diff --git a/.github/CODEOWNERS b/.github/CODEOWNERS
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b94bfe72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/CODEOWNERS
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# Designate an explicit repository owner for every change. More specific
+# ownership rules can be added below if maintainership expands.
+* @clay-good
diff --git a/src/core/services/mcp-handlers/merge-oracle.test.ts b/src/core/services/mcp-handlers/merge-oracle.test.ts
index e828f9c9..770c9136 100644
--- a/src/core/services/mcp-handlers/merge-oracle.test.ts
+++ b/src/core/services/mcp-handlers/merge-oracle.test.ts
@@ -389,6 +389,8 @@ describe('simulateMerge', () => {
     }
   });
 
+  // This case creates six real worktrees and runs real merges. It completes well within the
+  // default budget on POSIX, but Git for Windows can exceed 30s on a hosted runner.
   it('assesses only the default diff.algorithm, and matches a real merge for it', async () => {
     const alg = join(root, 'alg');
     execFileGitSync('git', ['init', '-q', '-b', 'main', alg]);
@@ -443,7 +445,7 @@ describe('simulateMerge', () => {
       try { git(alg, 'merge-tree', '--write-tree', sa, sb); } catch { truth = 'textual-conflict'; }
       expect((await simulateMerge(alg, sa, sb)).verdict, style).toBe(truth);
     }
-  });
+  }, process.platform === 'win32' ? 90_000 : 30_000);
 
   it('matches decomposed (NFD) attribute patterns and case-variant attributes files', async () => {
     const nfd = 'é.txt';
diff --git a/src/workflow-security.test.ts b/src/workflow-security.test.ts
index feb862db..d17392eb 100644
--- a/src/workflow-security.test.ts
+++ b/src/workflow-security.test.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
  *   3. `run:` scripts take untrusted values through `env:`, never inline `${{ }}`.
  *   4. Every executed workflow declares a top-level `permissions` block.
  *   5. Every job declares its own `permissions` block.
+ *   6. Every repository path has an explicit code owner.
  */
 import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
 import { readFileSync, readdirSync, existsSync } from 'node:fs';
@@ -269,6 +270,22 @@ describe('workflow security: least-privilege tokens', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('workflow security: review ownership', () => {
+  it('designates a repository owner for every path', () => {
+    const codeowners = read(join(REPO_ROOT, '.github', 'CODEOWNERS'));
+    const globalRule = codeowners
+      .split('\n')
+      .map(line => line.replace(/\s+#.*$/, '').trim())
+      .filter(line => line && !line.startsWith('#'))
+      .find(line => line.split(/\s+/)[0] === '*');
+
+    expect(
+      globalRule?.split(/\s+/).slice(1),
+      'CODEOWNERS must assign every path to the repository owner so branch protection can require an accountable review.'
+    ).toContain('@clay-good');
+  });
+});
+
 describe('workflow security: supply-chain automation is wired', () => {
   it('keeps Dependabot watching both npm and github-actions', () => {
     const cfg = parse(read(join(REPO_ROOT, '.github', 'dependabot.yml'))) as {