diff --git a/src/main/github/client.test.ts b/src/main/github/client.test.ts
index 45a39c749..2f1919896 100644
--- a/src/main/github/client.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/github/client.test.ts
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ import {
   mergePR,
   resolveReviewThread,
   setPRAutoMerge,
+  updatePRState,
   updatePRTitle,
   _resetOwnerRepoCache,
   _resetMergeQueueCacheForTests
@@ -1278,6 +1279,65 @@ describe('getPRForBranch', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('updatePRState', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    ghExecFileAsyncMock.mockReset()
+    getOwnerRepoMock.mockReset()
+    ghRepoExecOptionsMock.mockClear()
+    githubRepoContextMock.mockClear()
+    acquireMock.mockReset()
+    releaseMock.mockReset()
+    acquireMock.mockResolvedValue(undefined)
+    _resetOwnerRepoCache()
+  })
+
+  it('reopens pull requests through the gh PR command', async () => {
+    getOwnerRepoMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({ owner: 'stablyai', repo: 'orca' })
+    ghExecFileAsyncMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({ stdout: '', stderr: '' })
+
+    await expect(updatePRState('/repo-root', 3977, { state: 'open' })).resolves.toEqual({
+      ok: true
+    })
+
+    expect(ghExecFileAsyncMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      ['pr', 'reopen', '3977', '--repo', 'stablyai/orca'],
+      { cwd: '/repo-root' }
+    )
+    expect(acquireMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(releaseMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  })
+
+  it('closes pull requests through the gh PR command', async () => {
+    getOwnerRepoMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({ owner: 'stablyai', repo: 'orca' })
+    ghExecFileAsyncMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({ stdout: '', stderr: '' })
+
+    await expect(updatePRState('/repo-root', 3977, { state: 'closed' })).resolves.toEqual({
+      ok: true
+    })
+
+    expect(ghExecFileAsyncMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      ['pr', 'close', '3977', '--repo', 'stablyai/orca'],
+      { cwd: '/repo-root' }
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('reopens SSH-backed pull requests without local cwd options', async () => {
+    getOwnerRepoMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({ owner: 'stablyai', repo: 'orca' })
+    ghExecFileAsyncMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({ stdout: '', stderr: '' })
+
+    await expect(
+      updatePRState('/remote/repo-root', 3977, { state: 'open' }, 'ssh-1')
+    ).resolves.toEqual({
+      ok: true
+    })
+
+    expect(ghExecFileAsyncMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      ['pr', 'reopen', '3977', '--repo', 'stablyai/orca'],
+      {}
+    )
+  })
+})
+
 describe('GitHub GraphQL rate-limit guard', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     execFileAsyncMock.mockReset()
diff --git a/src/main/github/client.ts b/src/main/github/client.ts
index 883e6cab6..834cfe7d9 100644
--- a/src/main/github/client.ts
+++ b/src/main/github/client.ts
@@ -3254,16 +3254,14 @@ export async function updatePRState(
 
   await acquire()
   try {
+    const cmd = updates.state === 'closed' ? 'close' : 'reopen'
+    // Why: GitHub can reject REST pull state PATCHes for reopen paths with a
+    // generic 422; gh's PR commands use GitHub's supported reopen flow.
     await ghExecFileAsync(
-      [
-        'api',
-        '-X',
-        'PATCH',
-        `repos/${ownerRepo.owner}/${ownerRepo.repo}/pulls/${prNumber}`,
-        '--raw-field',
-        `state=${updates.state}`
-      ],
-      ghOptions
+      ['pr', cmd, String(prNumber), '--repo', `${ownerRepo.owner}/${ownerRepo.repo}`],
+      {
+        ...ghOptions
+      }
     )
     return { ok: true }
   } catch (err) {