diff --git a/.gitea/scripts/sop-checklist.py b/.gitea/scripts/sop-checklist.py
index 2da3788bb..c90b322f8 100644
--- a/.gitea/scripts/sop-checklist.py
+++ b/.gitea/scripts/sop-checklist.py
@@ -351,7 +351,8 @@ def compute_ack_state(
             latest_directive[(user, slug)] = kind
 
     # Step 2: build candidate ackers per slug.
-    # Filter out self-acks and unknown slugs.
+    # Filter out self-acks and unknown slugs. Author self-ack is forbidden
+    # per .gitea/sop-checklist-config.yaml — a non-author peer must ack.
     ackers_per_slug: dict[str, list[str]] = {s: [] for s in items_by_slug}
     rejected_self: dict[str, list[str]] = {s: [] for s in items_by_slug}
     pending_team_check: dict[str, list[str]] = {s: [] for s in items_by_slug}
diff --git a/.gitea/scripts/tests/test_sop_checklist.py b/.gitea/scripts/tests/test_sop_checklist.py
index cae9ef149..c2879d218 100644
--- a/.gitea/scripts/tests/test_sop_checklist.py
+++ b/.gitea/scripts/tests/test_sop_checklist.py
@@ -291,7 +291,8 @@ class TestComputeAckState(unittest.TestCase):
         )
         self.assertEqual(state["comprehensive-testing"]["ackers"], ["bob"])
 
-    def test_self_ack_rejected(self):
+    def test_self_ack_rejected_when_author_in_team(self):
+        # Author self-acks are forbidden — a non-author peer must ack.
         comments = [_comment("alice", "/sop-ack comprehensive-testing")]
         state = sop.compute_ack_state(
             comments, "alice", self.items, self.aliases, self._approve_all
@@ -722,16 +723,16 @@ class TestRootCauseAckEligibilityWidened(unittest.TestCase):
         )
         self.assertEqual(state["root-cause"]["ackers"], ["hongming"])
 
-    def test_self_ack_still_forbidden_even_with_widened_eligibility(self):
-        # Author cannot self-ack — widening teams must NOT weaken
-        # the non-author rule.
+    def test_self_ack_rejected_with_widened_eligibility(self):
+        # Author self-acks are forbidden even when the author is in the
+        # required team — a non-author peer must ack.
         comments = [_comment("alice", "/sop-ack root-cause")]
         probe = self._approve_only({"alice"})
         state = sop.compute_ack_state(
             comments, "alice", self.items, self.aliases, probe, high_risk=False
         )
         self.assertEqual(state["root-cause"]["ackers"], [])
-        self.assertIn("alice", state["root-cause"]["rejected"]["self_ack"])
+        self.assertEqual(state["root-cause"]["rejected"]["self_ack"], ["alice"])
 
 
 class TestHighRiskClassUsesElevatedListInConfig(unittest.TestCase):