diff --git a/tools/gate-check-v3/gate_check.py b/tools/gate-check-v3/gate_check.py
index 87dbbd825..f10edb442 100644
--- a/tools/gate-check-v3/gate_check.py
+++ b/tools/gate-check-v3/gate_check.py
@@ -264,11 +264,18 @@ def signal_2_reviews(pr_number: int, repo: str) -> dict:
 
     blocking = []
     for r in reviews:
-        if r.get("state") == "REQUEST_CHANGES" and not r.get("dismissed", False):
+        if (
+            r.get("state") == "REQUEST_CHANGES"
+            and not r.get("dismissed", False)
+            and r.get("official") is not False
+        ):
+            login = (r.get("user") or {}).get("login", "")
+            if not login:
+                continue
             blocking.append(
                 {
                     "review_id": r["id"],
-                    "user": r["user"]["login"],
+                    "user": login,
                     "commit_id": r.get("commit_id", ""),
                     "created_at": r.get("submitted_at") or r.get("created_at", ""),
                 }
diff --git a/tools/gate-check-v3/test_gate_check.py b/tools/gate-check-v3/test_gate_check.py
index 42b944c85..28da58adb 100644
--- a/tools/gate-check-v3/test_gate_check.py
+++ b/tools/gate-check-v3/test_gate_check.py
@@ -119,3 +119,55 @@ def test_signal_1_null_user_in_review_does_not_crash(monkeypatch):
     # Should not crash; the valid review from core-devops still satisfies engineers gate
     assert result["verdict"] == "CLEAR"
     assert result["results"]["core-devops"]["verdict"] == "APPROVED"
+
+
+def test_signal_2_draft_request_changes_does_not_block(monkeypatch):
+    """official=False REQUEST_CHANGES is a draft/pending review and must NOT
+    block the gate (matching review-check.sh post-#1818 official-filter)."""
+    mod = load_gate_check()
+
+    def fake_api_list(path):
+        if path == "/repos/molecule-ai/molecule-core/pulls/902/reviews":
+            return [
+                {
+                    "id": 1,
+                    "user": {"login": "agent-reviewer"},
+                    "state": "REQUEST_CHANGES",
+                    "official": False,
+                    "dismissed": False,
+                    "submitted_at": "2026-05-13T10:00:00Z",
+                }
+            ]
+        raise AssertionError(f"unexpected api_list: {path}")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(mod, "api_list", fake_api_list)
+
+    result = mod.signal_2_reviews(902, "molecule-ai/molecule-core")
+    assert result["verdict"] == "CLEAR"
+    assert result["blocking_reviews"] == []
+
+
+def test_signal_2_null_user_in_request_changes_does_not_crash(monkeypatch):
+    """Regression: Gitea may return user=null on a REQUEST_CHANGES review.
+    signal_2_reviews must survive this without AttributeError."""
+    mod = load_gate_check()
+
+    def fake_api_list(path):
+        if path == "/repos/molecule-ai/molecule-core/pulls/903/reviews":
+            return [
+                {
+                    "id": 1,
+                    "user": None,
+                    "state": "REQUEST_CHANGES",
+                    "official": True,
+                    "dismissed": False,
+                    "submitted_at": "2026-05-13T10:00:00Z",
+                }
+            ]
+        raise AssertionError(f"unexpected api_list: {path}")
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(mod, "api_list", fake_api_list)
+
+    result = mod.signal_2_reviews(903, "molecule-ai/molecule-core")
+    assert result["verdict"] == "CLEAR"
+    assert result["blocking_reviews"] == []