diff --git a/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/gate-verdict-poller.d.ts b/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/gate-verdict-poller.d.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 8de0be46d7..0000000000
--- a/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/gate-verdict-poller.d.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-export type GateVerdict = "merge" | "close" | "hold" | "pending";
-
-export const GATE_VERDICTS: readonly GateVerdict[];
-
-export function mapGateDisposition(disposition: unknown): GateVerdict;
-
-export function readGateDisposition(body: unknown): string | null;
-
-export type PollGateVerdictOptions = {
-  fetchFn?: (url: string, init: { headers: Record<string, string> }) => Promise<{ ok: boolean; status?: number; json: () => Promise<unknown> }>;
-  sleepFn?: (ms: number) => Promise<void>;
-  headers?: Record<string, string>;
-  maxAttempts?: number;
-  minIntervalMs?: number;
-  maxIntervalMs?: number;
-};
-
-export type GateVerdictPollResult = {
-  verdict: GateVerdict;
-  disposition: string | null;
-  attempts: number;
-  body: unknown;
-};
-
-export function pollGateVerdict(
-  url: string,
-  options?: PollGateVerdictOptions,
-): Promise<GateVerdictPollResult>;
diff --git a/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/gate-verdict-poller.js b/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/gate-verdict-poller.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 6297a71aa2..0000000000
--- a/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/gate-verdict-poller.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,115 +0,0 @@
-// Maintainer-gate verdict watcher (#4273): polls the gittensory API for the REAL gate disposition of one of
-// the miner's own PRs and maps it to a small typed verdict. The authoritative gate verdict is server-internal
-// `gate_decision` state — NOT a GitHub check-run — so `ci-poller.js`'s CI-check-run aggregate (which
-// `manage-poll.js`'s `mapPollConclusionToGateVerdict` turns into a pass/block/advisory proxy) is only a
-// heuristic. This reads the authoritative source instead.
-//
-// Read-only: targets the gittensory API (not api.github.com), so it needs NO GitHub token; any auth the polled
-// endpoint requires for a contributor's OWN PR is passed via `options.headers` (none required for the public
-// open-pr-monitor today). No writes. `ci-poller.js`'s CI-check-run polling is left untouched — CI state and
-// gate verdict are two different signals a caller can record independently.
-//
-// Fully testable via injected `fetchFn`/`sleepFn` (mirrors `ci-poller.js`) — no real network in tests.
-//
-// UNWIRED (#5394 investigation): no production caller exists anywhere in this package, and the endpoint this
-// module was built to poll doesn't have a real match today. The only real route serving a contributor their
-// own open-PR state is GET /v1/contributors/:login/open-pr-monitor (src/api/routes.ts, backed by
-// buildContributorOpenPrMonitor, src/signals/contributor-open-pr-monitor.ts) — but its response shape is a
-// LIST of `{ repoFullName, number, classification: OpenPrWorkClassification, ... }` packets across every open
-// PR for that login, not the single decided `{ disposition | gateDisposition | verdict }` field this module's
-// own `readGateDisposition` expects for ONE targeted PR. `loop-cli.js`'s real CI/gate-status observation
-// (#5394) uses `ci-poller.js`'s real GitHub check-run polling instead — the documented fallback for exactly
-// this case. Wiring this module for real needs either a new single-PR gate-decision route or a rewrite of
-// `readGateDisposition`/`mapGateDisposition` against `open-pr-monitor`'s real `classification` vocabulary —
-// deliberately left as a separate follow-up rather than guessed at here.
-
-import { fetchWithRetry } from "./http-retry.js";
-
-/** The typed gate verdicts, decided ones first, `pending` (not-yet-decided) last. */
-export const GATE_VERDICTS = Object.freeze(["merge", "close", "hold", "pending"]);
-
-/**
- * Map a raw gate disposition string to one of {@link GATE_VERDICTS}. Liberal on synonyms; an unknown, empty, or
- * missing disposition maps to `pending` (not-yet-decided) — never a false decided verdict. Pure.
- * @param {unknown} disposition
- * @returns {"merge" | "close" | "hold" | "pending"}
- */
-export function mapGateDisposition(disposition) {
-  const d = typeof disposition === "string" ? disposition.trim().toLowerCase() : "";
-  switch (d) {
-    case "merge":
-    case "merged":
-    case "approved":
-    case "auto_merge":
-      return "merge";
-    case "close":
-    case "closed":
-    case "rejected":
-    case "auto_close":
-      return "close";
-    case "hold":
-    case "held":
-    case "manual_review":
-    case "action_required":
-    case "flagged":
-      return "hold";
-    default:
-      return "pending"; // pending / open / unknown / missing — not yet decided
-  }
-}
-
-/**
- * Read the gate disposition field from an API response body, tolerant of it living at `disposition`,
- * `gateDisposition`, or `verdict`. Returns the raw string, or null when absent/non-string. Pure.
- * @param {unknown} body
- * @returns {string | null}
- */
-export function readGateDisposition(body) {
-  if (!body || typeof body !== "object") return null;
-  const raw = body.disposition ?? body.gateDisposition ?? body.verdict ?? null;
-  return typeof raw === "string" ? raw : null;
-}
-
-function backoffDelayMs(attemptIndex, minIntervalMs, maxIntervalMs) {
-  const exponent = Math.min(10, Math.max(0, attemptIndex));
-  return Math.min(maxIntervalMs, minIntervalMs * 2 ** exponent);
-}
-
-function positiveInt(value, fallback, min, max) {
-  const n = Number.isInteger(value) ? value : fallback;
-  return Math.min(max, Math.max(min, n));
-}
-
-/**
- * Poll a gittensory gate-verdict endpoint until it returns a DECIDED verdict (merge/close/hold) or `maxAttempts`
- * is exhausted, backing off exponentially while `pending`. Dependencies are injected (`fetchFn`, `sleepFn`) so
- * this is fully unit-testable with no real network. Throws on a missing URL or a non-OK HTTP response.
- * @param {string} url
- * @param {{ fetchFn?: Function, sleepFn?: Function, headers?: Record<string,string>,
- *   maxAttempts?: number, minIntervalMs?: number, maxIntervalMs?: number }} [options]
- * @returns {Promise<{ verdict: string, disposition: string | null, attempts: number, body: unknown }>}
- */
-export async function pollGateVerdict(url, options = {}) {
-  if (typeof url !== "string" || !url) throw new Error("invalid_gate_verdict_url");
-  const fetchFn = options.fetchFn ?? fetch;
-  const sleepFn = options.sleepFn ?? ((ms) => new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms)));
-  const headers = options.headers ?? {};
-  const maxAttempts = positiveInt(options.maxAttempts, 10, 1, 20);
-  const minIntervalMs = positiveInt(options.minIntervalMs, 2000, 1, 60 * 60_000);
-  const maxIntervalMs = positiveInt(options.maxIntervalMs, 60_000, 1, 60 * 60_000);
-
-  let latest = { verdict: "pending", disposition: null, attempts: 0, body: null };
-  for (let attempt = 0; attempt < maxAttempts; attempt += 1) {
-    // Retry transient network errors / 5xx around this single call (#4829), distinct from the pending-retry loop.
-    const response = await fetchWithRetry(fetchFn, url, { headers }, { sleepFn });
-    if (!response || !response.ok) throw new Error(`gate_verdict_http_${response ? response.status : "error"}`);
-    const body = await response.json();
-    const disposition = readGateDisposition(body);
-    const verdict = mapGateDisposition(disposition);
-    latest = { verdict, disposition, attempts: attempt + 1, body };
-    if (verdict !== "pending") return latest; // decided — stop
-    if (attempt === maxAttempts - 1) return latest; // exhausted while still pending
-    await sleepFn(backoffDelayMs(attempt, minIntervalMs, maxIntervalMs));
-  }
-  return latest;
-}
diff --git a/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/http-retry.js b/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/http-retry.js
index 86470966ad..3a564f5880 100644
--- a/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/http-retry.js
+++ b/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/http-retry.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-// Bounded retry-with-backoff around a single HTTP call (#4829). The miner's pollers (ci-poller, gate-verdict-
-// poller) previously let a single brief 5xx from GitHub kill the whole poll loop, because their own attempt loop
+// Bounded retry-with-backoff around a single HTTP call (#4829). The miner's pollers (ci-poller and others)
+// previously let a single brief 5xx from GitHub kill the whole poll loop, because their own attempt loop
 // only re-polls while a conclusion is genuinely "pending", never after a server error. This wraps ONE fetch so a
 // transient SERVER error (a 5xx RESPONSE) is retried a bounded number of times, DISTINCT from that pending-
 // polling, sleeping an exponential backoff between attempts and giving up after `maxAttempts`. A 2xx/3xx/4xx
diff --git a/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/loop-cli.js b/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/loop-cli.js
index 8830b17358..fc446c20c0 100644
--- a/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/loop-cli.js
+++ b/packages/gittensory-miner/lib/loop-cli.js
@@ -383,9 +383,9 @@ export async function runLoop(args, options = {}) {
         if (prNumber !== null) {
           // Real CI-status observation (#5394): recorded BEFORE the disposition poll below, so a submitted
           // PR's check-run state is captured even while it's still open, not just at its eventual merge/close.
-          // gate-verdict-poller.js (#4273) was the originally preferred source for this signal but has no real
-          // caller-reachable endpoint today (see its own header) -- ci-poller.js's real GitHub check-run
-          // polling is the documented fallback for exactly this case.
+          // ci-poller.js's real GitHub check-run polling is a heuristic proxy for the gate verdict; the
+          // authoritative terminal merge/close outcome comes from pollPrDispositionFn below, sourced directly
+          // from GitHub's own PR state rather than a server-internal endpoint (#5450).
           const ciStatus = await pollCheckRunsFn(claimed.repoFullName, prNumber, {
             githubToken,
             apiBaseUrl: options.apiBaseUrl,
diff --git a/packages/gittensory-miner/package.json b/packages/gittensory-miner/package.json
index 3d0942497f..e303439ad4 100644
--- a/packages/gittensory-miner/package.json
+++ b/packages/gittensory-miner/package.json
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
     "expected-engine.version"
   ],
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "node --check bin/gittensory-miner.js && node --check bin/gittensory-miner-mcp.js && node --check lib/ams-policy.js && node --check lib/attempt-cli.js && node --check lib/attempt-input-builder.js && node --check lib/attempt-log.js && node --check lib/attempt-runner.js && node --check lib/attempt-worktree.js && node --check lib/calibration-run.js && node --check lib/calibration-types.js && node --check lib/calibration.js && node --check lib/ci-poller.js && node --check lib/claim-adjudication.js && node --check lib/claim-conflict-resolver.js && node --check lib/claim-ledger-cli.js && node --check lib/claim-ledger-expiry.js && node --check lib/claim-ledger.js && node --check lib/cli.js && node --check lib/coding-agent-construction.js && node --check lib/coding-agent-house-rules.js && node --check lib/coding-task-spec.js && node --check lib/deny-check.js && node --check lib/deny-hook-synthesis.js && node --check lib/deny-hooks.js && node --check lib/deployment-docs-audit.js && node --check lib/discover-cli.js && node --check lib/event-ledger-cli.js && node --check lib/event-ledger.js && node --check lib/execute-local-write.js && node --check lib/feasibility-cli.js && node --check lib/gate-verdict-poller.js && node --check lib/governor-action-mode.js && node --check lib/governor-chokepoint-persisted.js && node --check lib/governor-chokepoint.js && node --check lib/governor-kill-switch.js && node --check lib/governor-ledger-cli.js && node --check lib/governor-ledger.js && node --check lib/governor-open-pr.js && node --check lib/governor-run-halt.js && node --check lib/governor-state.js && node --check lib/governor-write-rate-limit.js && node --check lib/harness-submission-trigger.js && node --check lib/laptop-init.js && node --check lib/live-issue-snapshot.js && node --check lib/local-store.js && node --check lib/loop-cli.js && node --check lib/loop-closure.js && node --check lib/loop-reentry.js && node --check lib/manage-poll.js && node --check lib/manage-status.js && node --check lib/metrics-cli.js && node --check lib/miner-goal-spec.js && node --check lib/opportunity-fanout.js && node --check lib/opportunity-ranker.js && node --check lib/orb-export.js && node --check lib/plan-store-cli.js && node --check lib/plan-store.js && node --check lib/policy-doc-cache.js && node --check lib/portfolio-dashboard.js && node --check lib/portfolio-discovery.js && node --check lib/portfolio-queue-cli.js && node --check lib/portfolio-queue-manager.js && node --check lib/portfolio-queue.js && node --check lib/portfolio-queue-expiry.js && node --check lib/pr-disposition-poller.js && node --check lib/pr-number-parse.js && node --check lib/pr-outcome.js && node --check lib/prediction-ledger.js && node --check lib/pretooluse-hook.js && node --check lib/rejection-signal.js && node --check lib/rejection-state-machine.js && node --check lib/rejection-templates.js && node --check lib/replay-objective-anchor.js && node --check lib/replay-snapshot.js && node --check lib/replay-task-generation.js && node --check lib/repo-clone.js && node --check lib/run-state-cli.js && node --check lib/run-state.js && node --check lib/self-review-context.js && node --check lib/slop-assessment.js && node --check lib/stack-detection.js && node --check lib/status.js && node --check lib/submission-freshness-check.js && node --check lib/update-check.js && node --check lib/version.js && node --check lib/worktree-allocator.js"
+    "build": "node --check bin/gittensory-miner.js && node --check bin/gittensory-miner-mcp.js && node --check lib/ams-policy.js && node --check lib/attempt-cli.js && node --check lib/attempt-input-builder.js && node --check lib/attempt-log.js && node --check lib/attempt-runner.js && node --check lib/attempt-worktree.js && node --check lib/calibration-run.js && node --check lib/calibration-types.js && node --check lib/calibration.js && node --check lib/ci-poller.js && node --check lib/claim-adjudication.js && node --check lib/claim-conflict-resolver.js && node --check lib/claim-ledger-cli.js && node --check lib/claim-ledger-expiry.js && node --check lib/claim-ledger.js && node --check lib/cli.js && node --check lib/coding-agent-construction.js && node --check lib/coding-agent-house-rules.js && node --check lib/coding-task-spec.js && node --check lib/deny-check.js && node --check lib/deny-hook-synthesis.js && node --check lib/deny-hooks.js && node --check lib/deployment-docs-audit.js && node --check lib/discover-cli.js && node --check lib/event-ledger-cli.js && node --check lib/event-ledger.js && node --check lib/execute-local-write.js && node --check lib/feasibility-cli.js && node --check lib/governor-action-mode.js && node --check lib/governor-chokepoint-persisted.js && node --check lib/governor-chokepoint.js && node --check lib/governor-kill-switch.js && node --check lib/governor-ledger-cli.js && node --check lib/governor-ledger.js && node --check lib/governor-open-pr.js && node --check lib/governor-run-halt.js && node --check lib/governor-state.js && node --check lib/governor-write-rate-limit.js && node --check lib/harness-submission-trigger.js && node --check lib/laptop-init.js && node --check lib/live-issue-snapshot.js && node --check lib/local-store.js && node --check lib/loop-cli.js && node --check lib/loop-closure.js && node --check lib/loop-reentry.js && node --check lib/manage-poll.js && node --check lib/manage-status.js && node --check lib/metrics-cli.js && node --check lib/miner-goal-spec.js && node --check lib/opportunity-fanout.js && node --check lib/opportunity-ranker.js && node --check lib/orb-export.js && node --check lib/plan-store-cli.js && node --check lib/plan-store.js && node --check lib/policy-doc-cache.js && node --check lib/portfolio-dashboard.js && node --check lib/portfolio-discovery.js && node --check lib/portfolio-queue-cli.js && node --check lib/portfolio-queue-manager.js && node --check lib/portfolio-queue.js && node --check lib/portfolio-queue-expiry.js && node --check lib/pr-disposition-poller.js && node --check lib/pr-number-parse.js && node --check lib/pr-outcome.js && node --check lib/prediction-ledger.js && node --check lib/pretooluse-hook.js && node --check lib/rejection-signal.js && node --check lib/rejection-state-machine.js && node --check lib/rejection-templates.js && node --check lib/replay-objective-anchor.js && node --check lib/replay-snapshot.js && node --check lib/replay-task-generation.js && node --check lib/repo-clone.js && node --check lib/run-state-cli.js && node --check lib/run-state.js && node --check lib/self-review-context.js && node --check lib/slop-assessment.js && node --check lib/stack-detection.js && node --check lib/status.js && node --check lib/submission-freshness-check.js && node --check lib/update-check.js && node --check lib/version.js && node --check lib/worktree-allocator.js"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@jsonbored/gittensory-engine": "*",
diff --git a/test/unit/miner-gate-verdict-poller.test.ts b/test/unit/miner-gate-verdict-poller.test.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index ad7331959f..0000000000
--- a/test/unit/miner-gate-verdict-poller.test.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,84 +0,0 @@
-import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
-import {
-  GATE_VERDICTS,
-  mapGateDisposition,
-  readGateDisposition,
-  pollGateVerdict,
-} from "../../packages/gittensory-miner/lib/gate-verdict-poller.js";
-
-const URL = "https://api.gittensory.test/v1/contributors/dhgoal/open-pr-monitor";
-const okResponse = (body: unknown) => ({ ok: true, status: 200, json: async () => body });
-
-describe("gittensory-miner gate-verdict poller (#4273)", () => {
-  it("exposes the frozen verdict vocabulary", () => {
-    expect(GATE_VERDICTS).toEqual(["merge", "close", "hold", "pending"]);
-    expect(Object.isFrozen(GATE_VERDICTS)).toBe(true);
-  });
-
-  it("maps each disposition family (with synonyms, case-insensitive) to a verdict", () => {
-    expect(mapGateDisposition("merged")).toBe("merge");
-    expect(mapGateDisposition("Approved")).toBe("merge");
-    expect(mapGateDisposition("closed")).toBe("close");
-    expect(mapGateDisposition("REJECTED")).toBe("close");
-    expect(mapGateDisposition(" action_required ")).toBe("hold");
-    expect(mapGateDisposition("flagged")).toBe("hold");
-  });
-
-  it("maps unknown/missing/non-string dispositions to pending, never a false decided verdict", () => {
-    expect(mapGateDisposition("open")).toBe("pending");
-    expect(mapGateDisposition("")).toBe("pending");
-    expect(mapGateDisposition(undefined)).toBe("pending");
-    expect(mapGateDisposition(42)).toBe("pending");
-  });
-
-  it("reads the disposition from any of the tolerated field names, else null", () => {
-    expect(readGateDisposition({ disposition: "merge" })).toBe("merge");
-    expect(readGateDisposition({ gateDisposition: "hold" })).toBe("hold");
-    expect(readGateDisposition({ verdict: "closed" })).toBe("closed");
-    expect(readGateDisposition({ other: "x" })).toBeNull();
-    expect(readGateDisposition({ disposition: 7 })).toBeNull(); // non-string
-    expect(readGateDisposition(null)).toBeNull();
-  });
-
-  it("throws on a missing URL", async () => {
-    await expect(pollGateVerdict("")).rejects.toThrow(/invalid_gate_verdict_url/);
-  });
-
-  it("returns a decided verdict on the first attempt without sleeping", async () => {
-    const fetchFn = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(okResponse({ disposition: "merge" }));
-    const sleepFn = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined);
-    const result = await pollGateVerdict(URL, { fetchFn, sleepFn });
-    expect(result).toMatchObject({ verdict: "merge", disposition: "merge", attempts: 1 });
-    expect(sleepFn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
-  });
-
-  it("backs off while pending, then returns the decided verdict", async () => {
-    const fetchFn = vi
-      .fn()
-      .mockResolvedValueOnce(okResponse({ disposition: "pending" }))
-      .mockResolvedValueOnce(okResponse({ disposition: "pending" }))
-      .mockResolvedValueOnce(okResponse({ disposition: "close" }));
-    const sleepFn = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined);
-    const result = await pollGateVerdict(URL, { fetchFn, sleepFn, minIntervalMs: 100, maxIntervalMs: 1000 });
-    expect(result.verdict).toBe("close");
-    expect(result.attempts).toBe(3);
-    expect(sleepFn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
-    expect(sleepFn).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(1, 100); // 100 * 2^0
-    expect(sleepFn).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, 200); // 100 * 2^1
-  });
-
-  it("stops at maxAttempts and returns the last pending verdict when never decided", async () => {
-    const fetchFn = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(okResponse({ disposition: "pending" }));
-    const sleepFn = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined);
-    const result = await pollGateVerdict(URL, { fetchFn, sleepFn, maxAttempts: 3 });
-    expect(result.verdict).toBe("pending");
-    expect(result.attempts).toBe(3);
-    expect(fetchFn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3);
-    expect(sleepFn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2); // no sleep after the final attempt
-  });
-
-  it("throws on a non-OK HTTP response", async () => {
-    const fetchFn = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ ok: false, status: 503, json: async () => ({}) });
-    await expect(pollGateVerdict(URL, { fetchFn, sleepFn: vi.fn() })).rejects.toThrow(/gate_verdict_http_503/);
-  });
-});