diff --git a/.github/pull_request_template.md b/.github/pull_request_template.md
index bee6264496..7e3dd02a7a 100644
--- a/.github/pull_request_template.md
+++ b/.github/pull_request_template.md
@@ -21,11 +21,6 @@ cancellation, reduced-motion behavior, and failure fallback. Verification must
 assert that the target API was actually called; a mock that silently skips it
 does not count.
 
-For a large PR spanning multiple architectural owners, split independent
-changes when practical. If it must remain combined, obtain a non-author
-maintainer approval on the current head so the `independent cross-boundary
-review` gate can pass.
-
 ## Documentation impact
 
 Documentation-impact: TODO
diff --git a/.github/scripts/cross-boundary-review.cjs b/.github/scripts/cross-boundary-review.cjs
deleted file mode 100644
index 7867b14904..0000000000
--- a/.github/scripts/cross-boundary-review.cjs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,184 +0,0 @@
-"use strict";
-
-const STATUS_CONTEXT = "independent cross-boundary review";
-const ALLOWED_PERMISSIONS = new Set(["admin", "maintain", "write"]);
-
-function pullNumberFromContext(context) {
-  const direct = context.payload.pull_request?.number;
-  const fromWorkflowRun = context.payload.workflow_run?.pull_requests?.[0]?.number;
-  const fromDispatch = Number(context.payload.inputs?.pull_number ?? 0);
-  return direct ?? fromWorkflowRun ?? (Number.isInteger(fromDispatch) && fromDispatch > 0 ? fromDispatch : undefined);
-}
-
-function changeSummary(files) {
-  const groups = new Set();
-  for (const { filename } of files) {
-    if (filename.startsWith("desktop/frontend/")) groups.add("frontend");
-    else if (filename.startsWith("desktop/")) groups.add("desktop-native");
-    else if (/^(?:internal|cmd)\//.test(filename)) groups.add("kernel");
-    else if (/^(?:\.github|scripts|tools)\//.test(filename)) groups.add("control-plane");
-    else if (/^(?:sdk|npm|site|docs|workers)\//.test(filename)) groups.add("distribution");
-  }
-  const changedLines = files.reduce((sum, file) => sum + file.changes, 0);
-  return {
-    changedLines,
-    groups: [...groups],
-    required: files.length >= 25 || changedLines >= 1000 || groups.size >= 3,
-  };
-}
-
-function currentHeadApprovalCandidates(reviews, pull) {
-  const latestByReviewer = new Map();
-  for (const review of reviews) {
-    const login = review.user?.login;
-    if (!login || login === pull.user.login || review.user?.type === "Bot") continue;
-    // Comments do not revoke an approval; only explicit review decisions do.
-    if (review.state === "COMMENTED" || review.state === "PENDING") continue;
-    latestByReviewer.set(login, { state: review.state, commitId: review.commit_id });
-  }
-  return [...latestByReviewer.entries()]
-    .filter(([, review]) => review.state === "APPROVED" && review.commitId === pull.head.sha)
-    .map(([login]) => login);
-}
-
-async function publishStatus({ github, context, sha, state, description }) {
-  await github.rest.repos.createCommitStatus({
-    owner: context.repo.owner,
-    repo: context.repo.repo,
-    sha,
-    state,
-    context: STATUS_CONTEXT,
-    description: description.slice(0, 140),
-    target_url: `${context.serverUrl ?? "https://github.com"}/${context.repo.owner}/${context.repo.repo}/actions/runs/${context.runId}`,
-  });
-}
-
-async function run({ github, context, core }) {
-  let pullNumber = pullNumberFromContext(context);
-  if (!pullNumber && context.payload.workflow_run?.head_sha) {
-    const associated = await github.rest.repos.listPullRequestsAssociatedWithCommit({
-      owner: context.repo.owner,
-      repo: context.repo.repo,
-      commit_sha: context.payload.workflow_run.head_sha,
-    });
-    const pull = associated.data.find((candidate) =>
-      candidate.state === "open" && candidate.base?.repo?.full_name === `${context.repo.owner}/${context.repo.repo}`,
-    );
-    pullNumber = pull?.number;
-  }
-  if (!pullNumber) {
-    core.info("No pull request is associated with this event; nothing to reevaluate.");
-    return;
-  }
-
-  let pull;
-  try {
-    ({ data: pull } = await github.rest.pulls.get({
-      owner: context.repo.owner,
-      repo: context.repo.repo,
-      pull_number: pullNumber,
-    }));
-    if (pull.state !== "open") {
-      core.info(`Pull request #${pull.number} is not open; nothing to reevaluate.`);
-      return;
-    }
-    if (pull.draft) {
-      await publishStatus({
-        github,
-        context,
-        sha: pull.head.sha,
-        state: "success",
-        description: "Draft PR; independent review is deferred",
-      });
-      return;
-    }
-
-    const files = await github.paginate(github.rest.pulls.listFiles, {
-      owner: context.repo.owner,
-      repo: context.repo.repo,
-      pull_number: pull.number,
-      per_page: 100,
-    });
-    const summary = changeSummary(files);
-    if (!summary.required) {
-      await publishStatus({
-        github,
-        context,
-        sha: pull.head.sha,
-        state: "success",
-        description: [
-          `${files.length} files`,
-          `${summary.changedLines} lines`,
-          `${summary.groups.length} owner groups; review gate not required`,
-        ].join(", "),
-      });
-      return;
-    }
-
-    const reviews = await github.paginate(github.rest.pulls.listReviews, {
-      owner: context.repo.owner,
-      repo: context.repo.repo,
-      pull_number: pull.number,
-      per_page: 100,
-    });
-    const approvers = [];
-    for (const login of currentHeadApprovalCandidates(reviews, pull)) {
-      try {
-        const permission = await github.rest.repos.getCollaboratorPermissionLevel({
-          owner: context.repo.owner,
-          repo: context.repo.repo,
-          username: login,
-        });
-        if (ALLOWED_PERMISSIONS.has(permission.data.permission)) approvers.push(login);
-      } catch (error) {
-        core.info(`Ignoring approval from ${login}: repository permission could not be verified (${error.status ?? "unknown"}).`);
-      }
-    }
-
-    if (approvers.length === 0) {
-      await publishStatus({
-        github,
-        context,
-        sha: pull.head.sha,
-        state: "failure",
-        description: "Large cross-boundary change needs current-head approval from a non-author maintainer",
-      });
-      const areas = summary.groups.join(", ") || "one uncategorized area";
-      core.warning(
-        `PR changes ${files.length} files and ${summary.changedLines} lines across ${areas}; ` +
-        "split it or obtain current-head approval from a non-author maintainer.",
-      );
-      return;
-    }
-
-    await publishStatus({
-      github,
-      context,
-      sha: pull.head.sha,
-      state: "success",
-      description: `Current-head independent review approved by ${approvers.join(", ")}`,
-    });
-    core.info(`Independent cross-boundary review approved by ${approvers.join(", ")}.`);
-  } catch (error) {
-    if (pull?.head?.sha) {
-      try {
-        await publishStatus({
-          github,
-          context,
-          sha: pull.head.sha,
-          state: "error",
-          description: "Independent review policy could not be evaluated",
-        });
-      } catch (statusError) {
-        core.info(`Could not publish evaluation error status: ${statusError.message}`);
-      }
-    }
-    throw error;
-  }
-}
-
-module.exports = run;
-module.exports.changeSummary = changeSummary;
-module.exports.currentHeadApprovalCandidates = currentHeadApprovalCandidates;
-module.exports.pullNumberFromContext = pullNumberFromContext;
-module.exports.STATUS_CONTEXT = STATUS_CONTEXT;
diff --git a/.github/scripts/cross-boundary-review.test.cjs b/.github/scripts/cross-boundary-review.test.cjs
deleted file mode 100644
index bd819080d3..0000000000
--- a/.github/scripts/cross-boundary-review.test.cjs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,106 +0,0 @@
-"use strict";
-
-const test = require("node:test");
-const assert = require("node:assert/strict");
-const gate = require("./cross-boundary-review.cjs");
-const {
-  STATUS_CONTEXT,
-  changeSummary,
-  currentHeadApprovalCandidates,
-  pullNumberFromContext,
-} = require("./cross-boundary-review.cjs");
-
-function gateHarness(reviews) {
-  const listFiles = () => {};
-  const listReviews = () => {};
-  const statuses = [];
-  const github = {
-    rest: {
-      pulls: {
-        get: async () => ({ data: { number: 7, state: "open", draft: false, user: { login: "author" }, head: { sha: "current" } } }),
-        listFiles,
-        listReviews,
-      },
-      repos: {
-        createCommitStatus: async (status) => statuses.push(status),
-        getCollaboratorPermissionLevel: async () => ({ data: { permission: "write" } }),
-      },
-    },
-    paginate: async (endpoint) => endpoint === listFiles
-      ? [
-          { filename: "desktop/frontend/src/App.tsx", changes: 10 },
-          { filename: "desktop/main.go", changes: 10 },
-          { filename: ".github/workflows/ci.yml", changes: 10 },
-        ]
-      : reviews,
-  };
-  const context = {
-    payload: { pull_request: { number: 7 } },
-    repo: { owner: "example", repo: "reasonix" },
-    runId: 99,
-    serverUrl: "https://github.example",
-  };
-  const core = { info() {}, warning() {} };
-  return { github, context, core, statuses };
-}
-
-test("large multi-owner changes require independent review", () => {
-  const files = [
-    { filename: "desktop/frontend/src/App.tsx", changes: 10 },
-    { filename: "desktop/main.go", changes: 10 },
-    { filename: ".github/workflows/ci.yml", changes: 10 },
-  ];
-  assert.deepEqual(changeSummary(files), {
-    changedLines: 30,
-    groups: ["frontend", "desktop-native", "control-plane"],
-    required: true,
-  });
-});
-
-test("approval must target the current pull request head", () => {
-  const pull = { user: { login: "author" }, head: { sha: "current" } };
-  const reviews = [
-    { user: { login: "stale", type: "User" }, state: "APPROVED", commit_id: "previous" },
-    { user: { login: "current", type: "User" }, state: "APPROVED", commit_id: "current" },
-    { user: { login: "author", type: "User" }, state: "APPROVED", commit_id: "current" },
-    { user: { login: "automation", type: "Bot" }, state: "APPROVED", commit_id: "current" },
-  ];
-  assert.deepEqual(currentHeadApprovalCandidates(reviews, pull), ["current"]);
-});
-
-test("later explicit review decisions replace approval without comments revoking it", () => {
-  const pull = { user: { login: "author" }, head: { sha: "current" } };
-  const reviews = [
-    { user: { login: "maintainer", type: "User" }, state: "APPROVED", commit_id: "current" },
-    { user: { login: "maintainer", type: "User" }, state: "COMMENTED", commit_id: "current" },
-    { user: { login: "maintainer", type: "User" }, state: "CHANGES_REQUESTED", commit_id: "current" },
-  ];
-  assert.deepEqual(currentHeadApprovalCandidates(reviews, pull), []);
-});
-
-test("protected events resolve the intended pull request", () => {
-  assert.equal(pullNumberFromContext({ payload: { pull_request: { number: 12 } } }), 12);
-  assert.equal(pullNumberFromContext({ payload: { workflow_run: { pull_requests: [{ number: 34 }] } } }), 34);
-  assert.equal(pullNumberFromContext({ payload: { inputs: { pull_number: "56" } } }), 56);
-  assert.equal(STATUS_CONTEXT, "independent cross-boundary review");
-});
-
-test("stale approval publishes a failing current-head status", async () => {
-  const harness = gateHarness([
-    { user: { login: "maintainer", type: "User" }, state: "APPROVED", commit_id: "previous" },
-  ]);
-  await gate(harness);
-  assert.equal(harness.statuses.length, 1);
-  assert.equal(harness.statuses[0].sha, "current");
-  assert.equal(harness.statuses[0].state, "failure");
-  assert.equal(harness.statuses[0].context, STATUS_CONTEXT);
-});
-
-test("current-head maintainer approval publishes success", async () => {
-  const harness = gateHarness([
-    { user: { login: "maintainer", type: "User" }, state: "APPROVED", commit_id: "current" },
-  ]);
-  await gate(harness);
-  assert.equal(harness.statuses.length, 1);
-  assert.equal(harness.statuses[0].state, "success");
-});
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 90039e01ce..b8c109cc8d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -578,11 +578,8 @@ jobs:
             .github/workflows/release-desktop.yml \
             .github/workflows/release-verify-issues.yml \
             .github/workflows/docs-impact.yml \
-            .github/workflows/ci.yml \
-            .github/workflows/cross-boundary-review.yml \
-            .github/workflows/cross-boundary-review-signal.yml
+            .github/workflows/ci.yml
           bash scripts/release-workflows.test.sh
-          node --test .github/scripts/cross-boundary-review.test.cjs
           node scripts/check-single-release-public-contract.mjs
 
   # The site/ auth client has security-sensitive redirect-validation logic
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cross-boundary-review-signal.yml b/.github/workflows/cross-boundary-review-signal.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 7cf4d6a0e6..0000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/cross-boundary-review-signal.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-name: Cross-boundary review signal
-
-# This candidate-context workflow carries no write permission and executes no
-# repository code. Its completion only asks the protected workflow_run policy
-# to fetch current reviews and recompute the real status.
-on:
-  pull_request_review:
-    types: [submitted, edited, dismissed]
-
-permissions:
-  contents: read
-
-jobs:
-  signal:
-    name: signal cross-boundary review reevaluation
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - run: echo "Review state changed; protected policy will reevaluate the pull request."
diff --git a/.github/workflows/cross-boundary-review.yml b/.github/workflows/cross-boundary-review.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index a03936be6b..0000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/cross-boundary-review.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,42 +0,0 @@
-name: Cross-boundary review gate
-
-# Large changes or changes spanning multiple architectural owners are easy to
-# validate by aggregate CI while missing a small contract migration. Evaluate
-# them only from the protected default-branch control plane. Review workflows
-# on the candidate ref may request reevaluation, but they cannot decide or
-# publish the result.
-on:
-  pull_request_target:
-    types: [opened, synchronize, reopened, ready_for_review, converted_to_draft]
-  workflow_run:
-    workflows: [Cross-boundary review signal]
-    types: [completed]
-  workflow_dispatch:
-    inputs:
-      pull_number:
-        description: Pull request number to reevaluate
-        required: true
-        type: number
-
-permissions:
-  contents: read
-  pull-requests: read
-  statuses: write
-
-jobs:
-  independent-review:
-    name: publish independent cross-boundary review status
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Checkout protected review policy
-        uses: actions/checkout@v7
-        with:
-          ref: ${{ github.workflow_sha }}
-          path: review-control
-          persist-credentials: false
-
-      - uses: actions/github-script@v9
-        with:
-          script: |
-            const gate = require(`${process.env.GITHUB_WORKSPACE}/review-control/.github/scripts/cross-boundary-review.cjs`);
-            await gate({ github, context, core });
diff --git a/scripts/release-workflows.test.sh b/scripts/release-workflows.test.sh
index 3824782bb2..06e7f3b030 100755
--- a/scripts/release-workflows.test.sh
+++ b/scripts/release-workflows.test.sh
@@ -117,19 +117,18 @@ grep -Fq 'name: Smoke-test Wails approval in WebView2' "$repo_root/.github/workf
 grep -Fq '../scripts/test-webview2-approval-smoke.ps1' "$repo_root/.github/workflows/ci.yml"
 grep -Fq 'wails build -clean -s -skipbindings -nopackage -platform windows/amd64 -webview2 embed' \
 	"$repo_root/.github/workflows/ci.yml"
-review_gate="$repo_root/.github/workflows/cross-boundary-review.yml"
-review_signal="$repo_root/.github/workflows/cross-boundary-review-signal.yml"
-grep -Eq '^  pull_request_target:$' "$review_gate"
-grep -Eq '^  workflow_run:$' "$review_gate"
-grep -Eq '^  workflow_dispatch:$' "$review_gate"
-! grep -Eq '^  pull_request_review:$' "$review_gate"
-grep -Fq 'ref: ${{ github.workflow_sha }}' "$review_gate"
-grep -Fq 'persist-credentials: false' "$review_gate"
-grep -Fq 'review-control/.github/scripts/cross-boundary-review.cjs' "$review_gate"
-grep -Eq '^  pull_request_review:$' "$review_signal"
-! grep -Eq 'statuses: write|pull-requests: write|contents: write' "$review_signal"
-grep -Fq 'review.commit_id' "$repo_root/.github/scripts/cross-boundary-review.cjs"
-grep -Fq 'pull.head.sha' "$repo_root/.github/scripts/cross-boundary-review.cjs"
+for retired_review_gate in \
+	"$repo_root/.github/workflows/cross-boundary-review.yml" \
+	"$repo_root/.github/workflows/cross-boundary-review-signal.yml" \
+	"$repo_root/.github/scripts/cross-boundary-review.cjs" \
+	"$repo_root/.github/scripts/cross-boundary-review.test.cjs"; do
+	if [ -e "$retired_review_gate" ]; then
+		echo "Retired cross-boundary review gate still exists: $retired_review_gate" >&2
+		exit 1
+	fi
+done
+! grep -Fq 'cross-boundary-review' "$repo_root/.github/workflows/ci.yml"
+! grep -Fq 'independent cross-boundary review' "$repo_root/.github/pull_request_template.md"
 desktop_build_line="$(grep -n -m1 'name: Build and package' "$repo_root/.github/workflows/release-desktop.yml" | cut -d: -f1)"
 webview2_smoke_line="$(grep -n -m1 'name: Smoke-test Wails approval in WebView2' "$repo_root/.github/workflows/release-desktop.yml" | cut -d: -f1)"
 signpath_upload_line="$(grep -n -m1 'name: Upload unsigned Windows payload for SignPath' "$repo_root/.github/workflows/release-desktop.yml" | cut -d: -f1)"