diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/e2e-peer-visibility.yml b/.gitea/workflows/e2e-peer-visibility.yml
index f7b13f161..6e1c80e17 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/e2e-peer-visibility.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/e2e-peer-visibility.yml
@@ -101,6 +101,19 @@ jobs:
   # push/dispatch/cron only (30+ min). This is NOT a fake-green mask of
   # the real assertion — it validates the driving script's bash syntax
   # and inline-python so a broken test script fails at PR time.
+  #
+  # bp-required: pending #1296
+  # This job emits the `E2E Peer Visibility (literal MCP list_peers) /
+  # E2E Peer Visibility (pull_request)` status. It is deliberately NOT
+  # yet in branch_protections/main.status_check_contexts because its
+  # sibling `peer-visibility` job is RED on today's broken Hermes-401 /
+  # OpenClaw-MCP-wiring behavior by design (making a red check required
+  # now would wedge every unrelated merge — feedback_fix_root_not_symptom
+  # forbids a fake-green continue-on-error mask). The flip-to-required
+  # checklist + done-when conditions live in molecule-core#1296. The
+  # directive lives here (not the PR body) so the Tier 2f daily drift
+  # audit and the Tier 2g PR-time lint both consume the same source and
+  # the acknowledged asymmetry can never silently evaporate on merge.
   pr-validate:
     name: E2E Peer Visibility
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -118,6 +131,24 @@ jobs:
   # Real gate: provisions a throwaway org + sibling-per-runtime, drives
   # the LITERAL list_peers MCP call per runtime, asserts 200 + expected
   # peer set, then scoped teardown. push(main)/dispatch/cron only.
+  #
+  # bp-required: pending #1296
+  # This is the load-bearing job — the LITERAL fresh-provision MCP
+  # list_peers assertion. It emits `E2E Peer Visibility (literal MCP
+  # list_peers) / E2E Peer Visibility (push)`. It is the context that
+  # must be added to branch_protections/main once green per #1296's
+  # done-when checklist. Tracked-pending (not bp-required:yes) because:
+  #   (1) it is RED on main TODAY (run 55213 — failure after 2m30s),
+  #       proving the merged Hermes/OpenClaw fixes were NOT gate-verified;
+  #   (2) the `on:` block still carries a paths: filter, so flipping it
+  #       required now would trip lint-required-no-paths AND wedge every
+  #       docs-only PR (feedback_path_filtered_workflow_cant_be_required,
+  #       feedback_branch_protection_check_name_parity) — the paths
+  #       filter must be removed (or refactored to single-job-per-step-if)
+  #       BEFORE the flip, per #1296 step 5.
+  # Flipping branch protection is a high-risk gate change requiring an
+  # explicit human GO (feedback_prod_apply_needs_hongming_chat_go) — it
+  # is intentionally NOT automated as a side effect of this directive.
   peer-visibility:
     name: E2E Peer Visibility
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest