diff --git a/src/agent_comms/commander/rules/tests-and-commands.md b/src/agent_comms/commander/rules/tests-and-commands.md
index 5b5f4876a7..863dbff8ee 100644
--- a/src/agent_comms/commander/rules/tests-and-commands.md
+++ b/src/agent_comms/commander/rules/tests-and-commands.md
@@ -14,4 +14,4 @@ type: feedback
 - An order check counts over the whole source tree (`grep -r ... src`), never one file.
 - Run verb gate loops under `bash -c`: zsh passes a quoted "order idle" as one argument.
 - A wait or kill by process pattern brackets its first letter (`grep -q "[v]erify"`) or waits on a file or PID, or it matches itself.
-- Lint, every commit: run `ruff check` on the .py files in your diff (`git diff --name-only origin/main -- '*.py'`) and fix only the findings on lines you added or changed. Never run `ruff format` on a whole file, never rename a class or function to quiet a lint rule, and never touch lines the order didn't name. Main's existing lint debt is counted by the ratchet; sweeping it is an off-order edit. Your reply includes `git diff --stat origin/main...HEAD`.
+- Lint warns, never blocks: the debt ratchet reports ruff and Black growth as warnings on the file and gates only restated facts. Read the warnings on lines you added or changed; fix one when it names a real defect, such as an undefined name or dead code. Never run `ruff format` on a whole file, never rename a class or function to quiet a lint rule, and never touch lines the order didn't name. Your reply includes `git diff --stat origin/main...HEAD`.
diff --git a/tests/guards/test_debt_ratchet.py b/tests/guards/test_debt_ratchet.py
index 0621bad747..72bd3c7605 100644
--- a/tests/guards/test_debt_ratchet.py
+++ b/tests/guards/test_debt_ratchet.py
@@ -694,8 +694,6 @@ async def second(value):
         (AnyName, "from typing import Any\ndef read(value: Any) -> None: ...\n"),
         (AnyName, "from typing import Any\nvalue = Any\n"),
         (UnannotatedParameter, "def read(value): ...\n"),
-        (Unformatted, "value=1\n"),
-        (LintFindings, "import os\n"),
         (TypeErrors, 'value: int = "text"\n'),
     ],
 )
@@ -712,6 +710,21 @@ def test_per_file_increase_cannot_be_offset_or_moved(
     )
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("measure", "source"), [(Unformatted, "value=1\n"), (LintFindings, "import os\n")]
+)
+def test_advisory_growth_is_measured_and_warned_never_failed(
+    repo: Repository, measure: type[Measure], source: str
+) -> None:
+    base = repo.commit({"new.py": ""})
+    head = repo.commit({"new.py": source})
+    status, report = repo.compare(base, head, measure)
+    key = measure.key(f"{repo.root}/new.py")
+    assert status == 0
+    assert report["delta"][key] > 0
+    assert measure.grew(key, 1).startswith(f"::warning file={repo.root}/new.py::")
+
+
 def test_a_renamed_file_compares_with_its_old_path(repo: Repository) -> None:
     kept = "".join(f"def keep{i}(value: int) -> int:\n    return value\n" for i in range(8))
     source = kept + "def read(value): ...\n"
diff --git a/tools/debt_ratchet.py b/tools/debt_ratchet.py
index 4237a9809e..e8aea938a9 100644
--- a/tools/debt_ratchet.py
+++ b/tools/debt_ratchet.py
@@ -154,6 +154,11 @@ def owns(cls, key: str) -> bool:
     def blocks(cls, delta: dict[str, int]) -> bool:
         return any(value > 0 for key, value in delta.items() if cls.owns(key))
 
+    @classmethod
+    def grew(cls, key: str, grown: int) -> str:
+        """The line reporting one key's growth."""
+        return f"grew {key} +{grown}"
+
     @classmethod
     def run_by(cls) -> type[Measure]:
         """The measure a comparison runs to take this one's measurements."""
@@ -688,7 +693,21 @@ def combine(cls, results: list, repo: Path, base: str, head: str, changed: set[s
         return before, after
 
 
-class Unformatted(CheckedRevision):
+class Advisory(Measure):
+    """Growth that restates no fact, such as a lint convention or layout: the ratchet warns
+    on the file and never fails on it. Only measures of restated facts block a merge."""
+
+    @classmethod
+    def blocks(cls, delta: dict[str, int]) -> bool:
+        return False
+
+    @classmethod
+    def grew(cls, key: str, grown: int) -> str:
+        path = key.partition(":")[2]
+        return f"::warning file={path}::{cls.__name__} +{grown} (warns, never blocks)"
+
+
+class Unformatted(Advisory, CheckedRevision):
     """1 when Black would rewrite the file: a formatted file stays formatted."""
 
     finding = re.compile(r"^would reformat (.+)$", re.MULTILINE)
@@ -732,7 +751,7 @@ def findings(cls, repo: Path, ref: str, head: str, root: str, selected: list[str
         return side, Counter(found)
 
 
-class LintFindings(CheckedRevision):
+class LintFindings(Advisory, CheckedRevision):
     """Ruff diagnostics under the selected rules."""
 
     finding = re.compile(r"^(.+?\.py):\d+:\d+: ", re.MULTILINE)
@@ -2630,9 +2649,10 @@ def main() -> int:
     print(json.dumps(FieldCodec.project(result, "report"), indent=2), flush=True)
     # The failing step's last lines become check annotations (.github/run-step.sh merges
     # stderr), so what grew goes to stderr last; stdout stays the one JSON report.
-    for name, grown in sorted(result.delta.items()):
-        if grown > 0:
-            print(f"grew {name} +{grown}", file=sys.stderr)
+    for measure in Measure.members_with(Measure):
+        for key, grown in sorted(result.delta.items()):
+            if grown > 0 and measure.owns(key):
+                print(measure.grew(key, grown), file=sys.stderr)
     for name, sites in sorted(result.found.items()):
         print(f"found {name} at {' '.join(f'{site.path}:{site.line}' for site in sites)}",
               file=sys.stderr)