diff --git a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/init.cjs b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/init.cjs
index 185e1d9ec..d87302b51 100644
--- a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/init.cjs
+++ b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/init.cjs
@@ -40,10 +40,28 @@ function cmdInitExecutePhase(cwd, phase, raw) {
   }
 
   const config = loadConfig(cwd);
-  const phaseInfo = findPhaseInternal(cwd, phase);
+  let phaseInfo = findPhaseInternal(cwd, phase);
   const milestone = getMilestoneInfo(cwd);
 
   const roadmapPhase = getRoadmapPhaseInternal(cwd, phase);
+
+  // Fallback to ROADMAP.md if no phase directory exists yet
+  if (!phaseInfo && roadmapPhase?.found) {
+    const phaseName = roadmapPhase.phase_name;
+    phaseInfo = {
+      found: true,
+      directory: null,
+      phase_number: roadmapPhase.phase_number,
+      phase_name: phaseName,
+      phase_slug: phaseName ? phaseName.toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/g, '-').replace(/^-+|-+$/g, '') : null,
+      plans: [],
+      summaries: [],
+      incomplete_plans: [],
+      has_research: false,
+      has_context: false,
+      has_verification: false,
+    };
+  }
   const reqMatch = roadmapPhase?.section?.match(/^\*\*Requirements\*\*:[^\S\n]*([^\n]*)$/m);
   const reqExtracted = reqMatch
     ? reqMatch[1].replace(/[\[\]]/g, '').split(',').map(s => s.trim()).filter(Boolean).join(', ')
@@ -115,9 +133,27 @@ function cmdInitPlanPhase(cwd, phase, raw) {
   }
 
   const config = loadConfig(cwd);
-  const phaseInfo = findPhaseInternal(cwd, phase);
+  let phaseInfo = findPhaseInternal(cwd, phase);
 
   const roadmapPhase = getRoadmapPhaseInternal(cwd, phase);
+
+  // Fallback to ROADMAP.md if no phase directory exists yet
+  if (!phaseInfo && roadmapPhase?.found) {
+    const phaseName = roadmapPhase.phase_name;
+    phaseInfo = {
+      found: true,
+      directory: null,
+      phase_number: roadmapPhase.phase_number,
+      phase_name: phaseName,
+      phase_slug: phaseName ? phaseName.toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/g, '-').replace(/^-+|-+$/g, '') : null,
+      plans: [],
+      summaries: [],
+      incomplete_plans: [],
+      has_research: false,
+      has_context: false,
+      has_verification: false,
+    };
+  }
   const reqMatch = roadmapPhase?.section?.match(/^\*\*Requirements\*\*:[^\S\n]*([^\n]*)$/m);
   const reqExtracted = reqMatch
     ? reqMatch[1].replace(/[\[\]]/g, '').split(',').map(s => s.trim()).filter(Boolean).join(', ')
@@ -409,7 +445,28 @@ function cmdInitVerifyWork(cwd, phase, raw) {
   }
 
   const config = loadConfig(cwd);
-  const phaseInfo = findPhaseInternal(cwd, phase);
+  let phaseInfo = findPhaseInternal(cwd, phase);
+
+  // Fallback to ROADMAP.md if no phase directory exists yet
+  if (!phaseInfo) {
+    const roadmapPhase = getRoadmapPhaseInternal(cwd, phase);
+    if (roadmapPhase?.found) {
+      const phaseName = roadmapPhase.phase_name;
+      phaseInfo = {
+        found: true,
+        directory: null,
+        phase_number: roadmapPhase.phase_number,
+        phase_name: phaseName,
+        phase_slug: phaseName ? phaseName.toLowerCase().replace(/[^a-z0-9]+/g, '-').replace(/^-+|-+$/g, '') : null,
+        plans: [],
+        summaries: [],
+        incomplete_plans: [],
+        has_research: false,
+        has_context: false,
+        has_verification: false,
+      };
+    }
+  }
 
   const result = {
     // Models
diff --git a/tests/init.test.cjs b/tests/init.test.cjs
index 740fca823..e7655d0e0 100644
--- a/tests/init.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/init.test.cjs
@@ -199,6 +199,89 @@ describe('init commands', () => {
   });
 });
 
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// ROADMAP fallback for init plan-phase / execute-phase / verify-work (#1238)
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+describe('init commands ROADMAP fallback when phase directory does not exist (#1238)', () => {
+  let tmpDir;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    tmpDir = createTempProject();
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(tmpDir, '.planning', 'ROADMAP.md'),
+      '# Roadmap\n\n### Phase 1: Foundation Setup\n**Goal:** Bootstrap project\n**Requirements**: R-01, R-02\n**Plans:** TBD\n'
+    );
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    cleanup(tmpDir);
+  });
+
+  test('init plan-phase falls back to ROADMAP when no phase directory exists', () => {
+    const result = runGsdTools('init plan-phase 1', tmpDir);
+    assert.ok(result.success, `Command failed: ${result.error}`);
+
+    const output = JSON.parse(result.output);
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_found, true, 'phase_found should be true from ROADMAP fallback');
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_dir, null, 'phase_dir should be null (no directory yet)');
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_number, '1');
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_name, 'Foundation Setup');
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_slug, 'foundation-setup');
+    assert.strictEqual(output.padded_phase, '01');
+  });
+
+  test('init execute-phase falls back to ROADMAP when no phase directory exists', () => {
+    const result = runGsdTools('init execute-phase 1', tmpDir);
+    assert.ok(result.success, `Command failed: ${result.error}`);
+
+    const output = JSON.parse(result.output);
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_found, true, 'phase_found should be true from ROADMAP fallback');
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_dir, null, 'phase_dir should be null (no directory yet)');
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_number, '1');
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_name, 'Foundation Setup');
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_slug, 'foundation-setup');
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_req_ids, 'R-01, R-02');
+  });
+
+  test('init verify-work falls back to ROADMAP when no phase directory exists', () => {
+    const result = runGsdTools('init verify-work 1', tmpDir);
+    assert.ok(result.success, `Command failed: ${result.error}`);
+
+    const output = JSON.parse(result.output);
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_found, true, 'phase_found should be true from ROADMAP fallback');
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_dir, null, 'phase_dir should be null (no directory yet)');
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_number, '1');
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_name, 'Foundation Setup');
+  });
+
+  test('init plan-phase returns phase_found false when neither directory nor ROADMAP entry exists', () => {
+    const result = runGsdTools('init plan-phase 99', tmpDir);
+    assert.ok(result.success, `Command failed: ${result.error}`);
+
+    const output = JSON.parse(result.output);
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_found, false);
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_dir, null);
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_number, null);
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_name, null);
+  });
+
+  test('init plan-phase prefers disk directory over ROADMAP fallback', () => {
+    const phaseDir = path.join(tmpDir, '.planning', 'phases', '01-foundation-setup');
+    fs.mkdirSync(phaseDir, { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(phaseDir, '01-01-PLAN.md'), '# Plan');
+
+    const result = runGsdTools('init plan-phase 1', tmpDir);
+    assert.ok(result.success, `Command failed: ${result.error}`);
+
+    const output = JSON.parse(result.output);
+    assert.strictEqual(output.phase_found, true);
+    assert.ok(output.phase_dir !== null, 'phase_dir should point to disk directory');
+    assert.ok(output.phase_dir.includes('01-foundation-setup'));
+    assert.strictEqual(output.plan_count, 1);
+  });
+});
+
 // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 // cmdInitTodos (INIT-01)
 // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────