diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6876974d9..f76300eff 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Format follows [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/).
 
 ### Fixed
 - Scope phase counting in `buildStateFrontmatter` and `cmdPhaseComplete` to current milestone — multi-milestone projects no longer report inflated total/completed phases
+- Use ROADMAP phase count for `total_phases` when phases lack directories — prevents premature milestone completion detection
 
 ## [1.22.1] - 2026-03-02
 
diff --git a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/core.cjs b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/core.cjs
index 4a1edbeeb..08a88e44f 100644
--- a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/core.cjs
+++ b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/core.cjs
@@ -425,17 +425,23 @@ function getMilestonePhaseFilter(cwd) {
     }
   } catch {}
 
-  if (milestonePhaseNums.size === 0) return () => true;
+  if (milestonePhaseNums.size === 0) {
+    const passAll = () => true;
+    passAll.phaseCount = 0;
+    return passAll;
+  }
 
   const normalized = new Set(
     [...milestonePhaseNums].map(n => (n.replace(/^0+/, '') || '0').toLowerCase())
   );
 
-  return function isDirInMilestone(dirName) {
+  function isDirInMilestone(dirName) {
     const m = dirName.match(/^0*(\d+[A-Za-z]?(?:\.\d+)*)/);
     if (!m) return false;
     return normalized.has(m[1].toLowerCase());
-  };
+  }
+  isDirInMilestone.phaseCount = milestonePhaseNums.size;
+  return isDirInMilestone;
 }
 
 module.exports = {
diff --git a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/state.cjs b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/state.cjs
index c07e2afca..18a4bc760 100644
--- a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/state.cjs
+++ b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/state.cjs
@@ -565,7 +565,9 @@ function buildStateFrontmatter(bodyContent, cwd) {
           diskTotalSummaries += summaries;
           if (plans > 0 && summaries >= plans) diskCompletedPhases++;
         }
-        totalPhases = phaseDirs.length;
+        totalPhases = isDirInMilestone.phaseCount > 0
+          ? Math.max(phaseDirs.length, isDirInMilestone.phaseCount)
+          : phaseDirs.length;
         completedPhases = diskCompletedPhases;
         totalPlans = diskTotalPlans;
         completedPlans = diskTotalSummaries;
diff --git a/tests/core.test.cjs b/tests/core.test.cjs
index 2dd5383a7..9f51d7d8c 100644
--- a/tests/core.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/core.test.cjs
@@ -775,4 +775,29 @@ describe('getMilestonePhaseFilter', () => {
     assert.strictEqual(filter('not-a-phase'), false);
     assert.strictEqual(filter('.gitkeep'), false);
   });
+
+  test('phaseCount reflects ROADMAP phase count', () => {
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(tmpDir, '.planning', 'ROADMAP.md'),
+      '### Phase 5: Auth\n### Phase 6: Dashboard\n### Phase 7: Polish\n'
+    );
+
+    const filter = getMilestonePhaseFilter(tmpDir);
+    assert.strictEqual(filter.phaseCount, 3);
+  });
+
+  test('phaseCount is 0 when ROADMAP is missing', () => {
+    const filter = getMilestonePhaseFilter(tmpDir);
+    assert.strictEqual(filter.phaseCount, 0);
+  });
+
+  test('phaseCount is 0 when ROADMAP has no phase headings', () => {
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(tmpDir, '.planning', 'ROADMAP.md'),
+      '# Roadmap\n\nSome content.\n'
+    );
+
+    const filter = getMilestonePhaseFilter(tmpDir);
+    assert.strictEqual(filter.phaseCount, 0);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/tests/state.test.cjs b/tests/state.test.cjs
index 264401a98..14ea38982 100644
--- a/tests/state.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/state.test.cjs
@@ -1307,6 +1307,47 @@ describe('milestone-scoped phase counting in frontmatter', () => {
     assert.strictEqual(Number(output.progress.completed_phases), 2, 'both milestone phases have summaries');
   });
 
+  test('total_phases includes ROADMAP phases without directories', () => {
+    // ROADMAP lists 6 phases (5-10), but only 4 have directories on disk
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(tmpDir, '.planning', 'ROADMAP.md'),
+      [
+        '## Roadmap v3.0',
+        '',
+        '### Phase 5: Auth',
+        '### Phase 6: Dashboard',
+        '### Phase 7: API',
+        '### Phase 8: Notifications',
+        '### Phase 9: Analytics',
+        '### Phase 10: Polish',
+      ].join('\n')
+    );
+
+    // Only phases 5-8 have directories (9 and 10 not yet planned)
+    for (let i = 5; i <= 8; i++) {
+      const padded = String(i).padStart(2, '0');
+      const phaseDir = path.join(tmpDir, '.planning', 'phases', `${padded}-phase-${i}`);
+      fs.mkdirSync(phaseDir, { recursive: true });
+      fs.writeFileSync(path.join(phaseDir, `${padded}-01-PLAN.md`), '# Plan');
+      fs.writeFileSync(path.join(phaseDir, `${padded}-01-SUMMARY.md`), '# Summary');
+    }
+
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(tmpDir, '.planning', 'STATE.md'),
+      '# Project State\n\n**Current Phase:** 08\n**Status:** In progress\n'
+    );
+
+    const result = runGsdTools('state update Status "Executing"', tmpDir);
+    assert.ok(result.success, `Command failed: ${result.error}`);
+
+    const jsonResult = runGsdTools('state json', tmpDir);
+    assert.ok(jsonResult.success, `state json failed: ${jsonResult.error}`);
+
+    const output = JSON.parse(jsonResult.output);
+    assert.strictEqual(Number(output.progress.total_phases), 6, 'should count all 6 ROADMAP phases, not just 4 with directories');
+    assert.strictEqual(Number(output.progress.completed_phases), 4, 'only 4 phases have summaries');
+  });
+
   test('without ROADMAP counts all phases (pass-all filter)', () => {
     // No ROADMAP.md — all phases should be counted
     for (let i = 1; i <= 4; i++) {