diff --git a/src/queue/processors.ts b/src/queue/processors.ts
index 5dc8b93840..055a3b3680 100644
--- a/src/queue/processors.ts
+++ b/src/queue/processors.ts
@@ -3338,6 +3338,8 @@ export function gateCheckPolicy(
     changedFileCount: sizeContext?.changedFileCount ?? null,
     changedLineCount: sizeContext?.changedLineCount ?? null,
     guardrailHit: sizeContext?.guardrailHit ?? false,
+    // #gate-dryrun: render the would-be merge/close/manual verdict (advisory promoted to block) without enforcing.
+    dryRun: settings.gateDryRun ?? false,
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/review/unified-comment-bridge.ts b/src/review/unified-comment-bridge.ts
index 8332e54e1b..45e2a394d5 100644
--- a/src/review/unified-comment-bridge.ts
+++ b/src/review/unified-comment-bridge.ts
@@ -321,7 +321,10 @@ export function buildBeforeAfterCollapsible(routes: CaptureRoute[]): UnifiedColl
  * lets it override the reviewer recommendation.
  */
 export function buildUnifiedCommentBody(args: UnifiedCommentBridgeArgs): string {
-  const verdict = gateConclusionToVerdict(args.gate.conclusion);
+  // #gate-dryrun: in dry-run mode the gate exposes the would-be conclusion (advisory promoted to block) as
+  // `displayConclusion` so the rendered merge/close/manual verdict reflects what it WOULD do; the posted check
+  // stays the real, non-enforcing `conclusion`. Outside dry-run, displayConclusion is absent ⇒ falls back.
+  const verdict = gateConclusionToVerdict(args.gate.displayConclusion ?? args.gate.conclusion);
   const consensusDefect = consensusDefectFromFindings(args.advisoryFindings);
   const reviews = buildDualReviewNotes({
     aiReview: args.aiReview,
diff --git a/src/rules/advisory.ts b/src/rules/advisory.ts
index 47e6ba65f3..444490cab9 100644
--- a/src/rules/advisory.ts
+++ b/src/rules/advisory.ts
@@ -67,11 +67,19 @@ export type GateCheckPolicy = {
    *  A guardrail hit HOLDS an otherwise-passing gate for manual review (neutral → "manual"), never auto-merged.
    *  Always-on (the guardrail globs default to the crucial/config-as-code/engine paths). (#gate-guardrail) */
   guardrailHit?: boolean | undefined;
+  /** Dry-run disposition (#gate-dryrun). When true, the gate ALSO computes the would-be conclusion with every
+   *  `advisory` sub-gate promoted to `block` and exposes it as `displayConclusion` (the rendered merge/close/manual
+   *  verdict), WITHOUT changing the posted, non-enforcing `conclusion`. Lets advisory mode show exactly what it WOULD
+   *  do (close/merge/manual) before the maintainer flips to real enforcement. Default off. */
+  dryRun?: boolean | undefined;
 };
 
 export type GateCheckEvaluation = {
   enabled: boolean;
   conclusion: GateCheckConclusion;
+  /** Dry-run only (#gate-dryrun): the would-be conclusion (advisory sub-gates promoted to block) used to render the
+   *  merge/close/manual verdict. Absent ⇒ the renderer falls back to `conclusion`. Never affects what is posted. */
+  displayConclusion?: GateCheckConclusion | undefined;
   title: string;
   summary: string;
   blockers: AdvisoryFinding[];
@@ -424,7 +432,36 @@ function buildGuardrailHoldFinding(): AdvisoryFinding {
   };
 }
 
+/** Dry-run disposition (#gate-dryrun): promote every `advisory` sub-gate mode to `block` so the core eval yields the
+ *  would-be conclusion. `off`/`block`/unset modes are untouched; non-mode policy (grace, size HOLD, guardrail) is
+ *  preserved as-is, so the would-be verdict still honours newcomer grace and the manual-review holds. PURE. */
+function promoteAdvisoryToBlock(policy: GateCheckPolicy): GateCheckPolicy {
+  const block = (mode: GateRuleMode | undefined): GateRuleMode | undefined => (mode === "advisory" ? "block" : mode);
+  return {
+    ...policy,
+    dryRun: false,
+    linkedIssueGateMode: block(policy.linkedIssueGateMode),
+    duplicatePrGateMode: block(policy.duplicatePrGateMode),
+    qualityGateMode: block(policy.qualityGateMode),
+    aiReviewGateMode: block(policy.aiReviewGateMode),
+    slopGateMode: block(policy.slopGateMode),
+    mergeReadinessGateMode: block(policy.mergeReadinessGateMode),
+    manifestPolicyGateMode: block(policy.manifestPolicyGateMode),
+    selfAuthoredLinkedIssueGateMode: block(policy.selfAuthoredLinkedIssueGateMode),
+  };
+}
+
+/** Public entry. In normal mode this is exactly `evaluateGateCheckCore`. In dry-run mode (#gate-dryrun) it ALSO runs
+ *  the core eval with advisory sub-gates promoted to block and attaches that as `displayConclusion` — the would-be
+ *  merge/close/manual verdict — while the POSTED `conclusion` stays the real, non-enforcing one. */
 export function evaluateGateCheck(advisoryResult: Advisory, policy: GateCheckPolicy = {}): GateCheckEvaluation {
+  const result = evaluateGateCheckCore(advisoryResult, policy);
+  if (!policy.dryRun) return result;
+  const wouldBe = evaluateGateCheckCore(advisoryResult, promoteAdvisoryToBlock(policy));
+  return { ...result, displayConclusion: wouldBe.conclusion };
+}
+
+function evaluateGateCheckCore(advisoryResult: Advisory, policy: GateCheckPolicy = {}): GateCheckEvaluation {
   const warnings = advisoryResult.findings.filter((finding) => finding.severity === "warning");
   // App/infra state (repo not synced yet, PR not cached): gittensory cannot evaluate this PR yet, so the
   // gate is NEUTRAL (non-blocking) and re-evaluates automatically on the next sync/webhook. Never block a
diff --git a/src/signals/focus-manifest.ts b/src/signals/focus-manifest.ts
index fa11eefa27..78ffd6c1d2 100644
--- a/src/signals/focus-manifest.ts
+++ b/src/signals/focus-manifest.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ export type FocusManifestGateConfig = {
   mergeReadiness: GateRuleMode | null;
   manifestPolicy: GateRuleMode | null;
   selfAuthoredLinkedIssue: GateRuleMode | null;
+  dryRun: boolean | null;
   firstTimeContributorGrace: boolean | null;
 };
 
@@ -249,6 +250,7 @@ const EMPTY_GATE_CONFIG: FocusManifestGateConfig = {
   mergeReadiness: null,
   manifestPolicy: null,
   selfAuthoredLinkedIssue: null,
+  dryRun: null,
   firstTimeContributorGrace: null,
 };
 
@@ -409,6 +411,7 @@ function parseGateConfig(value: JsonValue | undefined, warnings: string[]): Focu
     mergeReadiness: normalizeOptionalGateMode(record.mergeReadiness, "gate.mergeReadiness", warnings),
     manifestPolicy: normalizeOptionalGateMode(record.manifestPolicy, "gate.manifestPolicy", warnings),
     selfAuthoredLinkedIssue: normalizeOptionalGateMode(record.selfAuthoredLinkedIssue, "gate.selfAuthoredLinkedIssue", warnings),
+    dryRun: normalizeOptionalBoolean(record.dryRun, "gate.dryRun", warnings),
     firstTimeContributorGrace: normalizeOptionalBoolean(record.firstTimeContributorGrace, "gate.firstTimeContributorGrace", warnings),
   };
   gate.present =
@@ -430,6 +433,7 @@ function parseGateConfig(value: JsonValue | undefined, warnings: string[]): Focu
     gate.mergeReadiness !== null ||
     gate.manifestPolicy !== null ||
     gate.selfAuthoredLinkedIssue !== null ||
+    gate.dryRun !== null ||
     gate.firstTimeContributorGrace !== null;
   return gate;
 }
@@ -471,6 +475,7 @@ export function gateConfigToJson(gate: FocusManifestGateConfig): JsonValue {
   if (gate.mergeReadiness !== null) out.mergeReadiness = gate.mergeReadiness;
   if (gate.manifestPolicy !== null) out.manifestPolicy = gate.manifestPolicy;
   if (gate.selfAuthoredLinkedIssue !== null) out.selfAuthoredLinkedIssue = gate.selfAuthoredLinkedIssue;
+  if (gate.dryRun !== null) out.dryRun = gate.dryRun;
   if (gate.firstTimeContributorGrace !== null) out.firstTimeContributorGrace = gate.firstTimeContributorGrace;
   return out;
 }
@@ -937,6 +942,7 @@ export function resolveEffectiveSettings(dbSettings: RepositorySettings, manifes
   if (gate.mergeReadiness !== null) effective.mergeReadinessGateMode = gate.mergeReadiness;
   if (gate.manifestPolicy !== null) effective.manifestPolicyGateMode = gate.manifestPolicy;
   if (gate.selfAuthoredLinkedIssue !== null) effective.selfAuthoredLinkedIssueGateMode = gate.selfAuthoredLinkedIssue;
+  if (gate.dryRun !== null) effective.gateDryRun = gate.dryRun;
   if (gate.firstTimeContributorGrace !== null) effective.firstTimeContributorGrace = gate.firstTimeContributorGrace;
   // The dashboard "Require linked issue" toggle must not silently diverge from gate blocking: when the
   // boolean is on but linkedIssueGateMode is still off, treat it as a block requirement (#797).
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index 64dc108ea7..d59a2fc179 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -509,6 +509,10 @@ export type RepositorySettings = {
    *  >= 10 changed files OR >= 500 changed (added+deleted) lines that would otherwise pass is HELD for manual review
    *  (neutral gate → "manual" verdict), never auto-merged and never a hard failure. Opt-in via `gate.size.mode`. */
   sizeGateMode?: GateRuleMode | undefined;
+  /** Dry-run disposition (#gate-dryrun). When true, the gate renders the would-be merge/close/manual verdict (every
+   *  advisory sub-gate promoted to block) WITHOUT enforcing — the posted check stays non-blocking. Lets advisory mode
+   *  preview exactly what it would do before the maintainer flips to real enforcement. Default off. */
+  gateDryRun?: boolean | undefined;
   /** Merge-readiness gate (#merge-readiness). `off`/`advisory`/`block`. No min-score. Default `off`. */
   mergeReadinessGateMode: GateRuleMode;
   /** Focus-manifest policy gate (#555). When `block`, the focus manifest's declared policy (blocked paths,
diff --git a/test/unit/focus-manifest.test.ts b/test/unit/focus-manifest.test.ts
index bac19015aa..be5821f80d 100644
--- a/test/unit/focus-manifest.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/focus-manifest.test.ts
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ describe("compileFocusManifestPolicy", () => {
       issueDiscoveryPolicy: "neutral",
       maintainerNotes: [],
       publicNotes: ["Keep PRs focused.", "Maximize your reward payout"],
-      gate: { present: false, enabled: null, pack: null, linkedIssue: null, duplicates: null, readinessMode: null, readinessMinScore: null, slopMode: null, slopMinScore: null, slopAiAdvisory: null, sizeMode: null, aiReviewMode: null, aiReviewByok: null, aiReviewProvider: null, aiReviewModel: null, aiReviewAllAuthors: null, mergeReadiness: null, selfAuthoredLinkedIssue: null, manifestPolicy: null, firstTimeContributorGrace: null },
+      gate: { present: false, enabled: null, pack: null, linkedIssue: null, duplicates: null, readinessMode: null, readinessMinScore: null, slopMode: null, slopMinScore: null, slopAiAdvisory: null, sizeMode: null, aiReviewMode: null, aiReviewByok: null, aiReviewProvider: null, aiReviewModel: null, aiReviewAllAuthors: null, mergeReadiness: null, selfAuthoredLinkedIssue: null, manifestPolicy: null, dryRun: null, firstTimeContributorGrace: null },
       settings: {},
       review: { present: false, footerText: null, note: null, fields: {}, profile: null, inlineComments: null, pathInstructions: [], instructions: null, excludePaths: [], preMergeChecks: [] },
       features: { present: false, rag: null, reputation: null, unifiedComment: null, safety: null },
@@ -766,7 +766,7 @@ describe("parseFocusManifest gate config", () => {
   it("parses a full gate section including the readiness block", () => {
     const m = parseFocusManifest({ gate: { linkedIssue: "block", duplicates: "advisory", readiness: { mode: "block", minScore: 70 } } });
     expect(m.present).toBe(true);
-    expect(m.gate).toEqual({ present: true, enabled: null, pack: null, linkedIssue: "block", duplicates: "advisory", readinessMode: "block", readinessMinScore: 70, slopMode: null, slopMinScore: null, slopAiAdvisory: null, sizeMode: null, aiReviewMode: null, aiReviewByok: null, aiReviewProvider: null, aiReviewModel: null, aiReviewAllAuthors: null, mergeReadiness: null, selfAuthoredLinkedIssue: null, manifestPolicy: null, firstTimeContributorGrace: null });
+    expect(m.gate).toEqual({ present: true, enabled: null, pack: null, linkedIssue: "block", duplicates: "advisory", readinessMode: "block", readinessMinScore: 70, slopMode: null, slopMinScore: null, slopAiAdvisory: null, sizeMode: null, aiReviewMode: null, aiReviewByok: null, aiReviewProvider: null, aiReviewModel: null, aiReviewAllAuthors: null, mergeReadiness: null, selfAuthoredLinkedIssue: null, manifestPolicy: null, dryRun: null, firstTimeContributorGrace: null });
   });
 
   it("parses gate.mergeReadiness + gate.firstTimeContributorGrace, round-trips them, and warns on bad values (#822)", () => {
@@ -1421,3 +1421,12 @@ describe("gate.size manual-review hold config (#gate-size)", () => {
     expect(round.gate.sizeMode).toBe("advisory");
   });
 });
+
+describe("gate.dryRun dry-run disposition config (#gate-dryrun)", () => {
+  it("parses gate.dryRun, sets present, and round-trips via gateConfigToJson", () => {
+    const m = parseFocusManifest({ gate: { dryRun: true } });
+    expect(m.gate.dryRun).toBe(true);
+    expect(m.gate.present).toBe(true);
+    expect(gateConfigToJson(m.gate)).toMatchObject({ dryRun: true });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/unit/gate-check-policy.test.ts b/test/unit/gate-check-policy.test.ts
index 44c450617c..0c3412f26c 100644
--- a/test/unit/gate-check-policy.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/gate-check-policy.test.ts
@@ -602,3 +602,25 @@ describe("size + guardrail manual-review HOLD (#gate-size / #gate-guardrail)", (
     expect(eff.sizeGateMode).toBe("advisory");
   });
 });
+
+describe("dry-run disposition (#gate-dryrun): would-be verdict without enforcing", () => {
+  it("posts the real non-enforcing conclusion but exposes the would-be conclusion as displayConclusion", () => {
+    // advisory linked-issue ⇒ the missing-issue finding does NOT block (posted = success), but promoted to block it WOULD close
+    const out = evaluateGateCheck(missingIssueAdvisory(), { dryRun: true, linkedIssueGateMode: "advisory" });
+    expect(out.conclusion).toBe("success"); // POSTED — non-blocking pass
+    expect(out.displayConclusion).toBe("failure"); // would-be — drives the "close" verdict in the comment
+  });
+  it("a clean PR in dry-run shows a would-be PASS (displayConclusion = success)", () => {
+    const clean = { ...missingIssueAdvisory(), findings: [] };
+    expect(evaluateGateCheck(clean, { dryRun: true, linkedIssueGateMode: "advisory" }).displayConclusion).toBe("success");
+  });
+  it("outside dry-run, displayConclusion is absent (the verdict falls back to the posted conclusion)", () => {
+    const out = evaluateGateCheck(missingIssueAdvisory(), { linkedIssueGateMode: "advisory" });
+    expect(out.conclusion).toBe("success");
+    expect(out.displayConclusion).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+  it("resolveEffectiveSettings maps gate.dryRun → gateDryRun", () => {
+    const eff = resolveEffectiveSettings(settings({}), parseFocusManifest({ gate: { dryRun: true } }));
+    expect(eff.gateDryRun).toBe(true);
+  });
+});