diff --git a/.ai/prompts/implement.md b/.ai/prompts/implement.md
index 827699c..c0f499f 100644
--- a/.ai/prompts/implement.md
+++ b/.ai/prompts/implement.md
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ necessary for release-please to pick up our squash merge commits to main.
    ```
 4. Implement the changes with clean, logical commits.
 5. Run the full quality suite:
-   - mix ci
+   - mix precommit
 6. Fix any failures before proceeding.
 7. Push the branch and create a PR:
    ```
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 3b0f552..7f63640 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -28,6 +28,16 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       -
         uses: actions/checkout@v7
+        with:
+          # The repository-level precommit task validates every commit since
+          # the merge base. Retain the full range so its shell guard can
+          # resolve that base without a second network fetch.
+          fetch-depth: 0
+          # pull_request otherwise checks out GitHub's synthetic test-merge
+          # commit. Validate the contributor's actual branch tip instead;
+          # the shell guard must never exempt a commit based on forgeable
+          # subject or committer metadata.
+          ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.sha }}
       -
         uses: erlef/setup-beam@v1
         with:
@@ -157,6 +167,4 @@ jobs:
           # workflow_call), where github.event.pull_request is unset.
           ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.sha }}
       -
-        env:
-          FETCH_BASE_REF: "true"
         run: ./ci/validate_commit_range.sh
diff --git a/Readme.adoc b/Readme.adoc
index ebbb59e..22e907c 100644
--- a/Readme.adoc
+++ b/Readme.adoc
@@ -476,7 +476,14 @@ $ mix lc whoami
 $ mix lc issue list --output json
 ----
 
-The project uses ExUnit and `mix format`. Run tests with:
+The project uses ExUnit and `mix format`. Run the full quality gate with:
+
+[source,sh]
+----
+$ mix precommit
+----
+
+To run only the app test suite or format check directly:
 
 [source,sh]
 ----
diff --git a/ci/validate_commit_range.sh b/ci/validate_commit_range.sh
index 523ee3e..4b9a48f 100755
--- a/ci/validate_commit_range.sh
+++ b/ci/validate_commit_range.sh
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@ usage() {
 	  $0
 
 	Environment:
-	  BASE_REF          Base branch or ref. Defaults to GITHUB_BASE_REF, then origin/main.
-	  FETCH_BASE_REF    When "true", fetch BASE_REF from origin before validating.
+	  BASE_REF          Base branch or ref. Defaults to GITHUB_BASE_REF, then main.
 EOT
 }
 
@@ -37,9 +36,7 @@ validator="$repo_top/ci/validate_conventional_subject.sh"
 
 [ -x "$validator" ] || die "validator is not executable: $validator"
 
-base_input=${BASE_REF:-${GITHUB_BASE_REF:-}}
-base_name=${base_input#refs/heads/}
-base_name=${base_name#origin/}
+base_input=${BASE_REF:-${GITHUB_BASE_REF:-main}}
 
 base_ref=
 
@@ -49,20 +46,22 @@ then
     # already contains it, and using the immutable SHA ensures the newly
     # pushed main commit is validated instead of comparing main to itself.
     base_ref_candidates="$base_input"
-elif [ -n "$base_input" ]
-then
-    if [ "${FETCH_BASE_REF:-}" = "true" ]
+
+    if ! git rev-parse --verify --quiet "$base_input" >/dev/null
     then
-        git_or_die fetch --no-tags origin "$base_name:refs/remotes/origin/$base_name" >/dev/null
+        # A shallow GitHub checkout may contain only HEAD. Fetch the precise
+        # pre-push SHA here rather than requiring workflow-specific setup.
+        git_or_die fetch --no-tags origin "$base_input" >/dev/null
     fi
+else
+    base_name=${base_input#refs/heads/}
+    base_name=${base_name#origin/}
 
     # Prefer the remote-tracking ref. In particular, a developer pushing
     # directly from local main must compare against origin/main, not against
     # local main (HEAD), or the range would be empty and a bypassed commit-msg
     # hook could slip through pre-push validation.
     base_ref_candidates="origin/$base_name $base_input $base_name"
-else
-    base_ref_candidates="origin/main main"
 fi
 
 for candidate in $base_ref_candidates
@@ -74,20 +73,38 @@ do
     fi
 done
 
+[ -n "$base_ref" ] || {
+    if [[ "$base_input" =~ ^[0-9a-fA-F]{40}$ ]]
+    then
+        # `git fetch origin <sha>` normally makes the object directly
+        # addressable. Keep FETCH_HEAD as a fallback for Git servers that do
+        # not install an anonymous remote-tracking ref for a SHA request.
+        base_ref_candidates="$base_input FETCH_HEAD"
+    else
+        # Local clones normally already have origin/main (or their configured
+        # BASE_REF), so this branch is not taken locally. GitHub Actions'
+        # default shallow checkout does not; fetch the missing base from here
+        # so callers never need a workflow-level FETCH_BASE_REF switch.
+        git_or_die fetch --no-tags origin "$base_name:refs/remotes/origin/$base_name" >/dev/null
+        base_ref_candidates="origin/$base_name $base_input $base_name"
+    fi
+
+    for candidate in $base_ref_candidates
+    do
+        if git rev-parse --verify --quiet "$candidate" >/dev/null
+        then
+            base_ref=$candidate
+            break
+        fi
+    done
+}
+
 [ -n "$base_ref" ] || die "unable to resolve commit comparison base"
 
 base_sha=$(git_or_die merge-base HEAD "$base_ref")
 
 validation_status=0
 
-# 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"
@@ -100,14 +117,6 @@ do
         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 "$subject"
     status=$?
 
diff --git a/lib/mix/tasks/ci.ex b/lib/mix/tasks/ci.ex
index 3b6dccc..3ddc75f 100644
--- a/lib/mix/tasks/ci.ex
+++ b/lib/mix/tasks/ci.ex
@@ -1,47 +1,27 @@
 defmodule Mix.Tasks.Ci do
-  @shortdoc "Runs the complete quality gate against app/"
+  @shortdoc "Compatibility alias for mix precommit"
 
   @moduledoc """
   #{@shortdoc}.
 
       mix ci
 
-  Runs every check `.github/workflows/ci.yaml`'s `test` job runs on a pull
-  request, in the same order, so a green `mix ci` locally predicts a green
-  CI run — and CI itself calls this task, so there's one place to fix if
-  either ever breaks:
+  Delegates to `Mix.Tasks.Precommit`, which is the canonical full-repository
+  quality gate. Kept for backwards compatibility with scripts and CI
+  configurations that call `mix ci` directly.
 
-    1. `mix deps.get` — ensure deps are present
-    2. `mix hex.audit` — reject retired or vulnerable Hex packages
-    3. `mix deps.audit` — scan dependencies for known security advisories
-    4. `mix format --check-formatted` — code is formatted
-    5. `mix credo --strict` — static analysis (style, complexity, common bugs)
-    6. `mix usage_rules.sync --check` — usage rules are in sync with deps
-       (catches drift introduced by a dep bump without re-running the sync;
-       see #79)
-    7. `mix test` — all tests pass
-
-  All steps run inside `app/`.
+  See `mix help precommit` for the complete step list.
   """
 
   use Mix.Task
 
-  alias RepoTasks.Shell
-
   @impl Mix.Task
   def run(argv) do
-    run(argv, &Shell.run!/3)
+    Mix.Tasks.Precommit.run(argv)
   end
 
   @doc false
-  def run(_argv, shell) do
-    shell.("mix", ["deps.get"], cd: "app")
-    shell.("mix", ["hex.audit"], cd: "app")
-    shell.("mix", ["deps.audit"], cd: "app")
-    shell.("mix", ["format", "--check-formatted"], cd: "app")
-    shell.("mix", ["credo", "--strict"], cd: "app")
-    shell.("mix", ["usage_rules.sync", "--check"], cd: "app")
-    shell.("mix", ["test"], cd: "app")
-    :ok
+  def run(argv, shell) do
+    Mix.Tasks.Precommit.run(argv, shell)
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/mix/tasks/precommit.ex b/lib/mix/tasks/precommit.ex
index 520d0ba..c871301 100644
--- a/lib/mix/tasks/precommit.ex
+++ b/lib/mix/tasks/precommit.ex
@@ -14,13 +14,15 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Precommit do
        pull request title when `PULL_REQUEST_TITLE_REQUIRED=true`
     2. `ci/validate_commit_range.sh` — validate every commit since the branch
        diverged from its base
-    3. `mix deps.get` — ensure app dependencies are present
-    4. `mix hex.audit` — reject retired or vulnerable Hex packages
-    5. `mix deps.audit` — scan dependencies for known security advisories
-    6. `mix format --check-formatted` — check formatting
-    7. `mix credo --strict` — run static analysis
-    8. `mix usage_rules.sync --check` — catch usage-rule drift after dep bumps
-    9. `mix test` — run the app test suite
+    3. `mix format --check-formatted` — check root project formatting
+    4. `mix test` — run the root project test suite (validator and task tests)
+    5. `mix deps.get` — ensure app dependencies are present
+    6. `mix hex.audit` — reject retired or vulnerable Hex packages
+    7. `mix deps.audit` — scan dependencies for known security advisories
+    8. `mix format --check-formatted` — check app formatting
+    9. `mix credo --strict` — run static analysis
+   10. `mix usage_rules.sync --check` — catch usage-rule drift after dep bumps
+   11. `mix test` — run the app test suite
 
   Pull request metadata does not exist before a pull request is opened, so
   local runs skip only the title guard. GitHub Actions sets both
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Precommit do
   a missing, empty, or non-conventional title then fails this task. Commit
   subjects are always validated.
 
-  All Mix quality steps run inside `app/`.
+  Steps 1-4 run from the repo root; steps 5-11 run inside `app/`.
   """
 
   use Mix.Task
@@ -44,6 +46,8 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.Precommit do
   def run([], shell) do
     shell.("./ci/validate_pull_request_title.sh", [], [])
     shell.("./ci/validate_commit_range.sh", [], [])
+    shell.("mix", ["format", "--check-formatted"], [])
+    shell.("mix", ["test"], [])
     shell.("mix", ["deps.get"], cd: "app")
     shell.("mix", ["hex.audit"], cd: "app")
     shell.("mix", ["deps.audit"], cd: "app")
diff --git a/test/git_hooks_test.exs b/test/git_hooks_test.exs
index f00a45f..4a0985c 100644
--- a/test/git_hooks_test.exs
+++ b/test/git_hooks_test.exs
@@ -12,13 +12,6 @@ defmodule GitHooksTest do
     assert {"", 0} = run(@subject_guard, ["--subject", "feat(api): add title validation"])
   end
 
-  test "the shared subject guard rejects the squash title from pull request 197" do
-    title = "Stokowski tooling: fix Claude→Qwen routing, add lc issue comment (#197)"
-
-    assert {output, 1} = run(@subject_guard, ["--subject", title])
-    assert output =~ "Commit subject must use Conventional Commits format"
-  end
-
   test "the shared subject guard rejects the squash title from pull request 196" do
     title = "EXT-19: isolate Burrito musl loader per user (#196)"
 
@@ -115,6 +108,22 @@ defmodule GitHooksTest do
     assert {"", 0} = run(@range_guard, [], cd: worktree)
   end
 
+  test "the range guard fetches a missing local default base from origin" do
+    {worktree, _} = setup_ci_worktree!()
+
+    # Mimic a shallow CI checkout: the remote has main, while neither a local
+    # main branch nor origin/main is available to resolve without a fetch.
+    git!(worktree, ["branch", "-m", "main", "feature"])
+    git!(worktree, ["update-ref", "-d", "refs/remotes/origin/main"])
+
+    File.write!(Path.join(worktree, "README"), "bad commit\n", [:append])
+    git!(worktree, ["add", "README"])
+    git!(worktree, ["commit", "-m", "this is not conventional"])
+
+    assert {output, 1} = run(@range_guard, [], cd: worktree)
+    assert output =~ "this is not conventional"
+  end
+
   test "the range guard reports all invalid subjects in a mixed commit range" do
     {worktree, _} = setup_ci_worktree!()
 
@@ -136,11 +145,12 @@ 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
+  test "the range guard validates a GitHub Update-branch merge commit" do
     {worktree, _} = setup_ci_worktree!()
     add_github_merge!(worktree)
 
-    assert {"", 0} = run(@range_guard, [], cd: worktree)
+    assert {output, 1} = run(@range_guard, [], cd: worktree)
+    assert output =~ "Merge branch 'main' into feature"
   end
 
   test "the range guard validates when the committer name is not GitHub" do
@@ -244,8 +254,8 @@ defmodule GitHooksTest do
   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.sh matches.
+  # branch. Defaults simulate GitHub's "Update branch" identity and subject;
+  # these remain subject to validation because commit metadata is forgeable.
   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")
diff --git a/test/mix/tasks/ci_test.exs b/test/mix/tasks/ci_test.exs
index 82e6090..78f689f 100644
--- a/test/mix/tasks/ci_test.exs
+++ b/test/mix/tasks/ci_test.exs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.CiTest do
 
   alias Mix.Tasks.Ci
 
-  test "runs all quality gate steps in order" do
+  test "delegates to mix precommit" do
     caller = self()
 
     shell = fn cmd, args, opts ->
@@ -13,10 +13,22 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.CiTest do
 
     assert :ok = Ci.run([], shell)
 
-    assert_receive {:run, "mix", ["deps.get"], [cd: "app"]}
-    assert_receive {:run, "mix", ["hex.audit"], [cd: "app"]}
-    assert_receive {:run, "mix", ["format", "--check-formatted"], [cd: "app"]}
-    assert_receive {:run, "mix", ["usage_rules.sync", "--check"], [cd: "app"]}
-    assert_receive {:run, "mix", ["test"], [cd: "app"]}
+    assert_received {:run, "./ci/validate_pull_request_title.sh", [], []}
+    assert_received {:run, "./ci/validate_commit_range.sh", [], []}
+    assert_received {:run, "mix", ["format", "--check-formatted"], []}
+    assert_received {:run, "mix", ["test"], []}
+    assert_received {:run, "mix", ["deps.get"], [cd: "app"]}
+    assert_received {:run, "mix", ["hex.audit"], [cd: "app"]}
+    assert_received {:run, "mix", ["deps.audit"], [cd: "app"]}
+    assert_received {:run, "mix", ["format", "--check-formatted"], [cd: "app"]}
+    assert_received {:run, "mix", ["credo", "--strict"], [cd: "app"]}
+    assert_received {:run, "mix", ["usage_rules.sync", "--check"], [cd: "app"]}
+    assert_received {:run, "mix", ["test"], [cd: "app"]}
+  end
+
+  test "rejects arguments via precommit" do
+    assert_raise Mix.Error, "Usage: mix precommit", fn ->
+      Ci.run(["unexpected"], fn _, _, _ -> :ok end)
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/mix/tasks/precommit_test.exs b/test/mix/tasks/precommit_test.exs
index c55bd49..8142be5 100644
--- a/test/mix/tasks/precommit_test.exs
+++ b/test/mix/tasks/precommit_test.exs
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ defmodule Mix.Tasks.PrecommitTest do
 
     assert_receive {:run, "./ci/validate_pull_request_title.sh", [], []}
     assert_receive {:run, "./ci/validate_commit_range.sh", [], []}
+    assert_receive {:run, "mix", ["format", "--check-formatted"], []}
+    assert_receive {:run, "mix", ["test"], []}
     assert_receive {:run, "mix", ["deps.get"], [cd: "app"]}
     assert_receive {:run, "mix", ["hex.audit"], [cd: "app"]}
     assert_receive {:run, "mix", ["deps.audit"], [cd: "app"]}
diff --git a/test/mix/tasks/stokowski_test.exs b/test/mix/tasks/stokowski_test.exs
deleted file mode 100644
index dafea6f..0000000
--- a/test/mix/tasks/stokowski_test.exs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,40 +0,0 @@
-defmodule Mix.Tasks.StokowskiTest do
-  use ExUnit.Case, async: true
-
-  test "raises when no workflow.yaml is found" do
-    in_tmp_dir(fn ->
-      assert_raise Mix.Error, ~r/No workflow\.yaml at/, fn ->
-        Mix.Tasks.Stokowski.run([])
-      end
-    end)
-  end
-
-  test "raises when tracker.api_key is a bare literal" do
-    in_tmp_dir(fn ->
-      File.write!("workflow.yaml", """
-      tracker:
-        api_key: "lin_api_totally_real"
-      """)
-
-      assert_raise Mix.Error, ~r/is a bare literal key/, fn ->
-        Mix.Tasks.Stokowski.run([])
-      end
-    end)
-  end
-
-  # Each test gets its own directory rather than sharing System.tmp_dir!()
-  # directly - both tests run async and would otherwise race on the same
-  # workflow.yaml. A cryptographic nonce avoids collisions across BEAM VM
-  # restarts (unlike System.unique_integer/1 which resets each run).
-  defp in_tmp_dir(fun) do
-    nonce = :crypto.strong_rand_bytes(16) |> Base.url_encode64(padding: false)
-    dir = Path.join(System.tmp_dir!(), "stokowski_test_#{nonce}")
-    File.mkdir!(dir)
-
-    try do
-      File.cd!(dir, fun)
-    after
-      File.rm_rf!(dir)
-    end
-  end
-end