diff --git a/.github/workflows/governance-sentinel.yml b/.github/workflows/governance-sentinel.yml
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+++ b/.github/workflows/governance-sentinel.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+name: governance-sentinel
+
+# Hardening Q6 — alert if the default-branch protection ruleset (hardening Q2)
+# is removed. Covers loss of force-push + deletion protection on the default
+# branch. A failed scheduled run also emails the owner, so the check failing
+# is itself a signal.
+#
+# NOT covered here (GitHub Free + this repo token has no admin:org): org
+# member-change and audit-log alerting — those need an org-level webhook or the
+# audit-log API (GitHub Team/Enterprise) or a PAT with admin:org. See
+# dev/reference/github-org-operations.md §Q6 for the documented remainder.
+
+on:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '0 6 * * 1'   # Mondays 06:00 UTC
+  workflow_dispatch: {}
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+  administration: read
+  issues: write
+
+jobs:
+  check-branch-protection:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Verify default-branch protection ruleset is active
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+          REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
+          DEFAULT_BRANCH: ${{ github.event.repository.default_branch }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          echo "Checking rulesets on $REPO (default branch: $DEFAULT_BRANCH)"
+
+          # Fail SAFE/QUIET on a token-permission problem: warn, do not alarm.
+          if ! rulesets=$(gh api "repos/$REPO/rulesets" 2>/tmp/err); then
+            echo "::warning::Could not read rulesets (token permissions?). Skipping check."
+            cat /tmp/err || true
+            exit 0
+          fi
+
+          ok=0
+          for id in $(echo "$rulesets" | jq -r '.[] | select(.enforcement=="active" and .target=="branch") | .id'); do
+            rules=$(gh api "repos/$REPO/rulesets/$id" --jq '[.rules[].type] | sort | join(",")')
+            echo "active branch ruleset $id -> rules: $rules"
+            if echo "$rules" | grep -q "non_fast_forward" && echo "$rules" | grep -q "deletion"; then
+              ok=1
+            fi
+          done
+
+          if [ "$ok" -eq 1 ]; then
+            echo "OK: default-branch force-push + deletion protection is active."
+            exit 0
+          fi
+
+          echo "::error::Default-branch protection ruleset MISSING or incomplete on $REPO"
+          title="⚠️ Governance drift: default-branch protection missing on $REPO"
+          existing=$(gh issue list --repo "$REPO" --state open --search "$title in:title" --json number --jq '.[0].number // empty')
+          if [ -z "$existing" ]; then
+            gh issue create --repo "$REPO" --title "$title" --body \
+          "The scheduled **governance-sentinel** workflow detected that the default-branch protection ruleset (force-push + deletion block, hardening Q2) is no longer active on \`$REPO\`.
+
+          **Expected:** an active \`branch\`-target ruleset carrying \`non_fast_forward\` + \`deletion\` rules on \`$DEFAULT_BRANCH\`.
+
+          **Action:** re-apply per \`dev/reference/github-org-operations.md\` §Q2, or close this issue if the change was intentional.
+
+          _Filed automatically by \`.github/workflows/governance-sentinel.yml\`._"
+          else
+            echo "Alert issue already open: #$existing"
+          fi
+          exit 1