diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
index a1a3566..8ccbed7 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -11,38 +11,47 @@
 #   backend  - uv + Python 3.12: ruff, mypy, pytest
 #   frontend - Node 22 + pnpm 12.6.0: typecheck, lint, test, build
 #
-# Runner label: `employee-runner`, named by coreci-sre on researchx#24
-# (comment 14316): "runner label for uv+pnpm is employee-runner ... any
-# employee label carries the fleet toolchain". The shared `ubuntu-latest`
-# pool is deliberately not used: the toolchain (uv + pnpm 12.6.0) must come
-# from ONE image, and a split across images is how a first fire comes back
-# red on toolchain instead of on code.
+# Runner label: `ubuntu-latest` - the org CI fleet's published label whose
+# image is docker.gitea.com/runner-images:ubuntu-latest (label map read at
+# source: coreci/nextcraft deploy/ci/docker-compose.yaml + deploy/ci/README.md,
+# R-3). The previous string `employee-runner` was a fleet NAME, not a label:
+# the employee fleet's labels are `employee-py` and `employee-coder` (read
+# from a live job log of this seat's own home), and the CI fleet's are node /
+# ubuntu-latest / python / release - no runner carried the old label, so a
+# merged file asking for it could still buy no run.
 #
-# The commands are the repo's own documented gates (README "Monorepo
-# command map"): backend `uv run ruff check src tests`, `uv run mypy src`,
-# `uv run pytest`; frontend `pnpm typecheck`, `pnpm lint`, `pnpm test`,
-# `pnpm build`. The frontend lane mirrors the release image's own recipe
-# (frontend/Dockerfile: node:22-alpine, corepack, pnpm install
-# --frozen-lockfile, pnpm build), so the gate tests what the product ships.
+# Toolchain: measured, not assumed. From the runner's own logs (job 56393,
+# coreci/nova-platform, 2026-10-26T23:17Z, and job 57005, coreci/inboxos-v1,
+# 2026-10-27T03:01Z): the image carries python 3.12.3, pip, git, node (the
+# actions run in it), pypi REACHABLE and github REACHABLE; actions/checkout@v4,
+# actions/setup-python@v5 and actions/setup-go@v5 all run inside it. It does
+# NOT carry uv or pnpm, so this file installs them: uv from pypi (pip), pnpm
+# 12.6.0 through corepack - the repo's own documented way (README command map).
+# The gates are the repo's documented commands: backend `uv run ruff check src
+# tests`, `uv run mypy src`, `uv run pytest`; frontend `pnpm typecheck`,
+# `pnpm lint`, `pnpm test`, `pnpm build`. The frontend lane mirrors the
+# release image's own recipe (frontend/Dockerfile: node:22-alpine, corepack,
+# pnpm install --frozen-lockfile, pnpm build), so the gate tests what the
+# product ships.
 #
 # Owner of a red leg (the clause asks for the owner of the fix next to the
 # owner of the product line): toolchain / image / dispatch problems ->
-# coreci-sre (employee-runner-fleet); product-line problems ->
-# coreci-researchx-po. Approval for this file rides the merge request
+# coreci-sre (employee-runner-fleet + gitea-instance); product-line problems
+# -> coreci-researchx-po. Approval for this file rides the merge request
 # (merge = approval, constitution v1.3).
 
 name: ci
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: ["main"]
   pull_request:
     branches: ["main"]
+  workflow_dispatch: {}
 
 jobs:
   backend:
     name: backend (uv, Python 3.12: ruff/mypy/pytest)
-    runs-on: employee-runner
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 20
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
@@ -53,6 +62,15 @@ jobs:
         with:
           python-version: "3.12"
 
+      # uv is not in the CI image; pypi is reachable from it (measured). The
+      # install is a toolchain leg, not a product gate: the gates still run
+      # from the repo's own committed lockfile (backend/uv.lock).
+      - name: Install uv (from pypi)
+        run: |
+          set -eu
+          python -m pip install --upgrade uv
+          uv --version
+
       - name: Install dependencies (uv, from the committed lockfile)
         working-directory: backend
         run: uv sync --frozen
@@ -71,12 +89,13 @@ jobs:
 
   frontend:
     name: frontend (Next.js on pnpm: typecheck/lint/test/build)
-    runs-on: employee-runner
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 25
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      # Node 22 to mirror the release image (frontend/Dockerfile: node:22).
       - name: Setup Node 22
         uses: actions/setup-node@v4
         with:
@@ -87,14 +106,24 @@ jobs:
         with:
           python-version: "3.12"
 
+      - name: Install uv (from pypi)
+        run: |
+          set -eu
+          python -m pip install --upgrade uv
+
+      # pnpm 12.6.0 is pinned by frontend/package.json `packageManager`;
+      # corepack reads it from there. If the image carries no corepack, npm
+      # installs the same pinned version.
       - name: pnpm 12.6.0 (corepack, pinned by frontend/package.json)
         working-directory: frontend
         run: |
           set -eu
-          # `corepack enable` exits EEXIST when the image already ships a pnpm
-          # shim; the shim below still resolves the pinned version.
-          corepack enable pnpm || true
-          pnpm --version
+          node --version
+          corepack enable pnpm 2>/dev/null || true
+          if ! pnpm --version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            npm i -g pnpm@12.6.0
+          fi
+          test "$(pnpm --version)" = "12.6.0"
 
       - name: Install dependencies (from the committed lockfile)
         working-directory: frontend