diff --git a/src/domain/tasks.ts b/src/domain/tasks.ts
index 150ee66..366839d 100644
--- a/src/domain/tasks.ts
+++ b/src/domain/tasks.ts
@@ -426,6 +426,47 @@ export class TaskService {
     });
   }
 
+  // Like `claim` but never advances the stage. For pipelines whose first
+  // stage is itself a do-work stage (read-context, pull-from-queue, etc.)
+  // where assignment and "begin spec" are distinct actions.
+  assign(taskId: number, assigneeName: string): Task {
+    validateAssignee(assigneeName);
+
+    return this.db.transaction(() => {
+      const task = this.requireTask(taskId);
+      if (task.status !== 'pending') {
+        throw new ConflictError(`Task ${taskId} is not pending (status: ${task.status}).`);
+      }
+
+      const gate = this.getGateConfig(task.project ?? undefined);
+      const minConfidence = gate?.min_confidence_for_claim;
+      if (typeof minConfidence === 'number' && minConfidence > 0) {
+        const { score, reasons } = scoreTaskConfidence({
+          title: task.title,
+          description: task.description,
+        });
+        if (score < minConfidence) {
+          const detail = reasons.length ? ` Issues: ${reasons.join('; ')}` : '';
+          throw new ValidationError(
+            `Task ${taskId} confidence ${score}/100 below required ${minConfidence}.${detail}`,
+          );
+        }
+      }
+
+      // Stage stays put; status flips to in_progress because an agent now
+      // actively owns the task. Status no longer follows stage strictly here,
+      // but a "pending + assigned_to set" state is incoherent for queue
+      // semantics (next-task picker would otherwise hand it out again).
+      this.db.run(
+        `UPDATE tasks SET status = 'in_progress', assigned_to = ?, updated_at = datetime('now') WHERE id = ?`,
+        [assigneeName, taskId],
+      );
+      const assigned = this.getById(taskId)!;
+      this.events.emit('task:claimed', { task: assigned, claimer: assigneeName });
+      return assigned;
+    });
+  }
+
   // ---- Learnings ----
 
   learn(
diff --git a/src/transport/mcp-handlers.ts b/src/transport/mcp-handlers.ts
index 87121fc..44bc53b 100644
--- a/src/transport/mcp-handlers.ts
+++ b/src/transport/mcp-handlers.ts
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ export function handleStage(
 ): unknown {
   const action = validateEnum(
     optString(args, 'action'),
-    ['claim', 'advance', 'regress', 'complete', 'fail', 'cancel'] as const,
+    ['claim', 'assign', 'advance', 'regress', 'complete', 'fail', 'cancel'] as const,
     'action',
   );
   const taskId = requireNumber(args, 'task_id');
@@ -311,6 +311,12 @@ export function handleStage(
     return withStageInstructions(ctx, claimed);
   }
 
+  if (action === 'assign') {
+    const assignee = optString(args, 'claimer') ?? sessionName(session);
+    const assigned = ctx.tasks.assign(taskId, assignee);
+    return withStageInstructions(ctx, assigned);
+  }
+
   if (action === 'advance') {
     const advanceComment = optString(args, 'comment');
     const advanced = ctx.tasks.advance(taskId, optString(args, 'stage'), advanceComment);
diff --git a/src/transport/mcp.ts b/src/transport/mcp.ts
index 0faaca5..35dc9a3 100644
--- a/src/transport/mcp.ts
+++ b/src/transport/mcp.ts
@@ -163,13 +163,13 @@ export const tools: ToolDefinition[] = [
   {
     name: 'task_stage',
     description:
-      'Move a task through its lifecycle. Actions: "claim" → assign to you and advance from backlog to spec, "advance" → next stage (or jump to a specific one), "regress" → earlier stage (requires reason), "complete" → marks done with result, "fail" → marks failed with error, "cancel" → cancels with reason.',
+      'Move a task through its lifecycle. Actions: "claim" → assign to you and advance from backlog to spec, "assign" → assign to you WITHOUT advancing the stage (use for custom pipelines where the first stage is itself a do-work stage), "advance" → next stage (or jump to a specific one), "regress" → earlier stage (requires reason), "complete" → marks done with result, "fail" → marks failed with error, "cancel" → cancels with reason.',
     inputSchema: {
       type: 'object',
       properties: {
         action: {
           type: 'string',
-          enum: ['claim', 'advance', 'regress', 'complete', 'fail', 'cancel'],
+          enum: ['claim', 'assign', 'advance', 'regress', 'complete', 'fail', 'cancel'],
           description: 'Lifecycle action to perform',
         },
         task_id: { type: 'number', description: 'Task ID' },
diff --git a/tests/mcp.test.ts b/tests/mcp.test.ts
index 5e547dd..8c2e1c0 100644
--- a/tests/mcp.test.ts
+++ b/tests/mcp.test.ts
@@ -269,6 +269,46 @@ describe('task_stage claim', () => {
   });
 });
 
+// =============================================================================
+// task_stage: assign (claim minus stage advance)
+// =============================================================================
+
+describe('task_stage assign', () => {
+  it('assigns without advancing the stage', () => {
+    const task = handle('task_create', { title: 'Assign me' }) as {
+      id: number;
+      stage: string;
+    };
+    expect(task.stage).toBe('backlog');
+    const assigned = handle('task_stage', { action: 'assign', task_id: task.id }) as {
+      stage: string;
+      status: string;
+      assigned_to: string;
+    };
+    expect(assigned.stage).toBe('backlog');
+    expect(assigned.assigned_to).toBe('test-agent');
+    expect(assigned.status).toBe('in_progress');
+  });
+
+  it('uses custom assignee name via claimer arg', () => {
+    const task = handle('task_create', { title: 'Assign me' }) as { id: number };
+    const assigned = handle('task_stage', {
+      action: 'assign',
+      task_id: task.id,
+      claimer: 'head-influencer',
+    }) as { assigned_to: string };
+    expect(assigned.assigned_to).toBe('head-influencer');
+  });
+
+  it('rejects assign on already-claimed task', () => {
+    const task = handle('task_create', { title: 'Locked' }) as { id: number };
+    handle('task_stage', { action: 'claim', task_id: task.id });
+    expect(() =>
+      handle('task_stage', { action: 'assign', task_id: task.id, claimer: 'other' }),
+    ).toThrow('not pending');
+  });
+});
+
 // =============================================================================
 // task_stage: advance
 // =============================================================================
diff --git a/tests/tasks.test.ts b/tests/tasks.test.ts
index fcf6908..09bc326 100644
--- a/tests/tasks.test.ts
+++ b/tests/tasks.test.ts
@@ -129,6 +129,54 @@ describe('claiming', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('assigning (no stage advance)', () => {
+  it('assigns a task without advancing the stage', () => {
+    const task = ctx.tasks.create({ title: 'Assign me' }, 'agent-1');
+    expect(task.stage).toBe('backlog');
+    const assigned = ctx.tasks.assign(task.id, 'agent-2');
+    expect(assigned.assigned_to).toBe('agent-2');
+    expect(assigned.stage).toBe('backlog');
+    expect(assigned.status).toBe('in_progress');
+  });
+
+  it('respects custom pipelines (stays at the first stage)', () => {
+    ctx.tasks.setPipelineConfig('proj', ['I-0-pull', 'I-1-plan', 'I-2-exec', 'I-3-closeout']);
+    const task = ctx.tasks.create({ title: 'Custom' }, 'agent-1');
+    ctx.tasks.update(task.id, { project: 'proj' });
+    // re-create at first stage of custom pipeline
+    const wave = ctx.tasks.create({ title: 'Wave', project: 'proj', stage: 'I-0-pull' }, 'agent-1');
+    const assigned = ctx.tasks.assign(wave.id, 'head-influencer');
+    expect(assigned.stage).toBe('I-0-pull');
+    expect(assigned.assigned_to).toBe('head-influencer');
+    expect(assigned.status).toBe('in_progress');
+  });
+
+  it('rejects assigning non-pending task', () => {
+    const task = ctx.tasks.create({ title: 'Already claimed' }, 'agent-1');
+    ctx.tasks.claim(task.id, 'agent-1');
+    expect(() => ctx.tasks.assign(task.id, 'agent-2')).toThrow('not pending');
+  });
+
+  it('emits task:claimed event (same channel as claim)', () => {
+    const task = ctx.tasks.create({ title: 'Listen' }, 'agent-1');
+    let captured: { task: { id: number }; claimer: string } | null = null;
+    ctx.events.on('task:claimed', (e) => {
+      captured = e.data as { task: { id: number }; claimer: string };
+    });
+    ctx.tasks.assign(task.id, 'agent-2');
+    expect(captured).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(captured!.claimer).toBe('agent-2');
+    expect(captured!.task.id).toBe(task.id);
+  });
+
+  it('respects min_confidence_for_claim gate (parity with claim)', () => {
+    ctx.tasks.setPipelineConfig('strict', ['I-0-pull', 'I-1-plan', 'done']);
+    ctx.tasks.setGateConfig('strict', { min_confidence_for_claim: 80 });
+    const vague = ctx.tasks.create({ title: 'x', project: 'strict', stage: 'I-0-pull' }, 'agent-1');
+    expect(() => ctx.tasks.assign(vague.id, 'agent-2')).toThrow('confidence');
+  });
+});
+
 describe('advancement', () => {
   it('advances through stages sequentially', () => {
     const task = ctx.tasks.create({ title: 'Flow' }, 'agent-1');