diff --git a/tools/gate-check-v3/gate_check.py b/tools/gate-check-v3/gate_check.py
index 429c2b40..38ed66d3 100644
--- a/tools/gate-check-v3/gate_check.py
+++ b/tools/gate-check-v3/gate_check.py
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ def signal_3_staleness(pr_number: int, repo: str) -> dict:
 
 # ── Signal 6: CI required-checks awareness ───────────────────────────────────
 
-def signal_6_ci(pr_number: int, repo: str, branch: str = "main") -> dict:
+def signal_6_ci(pr_number: int, repo: str, branch: str | None = None, pr_data: dict | None = None) -> dict:
     """
     Query combined CI status for PR head commit.
     Find required status checks on target branch.
@@ -324,8 +324,12 @@ def signal_6_ci(pr_number: int, repo: str, branch: str = "main") -> dict:
     """
     owner, name = repo.split("/", 1)
 
-    pr = api_get(f"/repos/{owner}/{name}/pulls/{pr_number}")
-    head_sha = pr["head"]["sha"]
+    # Re-use PR data if already fetched by caller; otherwise fetch once.
+    if pr_data is None:
+        pr_data = api_get(f"/repos/{owner}/{name}/pulls/{pr_number}")
+    head_sha = pr_data["head"]["sha"]
+    # Fall back to PR's actual base branch when no explicit branch is given
+    branch = branch or pr_data.get("base", {}).get("ref", "main")
 
     # Combined status of PR head
     combined = api_get(f"/repos/{owner}/{name}/commits/{head_sha}/status")
@@ -334,9 +338,12 @@ def signal_6_ci(pr_number: int, repo: str, branch: str = "main") -> dict:
     # Individual check statuses
     # Gitea Actions uses "status" (pending/success/failure) not "state" for
     # individual check entries. "state" is null for pending runs.
+    # Exclude our own prior status to prevent self-referential failure loops.
     check_statuses = {}
     for s in combined.get("statuses") or []:
-        check_statuses[s["context"]] = s.get("status", "pending")
+        ctx = s["context"]
+        if "gate-check" not in ctx.lower():
+            check_statuses[ctx] = s.get("status", "pending")
 
     # Try to get branch protection for required checks
     required_checks = []
@@ -459,21 +466,21 @@ def format_comment(repo: str, pr_number: int, verdict: str, gates: list[dict], b
     lines.append(f"_gate-check-v3 · repo={repo} · pr={pr_number}_")
     return "\n".join(lines)
 
-    lines.append("")
-    lines.append(f"_gate-check-v3 · repo={repo} · pr={pr_number}_")
-
-    return "\n".join(lines)
-
 
 # ── Main ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 def run(repo: str, pr_number: int, post_comment: bool = False) -> dict:
     try:
+        # Fetch PR once to get base ref for signal_6_ci
+        owner, name = repo.split("/", 1)
+        pr = api_get(f"/repos/{owner}/{name}/pulls/{pr_number}")
+        base_ref = pr.get("base", {}).get("ref", "main")
+
         gates = [
             signal_1_comment_scan(pr_number, repo),
             signal_2_reviews(pr_number, repo),
             signal_3_staleness(pr_number, repo),
-            signal_6_ci(pr_number, repo),
+            signal_6_ci(pr_number, repo, branch=base_ref, pr_data=pr),
         ]
         verdict, blockers = compute_verdict(gates)
 
@@ -501,18 +508,24 @@ def run(repo: str, pr_number: int, post_comment: bool = False) -> dict:
             # Check if a gate-check comment already exists to avoid spamming
             existing = api_list(f"/repos/{owner}/{name}/issues/{pr_number}/comments")
             our_comments = [c for c in existing if "[gate-check-v3]" in (c.get("body") or "")]
-            if our_comments:
-                # Update latest
-                comment_id = our_comments[-1]["id"]
-                url = f"{API_BASE}/repos/{owner}/{name}/issues/comments/{comment_id}"
-                req = urllib.request.Request(url, data=json.dumps({"body": comment_body}).encode(), headers=headers, method="PATCH")
-                with urllib.request.urlopen(req) as r:
-                    r.read()
-            else:
-                url = f"{API_BASE}/repos/{owner}/{name}/issues/{pr_number}/comments"
-                req = urllib.request.Request(url, data=json.dumps({"body": comment_body}).encode(), headers=headers, method="POST")
-                with urllib.request.urlopen(req) as r:
-                    r.read()
+            try:
+                if our_comments:
+                    # Update latest
+                    comment_id = our_comments[-1]["id"]
+                    url = f"{API_BASE}/repos/{owner}/{name}/issues/comments/{comment_id}"
+                    req = urllib.request.Request(url, data=json.dumps({"body": comment_body}).encode(), headers=headers, method="PATCH")
+                    with urllib.request.urlopen(req) as r:
+                        r.read()
+                else:
+                    url = f"{API_BASE}/repos/{owner}/{name}/issues/{pr_number}/comments"
+                    req = urllib.request.Request(url, data=json.dumps({"body": comment_body}).encode(), headers=headers, method="POST")
+                    with urllib.request.urlopen(req) as r:
+                        r.read()
+            except urllib.error.HTTPError as e:
+                if e.code == 403:
+                    print(f"WARN: --post-comment 403 (token scope) — verdict={verdict}; skipping comment-post", file=sys.stderr)
+                else:
+                    raise
 
         return result