diff --git a/src/review/repo-skill-render.ts b/src/review/repo-skill-render.ts
index 6cc14612e..6252fd77f 100644
--- a/src/review/repo-skill-render.ts
+++ b/src/review/repo-skill-render.ts
@@ -21,10 +21,12 @@ function hasBlockingGate(contributionWorkflow: RepoProfileContributionWorkflow):
   return contributionWorkflow.gatePublishesCheck;
 }
 
-/** A repo that both requires a linked issue AND has a policy stricter than "optional" has a real, non-obvious
- *  admission rule worth writing down -- mirrors the mismatch repo-policy-readiness.ts already treats as notable. */
+/** A repo whose linked-issue gate actually BLOCKS a PR has a real, non-obvious admission rule worth writing down.
+ *  #9671: key on `linkedIssueGateMode === "block"` -- the documented enforcement authority (repo-profile.ts:68-70)
+ *  -- not on `requireLinkedIssue`/`linkedIssuePolicy`, which alone do NOT block (advisory is the default mode), so
+ *  a repo requiring a linked issue only advisorily is not a strict rule. Matches repo-doc-render.ts:106. */
 function hasStrictLinkedIssueRule(contributionWorkflow: RepoProfileContributionWorkflow): boolean {
-  return contributionWorkflow.requireLinkedIssue && contributionWorkflow.linkedIssuePolicy !== "optional";
+  return contributionWorkflow.linkedIssueGateMode === "block";
 }
 
 function hasMultiStageCi(contributionWorkflow: RepoProfileContributionWorkflow): boolean {
@@ -70,7 +72,7 @@ export function repoSkillFilePath(repoFullName: string): string {
 function renderTriggerReasons(contributionWorkflow: RepoProfileContributionWorkflow): string {
   const reasons: string[] = [];
   if (hasBlockingGate(contributionWorkflow)) reasons.push("- CI publishes a required check before a pull request can merge.");
-  if (hasStrictLinkedIssueRule(contributionWorkflow)) reasons.push(`- A linked issue is required, with a "${contributionWorkflow.linkedIssuePolicy}" policy.`);
+  if (hasStrictLinkedIssueRule(contributionWorkflow)) reasons.push(`- A linked issue is required to merge — the linked-issue gate is in "${contributionWorkflow.linkedIssueGateMode}" mode.`);
   if (hasMultiStageCi(contributionWorkflow)) reasons.push(`- ${contributionWorkflow.ciWorkflowFiles.length} CI workflow files run on a pull request.`);
   return reasons.join("\n");
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/repo-doc-pr.test.ts b/test/unit/repo-doc-pr.test.ts
index 607ebb613..bfec263db 100644
--- a/test/unit/repo-doc-pr.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/repo-doc-pr.test.ts
@@ -46,12 +46,15 @@ async function seedRepoDocGenerationConfig(env: ReturnType<typeof createTestEnv>
   await upsertRepoFocusManifest(env, repoFullName, { repoDocGeneration: { enabled: true, ...overrides } });
 }
 
-// #3001: shouldGenerateRepoSkill needs 2 of 3 named signals. Seeds a strict linked-issue rule (settings +
-// manifest) and 2 CI workflow files -- both in the SAME upsertRepoFocusManifest call as repoDocGeneration, since
-// a second separate call would replace rather than merge with the first.
+// #3001: shouldGenerateRepoSkill needs 2 of 3 named signals. Seeds a strict linked-issue rule (a BLOCKING
+// linkedIssueGateMode -- the enforcement authority hasStrictLinkedIssueRule keys on since #9671, not merely
+// requireLinkedIssue+policy) and 2 CI workflow files -- the manifest fields go in the SAME upsertRepoFocusManifest
+// call as repoDocGeneration, since a second separate call would replace rather than merge with the first.
 async function seedSkillTriggerRepo(env: ReturnType<typeof createTestEnv>, repoFullName: string, scope: string[] = ["agents", "skills"], overrides: { allowOverwriteExisting?: boolean } = {}): Promise<void> {
-  await upsertRepositorySettings(env, { repoFullName, requireLinkedIssue: true });
-  await upsertRepoFocusManifest(env, repoFullName, { linkedIssuePolicy: "required", repoDocGeneration: { enabled: true, scope, ...overrides } });
+  await upsertRepositorySettings(env, { repoFullName, requireLinkedIssue: true, linkedIssueGateMode: "block" });
+  // The manifest's `gate.linkedIssue` is the authority resolveEffectiveSettings maps to linkedIssueGateMode, which
+  // hasStrictLinkedIssueRule keys on since #9671 -- set it to "block" so the strict-linked-issue signal fires.
+  await upsertRepoFocusManifest(env, repoFullName, { gate: { linkedIssue: "block" }, linkedIssuePolicy: "required", repoDocGeneration: { enabled: true, scope, ...overrides } });
   await seedChunk(env, ".github/workflows/ci.yml", "name: CI\non: push\n");
   await seedChunk(env, ".github/workflows/lint.yml", "name: Lint\non: push\n");
 }
diff --git a/test/unit/repo-skill-render.test.ts b/test/unit/repo-skill-render.test.ts
index c210648cd..7bf216646 100644
--- a/test/unit/repo-skill-render.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/repo-skill-render.test.ts
@@ -25,12 +25,14 @@ describe("shouldGenerateRepoSkill (#3001)", () => {
   it.each([
     ["no signals", contributionWorkflow(), false],
     ["gate only", contributionWorkflow({ gatePublishesCheck: true }), false],
-    ["strict linked issue only", contributionWorkflow({ requireLinkedIssue: true, linkedIssuePolicy: "required" }), false],
+    // #9671: a "strict linked-issue rule" now means the gate actually blocks (linkedIssueGateMode: "block"),
+    // not merely requireLinkedIssue+non-optional-policy — so these fixtures set block mode to represent it.
+    ["strict linked issue only", contributionWorkflow({ requireLinkedIssue: true, linkedIssuePolicy: "required", linkedIssueGateMode: "block" }), false],
     ["multi-stage CI only", contributionWorkflow({ ciWorkflowFiles: [".github/workflows/a.yml", ".github/workflows/b.yml"] }), false],
-    ["gate + strict linked issue (2 of 3)", contributionWorkflow({ gatePublishesCheck: true, requireLinkedIssue: true, linkedIssuePolicy: "required" }), true],
+    ["gate + strict linked issue (2 of 3)", contributionWorkflow({ gatePublishesCheck: true, requireLinkedIssue: true, linkedIssuePolicy: "required", linkedIssueGateMode: "block" }), true],
     ["gate + multi-stage CI (2 of 3)", contributionWorkflow({ gatePublishesCheck: true, ciWorkflowFiles: [".github/workflows/a.yml", ".github/workflows/b.yml"] }), true],
-    ["strict linked issue + multi-stage CI (2 of 3)", contributionWorkflow({ requireLinkedIssue: true, linkedIssuePolicy: "preferred", ciWorkflowFiles: [".github/workflows/a.yml", ".github/workflows/b.yml"] }), true],
-    ["all three signals (3 of 3)", contributionWorkflow({ gatePublishesCheck: true, requireLinkedIssue: true, linkedIssuePolicy: "required", ciWorkflowFiles: [".github/workflows/a.yml", ".github/workflows/b.yml"] }), true],
+    ["strict linked issue + multi-stage CI (2 of 3)", contributionWorkflow({ requireLinkedIssue: true, linkedIssuePolicy: "preferred", linkedIssueGateMode: "block", ciWorkflowFiles: [".github/workflows/a.yml", ".github/workflows/b.yml"] }), true],
+    ["all three signals (3 of 3)", contributionWorkflow({ gatePublishesCheck: true, requireLinkedIssue: true, linkedIssuePolicy: "required", linkedIssueGateMode: "block", ciWorkflowFiles: [".github/workflows/a.yml", ".github/workflows/b.yml"] }), true],
   ])("%s -> %s", (_label, workflow, expected) => {
     expect(shouldGenerateRepoSkill(presentProfile({ contributionWorkflow: workflow }) as Extract<RepoProfile, { present: true }>)).toBe(expected);
   });
@@ -48,6 +50,44 @@ describe("shouldGenerateRepoSkill (#3001)", () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe("#9671: the linked-issue trigger keys on the gate-mode enforcement authority", () => {
+  // A "requireLinkedIssue: true, policy: required" repo whose gate is only ADVISORY (the default) does NOT block a
+  // PR — the old code treated it as a strict rule anyway, contradicting the SKILL.md's own "Required: no" line.
+  const advisoryLinked = { requireLinkedIssue: true, linkedIssuePolicy: "required" as const, linkedIssueGateMode: "advisory" as const };
+  const blockLinked = { requireLinkedIssue: true, linkedIssuePolicy: "required" as const, linkedIssueGateMode: "block" as const };
+  const twoCi = [".github/workflows/a.yml", ".github/workflows/b.yml"];
+
+  it("counts the linked-issue signal only when linkedIssueGateMode is 'block' (Deliverable 1)", () => {
+    // advisory linked-issue + a single CI file => 0 real signals (the linked-issue signal must not fire).
+    expect(
+      shouldGenerateRepoSkill(presentProfile({ contributionWorkflow: contributionWorkflow({ ...advisoryLinked, ciWorkflowFiles: [".github/workflows/a.yml"] }) }) as Extract<RepoProfile, { present: true }>),
+    ).toBe(false);
+    // block linked-issue + a blocking gate => 2 signals fire.
+    expect(
+      shouldGenerateRepoSkill(presentProfile({ contributionWorkflow: contributionWorkflow({ ...blockLinked, gatePublishesCheck: true }) }) as Extract<RepoProfile, { present: true }>),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("REGRESSION (#9671): advisory-mode SKILL.md never claims a linked issue is required, and says Required: no", () => {
+    // gate + multi-stage CI reach the threshold so a body is rendered regardless of the (advisory) linked-issue signal.
+    const body = renderRepoSkillContent(presentProfile({ contributionWorkflow: contributionWorkflow({ ...advisoryLinked, gatePublishesCheck: true, ciWorkflowFiles: twoCi }) })) ?? "";
+    expect(body).not.toContain("A linked issue is required");
+    expect(body).toContain("Required: no");
+  });
+
+  it("block-mode SKILL.md states a linked issue is required AND says Required: yes (the two agree)", () => {
+    const body = renderRepoSkillContent(presentProfile({ contributionWorkflow: contributionWorkflow({ ...blockLinked, gatePublishesCheck: true, ciWorkflowFiles: twoCi }) })) ?? "";
+    expect(body).toContain("A linked issue is required");
+    expect(body).toContain("Required: yes");
+  });
+
+  it("does not reach the 2-of-3 threshold on advisory linked-issue + multi-stage CI alone (Deliverable 4)", () => {
+    expect(
+      shouldGenerateRepoSkill(presentProfile({ contributionWorkflow: contributionWorkflow({ ...advisoryLinked, ciWorkflowFiles: twoCi }) }) as Extract<RepoProfile, { present: true }>),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
 describe("repoSkillName / repoSkillFilePath (#3001)", () => {
   it("derives a lowercase, dash-joined name from the repo segment", () => {
     expect(repoSkillName("owner/widgets")).toBe("contributing-to-widgets");
@@ -93,7 +133,8 @@ describe("renderRepoSkillContent (#3001)", () => {
     expect(content).toContain("name: contributing-to-widgets");
     expect(content).toContain("# Contributing to widgets");
     expect(content).toContain("CI publishes a required check before a pull request can merge.");
-    expect(content).toContain('A linked issue is required, with a "required" policy.');
+    expect(content).toContain("A linked issue is required to merge");
+    expect(content).toContain('gate is in "block" mode');
     expect(content).toContain("2 CI workflow files run on a pull request.");
     expect(content).toContain("Build: `npm run build`");
     expect(content).toContain("Test: `npm run test`");
@@ -122,23 +163,24 @@ describe("renderRepoSkillContent (#3001)", () => {
 
   it("omits the gate-check reason line when the trigger fires via linked-issue + multi-stage CI alone (no blocking gate)", () => {
     const profile = presentProfile({
-      contributionWorkflow: contributionWorkflow({ gatePublishesCheck: false, requireLinkedIssue: true, linkedIssuePolicy: "preferred", ciWorkflowFiles: [".github/workflows/a.yml", ".github/workflows/b.yml"] }),
+      contributionWorkflow: contributionWorkflow({ gatePublishesCheck: false, requireLinkedIssue: true, linkedIssuePolicy: "preferred", linkedIssueGateMode: "block", ciWorkflowFiles: [".github/workflows/a.yml", ".github/workflows/b.yml"] }),
     });
     const content = renderRepoSkillContent(profile);
     expect(content).not.toBeNull();
     expect(content).not.toContain("CI publishes a required check");
-    expect(content).toContain('A linked issue is required, with a "preferred" policy.');
+    expect(content).toContain("A linked issue is required to merge");
+    expect(content).toContain('gate is in "block" mode');
     expect(content).toContain("2 CI workflow files run on a pull request.");
   });
 
   it("omits the multi-stage-CI reason line when the trigger fires via gate + strict linked issue alone (single CI file)", () => {
     const profile = presentProfile({
-      contributionWorkflow: contributionWorkflow({ gatePublishesCheck: true, requireLinkedIssue: true, linkedIssuePolicy: "required", ciWorkflowFiles: [".github/workflows/ci.yml"] }),
+      contributionWorkflow: contributionWorkflow({ gatePublishesCheck: true, requireLinkedIssue: true, linkedIssuePolicy: "required", linkedIssueGateMode: "block", ciWorkflowFiles: [".github/workflows/ci.yml"] }),
     });
     const content = renderRepoSkillContent(profile);
     expect(content).not.toBeNull();
     expect(content).toContain("CI publishes a required check before a pull request can merge.");
-    expect(content).toContain('A linked issue is required, with a "required" policy.');
+    expect(content).toContain("A linked issue is required to merge");
     expect(content).not.toContain("CI workflow files run on a pull request.");
   });