diff --git a/tests/features/interlock_stages.feature b/tests/features/interlock_stages.feature
index b7dd6b3..4c4740f 100644
--- a/tests/features/interlock_stages.feature
+++ b/tests/features/interlock_stages.feature
@@ -70,6 +70,20 @@ Feature: interlocks stage commands on a minimal inline project
     And the stage output contains "changed vs HEAD"
     And the stage output contains "skipped under --changed"
 
+  # req: stage-check
+  Scenario: `interlocks check --changed` skips graph-wide gates and runs file-level gates
+    Given a minimal tmp project initialized as a git repo
+    And the tmp project has a changed Python file
+    When I run "interlocks check --changed=HEAD" in the tmp project
+    Then the stage exits 0
+    And the stage output contains "test: skipped under --changed"
+    And the stage output contains "deps: skipped under --changed"
+    And the stage output contains "attribution: skipped under --changed"
+    And the stage output contains "[fix]"
+    And the stage output contains "[format]"
+    And the stage output contains "[typecheck]"
+    And the stage output contains "[crap]"
+
   # req: stage-check
   Scenario: `interlocks check --changed` honors changed_ref from pyproject
     Given a minimal tmp project initialized as a git repo
diff --git a/tests/step_defs/test_interlock_stages.py b/tests/step_defs/test_interlock_stages.py
index e0de514..7399d76 100644
--- a/tests/step_defs/test_interlock_stages.py
+++ b/tests/step_defs/test_interlock_stages.py
@@ -138,7 +138,11 @@ def _stage_exits(stage_result: subprocess.CompletedProcess[str], code: int) -> N
     )
 
 
+def _stage_combined(result: subprocess.CompletedProcess[str]) -> str:
+    return result.stdout + result.stderr
+
+
 @then(parsers.parse('the stage output contains "{fragment}"'))
 def _stage_output_contains(stage_result: subprocess.CompletedProcess[str], fragment: str) -> None:
-    combined = stage_result.stdout + stage_result.stderr
+    combined = _stage_combined(stage_result)
     assert fragment in combined, f"expected {fragment!r} in stage output; got:\n{combined}"