diff --git a/.github/workflows/gate.yml b/.github/workflows/gate.yml
index fded20e..2b2b368 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/gate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/gate.yml
@@ -9,20 +9,16 @@ on:
     types: [opened, synchronize, reopened, edited]
   push:
     branches: [main]
-  workflow_call:
-    inputs:
-      ref:
-        description: Commit to gate. upstream-sync passes its sync commit and merges only after this run passes.
-        type: string
-        required: true
+  # upstream-sync dispatches this on its sync branch. A dispatched run reports `gate`, `smoke`, and
+  # `statechart` under the same names as a pull request run, so the main ruleset's required checks
+  # cover bot syncs too. A reusable call would report `gate / gate` and never satisfy them.
+  workflow_dispatch:
 
 jobs:
   gate:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
-        with:
-          ref: ${{ inputs.ref }}
       - uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@v2
         with:
           bun-version: 1.4.4
@@ -59,8 +55,6 @@ jobs:
     timeout-minutes: 10
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
-        with:
-          ref: ${{ inputs.ref }}
       - uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@v2
         with:
           bun-version: 1.4.4
@@ -93,8 +87,6 @@ jobs:
         working-directory: plugins/pstack/skills/statechart/scripts
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v7
-        with:
-          ref: ${{ inputs.ref }}
       - uses: actions/setup-node@v7
         with:
           node-version: 22
diff --git a/.github/workflows/upstream-sync.yml b/.github/workflows/upstream-sync.yml
index 910d858..b6dff17 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/upstream-sync.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/upstream-sync.yml
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ jobs:
     outputs:
       pr: ${{ steps.build.outputs.pr }}
       sha: ${{ steps.build.outputs.sha }}
+      branch: ${{ steps.build.outputs.branch }}
     env:
       GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
     steps:
@@ -110,22 +111,39 @@ jobs:
           pr=$(gh pr create --base main --head "sync/upstream-$SHORT" \
             --title "sync: upstream pstack $SHORT ($version)" --body-file "$RUNNER_TEMP/body.md" | tail -n1)
           if [ "$code" -eq 0 ] && [ "$gate" -eq 0 ]; then
-            printf 'pr=%s\nsha=%s\n' "$pr" "$(git rev-parse HEAD)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            printf 'pr=%s\nsha=%s\nbranch=%s\n' "$pr" "$(git rev-parse HEAD)" "sync/upstream-$SHORT" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
             exit 0
           fi
           echo "left $pr open for a human: sync exit $code, gate exit $gate"
           exit 1
 
   # A merge made with github.token starts no push run on main, so this job is the only full gate a
-  # sync gets. A red gate skips the merge and leaves the PR open for a human.
+  # sync gets. It dispatches gate.yml on the sync branch rather than calling it: the dispatched run
+  # puts `gate`, `smoke`, and `statechart` on the sync commit, which the main ruleset requires before
+  # any merge. A red gate fails this job, skips the merge, and leaves the PR open for a human.
   gate:
     needs: sync
     if: needs.sync.outputs.sha != ''
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
-      contents: read
-    uses: ./.github/workflows/gate.yml
-    with:
-      ref: ${{ needs.sync.outputs.sha }}
+      actions: write
+    env:
+      GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+      SHA: ${{ needs.sync.outputs.sha }}
+      BRANCH: ${{ needs.sync.outputs.branch }}
+    steps:
+      - run: |
+          gh workflow run gate.yml --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --ref "$BRANCH"
+          id=""
+          for _ in $(seq 1 30); do
+            id=$(gh run list --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --workflow gate.yml --event workflow_dispatch \
+              --branch "$BRANCH" --json databaseId,headSha \
+              --jq "[.[] | select(.headSha == \"$SHA\")][0].databaseId // empty")
+            [ -n "$id" ] && break
+            sleep 10
+          done
+          [ -n "$id" ] || { echo "no gate run appeared for $SHA on $BRANCH" >&2; exit 1; }
+          gh run watch "$id" --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --exit-status --interval 30
 
   merge:
     needs: [sync, gate]
diff --git a/PORTING.md b/PORTING.md
index 1fc53d5..74ef846 100644
--- a/PORTING.md
+++ b/PORTING.md
@@ -144,8 +144,12 @@ bash omp-port/check-port.sh "" "$(gh api 'repos/cursor/plugins/commits?path=psta
 The gate runs as its own workflow, `gate.yml`, on every pull request and on every push to `main`.
 Neither trigger gated the two syncs the bot merged, #19 and #32. Each PR got a `pull_request` run
 that ended with no jobs a second after the merge, and the merge, made with `github.token`, started
-no `push` run. So `upstream-sync` calls `gate.yml` itself, as a reusable workflow on the sync
-commit, and its `merge` job runs only after that call passes. A sync that fails the build,
+no `push` run. So `upstream-sync` dispatches `gate.yml` on the sync branch and its `merge` job runs
+only after that run passes. A dispatch, unlike a reusable call, reports the checks as `gate`,
+`smoke`, and `statechart` on the sync commit. The `main` ruleset requires exactly those three, and a
+personal repository cannot exempt the GitHub Actions bot from a ruleset, so a reusable call's
+`gate / gate` names would leave every bot merge blocked. The ruleset also requires a pull request
+for every change to `main` and forbids force-pushes and deletion. A sync that fails the build,
 `check-port.sh`, or `gate.yml` stays open for a human, and later runs stop at the open-PR guard
 until someone resolves it.