diff --git a/examples/canary/premerge-validation-gate-smoke.py b/examples/canary/premerge-validation-gate-smoke.py
index d8d01a10ba..91deb91e0e 100644
--- a/examples/canary/premerge-validation-gate-smoke.py
+++ b/examples/canary/premerge-validation-gate-smoke.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 from loopx.canary.premerge import (  # noqa: E402
     _gate_status,
     _public_boundary_changed_files_run,
+    apply_change_quality_verification,
     build_premerge_validation_gate,
     downgrade_inherited_baseline_failures,
 )
@@ -309,6 +310,45 @@ def assert_no_changes_does_not_mask_direct_failures() -> None:
     assert status["merge_gate_passed"] is False, status
 
 
+def assert_passed_validation_does_not_grant_self_merge_authority() -> None:
+    status = _gate_status(
+        execute=True,
+        changed_files=["docs/example.md"],
+        direct_checks=[{"ok": True, "status": "passed", "id": "diff_check"}],
+        catalog_run={"ok": True},
+        risk_profile_run=None,
+        boundary_run=None,
+        manual_holds=[],
+    )
+    assert status["status"] == "passed", status
+    assert status["merge_gate_passed"] is True, status
+    assert status["self_merge_validation_passed"] is True, status
+    assert status["self_merge_allowed"] is False, status
+    assert status["self_merge_authority"] == {
+        "granted": False,
+        "reason": "repository_policy_required",
+        "next_gate": "apply repository policy and exact-head merge readiness",
+    }, status
+
+    payload = {
+        "ok": True,
+        "gate": status,
+        "validation_summary": {"failure_count": 0},
+        "recommended_pr_comment_fields": [],
+    }
+    apply_change_quality_verification(
+        payload,
+        {
+            "enforcement_applied": True,
+            "ok": False,
+            "status": "receipt_invalid",
+        },
+    )
+    assert payload["gate"]["merge_gate_passed"] is False, payload
+    assert payload["gate"]["self_merge_validation_passed"] is False, payload
+    assert payload["gate"]["self_merge_allowed"] is False, payload
+
+
 def assert_installed_wrapper_uses_bound_python_and_redirects_to_checkout() -> None:
     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as temp_dir:
         release_root = Path(temp_dir) / "release"
@@ -527,6 +567,7 @@ def main() -> None:
     assert_cli_json_preview()
     assert_cli_premerge_reports_progress_by_default()
     assert_no_changes_does_not_mask_direct_failures()
+    assert_passed_validation_does_not_grant_self_merge_authority()
     assert_installed_wrapper_uses_bound_python_and_redirects_to_checkout()
     assert_external_dirty_worktree_uses_caller_repo()
     assert_inherited_maintainability_red_is_advisory_only()
diff --git a/loopx/canary/premerge.py b/loopx/canary/premerge.py
index d69ca2928d..8889e88267 100644
--- a/loopx/canary/premerge.py
+++ b/loopx/canary/premerge.py
@@ -600,10 +600,20 @@ def _gate_status(
         status = "preview_only"
     else:
         status = "passed"
+    self_merge_validation_passed = status == "passed" and not manual_holds
     return {
         "status": status,
         "merge_gate_passed": status == "passed",
-        "self_merge_allowed": status == "passed" and not manual_holds,
+        # This gate owns validation, not repository merge authority.  Keep the
+        # historical field fail-closed so a green canary cannot be mistaken for
+        # permission to bypass a repository's independent-maintainer policy.
+        "self_merge_allowed": False,
+        "self_merge_validation_passed": self_merge_validation_passed,
+        "self_merge_authority": {
+            "granted": False,
+            "reason": "repository_policy_required",
+            "next_gate": "apply repository policy and exact-head merge readiness",
+        },
         "direct_failure_count": len(direct_failures),
         "run_failure_count": len(run_failures),
         "manual_hold_count": len(manual_holds),
@@ -722,6 +732,7 @@ def apply_change_quality_verification(
                 "status": f"quality_{status}",
                 "merge_gate_passed": False,
                 "self_merge_allowed": False,
+                "self_merge_validation_passed": False,
             }
         )
         summary["failure_count"] = int(summary.get("failure_count") or 0) + 1
@@ -1028,8 +1039,9 @@ def build_premerge_validation_gate(
             "Pre-merge validation is a risk-based gate: it runs diff hygiene, "
             "changed Python compile checks, catalog-selected canaries, risk-profile "
             "smokes, and public/private boundary checks. It reports manual holds for "
-            "benchmark-sensitive or reviewer-gated surfaces instead of treating local "
-            "smoke success as self-merge permission."
+            "benchmark-sensitive or reviewer-gated surfaces. Passing validation is "
+            "not merge authority: repository policy and exact-head merge readiness "
+            "remain separate mandatory gates."
         ),
     }
     if progress_callback and execute:
@@ -1095,6 +1107,10 @@ def render_premerge_validation_gate_markdown(payload: dict[str, Any]) -> str:
         f"- ok: `{str(payload.get('ok')).lower()}`",
         f"- merge_gate_passed: `{str(gate.get('merge_gate_passed')).lower()}`",
         f"- self_merge_allowed: `{str(gate.get('self_merge_allowed')).lower()}`",
+        f"- self_merge_validation_passed: "
+        f"`{str(gate.get('self_merge_validation_passed')).lower()}`",
+        f"- self_merge_authority: "
+        f"`{str((gate.get('self_merge_authority') or {}).get('reason') or '')}`",
         f"- tier: `{payload.get('tier')}`",
         f"- dry_run: `{str(payload.get('dry_run')).lower()}`",
         f"- changed_files: `{classification.get('changed_file_count')}`",