json").write_text("{}")
+        out = self._capture_notify()
+        self.assertIn("auto-report", out)
+
+
+class TestLegacyAutoReportConfigCompatibility(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.tmp = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()
+        root = Path(self.tmp.name)
+        self.jobs_dir = root / "jobs"
+        self.jobs_dir.mkdir()
+        self.state_dir = self.jobs_dir / ".state"
+        self.state_dir.mkdir()
+        self.reports_dir = root / "reports"
+        self.reports_dir.mkdir()
+        self.config_file = root / "config.json"
+        self.version_file = root / ".version"
+        self.version_file.write_text("v1.5.7")
+        self.manifest_file = root / ".manifest.json"
+        self.manifest_file.write_text(json.dumps({"jobs": []}))
+        self._orig_jobs = _mod.JOBS_DIR
+        self._orig_state = _mod.STATE_DIR
+        self._orig_reports = _mod.REPORTS_DIR
+        self._orig_config = _mod.CONFIG_FILE
+        self._orig_version = _mod.VERSION_FILE
+        self._orig_manifest = _mod.MANIFEST
+        _mod.JOBS_DIR = self.jobs_dir
+        _mod.STATE_DIR = self.state_dir
+        _mod.REPORTS_DIR = self.reports_dir
+        _mod.CONFIG_FILE = self.config_file
+        _mod.VERSION_FILE = self.version_file
+        _mod.MANIFEST = self.manifest_file
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        _mod.JOBS_DIR = self._orig_jobs
+        _mod.STATE_DIR = self._orig_state
+        _mod.REPORTS_DIR = self._orig_reports
+        _mod.CONFIG_FILE = self._orig_config
+        _mod.VERSION_FILE = self._orig_version
+        _mod.MANIFEST = self._orig_manifest
+        self.tmp.cleanup()
+
+    def test_main_list_does_not_brick_on_legacy_scalar_mode(self):
+        self.config_file.write_text(json.dumps({"auto_report": "draft"}))
+        with patch.object(_mod, "jit_update_check"), \
+                patch.object(_mod, "cmd_list") as mock_list, \
+                patch.object(sys, "argv", ["clauck", "list"]):
+            _mod.main()
+        mock_list.assert_called_once_with(tag_filter="")
+
+    def test_status_handles_legacy_scalar_mode_and_pending_drafts(self):
+        self.config_file.write_text(json.dumps({"auto_report": "draft"}))
+        (self.reports_dir / "20260418T120000Z-doctor-auto.json").write_text("{}")
+        buf = io.StringIO()
+        with patch("builtins.print", side_effect=lambda *a, **k: buf.write(" ".join(str(x) for x in a) + "\n")), \
+                patch.object(_mod.subprocess, "run", return_value=subprocess.CompletedProcess(["launchctl", "list"], 0, "", "")):
+            _mod.cmd_status()
+        out = buf.getvalue()
+        self.assertIn("auto-report: draft", out)
+        self.assertIn("auto-report drafts: 1 pending", out)
+
+
+class TestDoctorAutoReportHandoff(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.tmp = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()
+        root = Path(self.tmp.name)
+        self.jobs_dir = root / "jobs"
+        self.jobs_dir.mkdir()
+        self.state_dir = self.jobs_dir / ".state"
+        self.state_dir.mkdir()
+        self.reports_dir = root / "reports"
+        self.config_file = root / "config.json"
+        self.config_file.write_text(json.dumps({"auto_report": {"mode": "draft"}}))
+        self._orig_jobs = _mod.JOBS_DIR
+        self._orig_state = _mod.STATE_DIR
+        self._orig_reports = _mod.REPORTS_DIR
+        self._orig_config = _mod.CONFIG_FILE
+        _mod.JOBS_DIR = self.jobs_dir
+        _mod.STATE_DIR = self.state_dir
+        _mod.REPORTS_DIR = self.reports_dir
+        _mod.CONFIG_FILE = self.config_file
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        _mod.JOBS_DIR = self._orig_jobs
+        _mod.STATE_DIR = self._orig_state
+        _mod.REPORTS_DIR = self._orig_reports
+        _mod.CONFIG_FILE = self._orig_config
+        self.tmp.cleanup()
+
+    def test_dry_fix_prompt_writes_auto_draft_before_exec_handoff(self):
+        class ExecHandoff(Exception):
+            pass
+
+        class DummyThread:
+            def __init__(self, target=None, daemon=None):
+                self.target = target
+
+            def start(self):
+                return None
+
+            def join(self, timeout=None):
+                return None
+
+        stage1 = subprocess.CompletedProcess(
+            ["claude", "-p"],
+            0,
+            json.dumps({
+                "result": json.dumps({
+                    "interpretation": "Inspect install.sh drift",
+                    "task_complexity_scale": 0.2,
+                }),
+                "is_error": False,
+            }),
+            "",
+        )
+        stage2 = subprocess.CompletedProcess(
+            ["claude", "-p"],
+            0,
+            json.dumps({
+                "result": json.dumps({
+                    "report": "install.sh needs a clauck internal fix",
+                    "fix_instruction": "repair install.sh handling",
+                }),
+                "session_id": "session-123",
+                "is_error": False,
+            }),
+            "",
+        )
+
+        events = []
+
+        def fake_write_auto_draft(*args, **kwargs):
+            events.append("draft")
+            return self.reports_dir / "draft.json"
+
+        def fake_execvp(path, argv):
+            events.append("execvp")
+            raise ExecHandoff()
+
+        with patch.object(_mod, "_find_claude", return_value="/usr/bin/claude"), \
+                patch.object(_mod.sizing, "load_doctor_config", return_value={"scale_skew": 0.0, "max_budget_usd": 10.0}), \
+                patch.object(_mod.sizing, "estimate_tokens", return_value=0), \
+                patch.object(_mod.sizing, "compute_sizing", return_value={
+                    "model": "haiku",
+                    "effort": "low",
+                    "max_turns": 2,
+                    "max_budget_usd": 1.0,
+                    "explanation": "scaled",
+                    "base_cost": 0.0,
+                    "context_cost": 0.0,
+                    "headroom": 1.3,
+                }), \
+                patch.object(_mod.subprocess, "run", side_effect=[stage1, stage2]), \
+                patch.object(_mod, "_write_auto_draft", side_effect=fake_write_auto_draft), \
+                patch("threading.Thread", DummyThread), \
+                patch.object(sys.stdin, "isatty", return_value=True), \
+                patch.object(sys.stdout, "isatty", return_value=True), \
+                patch("builtins.input", return_value=""), \
+                patch.object(_mod.os, "execvp", side_effect=fake_execvp), \
+                patch.object(sys, "argv", ["clauck", "doctor", "--dry", "check install.sh"]):
+            with self.assertRaises(ExecHandoff):
+                _mod.cmd_doctor(dry=True, fix=False, safe=True, unsafe=False, interactive=False, context="check install.sh")
+
+        self.assertEqual(events, ["draft", "execvp"])