diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index c44651f..c9f561c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -308,37 +308,37 @@ jobs:
     # automatically — no `pull_request` round-trip needed for non-fork
     # non-release PRs.
     required-check:
-        # The name is conditional on purpose. On an in-repo feature PR the
-        # `pull_request` run skips this job (the push run owns the status), and
-        # a skipped job still posts a check run under its name. GitHub treats a
-        # SKIPPED required check as satisfied — so if the skipped job were named
-        # `✅ Required PR Check`, it would green-light the ruleset (and enable
-        # auto-merge) while the push run's real mirror hadn't been created yet
-        # (it only appears once `ci` finishes), letting a PR merge mid-test or
-        # even override a red result. An expression name keeps the skipped job
-        # off the required name: GitHub does not evaluate the name of a skipped
-        # job, so it shows up as the raw expression text (still not the
-        # required name), while every path that runs evaluates to
-        # `✅ Required PR Check`. The condition is written out anyway so the
-        # name stays correct if GitHub ever starts evaluating it, and must stay
-        # identical to the `if:` below.
-        name: ${{ (github.event_name != 'pull_request' || github.event.pull_request.head.repo.fork == true || github.event.pull_request.head.ref == 'next' || github.event.pull_request.head.ref == 'hotfixes') && '✅ Required PR Check' || '⏭️ Required PR Check (reported by the push run)' }}
-        needs: ci
-        # Mirror the `ci` job's gating exactly. The four cases that run:
+        # Which name this job reports under is the whole point of it.
+        #
+        # The ruleset gates merges on `✅ Required PR Check`, so a check with that
+        # name must only ever exist on a head SHA after the full test matrix for
+        # that SHA has finished, mirroring its result. `needs: ci` guarantees the
+        # timing: the job is only created once every Build & Test leg and the
+        # coverage job are done.
+        #
+        # On an in-repo feature PR the `pull_request` run does not own the status
+        # (the push run on the head branch does), so it must not post
+        # `✅ Required PR Check` at all. Two traps rule out the obvious shapes:
+        #   - A job SKIPPED by `if:` still posts a check run under its name, and
+        #     GitHub treats a skipped required check as satisfied. Under the real
+        #     name that let PRs merge mid-test (CLDMV/slothlet#553).
+        #   - GitHub does not evaluate the `name:` of a skipped job, so a
+        #     conditional name on a skippable job shows up as the raw expression
+        #     text (#350).
+        # So the job never skips: it runs on every path, the name expression is
+        # always evaluated, and the in-repo PR path lands on a readable,
+        # non-required name and passes as a no-op. The condition below is
+        # repeated in the step's OWNS_STATUS and must stay identical. The paths
+        # that own the status:
         #   1. push events                                            (job needs CI run)
         #   2. fork PRs                                               (push doesn't cover forks)
         #   3. release PRs from `next` → master/main                  (push covers SHA but commit-gate skips chore-bump)
         #   4. release PRs from `hotfixes` → master/main              (same reason)
-        # In-repo feature PRs targeting `next` / `hotfixes` skip on
-        # pull_request — the push run on the head branch reports the status
-        # on the SHA. See the `name:` above for why the skipped job is renamed.
-        if: |
-          always() && (
-            github.event_name != 'pull_request' ||
-            github.event.pull_request.head.repo.fork == true ||
-            github.event.pull_request.head.ref == 'next' ||
-            github.event.pull_request.head.ref == 'hotfixes'
-          )
+        name: ${{ (github.event_name != 'pull_request' || github.event.pull_request.head.repo.fork == true || github.event.pull_request.head.ref == 'next' || github.event.pull_request.head.ref == 'hotfixes') && '✅ Required PR Check' || '⏭️ Required PR Check (reported by the push run)' }}
+        needs: ci
+        # always(): run even when `ci` is skipped (the in-repo PR path) or failed
+        # (so the mirror can report red).
+        if: always()
         # Match the reusable's runner routing (workflow-ci.yml): private CLDMV
         # repos run on self-hosted cldmv-runners (GitHub-hosted Actions budget is
         # private-metered and exhausted), public repos use free GitHub-hosted, and
@@ -352,10 +352,19 @@ jobs:
         steps:
             - name: Mirror reusable result
               env:
+                  OWNS_STATUS: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' || github.event.pull_request.head.repo.fork == true || github.event.pull_request.head.ref == 'next' || github.event.pull_request.head.ref == 'hotfixes' }}
                   IS_MASTER_SYNC: ${{ needs.ci.outputs.is_master_sync }}
                   DOCS_ONLY: ${{ needs.ci.outputs.docs_only }}
                   CI_RESULT: ${{ needs.ci.result }}
               run: |
+                # In-repo feature PR: the push run on the head branch reports
+                # `✅ Required PR Check`. This job runs under the
+                # `⏭️ Required PR Check (reported by the push run)` name and
+                # must not gate anything.
+                if [ "$OWNS_STATUS" != "true" ]; then
+                  echo "In-repo PR event — the push run reports ✅ Required PR Check for this SHA."
+                  exit 0
+                fi
                 echo "ci.result=$CI_RESULT  docs_only=$DOCS_ONLY  is_master_sync=$IS_MASTER_SYNC"
                 # next/hotfixes was force-synced to master — head SHA matches the
                 # default branch, nothing new to test, green-light without running CI.