diff --git a/documents/github-update-branch-validation-decision.adoc b/documents/github-update-branch-validation-decision.adoc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..207d5da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/documents/github-update-branch-validation-decision.adoc
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+= GitHub "Update branch" Merge Commit Validation Exception
+:toc:
+:toc-placement: preamble
+
+== Context
+
+When a contributor clicks GitHub's **Update branch** button on a pull request,
+GitHub creates an automatic merge commit that incorporates the latest commits
+from the base branch into the PR branch.  This merge commit has a
+non-Conventional-Commit subject:
+
+----
+Merge branch 'main' into <feature-branch>
+----
+
+The `git-hooks/validate-commit-range` script validates every commit subject in
+the PR range against the Conventional Commits specification.  Without a
+targeted exception, GitHub's auto-generated merge commit causes CI to fail and
+blocks PRs that would otherwise be mergeable.
+
+This issue was first introduced by EXT-29 (PR #218), which replaced a
+metadata-aware validator with a subject-only traversal, removing the exception
+that had previously been in place.
+
+== Decision
+
+Restore a narrowly scoped exception inside `validate-commit-range`.  A commit
+is skipped **only when all three conditions hold simultaneously**:
+
+1. *Exactly two parents* — the commit is a merge commit (not a regular commit
+   disguised with a merge-style subject).
+
+2. *Committer is `GitHub <noreply@github.com>`* — the commit was produced by
+   the trusted GitHub bot, not by a contributor.
+
+3. *Subject matches `^Merge branch '[^']+' into .+`* — the subject is
+   GitHub's canonical "Update branch" format, with the base branch name
+   enclosed in single quotes.
+
+If any predicate does not match, the commit subject is validated normally.
+
+== Implementation
+
+`git log` is invoked with `--format='%P%x01%cn%x01%ce%x01%s'` so that parent
+hashes, committer name, committer email, and the subject are all available
+within the validation loop.  Records are NUL-delimited (`-z`); fields within
+each record are separated by SOH (ASCII 0x01), a character that cannot appear
+in committer metadata or commit subjects in practice.
+
+== Rationale for each predicate
+
+*Parent count* prevents a regular commit from bypassing validation simply by
+having a subject that starts with `Merge branch '`.  The contributor subject
+guard in `validate-conventional-subject` already catches this pattern and
+rejects it with a helpful remediation hint; the exception must not interfere
+with that guidance.
+
+*Committer identity* binds the exception to the specific GitHub bot account
+that creates "Update branch" commits.  Contributor-authored merge commits
+(e.g., `git merge --no-ff`) use the contributor's own identity and are
+therefore still validated.
+
+*Subject pattern* ensures only the exact auto-generated format is exempted.
+A two-parent commit from the GitHub committer with a different subject (e.g.,
+a revert, or a merge of a submodule) still goes through validation.
+
+== Alternatives considered
+
+*Exempt all merge commits* — rejected.  Contributors can create merge commits
+with arbitrary subjects; blanket exemption would create a loophole.
+
+*Reword the commit before pushing* — not feasible.  The commit is created by
+GitHub's server-side automation after the PR branch is pushed; there is no
+hook opportunity to intercept or rewrite it before it lands.
+
+*Allow `Merge branch '...' into ...'` as a valid Conventional Commits type* —
+rejected.  This would widen the allowed format for all contributors rather than
+targeting the specific trusted-bot case.
diff --git a/git-hooks/validate-commit-range b/git-hooks/validate-commit-range
index ebb9048..40432cf 100755
--- a/git-hooks/validate-commit-range
+++ b/git-hooks/validate-commit-range
@@ -80,8 +80,34 @@ base_sha=$(git_or_die merge-base HEAD "$base_ref")
 
 validation_status=0
 
-while IFS= read -r -d '' subject
+# A commit is exempt from subject validation only when ALL three conditions hold:
+#   1. It has exactly two parents (is a merge commit).
+#   2. Its committer is GitHub <noreply@github.com> (the trusted bot identity).
+#   3. Its subject matches the canonical "Update branch" pattern.
+# Ordinary contributor-created merge commits (different committer, or a
+# subject that doesn't match the pattern) still go through subject validation.
+github_merge_pattern="^Merge branch '[^']+' into .+"
+
+while IFS= read -r -d '' entry
 do
+    IFS=$'\x01' read -r parents committer_name committer_email subject <<< "$entry"
+
+    if [ -n "$parents" ]
+    then
+        IFS=' ' read -ra parents_array <<< "$parents"
+        parent_count=${#parents_array[@]}
+    else
+        parent_count=0
+    fi
+
+    if [ "$parent_count" -eq 2 ] \
+        && [ "$committer_name" = "GitHub" ] \
+        && [ "$committer_email" = "noreply@github.com" ] \
+        && [[ "$subject" =~ $github_merge_pattern ]]
+    then
+        continue
+    fi
+
     "$validator" --subject "$subject"
     status=$?
 
@@ -89,6 +115,6 @@ do
     then
         validation_status=$status
     fi
-done < <(git log -z --format='%s' "$base_sha..HEAD")
+done < <(git log -z --format='%P%x01%cn%x01%ce%x01%s' "$base_sha..HEAD")
 
 exit "$validation_status"
diff --git a/test/git_hooks_test.exs b/test/git_hooks_test.exs
index c375225..e08befa 100644
--- a/test/git_hooks_test.exs
+++ b/test/git_hooks_test.exs
@@ -133,6 +133,76 @@ defmodule GitHooksTest do
     refute output =~ "feat: valid commit"
   end
 
+  test "the range guard skips a GitHub Update-branch merge commit matching all three predicates" do
+    {worktree, hooks_dir} = setup_hooks_worktree!()
+    add_github_merge!(worktree)
+
+    assert {"", 0} = run(Path.join(hooks_dir, "validate-commit-range"), [], cd: worktree)
+  end
+
+  test "the range guard validates when the committer name is not GitHub" do
+    {worktree, hooks_dir} = setup_hooks_worktree!()
+    add_github_merge!(worktree, committer_name: "Not GitHub")
+
+    assert {output, 1} = run(Path.join(hooks_dir, "validate-commit-range"), [], cd: worktree)
+    assert output =~ "Merge branch 'main' into feature"
+  end
+
+  test "the range guard validates when the committer email is not noreply@github.com" do
+    {worktree, hooks_dir} = setup_hooks_worktree!()
+    add_github_merge!(worktree, committer_email: "not@github.com")
+
+    assert {output, 1} = run(Path.join(hooks_dir, "validate-commit-range"), [], cd: worktree)
+    assert output =~ "Merge branch 'main' into feature"
+  end
+
+  test "the range guard validates a single-parent commit whose subject matches the GitHub pattern" do
+    {worktree, hooks_dir} = setup_hooks_worktree!()
+
+    git!(worktree, ["commit", "--allow-empty", "-m", "Merge branch 'main' into feature"])
+
+    assert {output, 1} = run(Path.join(hooks_dir, "validate-commit-range"), [], cd: worktree)
+    assert output =~ "Merge branch 'main' into feature"
+  end
+
+  test "the range guard validates a two-parent GitHub-committer merge with a non-matching subject" do
+    {worktree, hooks_dir} = setup_hooks_worktree!()
+    add_github_merge!(worktree, subject: "Merge feature into main")
+
+    assert {output, 1} = run(Path.join(hooks_dir, "validate-commit-range"), [], cd: worktree)
+    assert output =~ "Merge feature into main"
+  end
+
+  # Creates a no-fast-forward merge commit on `main` from a throwaway `feature`
+  # branch. Defaults simulate GitHub's "Update branch" committer identity and
+  # subject so the predicate in validate-commit-range matches.
+  defp add_github_merge!(worktree, opts \\ []) do
+    committer_name = Keyword.get(opts, :committer_name, "GitHub")
+    committer_email = Keyword.get(opts, :committer_email, "noreply@github.com")
+    subject = Keyword.get(opts, :subject, "Merge branch 'main' into feature")
+
+    git!(worktree, ["checkout", "-b", "feature"])
+    File.write!(Path.join(worktree, "feature_file"), "feature content")
+    git!(worktree, ["add", "feature_file"])
+    git!(worktree, ["commit", "-m", "feat: add feature"])
+    git!(worktree, ["checkout", "main"])
+
+    git_with_env!(worktree, ["merge", "--no-ff", "-m", subject, "feature"], [
+      {"GIT_COMMITTER_NAME", committer_name},
+      {"GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL", committer_email}
+    ])
+  end
+
+  defp git_with_env!(directory, args, extra_env) do
+    case System.cmd("git", args, cd: directory, stderr_to_stdout: true, env: extra_env) do
+      {_output, 0} ->
+        :ok
+
+      {output, status} ->
+        flunk("git #{Enum.join(args, " ")} failed (#{status}):\n#{output}")
+    end
+  end
+
   # Creates a git repo in a temp dir with origin set up and the guard scripts
   # copied in. Uses a cryptographic nonce so collisions cannot occur across
   # BEAM VM restarts (unlike System.unique_integer/1 which resets each run).