diff --git a/.gitea/pull_request_template.md b/.gitea/pull_request_template.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b27246
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitea/pull_request_template.md
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+<!--
+Server-room access control: changes here gate a physical door.
+Two human approvals are REQUIRED to merge (branch protection enforces).
+-->
+
+## Ticket
+
+[#NNN](https://projects.knownelement.com/issues/NNN)
+
+## What changed / why
+
+## Access-control checklist (tick ONLY what applies)
+
+- [ ] This PR touches badge roster / unlock policy / door-adjacent code
+- [ ] If yes: scope is the SERVER-ROOM DOOR ONLY (no other locks in the
+      house — founder ruling 2026-09-02)
+- [ ] If yes: founder-approved Redmine ticket referenced above
+- [ ] No webhook URLs, tokens, or badge credentials in the diff
+      (secrets live in /etc/default/doorman, 0600, on the host)
+
+## Verification
+
+- [ ] `bash scripts/test.sh` green
+- [ ] `bash tests/shellcheck.sh` clean
+- [ ] `bash scripts/check-rules.sh` PASS
+
+## Sign-off
+
+- Approver 1 (name / date):
+- Approver 2 (name / date):
+
+_Physical server-room access is 100% human-gated. Agents may author
+and push PR branches; only humans approve and merge._
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 936f36b..1fb1ff9 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -26,6 +26,20 @@ House rules layering: `~/.zcode/AGENTS.md` (global) < PFVCluster
   [tests/remote.sh](https://git.knownelement.com/KNEL/PFVCluster/src/branch/main/tests/remote.sh).
 - DNS names only — never IP literals.
 
+## PR process (founder ruling 2026-09-02) — physical access is 100% human-gated
+
+- `main` is BRANCH-PROTECTED: no direct pushes, by anyone. All changes
+  land via PR with the sign-off template (`.gitea/pull_request_template.md`).
+- **Two human approvals required to merge.** Gitea enforces the count.
+  Agents may author and push PR branches and implement review feedback —
+  agents NEVER approve, NEVER merge, NEVER bypass (`--no-verify` is not
+  a bypass for the approval count).
+- Access-control changes (badge roster, unlock policy, door-adjacent
+  code) additionally require the template's checklist and a
+  founder-approved ticket.
+- Full audit chain per change: Redmine ticket → PR description → two
+  named human approvals → merge → deployment note (#356).
+
 ## Scope boundary: Home Assistant
 
 The HA side (webhook receiver, whitelist, automations, alerts) is owned by
diff --git a/scripts/check-rules.sh b/scripts/check-rules.sh
index 2d8bc23..562ea74 100755
--- a/scripts/check-rules.sh
+++ b/scripts/check-rules.sh
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ while IFS= read -r -d '' f; do
         POINTER_MISSING=$((POINTER_MISSING + 1))
         $RULE_VERBOSE && printf '    %s\n' "$f"
     fi
-done < <(find . -path ./.git -prune -o -path ./.crush -prune -o -path ./.tmp -prune -o -path ./vendor -prune -o -path ./archive -prune -o -name '*.md' -print0 2>/dev/null)
+done < <(find . -path ./.git -prune -o -path ./.crush -prune -o -path ./.tmp -prune -o -path ./vendor -prune -o -path ./archive -prune -o -path ./.gitea -prune -o -name "*.md" -print0 2>/dev/null)
 if [ "$POINTER_MISSING" -eq 0 ]; then
     check "All non-exempt .md cite Discourse ($DISCOURSE_HOST)" "pass"
 else