diff --git a/.gitea/scripts/gitea-merge-queue.py b/.gitea/scripts/gitea-merge-queue.py
index 29b561a60..5fafebe22 100644
--- a/.gitea/scripts/gitea-merge-queue.py
+++ b/.gitea/scripts/gitea-merge-queue.py
@@ -300,17 +300,18 @@ def _is_tier_low_pending_ok(
 ) -> bool:
     """Return True if tier:low PR can tolerate sop-checklist pending state.
 
-    Per sop-checklist-config.yaml tier_failure_mode, tier:low uses soft-fail:
-    sop-checklist posts state=pending when acks are satisfied (missing
-    manager/ceo acks are informational only). The queue should accept
-    pending instead of waiting for success.
+    GENERIC PENDING-AS-GREEN REMOVED (Researcher + CR2 RC on #2368):
+    The prior soft-fail accepted ANY pending sop-checklist for tier:low,
+    which allowed required checks to pass without genuine verification.
+    Pending required sop-checklist must now always HOLD and appear in
+    missing_or_bad. This function is retained as a policy hook but
+    currently always returns False so pending never counts green.
+
+    If a positively identifiable genuine soft-fail state is defined in
+    future (e.g., a specific check-run conclusion), implement it here
+    with strict positive identification — never default to pass.
     """
-    if "tier:low" not in pr_labels:
-        return False
-    if "sop-checklist" not in context:
-        return False
-    status = latest_statuses.get(context) or {}
-    return status_state(status) == "pending"
+    return False
 
 
 def required_contexts_green(
diff --git a/.gitea/scripts/tests/test_gitea_merge_queue.py b/.gitea/scripts/tests/test_gitea_merge_queue.py
index 83740b6a5..127d94abd 100644
--- a/.gitea/scripts/tests/test_gitea_merge_queue.py
+++ b/.gitea/scripts/tests/test_gitea_merge_queue.py
@@ -44,6 +44,35 @@ def test_required_contexts_green_rejects_missing_and_pending():
     ]
 
 
+def test_required_contexts_green_rejects_volume_skipped_even_for_tier_low():
+    """volume-skipped pending is a partial view, not a genuine soft-fail.
+
+    Per sop-checklist.py:1179-1187, volume_skipped posts pending with a
+    '[volume-skipped]' prefix. The merge queue must NOT treat this as an
+    acceptable soft-fail for tier:low — the gate did not finish evaluating.
+    """
+    latest = mq.latest_statuses_by_context([
+        {"context": "CI / all-required (pull_request)", "status": "success"},
+        {
+            "context": "sop-checklist / all-items-acked (pull_request)",
+            "status": "pending",
+            "description": "[volume-skipped] comment-cap=1000 hit; please file ...",
+        },
+    ])
+
+    ok, missing_or_bad = mq.required_contexts_green(
+        latest,
+        [
+            "CI / all-required (pull_request)",
+            "sop-checklist / all-items-acked (pull_request)",
+        ],
+        pr_labels={"tier:low"},
+    )
+
+    assert ok is False
+    assert "sop-checklist / all-items-acked (pull_request)=pending" in missing_or_bad
+
+
 def test_choose_next_pr_sorts_by_queue_label_timestamp_then_number():
     issues = [
         {