diff --git a/src/signals/registration-readiness.ts b/src/signals/registration-readiness.ts
index 43f3687704..9605a6b0c9 100644
--- a/src/signals/registration-readiness.ts
+++ b/src/signals/registration-readiness.ts
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ export function buildRegistrationReadiness(input: RegistrationReadinessInput): R
   const blockers = [
     ...(!isRegistered ? ["Repository is not registered in the latest LoopOver registry snapshot."] : []),
     ...(configFragile ? ["Repository config quality is fragile."] : []),
+    ...(configNeedsAttention ? ["Repository config quality needs attention before registration promotion."] : []),
     ...(intakeBlocked ? ["Contributor intake health is blocked."] : []),
   ];
 
@@ -200,7 +201,9 @@ export function buildRegistrationReadiness(input: RegistrationReadinessInput): R
   };
 
   const warnings = [
-    ...(configNeedsAttention ? ["Repository config quality needs attention before registration promotion."] : []),
+    // configNeedsAttention is a blocker (not a warning), mirroring how configFragile is treated — the two
+    // needs-attention tiers of the same configQuality.level stay consistent, and blockers fully explains
+    // ready === false without double-flagging the same fact as a warning (#5946).
     ...(contributorIntakeHealth.level === "strained" ? ["Contributor intake is strained; expect more maintainer triage."] : []),
     ...(settings.publicSurface === "off" ? ["GitHub App public surface is disabled; maintainers will not get comment/label assistance."] : []),
     ...testCoverageHealth.warnings,
@@ -209,7 +212,9 @@ export function buildRegistrationReadiness(input: RegistrationReadinessInput): R
     ...upstreamRegistryDriftWarnings,
   ];
 
-  const ready = blockers.length === 0 && !configFragile && !configNeedsAttention;
+  // configFragile and configNeedsAttention are now both blockers, so blockers.length === 0 alone fully
+  // determines readiness — blockers is the single source of truth for every ready === false reason (#5946).
+  const ready = blockers.length === 0;
 
   return {
     repoFullName,
diff --git a/test/unit/policy-sanitizer.test.ts b/test/unit/policy-sanitizer.test.ts
index d3f440bcc5..69537d8054 100644
--- a/test/unit/policy-sanitizer.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/policy-sanitizer.test.ts
@@ -650,7 +650,9 @@ describe("readiness warnings sanitizer", () => {
       contributorIntakeHealth: { ...base.contributorIntakeHealth, level: "strained" },
     });
 
-    expect(report.warnings).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining(["Repository config quality needs attention before registration promotion.", "Contributor intake is strained; expect more maintainer triage."]));
+    // config-attention is a blocker (not a warning) since #5946; strained-intake stays a warning.
+    expect(report.blockers).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining(["Repository config quality needs attention before registration promotion."]));
+    expect(report.warnings).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining(["Contributor intake is strained; expect more maintainer triage."]));
     expect(report.warnings.join(" ")).not.toMatch(PRIVATE_TERMS_PATTERN);
     expect(report.blockers.join(" ")).not.toMatch(PRIVATE_TERMS_PATTERN);
   });
diff --git a/test/unit/registration-readiness.test.ts b/test/unit/registration-readiness.test.ts
index bf3b65b408..d82da7076c 100644
--- a/test/unit/registration-readiness.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/registration-readiness.test.ts
@@ -210,9 +210,30 @@ describe("buildRegistrationReadiness", () => {
     });
 
     expect(report.ready).toBe(false);
-    expect(report.warnings).toEqual(
-      expect.arrayContaining(["Repository config quality needs attention before registration promotion.", "Contributor intake is strained; expect more maintainer triage."]),
-    );
+    // "needs attention" is a blocker (mirroring "fragile"), not a warning; the strained-intake note stays a warning.
+    expect(report.blockers).toContain("Repository config quality needs attention before registration promotion.");
+    expect(report.warnings).toEqual(expect.arrayContaining(["Contributor intake is strained; expect more maintainer triage."]));
+    expect(report.warnings).not.toContain("Repository config quality needs attention before registration promotion.");
+  });
+
+  // #5946: with config "needs attention" as the ONLY gating condition (everything else healthy), the report was
+  // ready === false while blockers was []. blockers must now fully explain ready === false on its own.
+  it("lists config-needs-attention in blockers when it is the only gating condition (regression for #5946)", () => {
+    const repo = repoFor("octo/attention", configFor({ repo: "octo/attention" }));
+    const base = signalsFor(repo, [], [], [label("bug")]);
+    const report = buildRegistrationReadiness({
+      repoFullName: repo.fullName,
+      repo,
+      settings: settingsFor(repo.fullName),
+      installation: healthyInstall,
+      ...base,
+      configQuality: { ...base.configQuality, level: "needs_attention" },
+    });
+
+    expect(report.ready).toBe(false);
+    expect(report.blockers).toContain("Repository config quality needs attention before registration promotion.");
+    expect(report.blockers.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect(report.warnings).not.toContain("Repository config quality needs attention before registration promotion.");
   });
 
   it("keeps the report free of forbidden public language", () => {