diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
index 84bd0d84..4a0bca28 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -575,10 +575,12 @@ jobs:
     #     hourly if this list diverges from status_check_contexts or from
     #     audit-force-merge.yml's REQUIRED_CHECKS env (RFC §4 + §6).
     #
-    # Excluded from `needs:`: `canvas-deploy-reminder` — it is an
-    # operational reminder, not a CI prerequisite. Keep that job runnable
-    # on PRs with an internal no-op guard; job-level event/ref `if:` gates
-    # are a Gitea 1.22.6 pending-status trap.
+    # mc#922/#923 fix: canvas-deploy-reminder added to needs: above.
+    # Originally excluded because it was an operational reminder, but the
+    # drift detector now includes it in expected contexts, so it must be
+    # in the sentinel needs to avoid F1 drift. Keep it runnable on PRs
+    # via its own `needs: [changes, canvas-build]` — the sentinel only
+    # aggregates the result.
     #
     # Phase 3 (RFC #219 §1) safety: underlying build jobs carry
     # continue-on-error: true so their failures are masked to null (2026-05-12: re-enabled mc#774 interim)
@@ -596,6 +598,7 @@ jobs:
       - changes
       - platform-build
       - canvas-build
+      - canvas-deploy-reminder
       - shellcheck
       - python-lint
     if: ${{ always() }}