diff --git a/.gittensory.minimal.yml b/.gittensory.minimal.yml
index 9b6b7baa04..8781ba9d9e 100644
--- a/.gittensory.minimal.yml
+++ b/.gittensory.minimal.yml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 #   - "src/**"
 
 gate:
-  enabled: false
+  checkMode: disabled
 
 settings:
   autonomy:
diff --git a/.gittensory.yml.example b/.gittensory.yml.example
index b33803d766..4d2aa12725 100644
--- a/.gittensory.yml.example
+++ b/.gittensory.yml.example
@@ -107,9 +107,13 @@ publicNotes:
 #   block    — the finding can become a hard `Gittensory Gate` blocker
 #              (always confirmed-contributor-gated).
 gate:
-  # Gate master switch. Turns the whole deterministic gate on; the per-dimension
-  # modes below only refine an already-enabled gate.
-  # Bool. Default: false (gate off).
+  # Legacy check-run publish switch (#5355) — despite the name, this does NOT turn the deterministic
+  # gate itself on or off. Gate evaluation, comments, labels, audit records, spend, and autonomous
+  # merge/close all run identically whether this is true, false, or unset; the per-dimension modes
+  # below are what actually configure gate evaluation. `enabled` is only a boolean shorthand for
+  # `checkMode` below: true maps to `required`, false maps to `disabled`, and it cannot express
+  # `checkMode`'s third state (`visible`). Prefer setting `checkMode` explicitly instead of this field.
+  # Bool. Default: unset (falls through to `checkMode`, then to the dashboard `reviewCheckMode` setting).
   enabled: true
 
   # Review-CHECK publish mode (#2852) — controls ONLY whether/how the "Gittensory Orb Review Agent"
diff --git a/apps/gittensory-ui/src/routes/docs.self-hosting-configuration.tsx b/apps/gittensory-ui/src/routes/docs.self-hosting-configuration.tsx
index a77a772954..4a277c5db9 100644
--- a/apps/gittensory-ui/src/routes/docs.self-hosting-configuration.tsx
+++ b/apps/gittensory-ui/src/routes/docs.self-hosting-configuration.tsx
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ GITHUB_METADATA_CACHE_TTL_SECONDS=600`}
           {
             title: "Gate activation (DB or private config)",
             description:
-              "Whether the Gittensory check-run and deterministic gate rules run for a repo. Stored in the instance database (control panel, PUT /v1/repos/:owner/:repo/settings, or POST …/activation) and/or in gate.checkMode / gate.enabled in .gittensory.yml. The one-click activation endpoint applies advisory-first defaults: gate on, linked-issue/duplicate/quality rules in advisory mode, AI review still off.",
+              "The one-click POST …/activation endpoint bundles two independent axes into one advisory-first default: the review-check publish mode (reviewCheckMode: required, checkRunMode: enabled) and the actual per-dimension gate rules (linkedIssueGateMode, duplicatePrGateMode, qualityGateMode: all advisory; AI review still off). .gittensory.yml's gate.checkMode / gate.enabled only ever set the first axis (the check-run publish mode) — the dimension rules themselves are configured separately via gate.linkedIssue, gate.duplicates, gate.readiness.mode, etc. (see Tuning your reviews). Gate rule evaluation itself is never gated by checkMode/enabled/checkRunMode; those only control whether/how the check-run publishes on GitHub.",
           },
           {
             title: "Gittensor registration (is_registered)",
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ GITTENSORY_REVIEW_REPUTATION=false`}
       <CodeBlock
         filename="owner__repo/.gittensory.yml"
         code={`gate:
-  enabled: true
+  checkMode: visible
   aiReview:
     mode: advisory
     allAuthors: true
diff --git a/apps/gittensory-ui/src/routes/docs.tuning.tsx b/apps/gittensory-ui/src/routes/docs.tuning.tsx
index d5d68b88d2..caa2f1c454 100644
--- a/apps/gittensory-ui/src/routes/docs.tuning.tsx
+++ b/apps/gittensory-ui/src/routes/docs.tuning.tsx
@@ -292,8 +292,15 @@ function Tuning() {
         </li>
       </ul>
       <p>
-        The master switch is <code>gate.enabled</code> (<code>off</code> / <code>enabled</code>).
-        The per-dimension modes refine an already-enabled gate. The main dimensions:
+        There is no single gate master switch — each dimension below is independently controlled by
+        its own mode field (most default to <code>off</code> or <code>advisory</code>; see each
+        dimension's default below). <code>gate.enabled</code> is a legacy, unrelated field: it is
+        only a boolean shorthand for <code>gate.checkMode</code> (<code>required</code> /{" "}
+        <code>visible</code> / <code>disabled</code>), which controls solely whether the{" "}
+        <code>Gittensory Orb Review Agent</code> check-run publishes on GitHub. Neither field turns
+        gate evaluation, comments, labels, audit, or autonomous merge/close on or off — set the
+        dimension modes below directly, and set <code>gate.checkMode</code> explicitly instead of
+        the ambiguous <code>gate.enabled</code>. The main dimensions:
       </p>
       <ul>
         <li>
@@ -531,9 +538,9 @@ testExpectations:
   - "tests/**"
 linkedIssuePolicy: preferred
 
-# Gate policy (refines an enabled gate)
+# Gate policy — checkMode is set explicitly (not the legacy, ambiguous "enabled" alias)
 gate:
-  enabled: true
+  checkMode: visible
   pack: gittensor
   duplicates: block
   linkedIssue: advisory
diff --git a/config/examples/gittensory.full.yml b/config/examples/gittensory.full.yml
index 8e39d9d527..589742ab63 100644
--- a/config/examples/gittensory.full.yml
+++ b/config/examples/gittensory.full.yml
@@ -121,9 +121,13 @@ publicNotes:
 #   block    — the finding can become a hard `Gittensory Gate` blocker
 #              (always confirmed-contributor-gated).
 gate:
-  # Gate master switch. Turns the whole deterministic gate on; the per-dimension
-  # modes below only refine an already-enabled gate.
-  # Bool. Default: false (gate off).
+  # Legacy check-run publish switch (#5355) — despite the name, this does NOT turn the deterministic
+  # gate itself on or off. Gate evaluation, comments, labels, audit records, spend, and autonomous
+  # merge/close all run identically whether this is true, false, or unset; the per-dimension modes
+  # below are what actually configure gate evaluation. `enabled` is only a boolean shorthand for
+  # `checkMode` below: true maps to `required`, false maps to `disabled`, and it cannot express
+  # `checkMode`'s third state (`visible`). Prefer setting `checkMode` explicitly instead of this field.
+  # Bool. Default: unset (falls through to `checkMode`, then to the dashboard `reviewCheckMode` setting).
   enabled: true
 
   # Review-CHECK publish mode (#2852) — controls ONLY whether/how the "Gittensory Orb Review Agent"
diff --git a/config/examples/gittensory.minimal.yml b/config/examples/gittensory.minimal.yml
index fb9dd556bf..4b86507835 100644
--- a/config/examples/gittensory.minimal.yml
+++ b/config/examples/gittensory.minimal.yml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 #   - "src/**"
 
 gate:
-  enabled: false
+  checkMode: disabled
 
 settings:
   autonomy:
diff --git a/packages/gittensory-engine/src/focus-manifest.ts b/packages/gittensory-engine/src/focus-manifest.ts
index 82bfd922f0..2d7254a677 100644
--- a/packages/gittensory-engine/src/focus-manifest.ts
+++ b/packages/gittensory-engine/src/focus-manifest.ts
@@ -75,9 +75,18 @@ export type FocusManifestIssueDiscoveryPolicy = "encouraged" | "neutral" | "disc
  */
 export type FocusManifestGateConfig = {
   present: boolean;
+  /** `gate.enabled` (legacy): a boolean shorthand for `checkMode` below -- `true` maps to `"required"`,
+   *  `false` maps to `"disabled"` (see resolveEffectiveSettings/applyGateConfigOverrides). Despite the name,
+   *  this controls ONLY whether the "Gittensory Orb Review Agent" check-run publishes -- it has NO effect on
+   *  gate evaluation, disposition, comments, labels, audit, spend, or autonomous merge/close, all of which run
+   *  identically regardless of this field. It also cannot express `checkMode`'s third state (`"visible"`), and
+   *  is silently ignored once `checkMode` is set (see the parse-time warning a few lines below this type).
+   *  Caused two real incidents under this exact ambiguity (2026-07: an operator flipping `enabled` to restore
+   *  unrelated spend/gate behavior twice got a surprise check-run side effect instead) -- prefer `checkMode`
+   *  explicitly for any new config. */
   enabled: boolean | null;
   /** `gate.checkMode` (#2852): explicit required|visible|disabled review-check publish mode. Takes
-   *  precedence over the legacy `enabled` boolean below when both are set (see resolveEffectiveSettings).
+   *  precedence over the legacy `enabled` boolean above when both are set (see resolveEffectiveSettings).
    *  null (unset) ⇒ fall back to `enabled`, then to `settings.reviewCheckMode` (DB/dashboard), then default. */
   checkMode: ReviewCheckMode | null;
   pack: GatePolicyPack | null;
@@ -1365,6 +1374,19 @@ function parseGateConfig(value: JsonValue | undefined, warnings: string[]): Focu
   if (gate.firstTimeContributorGrace === true) {
     warnings.push(`Manifest field "gate.firstTimeContributorGrace" is currently reserved/inert — it does not soften a blocker outcome for first-time contributors.`);
   }
+  // gate.enabled only controls whether the "Gittensory Orb Review Agent" check-run publishes (the legacy
+  // enabled -> reviewCheckMode alias in applyGateConfigOverrides) -- it does NOT gate spend, merge, comment,
+  // label, or close behavior, and it cannot express checkMode's "visible" state. checkMode always wins when
+  // both are set, so once an operator sets checkMode, a lingering enabled becomes pure inert noise they have
+  // no reason to notice or remove -- only warn while checkMode is still absent (a paired enabled+checkMode
+  // config, the documented convention, is not worth flagging). Caused two real incidents under this exact
+  // ambiguity (an operator flipping enabled to restore unrelated spend/gate behavior got a surprise check-run
+  // side effect instead, twice).
+  if (gate.enabled !== null && gate.checkMode === null) {
+    warnings.push(
+      `Manifest field "gate.enabled" only controls whether the Gittensory Orb Review Agent check-run publishes — it does not gate spend, merge, comment, label, or close behavior, and it cannot express reviewCheckMode's "visible" state. Set "gate.checkMode" (required/visible/disabled) explicitly instead of "gate.enabled".`,
+    );
+  }
   gate.present =
     gate.enabled !== null ||
     gate.checkMode !== null ||
diff --git a/src/github/app.ts b/src/github/app.ts
index f0bd47f42d..6460989ccd 100644
--- a/src/github/app.ts
+++ b/src/github/app.ts
@@ -968,6 +968,9 @@ async function createOrUpdateNamedCheckRun(
         return null;
       }
     };
+    // Upgrade-migration safety net, not dead code (see GITTENSORY_LEGACY_GATE_CHECK_NAME's doc comment):
+    // completes any pre-rename "Gittensory Gate" check-run still pending on this SHA once the current
+    // check finishes, so a self-hoster upgrading mid-flight never gets stuck with a permanently-pending status.
     const finalizeLegacyPendingCheckRuns = async (): Promise<void> => {
       const legacyNames = check.supersedeLegacyNames ?? [];
       if (legacyNames.length === 0 || check.checkRunId) return;
diff --git a/src/review/check-names.ts b/src/review/check-names.ts
index 85b8ffe35c..bf47771a07 100644
--- a/src/review/check-names.ts
+++ b/src/review/check-names.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@ import type { ReviewCheckMode } from "../types";
 
 export const GITTENSORY_CONTEXT_CHECK_NAME = "Gittensory Context";
 export const GITTENSORY_GATE_CHECK_NAME = "Gittensory Orb Review Agent";
+/** Pre-rename check-run name ("Gittensory Gate"). NOT dead code: any self-hosted repo that still has an
+ *  old-named check-run stuck pending from before the rename (e.g. a self-hoster who upgrades mid-flight,
+ *  or a check-run left open across a deploy) would otherwise show a permanently-pending, never-completed
+ *  status on GitHub. `finalizeLegacyPendingCheckRuns` in src/github/app.ts uses this name to find and
+ *  complete (neutral, "superseded") any such stale legacy-named run once the new-named one finishes. Keep
+ *  this until self-hosters can no longer be upgrading across the rename boundary. */
 export const GITTENSORY_LEGACY_GATE_CHECK_NAME = "Gittensory Gate";
 
 /** Single point of truth for whether `reviewCheckMode` publishes the Gittensory Orb Review Agent check-run
diff --git a/test/unit/config-templates.test.ts b/test/unit/config-templates.test.ts
index d5dd0600e7..35fc0b6304 100644
--- a/test/unit/config-templates.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/config-templates.test.ts
@@ -184,11 +184,14 @@ describe("config/examples review templates (#1682)", () => {
     const manifest = parseFocusManifestContent(readConfigExample("gittensory.minimal.yml"), "repo_file");
     expect(manifest.warnings).toEqual([]);
     expect(manifest.present).toBe(true);
-    expect(manifest.gate.enabled).toBe(false);
+    // #5355: the minimal starter uses checkMode: disabled (not the ambiguous legacy enabled: false) so it
+    // stays warnings-clean and demonstrates the current best practice.
+    expect(manifest.gate.enabled).toBeNull();
+    expect(manifest.gate.checkMode).toBe("disabled");
     expect(isAgentConfigured(manifest.settings.autonomy)).toBe(false);
     const round = parseFocusManifest({ gate: gateConfigToJson(manifest.gate), settings: { autonomy: manifest.settings.autonomy } });
     expect(round.warnings).toEqual([]);
-    expect(round.gate.enabled).toBe(false);
+    expect(round.gate.checkMode).toBe("disabled");
     expect(isAgentConfigured(round.settings.autonomy)).toBe(false);
   });
 
@@ -254,6 +257,7 @@ describe("config/examples review templates (#1682)", () => {
     const yml = [
       "gate:",
       "  enabled: true",
+      "  checkMode: required",
       "  linkedIssue: block",
       "review:",
       "  inline_comments: true",
@@ -267,6 +271,7 @@ describe("config/examples review templates (#1682)", () => {
     expect(imported.warnings).toEqual([]);
     expect(imported.present).toBe(true);
     expect(imported.gate.enabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(imported.gate.checkMode).toBe("required");
     expect(imported.gate.linkedIssue).toBe("block");
     expect(imported.review.inlineComments).toBe(true);
     expect(imported.review.excludePaths).toEqual(["dist/**"]);
diff --git a/test/unit/focus-manifest-loader.test.ts b/test/unit/focus-manifest-loader.test.ts
index 6882e2ccde..ae62c85c56 100644
--- a/test/unit/focus-manifest-loader.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/focus-manifest-loader.test.ts
@@ -528,4 +528,18 @@ describe("focus-manifest loader — container-private config (self-host)", () =>
       "Container-private shared base manifest (`review.shared_config`) is malformed or oversized; ignoring it and continuing (#2046).",
     );
   });
+
+  it("surfaces the gate.enabled/checkMode ambiguity warning from a private-config `gate:` block (#5355)", async () => {
+    // The real 2026-07 incident: an operator's private VPS config set gate.enabled without gate.checkMode.
+    // loadPublicRepoFocusManifest (the PR-comment path) never consults the local reader at all -- so this
+    // warning can only ever reach a human through loadRepoFocusManifest, i.e. the maintainer-gated
+    // /v1/repos/:owner/:repo/focus-manifest API route. Lock in that the private config's own `gate.enabled`
+    // reaches the loader's returned manifest.warnings, not just the public repo_file path.
+    const env = createTestEnv();
+    setLocalManifestReader(async () => "gate:\n  enabled: true\n");
+    const manifest = await loadRepoFocusManifest(env, "owner/private");
+    expect(manifest.gate.enabled).toBe(true);
+    expect(manifest.gate.checkMode).toBeNull();
+    expect(manifest.warnings.some((w) => /gate\.enabled.*only controls whether the Gittensory Orb Review Agent check-run publishes/.test(w))).toBe(true);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/test/unit/focus-manifest.test.ts b/test/unit/focus-manifest.test.ts
index bb3133ea19..8278be810d 100644
--- a/test/unit/focus-manifest.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/focus-manifest.test.ts
@@ -221,11 +221,14 @@ describe("parseFocusManifestContent", () => {
     const manifest = parseFocusManifestContent(content, "repo_file");
     expect(manifest.warnings).toEqual([]);
     expect(manifest.present).toBe(true);
-    expect(manifest.gate.enabled).toBe(false);
+    // #5355: the minimal starter uses checkMode: disabled (not the ambiguous legacy enabled: false) so it
+    // stays warnings-clean and demonstrates the current best practice.
+    expect(manifest.gate.enabled).toBeNull();
+    expect(manifest.gate.checkMode).toBe("disabled");
     expect(isAgentConfigured(manifest.settings.autonomy)).toBe(false);
     const round = parseFocusManifest({ gate: gateConfigToJson(manifest.gate), settings: { autonomy: manifest.settings.autonomy } });
     expect(round.warnings).toEqual([]);
-    expect(round.gate.enabled).toBe(false);
+    expect(round.gate.checkMode).toBe("disabled");
     expect(isAgentConfigured(round.settings.autonomy)).toBe(false);
   });
 });
@@ -1170,6 +1173,29 @@ describe("parseFocusManifest gate config", () => {
     expect(explicitFalse.warnings.some((w) => /firstTimeContributorGrace/i.test(w))).toBe(false);
   });
 
+  // #5355: gate.enabled only controls whether the check-run publishes -- it does not gate spend, merge,
+  // comment, label, or close behavior. Caused two real incidents under this exact ambiguity.
+  it("warns that gate.enabled is ambiguous when set without an explicit gate.checkMode, regardless of value (#5355)", () => {
+    const enabledTrue = parseFocusManifest({ gate: { enabled: true } });
+    expect(enabledTrue.warnings.some((w) => /gate\.enabled.*only controls whether the Gittensory Orb Review Agent check-run publishes/.test(w))).toBe(true);
+    // Unlike firstTimeContributorGrace, both true AND false are equally ambiguous here -- both map through
+    // the same silent enabled -> reviewCheckMode alias, so an explicit false is just as worth flagging.
+    const enabledFalse = parseFocusManifest({ gate: { enabled: false } });
+    expect(enabledFalse.warnings.some((w) => /gate\.enabled.*only controls whether the Gittensory Orb Review Agent check-run publishes/.test(w))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("does not warn about gate.enabled when checkMode is also set explicitly (the documented, encouraged pairing)", () => {
+    const paired = parseFocusManifest({ gate: { enabled: true, checkMode: "disabled" } });
+    expect(paired.warnings.some((w) => /gate\.enabled.*only controls whether/.test(w))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("does not warn about gate.enabled when it is unset, whether or not checkMode is set", () => {
+    const neitherSet = parseFocusManifest({ gate: { linkedIssue: "block" } });
+    expect(neitherSet.warnings.some((w) => /gate\.enabled.*only controls whether/.test(w))).toBe(false);
+    const onlyCheckModeSet = parseFocusManifest({ gate: { checkMode: "required" } });
+    expect(onlyCheckModeSet.warnings.some((w) => /gate\.enabled.*only controls whether/.test(w))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   it("parses gate.selfAuthoredLinkedIssue + settings.selfAuthoredLinkedIssueGateMode, round-trips + resolves them (the gate alias wins)", () => {
     const m = parseFocusManifest({ gate: { selfAuthoredLinkedIssue: "block" }, settings: { selfAuthoredLinkedIssueGateMode: "advisory" } });
     expect(m.gate.present).toBe(true);
diff --git a/test/unit/selfhost-config-lint.test.ts b/test/unit/selfhost-config-lint.test.ts
index 40dd25a5cd..5400790148 100644
--- a/test/unit/selfhost-config-lint.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/selfhost-config-lint.test.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ maintainerNotes: [private maintainer note]
 publicNotes: [keep reviews focused]
 gate:
   enabled: false
+  checkMode: disabled
 settings:
   commentMode: all_prs
 review:
@@ -223,7 +224,7 @@ unknownSecretKey: super-secret-value
   });
 
   it("keeps known JSON manifests quiet and non-object JSON invalid", () => {
-    expect(lintManifestText(JSON.stringify({ gate: { enabled: true } }))).toMatchObject({
+    expect(lintManifestText(JSON.stringify({ gate: { enabled: true, checkMode: "required" } }))).toMatchObject({
       ok: true,
       warnings: [],
       recognizedFields: ["gate"],