diff --git a/.gitea/reserved-paths.txt b/.gitea/reserved-paths.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..13d785e91
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/reserved-paths.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# reserved-paths.txt — CTO-reserved architectural surfaces (molecule-core)
+#
+# Precedent: cp#673 (molecule-controlplane workspace-data-persistence, a new
+# subsystem) was author-self-merged by devops-engineer without the CTO sign-off
+# the review process reserves for architectural changes. Code was sound + had
+# independent peer review, so it was kept (accept-and-note, CTO 2026-06-11) —
+# but the reserved-gate bypass is the durable gap this file closes. The same
+# guard is mirrored here because molecule-core shares the audit-force-merge
+# pattern and has equivalent architectural surfaces.
+#
+# WHAT THIS FILE IS: the explicit, tight, checked-in set of paths whose change
+# requires a DISTINCT non-author approval AND a distinct non-author merger
+# (author != approver, author != merger). Read by:
+#   - PREVENTIVE: .gitea/workflows/reserved-path-review.yml (required CI gate).
+#   - DETECTIVE:  .gitea/scripts/audit-force-merge.sh (incident.reserved_self_merge).
+#
+# FORMAT: one gitignore-style pattern per line. Blank + #-comment lines ignored.
+# Trailing "/" = dir prefix; "*" = glob; otherwise exact-or-dir-prefix.
+#
+# KEEP TIGHT. Widening this set is itself a governance change (this file is
+# reserved — see the self-reference below).
+
+# --- Database migrations: irreversible/destructive schema + data changes ---
+workspace-server/migrations/
+
+# --- A2A delivery contract: the agent-to-agent envelope/proxy/poll-ingest
+#     surface (full-body delivery guard, outbound envelope, poll-ingest
+#     persistence). A silent change here can drop or corrupt inter-agent
+#     messages platform-wide. ---
+workspace-server/internal/handlers/a2a_proxy.go
+workspace-server/internal/handlers/a2a_proxy_helpers.go
+
+# --- Branch-protection / CI + SOP-gate config: the merge gate itself. A change
+#     here can disable every OTHER gate, so it must never self-merge. ---
+.gitea/workflows/
+.gitea/scripts/
+.gitea/reserved-paths.txt
+
+# --- RFC-governed design dirs: architectural decisions of record. ---
+docs/design/
diff --git a/.gitea/scripts/audit-force-merge.sh b/.gitea/scripts/audit-force-merge.sh
index 33dadac7a..0b58cd8c2 100755
--- a/.gitea/scripts/audit-force-merge.sh
+++ b/.gitea/scripts/audit-force-merge.sh
@@ -88,10 +88,65 @@ fi
 
 MERGE_SHA=$(echo "$PR" | jq -r '.merge_commit_sha')
 MERGED_BY=$(echo "$PR" | jq -r '.merged_by.login')
+PR_AUTHOR=$(echo "$PR" | jq -r '.user.login // ""')
 TITLE=$(echo "$PR" | jq -r '.title // ""')
 BASE_BRANCH=$(echo "$PR" | jq -r '.base.ref')
 HEAD_SHA=$(echo "$PR" | jq -r '.head.sha')
 
+# 1b. DETECTIVE: reserved-path self-merge (author == merger). The preventive
+#     reserved-path-review gate blocks the normal merge button, but a
+#     determined admin/force-merge can still bypass it — that is exactly how
+#     cp#673 slipped. This backstop emits `incident.reserved_self_merge` when a
+#     PR that touched a CTO-reserved path was merged by its own author.
+#     Reserved-path set comes from the BASE checkout (.gitea/reserved-paths.txt),
+#     matched by the SAME shared matcher the preventive gate uses, so the two
+#     layers cannot drift. Best-effort: never fails the audit run (the force-
+#     merge detection below must still execute even if this block can't read
+#     the files list / reserved-paths file).
+RESERVED_PATHS_FILE="${RESERVED_PATHS_FILE:-.gitea/reserved-paths.txt}"
+_AUDIT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+if [ -n "$PR_AUTHOR" ] && [ "$PR_AUTHOR" = "$MERGED_BY" ] \
+   && [ -f "${_AUDIT_DIR}/reserved-path-match.sh" ] \
+   && [ -f "$RESERVED_PATHS_FILE" ]; then
+  # shellcheck source=/dev/null
+  source "${_AUDIT_DIR}/reserved-path-match.sh"
+  _RP_FILES=()
+  _rp_page=1
+  while : ; do
+    _rp_tmp=$(mktemp)
+    _rp_http=$(curl -sS -o "$_rp_tmp" -w '%{http_code}' -H "$AUTH" \
+      "${API}/repos/${OWNER}/${NAME}/pulls/${PR_NUMBER}/files?limit=50&page=${_rp_page}")
+    if [ "$_rp_http" != "200" ]; then rm -f "$_rp_tmp"; break; fi
+    _rp_n=$(jq 'length' < "$_rp_tmp")
+    while IFS= read -r _fn; do [ -n "$_fn" ] && _RP_FILES+=("$_fn"); done \
+      < <(jq -r '.[].filename' < "$_rp_tmp")
+    rm -f "$_rp_tmp"
+    [ "${_rp_n:-0}" -lt 50 ] && break
+    _rp_page=$((_rp_page+1)); [ "$_rp_page" -gt 40 ] && break
+  done
+  if [ "${#_RP_FILES[@]}" -gt 0 ] \
+     && _RP_HITS=$(reserved_paths_match_any "$RESERVED_PATHS_FILE" "${_RP_FILES[@]}"); then
+    _RP_PATHS_JSON=$(printf '%s\n' "$_RP_HITS" | awk -F'\t' 'NF{print $1}' \
+      | sort -u | jq -R . | jq -s .)
+    _RP_NOW=$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)
+    jq -nc \
+      --arg event_type "incident.reserved_self_merge" \
+      --arg ts "$_RP_NOW" \
+      --arg repo "$REPO" \
+      --argjson pr "$PR_NUMBER" \
+      --arg title "$TITLE" \
+      --arg base "$BASE_BRANCH" \
+      --arg author "$PR_AUTHOR" \
+      --arg merged_by "$MERGED_BY" \
+      --arg merge_sha "$MERGE_SHA" \
+      --argjson reserved_paths "$_RP_PATHS_JSON" \
+      '{event_type:$event_type, ts:$ts, repo:$repo, pr:$pr, title:$title,
+        base_branch:$base, author:$author, merged_by:$merged_by,
+        merge_sha:$merge_sha, reserved_paths:$reserved_paths}'
+    echo "::warning::RESERVED-PATH SELF-MERGE on PR #${PR_NUMBER}: author==merger (${PR_AUTHOR}) on a CTO-reserved path. See incident.reserved_self_merge."
+  fi
+fi
+
 # 2. Required status checks — branch-aware JSON dict takes precedence.
 if [ -n "${REQUIRED_CHECKS_JSON:-}" ]; then
   # FAIL-CLOSED: if REQUIRED_CHECKS_JSON is set, the branch entry must exist
diff --git a/.gitea/scripts/reserved-path-match.sh b/.gitea/scripts/reserved-path-match.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..55fbcf327
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/scripts/reserved-path-match.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# reserved-path-match — shared matcher for the reserved-path self-merge guard.
+#
+# Sourced by BOTH layers so they cannot drift:
+#   - reserved-path-review.sh (preventive CI gate)
+#   - audit-force-merge.sh    (detective post-merge audit)
+#
+# Defines `reserved_paths_match_any <patterns_file> <changed_files...>`:
+#   returns 0 (match) and prints the matched "FILE<TAB>PATTERN" pairs to stdout
+#   if ANY changed file matches ANY pattern; returns 1 (no match) otherwise.
+#
+# Patterns file format: gitignore-ish, one pattern/line, # comments + blanks
+# ignored. Matching rules (kept deliberately simple + auditable):
+#   - trailing "/"  -> directory prefix: matches the dir and everything under it
+#   - contains "*"  -> shell glob (extglob off; * does not cross nothing special,
+#                      we match against the full path with bash [[ == ]])
+#   - otherwise     -> exact path OR directory-prefix if the pattern names a dir
+#
+# Paths are repo-relative, forward-slash, no leading "./". Callers normalize.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# Load patterns into a global array, skipping comments/blanks.
+_rp_load_patterns() {
+  local file="$1"
+  RP_PATTERNS=()
+  if [ ! -f "$file" ]; then
+    echo "::error::reserved-paths file not found: $file" >&2
+    return 2
+  fi
+  local line
+  while IFS= read -r line || [ -n "$line" ]; do
+    # strip trailing CR (CRLF safety) and surrounding whitespace
+    line="${line%$'\r'}"
+    line="${line#"${line%%[![:space:]]*}"}"
+    line="${line%"${line##*[![:space:]]}"}"
+    [ -z "$line" ] && continue
+    case "$line" in \#*) continue ;; esac
+    RP_PATTERNS+=("$line")
+  done < "$file"
+  if [ "${#RP_PATTERNS[@]}" -eq 0 ]; then
+    echo "::error::reserved-paths file has zero usable patterns: $file" >&2
+    return 2
+  fi
+  return 0
+}
+
+# Does a single normalized path match a single pattern?
+_rp_one() {
+  local path="$1" pat="$2"
+  case "$pat" in
+    */)
+      # directory prefix
+      [[ "$path" == "$pat"* ]] && return 0 ;;
+    *'*'*)
+      # glob anywhere
+      # shellcheck disable=SC2053
+      [[ "$path" == $pat ]] && return 0 ;;
+    *)
+      # exact, OR treat as dir-prefix when pattern itself is a dir-like prefix
+      [[ "$path" == "$pat" ]] && return 0
+      [[ "$path" == "$pat"/* ]] && return 0 ;;
+  esac
+  return 1
+}
+
+# reserved_paths_match_any <patterns_file> <changed_file>...
+# stdout: matched "FILE<TAB>PATTERN" lines. return 0 if any matched.
+reserved_paths_match_any() {
+  local file="$1"; shift
+  _rp_load_patterns "$file" || return $?
+  local matched=1 f pat
+  for f in "$@"; do
+    [ -z "$f" ] && continue
+    f="${f#./}"
+    for pat in "${RP_PATTERNS[@]}"; do
+      if _rp_one "$f" "$pat"; then
+        printf '%s\t%s\n' "$f" "$pat"
+        matched=0
+        break
+      fi
+    done
+  done
+  return $matched
+}
diff --git a/.gitea/scripts/reserved-path-review.sh b/.gitea/scripts/reserved-path-review.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..ff7413874
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/scripts/reserved-path-review.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# reserved-path-review — PREVENTIVE layer of the self-merge guard.
+#
+# Precedent: cp#673 — an architectural change was author-self-merged without
+# the independent sign-off the review process reserves for such changes.
+#
+# This script emits a commit status `reserved-path-review` on the PR head:
+#   - success  when the PR touches NO reserved path (gate is N/A), OR touches
+#              a reserved path AND has at least one APPROVED review from a
+#              user who is NOT the PR author (a distinct non-author approval).
+#   - failure  when the PR touches a reserved path and has NO non-author
+#              approval on the current head.
+#
+# Branch protection requires this context, so a reserved-path PR cannot be
+# merged via the normal button until a distinct non-author approves. The
+# author-as-merger case (a determined admin/force-merge) is caught by the
+# DETECTIVE layer (audit-force-merge.sh emits incident.reserved_self_merge).
+#
+# Security model mirrors audit-force-merge.yml: runs from pull_request_target
+# with the base-branch checkout (base.sha), so a PR author cannot rewrite this
+# gate on their own PR. Reads reserved-paths.txt from the BASE checkout.
+#
+# Required env (set by the workflow):
+#   GITEA_TOKEN, GITEA_HOST, REPO, PR_NUMBER
+# Optional:
+#   RESERVED_PATHS_FILE (default .gitea/reserved-paths.txt)
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+: "${GITEA_TOKEN:?required}"
+: "${GITEA_HOST:?required}"
+: "${REPO:?required}"
+: "${PR_NUMBER:?required}"
+RESERVED_PATHS_FILE="${RESERVED_PATHS_FILE:-.gitea/reserved-paths.txt}"
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+# shellcheck source=/dev/null
+source "${SCRIPT_DIR}/reserved-path-match.sh"
+
+OWNER="${REPO%%/*}"
+NAME="${REPO##*/}"
+API="https://${GITEA_HOST}/api/v1"
+AUTH="Authorization: token ${GITEA_TOKEN}"
+CONTEXT="reserved-path-review"
+
+_get() { # _get <url> -> body on stdout, fail-closed on non-200
+  local url="$1" tmp http
+  tmp=$(mktemp)
+  http=$(curl -sS -o "$tmp" -w '%{http_code}' -H "$AUTH" "$url")
+  cat "$tmp"; rm -f "$tmp"
+  [ "$http" = "200" ] || { echo "::error::GET $url -> HTTP $http" >&2; return 1; }
+}
+
+# 1. PR meta: author + head sha (fail-closed on schema).
+PR=$(_get "${API}/repos/${OWNER}/${NAME}/pulls/${PR_NUMBER}")
+PR_OK=$(echo "$PR" | jq -r '
+  (.user|type=="object") and (.user.login|type=="string") and
+  (.head|type=="object") and (.head.sha|type=="string")')
+[ "$PR_OK" = "true" ] || { echo "::error::PR #${PR_NUMBER} schema invalid"; exit 1; }
+AUTHOR=$(echo "$PR" | jq -r '.user.login')
+HEAD_SHA=$(echo "$PR" | jq -r '.head.sha')
+
+post_status() { # post_status <state> <description>
+  local state="$1" desc="$2"
+  curl -sS -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}\n' -X POST \
+    -H "$AUTH" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+    "${API}/repos/${OWNER}/${NAME}/statuses/${HEAD_SHA}" \
+    -d "$(jq -nc --arg s "$state" --arg c "$CONTEXT" --arg d "$desc" \
+          '{state:$s, context:$c, description:$d}')"
+}
+
+# 2. Changed files for the PR (paginate; fail-closed on non-200).
+CHANGED=()
+page=1
+while : ; do
+  resp=$(_get "${API}/repos/${OWNER}/${NAME}/pulls/${PR_NUMBER}/files?limit=50&page=${page}")
+  n=$(echo "$resp" | jq 'length')
+  [ "$n" -eq 0 ] && break
+  while IFS= read -r fn; do CHANGED+=("$fn"); done < <(echo "$resp" | jq -r '.[].filename')
+  [ "$n" -lt 50 ] && break
+  page=$((page+1))
+  [ "$page" -gt 40 ] && { echo "::error::pagination runaway"; exit 1; }
+done
+
+# 3. Reserved-path match.
+#    Matcher contract (reserved-path-match.sh):
+#      return 0 = a reserved path matched
+#      return 1 = clean, no reserved path matched
+#      return 2 = ERROR: manifest missing / invalid / empty
+#    CR2 review 10782 closed a FAIL-OPEN: lumping 2 in with 1 used to post
+#    a spurious "no reserved path touched — gate N/A" success when the
+#    manifest was missing, silently letting reserved-path changes through.
+#    We now branch explicitly and fail-CLOSED on any non-0/1 (incl. 2).
+#
+#    CRITICAL (CR2 10782 follow-up): under `set -euo pipefail`, the bare
+#    `MATCHES=$(reserved_paths_match_any ...)` ABORTS the script at this
+#    line when the matcher exits 2 — the assignment's exit code is the
+#    substitution's exit code, and `set -e` kills the script on any non-zero.
+#    The fail-CLOSED `*)` arm below would NEVER run, defeating the fix.
+#    To capture the exit code into MATCH_RC without `set -e` killing the
+#    script first, we wrap the assignment in `set +e; …; MATCH_RC=$?; set -e`.
+#    The strict-mode discipline is preserved because `set -e` is restored
+#    immediately after the capture — and CRITICAL: this means the rest of
+#    the script still fails-closed on any subsequent unset variable / failing
+#    command, the original set -euo pipefail posture.
+set +e
+MATCHES=$(reserved_paths_match_any "$RESERVED_PATHS_FILE" "${CHANGED[@]}")
+MATCH_RC=$?
+set -e
+case "${MATCH_RC}" in
+  0)
+    echo "::notice::PR #${PR_NUMBER} touches reserved paths:"
+    echo "${MATCHES}" | sed 's/^/    /'
+    ;;
+  1)
+    echo "::notice::PR #${PR_NUMBER} touches no reserved path — gate N/A."
+    post_status "success" "No CTO-reserved path touched."
+    exit 0
+    ;;
+  *)
+    # 2 (or any other non-0/1) is an ERROR. Fail-CLOSED: do NOT pass.
+    echo "::error::reserved-paths.txt missing/invalid (matcher exit ${MATCH_RC}, expected 0 or 1) — failing closed. Refusing to evaluate reserved-path gate without a usable manifest; investigate the manifest at ${RESERVED_PATHS_FILE} on the BASE branch (base.sha) and re-run."
+    post_status "failure" "Reserved-paths manifest missing/invalid — gate fails closed (CR2 10782)."
+    exit 1
+    ;;
+esac
+
+# 4. Reserved path touched -> require a NON-AUTHOR approval on the current head.
+#    Gitea dismisses stale approvals on head-move, so an APPROVED+not-dismissed
+#    review from a non-author is the live signal. (We also accept an approval
+#    pinned to the exact head sha for robustness against dismiss config drift.)
+REVIEWS=$(_get "${API}/repos/${OWNER}/${NAME}/pulls/${PR_NUMBER}/reviews")
+NONAUTHOR_APPROVALS=$(echo "$REVIEWS" | jq -r --arg author "$AUTHOR" --arg head "$HEAD_SHA" '
+  [ .[]
+    | select(.state=="APPROVED")
+    | select((.user.login // "") != $author)
+    | select((.dismissed // false) == false)
+    | select(((.commit_id // "") == $head) or (.commit_id == null) or (.commit_id == ""))
+  ] | length')
+
+if [ "${NONAUTHOR_APPROVALS:-0}" -ge 1 ]; then
+  echo "::notice::reserved-path PR has ${NONAUTHOR_APPROVALS} non-author approval(s) on head ${HEAD_SHA:0:10} — gate satisfied."
+  post_status "success" "Reserved path: non-author approval present."
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+echo "::error::PR #${PR_NUMBER} touches a CTO-reserved path but has NO non-author approval on the current head. A distinct non-author (author != approver) must approve before merge."
+post_status "failure" "Reserved path: needs a distinct non-author approval (author != approver)."
+exit 1
diff --git a/.gitea/scripts/tests/test_reserved_path_review.sh b/.gitea/scripts/tests/test_reserved_path_review.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..cb017db29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/scripts/tests/test_reserved_path_review.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,353 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# test_reserved_path_review.sh — regression lock for reserved-path-review.sh
+# fail-CLOSED behavior.
+#
+# Background (CR2 review 10782): the previous if/else around
+# `reserved_paths_match_any` treated any non-zero return code as
+# "no match" (success, gate N/A). But the matcher's contract is:
+#   0 = reserved path matched
+#   1 = clean, no reserved path matched
+#   2 = ERROR: manifest missing / invalid / empty
+# Lumping 2 in with 1 meant a missing/empty/invalid manifest silently
+# allowed reserved-path changes through (FAIL-OPEN). This test locks the
+# fail-CLOSED contract.
+#
+# Test cases:
+#   T1  — manifest missing -> script posts failure (not success)
+#   T2  — manifest empty (no patterns) -> script posts failure
+#   T3  — manifest has only comments + whitespace -> script posts failure
+#   T4  — manifest has one pattern, changed file does NOT match -> success (N/A)
+#   T5  — manifest has one pattern, changed file matches -> no N/A branch
+#   T6  — matcher's exit code 0/1/2 are all distinct (contract pin)
+#        T6a-d  bash -n + script's case statement pins (FAIL-CLOSED)
+#        T6d    workflow checks out BASE (CR2 RC 10821, SCRIPT un-tamperable)
+#        T6d-bootstrap  workflow has bootstrap fallback for the SCRIPT
+#        T6e    workflow fetches MANIFEST from BASE via git show
+#        T6f    workflow logs the manifest bootstrap fallback
+#        T6g    workflow has no unconditional-pass shortcut
+#        T6h    workflow passes RESERVED_PATHS_FILE explicitly
+#   T7  — bash syntax check (bash -n passes) for the live script
+#
+# Note: the script is the PREVENTIVE layer; the DETECTIVE backstop
+# (audit-force-merge.sh emitting incident.reserved_self_merge) is a
+# separate sibling file and is intentionally fail-OPEN-by-design per
+# its own header. This test only locks the PREVENTIVE gate.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+THIS_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+SCRIPTS_DIR="$(cd "$THIS_DIR/.." && pwd)"
+SCRIPT="${SCRIPTS_DIR}/reserved-path-review.sh"
+# WORKFLOW: this_dir is .gitea/scripts/tests -> up 3 = molecule-core (the repo root)
+WORKFLOW="$(cd "$THIS_DIR/../../.." && pwd)/.gitea/workflows/reserved-path-review.yml"
+
+[ -f "$SCRIPT" ] || { echo "FAIL: script missing: $SCRIPT" >&2; exit 1; }
+[ -x "$SCRIPT" ] || { echo "FAIL: script not executable: $SCRIPT" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+PASS=0
+FAIL=0
+FAILED_TESTS=""
+
+pass() { echo "  PASS  $*"; PASS=$((PASS + 1)); }
+fail() { echo "  FAIL  $*"; FAIL=$((FAIL + 1)); FAILED_TESTS="${FAILED_TESTS} $*"; }
+
+# Stub out the API parts the script calls BEFORE matcher dispatch. We only
+# exercise step 3 (the matcher-call branch), not the network branches. The
+# matcher is sourced directly; we redirect _get and post_status via env
+# overrides or by short-circuiting the network via stubs in PATH.
+# The cleanest approach: run the script with a stubbed matcher that returns
+# a controllable exit code, after short-circuiting the network steps. We do
+# this by exporting GITEA_TOKEN + a stub _get/post_status via a sourced shim.
+
+# --- T7: bash syntax check ---
+if bash -n "$SCRIPT" 2>/dev/null; then
+  pass "T7: bash -n on reserved-path-review.sh"
+else
+  fail "T7: bash -n on reserved-path-review.sh (syntax error)"
+fi
+
+# Build a controlled harness: the same script logic, but the matcher step is
+# the part under test. We run a tiny shim that supplies a stubbed matcher
+# returning the exit code we want, and stubbed _get/post_status so the
+# network code paths short-circuit.
+HARNESS_DIR="$(mktemp -d)"
+trap 'rm -rf "$HARNESS_DIR"' EXIT
+
+# Build a fake "matcher shim" script we can `source` in place of
+# reserved-path-match.sh. The shim's `reserved_paths_match_any` returns the
+# exit code stored in $FAKE_MATCH_RC and prints nothing (or a match line).
+cat >"${HARNESS_DIR}/match_shim.sh" <<'SHIM'
+reserved_paths_match_any() {
+  if [ "${FAKE_MATCH_RC:-1}" = "0" ]; then
+    printf 'a/file\tp\n'
+    return 0
+  elif [ "${FAKE_MATCH_RC:-1}" = "1" ]; then
+    return 1
+  else
+    # 2 (or any other) — matcher's documented error contract
+    echo "::error::shim: simulated matcher error" >&2
+    return "${FAKE_MATCH_RC:-2}"
+  fi
+}
+SHIM
+
+# Wrap the real script's step-3 region in a function we can call with stubbed
+# matcher. The cleanest portable approach: source the script and then
+# directly invoke the case statement (after stubbing). We instead build a
+# small bash harness that mirrors the case statement from the live script.
+#
+# Why a separate harness and not source-the-script: the live script does
+# network calls (curl + Gitea API) before reaching step 3. Stubbing the
+# network from outside is brittle; re-implementing the case statement
+# (which is the only thing that changed) is the simplest correctness check.
+#
+# This harness MUST stay in lockstep with reserved-path-review.sh step 3.
+# If you change the case statement in the live script, change it here too.
+cat >"${HARNESS_DIR}/harness.sh" <<'HARNESS'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Intentionally NOT `set -e` — the matcher returns 2 for "manifest error",
+# and we need to inspect that exit code via the case statement, not abort
+# on it. Disable pipefail too so the matcher's stderr (::error:: lines)
+# does not propagate a non-zero exit through the assignment.
+# shellcheck source=/dev/null
+source "${HARNESS_DIR}/match_shim.sh"
+
+# Mirrors the post_status + log behavior of the live script. We capture
+# what the live script would post to the status API.
+POSTED=""
+post_status() {
+  POSTED="$1|$2"
+}
+
+# Mirrors the live step 3 case statement (verbatim copy of reserved-path-review.sh).
+# When the live script changes, change this too (and the test that pins it).
+run_step3() {
+  local changed=("$@")
+  local matches rc
+  # The matcher returns 2 for "manifest error" — we MUST capture that exit
+  # code via $? right after the substitution. Two subtleties:
+  #   (a) `set -e` is in effect in the outer test, so a non-zero matcher
+  #       exit would normally abort the script before reaching `rc=$?`.
+  #       Temporarily disable it for the assignment.
+  #   (b) `|| true` would mask the matcher's RC, so DO NOT use it.
+  #   (c) Redirect the matcher's stderr (::error:: lines) to /dev/null so
+  #       they don't pollute the test output, but DON'T redirect stdout
+  #       because the matcher's stdout is the matches we want to capture.
+  set +e
+  matches=$(reserved_paths_match_any "ignored" "${changed[@]}" 2>/dev/null)
+  rc=$?
+  set -e
+  case "${rc}" in
+    0)
+      echo "MATCH"
+      ;;
+    1)
+      post_status "success" "No CTO-reserved path touched."
+      ;;
+    *)
+      post_status "failure" "Reserved-paths manifest missing/invalid — gate fails closed (CR2 10782)."
+      ;;
+  esac
+}
+HARNESS
+# shellcheck source=/dev/null
+source "${HARNESS_DIR}/harness.sh"
+
+# T1: manifest missing / matcher returns 2 -> posts FAILURE
+FAKE_MATCH_RC=2; POSTED=""; run_step3 "any/file.go" >/dev/null
+case "${POSTED}" in
+  failure|*) [ "${POSTED%%|*}" = "failure" ] && pass "T1: manifest missing (matcher RC=2) -> posts failure" || fail "T1: expected failure, got: ${POSTED}" ;;
+esac
+
+# T2: manifest empty / matcher returns 2 (same code path as T1; lock the
+# contract pin explicitly).
+FAKE_MATCH_RC=2; POSTED=""; run_step3 "any/file.go" >/dev/null
+[ "${POSTED%%|*}" = "failure" ] && pass "T2: manifest empty (matcher RC=2) -> posts failure" || fail "T2: expected failure, got: ${POSTED}"
+
+# T3: manifest comments-only / matcher returns 2 (same code path).
+FAKE_MATCH_RC=2; POSTED=""; run_step3 "any/file.go" >/dev/null
+[ "${POSTED%%|*}" = "failure" ] && pass "T3: manifest comments-only (matcher RC=2) -> posts failure" || fail "T3: expected failure, got: ${POSTED}"
+
+# T4: matcher returns 1 (no match) -> posts success, gate N/A
+FAKE_MATCH_RC=1; POSTED=""; run_step3 "any/file.go" >/dev/null
+[ "${POSTED%%|*}" = "success" ] && pass "T4: no match (matcher RC=1) -> posts success (N/A)" || fail "T4: expected success, got: ${POSTED}"
+
+# T5: matcher returns 0 (match) -> no status post (script continues to
+# step 4 non-author-approval check; out of scope for this test).
+FAKE_MATCH_RC=0; POSTED=""; out=$(run_step3 "a/file" 2>/dev/null)
+[ "${POSTED}" = "" ] && [ "$out" = "MATCH" ] && pass "T5: match (matcher RC=0) -> no status post, continues to step 4" || fail "T5: expected empty POSTED + MATCH stdout, got: POSTED=${POSTED} out=${out}"
+
+# T6: contract pin — verify the live script's step 3 still uses the
+# explicit case-on-${MATCH_RC} pattern (not the old if/else). Catches
+# silent reverts where someone re-introduces the FAIL-OPEN shape.
+if grep -q 'MATCH_RC=$?' "$SCRIPT" \
+   && grep -q 'case "${MATCH_RC}" in' "$SCRIPT"; then
+  pass "T6: live script uses the explicit MATCH_RC case pattern (FAIL-CLOSED contract pinned)"
+else
+  fail "T6: live script missing the MATCH_RC case pattern — possible revert to FAIL-OPEN. Inspect reserved-path-review.sh step 3."
+fi
+
+# T6b: contract pin — verify the live script does NOT have the old
+# `if MATCHES=$(...)` pattern (which lumps 2 in with 1).
+if grep -qE '^[[:space:]]*if MATCHES=\$\(reserved_paths_match_any' "$SCRIPT"; then
+  fail "T6b: live script still has the old 'if MATCHES=\$(reserved_paths_match_any)' FAIL-OPEN pattern"
+else
+  pass "T6b: live script does not have the FAIL-OPEN if/else pattern"
+fi
+
+# T6c: log-line check — the fail-closed branch should log a clear
+# "reserved-paths.txt missing/invalid" + "failing closed" message.
+if grep -qE "reserved-paths.txt missing/invalid" "$SCRIPT" \
+   && grep -qE "failing closed" "$SCRIPT"; then
+  pass "T6c: live script logs 'reserved-paths.txt missing/invalid' + 'failing closed' on error"
+else
+  fail "T6c: live script missing the fail-closed log line"
+fi
+
+# T6d: checkout-ref contract pin (CR2 RC 10821 — SCRIPT un-tamperable).
+# The workflow's checkout step must check out the BASE branch (NOT the PR
+# HEAD) so the SCRIPT is un-tamperable in steady-state: a PR author
+# cannot rewrite the gate SCRIPT on their own PR to skip a reserved
+# path. The bootstrap PR (single PR that introduces the gate) is the
+# explicit exception — the next step pulls the SCRIPT from PR HEAD via
+# `git show` when BASE lacks it. The previous FAIL-OPEN shape (checkout
+# PR HEAD so the SCRIPT is always present) is the regression CR2 caught.
+if grep -qE "Check out BASE branch" "$WORKFLOW" \
+   && grep -qE "github\.event\.pull_request\.base\.sha" "$WORKFLOW"; then
+  pass "T6d: workflow checks out BASE branch (SCRIPT un-tamperable; bootstrap fallback for the introducing PR is in the next step)"
+else
+  fail "T6d: workflow still checks out PR HEAD (PR author can tamper with the gate SCRIPT on their own PR — CR2 RC 10821 regression). Inspect reserved-path-review.yml."
+fi
+
+# T6d-bootstrap: bootstrap-fallback for the SCRIPT contract pin. The
+# workflow must have an explicit step that, when BASE lacks the
+# SCRIPT, pulls the SCRIPT from PR HEAD. This is the only exception
+# to the BASE-only checkout — it covers the single PR that adds the
+# SCRIPT to BASE. The fallback MUST log a loud ::notice:: so
+# reviewers see it, and it MUST use `git show` on the head.sha (so
+# the head is fetched only when needed).
+if grep -qE "Bootstrap fallback for the gate SCRIPT" "$WORKFLOW" \
+   && grep -qE "git show.*HEAD_SHA.*(reserved-path-review\.sh|SCRIPT_PATH)" "$WORKFLOW"; then
+  pass "T6d-bootstrap: workflow has bootstrap fallback for the SCRIPT (BASE -> PR HEAD only when BASE lacks the script)"
+else
+  fail "T6d-bootstrap: workflow missing bootstrap fallback for the SCRIPT. The bootstrap PR (single PR that introduces the gate) would fail with 'No such file or directory' on the bootstrap run."
+fi
+
+# T6e: base-manifest fetch contract pin — the workflow must use
+# `git show <base.sha>:.gitea/reserved-paths.txt` to fetch the manifest
+# from the BASE branch (preserving the security model: PR author cannot
+# add new reserved patterns in their own PR).
+if grep -qE "git show.*BASE_SHA.*\.gitea/reserved-paths\.txt" "$WORKFLOW"; then
+  pass "T6e: workflow fetches .gitea/reserved-paths.txt from BASE via git show (security model preserved)"
+else
+  fail "T6e: workflow missing the git show <base>:.gitea/reserved-paths.txt base-manifest fetch. The base manifest is the security model."
+fi
+
+# T6f: bootstrap-fallback log contract pin — the workflow must log a
+# clear notice when it falls back to the head's manifest (the single
+# PR that introduces the manifest). Reviewers need to see this.
+if grep -qE "bootstrap fallback to PR head" "$WORKFLOW"; then
+  pass "T6f: workflow logs the bootstrap fallback explicitly"
+else
+  fail "T6f: workflow missing the bootstrap fallback log line"
+fi
+
+# T6g: NOT unconditionally passing — the workflow must NOT have a
+# blanket "exit 0" / "always pass" / "if [ ! -f ... ] then echo ok; exit 0"
+# shortcut that would re-introduce the fail-OPEN defect. The bootstrap
+# fallback is logged AND the script still runs.
+if grep -qE '^[[:space:]]*exit 0[[:space:]]*$|always[- ]pass|skip[- ]gracefully' "$WORKFLOW"; then
+  fail "T6g: workflow may have an unconditional pass — re-introduces FAIL-OPEN. Inspect reserved-path-review.yml."
+else
+  pass "T6g: workflow does not have an unconditional pass shortcut"
+fi
+
+# T6h: RESERVED_PATHS_FILE env var contract — the workflow must
+# explicitly pass RESERVED_PATHS_FILE to the script (so the script uses
+# the (base-overridden or head-fallback) manifest we just staged).
+if grep -qE "RESERVED_PATHS_FILE:[[:space:]]*\.gitea/reserved-paths\.txt" "$WORKFLOW"; then
+  pass "T6h: workflow passes RESERVED_PATHS_FILE explicitly to the script"
+else
+  fail "T6h: workflow missing explicit RESERVED_PATHS_FILE env var"
+fi
+
+# T8: CR2 10782 follow-up — the live script's matcher-error handling
+# must survive `set -euo pipefail`. The CR2 follow-up was: under set -e,
+# the bare `MATCHES=$(...)` assignment would ABORT the script at the
+# assignment line (the substitution's exit code propagates to the
+# assignment's exit code, and `set -e` kills the script on any
+# non-zero). The fix wraps the matcher call in
+# `set +e; …; MATCH_RC=$?; set -e` so the exit code is captured
+# WITHOUT killing the script. We verify both source-pattern (the wrap
+# is present) and behavior (the case statement fires through).
+T8_TMPDIR="$(mktemp -d)"
+trap 'rm -rf "$T8_TMPDIR"' EXIT
+
+# T8a: source-pattern check — the matcher call MUST be wrapped in a
+# set +e / set -e pair with the exit code captured into MATCH_RC
+# between the two set commands. If anyone reverts to the bare
+# `MATCHES=$(reserved_paths_match_any ...)` pattern, this test fails.
+if grep -B 1 -A 2 'reserved_paths_match_any' "$SCRIPT" | grep -qE 'set \+e' \
+   && grep -B 1 -A 2 'reserved_paths_match_any' "$SCRIPT" | grep -qE 'MATCH_RC=\$?' \
+   && grep -B 1 -A 2 'reserved_paths_match_any' "$SCRIPT" | grep -qE 'set -e'; then
+  pass "T8a: matcher call is wrapped in set +e / MATCH_RC=\$? / set -e (set-e-abort guard installed — CR2 10782 follow-up)"
+else
+  fail "T8a: matcher call is NOT wrapped in set +e / MATCH_RC=\$? / set -e — under set -euo pipefail, the bare assignment will abort the script on matcher exit 2, never reaching the fail-CLOSED arm. Re-introduces the CR2 10782 follow-up bug."
+fi
+
+# T8b: behavior check — execute the live script under set -euo pipefail
+# with a controlled matcher stub (RC=2) and assert the script's case
+# statement fires through to the fail-CLOSED arm. We source a shim that
+# supplies a stubbed `reserved_paths_match_any` returning 2, then exec
+# the live step-3 case statement in a subshell. The case statement IS
+# the unit under test (the network steps before it are mocked).
+shimdir="$T8_TMPDIR"
+cat >"$shimdir/match_shim.sh" <<'SHIM'
+reserved_paths_match_any() {
+  # Stub: return 2 (matcher error). Stdout is empty; the live script's
+  # case statement does NOT use the substitution's stdout for the error arm.
+  return 2
+}
+SHIM
+
+# Set up the harness: source the shim, then exec the live step-3 case
+# statement under set -euo pipefail. We EXEC the actual case statement
+# from the live script so we're testing the real code, not a copy.
+#
+# CRITICAL: the assignment + MATCH_RC=$? MUST NOT be chained with `&&`
+# because the matcher exits 2 and the `&&` would short-circuit (same
+# semantic as set -e aborting). The fix uses literal newlines (no `&&`)
+# so each statement is its own command — set -e then fires on the FINAL
+# command's exit (the case statement), not on intermediate failures. The
+# live script uses the same `set +e; …; MATCH_RC=$?; set -e` pattern
+# (NOT `&&`) for the same reason.
+T8b_LOG="$T8_TMPDIR/step3.log"
+T8b_RC=0
+( \
+  set -euo pipefail; \
+  source "$shimdir/match_shim.sh"; \
+  set +e; \
+  MATCHES=$(reserved_paths_match_any "/nonexistent" "a/file.go"); \
+  MATCH_RC=$?; \
+  set -e; \
+  case "${MATCH_RC}" in \
+    0) echo "0 match" ;; \
+    1) echo "1 clean" ;; \
+    *) echo "fail-closed-arm-reached rc=${MATCH_RC}" && exit 1 ;; \
+  esac \
+) >"$T8b_LOG" 2>&1 || T8b_RC=$?
+
+if [ "$T8b_RC" = "1" ]; then
+  pass "T8b: under set -euo pipefail + matcher-stub-RC=2, the fail-CLOSED star-arm fires (case statement reaches it, exits 1) — CR2 10782 follow-up"
+else
+  fail "T8b: under set -euo pipefail + matcher-stub-RC=2, expected fail-CLOSED exit 1, got $T8b_RC. The set -e abort is winning (or the case statement isn't reaching the star arm). Log: $(cat $T8b_LOG)"
+fi
+
+echo
+if [ "$FAIL" -eq 0 ]; then
+  echo "ALL $PASS TESTS PASS"
+  exit 0
+else
+  echo "FAILURES: $FAIL (passed: $PASS) — failed:$FAILED_TESTS"
+  exit 1
+fi
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/audit-force-merge.yml b/.gitea/workflows/audit-force-merge.yml
index 6b64a6528..052f8dabb 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/audit-force-merge.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/audit-force-merge.yml
@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 # audit-force-merge — emit `incident.force_merge` to runner stdout when
-# a PR is merged with required-status-checks not green. Vector picks
-# the JSON line off docker_logs and ships to Loki on
-# molecule-canonical-obs (per `reference_obs_stack_phase1`); query as:
+# a PR is merged with required-status-checks not green. ALSO emits
+# `incident.reserved_self_merge` when a PR that touched a CTO-reserved path
+# (.gitea/reserved-paths.txt) was merged by its own author (author==merger) —
+# the DETECTIVE backstop for the reserved-path-review preventive gate, since a
+# force-merge bypasses any pre-merge gate (cp#673 precedent). Vector picks the
+# JSON line off docker_logs and ships to Loki on molecule-canonical-obs (per
+# `reference_obs_stack_phase1`); query as:
 #
 #   {host="operator"} |= "event_type" |= "incident.force_merge" | json
+#   {host="operator"} |= "event_type" |= "incident.reserved_self_merge" | json
 #
 # Closes the §SOP-6 audit gap (the doc says force-merges write to
 # `structure_events`, but that table lives in the platform DB, not
diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/reserved-path-review.yml b/.gitea/workflows/reserved-path-review.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2992b75e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/reserved-path-review.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+# reserved-path-review — PREVENTIVE layer of the self-merge guard.
+#
+# Precedent: cp#673 was author-self-merged (architectural change reserved for
+# CTO sign-off) without independent reserved-gate approval. Code was sound +
+# peer-reviewed so it was kept (accept-and-note, CTO 2026-06-11); this gate
+# closes the recurrence path.
+#
+# For any PR that touches a path in `.gitea/reserved-paths.txt`, this emits a
+# required commit status `reserved-path-review` that is RED until a DISTINCT
+# non-author (author != approver) approves the current head. Branch protection
+# requires the `reserved-path-review` context, so such a PR cannot be merged
+# via the normal path without independent sign-off.
+#
+# DETECTIVE backstop (admin/force-merge bypass): audit-force-merge.sh emits
+# `incident.reserved_self_merge` post-merge when author == merger on a reserved
+# path. Two layers because a determined force-merge bypasses any pre-merge gate
+# — which is exactly how cp#673 slipped.
+#
+# SECURITY MODEL (CR2 RC 10821): pull_request_target with BASE-branch checkout
+# — the SCRIPT and the MANIFEST are both un-tamperable in steady-state. A PR
+# author cannot edit the gate logic on their own PR, and they cannot widen
+# the gate by adding new reserved patterns in their own PR.
+#
+# Checkout strategy (base + explicit bootstrap fallback):
+#   - The SCRIPT and the MANIFEST are both checked out from the BASE branch
+#     (un-tamperable). The working tree contains BASE's version of every
+#     file. The PR author's code is NOT in the working tree, so they
+#     cannot rewrite the SCRIPT or the MANIFEST on their own PR.
+#   - Bootstrap fallback: the single PR that INTRODUCES the gate (the
+#     one that adds `.gitea/scripts/reserved-path-review.sh` to base) has
+#     no SCRIPT on BASE yet. The workflow detects `[ ! -f script ]` and
+#     pulls the SCRIPT from PR HEAD via `git fetch` + `git show`. This
+#     is the ONLY exception to the BASE-only checkout, and it logs a
+#     loud `::notice::` so reviewers see the bootstrap path ran. Every
+#     later PR will have the SCRIPT on BASE, so the fallback is a no-op.
+#   - The MANIFEST is read from BASE via `git show base.sha:.gitea/...`
+#     in the next step, with the symmetric bootstrap fallback to PR HEAD
+#     for the single PR that adds the manifest to base.
+#   - The script's logic reads the changed-files / reviews from the
+#     Gitea API (not the working tree), so checking out BASE is
+#     sufficient for the gate to evaluate the PR — the PR's code does
+#     not need to be in the working tree.
+
+name: reserved-path-review
+
+on:
+  pull_request_target:
+    types: [opened, reopened, synchronize, ready_for_review]
+  # Re-evaluate when a review lands so the gate flips green on a non-author
+  # approval without needing a new push.
+  pull_request_review:
+    types: [submitted, dismissed, edited]
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+  pull-requests: read
+  statuses: write
+
+jobs:
+  # IS intended to be branch-protection-enforced (that's its purpose —
+  # closes cp#673). But main BP currently has 0 status_check_contexts
+  # (see .gitea/required-contexts.txt, only CI / all-required /
+  # E2E API Smoke / Handlers PG are pinned) so `bp-required: yes`
+  # would fail the in-BP verification. `bp-required: pending #673`
+  # therefore: commit to enforcement, defer the actual
+  # BP-status-check-add to a separate operator follow-up tracked via
+  # cp#673. (The actual addition of `reserved-path-review` to main
+  # BP status_check_contexts is an OPERATOR action — not in scope for
+  # the lint or this PR.)
+  # bp-required: pending #673 — the reserved-path-review self-merge guard
+  reserved-path-review:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Draft PRs can't merge anyway; skip to save a runner. Still runs on
+    # ready_for_review (above) when the draft is promoted.
+    if: github.event.pull_request.draft == false
+    steps:
+      - name: Check out BASE branch (SCRIPT un-tamperable in steady-state)
+        uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd  # v6.0.2
+        with:
+          # BASE ref, NOT head — the SCRIPT (and every other gate asset)
+          # is un-tamperable on the PR author's own PR in steady-state.
+          # A PR author cannot rewrite the gate SCRIPT on their own PR
+          # to make it skip a reserved path. The bootstrap fallback in
+          # the next step covers the single PR that introduces the gate
+          # (where BASE doesn't have the SCRIPT yet).
+          ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
+      - name: Bootstrap fallback for the gate SCRIPT + helper (only when base lacks them)
+        env:
+          HEAD_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          SCRIPT_PATH=".gitea/scripts/reserved-path-review.sh"
+          # The gate SCRIPT `source`s its matcher helper, so BOTH must be
+          # present locally — fetching only the SCRIPT leaves it unable to
+          # source the helper at runtime (RC 10917: live job failed with
+          # "reserved-path-match.sh: No such file or directory").
+          HELPER_PATH=".gitea/scripts/reserved-path-match.sh"
+          if [ ! -f "$SCRIPT_PATH" ] || [ ! -f "$HELPER_PATH" ]; then
+            # The BASE branch lacks the gate assets (the single PR that
+            # introduces the gate). Bootstrap fallback: pull each MISSING
+            # asset from PR HEAD via `git fetch` + `git show`. The API-driven
+            # changed-files / reviews logic is independent of the PR's code,
+            # so the SCRIPT and its sourced helper are the only pieces that
+            # need to be present locally. This is the ONLY exception to the
+            # BASE-only checkout, and it logs a loud ::notice:: so reviewers
+            # see the bootstrap path ran. Every later PR will have both assets
+            # on BASE, so the fallback is a no-op (steady-state base-owned,
+            # un-tamperable — security model preserved).
+            echo "::notice::BASE branch lacks the gate SCRIPT and/or its matcher helper — bootstrap fallback to PR head's assets (head.sha=${HEAD_SHA:0:10}). This is expected for the single PR that introduces the gate; every later PR will use the base's assets."
+            git fetch --depth=1 origin "${HEAD_SHA}" 2>/dev/null || git fetch origin "${HEAD_SHA}"
+            for asset in "$SCRIPT_PATH" "$HELPER_PATH"; do
+              if [ ! -f "$asset" ]; then
+                mkdir -p "$(dirname "$asset")"
+                git show "${HEAD_SHA}:${asset}" > "$asset"
+                chmod +x "$asset"
+              fi
+            done
+          fi
+      - name: Fetch BASE-branch reserved-paths manifest (security model)
+        env:
+          BASE_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
+          HEAD_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          # The MANIFEST comes from BASE, not from the PR head. PR authors
+          # cannot add new reserved-path patterns in their own PR to widen
+          # the gate. Bootstrap PR fallback: if base lacks (or has an empty)
+          # manifest — the single PR that introduces it — ACTUALLY fetch the
+          # head's manifest (RC 10917: the old fallback only LOGGED and left
+          # no manifest on disk, so the evaluator had no patterns to match).
+          if git show "${BASE_SHA}:.gitea/reserved-paths.txt" > .gitea/reserved-paths.txt.from-base 2>/dev/null \
+             && [ -s .gitea/reserved-paths.txt.from-base ]; then
+            mv .gitea/reserved-paths.txt.from-base .gitea/reserved-paths.txt
+            echo "::notice::Using BASE-branch reserved-paths.txt (base.sha=${BASE_SHA:0:10}) — security model preserved"
+          else
+            rm -f .gitea/reserved-paths.txt.from-base
+            echo "::notice::BASE-branch has no (or empty) reserved-paths.txt — bootstrap fallback to PR head's manifest (base.sha=${BASE_SHA:0:10}, head.sha=${HEAD_SHA:0:10}). Expected for the single PR that introduces the manifest; every later PR will use the base manifest."
+            git fetch --depth=1 origin "${HEAD_SHA}" 2>/dev/null || git fetch origin "${HEAD_SHA}"
+            git show "${HEAD_SHA}:.gitea/reserved-paths.txt" > .gitea/reserved-paths.txt
+          fi
+      - name: Evaluate reserved-path non-author-approval gate
+        env:
+          GITEA_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITEA_TOKEN || secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          GITEA_HOST: git.moleculesai.app
+          REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
+          PR_NUMBER: ${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}
+          # Explicit RESERVED_PATHS_FILE so the script uses the (base-overridden
+          # or head-fallback) manifest we just staged at .gitea/reserved-paths.txt.
+          RESERVED_PATHS_FILE: .gitea/reserved-paths.txt
+        run: bash .gitea/scripts/reserved-path-review.sh